Those who read the Noble Qur’an must be wondering why Surah, 29 is titled “Al-Ankabut.” or the Spider which is a lowly insect.
This article explores the human reasoning as to why Allah (SWT) chose Al-Ankabut as the title of Surah number 29 and the word Ankabut is mentioned in Ayah (verse) number 41 of Surah 29 as follow:
“The parable of those who take
Protectors other than Allah is that of the Spider
Who builds (to itself) a house;
But truly the flimsiest of houses is the Spider’s house
If they but knew.”
People consider spiders are nuisances or horrifying creatures that should be exterminated whenever possible. In fact spiders are benefactors of humans. Every year spiders do away with millions upon millions of insects such as locusts and grasshoppers that would destroy grain crops, and with such consumers of green leave as beetles and caterpillars, as well as with troublesome mosquitoes and flies. One authority stated in the following words: "If it were not for the number of spiders everywhere, all living creatures except defoliating (leaf-eating) caterpillars might face starvation."
Spiders keep control of the insects without using the man-made insecticides, which are posing many environmental problems including the decreasing of sperms in the human male thus resulting in infertility. Therefore we must appreciate our spider friends which are performing this service with no ill effects whatever to mankind. They exist in abundance and they are found almost anywhere. Some types flourish indoors, and others live outdoors but close to the buildings. In the fields they make their homes on tall plants and low shrubs, in forests they take refuge under dried leaves and fallen logs. Any piece of bark or stone may serve as a spider shelter. We may find them near water and even on it, in dry country, in underground caves, and on mountaintops. Because of ignorance, through the ages, in countless stories, spiders have been connected with sinister, unhealthy activities and places. They are treated as sinister and aggressive and usually capable of a deadly bite.
The truth is a spider is a mild creature, most anxious to avoid contact with man. It bites only when hurt or frightened, and usually will walk over a person's skin without making any effort to bite. In fact the majority of spiders we come across are small and because their biting apparatus is not strong enough, they are not capable of breaking through the skin of a human being. One must be aware that a large wolf spider will cause no greater pain nor inconvenience from poison than a wasp usually inflicts. On the other hand a black widow, the only spider native to the United States which can inflict poisoning of a truly serious nature upon humans, is small-no more than half-an-inch in length. Because of this the black widow is always given wide publicity. Black widow poisoning is often serious, but rarely is it fatal. Very young children and adults who are not in good physical condition suffer from it most acutely. If treated properly and promptly the ill effects usually lessen in a few hours and after a couple of days rest, the victim has completely recovered.
SPIDER SILK
The strength of spider silk, so delicate in appearance, is surprisingly great. A strand can be stretched as much as one half its normal length before breaking, and has a tensile strength surpassed only by fused quartz fibers. Fine strands are stronger than others, the strength to some extent depending on the speed with which they are drawn out of the spider's body. The greater the speed, the greater the strength. There are other variations, too. Most of the silken threads are not single fibers but are made up of two or more strands. A fiber may be as fine as a millionth of an inch in thickness but more often it is ten or twenty times as thick, and the grouping of these fibers naturally produces threads of a variety of thicknesses. Also some fibers are sticky while others are not.
Making a web is one of the many uses to which the spider puts silk to use. Spiders uses the silk for trap lines, draglines, ballooning lines, for trap-door covers to underground retreats, for egg sacs and nursery webs, for chambers in which to hibernate or to mate, for the many types of webs in which food is ensnared, and for entangling and swathing their prey. Silk for all these purposes is not achieved with one type of gland; there are at least seven different types that equip the whole spider group. Some individual spiders have as many as six kinds and possibly have more than six hundred separate glands; others have less than this.
ANALYSIS OF SILK
The silk itself is a substance known as "scleroprotein." When produced in the glands it is a liquid; only when drawn outside the body does it harden into thread. Once it was thought that exposure to the air caused the hardening, but it now appears that the drawing-out process alone is responsible. To carry forward the work done by the glands, a spider is equipped with spinnerets, usually six in number. These are as flexible as fingers; they can be extended, compressed, and in general be used like human hands. In the "spinning field," where the spinnerets are grouped, single threads are combined into various thicknesses, and some of the dry strands may be coated with a sticky substance. Thus a finished strand may be thin or thick, dry or sticky. It may also have the form of a beaded necklace. For the latter type the spider spins rather slowly and, pulling out the sticky thread, lets it go with a jerk. The fluid thus is arranged in globules spaced along the finished line. The thread known as the dragline may be thought of as a spider's "life line" for it acts as a lifesaver under all sorts of conditions. No matter where or how far a spider travels, the dragline goes along, reeling out from spinnerets at the rear of the body. It forms part of the construction of webs, it holds its little manufacturer securely in difficult places, and it aids in escaping from enemies. For a spider resting in a web the dragline makes possible quick drop and hideout in vegetation. It enables active hunting spiders to leap from buildings, cliffs, or any high point incomplete safety.
BENEFITS OF SPIDER SILK TO MAN
One may be wondering why the spider silk in contrast to the silk of the silkworm, is not of great commercial importance. One reason lies in the varying thickness of spider thread. Also it is more difficult to work with, and, because it does not stand up well in the weaving process, it lacks the luster of insect silk. Besides all this the problems of housing and feeding large numbers of spiders are great compared with supporting silkworms.
Primitive people like in New Guinea have used spider silk in a number of ways. They make fishing nets and lures and such articles as bags, headdresses that will keep off the rain, and caps. These are not fashioned from single strands but from matted, twisted threads. The primitive natives of North Queensland, Australia, look to spiders for their fishing equipment. One way they use them is to entangle one end of a thin switch in a web, then, using a weaving motion, they twist the coarse silk lines into a single strand which may be more than a foot long. The strand of silk is then trailed through the same area. As a fish rises to this bait its teeth become entangled in the invisible strands of silk and it is easily pulled out of the water. Most fish caught in this matter are no more than two inches long, but it is claimed that such silken fishing poles can hold more than half a pound of weight.
Besides being helpful to primitive people, spider silk has proved useful to the makers of such complicated instruments as astronomical telescopes, guns and engineers' levels. The fibers, being very fine yet strong and able to withstand extremes of weather, are excellent for sighting marks. During the Second World War there was considerable demand for spider fiber for surveying and laboratory instruments. The silk would be reeled from the spinnerets of living spiders, then stored on especially constructed frames until needed. Black widow spiders were used to a great extent for this silk production, although the common house orb weavers, the gardens orb weavers and others all help to provide the silk employed for specialized purposes. One draw back to the use of spider silk in industry is its ability to sag in a humid atmosphere. For this reason filaments of platinum or engraving on glass plates take its place in such instruments as periscopes and bombsights.
FIBER ENGINEERING
As we know the orb-weaving spider produces one of the world’s toughest fibers. Using recombinant DNA technology, DuPont scientists in the United States have created synthetic spider silk as a model for a new generation of advanced materials. It has been suggested that a single strand of spider silk, thick as a pencil, could stop a 747 Jumbo Jet in flight. Whatever comparison one uses, the dragline silk of the orb-weaving spider is an impressive material. On an equal weight basis, it is stronger than steel. In addition, spider silk is very elastic. It is this combination of strength and stretch that makes the energy-to-break of spider silk so high. Simply put, it is the toughest material known. Spider silk is merely the most dramatic example of a sizable family of biopolymers possessing a combination of properties that synthetic materials cannot yet approach. Researchers at DuPont are looking to these natural materials as paradigms for the design and synthesis of a new generation of advanced structural materials.
SECRETS OF SPIDER SILK
It is very important to learn exactly how the spider makes its silk because this knowledge can serve as the basis for a new generation of materials. Fundamental to achieving these materials is the ability to control all aspects of the material architecture, beginning at the molecular level. Recombinant DNA technology provides a practical route to harnessing the power of the biosynthetic process to control polymer sequence and chain length to a degree that is otherwise impossible. A broad range of mechanical properties is accessible by careful selection of the appropriate building blocks, as more sophisticated properties that are common among proteins. Advanced computer simulation techniques to design a molecular model that integrates all the information available to date about the structure of this amazingly strong and elastic fiber. Synthetic genes were designed to encode alleges of the silk proteins. These genes were inserted into yeast and bacteria and the protein analogs were produced. The biosilk was then dissolved in a solvent and the protein was spun into fibbers using spinning techniques similar to those of the spider.
REVOLUTION THROUGH SYNTHETIC SPIDER SILK
Scientists are envisioning many possible uses for biosilk. Textile applications are an obvious one. The elasticity and strength of existing products such as spandex and nylon have to be improved. Because it is lightweight, tough and elastic, biosilk may also have applications in satellites and aircraft. More importantly, the new generation of advanced materials that spider silk research may bring about has the potential to transform our lives in countless ways we can scarcely imagine. It has been over 52 years since the discoveries of Wallace and Carothers and his team that gave the world nylon and ushered in the age of polymers. Initial successes predict that harnessing biosynthesis will play a major role in the new materials revolution. Synthetic spider silk may help create super-performing garments of the future. Earthquake resistant suspension bridges hung from cables of synthetic spider silk fibers may someday be a reality.
(An ancient Greek legend says a young girl named Arachne was an excellent spinner and wove the most beautiful cloth. She challenged the goddess Athena to a contest. When Athena saw Arachne’s beautiful work, she tore apart the cloth and beat the young girl. Disgraced, Arachne hanged herself. Athena repented and changed Arachne into a spider with a magic liquid, so that she could spin forever and ever. The scientific name for the class of animals to which spiders belong is Arachnida-named after the young girl in the famous Greek legend).
WHY SPIDER’S HOUSE IS FLIMSIEST OF HOUSES?
Every Muslim reader of this article has a problem understanding this article because according to the Noble Qur'an (Surah 29, Ayah 41) cited above the FLIMSIEST of houses is the spider’s house. The scientific studies show that a single strand of spider silk, thick as a pencil, could stop a 747 Jumbo Jet in flight, and that on an equal basis, the spider’s silk is STRONGER THAN STEEL. All these sound too far-fetched and incomprehensible and extremely difficult to understand the mysteries of science. But most important of all this article apparently CONTRADICTS the verse 41 in Surah 41.
The quick answer is that per unit weight the dragline silk of the golden orb spider is one of the world’s toughest fibers. Webs are combinations of many kinds of spider silk all able to be produced by the same spider. The web radials are strong, but the somewhat weaker circumferential (quasi-circular concentric) fibers are elastic and sticky-to absorb the energy of a flying insect and hold it in place. Silk fibers for victim and offspring encapsulation (cocoons) are also different. The strongest of all is the fiber, which the spider uses for transport, the dragline silk. In summary the spider produces both strong and as well as weak fibers and the web it weaves to catch flying insects is weaker and hence it is referred to in the Qur’an as the FLIMSIEST of houses.
Muslim scientists and researchers throughout the world should get inspiration from the Qur’anic Ayat and pursue research in areas that benefit not only Muslims but also the whole of humanity. Biosilk is one such area, which needs to be explored by young Muslim scientists and research workers in the Muslim World.
[Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed is considered to be the foremost exponent in the world for the interpretation of the Noble Qur’an in the light of modern knowledge. Ed]
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Honeybee
The reader of the Qur'an must have been wondering why Surah 16, An-Nahl or the Bee is named after a lowly creature.
In the scientific language all the honeybees belong to the genus Apis. The honeybee communicates with other honeybee using a dance language, which the scientists have discovered to be very complicated and highly developed. Karl von Frisch of the University of Munich in Germany, in the 1940s first discovered the significance of bees' dances. Once the honeybee discovers a source of food, it returns to the hive and the forager bee recruits other bees through both sound and dances and communicates information about the location of food.
More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle himself documented the honeybee's ability to recruit her nestmates to a good food source but did not speculate on how the communication took place. It took over 2,000 years to understand the communication system of the bee. Frisch and his followers were able to recognize a pattern in the dance. The forager walks across the vertical sheets of comb hanging in the hive and traces out the shape of a figure eight (8); she pauses in each loop to shake her body from side to side. A few potential recruits chase after the dancer attentively for some time and then fly out on their own toward the target. In 1943 von Frisch discovered that the direction in which the dancer faced during her waggling run pointed toward the food site in relation to the sun; if she waggled while facing straight upward, toward the 12 on a clockface, then the food could be found in the direction of the sun; if she waggled 60 degrees to the left of 12, facing the 10' 'O' clock, then the food lay 60 degrees to the left of the sun. In addition, he noticed that how fast the dancer completed her circuits corresponded to the distance between the hive and the feeding site; the closer the food, the more frenzied her pace. Von Frisch and his colleagues made detailed accounts of the dance language. They could observe the dance, decipher its meaning and then locate the food supply of which it spoke. This is a stunning accomplishment for scientists.
The sounds it makes with its wings are truly an essential part of the honeybee's dance language. The dancer bee emits sound signals that help the dance followers to find out where the dancer is located and how she is moving, which in turn offers them critical information regarding the direction and distance to the feeding site. The dance attenders receive these signals through the Johnston's organs located in their antennae, which are always held near the dancer. Because these organs are bilateral-one on the left and one on the dance followers can use them to judge their position with respect to the dancer and therefore understand the direction to the food. At the same time, the followers emit sounds that vibrate the comb. The forager stops her dance when she receives these signals and delivers samples of the food she has collected. These appetizers give the dance followers additional information about the taste, smell and quality of the food source. The bees attend the dancing for a while and then fly out to determine the food source on their own. If they are fortunate, they will find the food. If they fail, they will return to the nest and try again.
The exactness of the Qur'anic words in their reference to scientific phenomena occurs in Surah 16, ayath 68, which states:
"And Thy Lord inspired the bee, saying: Choose thou habitations in the hills and in the trees and in (men's) habitations."
Yusuf Ali says: "Auha: wahyan ordinarily means inspiration, the Message put into the mind or heart by Allah. Here the Bee's instinct is refereed to Allah's teaching, which id undoubtedly is.
In the above verse, Allah (SWT) is commanding the bee to choose (to make a hive) a dwelling in the hills, trees and other places which man has built. In Arabic, the verb assumes a specific form when it is in the imperative form and can be either masculine or feminine according to the context. In the Qur'an, the Arabic command of ittakhizee (go choose) is given to the bee in the feminine imperative form. It is shockingly true that only the female bee finds a new home. The queen and the workers are the heart of the hive: the male drones exist solely to mate with the queen. Thus the Qur'an makes a very accurate statement when it refers only the female bee as the one which is being commanded from Allah (SWT) to make a dwelling. As we know the Qur'an is a book of Guidance and the theme of the Qur'an is "mankind" and it is not a book of science. However over 750 verses are found in the Qur'an which relate to scientific phenomena as an argument to invite the believers to the Truth. The noted scholar Afzalur Rahman in elaborating the interconnectedness between science and the Qur'an says:
The Qur'an clearly establishes the fact that science and Qur'an are two aspects of the same Truth and there is no contradiction between them... Thus the Qur'an introduces new dimensions into the study of religion and its philosophy and seeks to bring men of knowledge (scientists) closer to Allah through the study of His Attributes and manifestations in the material world.
In another verse in Surah 16, An-Nahl, the Qur'an says:
Then eat of all fruits (all produce of the earth), and follow the ways of thy Lord, made smooth (for thee). There cometh forth from their bellies a drink of hues (varying colors), wherein is healing for mankind. Lo! herein is indeed portent(Sign) for people who reflect. ......... 16: 69
Allama Yusuf Ali in his commentary states "The bee assimilates the juice of various kinds of flowers and fruit, and forms within its body the honey, which it stores in its cells of wax. The different kinds of food from which it makes its honey give different colors to the honey, e.g., it is dark-brown, light-brown, yellow, white, and so on. The taste and flavor also varies, as in the case of heather honey, the honey formed from scented flowers, and so on. As food it is sweet and wholesome, and it is used in medicine. Note that while the instinctive individual acts are described in the singular number, the produce of "their bodies" is described in the plural, as the result of their collective effort.
HONEY: A HEALING FOR MANKIND
As stated in 16:69, there is a natural healing power in honey of great benefit to mankind. This has been documented in the world's oldest medical literature. For example the Sumerans and the Egyptian physicians about 4000 years ago used honey to treat internal and external wounds, ulcers, diseases of the eyes, lungs, skin and in particular, diseases of the stomach and intestines. The Chinese, Indians, Greeks and Romans have recorded similar practices. Hippocrates, the father of Western Medicine, used honey to treat a number of diseases. Ibn Sina, the Prince among Muslim physicians listed several beneficial uses of honey in his monumental work of medicine "The Canon of Medicine". Among the uses he listed are: preservation of youthfulness, improvement of memory, a feeling of happiness, assists in digestion, increase in appetite and helps promote in one's rendering of speech.
Since 1937 it has been known that honey has antibacterial activity due to its high sugar concentration (76 g/100 ml), acidity (Ph=3.6-4.2) and the organic antibacterial compounds present in honey. The composition of honey is very complex containing a variety of biochemical compounds including vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, hormones, etc., It is used in the treatment of wounds and ulcers. Surgeons and physicians are suing honey in the treatment of gunshot wounds, ulcers, surface wounds, cuts and abrasions, in the treatment of gastroenteritis (diarrhoea). In the academia a number of Ph.D. dissertations have been written on honey, particularly on its biochemical properties. Endocrinologists say that glucose levels in blood of healthy volunteers are increased whereas among the diabetic patients it is decreased after consumption of honey.
SMARTNESS OF THE HONEYBEE
How smart is the common honeybee? It is far smarter than today's most powerful supercomputers. Modern computers can attain the amazing processing speed of 16 gigaflops or 16 billion simple arithmetic operations, such as adding two numbers, each second. On the otherhand the bee's brain shows that the lowly honeybee performs the equivalent of ten trillion operations per second. Very astounding!
In the spring of 1983, the Smithsonian Institution conducted a symposium on animal intelligence at which one of the researchers was Princeton ethologist James L. Gould, an internationally renowned expert on honeybee behavior. In one of his experiments he wanted to observe the ways bee locate new food sources. To achieve this Gould provided honeybees with desirable food sources. Once they were accustomed to feeding at the stations, he moved the food sources by a factor of 1.25 the distance of the previous move. What Gould found was that after a few such moves the honeybees no longer had to search for the new location, but anticipated Gould's behavior so accurately that he found the bees circling the new location before he had even arrived and waiting for their food. The honeybees were able to construct quite a complex simulation of reality in their tiny brains (less than 10 milligrams) and deduce from past experience where Gould was going to place the food next.
The bee does all of this while consuming a lot less power than a computer. According to Byte magazine, "a honeybee's brain dissipates less than 10 microwatts of energy... It is superior by about seven orders of magnitude to the most efficient of today's manufactured computers." What it means is that over ten million bee brains can operate on the power needed for a single 100-watt light bulb. The most efficient of today's computers uses hundreds of millions of times more energy to perform an equivalent number of operations. As shown above they are able to navigate across long distances to locate sources of nectar and then return to the hive and communicate directions to fellow bees. They prepare special food items such as royal jelly and beebread, for their young. They protect their home by recognizing and repelling intruders. They regularly remove garbage and other refuse from their hive. They control the climate in the hive by fanning the fresh air and sprinkling water during summer and by clustering together for warmth in the winter. When their hives become overcrowded, they are smart enough to know that some have to leave and establish new colonies and live independently. Yet, supercomputers require teams of programmers, engineers, and technicians. Bees truly are a marvel of Allah (SWT)'s creation. Is there any doubt why Surah 16, the Qur'an is called NAHL.
This article is based on Jumuah Khutbahs (Friday Sermons) the author delivered at the Islamic Center of Madison, Wisconsin, Al-Fajr Mosque, Indianapolis and Islamic Center of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky. The author is considered to be the world's foremost exponent for the interpretation of Al-Qur'an in the light of modern knowledge. The author encourages feed back from the readers.
FURTHER READING
1. Kirchner, W.H. and Towne, W.F.: The Sensory Basis of the Honeybee's Dance Language. Scientific American June 1994
2. Kamaruddin, M.Y.: Honey: a healing for mankind throughout the ages. THE FOUNTAIN July-Sep, 1993, Vol.1, No.3, pp. 4-6.
3. Bee versus Computer, AWAKE February 8, 1995, pp.24-25.
4. Michael Talbot, " BEYOND THE QUANTUM " (New York, Macmillian Publishing Company) 1990, pp. 178-179
In the scientific language all the honeybees belong to the genus Apis. The honeybee communicates with other honeybee using a dance language, which the scientists have discovered to be very complicated and highly developed. Karl von Frisch of the University of Munich in Germany, in the 1940s first discovered the significance of bees' dances. Once the honeybee discovers a source of food, it returns to the hive and the forager bee recruits other bees through both sound and dances and communicates information about the location of food.
More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle himself documented the honeybee's ability to recruit her nestmates to a good food source but did not speculate on how the communication took place. It took over 2,000 years to understand the communication system of the bee. Frisch and his followers were able to recognize a pattern in the dance. The forager walks across the vertical sheets of comb hanging in the hive and traces out the shape of a figure eight (8); she pauses in each loop to shake her body from side to side. A few potential recruits chase after the dancer attentively for some time and then fly out on their own toward the target. In 1943 von Frisch discovered that the direction in which the dancer faced during her waggling run pointed toward the food site in relation to the sun; if she waggled while facing straight upward, toward the 12 on a clockface, then the food could be found in the direction of the sun; if she waggled 60 degrees to the left of 12, facing the 10' 'O' clock, then the food lay 60 degrees to the left of the sun. In addition, he noticed that how fast the dancer completed her circuits corresponded to the distance between the hive and the feeding site; the closer the food, the more frenzied her pace. Von Frisch and his colleagues made detailed accounts of the dance language. They could observe the dance, decipher its meaning and then locate the food supply of which it spoke. This is a stunning accomplishment for scientists.
The sounds it makes with its wings are truly an essential part of the honeybee's dance language. The dancer bee emits sound signals that help the dance followers to find out where the dancer is located and how she is moving, which in turn offers them critical information regarding the direction and distance to the feeding site. The dance attenders receive these signals through the Johnston's organs located in their antennae, which are always held near the dancer. Because these organs are bilateral-one on the left and one on the dance followers can use them to judge their position with respect to the dancer and therefore understand the direction to the food. At the same time, the followers emit sounds that vibrate the comb. The forager stops her dance when she receives these signals and delivers samples of the food she has collected. These appetizers give the dance followers additional information about the taste, smell and quality of the food source. The bees attend the dancing for a while and then fly out to determine the food source on their own. If they are fortunate, they will find the food. If they fail, they will return to the nest and try again.
The exactness of the Qur'anic words in their reference to scientific phenomena occurs in Surah 16, ayath 68, which states:
"And Thy Lord inspired the bee, saying: Choose thou habitations in the hills and in the trees and in (men's) habitations."
Yusuf Ali says: "Auha: wahyan ordinarily means inspiration, the Message put into the mind or heart by Allah. Here the Bee's instinct is refereed to Allah's teaching, which id undoubtedly is.
In the above verse, Allah (SWT) is commanding the bee to choose (to make a hive) a dwelling in the hills, trees and other places which man has built. In Arabic, the verb assumes a specific form when it is in the imperative form and can be either masculine or feminine according to the context. In the Qur'an, the Arabic command of ittakhizee (go choose) is given to the bee in the feminine imperative form. It is shockingly true that only the female bee finds a new home. The queen and the workers are the heart of the hive: the male drones exist solely to mate with the queen. Thus the Qur'an makes a very accurate statement when it refers only the female bee as the one which is being commanded from Allah (SWT) to make a dwelling. As we know the Qur'an is a book of Guidance and the theme of the Qur'an is "mankind" and it is not a book of science. However over 750 verses are found in the Qur'an which relate to scientific phenomena as an argument to invite the believers to the Truth. The noted scholar Afzalur Rahman in elaborating the interconnectedness between science and the Qur'an says:
The Qur'an clearly establishes the fact that science and Qur'an are two aspects of the same Truth and there is no contradiction between them... Thus the Qur'an introduces new dimensions into the study of religion and its philosophy and seeks to bring men of knowledge (scientists) closer to Allah through the study of His Attributes and manifestations in the material world.
In another verse in Surah 16, An-Nahl, the Qur'an says:
Then eat of all fruits (all produce of the earth), and follow the ways of thy Lord, made smooth (for thee). There cometh forth from their bellies a drink of hues (varying colors), wherein is healing for mankind. Lo! herein is indeed portent(Sign) for people who reflect. ......... 16: 69
Allama Yusuf Ali in his commentary states "The bee assimilates the juice of various kinds of flowers and fruit, and forms within its body the honey, which it stores in its cells of wax. The different kinds of food from which it makes its honey give different colors to the honey, e.g., it is dark-brown, light-brown, yellow, white, and so on. The taste and flavor also varies, as in the case of heather honey, the honey formed from scented flowers, and so on. As food it is sweet and wholesome, and it is used in medicine. Note that while the instinctive individual acts are described in the singular number, the produce of "their bodies" is described in the plural, as the result of their collective effort.
HONEY: A HEALING FOR MANKIND
As stated in 16:69, there is a natural healing power in honey of great benefit to mankind. This has been documented in the world's oldest medical literature. For example the Sumerans and the Egyptian physicians about 4000 years ago used honey to treat internal and external wounds, ulcers, diseases of the eyes, lungs, skin and in particular, diseases of the stomach and intestines. The Chinese, Indians, Greeks and Romans have recorded similar practices. Hippocrates, the father of Western Medicine, used honey to treat a number of diseases. Ibn Sina, the Prince among Muslim physicians listed several beneficial uses of honey in his monumental work of medicine "The Canon of Medicine". Among the uses he listed are: preservation of youthfulness, improvement of memory, a feeling of happiness, assists in digestion, increase in appetite and helps promote in one's rendering of speech.
Since 1937 it has been known that honey has antibacterial activity due to its high sugar concentration (76 g/100 ml), acidity (Ph=3.6-4.2) and the organic antibacterial compounds present in honey. The composition of honey is very complex containing a variety of biochemical compounds including vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, hormones, etc., It is used in the treatment of wounds and ulcers. Surgeons and physicians are suing honey in the treatment of gunshot wounds, ulcers, surface wounds, cuts and abrasions, in the treatment of gastroenteritis (diarrhoea). In the academia a number of Ph.D. dissertations have been written on honey, particularly on its biochemical properties. Endocrinologists say that glucose levels in blood of healthy volunteers are increased whereas among the diabetic patients it is decreased after consumption of honey.
SMARTNESS OF THE HONEYBEE
How smart is the common honeybee? It is far smarter than today's most powerful supercomputers. Modern computers can attain the amazing processing speed of 16 gigaflops or 16 billion simple arithmetic operations, such as adding two numbers, each second. On the otherhand the bee's brain shows that the lowly honeybee performs the equivalent of ten trillion operations per second. Very astounding!
In the spring of 1983, the Smithsonian Institution conducted a symposium on animal intelligence at which one of the researchers was Princeton ethologist James L. Gould, an internationally renowned expert on honeybee behavior. In one of his experiments he wanted to observe the ways bee locate new food sources. To achieve this Gould provided honeybees with desirable food sources. Once they were accustomed to feeding at the stations, he moved the food sources by a factor of 1.25 the distance of the previous move. What Gould found was that after a few such moves the honeybees no longer had to search for the new location, but anticipated Gould's behavior so accurately that he found the bees circling the new location before he had even arrived and waiting for their food. The honeybees were able to construct quite a complex simulation of reality in their tiny brains (less than 10 milligrams) and deduce from past experience where Gould was going to place the food next.
The bee does all of this while consuming a lot less power than a computer. According to Byte magazine, "a honeybee's brain dissipates less than 10 microwatts of energy... It is superior by about seven orders of magnitude to the most efficient of today's manufactured computers." What it means is that over ten million bee brains can operate on the power needed for a single 100-watt light bulb. The most efficient of today's computers uses hundreds of millions of times more energy to perform an equivalent number of operations. As shown above they are able to navigate across long distances to locate sources of nectar and then return to the hive and communicate directions to fellow bees. They prepare special food items such as royal jelly and beebread, for their young. They protect their home by recognizing and repelling intruders. They regularly remove garbage and other refuse from their hive. They control the climate in the hive by fanning the fresh air and sprinkling water during summer and by clustering together for warmth in the winter. When their hives become overcrowded, they are smart enough to know that some have to leave and establish new colonies and live independently. Yet, supercomputers require teams of programmers, engineers, and technicians. Bees truly are a marvel of Allah (SWT)'s creation. Is there any doubt why Surah 16, the Qur'an is called NAHL.
This article is based on Jumuah Khutbahs (Friday Sermons) the author delivered at the Islamic Center of Madison, Wisconsin, Al-Fajr Mosque, Indianapolis and Islamic Center of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky. The author is considered to be the world's foremost exponent for the interpretation of Al-Qur'an in the light of modern knowledge. The author encourages feed back from the readers.
FURTHER READING
1. Kirchner, W.H. and Towne, W.F.: The Sensory Basis of the Honeybee's Dance Language. Scientific American June 1994
2. Kamaruddin, M.Y.: Honey: a healing for mankind throughout the ages. THE FOUNTAIN July-Sep, 1993, Vol.1, No.3, pp. 4-6.
3. Bee versus Computer, AWAKE February 8, 1995, pp.24-25.
4. Michael Talbot, " BEYOND THE QUANTUM " (New York, Macmillian Publishing Company) 1990, pp. 178-179
Ramadan: From Passionate to Compassionate
This RAMADAN KHUTBAH was delivered by Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed, President of the Islamic Research Foundation of Louisville, KY on JAN. 16, 1998 at the Islamic Center of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky.
O ye who believer!Fasting is prescribed to you
As it was prescribed
To those before you,
That ye may(learn)
Self -restraint-
(Fasting) for a fixed
Number of days;
But if any of you is ill,
Or on a journey,
The prescribed number
(Should be made up)
From days later,
For those who can do it
(With hardship), is a ransom,
The feeding of one
That is indigent.
But he that will give
More, of his own free will-
It is better for him.
And it is better for you
That ye fast
If ye only knew.
(Surah 2: Al Baqarah, 183-184)
Islam proceeded step by step and by degrees in the imposition of most of its obligatory duties and Fasting was no exception. The Noble Prophet(pbuh) advised Muslims to observe fasts for three days in a month but this was not obligatory. Then in the second year of Hijra, the Command(2:183) about fasting in the month of Ramadan was revealed. Verse 185 in Surah Al Baqarah was revealed next year. The first Commandment about fasting contained in vv. 183-184 was revealed in the second year of Hijrah before the battle of Badr. The subsequent verse which superseded it was revealed a year later but was inserted here because it dealt with the same matter.
Siyam or Fasting during the month of Ramadan is Third Pillar of Islam. Muslims wait all year long for the arrival of this month of Ramadan. FASTING MEANS from dawn until sunset eating, drinking and sexual intercourse is forbidden. Ramadan is the month of patience. A person who is ready to be patient, not to eat while he is hungry, not to drink while he is thirsty, not to lean to his lusts, such a person is a noble individual. Such a person will be given paradise by Allah(SWT) as a gift, as a merit of award.
To train yourself to abstain from the essentials of life is not an easy act. It needs a strong personality to dictate self-control, self-discipline and self-restraint. Fasting develops self-control and helps Muslims overcome selfishness, greed, laziness and other faults. It is an annual training program to refresh us for carrying out our duties towards Allah. A person who can restrain himself, for the love and pleasure of Allah, deserves a reward from the Creator Himself. The hardship of fasting brings the glad tidings that the fasting undertaken for the sole purpose of pleasing Allah is sure to be accepted by the Most Merciful Lord.
Fast in which the spirit of Fasting is not observed is only an exercise in starvation but not really a Fast at all. The prophet(pubh) said “ whosoever does not give up telling lies, or
acting in a false manner, Allah has no need for his giving up his eating or drinking.”
The basic purpose of Fasting is to suffuse us with the quality of taqwa. The term “taqwa” implies fear and precaution and in Islamic terminology it means fear of Allah or God Consciousness and avoidance of disobedience to Him. Literally, taqwa means: Godliness, devotees or piety. According to the scientific meaning, it signifies a screen between two things. Thus, if the servant submits himself to Allah’s will by carrying out all obligatory duties with which he has been commanded and abstains from that which Allah has prohibited, then his obedient actions have placed a screen between himself and Allah’s punishment. That is called taqwa. In our life journey we face innumerable temptations and we must shun them and stick scrupulously to the path of righteousness and truth- that is what constitutes taqwa, and for generating this taqwa. Taqwa is attained through knowledge which is coupled with true faith(iman). If we do not possess knowledge, we cannot really show piety. To obey the commands of Allah and to carry out His laws constitutes taqwa. Fasting has been made obligatory on us. We are made conscious about the needs and deprivation of those who are more in need than ourselves. This heightening of one’s sense of sacrifice is the opposite of selfishness and of a desire to exploit or oppress someone for the sake of gain. Allah(SWT) does not need our hunger, but fasting helps us to develop and refine our reflex about right and wrong, our sense of love and gratitude. Ramadan teaches us how to control our animal passions, how to bring them under discipline. The end result is manifestation of a human personality that loves Allah and loves His creation, that fears none but Allah, that draws all its strength from Allah and Allah alone.
Ramadan is also the month of the Qur’an, the month in which the Qur’an was revealed.The moral and spiritual climate of Ramadan helps the flourishing of the Qur’anic message which the ambiance is of goodness, humility, righteousness, love for good and aversion for evil.
BENEFITS OF SIYAAM:
Besides the feeling of hunger and thirst, fasting teaches us to control the love of comfort. It helps us to keep our sexual desires within control. Siyaam builds and nourishes the soul of the fasting Muslim. The fasting person enriches his fasting by the remembrance of Allah, the recitation of the Qur’an, the night prayers, Zakah, Sadaqah(charity), and by refraining from sins and obscenity. The fasting person lowers his gaze and suppresses his desires. He guards his tongue from vain talk and obscenities. He guards his hands and legs from the prohibitions of Allah. He employs his hands and legs in the good and various deeds. Siyaam is not the mere refraining from eating and drinking, it is also refraining from vanity and obscenity. Siyaam builds a strong will and nourishes the truthful zeal in the soul. This is achieved when the fasting person struggles to work for his livelihood and resists his desires and temptations. Siyaam builds the strength to bear difficulties and hardship and instills the character of perseverance. The fasting person by depriving himself from food and drink, and other necessities of life becomes capable of controlling his desires, capricious whims, and temptations. The purpose of fasting is to enable a Muslim to control his passions, so that he becomes a person of good deeds and intentions. If one fasts from dawn to sunset, but continues to be abusive to one’s spouse and children, tell lies, swears wrongly under oath, commits zina, cheats one’s children by not giving them what is duly theirs of nafaqah in the form of care and love and indulgence in other wrongful acts, then the objective of fasting has not been achieved. Anger, a common human weakness, can also be brought under control by fasting. A Muslim should keep away from all bad actions during his fast. He should not lie, break a promise or do any deceitful act. Fasting in Ramadan helps one to develop good habits and suppress or eliminate bad habits such as smoking, drinking coffee, tea, etc. One can avoid or cut down on excessive consumption of food.
A fasting person has feelings of sympathy for the poor. The sense of compassion springs from the feeling of pain. Fasting is a practical means to develop compassion for other people’s sufferings. The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) himself was very generous during Ramadan.
Ramadan instills unity and equality among all the members of the Muslim ummah. The Muslims fast during the same month, perform qiyaam al lail during the nights of this month and all seek the night of Qadr. They offer zakat-ul-fitr at the end of the month and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr together. By doing this together during this month of Ramadan, the ummah becomes like one body living in harmony. The fasting person is alert and cautious not to fall into something that might spoil his or her fasting or seek the wrath of Allah.
Fasting elevates the person from the material life to a higher spiritual life and helps him or her to approach a spiritual level that of angels who worship Allah day and night without tiredness.
Fasting builds important Islamic values, such as compassion, cooperation, diligence, firmness, affection, fear of Allah, trust in Allah, and many other qualities. Fasting establishes equality among the rich and the poor. It is a compulsory experience of poverty in that it makes all people share an quality, of feeling and to sympathize with one another through a collective sense of pain. Fasting Muslims can really sympathize with the starving people everywhere in the world and see the hardship that they go through every day of their lives. This compassion increases the practical aspect of the unity of Muslims and will reduce the idea of nationality and geographical identity. Allah is pleased with his servants and answers the duaa of the fasting person, when he supplicates to Him.
During the month of Ramadan, one should visit and offer prayers more frequently in the local mosques. Ramadan is a special time for visiting friends and family and sharing meals with the less fortunate.
The Prophet(pbuh) said, “ O people! The month of Ramadan has come with His mercy, blessing and forgiveness. Allah(SWT) has decreed this month the best of all months. Its days are the best among days, its nights best among nights, and its hours best among hours. This is a month in which you have been invited by Him to fast and pray. Allah(SWT) has honored you in it. Every breath you take in this month has the reward of praise of Allah(SWT). Your sleep in worship, your good deeds are accepted and your invocations answered.
Therefore you must invoke your Lord in earnest, with hearts that are free from sin and evil, and pray that Allah(SWT) helps you fast, and recite the Qur’an. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respect to your elders, have sympathy for your youngsters and be kind toward your relatives and kinsfolk. Guard your tongue against unworthy words, and your eyes from scenes that are not worth seeing and your ears from sounds that should not be heard. Understand well that Allah(SWT) has promised in the Name of His Majesty and Honor that He will not take to task such people who perform Salaat and Sajda and that He will guard their bodies against the fire of hell on the Day of Judgment.
O’ people! If anyone among you arranges Iftar for any believer, then Allah(SWT) will reward him and forgive him his previous sins. (A companion of the prophet(pbuh) asked: “But not everyone among us have the means to do so.” The prophet replied: “Do it even if it be with half a date or some water if you have nothing else.”)
O’ people! Anyone who cultivates in this month good manners will walk over the bridge leading to paradise on the day when feet will tend to slip. Anyone who treats his kinsfolk well in it, Allah will bestow His mercy on him on the Day of Judgment while anyone who mistreats his kinsfolk, Allah will keep him away from His mercy. Whoever recites a verse of the Qur’an in this month, his reward will be that of reciting the whole Qur’an in other months.
O’people! The gates of paradise remain open in this month: pray to your Lord that they may not be closed for you. The gates of hell are closed during this month: pray that they may never be opened for you. Satan has been handcuffed: invoke your Lord not to let him dominate you.”
May Allah(SWT) make us become kinder people, better neighbors and set good examples of the teachings of Islam which we present. Ameen!
O ye who believer!Fasting is prescribed to you
As it was prescribed
To those before you,
That ye may(learn)
Self -restraint-
(Fasting) for a fixed
Number of days;
But if any of you is ill,
Or on a journey,
The prescribed number
(Should be made up)
From days later,
For those who can do it
(With hardship), is a ransom,
The feeding of one
That is indigent.
But he that will give
More, of his own free will-
It is better for him.
And it is better for you
That ye fast
If ye only knew.
(Surah 2: Al Baqarah, 183-184)
Islam proceeded step by step and by degrees in the imposition of most of its obligatory duties and Fasting was no exception. The Noble Prophet(pbuh) advised Muslims to observe fasts for three days in a month but this was not obligatory. Then in the second year of Hijra, the Command(2:183) about fasting in the month of Ramadan was revealed. Verse 185 in Surah Al Baqarah was revealed next year. The first Commandment about fasting contained in vv. 183-184 was revealed in the second year of Hijrah before the battle of Badr. The subsequent verse which superseded it was revealed a year later but was inserted here because it dealt with the same matter.
Siyam or Fasting during the month of Ramadan is Third Pillar of Islam. Muslims wait all year long for the arrival of this month of Ramadan. FASTING MEANS from dawn until sunset eating, drinking and sexual intercourse is forbidden. Ramadan is the month of patience. A person who is ready to be patient, not to eat while he is hungry, not to drink while he is thirsty, not to lean to his lusts, such a person is a noble individual. Such a person will be given paradise by Allah(SWT) as a gift, as a merit of award.
To train yourself to abstain from the essentials of life is not an easy act. It needs a strong personality to dictate self-control, self-discipline and self-restraint. Fasting develops self-control and helps Muslims overcome selfishness, greed, laziness and other faults. It is an annual training program to refresh us for carrying out our duties towards Allah. A person who can restrain himself, for the love and pleasure of Allah, deserves a reward from the Creator Himself. The hardship of fasting brings the glad tidings that the fasting undertaken for the sole purpose of pleasing Allah is sure to be accepted by the Most Merciful Lord.
Fast in which the spirit of Fasting is not observed is only an exercise in starvation but not really a Fast at all. The prophet(pubh) said “ whosoever does not give up telling lies, or
acting in a false manner, Allah has no need for his giving up his eating or drinking.”
The basic purpose of Fasting is to suffuse us with the quality of taqwa. The term “taqwa” implies fear and precaution and in Islamic terminology it means fear of Allah or God Consciousness and avoidance of disobedience to Him. Literally, taqwa means: Godliness, devotees or piety. According to the scientific meaning, it signifies a screen between two things. Thus, if the servant submits himself to Allah’s will by carrying out all obligatory duties with which he has been commanded and abstains from that which Allah has prohibited, then his obedient actions have placed a screen between himself and Allah’s punishment. That is called taqwa. In our life journey we face innumerable temptations and we must shun them and stick scrupulously to the path of righteousness and truth- that is what constitutes taqwa, and for generating this taqwa. Taqwa is attained through knowledge which is coupled with true faith(iman). If we do not possess knowledge, we cannot really show piety. To obey the commands of Allah and to carry out His laws constitutes taqwa. Fasting has been made obligatory on us. We are made conscious about the needs and deprivation of those who are more in need than ourselves. This heightening of one’s sense of sacrifice is the opposite of selfishness and of a desire to exploit or oppress someone for the sake of gain. Allah(SWT) does not need our hunger, but fasting helps us to develop and refine our reflex about right and wrong, our sense of love and gratitude. Ramadan teaches us how to control our animal passions, how to bring them under discipline. The end result is manifestation of a human personality that loves Allah and loves His creation, that fears none but Allah, that draws all its strength from Allah and Allah alone.
Ramadan is also the month of the Qur’an, the month in which the Qur’an was revealed.The moral and spiritual climate of Ramadan helps the flourishing of the Qur’anic message which the ambiance is of goodness, humility, righteousness, love for good and aversion for evil.
BENEFITS OF SIYAAM:
Besides the feeling of hunger and thirst, fasting teaches us to control the love of comfort. It helps us to keep our sexual desires within control. Siyaam builds and nourishes the soul of the fasting Muslim. The fasting person enriches his fasting by the remembrance of Allah, the recitation of the Qur’an, the night prayers, Zakah, Sadaqah(charity), and by refraining from sins and obscenity. The fasting person lowers his gaze and suppresses his desires. He guards his tongue from vain talk and obscenities. He guards his hands and legs from the prohibitions of Allah. He employs his hands and legs in the good and various deeds. Siyaam is not the mere refraining from eating and drinking, it is also refraining from vanity and obscenity. Siyaam builds a strong will and nourishes the truthful zeal in the soul. This is achieved when the fasting person struggles to work for his livelihood and resists his desires and temptations. Siyaam builds the strength to bear difficulties and hardship and instills the character of perseverance. The fasting person by depriving himself from food and drink, and other necessities of life becomes capable of controlling his desires, capricious whims, and temptations. The purpose of fasting is to enable a Muslim to control his passions, so that he becomes a person of good deeds and intentions. If one fasts from dawn to sunset, but continues to be abusive to one’s spouse and children, tell lies, swears wrongly under oath, commits zina, cheats one’s children by not giving them what is duly theirs of nafaqah in the form of care and love and indulgence in other wrongful acts, then the objective of fasting has not been achieved. Anger, a common human weakness, can also be brought under control by fasting. A Muslim should keep away from all bad actions during his fast. He should not lie, break a promise or do any deceitful act. Fasting in Ramadan helps one to develop good habits and suppress or eliminate bad habits such as smoking, drinking coffee, tea, etc. One can avoid or cut down on excessive consumption of food.
A fasting person has feelings of sympathy for the poor. The sense of compassion springs from the feeling of pain. Fasting is a practical means to develop compassion for other people’s sufferings. The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) himself was very generous during Ramadan.
Ramadan instills unity and equality among all the members of the Muslim ummah. The Muslims fast during the same month, perform qiyaam al lail during the nights of this month and all seek the night of Qadr. They offer zakat-ul-fitr at the end of the month and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr together. By doing this together during this month of Ramadan, the ummah becomes like one body living in harmony. The fasting person is alert and cautious not to fall into something that might spoil his or her fasting or seek the wrath of Allah.
Fasting elevates the person from the material life to a higher spiritual life and helps him or her to approach a spiritual level that of angels who worship Allah day and night without tiredness.
Fasting builds important Islamic values, such as compassion, cooperation, diligence, firmness, affection, fear of Allah, trust in Allah, and many other qualities. Fasting establishes equality among the rich and the poor. It is a compulsory experience of poverty in that it makes all people share an quality, of feeling and to sympathize with one another through a collective sense of pain. Fasting Muslims can really sympathize with the starving people everywhere in the world and see the hardship that they go through every day of their lives. This compassion increases the practical aspect of the unity of Muslims and will reduce the idea of nationality and geographical identity. Allah is pleased with his servants and answers the duaa of the fasting person, when he supplicates to Him.
During the month of Ramadan, one should visit and offer prayers more frequently in the local mosques. Ramadan is a special time for visiting friends and family and sharing meals with the less fortunate.
The Prophet(pbuh) said, “ O people! The month of Ramadan has come with His mercy, blessing and forgiveness. Allah(SWT) has decreed this month the best of all months. Its days are the best among days, its nights best among nights, and its hours best among hours. This is a month in which you have been invited by Him to fast and pray. Allah(SWT) has honored you in it. Every breath you take in this month has the reward of praise of Allah(SWT). Your sleep in worship, your good deeds are accepted and your invocations answered.
Therefore you must invoke your Lord in earnest, with hearts that are free from sin and evil, and pray that Allah(SWT) helps you fast, and recite the Qur’an. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respect to your elders, have sympathy for your youngsters and be kind toward your relatives and kinsfolk. Guard your tongue against unworthy words, and your eyes from scenes that are not worth seeing and your ears from sounds that should not be heard. Understand well that Allah(SWT) has promised in the Name of His Majesty and Honor that He will not take to task such people who perform Salaat and Sajda and that He will guard their bodies against the fire of hell on the Day of Judgment.
O’ people! If anyone among you arranges Iftar for any believer, then Allah(SWT) will reward him and forgive him his previous sins. (A companion of the prophet(pbuh) asked: “But not everyone among us have the means to do so.” The prophet replied: “Do it even if it be with half a date or some water if you have nothing else.”)
O’ people! Anyone who cultivates in this month good manners will walk over the bridge leading to paradise on the day when feet will tend to slip. Anyone who treats his kinsfolk well in it, Allah will bestow His mercy on him on the Day of Judgment while anyone who mistreats his kinsfolk, Allah will keep him away from His mercy. Whoever recites a verse of the Qur’an in this month, his reward will be that of reciting the whole Qur’an in other months.
O’people! The gates of paradise remain open in this month: pray to your Lord that they may not be closed for you. The gates of hell are closed during this month: pray that they may never be opened for you. Satan has been handcuffed: invoke your Lord not to let him dominate you.”
May Allah(SWT) make us become kinder people, better neighbors and set good examples of the teachings of Islam which we present. Ameen!
Comets of Ice
Comets orbiting a distant star have been discovered to contain water. In the Journal Nature dated July 12, 2001 scientists claimed that it is the first time the ingredient considered key to life has been discovered in objects circling a star other than our sun which is also a star. This discovery supports the theory that other planetary systems may be similar to our own solar system and may contain chemicals that are essential to the formation of life, as we know it. This particular star is identified as CW Leonis and is located some 3,000 trillion miles from Earth in the constellation Leo. Scientists have no way of knowing whether life ever existed on any comets or planets orbiting this particular star. One conclusion is that no life could exist there now. The reason for this conclusion is that this star has burned out the last of its nuclear fuel and the star has swelled and increased in luminosity, engulfing nearby objects and melting comets in orbits as distant as Neptune is from our own sun -- releasing the water that astronomers spotted using a radio-telescope in outer space.
Gary Melnic, chief scientist on the project and an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, regrets that the existence of these bodies is measured through their destruction. He says that there could have been water closer to the star, bolstering the idea that life may have existed outside our solar system. Scientists have believed that the comets helped build life on earth. The comets along with important chemicals bring the water in our oceans as they hurtled through earth's atmosphere.
The amount of water estimated from the distant comets is about 10 times the mass of earth. By peeking at the dying star far in the distance and therefore long in the past, scientists said they had also glimpsed for the first time a vision of the fiery future of our won world. As our sun begins to die in about 6 billion years, it will also first grow larger and hotter, vaporizing earth's oceans, reducing planets and comets to cinders. Scientists have never before seen the effects of a dying star on its surroundings, although the process is not thought to be uncommon. Every star in the galaxies comprising of billion stars in the universe will go though similar cycles of destruction.
QUR'ANIC REVELATIONS
It has been shown that Islam is not in conflict with science and that Al Qur'an does not contradict or negate modem scientific findings or discoveries. On the other hand, Western scholars have praised and credited Islam for the preservation and advancement of scientific knowledge by Muslim scientists, physicians and technologists. 1,400 years later, modem science is bringing to light the truths or confirming what has been revealed in Al Qur'an. A learned Muslim will find in the Quran scientific truths and realities.
Consider the following Qur'anic Verse:
Have you not seen how Allah wafteth the clouds, then gathers them, then makes them layers, and you see the rain come forth from between them,………… Surah An-Nur 24: 43 (first half)
Here Allah Ta'ala is describing the formation of rain clouds and the rainfall from the clouds. This phenomenon is very common and known to every human being. But what is not known to the human beings are the truths that are found in the following ayah from the Noble Qur'an.
'Wa anz'ala min'assa maai' Ma'an….'
'And causeth water to descend from the heavens. '
…. 'Surah Baqara 2: 22, Surah Ibrahim 14: 22 and Surah An-Nahl, 16: 10, & 65.
Now the question is why does Allah Ta'ala says that He causes the water to descend from the heavens, in apparent contradiction to the An-Nur, 24: 43 first half of the verse cited above. If carefully studied, the following verse makes no sense and the disbelievers would belittle the Noble Qur'an :
'...He sendeth down from the heaven mountains wherein is hail…"
……………Surah An-Nur, 24: 43 (Second Half)
All the Mufassareen (interpreters of the Qur'an) did not give the right Tafsir (interpretation) of this verse. Hail is frozen rain or stones of frozen water. This ayah very clearly states that Allah sends down from the Heavens Mountains containing ice or comets of ice. According to this ayah, mountains of ice or comets of ice are sent down from the heavens (space) towards the earth. Until 1986 mankind did not know this phenomenon. In 1988 this phenomenon has been confirmed scientifically.
Scientific Discovery
The story of this startling scientific discovery and its confirmation by experimentation is worth mentioning here. Dr. Louis Frank a Physicist at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, studied the data gathered from 1981-1986 by Dynamic Explorer I satellite. The satellite took ultraviolet Images of the earth, particularly to study the air glow around the earth. In these images Dr.Louis Frank found holes punched through the atmosphere. These holes could not be explained. He discarded dozens of explanations after analyzing them. He finally concluded that snowballs or comets of Ice coming from space could only make the holes. He estimated the weight of each comet to be 100 tons and they are coated with black hydrocarbons. They are falling on the earth at the rate of 10 million a year (27,397 per day or 19 every minute.)
The snowball or comet of ice measures about 30 feet across. Dr.Clayne Yeates, a Physicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California told this writer that the comets of ice or snowballs are moving at 10 kilometers per second (21,600 MPH) relative to the earth and at about 1000 km (600 miles) above the earth. They break up (into hail) due to tidal waves and would then flash to vapor in the atmosphere. Finally the vapor would fall as rain and joins the earth's water cycle. Dr. Louis Frank's calculations show this would contribute the equivalent of one Inch of water all over the earth's surface every 10,000 years. The earth was formed 4.9 billion years ago and if this has been happening since formation of the earth, the process would provide enough water for the oceans and the polar Ice packs.
Experimental Proof
Dr.Yeates used a powerful space search telescope at the Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona. Using this telescope he scanned the heavens for the snowballs or icy comets. By swinging the telescope, similar to a shotgun at a skeet shoot, he photographed the descending icy comets approaching each. He told this writer that viewing through this telescope he was able to see the icy comets 150,000-km (kilometers) or 90,000 miles above the earth (or the heavens). Dr.Yeates said. It was remarkable. The results agreed exactly with the predictions.
GLOSSARY
Comets
Appearance:
Seeing a comet with the naked eye is a somewhat rare occurrence. On the average we get a naked-eye comet once every five or six years and this includes comets that become barely visible to the naked eye. Classic comets with long tails only appear about once every 10-12 years. The motion is very difficult to detect and comparing its place with naked-eye stars over several days is the only way to see it move. In general, comets are best observed with telescopes or binoculars.
What are They?
Comets are primarily composed of ice and dust, causing some astronomers to refer to them as "dirty snowballs." They typically move through the solar system in orbits ranging from a few years to several hundred thousand years. Comets are not on fire. As they approach the sun, the sun's heat melts the comet's ices and releases dust particles, which are most evident as the comet's tail. Comets rarely come within a few million miles of Earth and, thus, have a slow apparent motion across our sky. Typical comets remain visible for periods of several weeks up to several months.
Meteors
Appearance:
Meteors appear as fast-moving streaks of light in the night sky. They are frequently referred to as "falling stars" or "shooting stars." Most are white or blue-white in appearance, although other frequent colors are yellow, orange. The colors seem more related to the speed of the meteor rather than composition. Red meteors occasionally appear as very long streaks and are usually indicative of a meteor that is skimming the atmosphere. Green meteors are also occasionally seen and are usually very bright. The green color may be a result of ionized oxygen.
What are They?
Meteoroids are the smallest particles orbiting the sun, and most are no larger than grains of sand. From years of studying the evolution of meteor streams, astronomers have concluded that comets produced clouds of meteoroids orbiting the sun. Meteoroids can not be observed moving through space because of their small size. Over the years numerous man-made satellites recovered by manned spacecraft have shown pits in their metal skins, which were caused by the impact of meteoroids.
Meteoroids become visible to observers on Earth when they enter Earth's atmosphere. They are then referred to as meteors. They become visible as a result of friction caused by air molecules slamming against the surface of the high-velocity particle. The friction typically causes meteors to glow blue or white, although other colors have been reported. Most meteors completely burn up in the atmosphere at altitudes of between 60 and 80 miles. They are rarely seen for periods of more than a few seconds.
Occasionally, a large meteor will not burn up completely as it moves through Earth's atmosphere. The subsequent pieces that fall to Earth's surface are known as meteorites.
Asteroids
Appearance:
Out of more than 10 thousand numbered asteroids, only Vesta has consistently been a naked-eye object if the observer has extremely dark skies and the asteroid is moving in relatively star-poor regions of the sky. The motion of asteroids is similar to that of comets in that the position must be plotted on a star chart over two or three days for motion to be detected.
What are They?
Asteroids, or minor planets, have been described as "mountains in space." They are large rocks typically ranging from a few feet to several hundred miles across. The vast majority of asteroids move between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in what is commonly called the "asteroid belt." They always appear starlike and their motion with respect to the stars is usually so slow that several hours may pass before any movement is noticed. Most asteroids within the asteroid belt never come closer than 100 million miles from Earth, but there are some asteroids which come close to and even cross Earth's orbit. These objects can occasionally pass within a few million miles of Earth, and even within the orbit of the moon, and then exhibit a rapid motion that is discernible after only a few minutes. Asteroids within the asteroid belt can be observed every year, while the ones passing especially close to Earth may only be visible for a few weeks or months.
Gary Melnic, chief scientist on the project and an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, regrets that the existence of these bodies is measured through their destruction. He says that there could have been water closer to the star, bolstering the idea that life may have existed outside our solar system. Scientists have believed that the comets helped build life on earth. The comets along with important chemicals bring the water in our oceans as they hurtled through earth's atmosphere.
The amount of water estimated from the distant comets is about 10 times the mass of earth. By peeking at the dying star far in the distance and therefore long in the past, scientists said they had also glimpsed for the first time a vision of the fiery future of our won world. As our sun begins to die in about 6 billion years, it will also first grow larger and hotter, vaporizing earth's oceans, reducing planets and comets to cinders. Scientists have never before seen the effects of a dying star on its surroundings, although the process is not thought to be uncommon. Every star in the galaxies comprising of billion stars in the universe will go though similar cycles of destruction.
QUR'ANIC REVELATIONS
It has been shown that Islam is not in conflict with science and that Al Qur'an does not contradict or negate modem scientific findings or discoveries. On the other hand, Western scholars have praised and credited Islam for the preservation and advancement of scientific knowledge by Muslim scientists, physicians and technologists. 1,400 years later, modem science is bringing to light the truths or confirming what has been revealed in Al Qur'an. A learned Muslim will find in the Quran scientific truths and realities.
Consider the following Qur'anic Verse:
Have you not seen how Allah wafteth the clouds, then gathers them, then makes them layers, and you see the rain come forth from between them,………… Surah An-Nur 24: 43 (first half)
Here Allah Ta'ala is describing the formation of rain clouds and the rainfall from the clouds. This phenomenon is very common and known to every human being. But what is not known to the human beings are the truths that are found in the following ayah from the Noble Qur'an.
'Wa anz'ala min'assa maai' Ma'an….'
'And causeth water to descend from the heavens. '
…. 'Surah Baqara 2: 22, Surah Ibrahim 14: 22 and Surah An-Nahl, 16: 10, & 65.
Now the question is why does Allah Ta'ala says that He causes the water to descend from the heavens, in apparent contradiction to the An-Nur, 24: 43 first half of the verse cited above. If carefully studied, the following verse makes no sense and the disbelievers would belittle the Noble Qur'an :
'...He sendeth down from the heaven mountains wherein is hail…"
……………Surah An-Nur, 24: 43 (Second Half)
All the Mufassareen (interpreters of the Qur'an) did not give the right Tafsir (interpretation) of this verse. Hail is frozen rain or stones of frozen water. This ayah very clearly states that Allah sends down from the Heavens Mountains containing ice or comets of ice. According to this ayah, mountains of ice or comets of ice are sent down from the heavens (space) towards the earth. Until 1986 mankind did not know this phenomenon. In 1988 this phenomenon has been confirmed scientifically.
Scientific Discovery
The story of this startling scientific discovery and its confirmation by experimentation is worth mentioning here. Dr. Louis Frank a Physicist at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, studied the data gathered from 1981-1986 by Dynamic Explorer I satellite. The satellite took ultraviolet Images of the earth, particularly to study the air glow around the earth. In these images Dr.Louis Frank found holes punched through the atmosphere. These holes could not be explained. He discarded dozens of explanations after analyzing them. He finally concluded that snowballs or comets of Ice coming from space could only make the holes. He estimated the weight of each comet to be 100 tons and they are coated with black hydrocarbons. They are falling on the earth at the rate of 10 million a year (27,397 per day or 19 every minute.)
The snowball or comet of ice measures about 30 feet across. Dr.Clayne Yeates, a Physicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California told this writer that the comets of ice or snowballs are moving at 10 kilometers per second (21,600 MPH) relative to the earth and at about 1000 km (600 miles) above the earth. They break up (into hail) due to tidal waves and would then flash to vapor in the atmosphere. Finally the vapor would fall as rain and joins the earth's water cycle. Dr. Louis Frank's calculations show this would contribute the equivalent of one Inch of water all over the earth's surface every 10,000 years. The earth was formed 4.9 billion years ago and if this has been happening since formation of the earth, the process would provide enough water for the oceans and the polar Ice packs.
Experimental Proof
Dr.Yeates used a powerful space search telescope at the Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona. Using this telescope he scanned the heavens for the snowballs or icy comets. By swinging the telescope, similar to a shotgun at a skeet shoot, he photographed the descending icy comets approaching each. He told this writer that viewing through this telescope he was able to see the icy comets 150,000-km (kilometers) or 90,000 miles above the earth (or the heavens). Dr.Yeates said. It was remarkable. The results agreed exactly with the predictions.
GLOSSARY
Comets
Appearance:
Seeing a comet with the naked eye is a somewhat rare occurrence. On the average we get a naked-eye comet once every five or six years and this includes comets that become barely visible to the naked eye. Classic comets with long tails only appear about once every 10-12 years. The motion is very difficult to detect and comparing its place with naked-eye stars over several days is the only way to see it move. In general, comets are best observed with telescopes or binoculars.
What are They?
Comets are primarily composed of ice and dust, causing some astronomers to refer to them as "dirty snowballs." They typically move through the solar system in orbits ranging from a few years to several hundred thousand years. Comets are not on fire. As they approach the sun, the sun's heat melts the comet's ices and releases dust particles, which are most evident as the comet's tail. Comets rarely come within a few million miles of Earth and, thus, have a slow apparent motion across our sky. Typical comets remain visible for periods of several weeks up to several months.
Meteors
Appearance:
Meteors appear as fast-moving streaks of light in the night sky. They are frequently referred to as "falling stars" or "shooting stars." Most are white or blue-white in appearance, although other frequent colors are yellow, orange. The colors seem more related to the speed of the meteor rather than composition. Red meteors occasionally appear as very long streaks and are usually indicative of a meteor that is skimming the atmosphere. Green meteors are also occasionally seen and are usually very bright. The green color may be a result of ionized oxygen.
What are They?
Meteoroids are the smallest particles orbiting the sun, and most are no larger than grains of sand. From years of studying the evolution of meteor streams, astronomers have concluded that comets produced clouds of meteoroids orbiting the sun. Meteoroids can not be observed moving through space because of their small size. Over the years numerous man-made satellites recovered by manned spacecraft have shown pits in their metal skins, which were caused by the impact of meteoroids.
Meteoroids become visible to observers on Earth when they enter Earth's atmosphere. They are then referred to as meteors. They become visible as a result of friction caused by air molecules slamming against the surface of the high-velocity particle. The friction typically causes meteors to glow blue or white, although other colors have been reported. Most meteors completely burn up in the atmosphere at altitudes of between 60 and 80 miles. They are rarely seen for periods of more than a few seconds.
Occasionally, a large meteor will not burn up completely as it moves through Earth's atmosphere. The subsequent pieces that fall to Earth's surface are known as meteorites.
Asteroids
Appearance:
Out of more than 10 thousand numbered asteroids, only Vesta has consistently been a naked-eye object if the observer has extremely dark skies and the asteroid is moving in relatively star-poor regions of the sky. The motion of asteroids is similar to that of comets in that the position must be plotted on a star chart over two or three days for motion to be detected.
What are They?
Asteroids, or minor planets, have been described as "mountains in space." They are large rocks typically ranging from a few feet to several hundred miles across. The vast majority of asteroids move between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in what is commonly called the "asteroid belt." They always appear starlike and their motion with respect to the stars is usually so slow that several hours may pass before any movement is noticed. Most asteroids within the asteroid belt never come closer than 100 million miles from Earth, but there are some asteroids which come close to and even cross Earth's orbit. These objects can occasionally pass within a few million miles of Earth, and even within the orbit of the moon, and then exhibit a rapid motion that is discernible after only a few minutes. Asteroids within the asteroid belt can be observed every year, while the ones passing especially close to Earth may only be visible for a few weeks or months.
The Jinn- A Scientific Analysis
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.
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.
Christianity or Paulinity?
By: Adeel RehmanPaul’s influence on Christianity has been a big one perhaps even more then Jesus (Pbuh). In My article I will show how majority of Christians today have taken Paul's doctrine over that of what Jesus aught.Paul said that you cannot be justified by the law of Moses:"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that BELIEVE are JUSTIFIED from all things, from which ye COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW OF MOSES." [Acts 13:38-39]Here Paul tells the Christians that they cannot be justified by the law of Moses let us see what the master saysSalvation only comes by keeping the commandments:"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, WHY CALLEST THOU ME GOOD? there is none good but one, that is, God: BUT IF THOU WILT ENTER INTO LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS." [Matthew 19:16 1)For verily I say unto you, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED." [Matthew 5:18)WHOSOEVER therefore shall BREAK ONE of these least commandments, and shall TEACH MEN TO DO SO, he shall be called the LEAST in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall DO and TEACH them, the same shall be called GREAT in the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 5:19]Here Jesus (p.b.u.h) says very clearly that you have to keep commandments in order to get salvation. Paul on the other hand thinks otherwise, according to Jesus (pbuh) Paul will be "least in kingdom of Heaven"Paul announced a new doctrine which was not heard of before:"...Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." [1 Corinthians 15:3,4]CHRIST NEVER TAUGHT THATFor I say unto you, That EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL EXCEED the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 5:20) Paul puts everything on the shoulders of Christ to take Christendom to heaven contrary to what Christ said and he made it article of faith that Christ died for sins or else your faith is in “vain”(useless) Please click here to see Christ was never died according to the Bible and the Quran. http://www.islamworld.net/jonah.htmlIf a man loves Jesus Christ (pbuh) he would follow him:He that hath my commandments, and KEEPETH THEM, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be LOVED OF MY FATHER, and I WILL LOVE HIM, and will manifest myself to him [John 14:21]Paul's writing make it very clear that you don’t have to follow commandments but believe Jesus (p.b.u.h) died for you sins to get salvation while Jesus(p.b.u.h) said BUT IF THOU WILT ENTER INTO LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS." The Christians today follow what Paul said and keep what Jesus (P.B.U.H) said to the side.Old Testament makes circumcision to be an EVERLASTING COVENANT:"He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money (your slaves), must needs be CIRCUMCISED: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an EVERLASTING COVENANT." [Genesis 17:13"And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be CUT OFF (be killed) from his people; he hath broken my covenant." [Genesis 17:14]Jesus (pbuh) was circumcised on the eighth day, to fulfill the law:And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke 2:21]Paul even abandoned circumcisionFor circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?" [Romans 2:25-26]My Question to Christians is Why didn’t God think of that for 2000 plus years and changed his mind all of the sudden? According to OT Paul have committed cardinal sin he even denied to circumcise Titus .Paul Breaks An "EVERLASTING COVENANT" Yet Majority Christians today don’t care. Having Said that many people today call Paul an anti-Christ as the encyclopedia Wikipedia conforms “Paul of Tarsus to have fulfilled the role of the Antichrist within the chronicles of the New Testament of the Bible itself. This theory is premised on an idea that the original teachings of Christ were subverted by Paul.”Paul felt a need to go down in history and to compete with other religionsJesus would have deplored Paul’s form of Judaism. But Paul, like Constantine, knew the new religion had to compete with already established religions of Syria, Phoenicia, Asia Minor, Greece, Egypt, the whole of the Mediterranean world and, beyond, the Roman Empire. In order to do this, Jesus had to assume a degree of god-hood beyond these deities, he now, posthumously, was intended to displaceMany other such deities, Tammuz, for example, the god of ancient Sumerian and Phoenician mystery teachings, had been born of a virgin, died with a wound in his side and, after three days, rose from his tomb, leaving it vacant with the rock at the rolled aside. If Paul were to challenge successfully the qualities of Tammuz, Jesus would have to be able to match the older god miracle for miracle. Therefore, certain aspects of the Tammuz story were grafted on to Jesus’ biography. It is significant that Bethlehem was not only David’s city, but also the center of a Tammuz cult, with a shrine that remained active well into Biblical times. Instead of spreading the true word of Jesus (P.b.u.h) Paul felt a need to find something attractive and similar to the pagan religions at that time.The basic requirements for conversion to Judaism such as circumcision, observance of the Sabbath adherence to dietary laws, are abandoned in the process. Jesus, James and the Nazareans advocated worship of God in the strict Judaic sense. Paul replaces this with worship of Jesus as God. Jesus himself becomes an object of religious veneration in Paul’s version-which Jesus himself, like his brother and the other Nazareans in Jerusalem, would have regarded as blasphemous. In 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, Paul states explicitly that the Nazareen emissaries of James are publicizing a different Jesus from the one he is promoting."3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough"(NIV 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, ) Paul warned them in clear terms that do not believe any one or any doctrine that goes against the teachings and doctrine of Paul. He even compared that to Eve showing People it is a huge sin to oppose Paul's teachings .Yet He himself did that to the teachings of Jesus (p.b.u.h) as I have shown in my article.Paul tries desperately to prove that he saw Jesus in his vision but was not able to cover his liesNow those who were with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. (Acts 22:9)The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. (Acts 9:7)Paul exposed himself and was not able to cover his lie. Lies cannot be covered. Did they hear the voice, or did they not hear the voice? Did they see the light, or did they see no one?Paul was a master hypocrite and he himself says that.For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law - though not being myself under the law - that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law - not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ - that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (I Corinthians. 9:19-25)This a great example of Paul's hypocrisy and deceiving people. He does whatever it takes to get a convert.Conclusion In my Article I have proven that Paul did not spread the message of Jesus (pbuh) but brought his own doctrine which went against the teaching of Jesus (p.b.u.h). The Christians need to realize that by closely examine there own scripture which will prove that Paul's mission was not to spread the message of Jesus (p.b.u.h) but to achieve historical prominence.Say: "O people of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back, say: "Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's will)." [Holy Qur'an 3:64]
Islam spread by the sword? The myth and the reality
Among the most widely believed myths about Islam in the West today is the myth of forcible conversion to Islam. Many Westerners do believe that Islam is so widespread in the world today simply because of a "holy campaign of terror" carried out by the early Muslims to convert non-Muslims to Islam. Non-Muslims were offered the freedom to choose either Islam or death.In a discussion with a Baptist Minister he said to me that "Muslims tend to kill non-Muslims and anyone who disagrees with them". In a syndicated column appearing in over 30 papers (on July 23rd, 1994) entitled, "Muslim persecution of Christians increasing" the author blames many Muslims countries for persecuting Christians then he quotes the Qur'an, "There is no compulsion in Religion" and ends the quote by rudely writing "Really?".How to confront such misconceptions? First, there is no need for us to be apologetic. We Muslims should search for the truth and present it as it is. This is how we have been instructed by Allah (SWT) "Say: the truth from your Lord and let him who will believe and let him who will reject."(18:29) Islam is the religion of the Truth. The Qur'an is the book of the Truth. "We sent down the Qur'an in Truth and in Truth has it descended." (17:105) "Put your trust in Allah for you are on the path of the manifest Truth."(27:79)Therefore, we should ask ourselves first, before we are asked by anyone else, what is the truth? Did Muslims really force others to convert to Islam? Is there any evidence for consistent forcible conversion throughout the Islamic history? As a matter of fact, there is no such evidence anywhere in the history of Islam. Many distinguised Western historians have attested this fact-- foremost among whom is Sir Thomas W. Arnold in his book, "The Preaching of Islam". Also there is Marshall G. Hodgson in his book, "The Venture of Islam", Albert Hourani in his book, "A History of the Arab People", Ira Lapidus in his book, "History of Islamic Societies", L.S. Starorianos in his book, "A Global Hisotry, the Human Heritage" and many others. In fact, there is substantial evidence to the contrary. We have already seen in a previous khutbah that Muslims were often seen as liberators of the oppressed people everywhere.The question that remains to be answered is why then so many people have chosen Islam throughout the more than 1400 years of its history. Islam has penetrated the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, West Africa, East Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, Western China, and the Malay archipelago. Islam in all these regions replaced so many other well-established religions: Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism and animism. What are the reasons behind the triumph of Islam over all these religions in so many different places at so many different times?First and foremost, Islam is an amazing blend of simplicity and rationality: a very simple religion yet very rational at the same time. Professor Hodgson has explained the reasons for the popularity of Islam as follows: "Muslims made a personal appeal to people's religious consciousness. On the level of straight argument, they often put forward the populistic intelligibility of Islam. Muslims commonly ridiculed, in the name of intellectual good sense, the more mythically convoluted teachings of older traditions. This could seem attractively straightforward to people dissatisfied with taking things on faith from a learned priest whose mysteries they could not comprehend. A single Creator, to be worshipped by each person for himself, on the basis of revelation that had been given to a famous prophet whom millions already acknolwedged. This was at once intelligible and plausible."The unambiguous and uncompromising belief in the Unity, the Greatness, the Wisdom of God, the Creator of the universe, is unparalleled among other religions. The French professor Edouard Montet said, "The dogma of the unity of God...has always been proclaimed in the Qur'an with a grandeur, a majesty, an invariable purity and with a note of pure conviction which is hard to find surpassed outside the pale of Islam. A creed so precise, so stripped of all theological complexities and so accessible to the ordinary understanding might be expected to possess and does indeed possess a marvellous power of winning its way into the consciences of men."Besides its simple and rational creed, Islam offers an impressive set of rituals which has gained the admiration and, subsequently, the conversion of many non-Muslims. The second pillar of Islam, **salah**, the prayer, has been described as follows by Sir Arnold, "The religion of the Muslim is continuously present with him and, in the daily prayer, manifests itself in a solemn and impressive ritual which cannot leave either the worshipper or the spectator unaffected." Then Sir Arnold narrated the story of an Egyptian Jew who converted to Islam at the end of the 13th century mainly because of the sight of the **Juma'a** prayer. Actually, it is not only in the 13th century that people converted to Islam because of the prayers; it just happened a few years ago in Ottawa that a non-Muslim Canadian woman converted to Islam because of **Juma'a** prayers. She used to go to the Ottawa Mosque on Friday and pray among the sisters for several months. She loved the prayer and eventually she embraced Islam.In addition to the prayers, the other pillars of Islam, **Zakah**, **Hajj**,**Siyam**, have always been factors in attracting many hearts to Islam. Up until the present day, one still meets converts who were impressed by the social justice of Islam brilliantly expressed in the payment of **Zakah**. The genius of **Hajj** and **Siyam** has always been a determining factor in the conversion of many people. It is this union of rationalism and ritualism that explains the power that Islam has exercised over the hearts and minds of so many people. Islam simply gives the truth, neat and clear in a visible and tangible form. The neatness and clarity of Islam was presented to human beings in the form of a miraculous book, the Qur'an. The marvellous power and beauty of the words of the Qur'an have always been a decisive factor in conversion to Islam. The famous Jewish American convert to Islam, Maryam Jameelah, cited the Qur'an as the major factor of her conversion. After a deep study of both the Old Testament and the Qur'an, the contrast between the two scriptures became increasingly evident to her until she firmly believed that the Qur'an was indeed God's message to the human race.A conference of Christian missionaries in 1887 was discussing why Islam has almost swept away Crhistianity from the Middle East. What did Islam offer these people to forsake Christianity for good? One of the missionaries was insightful enough to say the following: "Islam brought out the fundamental dogmas of the Unity and Greatness of God, that He is mindful and Righteous. It proclaimed the responsibility of man, a future life, a Day of Judgement and stern retribution to fall upon the wicked, and enforced the duties of prayer, alms-giving and fasting. It replaced monkishness by manliness, it gave hope to the slave, brotherhood to mankind and recognition to the fundamental facts of human nature."The formidable rationalism, ritualism and clarity of Islam did not only lead the Christians of the Middle East to forsake Christianity and embrace Islam in the past. It continues to do so with Christinas in the West to the presnt day. An Australian-born Christain who converted to Islam four months ago and who was studying here with us at Queen's wrote in her story of conversion to Islam, "Christianity continued to be difficult for me. So much didn't make sense, the trinity, the idea that Jesus was God incarnate, the worship of Mary, the Saints, or jesus, rather than God. The priests told me to leave reason behind". The she went on to say, "Could Muhammad really be a messenger? Could the Qur'an be God's word? I kept reading the Qur'an, it told me that Eve wasn't alone to blame for the fall, that Jesus was a messenger, that people would question the authenticity of Muhammad's claim to revelation but that if they tried to write something as wise, consistent and rational they would fail. This seemed true. Islam asked me to use my intelligence to contemplate God, it encouraged me to seek knowledge." Then at the end of her sincere search for the truth she prayed to God saying, "Dear God, I believe in You, I believe in the compelling and majestic words of the Qur'an and I believe in the prophethood of your messenger Muhammad (SAW)."Another Muslim sister, from California, who was a practising Christian and an active member in her nearby Presbyterian church, wrote in her conversion story that despite her active affiliation with the church, she always had serious questions about the fundamentlas of Chrsitianity which did not make sense to her. She debated her questions with her friends but never came up with good answers. The church couldn't give them good answers either, they only told them to "have faith". All her questions were answered when she took a course about Islam. Listen to her own words. "This class brought back all of the concerns that I had about Christianity. As I learned about Islam, all my questions were answered. All of us are not punished for Adam's original sin. Adam asked God for forgiveness and our merciful, loving God forgave him. God doesn't require a blood sacrifice in payment for sin. We must sincerely ask for forgiveness and amend our ways. Jesus wasn't God, he was a prophet like all of the other prophets. This answered all of my questions about the trinity and the nature of Jesus. I found a teaching that put everything in its proper perspective and appealed to my heart and my intellect. It seemed natural. It wasn't confusing. I had been searching and I had found a place to rest my faith."My dear brothers and sisters, Islam is so strong and so self-assured that it does not need to use force to attract others to it. The moral and intellectual superiority of Islam over all other religions has manifested itself so clearly throughout the history of Islam. Despite all of the ills of Muslims everywhere, Islam continues to be the fastest growing religion on earth. Professor Huston Smith of the MIT in his book, "The Religions of Man" says, "In some areas where Islam and Christianity are competing for converts, Islam is gaining at a rate of 10 to 1."Ambassador Herman Ellis, in a testimony in front of the committee on Foreign Affirs of the House of Represntatives of the United States Congress on June 24th, 1985, said, "The Muslim community of the globe today is in the neighbourhood of one billion. That is an impressive figure. But what to me is equally impressive is that Islam today is the fastest growing monotheistic religion. This is something we have to take into account. Something is right about Islam. It is attracting a good many people."
Yes, something is right about Islam and that's why it has attracted so many people throughout its 1400 years of history.
Yes, something is right about Islam and that's why it has attracted so many people throughout its 1400 years of history.
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