RAMADAN 2004 - The 11th Day

1522

18 February, 2018

Special for Ramadan

… The noblest among you in Allah’s sight is the
most righteous. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
(Surat al-Hujurat: 13)

Muslims are brothers to one another.
They should neither cheat, lie,
nor humiliate each other.
(Tirmidhi)

MIRACLES OF THE QUR'AN

CALCULATING THE LUNAR YEAR

It is He Who appointed the sun to give radiance, and the moon to give light, assigning it phases so you would know the number of years and the reckoning of time. Allah did not create these things except with truth. We make the Signs clear for people who know. (Qur’an, 10:5)

And We have decreed set phases for the moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. (Qur’an, 36:39)

In the first of the above verses, Allah has clearly revealed that the Moon will be a means of measurement for people to calculate the year. Furthermore, our attention is also drawn to the fact that these calculations will be performed according to the positions of the Moon as it revolves in its orbit. Since the angles between the Earth and Moon and the Moon and Sun constantly change, we see the Moon in different forms at different times. Furthermore, our ability to see the Moon is made possible by the fact that it is illuminated by the Sun. The amount of the lighted half of the Moon we see from Earth changes. Bearing in mind these changes, a number of calculations can be made, making it possible for human beings to measure the year.

In former times a month was calculated as the time between two full moons, or the time it took the Moon to travel around the Earth. According to this, one month was equal to 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes. This is known as the “lunar month.” Twelve lunar months represent one year, according to the Hijri calendar. However, there is a difference of eleven days between the Hijri calendar and the Gregorian calendar, in which a year is the time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun. Indeed, attention is drawn to this difference in another verse:

They stayed in their Cave for three hundred years and added nine. (Qur’an, 18:25)

We can clarify the time referred to in the verse thus: 300 years x 11 days (the difference which forms every year) = 3,300 days. Bearing in mind that one solar year lasts 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45.5 seconds, 3,300 days/365.24 days = 9 years. To put it another way, 300 years according to the Gregorian calendar is equal to 300+9 years according to the Hijri calendar. As we can see, the verse refers to this finely calculated difference of 9 years. (Allah knows best.) There is no doubt that the Qur’an, which contains such pieces of information, which transcended the everyday knowledge of the time, is a miraculous revelation.

(For further reference, please see, Miracles of the Qur'an, by Harun Yahya)

THE END TIMES AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE MAHDI

THE GOLDEN AGE

The Prophet (saas) describes the End Times with its heavenly features

Many hadiths indicate the existence of a period when the Qur'an's values will pervade Earth. This period, known as the Golden Age, will last for more than half a century and, in many ways, will resemble 'the Blessed Period' of our Prophet (saas).

According to one hadith, people will be so content that they will spend their days with no idea as to how time passes and how one day turns into the next. They will pray to Allah to prolong their lives in order to receive more benefits from these graces. Another Prophetic hadith states that;

The younger ones wish they were grown-ups, while the adults wish they were younger... The good become even more good, and even the wicked ones are treated well. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 59)

Unprecedented Abundance

Many hadiths reveal that there will be an unprecedented abundance of crops and goods, all of which will be distributed without measure:

During this (period), my ummah (people) will lead a kind of comfortable and carefree life that they have never known before. (The land) will bring forth its yield and will not hold anything back... (Ibn Majah)

In the last of times there will be a khalifa who will distribute wealth without even counting it. (Muslim)

The inhabitants of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth will be pleased with him and such plants will be produced by the earth that the living will wish the dead could come back to life. (At-Tabarani and Abu Nu'aym)

The land will turn like the silver tray growing vegetation... (Ibn Majah)

Technological developments will provide abundance in the Golden Age

People will reap 700 measures of wheat for every one they sow ... People will throw down a few handfuls of seeds and reap 700 handfuls ... Although much rain will fall, none will be wasted. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 24)

This hadith refers to an increase in agricultural production that will occur in the End Times by transitioning to modern agriculture, developing new agricultural techniques, improving seed stocks, and using rainwater more efficiently by constructing new dams and artificial lakes.

(For further reference, please see, The End of Times and the Mahdi, by Harun Yahya)

THE EVOLUTION DECEIT

WHY IS THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION NOT SCIENTIFICALLY VALID?

by Harun Yahya

The theory of evolution maintains that life on Earth came about as the result of chance and emerged by itself from natural conditions. This theory is not a scientific law or a proven fact. Underneath its scientific façade it is a materialist worldview that Darwinists are trying to impose on society. The bases of this theory, which has been disproved by science in every field, are suggestions and propaganda methods consisting of deceptions, falsehood, contradiction, cheating, and sleight of hand.

Nothing was known in Darwin's time about the complex structure of the cell

The theory of evolution was put forward as an imaginary hypothesis in the context of the primitive scientific understanding of the nineteenth century, and to this day it has not been backed up by any scientific discovery or experiment. On the contrary, all the methods employed to confirm the theory have merely proven its invalidity.

However, even today many people think that the theory is a proven fact, like the force of gravity or the law of buoyancy. Because, as stated at the beginning, the true nature of the theory of evolution is very different from what is usually supposed. For this reason, some people do not know what rotten foundations this theory has, how it is disproved by science at every turn, and how evolutionists are trying to keep it alive in its death throes. Evolutionists have no other support than unconfirmed hypotheses, biased and unrealistic observations, and imaginary drawings, methods of psychological suggestion, countless falsehoods, and sleight-of-hand techniques.

Today, such branches of science as paleontology, genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology have proven that it is quite impossible for life to come about as a result of chance and to emerge by itself from natural conditions. The living cell, it is commonly agreed by the world of science, is the most complex structure that mankind has so far encountered. Modern science has revealed that just one living cell has a much more complex structure and mutually interconnected complicated systems than a large city. Such a complex structure can only function if all its separate parts emerge at the same time and in full working order. Otherwise, it will serve no purpose, and will fall apart over time and disappear. We cannot expect that its parts developed by chance over millions of years as claimed by the theory of evolution. For that reason, the complex design in just one cell clearly shows that God created life. (For more details, see Harun Yahya, The Miracle in the Cell)

However, those who defend materialist philosophy do not want to accept the fact of creation for various ideological reasons. That is because the existence and spread of societies living in the light of that beautiful morality that true religion offers to man by means of God's commands and prohibitions is not in these materialists' interests. Masses devoid of any spiritual and moral values suit these people far better, since they can manipulate them for their own worldly interests. For this reason, they try to impose the theory of evolution, which encourages the lie that mankind was not created but rather emerged by chance and evolved from animals, and to keep it alive at whatever costs. Despite all the clear scientific proof that destroys the theory of evolution and confirms the fact of creation, they abandon all reason and logic and defend this nonsense at every available opportunity.

It has actually been proved that it is impossible for the first living cell, or even just one of the millions of protein molecules in that cell, to have come about by chance. This has been demonstrated not only by experiments and observations, but also by mathematical calculations of probability. In other words, evolution collapses at the very first step: that of explaining the emergence of the first living cell.

Examples of the complex structures in cells: Right, a ribosome where the protein synthesis takes place in the cell. Left, a "nucleosome" which packages DNA units in the chromosome. The cell contains many very complex structures and systems such as these, and even more complex ones. The realisation that these complex structures, discovered by technology as it advanced, could not have come about by chance has placed evolutionists in a dilemma they can never solve.

Not only could the cell, the smallest unit of life, never have come about by chance in the primitive and uncontrolled conditions in the early days of the Earth, as evolutionists would have us believe, it cannot even be synthesized in the most advanced laboratories of the twentieth century. Amino acids, the building blocks of the proteins that make up the living cell, cannot of themselves build such organelles in the cell as mitochondria, ribosomes, cell membranes, or the endoplasmic reticulum, let alone a whole cell. For this reason, the claim that evolution brought about the first cell by chance remains the product of a fantasy based entirely on imagination.

The living cell, which still harbours many secrets that have not been explained, is one of the major difficulties facing the theory of evolution.

Another terrible dilemma from the point of view of evolution is the DNA molecule in the nucleus of the living cell, a coding system with 3.5 billion units containing all the details of life. DNA was first discovered using X-ray crystallography in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and is a giant molecule with a superb plan and design. For many years, Francis Crick, a Nobel-prize laureate, believed in the theory of molecular evolution, but eventually even he had to admit to himself that such a complex molecule could not have emerged spontaneously by chance, as the result of an evolutionary process:

An honest man, armed with all the knowledge available to us now, could only state that, in some sense, the origin of life appears at the moment to be almost a miracle. 1

From the time Darwin's theory came to dominate science to the present day, paleontology has considered the theory its very basis. Despite this, however, excavations in many parts of the world have produced results that conflict with the theory instead of backing it up. Fossils show that different living groups emerged suddenly with all their features intact-in other words that they were created.

The Turkish evolutionist Professor Ali Demirsoy was forced to make the following confession on the issue:

In fact, the probability of the formation of a protein and a nucleic acid (DNA-RNA) is a probability way beyond estimating. Furthermore, the chance of the emergence of a certain protein chain is so slight as to be called astronomic. 2

Homer Jacobson, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, makes the following admission regarding how impossible it is for life to have come about by chance:

Directions for the reproduction of plans, for energy and the extraction of parts from the current environment, for the growth sequence, and for the effector mechanism translating instructions into growth—all had to be simultaneously present at that moment [when life began]. This combination of events has seemed an incredibly unlikely happenstance… 3

Twenty-five-million-year-old termites preserved in amber. They are indistinguishable from termites living in our time.

The fossil record represents another crushing defeat for the theory of evolution. Among all the fossils discovered over the years, there is not one trace of the intermediate forms that would be necessary if living things were to have evolved stage by stage from simple species to more complex ones, as the theory of evolution claims. If such creatures had really existed, there would have been millions, even billions, of them. More importantly, the remains of these creatures should be present in the fossil record. If these intermediate forms had ever really existed, their numbers would be even greater than the number of animal species we know today, and everywhere the world should be full of their fossil remains. Evolutionists look for these intermediate forms in all the feverish fossil research that has been carried out since the nineteenth century. However, there has been no trace of these intermediate forms, despite all the eager searching for the last 150 years.

In short, the fossil record shows that living species emerged suddenly and perfectly formed, not by following a process from primitive forms to advanced ones as evolution claims.

Evolutionists have tried very hard to find evidence for their theory or so, but have actually proved by their own hand that no evolutionary process could have been possible. In conclusion, modern science reveals the following indisputable fact: Living things did not emerge as the result of blind chance, but God created them.

(For further reading, see “The collapse of the theory of evolution in 20 questions” by Harun Yahya)

1) Francis Crick, Life Itself: Its Origin and Nature, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1981, p. 88
2) Ali Demirsoy, Kalitim ve Evrim (Inheritance and Evolution), Meteksan Publishing Co., Ankara, 1984, p. 39
3) Homer Jacobson, "Information, Reproduction and the Origin of Life,” American Scientist, January 1955, p. 121.

THE MUSLIM WAY OF SPEAKING

SPEAKING THROUGH TRUST IN ALLAH

When they are in trouble and need help, or want to obtain something for themselves, the ignorant seek a solution in what they consider to be the power sources of this world. Some hope for help from influential friends, some from people with wealth, repute or authority. They forget that all these people are impotent creatures acting under Allah's control. And therefore, because this they forget, they try to ingratiate themselves to them.

In fact, there is only one power that can bring about good or ill for a person, and that is Allah. Muslims know this truth. For this reason, at all times they speak with the expectance of help and support from Allah, and aiming to earn only His approval. Even though they may be in need, or in trouble or difficulty, they know that only Allah can alleviate such circumstances and that He is the only One Who can aid them. Therefore, believers encourage one another to turn to Allah and put their trust in Him when faced with difficulty. For the Qur'an says:

If Allah helps you, no one can vanquish you. If He forsakes you, who can help you after that? So the believers should put their trust in Allah. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 160)

In addition, the faithful speak in the knowledge that Allah is always at their side, and that without Allah's permission no one and nothing can do them harm, in accordance with that which was stipulated of the following: "… Allah will certainly help those who help Him" (Surat al-Hajj: 40) Even at the worst, and most critical or most life-threatening moments, they believe there are blessings in what they are experiencing, and make light of this truth to others around them, as the Prophet Yaqub (as) said, according to this verse of the Qur'an: "… In Him I put my trust, and let all those who put their trust, put it in Him alone." (Surah Yusuf: 67)

At no time do they use the manner of speech of one gripped irrationally by fear, panic and hopelessness; they speak in a calm and measured way. They know that losing hope in Allah is a characteristic of those unable to understand the subtleties of faith. Because they are aware that everything occurs through Allah's will, and in accordance with Allah's wisdom, they do not give way to false concern in time of difficulties. They speak in the knowledge that Allah will do what is best for them.

We are told in the following verse of the Qur'an that Allah certainly helps those who help Him: "You who believe! Remember Allah's blessing to you when certain people were on the verge of raising their hands against you and He held their hands back from you. Heed Allah. The believers should put their trust in Allah." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 11)

A number of examples are given in the Qur'an of the faithful speech of the believers. For example, when the children of Israel were trapped between the sea and the Pharaoh's army, while others who fell into disbelief and were plunged in despair and fear, were saying, "We are doomed," the words of the Prophet Musa (as) were to this effect, "Never. Our Allah is with us." We are informed in the Qur'an of the way the Prophet Musa' (as) speech reflected his trust in Allah:

So they [Pharaoh and his army] pursued them towards the east. And when the two hosts came into sight of one another Musa's companions said, "We will surely be overtaken!" He said, "Never! My Lord is with me and He will guide me." (Surat ash-Shu‘ara': 60-62)

Confronted with this dilemma, the Prophet Musa (as) relied and depended solely upon Allah, inviting those around him to do the same. Allah told the Prophet Musa (as) to strike the sea with his staff, and when he did so, it parted in two, providing safe passage for the children of Israel. As for the Pharaoh and his army, they were all drowned. This episode is an example of the assistance given by our Lord to those who take Him as their guardian and rely solely on Him.

As is the case with the story of the Prophet Musa (as), from every word of the faithful, it can be recognized that they fear nothing and no one but Allah, trusting only in Him. In a verse of the Qur'an, we are informed that the faithful, when threatened with the statement, "The people have gathered against you, so fear them," expressed their trust in Allah by saying, "Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians":

"Those to whom people said, 'The people have gathered against you, so fear them.' But that merely increased their faith and they said, 'Allah is enough for us and [He is] the Best of Guardians." (Surah Al ‘Imran: 173)

Not interrupting and speaking calmly

Muslims approach each experience throughout the day with the question, "How should I behave to earn the approval of Allah?" One way of behaving in a way, which is hoped will earn Allah's approval, is listening politely to a person without interrupting. This shows respect for the speaker and what he or she is saying.

In contrast, in places where the morality of the Qur'an is not adhered to, turning a deaf ear to the speaker, not properly listening to one another, arguing simultaneously and speaking louder than the opponent are commonplace. In particular, on television talk-shows, such examples are quite frequent. Even those who are experts in their own specific fields may at times show forth behavior which is fundamentally impolite and disrespectful. Instead of benefiting from what others have to say, these people try arrogantly to make their own words heard and accepted.

As for Muslims, they are not swayed by aims of the lower-self such as to bring attention to themselves, to be in the limelight or have the last word. Because of this, their way of speaking is measured and calm. By reason of the courtesy which arises from the morality of the Qur'an, they always acknowledge one another, try to benefit as far as possible from what others are saying, and avoid behaving ignorantly.

Another defining characteristic of those who are far from the morality of the Qur'an is the tone of their voice. To feign that they are in right, to intimidate the other person, or win the argument by forcing the other to surrender, they speak very loudly. Allah advises Muslims of this matter in the Qur'an, by relating the advice given by the Prophet Luqman (as) to his son:

Be moderate in your tread and lower your voice. The most hateful of voices is the donkey's bray. (Surah Luqman: 19)

(For further reference, please see, Muslim Way of Speaking, by Harun Yahya)

NAMES OF ALLAH

AL-BAQI
The Everlasting

Everyone on it will pass away; but the Face of your Lord will remain, Master of Majesty and Generosity. (Surat ar-Rahman, 55:26-27)

All of creation has an end. People are born, live for a certain period of time, and then die. This is also true of plants and animals. For instance, a tree may live for hundreds of years and then fulfill its destiny by dying at its appointed time. Similarly, non-living things also will meet their end, for time wears them all out. In addition, what remains of ancient nations is only their ruins. Allah calls our attention to this fact: “How many wrongdoing cities We destroyed, and now all their roofs and walls are fallen in; how many abandoned wells and stuccoed palaces!” (Surat al-Hajj, 22:45)

The universe also has an end. All of the meteors, stars, and suns hurtling through space will one day exhaust their energy and disappear. Or, for another reason, Allah will destroy this universe and keep His promise regarding the Day of Judgment. He can do this, for He is the Creator and sole Owner of infinity, as the Qur’an reveals:

Anything you have been given is only the enjoyment of this world’s life and finery. What is with Allah is better and longer lasting. So, will you not use your intellect? (Surat al-Qasas, 28:60)

(For further reference, please see, Names of Allah, by Harun Yahya)

QUICK GRASP OF FAITH

WHAT DOES "BEING PLEASED WITH ALLAH" MEAN?

This phrase means that people should be content with the destiny that Allah has predetermined for them and with what He gives them, both unconditionally and without any internal resistance. People may not realize the goodness in a given event at that very moment. But whether they realize it or not, they know that Allah wills goodness in a given event at that very moment and in every event. In fact, believers always have infinite trust in Allah in everything that befalls them. They never wonder whether that event will bring them good or bad; rather, they trust in Allah unceasingly and know that they will always find good.

One may become fatally sick, have a serious accident and become physically disabled, lose all of his or her wealth, be wronged by others, or encounter an utterly unexpected event. No matter what happens, one should know that all of these things take place under Allah’s complete control, and therefore feel at peace. That person submits completely to Allah’s wisdom and mercy and thanks Him, regardless of the circumstances in which they find themselves. This is the behavior exhibited by those who are pleased with Allah, about whom Allah states the following:

Allah will say: "This is the Day when the sincerity of the sincere will benefit them. They will have Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever and ever. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. That is the Great Victory." (Surat al-Ma’ida, 119)

... Allah has inscribed faith upon such people’s hearts, and will reinforce them with a Spirit from Him and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. Such people are the party of Allah. Truly it is the party of Allah who are successful. (Surat al-Mujadala, 22)

* Is everybody responsible for living by the religion?

Everybody, from the moment one gains consciousness to comprehend Allah’s existence, is responsible for fulfilling His commands. Being sick or poor, very rich or very famous, or having a high rank does not hinder a person from living by the religion.

No one can change the fact that people are created to serve Allah. The Qur’an informs us that only physically disabled people will not be held accountable for some of the religion’s commands. Apart from this, every person is to worship Allah and fulfill His religion’s commands. Allah states that the Qur’an is a binding duty upon humanity:

It [the Qur’an] is certainly a reminder to you and to your people, and you will be questioned. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 44)

(For further reference, please see, Quick Grasp of Faith 1, 2, 3 by Harun Yahya)

BOOK REVIEW

ISLAM AND KARMA

By Harun Yahya

Many people today are searching for a way to escape from all the inhumanity, chaos, confusion, quarrels, conflicts, worries, selfishness and deceit we see in the world; they are looking for a way to establish a way of life that will bring them contentment, inner certainty and peace.

Some of these seekers believe they will find the happiness and peace of mind they are looking for in religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism. However, although religions like Hinduism and Buddhism— among the oldest we know of—give some good ethical advice, not everything they contain is true. Over the centuries, they have absorbed elements of the customs and traditions of the societies that have adopted them en masse, and have degenerated as a result of various legends and erroneous beliefs that have been added to them, so that the form in which we know them today is one tainted with superstition. It is for this reason that these religions espouse many beliefs and practices that conflict with reason and logic.

The belief in karma is one such characteristic of these religions that are currently attracting interest in our countries. Although it encourages people to adopt certain positive moral qualities, the philosophy of karma also contains several erroneous and superstitious beliefs.

In this book we shall deal both with those aspects of the belief in karma that concern good ethical practices that accord with the teachings of the Qur’an, and with those erroneous aspects that accord neither with the Qu’ran, nor with human reason and nor with human conscience. Would it make sense to attempt to implement the rules of an irrational philosophy that lacks proper evidence to support it?

SITE OF THE DAY

www.endoftimes.net

END OF TIMES

The end times refer to a period very close to the Day of Judgment, when the morality of the Qur'an will come to prevail and people all over the world will come to live by it. The immorality, oppression, cruelty, injustice and degeneration of previous ages will disappear in that holy time to be replaced by abundance, wealth, beauty, peace and stability. There will be tremendous technological advances, which all people will use for good purposes and well-being.

The aim of this site is to encourage people to think about this aspect of the end times, and to share that joy and excitement with one another.

TO PURCHASE THE WORKS OF HARUN YAHYA, PLEASE VISIT: WWW.BOOKGLOBAL.NET

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