Syed-ul- Istighfar : the best supplication for seeking forgiveness
AL-BUKHARI (Book 20 Hadith 1875)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said :
The best supplication for seeking forgiveness ( Syed-ul Istighfar ) is to say:
اللهم أنت ربي، لا إله إلا أنت ، خلقتني وأنا عبدك، وأنا على عهدك ووعدك ما استطعت أعوذ بك من شر ما صنعت أبوء لك بنعمتك علي، وأبوء بذنبي، فاغفر لي فإنه لا يغفر الذنوب إلا أنت
Allahumma Anta Rabbi, la ilaha illa Anta, khalaqtani wa ana 'abduka, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu, a'udhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu, abu'u laka bini'matika 'alayya, wa abu'u bidhanbi faghfir li, fa innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa Anta
O Allah! You are my Rubb. There is no true god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge the favours that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon
He who supplicates in these terms during the day with firm belief in it and dies on the same day (before the evening), he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah; and if anyone supplicates in these terms during the night with firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah
Surah Baqara, Verse 191 ( kill them wherever you overtake them )
If You are in a Hurry then here is the explanation of Surah Baqarah verse 191 in a nutshell.
These verses are much related to the Conquest of Makkah
After the Prophet (s) was prevented from [visiting] Masjidil Haram (by Pagans / idol worshiper) in the year of the battle of Hudaybiyya, he made a pact with the disbelievers that he would be allowed to return the following year, at which time they would vacate Mecca for three days. Having prepared to depart for the Visitation [‘umra], [he and] the believers were concerned that Quraysh would not keep to the agreement and instigate fighting. The Muslims were averse to becoming engaged in fighting while in a state of pilgrimage inviolability in the Sacred Enclosure [al-haram] and during the sacred months, and so the following was revealed:
Verse 190
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.
Verse 191
And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse then killing, And do not fight them at Al-Masjid Al-Haram until they fight you there, But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.
It is way clearer that these verses were revealed for the muslims during the conquest of Makkah when they were expelled out of Makkah by the Idolators / Pagans. So it is the pagan who were to be killed as they expelled Muslims our of Mecca and so they were to be expelled.
Now, Here’s an indepth explanation of the verse.
Introduction
Islam is a religion of peace and Quran is a divine word of Allah (swt). But to some people, specially to the non muslims, the Quran doesn’t seems to be a guidance for peace. The reason for such thoughts are todays media who are spreading the false and people’s ignorance towards searching for the truth.
What the media does is they cherry-pick verses from the Quran and takes them out of the context and then they just brainwash the viewers in order to spread the hatred against Islam.
This is one of the reason we Muslims give Dawah to our fellow Muslim and Non Muslim brothers and sisters as to spread the true message of Islam so that the world may live in peace.
In this post I have decided to make it clear the true context of a verse in Quran:
Surah Baqarah Verse 191
The Verse
The verse 191 of surah Baqarah states as below:
Sahih International
And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.
Okay, so the verse does say to kill the disbelievers wherever you overtake them. So where’s the peace in it?
Read on..
The actual context
It’s important whenever one reads a Quranic verse, to read it in its context. Critics only quote the part which suites them, they isolate previous verses and the ones after.
In this case let us go through the verses which completes the context.
Surah Baqarah Verse 190
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.
Surah Baqarah Verse 191
And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.
Surah Baqarah Verse 192
And if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful
When the passage is examined in context, it is clear that nowhere does it sanction the killing of innocent people. From verse 2:190 to 2:195, when read, Allah makes it evident to fight those only who fight them, fighting in self-defence.
The Critics do not care about the context of the verses, when and what situation the verses revealed, they do not even know that the verses they refer contains the PEACEFUL teaching of Islam at least in this context.
Muslim fight only when they (pagans) fight.
Even when you fight, do not transgress the limit. No burning, no beheading, no torturing, no beating or killing women and children, no looting, no robbery, don’t cut the trees.
When they cease, when they surrender, have Mercy on them Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
To whom does these Verses relate to?
These verses are much related to the Conquest of Makkah
After the Prophet (s) was prevented from [visiting] Masjidil Haram (by Pagans / idol worshiper) in the year of the battle of Hudaybiyya, he made a pact with the disbelievers that he would be allowed to return the following year, at which time they would vacate Mecca for three days. Having prepared to depart for the Visitation [‘umra], [he and] the believers were concerned that Quraysh would not keep to the agreement and instigate fighting. The Muslims were averse to becoming engaged in fighting while in a state of pilgrimage inviolability in the Sacred Enclosure [al-haram] and during the sacred months, and so the following was revealed: Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.
So THESE VERSES MUCH RELATED TO THE CONQUEST OF MAKKAH
I can prove that just by pointing part of one verse above. “wherever they have expelled you, “
Who expelled the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Muslimin from Makkah? PAGANS QURAISY inside Masjidil Haram Makkah. So the order of killing inside those verses are about taking back MAKKAH that is belongs to Allah and get rid all the pagan activities and destroy all the statues they’ve been worshiped all along. Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah.
What is FITNAH in this verse means? According to Ibn. Kathir it means SHIRK. Meaning, the sin of practicing idolatry or polytheism, i.e. the deification or worship of anyone or anything other than the singular God. Thus, FIGHT to clean the IDOL WORSHIPER in this case, inside the Masjidil Haram
Quran claims the Earth to be Sphere ( GEOID shape )
The Quran can continue to be interpreted in the light of new knowledge till the last day [as long as it's meanings are within the meanings of the Quranic Arabic].
Quran in many of it’s verses states the earth to be a Egg shaped rotating sphere. among all, I’ll mention some of them to proove that the Earth as accordance with the Quran is Egg Shaped Sphere.
Please read this POST word by word with patience.
Proof 1 - Surah Az-Zumar aayah 5 ( i.e. 39:5 )
Let’s begin with Surah Az-Zumar verse 5 which clearly states that the earth is egg shaped. I’ll explain this verse to the point with translation.
The below figures shows the verse in arabic and english translation as mentioned in Quran.com .
Figure 1.1
Arabic Text - Surah Az-Zumar Verse 5 ( 39:5 )
Source : Quran.com
Keep note of the highlighted text
Figure 1.2
English Text - Surah Az-Zumar Verse 5 ( 39:5 )
Source : Quran.com
Keep note of the highlighted text
The above aayah (as per Quran.com ) states that night wraps over the day and the day wraps over the night. The word wraps has been used as a translation for the arabic word يُكَوِّر (Yukawer) which is not the actual meaning of it. instead it is just to make the verse sensible as a sentence.
Also if you refer to any different translation via different sources, you will notice the use of different words for the arabic word يُكَوِّر (Yukawer). The below image shows the translation of the same verse from a different source ( Al-Quran.info ).
Figure 2.2
Arabic Text - Surah Az-Zumar Verse 5 ( 39:5 )
Source : Al-Quran.info
Keep note of the highlighted text
Figure 2.2
English Text - Surah Az-Zumar Verse 5 ( 39:5 )
Source : Al-Quran.info
Keep note of the highlighted text
The english word for يُكَوِّر (Yukawer) used here in Al-Quran.info is winds which makes it clear that the translation in Al-Quran.info is different from that of Quran.com which further makes it clear that the translation of the arabic word يُكَوِّر (Yukawer) is used different by different scholars.
So what’s the actuall meaning of the word يُكَوِّر?
The word يُكَوِّر (Yukawer) is the verb of the word kura كرة ( kura ) which in arabic means ball ( Figure 3.1 ) . So, يُكَوِّر (Yukawer) means making a ball ( Figure 3.2 ). For your confirmation of this word you can refer to the figures below which shows the translation of the word ball in english and arabic using Google Translator.
Figure 3.1
Arabic translation of the word Ball
Source : Google Translator
Figure 3.1
English translation of the word يُكَوِّر (Yukawer)
Source : Google Translator
This makes it clear that the actual meaning of the word يُكَوِّر (Yukawer) is not winds and neither wraps. The actual english word for يُكَوِّر (Yukawer) is making a ball.
So, the translation of the above aayah (39:5) would conclude that according to Quran, overlapping of the night and the day makes a ball (sphere).
Hence the earth is like a ball ( not claimed to be circular but of like a sphere ).
Proof 2 - Surah Ar-Rahman aayah 33 ( i.e. 55:33 )
This aayah in surah Ar-Rahman ( 55:33 ) prooves that the earth has a diameter ( diameter is simply twice the radius ). The below figure shows the arabic and english translation of this aayah.
Figure 4.1
Arabic text of Ar-Rahman verse 33
Source Quran.com
Keep note of the highlighted text
Figure 4.1
English text of Ar-Rahman verse 33
Source Quran.com
Keep note of the highlighted text
This aayah states that if humans and jinns can pass beyond the regions ( diameter ) of the earth and the heavens then they cannot pass except by authority of Allah.
The highlighted word أَقطارِ (aqtar) has been translated to regions in Quran.com which is not the actuall meaning of it. Also, different scholars have used different word for أَقطارِ (aqtar).
The word أَقطارِ (aqtar) is the plural of the word (Kutr) قطر which is the arabic word for Diameter. For confirmation refer the below figures ( 5.1 and 5.2 ).
Figure 5.1
English translation of word قطر (Kutr)
Source : Google Translator
Figure 5.2
English translation of word أَقطارِ (aqtar)
Source : Google Translator
So it is clear that this aayah (55:33) talks about the earth’s diameter and we know that Radii and Diameters are properties of circles or spheres only. This confirms that the earth has a diameter and hence it’s a sphere. This also conforms with the previous verse (39:5), to make into a ball[Yukawer يُكَوِّر].
This verse prooves that the earth is egg shaped. Refer to the following firgures ( 6.1 and 6.2 ) with arabic and english text of surah An-Naziat verse 30.
Figure 6.1
Arabic Text of An-Nazi'at (79), Verse: 30
Source Quran.com
Figure 6.2
English Text of An-Nazi'at (79), Verse: 30
Source Quran.com
The above verse states that God spread the earth ( Figure 6.2 ) where the word spread ( highlighted text of Fig. 6.2 ) is the translation used for the arabic word دَحاها ( daha - highlited text of fig. 6.1 ).
Amazingly the word “دَحَا” (dahaa) is derived from word “دحية” (duhyah) wich specifically means ”egg of ostrich” (not just any egg). Some scholars had used the word “smoothed out” instead of “spread out” as the meaning of the arabic word دَحاها (daha).
For you to clearly understand the arabic word daha, I’ve to elaborate my explanation to the depth.
The Arabic Word Dahaha
Dahaha = Daha + ha
دحاها = دحا + ها
Root verb is دحو / دحا
Pronoun- ها
There are a lot of meanings of Daha ( دَحَا )
1st General Meaning
Daha
دفعه و رمى به
dafa'aahu wa ramaa bih
Caused it to Move, pushed it, Rolled, or Threw it.
i.e دُحُورًاۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ وَاصِبٌ-
[the Jinn who spy in the heavens are]Repulsed[Dahoowra], and for them is a constant/painful punishment. [Saffat 37:9]
دحرجَ (dahraja): toroll, roll along, to roll down.
In Surah Inshiqaq - ayah 84:6 - the word kaDHan
كَدح
advancing towards' your Master) comes from the word
Dahaa = to Move towards something.
Qirasah
(Round) - Synonymous to
Dahaa
:
In the hadith of Abi Rafiaa':
و في حديث أبي رافع:كنت أُلاعب الحسن و الحسين,رضوان الله عليهما,بالمداحي,هي احجار أمثال القِرصة
"I used to play with Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein, may Allah Almighty be pleased with them, with AL-MADAAHI, which means STONES that look like AL-QIRASAH."
So what does Al-Qirasah mean?
According to Lisan Al-Arab dictionary [1], Book 4, Page 516:
القِرصة(al-qirasah): قرِّصي العجين أي سوِّيهقِرصة- Cut the dough into small round pieces.
القِرصة(al-qirasah): قرص الشمس اي عينها -The qurs of the sun means the eye of the sun, which is round.
2nd Meaning:
Dahaa = Round and Spherical
The following statements are phrases which have been used in our Islamic history from many centuries ago:
إندحَّ بطنه إندحاحاّ اي إتّسع
His tummy became round and bigger.
In Prophet Muhammad's Hadith:
كان لأسامة بطننٌ مُندحٌ اي متسع
Osama had a round and big tummy.
و بطنٌ مُنداحُ أي خارخٌ مُدوّر
His tummy is mun-daahun means it is OUT THERE AND ROUND مُدوّر.
و رجلٌّ دحدحُ اي قصير غليظ البطن
A man is dahda-hun which means he is short, stocky and has a big and fat tummy.
الدحداح هو المستدير الململم
The dahdaah is the person who is ROUND and STOCKY.
الدِردِحة من النساء التي طولها و عرضها سواء
Al-dir-dihati from the women is the one whose height and width look the same! SHE LOOKS ROUND,and the by the way, the distance between the earth's north and south poles is approximately only 45 miles shorter than the earth's width.
Ustadh
(Teacher)
Nouman Ali Khan
says about this ayah in his Tafseer
(35 minutes [Nazi'at part B]);
The word;
Daha - Dahwa - the egg of an Ostrich.
Ud-hiyyah - the place where the ostrich lays its egg.
So some have said that because there is an implication of Daha being something similar (like an ostrich's egg) and Allah has used this word - it is possible that it has this implication in it. And Allah knows best.
[then he begins to explain the other meaning of Daha... (mentioned in point 3)]
In his book, The Qur'ân and the Orientalists, Dr. Muhammad Mohar Ali, former Professor of the History of Islam at the Islamic University of Madinah and Al-Imâm University in Riyadh, provides an extensive and detailed discussion on the Qur'anic view of the earth. Here is a relevant excerpt:
Now, the very first expression in the series, dahâhâ, is noticeably distinctive and different in genre from the rest. Watt, following many other previous translators, renders it as "spread out". But the exact and correct meaning of the term, keeping in view its root, rather provides a very positive Qur'anic evidence in support of the spherical shape of the earth. For dahâ means to "shape like an egg", its noun being dahiyah, which the Arabs still use to mean an egg.
[2] M. FATHÎ 'UTHMAN, "Al-'ard Fî al-Qur'ân al-Karâm", Proceedings of the First Islamic Geographical Conference", Riyadh, 1404/1984, Vol. IV, 127; A. M. SOLIMAN, Scientific Trends in teh Qur'ân, London (Ta-Ha Publications), 1985, p. 16.
(
M. Mohar Ali, The Qur'ân and the Orientalists, Jam'iyat 'Ihyaa' Minhaaj Al-Sunnah 2004, p.75)
دحا (daha): دحّفي الثّرى بيتاً إذا وسعه - He expandedthe house.
دحى (daha): الدُّحُحْ(al-duhuh), which is plural of دحى - daha, which means:الارضون الممتدّة expandedearths.
دحا (daha): مدحوحاّأي مُسوّى - maDhoohaa which is similar in meaning to; muSawwa = evened, balanced, equaled, leveled.
4th meaning:
Dihya = Best, extremely powerful, and exalted.
دحا (daha): الدّواح أي العظيم الشديد العلو al-dawwah is something that isgreat, extremely powerful, and exalted.
دحا (daha): الدِّحْية هو رئيس الجُند,و به سمِّي دِحية الكلبي Al-dihyais the leader of the soldiers, and from this was namedDihya Al-Kalbay, [who was one of Prophet Muhammad's close Companions.]
الدِّحْية هو رئيس القوم و سيدهم -Al-dihyaisthe chief of the tribe or the group and the BEST AMONG THEM و سيدهم.
Planet earth is indeed the best planet in our Solar System. It is the only planet that has water, life and Paradise-like Scenic Views. The others are dead planets with no life like that of earth's exists on them
Definitions of Daha - according to:
1. Lisan Al-Arab dictionary [1] , Book 2, Pages 215-218.
2. Lisan Al-Arab dictionary [1] , Book 8, Pages 236-238.
6. Arabic-English dictionary the Hans Wehr dictionary [6], Page 273
Conclusion:
So based on all of these meanings, what do we find?
We find that:
1- The earth is a moving object that waspushed or thrown by Allah Almighty into space.
2- The earth is a qurs and indahhat and is dihdaaha, which means it is around and a spherical object.
3- The earth is mad-hooha ( مدحوحا), which is balanced and evened.
4- The earth is dihya, which means it isthe best among its group. This is true since all of the planets in our solar system are pretty much similar to our moon. They are lifeless and have no life and no water in them. Earth, on the other hand, has (1)ample water, which is why it is called the BLUE PLANET, (2)ample life, and even(3) Paradise-like views and nature in places such as Hawaii, Alaska, the Carribeans, places in Europe, Asia, Africa etc...
5- The earth is also dahdah and dahdaah, which means it is round and compressed.
All these meanings are covered in one word; Daha.
وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا
And the Earth after that He
made round/balanced/made best/exalted
it.
May Allah Almighty Give You Hidayah My Brother
Their are more verses that I’ll post in here with detailed explanation.
Why did Ibn ‘Abbaas claimed the Earth to be over the noon whale?
With Regards to the above question, there is no proof to confirm this in the Holy Qur’an or in the saheeh Prophetic Sunnah. The most that has been narrated concerning it is reports from some of the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een.
Let’s find out the reason for such claims made by Ibn Abbas ( PBUH ).
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas(PBUH) that he said:
The first thing that Allah created was the Pen, and it wrote all that is to happen. Then water vapour was raised, from which the heavens were created. Then the noon – i.e., the whale – was created, and the earth was spread out on the back of the noon, and the earth moved and shook. Then it was made steady with the mountains, and for that reason the mountains boast to the earth. And he recited (interpretation of the meaning): “Noon. (These letters (Noon, etc.) are one of the miracles of the Quran, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings).By the pen and what the (angels) write (in the Records of men)” [al-Qalam 68:1].
This was narrated by:
‘Abd al-Razzaaq in his Tafseer (2/307);
Ibn Abi Shaybah (14/101);
Ibn Abi Haatim – as mentioned in Tafseer Ibn Katheer (8/210);
at-Tabari in Jaami‘ al-Bayaan (23/140);
al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (2/540);
and many others.
All of them narrated it via:
al-A‘mash
from Abu Zabyaan Husayn ibn Jundub
from Ibn ‘Abbaas
This is a saheeh isnaad.
Al-Haakim said:
This hadith is saheeh according to the conditions of the two shaykhs (al-Bukhaari and Muslim), although they did not narrate it.
Adh-Dhahabi said in at-Talkhees:
[It is saheeh] according to the conditions of al-Bukhaari and Muslim, as was narrated from Mujaahid, Muqaatil, as-Suddi and al-Kalbi.
See: ad-Durr al-Manthoor (8/240); Tafseer Ibn Katheer (8/185) at the beginning of the commentary on Soorat al-Qalam.
This report – as you can see – is mawqoof and is the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas.
It is not the words of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
What is most likely to be the case is that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) learned it from the words of Ka‘b al-Ahbaar or from the books of Bani Israa’eel that contain many weird and strange things and lies. This is indicated by the details mentioned in some of the books of tafseer concerning this matter.
Imam al-Baghawi (PBUH) said:
The narrators said: When Allah created the earth and split it (from the heavens), He sent from beneath the Throne an angel who came down to earth until he reached beneath the seven earths, then he placed them on his shoulders, with one of his hands in the east and the other in the west, stretched out and holding the seven earths until he managed to get them settled. His feet did not have a firm place to stand on, so Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, sent down from al-Firdaws a bull that had forty thousand horns and forty thousand feet, and He made the feet of the angel stand on its hump, but his feet did not become settled firmly on it. So Allah took a green emerald from the highest level of al-Firdaws, the thickness of which was the distance of five hundred years, and He placed it between the hump and the ear of the bull, so that the feet of the angel could stand firm on it. The horns of that bull emerge from beneath the layers of the earth, and its nostrils are in the sea. Every day it takes a breath. When it exhales, the tide comes in towards the land, and when it inhales, the tide goes out. The feet of the bull had no firm place to stand, so Allah, may He be exalted, created a rock as thick as seven heavens and seven earths, so that the feet of the bull could stand firm on it. This is the rock that Luqmaan mentioned to his son when he said: “O my son! If it be (anything) equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth” [Luqmaan 31:16]. The rock was not stable, so Allah created a noon, which is a great whale, and placed the rock on its back, and there is nothing else on its body. The whale is on an ocean, and the ocean is carried on the back of the wind, and the wind is carried by divine power. It was said that the entire world, with everything on it, is only two letters (the kaaf and noon of the word kun, meaning ‘Be!’); the Compeller, may He be glorified and exalted, said to it: ‘Be!’, and it was.
Ka‘b al-Ahbaar said:
Iblees managed to reach the whale on whose back the earth is carried and he whispered to it: Do you know what is on your back, O Leviathan – the name of the whale – of nations, animals, trees and mountains? If you shake them off, you will throw them off from your back. Leviathan thought of doing that, but Allah sent a beast that entered his nostrils and reached his brain, so the whale beseeched Allah because of it, and Allah gave it permission to leave.
Ka‘b said:
By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the whale is looking at the beast and the beast is looking at the whale, in case the whale wants to do that, in which case the beast is ready to jump back into its nostrils.
Ma‘aalim at-Tanzeel (8/186)
There is a similar report in Tafseer al-Qurtubi (29/442). The words of Ka‘b al-Ahbaar were narrated by Abu Nu‘aym in Hilyat al-Awliya’ (8/6).
The commentators on Tafseer at-Qurtubi (1/385), both Dr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muhsin at-Turki and Muhammad Ridwaan ‘Irqsoosi, commented on this report and said: It is an Israa’eeli report (i.e., from Jewish sources) for which there is no basis. It would have been better for the author to keep such things out of his book.
Look at how the narrators added more details to the story, then ultimately the matter can be traced back to Ka‘b al-Ahbaar, who was the source of many weird things that are attributed to this religion.
Therefore al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer pointed out in al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah (1/15) – after mentioning a number of weird reports, including this hadith – that it is one of the Israa’eeliyyaat (reports from Jewish sources) and said: In this report with this isnaad, as-Suddi mentions many weird things; it is as if many of them came from the Israa’eeliyyaat.
There are also some marfoo‘, munkar (odd) hadiths with similar meanings, including the report narrated from Ibn ‘Umar, according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“The earth is above the water, and the water is above a rock, and the rock is on the back of a whale whose flippers touch the Throne. The whale is on the shoulders of an angel whose feet are standing on nothing.” This is a mawdoo‘ (fabricated) hadith. See: as-Silsilah ad-Da‘eefah (no. 294).
As none of these reports was proven to be sound or regarded as part of religious teachings, and they are not mentioned in the Book of Allah or in the Sunnah of His Messenger (PBUH), the most that can be said concerning them is that they are reports from some of the early generations, and it is clear that the source of all of them is reports from Jewish sources. What we must do with regard to such reports is refrain from confirming any of them, and delegate knowledge of that to the Knower of the unseen, as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The People of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and explain it in Arabic to the Muslims.
Therefore the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“Do not believe the people of the Book and do not disbelieve them. ‘Say (O Muslims), "We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya‘qoob (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat (the twelve sons of Ya‘qoob (Jacob)), and that which has been given to Moosa (Moses) and ‘Eesa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)’ [al-Baqarah 2:136].”
According to another report, the reason for refraining from believing or disbelieving is explained as follows:
“Then if it is false you will not have believed it and if it is true you will not have disbelieved it.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (3644) and Ahmad (16774); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah (2800).
Noon Whale Carrying Earth is not mentioned in Quran
Nowhere does the Quran says about the Noon Whale Carrying the Earth on its back. Instead, it’s all because of the misinterpretation of the the aayah of Al-Quran.
The aayah that we are talking about is of surah Al-Qalam aayah 1 ( i.e. 68:1 ) as displayed in the below image.
Figure 1.1
Arabic text of Surah Al-Qalam aayah 1 ( 68:1 )
Keep in note of the Highlighted area
source : quran.com
Figure 1.2
English text of Surah Al-Qalam aayah 1 ( 68:1 )
Keep in note of the Highlighted area
source : quran.com
Now, lets have a look at the aayah that has been used for such false misinterpretation. The Surah is Al-Anbya with aayah number 87 ( i.e. 21:87 ) which is displayed in the below image.
Figure 2.1
Arabic text of Surah Al-Anbya aayah 87 ( 21:87 )
Keep in note of the Highlighted area
source : quran.com
Figure 2.2
English text of Surah Al-Anbya aayah 87 ( 21:87 )
Keep in note of the Highlighted area
source : quran.com
Explanation of Letter ( ن )
Before we begin, let me explain you the pronunciation of an arabic letter as compared to english, i.e. the letter ن ( Figure 3.1 ) which in arabic is pronounced as Nun. Whereas in English the Letter N is pronounced as EN.
The below figure shows the arabic letter NUN.
Figure 3.1
The arabic letter NUN
Click here to View in Wikipedia
Explanation of Aayah ( 21:87 )
Now let me explain these aayah in reverse order. We will begin with Surah Al-Anbya aayah 87 ( 21:87 ) which talks about the Fish / whale named Noon ( نُّونِ ) that swallowed Prophet Jonah (peace be upon him).
You can refer to the Highlighted section of figure 2.1. It highlights the letter noon ( نُّونِ ) which is the name of the Whale that swallowed Prophet Jonah, peace be upon him and this word is made of three arabic letters which are noon ( ن ) , wow ( و ), noon ( ن ).
So the name of the Fish ( Whale ) is a complete word of three letters.
Explanation of Aayah ( 68:1 )
Now let’s see what’s the thing that led some scholars misinterpret the aayah (68:1) and make out false Hadith based on their own understanding of the Creation.
We know before in Noble Verse 21:87 that NOON نون is the whale that swallowed Prophet Jonah, peace be upon him. However, in the following Noble Verse 68:1, another (NUN) (spelled only with the Arabic letter nun ن) is mentioned. ( Refer to the highlighted section of Figure 1.1 )
This is not a whale. This is only a letter, - a single Arabic letter, - and it is one of the Nooraniyyah LETTERS that had been proven to be part of the great Numerical Miracle in the Glorious Quran. No whale carrying earth is mentioned anywhere in the Glorious Quran.
No Whale carrying earth
Again, no whale carrying earth is mentioned anywhere in the Glorious Quran. As to the mistakes of scholars and their interpretations, Ibn Abbas' quote was written 300 years after the Prophet and Ibn Abbas, and many mistakes and wrong attributions were falsely attributed to them, probably by errors or by the words of mouths. Also, ancient false Greek and Egyptian mythologies possibly found their way into those late Islamic writings through liars' false mouths.
In any case, no claim about the earth being carried by a whale exists in the Holy Quran!
I’ll write a new POST which will prove that the Glorious Quran ( In It’s verses ) declares that the earth is:
Spherical.
Suspended in Space.
Rotating around itself.
Is traveling in Space.
may allah give you hidayah and peace in your life my friend
Al-Quran, the only book on this planet with text produced in the seventh century contained ideas that have only been discovered in modern times.
Astronomers, zoologists, geologists and specialists in the history of the earth would all have been struck, just as forcibly as medical doctors, by the presence in the Quran of highly accurate reflections on natural phenomena. These reflections are particularly astonishing when we consider the history of science, and can only lead us to the conclusion that they are a challenge to human explanation.
There is no human work in existence that contains statements as far beyond the level of knowledge of its time as the Quran. Scientific opinions comparable to those in the Quran are the result of modern knowledge.
In the commentaries to translations of the Quran that have appeared in European languages, we have only been able to find scattered and vague references to them. Nor do commentators writing in Arabic provide a complete study of the aspects of the Quran that deal with scientific matters. This is why the idea of a comprehensive study of the problem appealed to us.
Religion And Science
There is, perhaps, no better illustration of the close links between Islam and science than the Prophet Muhammad’s often-quoted statements:
“Seeking knowledge is compulsory on every Muslim.”
“wisdom is the lost property of the believer.”
“whoever follows a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make his path to paradise easy.”
These statements and many others are veritable invitations to humanity to enrich their knowledge from all sources. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that in Islam religion and science have always been considered as twin sisters and that today, at a time when science has taken such great strides, they still continue to be associated. Nor is it a surprise to learn that certain scientific data are used for the better understanding of the Quranic text. What is more, in a century where, for many people, scientific truth has dealt a deathblow to religious belief, it is precisely the discoveries of science that, in an objective examination of the Islamic scripture, have highlighted the supernatural nature of revelation and the authenticity of the religion which it taught.
When all is said and done, scientific knowledge seems, in spite of what many people may say or think, to be highly conducive to reflection on the existence of God. Once we begin to ask ourselves, in an unbiased or unprejudiced way, about the metaphysical lessons to be derived from some of today’s knowledge, (for example our evolving knowledge of the smallest components of matter or the questions surrounding the origin of life within inanimate matter), we indeed discover many reasons for thinking about God. When we think about the remarkable organization presiding over the birth and maintenance of life, it becomes clear that the likelihood of it being the result of chance lessens quite considerably.
As our knowledge of science in the various fields expands, certain concepts must seem increasingly unacceptable. For example, the idea enthusiastically expressed by the recent French winner of the Nobel prize for medicine, that living matter was self-created from simple chemical elements due to chance circumstances. Then from this point it is claimed that living organisms evolved, leading to the remarkably complex being called man. To me, it would seem that the scientific advancements made in understanding the fantastic complexity of higher beings provides stronger arguments in favor of the opposite theory: that the existence of an extraordinarily methodical organization presiding over the remarkable arrangement of the phenomena of life necessitates the existence of a Creator.
In many parts of the Book, the Quran, encourages this kind of general reflection but also contains infinitely more precise data which are directly related to facts discovered by modern science. It is precisely this data which exercise a magnetic attraction for today’s scientists.
The Quran And Science
For many centuries, humankind was unable to study certain data contained in the verses of the Quran because they did not possess sufficient scientific means. It is only today that numerous verses of the Quran dealing with natural phenomena have become comprehensible. A reading of old commentaries on the Quran, however knowledgeable their authors may have been in their day, bears solemn witness to a total inability to grasp the depth of meaning in such verses. I could even go so far as to say that, in the 20th century, with its compartmentalization of ever-increasing knowledge, it is still not easy for the average scientist to understand everything he reads in the Quran on such subjects, without having recourse to specialized research. This means that to understand all such verses of the Quran, one is nowadays required to have an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge embracing many scientific disciplines.
I should like to stress, that I use the word science to mean knowledge which has been soundly established. It does not include the theories which, for a time, help to explain a phenomenon or a series of phenomena, only to be abandoned later on in favor of other explanations. These newer explanations have become more plausible thanks to scientific progress.
There are also some very rare examples of statements in the Quran which have not, as yet, been confirmed by modern science. I shall refer to these by pointing out that all the evidence available today leads scientists to regard them as being highly probable. An example of this is the statement in the Quran that life has an aquatic origin ( “And I created every living thing out of water” Quran 21:30 ).
These scientific considerations should not, however, make us forget that the Quran remains a religious book par excellence and that it cannot be expected to have a scientific purpose per se. In the Quran, whenever humans are invited to reflect upon the wonders of creation and the numerous natural phenomena, they can easily see that the obvious intention is to stress Divine Omnipotence. The fact that, in these reflections, we can find allusions to data connected with scientific knowledge is surely another of God’s gifts whose value must shine out in an age where scientifically based atheism seeks to gain control of society at the expense of the belief in God. But the Quran does not need unusual characteristics like this to make its supernatural nature felt. Scientific statements such as these are only one specific aspect of the Islamic revelation which the Bible does not share.
Authenticity of Quran
Before getting to the essence of the subject, there is a very important point which must be considered: the authenticity of the Quranic text.
It is known that the text of the Quran was both recited from memory, during the time it was revealed, by the Prophet and the believers who surrounded him, and written down by designated scribes among his followers. This process lasted for roughly twenty-three years during which many unofficial copies were made. An official copy was made within one year after the Prophet’s death at the instruction of Caliph Abu Bakr
Here we must note a highly important point. The present text of the Quran benefited in its original preparation from the advantage of having its authenticity cross-checked by the text recited from memory as well as the unofficial written texts. The memorized text was of paramount importance at a time when not everyone could read and write, but everybody could memorize. Moreover, the need for a written record was included in the text of the Quran itself. The first five verses of chapter al-‘Alaq, which happen to constitute the first revelation made to the Prophet (S), express this quite clearly:
“Read: In the name of your Lord who created. Who created man from a clinging entity. Read! Your Lord is the most Noble, Who taught by the pen. Who taught man what he did not know.” Quran, 96:1-5
These are surely words in “praise of the pen as a means of human knowledge”, to use Professor Hamidullah’s expression.
Then came the Caliphate of ‘Uthman (which lasted from the twelfth to the twenty-fourth year following Muhammad’s death). Within the first two years of Caliph ‘Uthman’s rule, seven official copies were reproduced from the official text and distributed throughout a large area of the world which had already come under Islamic rule. All unofficial copies existing at that time were destroyed and all future copies were made from the official seven copies.
I shall also mention another fact of great importance. We shall examine statements in the Quran which today appear to merely record scientific truth, but of which men in former times were only able to grasp the apparent meaning. In some cases, these statements were totally incomprehensible. It is impossible to imagine that, if there were any alterations to the texts, these obscure passages scattered throughout the text of the Quran, were all able to escape human manipulation. The slightest alteration to the text would have automatically destroyed the remarkable coherence which is characteristic to them. Change in any text would have prevented us from establishing their total conformity with modern knowledge. The presence of these statements spread throughout the Quran looks (to the impartial observer ) like an obvious hallmark of its authenticity.
The Quran is a revelation made known to humans in the course of twenty-three years. It spanned two periods of almost equal length on either side of the Hijrah. In view of this, it was natural for reflections having a scientific aspect to be scattered throughout the Book. In a study, such as the one we have made, we had to regroup the verses according to subject matter, collecting them chapter by chapter.
The Quran on Human Embryonic Development - a Scientific Miracle
In the Holy Quran, God speaks about the stages of man’s embryonic development:
We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him as a drop in a place of settlement, firmly fixed. Then We made the drop into an alaqah (leech, suspended thing, and blood clot), then We made the alaqah into a mudghah (chewed substance)... 1 (Quran, 23:12-14)
Literally, the Arabic word alaqah has three meanings:
leech
suspended thing
blood clot
In comparing a leech to an embryo in the alaqah stage, we find similarity between the two as we can see in figure 1. Also, the embryo at this stage obtains nourishment from the blood of the mother, similar to the leech, which feeds on the blood of others.
Figure 1: Drawings illustrating the similarities in appearance between a leech and a human embryo at the alaqah stage. (Leech drawing from Human Development as Described in the Quran and Sunnah, Moore and others, p. 37, modified from Integrated Principles of Zoology, Hickman and others. Embryo drawing from The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 73.)
The second meaning of the word alaqah is “suspended thing.” This is what we can see in figures 2 and 3, the suspension of the embryo, during the alaqah stage, in the womb of the mother.
Figure 2: We can see in this diagram the suspension of an embryo during the alaqah stage in the womb (uterus) of the mother. (The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 66.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
Figure 3: In this photomicrograph, we can see the suspension of an embryo (marked B) during the alaqahstage (about 15 days old) in the womb of the mother. The actual size of the embryo is about 0.6 mm. (The Developing Human, Moore, 3rd ed., p. 66, from Histology, Leeson and Leeson.)
The third meaning of the word alaqah is “blood clot.” We find that the external appearance of the embryo and its sacs during the alaqah stage is similar to that of a blood clot. This is due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo during this stage (see figure 4). Also during this stage, the blood in the embryo does not circulate until the end of the third week. Thus, the embryo at this stage is like a clot of blood.
Figure 4: Diagram of the primitive cardiovascular system in an embryo during the alaqah stage. The external appearance of the embryo and its sacs is similar to that of a blood clot, due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo. (The Developing Human, Moore, 5th ed., p. 65.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
So the three meanings of the word alaqah correspond accurately to the descriptions of the embryo at the alaqahstage.
The next stage mentioned in the verse is the mudghahstage. The Arabic word mudghah means “chewed substance.” If one were to take a piece of gum and chew it in his or her mouth and then compare it with an embryo at the mudghah stage, we would conclude that the embryo at the mudghah stage acquires the appearance of a chewed substance. This is because of the somites at the back of the embryo that “somewhat resemble teethmarks in a chewed substance.” (see figures 5 and 6).
Figure 5: Photograph of an embryo at the mudghah stage (28 days old). The embryo at this stage acquires the appearance of a chewed substance, because the somites at the back of the embryo somewhat resemble teeth marks in a chewed substance. The actual size of the embryo is 4 mm. (The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 82, from Professor Hideo Nishimura, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.)
Figure 6: When comparing the appearance of an embryo at the mudghahstage with a piece of gum that has been chewed, we find similarity between the two.
A) Drawing of an embryo at the mudghahstage. We can see here the somites at the back of the embryo that look like teeth marks. (The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 79.)
B) Photograph of a piece of gum that has been chewed.
(Click on the image to enlarge it.)
How could Muhammad (PBUH) have possibly known all this 1400 years ago, when scientists have only recently discovered this using advanced equipment and powerful microscopes which did not exist at that time? Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells (spermatozoa) using an improved microscope in 1677 (more than 1000 years after Muhammad ). They mistakenly thought that the sperm cell contained a miniature preformed human being that grew when it was deposited in the female genital tract.
Professor Emeritus Keith L. Moore is one of the world’s most prominent scientists in the fields of anatomy and embryology and is the author of the book entitled The Developing Human, which has been translated into eight languages. This book is a scientific reference work and was chosen by a special committee in the United States as the best book authored by one person. Dr. Keith Moore is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. There, he was Associate Dean of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and for 8 years was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy. In 1984, he received the most distinguished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists. He has directed many international associations, such as the Canadian and American Association of Anatomists and the Council of the Union of Biological Sciences.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Moore said: “It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God.”
(To view the RealPlayer video of this comment click here )
Consequently, Professor Moore was asked the following question: “Does this mean that you believe that the Quran is the word of God?” He replied: “I find no difficulty in accepting this.”
During one conference, Professor Moore stated: “....Because the staging of human embryos is complex, owing to the continuous process of change during development, it is proposed that a new system of classification could be developed using the terms mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah (what Muhammad said, did, or approved of). The proposed system is simple, comprehensive, and conforms with present embryological knowledge. The intensive studies of the Quran andhadeeth (reliably transmitted reports by the Prophet Muhammad’s companions of what he said, did, or approved of) in the last four years have revealed a system for classifying human embryos that is amazing since it was recorded in the seventh century A.D. Although Aristotle, the founder of the science of embryology, realized that chick embryos developed in stages from his studies of hen’s eggs in the fourth century B.C., he did not give any details about these stages. As far as it is known from the history of embryology, little was known about the staging and classification of human embryos until the twentieth century. For this reason, the descriptions of the human embryo in the Quran cannot be based on scientific knowledge in the seventh century. The only reasonable conclusion is: these descriptions were revealed to Muhammad from God. He could not have known such details because he was an illiterate man with absolutely no scientific training.”
