A Miracle?

A Miracle?

1.    ​ The Hour (the time when the present world will end and the Hereafter begin) has drawn near and the moon is breached. The Qur’aanic Verse is the first one in Chapter 54, and the English translation is mine (refer QUR’AANIC STUDIES - A Modern Tafsir).

2.    And, the explanatory note on that translation reads as follows: The Arabic word shaqqa has a number of meanings. Most translators have given it here the meaning of ‘split’ and thus attributed to Prophet Muhammad [peace on him] the performing of the miracle of splitting the moon in two and then rejoining the two parts. Such a miracle – if it did happen – would have indeed been a unique one! The Qur’aan does say that the earlier Prophets were endowed with the gifts of performing various miracles. But none of such miracles involved moon or any other heavenly body! All those miracles were restricted to things of this earth. This miracle attributed to Prophet Muhammad is preposterous on another count as well. Nowhere else in the Holy Book does Allah Almighty mention performance, by Muhammad, of any miracle as those performed by earlier Prophets like Moses and Jesus! The Book, on the other hand, points out the fact that the earlier peoples had failed to follow their Prophets despite the latter showing them the miracles! The stress was therefore laid on Prophet Muhammad’s Ummah to look for miracles in the natural creation of their own selves and of all things around them, and thus attain to faith in Allah Ta’ala. That being the unmistakable tenor throughout in the Qur’aan, it was indeed preposterous for the Prophet to come up suddenly with such an unlikely miracle. Moreover, shaqqa alqamar is meant in this Verse to be the Sign for the approaching end of this world.  There were definitely no signs of the approaching Doom over 1400 years ago when this Verse was revealed. But there definitely are such signs now when nation after nation is engaged in piling up weapons of mass destruction [WMD]. And this piling up was preceded by Man’s first visit to the moon in the late sixties [Watch the Video]. This Verse foretold that visit, when the virginity of the surface of the moon was for the first time breached by human steps and man-made tools.

3.    It is now over 46 years since that event. So, how many more years this world may still have before its end? The exact number is of course known only to Allah Almighty; but the proximity predicted by the Qur’aan should surely have an upper limit. Does the Qur’aan give any indication of that limit? Let us try to find out.

4.    In the 97^th Chapter of the Qur’aan, it is said, 
​
​  The night of divine Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit, by their Lord’s leave, descend in that night with all His decrees.

5.    Those two Verses do indicate that laylatu alqadr (Night of the divine Decrees) comes once in a thousand months with divine Decrees for the ensuing thousand months, equivalent roughly to 83.4 years.

6.    If that be true, this world is not going to survive 2053 AD!

Mohammad Shafi

Author of QUR’AANIC STUDIES - A Modern Tafsir

18^th July, 2015

Noah's Ark

Qur'aanic Verse 54:15:

Transliteration:

15. Walaqad taraknaha ayatan fahal min muddakirin


Translation:

15. And We did leave it [Ark] behind as a Sign for posterity; but is there any to take heed?³

^{Study Note:}

3. Refer Verse 11:44 and study note thereon. Also watch YouTube video on discovery of the fossilized remains of the Ark.

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The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

Landing on Moon

Qur'aanic Verse 54:1:

:




Transliteration:

1. Iqtarabati alssaAAatu wainshaqqa alqamaru


Translation:

1. The Hour (the time when the present world will end and the Hereafter begin) has drawn near and the moon is visited.

Study Note:

1. The Arabic word shaqqa has a number of meanings. Most translators have given it here the meaning of ‘split’ and thus attributed to Prophet Muhammad [peace on him] the performing of the miracle of splitting the moon in two and then rejoining the two parts. Such a miracle – if it did happen – would have indeed been a unique one! The Qur’aan does say that the earlier Prophets were endowed with the gifts of performing various miracles. But none of such miracles involved moon or any other heavenly body! All those miracles were restricted to things of this mundane world. This miracle attributed to Prophet Muhammad is preposterous on another count as well. Nowhere else in the Holy Book does Allah Almighty mention performance of any miracle – on mundane things or otherwise – as performed by earlier Prophets like Moses and Jesus. The Book, on the other hand, points out the fact that the earlier peoples had failed to follow their Prophets despite the latter showing them the miracles! The stress was therefore laid on Prophet Muhammad’s Ummah to look for miracles in the natural creation of their own selves and of all things around them, and thus attain to faith in Allah Ta’ala. That being the unmistakable tenor throughout in the Qur’aan, it was indeed preposterous for the Prophet to come up suudenly with such an unlikely miracle. Moreover, shaqqa alqamar is meant in this Verse to be the Sign for the approaching end of this world.  There were definitely no signs of the approaching Doom over 1400 years ago when this Verse was revealed. But there definitely are such signs now when nation after nation is engaged in piling up weapons of mass destruction [WMD]. And this piling up was preceded by Man’s first visit to the moon in the late sixties [Watch the Video]. This Verse foretells that visit.

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The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

A Star does Perish

Qur'aanic Verse 53:1:

Transliteration:

1. Waalnnajmi itha hawa

Translation:

1. By the star when it perishes!¹

^{Study Note:}

1. The Arabic word hawa has been used in Verse 20:81in the sense of something getting perished. But, here, the people living at the time the Qur’aan was revealed – and for centuries thereafter – had  difficulty in understanding a star getting perished or destroyed. So those people rendered the said Arabic word as ‘sets’ or ‘disappears’. And they understood the Verse as alluding to a star that disappears from the sky as day breaks. But this obviously is a contrived rendering. At day-break, not one, but all stars [other than the Sun of course] disappear to the naked human eye. It is but an illusion. Now, when human knowledge has taken a quantum jump, we know for a fact that stars do get destroyed! Take a look at this video. Qur’aan is a living Book valid for all times till the Last Day. We cannot hold it hostage to the limited understanding of any people in the past.

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The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur;aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

Fascinating!

Qur'aanic Verses 52:2 & 52:3:

Transliterations:

2. Wakitabin mastoorin

3. Fee raqqin manshoorin


Translations:

2. And by Record inscribed

3. On a writing material widely published.³

^{Study Note:}

3. And Verses 2 & 3 above together may as well refer to the Qur’aan! The modern publishing industry had got a boost with the invention of paper. Although paper had been invented in China around the time Prophet Jesus was born, it got world-wide attention during the time the Qur’aan was being revealed. So, along with revelation of His last Book of Guidance for mankind, Allah Almighty was preparing the ground, in another part of the world, for its wide publicity. Readers may like to go through the fascinating History of Paper. In the middle of the eighth century A.D., the Muslims defeated the Chinese and learnt the art of paper-making from the prisoners of war. The Muslims in turn taught the art to the then Wild West. And then we have this amazing facility of internet now! The Qur’aan can be accessed easily and cheaply in any nook and corner of the world!! It’s indeed now ‘on a writing material widely published.’ This could not have been known to the Arabs when the Qur’aan was revealed to them. But this was known even then to Allah Almighty, its Author. Here is yet another proof that the Qur’aan is divine. The prophecy indicated in these two Verses has been fulfilled!

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The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

Earth Surface

Qur'aanic Verse 51:48:

Transliteration:

48. Waal-arda farashnaha faniAAma almahidoona

Translation:

48. And the earth - We prepared its crust, and how well have We prepared it!⁸

^{Study Note:}

8. Imagine what would happen if the earth surface had not its ups and downs: we would not have any land; water would envelope it entirely!

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The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

Role of Dust Particles in Cloud Formation

Qur'aanic Verses 51:1 to 51:4:

Transliterations:

1. Waalththariyati tharwan

2. Faalhamilati wiqran

3. Faaljariyati yusran

4. Faalmuqassimati amran


Transations:

1. By the scattering [winds] that scatter [dust particles]

2. Then bear a load [of tiny water globues condensing around the dust particles]

3. Then sail smoothly along

4. And then execute given task of apportioning [rainfall].<sup>1


Study Note:</sup>

1. You may like to see blogpost Cloud Formation & Rainfall in this context. The role of dust particles in this natural process has been discovered very recently, as late as in 2011 [source], while it was hinted at in the Qur’aan over 1400 years ago!

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The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

Mountains

Qur'aanic Verse 15:19:

Transliteration:

19. Waal-arda madadnaha waalqayna feeha rawasiya waanbatna feeha min kulli shay-in mawzoonin

Translation:

19. And We have spread out the earth and cast⁴ mountains into it. And We have caused every appropriate thing to grow in it.

Study Note:

4. Science does not yet seem to have come to definite conclusions about the formation of mountains. And this word used here appears to suggest that mountains were thrown or bombarded on to the surface of the earth from outer space. Maybe, eons ago, during the formation of the earth, parts from an exploding star impounded the earth and the mountains were formed. Remember that mountains have deep roots inside the earth. Otherwise they should be flattened out because of the tremendous speed at which the earth rotates.

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Above is an extract from Qur'aanic Studies Manzil III

Mohammad Shafi

Treaty of Hudaibiah

Qur'aanic Verse 48:1:

Transliteration:

1. Inna fatahna laka fathan mubeenan

Translation:

1. We have indeed granted you a clear victory.¹

^{Study Note:}

1. Verses occurring later in this Chapter indicate that the victory mentioned here is neither that at the battle of Badr nor the conquest of Mecca. In between those two events, Prophet Muhammad [peace on him] had set off from Medina, with some of his companions, to perform Umrah at Mecca which was still in the hands of the polytheists. On their way, the party was stopped at a place called Hudaibiah and not allowed to proceed further. Negotiations between the party and the Meccans followed, wherein, the Muslims agreed to return to Medina that year, and the Meccans agree to allow them to come for the pilgrimage next year. Although the treaty enabled peace for the future propagation of Islam, certain terms therein were apparently humiliating for the Musims. Therefore, most of the Muslims could not then understand why it was being called a victory. They nevertheless reiterated there their oath of allegiance to the Prophet. Only later on did they realize that the extended period of peace they gained was the real victory; for, Islam spread rapidly therein.

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The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Mohammad Shafi

Portends of the End

Qur'aanic Verse 47:18:

Transliteration:

18. Fahal yanthuroona illa alssaAAata an ta/tiyahum baghtatan faqad jaa ashratuha faanna lahum ithajaat-hum thikrahum

Translation:

18. Are they, then, waiting for the Hour (the time when the present world will end and the Hereafter begin) to come upon them of a sudden? Portends² of it have verily come! And what will mention of these [portends] avail them, once it [the Hour] has come upon them?

Study Note:

2. Calamities suffered by ancient peoples like those of Noah and Lot, the Aad, the Samood etc. were but portends of what would happen when the Hour comes affecting the entire earth. Such portends do come even now in the form of hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis etc. But people now hardly take them as portends. They dismiss them as just natural phenomena!

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The above is an extract from yet-to-be-pubished Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Mohammad Shafi

The Qur'aan

Qur'aanic Verse 47:24:

Transiteration:

24. Afala yatadabbaroona alqur-ana am AAala quloobin aqfaluha

Transation:

24. Why do they not, then, ponder over this Qur’aan? Or are there locks upon their minds to keep it [Qur’aan] out? ³

^{Study Note:}

3. Pease view this video in this context – or another. There are many more such videos availabe on youtube.com. You may also go through my article wherein it is explained how the Qur’aan virtually mentions blood circulation by means of which human body is grown and maintained. The Qur’aan discloses this hundreds of years before scientists discovered it!

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The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Mohammad Shafi

Cattle - a Sign for Mankind

Qur'aanic Verse 40:80:

Transliteration:

80. Walakum feeha manafiAAu walitablughoo AAalayha hajatan fee sudoorikum waAAalayha waAAalaalfulki tuhmaloona

Translation:

80. And you have in them (cattle) benefits – and to satisfy by their means a need in your minds, you are carried upon them, as upon the ship.¹¹

^{Study Note:}

11. Cattle had been giving numerous benefits for mankind during the time of revelation of the Qur’aan. They continue to give numerous benefits even in this modern age. They are still used to drive carts and plough fields in villages where modern facilities have not yet reached. Generation of milk and milk products has become a big business now. Animal hides are used for making various things like belts, bags, shoes etc. Animal meat continues to be a major food item. During Hajj time animals are sacrificed in their thousands, and yet cattle species are far from being extinct. Wild animals, on the other hand, would be in danger of becoming extinct if their hunting is allowed indiscriminately. Herein is a sign, for one who ponders, of divine Hand working behind the scenes, for benefit of mankind.

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The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Mohammad Shafi