RAMADAN 2004 - The 14th Day

1998

18 February, 2018

"Let there be a community among you who
call to the good, and enjoin the right, and forbid
the wrong. They are the ones who have success."
(Surah Al `Imran, 104)

Whoever meets Allah, without associating partners
with Him, will enter Paradise; and whoever meets
Him as one who associated anything with Him,
will enter the Fire.
(Muslim)

MIRACLES OF THE QUR'AN

THE DIAMETERS OF THE EARTH AND SPACE

Edwin Hubble

Company of jinn and men, if you are able to pierce through the confines of the heavens and earth, pierce through them. You will not pierce through except with a clear authority. (Qur’an, 55:33)

The Arabic word translated as “confines” in the above verse is “aqtar.” This is the plural form of the word “qutr,” meaning diameter and refers to the skies and the Earth having many diameters. It is possible in Arabic to tell from the form in which a word is used whether it is singular, plural (more than two), or employed in a dual form. Therefore, the form of the word used here, the plural, refers to another piece of miraculous information.

A three-dimensional body can only be said to have a single diameter if it is perfectly spherical. The term “diameters” can only refer to an irregular but basically spherical shape. This word chosen in the Qur’an—diameters—is important from the point of view of indicating the geoid shape of the Earth. The second noteworthy subject in the verse is that the Earth and the heavens are mentioned separately in reference to diameters.

According to Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, the universe is expanding. But this does not mean that the galaxies and other heavenly bodies are being dispersed in space. This means that space is expanding and that the distance between the galaxies is increasing.

The definition of the “confines of the heavens” in Surat ar-Rahman 33 indicates the spherical structure of space. (Allah knows best.) In the same way that the diameters of space will be different from different points in space, so the diameters of a constantly expanding space will also display differences. From that point of view the use of the plural form of the word confine is full of wisdom, and is one of the indications that the Qur’an is the revelation of our Omniscient Lord.

A satellite photograph of the Strait of Gibraltar.

THE SEAS NOT MINGLING WITH ONE ANOTHER

One of the properties of seas that has only recently been discovered is related in a verse of the Qur'an as follows:

He has let loose the two seas, converging together, with a barrier between them they do not break through. (Qur'an, 55:19-20)

This property of the seas, that is, that they meet and yet do not intermix, has only very recently been discovered by oceanographers. Because of the physical force called "surface tension," the waters of neighbouring seas do not mix. Caused by the difference in the density of their waters, surface tension prevents them from mingling with one another, just as if a thin wall were between them. (Richard A. Davis, Principles of Oceanography (Don Mills, Ontario: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company), 92-93.)

It is interesting that, during a period when there was little knowledge of physics, and of surface tension, or oceanography, this truth was revealed in the Qur'an.

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

There are large waves, strong currents, and tides in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Mediterranean Sea water enters the Atlantic by Gibraltar. But their temperature, salinity, and densities do not change, because of the barrier that separates them.

THE END TIMES AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE MAHDI

SIGNS OF THE MAHDI'S EMERGENCE:

The secrecy of the Companions of the Cave continued for some time

So We sealed their ears with sleep in the cave for a number of years. Then We woke them up again so that we might see which of the two groups would better calculate the time they had stayed there. (Surat al-Kahf: 11-12)

The reason for this state of sleep was their surrender to fate and peace, because Allah, Who created the universe out of nothing, arranges everything for the benefit of Muslims. In our own time, some Muslims have adopted a similar spiritual detachment. This way, they remain uncorrupted by the materialist ideologies that seek to distance people from their faith, and also are untouched by the violence to which these ideologies lead. Thus, they can continue to live according to the Qur'an without being affected by the surrounding moral degeneration, cruelty, and chaos. TheCompanions of the Cave remained hidden for some time, and Allah roused them at a time of His choosing.

They proclaimed Allah's religion to their people

Our people have taken deities apart from Him. Why do they not produce a clear authority concerning them? Who could do greater wrong than someone who invents a lie against Allah? (Surat al-Kahf: 15)

As this verse states, this group of people called their idolatrous people to faith, invited them to Allah's religion, asked them to stop associating others with Allah, and demanded that they bring forth the evidence upon which they based their denial. When they could not do this, the Companions of the Cave exposed their idolatrous people as liars and slanderers.

Today, Muslims also demand proof from those who take idols besides Allah. In the End Times, there exists an idolatrous belief that idolizes matter and chance: Darwinism.

Darwinism claims that the universe has no purpose, was formed by accidental coincidences, and that only the fittest members of nature survive. This anti-religious system is based on conflict and violence. In reality, these claims of accidental coincidences being responsible for everything are no more than acts of slander by the Darwinists against Allah, Who is All-powerful and has created everything that exists.

They distanced themselves utterly from the surrounding idolatrous worldview

When you have separated yourselves from them and everything they worship except Allah, take refuge in the cave, and your Lord will unfold His mercy to you and open the way to the best for you in your situation. (Surat al-Kahf: 16)

Due to the unbelievers' oppression, the Companions of the Cave felt the need for total segregation. Thus, they severed all links with the unbelievers by seeking refuge in the cave. During this period, Allah's grace descended on them, and He made things easier for them in many respects. The most important aspect of His help and support was sparing them from the negative impact of the unbelievers.

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

THE EVOLUTION DECEIT

THE RESISTANCE OF BACTERIA TO ANTIBIOTICS IS NOT AN EXAMPLE OF EVOLUTION

One of the biological concepts that evolutionists try to present as evidence for their theory is the resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. Many evolutionist sources mention antibiotic resistance as an example of the development of living things by advantageous mutations. A similar claim is also made for the insects which build immunity to insecticides such as DDT.

However, evolutionists are mistaken on this subject too.

Antibiotics are "killer molecules" that are produced by microorganisms to fight other microorganisms. The first antibiotic was penicillin, discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. Fleming realised that mould produced a molecule that killed the Staphylococcus bacterium, and this discovery marked a turning point in the world of medicine. Antibiotics derived from microorganisms were used against bacteria and the results were successful.

Soon, something new was discovered. Bacteria build immunity to antibiotics over time. The mechanism works like this: A large proportion of the bacteria that are subjected to antibiotics die, but some others, which are not affected by that antibiotic, replicate rapidly and soon make up the whole population. Thus, the entire population becomes immune to antibiotics.

Evolutionists try to present this as "the evolution of bacteria by adapting to conditions."

The truth, however, is very different from this superficial interpretation. One of the scientists who has done the most detailed research into this subject is the Israeli biophysicist Lee Spetner, who is also known for his book Not by Chance published in 1997. Spetner maintains that the immunity of bacteria comes about by two different mechanisms, but neither of them constitutes evidence for the theory of evolution. These two mechanisms are:

1) The transfer of resistance genes already extant in bacteria.

2) The building of resistance as a result of losing genetic data because of mutation.

Professor Spetner explains the first mechanism in an article published in 2001:

Some microorganisms are endowed with genes that grant resistance to these antibiotics. This resistance can take the form of degrading the antibiotic molecule or of ejecting it from the cell... [T]he organisms having these genes can transfer them to other bacteria making them resistant as well. Although the resistance mechanisms are specific to a particular antibiotic, most pathogenic bacteria have... succeeded in accumulating several sets of genes granting them resistance to a variety of antibiotics. (Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max,” 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp)

Spetner then goes on to say that this is not "evidence for evolution":

The acquisition of antibiotic resistance in this manner... is not the kind that can serve as a prototype for the mutations needed to account for Evolution… The genetic changes that could illustrate the theory must not only add information to the bacterium's genome, they must add new information to the biocosm. The horizontal transfer of genes only spreads around genes that are already in some species. (Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max,” 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp)

So, we cannot talk of any evolution here, because no new genetic information is produced: genetic information that already exists is simply transferred between bacteria.

The second type of immunity, which comes about as a result of mutation, is not an example of evolution either. Spetner writes:

... [A] microorganism can sometimes acquire resistance to an antibiotic through a random substitution of a single nucleotide... Streptomycin, which was discovered by Selman Waksman and Albert Schatz and first reported in 1944, is an antibiotic against which bacteria can acquire resistance in this way. But although the mutation they undergo in the process is beneficial to the microorganism in the presence of streptomycin, it cannot serve as a prototype for the kind of mutations needed by NDT [Neo-Darwinian Theory]. The type of mutation that grants resistance to streptomycin is manifest in the ribosome and degrades its molecular match with the antibiotic molecule. (Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max,” 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp)

In his book Not by Chance, Spetner likens this situation to the disturbance of the key-lock relationship. Streptomycin, just like a key that perfectly fits in a lock, clutches on to the ribosome of a bacterium and inactivates it. Mutation, on the other hand, decomposes the ribosome, thus preventing streptomycin from holding on to the ribosome. Although this is interpreted as "bacteria developing immunity against streptomycin," this is not a benefit for the bacteria but rather a loss for it. Spetner writes:

This change in the surface of the microorganism's ribosome prevents the streptomycin molecule from attaching and carrying out its antibiotic function. It turns out that this degradation is a loss of specificity and therefore a loss of information. The main point is that Evolution… cannot be achieved by mutations of this sort, no matter how many of them there are. Evolution cannot be built by accumulating mutations that only degrade specificity. (Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max,” 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp)

To sum up, a mutation impinging on a bacterium's ribosome makes that bacterium resistant to streptomycin. The reason for this is the "decomposition" of the ribosome by mutation. That is, no new genetic information is added to the bacterium. On the contrary, the structure of the ribosome is decomposed, that is to say, the bacterium becomes "disabled." (Also, it has been discovered that the ribosome of the mutated bacterium is less functional than that of a normal bacterium.) Since this "disability" prevents the antibiotic from attaching onto the ribosome, "antibiotic resistance" develops.

Finally, there is no example of mutation that "develops the genetic information." Evolutionists, who want to present antibiotic resistance as evidence for evolution, treat the issue in a very superficial way and are thus mistaken.

The same situation holds true for the immunity that insects develop to DDT and similar insecticides. In most of these instances, immunity genes that already exist are used. The evolutionary biologist Francisco Ayala admits this fact, saying, "The genetic variants required for resistance to the most diverse kinds of pesticides were apparently present in every one of the populations exposed to these man-made compounds." (Francisco J. Ayala, "The Mechanisms of Evolution,” Scientific American, Vol. 239, September 1978, p. 64) Some other examples explained by mutation, just as with the ribosome mutation mentioned above, are phenomena that cause "genetic information deficit" in insects.

In this case, it cannot be claimed that the immunity mechanisms in bacteria and insects constitute evidence for the theory of evolution. That is because the theory of evolution is based on the assertion that living things develop through mutations. However, Spetner explains that neither antibiotic immunity nor any other biological phenomena indicate such an example of mutation:

The mutations needed for macroevolution have never been observed. No random mutations that could represent the mutations required by Neo-Darwinian Theory that have been examined on the molecular level have added any information. The question I address is: Are the mutations that have been observed the kind the theory needs for support? The answer turns out to be NO! (Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max,” 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp)

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

THE MUSLIM WAY OF SPEAKING

AVOIDING THE STYLE OF SPEECH INFLUENCED BY SATAN AND TAKING REFUGE FROM SATAN IN ALLAH

In the Qur'an, we are told that Satan swore an oath to deceive people from the way of Allah. Because Satan rebelled against Him, Allah expelled him out of Paradise and cursed him. Satan's aim is to incite humans to rebel, as he himself has. Allah allowed Satan until the end of time to pursue his aim, but advised him that he would be unable to influence the true believers.

To divert people from the true path, Satan tries various wiles and blandishments, but, as we are told in the verse, "As for those who guard against evil, when they are bothered by visitors from Satan, they remember and immediately see clearly." (Surat al-A‘raf: 201), Satan cannot influence those who hold Allah dear in their hearts. When they sense a provocation directed towards them by Satan, believers take refuge in Allah, and recognize that it is nothing other than a ploy of Satan's.

Those who are weak of faith are easily deceived by Satan's ruses. Though, in the verse we are told, "... Satan's scheming is always feeble." (Surat an-Nisa': 76), those who fail to believe as they should think that Satan's deceptions are true.

People who are entirely heedless of the existence of Allah, and of the morality set forth in the Qur'an, act in their lives instead under the guidance of Satan. They think, behave and speak the way Satan desires them to. Satan's crooked logic rules every decision they take and every word they utter. Satan's purpose is, by exploiting those who follow him, to drive others into general moral degradation, and set his own perverse morality in their hearts. By making use of their mouths as if they were his own, he aims to have his inspiration reach other people.

The speech of those who are heedless of Allah possesses a particular Satanic aspect. As if they were Satan's spokespersons, some people employ a manner of speaking that is deceptive, leading others astray from Allah and the morality of the Qur'an, and instead living according to the morality that destines one for Hell. While this manner may be deceptively attractive at times, its aim is to present something satanic and evil as reasonable and logical. In such cases, these people invariably rely on words founded on errant logic. Through their words they aim to make those around them forget the truth of fate, the afterlife, the Day of Judgment and Allah's promised punishment. They use a furtive manner of speaking to deceive others about the life of the world. They advance false and deceptive claims to dull the listener's conscience into submission. In the matter of faith in Allah, and living according to the morality spelled out in the Qur'an, they secretly endeavor to stealthily induce doubt and misgivings in people's hearts. The methods they use are often very cunning; most often, they try to implant thoughts of wrongdoing into people's subconsciouses, and influence them to the point that they become habituated to such ideas. For this reason, those who act as Satan's spokespersons, or those speaking under his influence, do not usually defend Satanic behavior openly. Instead, they try to deceive others without them recognizing it. They approach indirectly through devious approaches; by the most secretive means, they try to plant doubt in the other. The Qur'an tells us of these various methods and tactics used by Satan:

He [Satan] said, "By Your misguidance of me, I will lie in ambush for them on your straight path. Then I will come at them, from in front of them and behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them thankful." (Surat al- A‘raf: 16-17)

"I will lead them astray and fill them with false hopes. I will command them and they will cut off cattle's ears. I will command them and they will change Allah's creation." Anyone who takes Satan as his protector in place of Allah has clearly lost everything. He makes promises to them and fills them with false hopes. But what Satan promises them is nothing but delusion. (Surat an-Nisa': 119-120)

As is stated in these verses, Satan's basic aim is to divert people from the way of Allah. Those who adhere to Satan, and act on his behalf, employ the same tactics as he. They aim to prevent others from interpreting the events according to the guidance of the Qur'an. By emphasizing the negative instead of the positive, they try to make people forget to see that there is good in that which is fated, as in all things. They strive to provoke people into pessimism, hopelessness and dismay. For instance, when news arrives of a sudden accident or death, they will immediately try to impart in the other person a manner of speech which is an affront to our Lord.

When faced with such news, those who know that both life and death are subject to Allah speak in a manner that shows submission, and a heartfelt devotion to Allah; they say, "Allah's decision is always for the best."

Similarly, once those who are distant from faith learn that they have been seized by a deadly illness, they may, under Satan's influence, refer to their hopelessness and discontent. By manipulating those under his influence, Satan aims stealthily to plant in people's minds the idea that sorrow and a lack of trust in Allah are reasonable, while those who speak in aMuslim way are ever optimistic and respectful of Allah, even at the most trying times. No matter how serious the disease they may have contracted, they speak with the trust and submission brought about by the knowledge that Allah's might is without bounds. The faithfuls' speaking with such hopefulness invites those around them to behave with similar trust in Allah, as well as to speak with the same hopefulness.

Those who have faith in Allah recognize when a statement is made under Satan's influence, and, whatever the situation, they point to it without fear of reprisal, never consenting to it. They know that the punishment in the afterlife for those who act as Satan's spokespersons will be similar to that slated for Satan himself. Because of this, they do not fall into Satan's trap; they immediately take refuge in Allah, and by speaking in conformity with the Qur'an, they ultimately render Satan's efforts ineffective.

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

NAMES OF ALLAH

AL- BASIT
The Expander

Is there anyone who will make Allah a generous loan so that He can multiply it for him many times over? Allah both restricts and expands. And you will be returned to Him. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:245)

Allah grants spiritual and material abundance to those who believe in Him and who obey Him wholeheartedly. He removes the difficulties they face. Upon encountering any hardship, trouble, or sickness, believers take refuge only in Allah. As a reward for this, Allah eases their tasks while making things difficult for unbelievers.

The Qur’an provides many examples about this issue. For instance, Prophet Musa (as) and the Children of Israel were forced to leave Egypt due to Pharaoh’s violence. However, Pharaoh followed them. During this flight, the Children of Israel, who were caught between Pharaoh’s army and the sea, thought that they were finished. Yet, Allah answered Prophet Musa’s (as) call, divided the waters, and made a dry path so they could escape. Allah also destroyed Pharaoh and his army, and made the Children of Israel their inheritors.

This was also a manifestation of the following situation: “Those who make pilgrimage in the Way of Allah will find many places of refuge on Earth and ample sustenance. If anyone leaves his home, making pilgrimage to Allah and His Messenger, and death catches up with him, Allah will reward him. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surat an-Nisa’, 4:100) No doubt, Allah’s promise has always been true—and will remain so—for His faithful servants. One verse reads:

Your Lord expands the provision of anyone He wills and restricts it. He is aware of and sees His servants. (Surat al-Isra’, 17:30)

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

QUICK GRASP OF FAITH

IS IT APPROPRIATE TO BELIEVE IN SUPERSTITIONS?

Superstitions are irrational and mistaken beliefs that spread among the people. Some people may become nervous due to their unfounded beliefs, such as believing that some beings bring bad luck. However, no one or thing can bring good or bad luck, for nothing in the universe comes into being by mere chance. Every person, plant, animal, or object has its own destiny. How long they will live, how their life will be, what they will look like, and everything else is already known in Allah’ s sight, for not a leaf falls without Him knowing it.

Every event that has taken place since the creation of the universe, and that will take place in the future, occurs according to Allah’s will. No person, animal, or object has the strength to change this destiny. If a person meets with an unexpected accident, this is due to his or her destiny, which was predetermined even before he or she was created. Achieving success, regaining one’s health, or coming across something good is not due to good luck, but to Allah’s favor:

The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, and nothing moist or dry, which is not in a Clear Book. (Surat al-An`am, 59)

HAS THE QUR'AN BEEN SENT TO ALL NATIONS,
REGARDLESS OF TIME AND LOCATION?

Yes, for the Qur’an’s commands are for every person who lives until the Day of Resurrection. Those who lived 1,000 years ago and those who will live from now on will all be judged by the same book and the same commands. Entering a new century or changing technology or cities do not change humanity’s responsibilities to Allah. Whether a person lives in the midst of a great desert or in an apartment in a skyscraper, he or she must pray and adhere to the Qur’an’s values. Allah reveals that the Qur’an is sent to all beings and that all people will be judged from this book:

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

Blessed be He Who has sent down the Criterion (Furqan) to His servant, so that he can be a warner to all beings. (Surat al-Furqan, 1)

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

BOOK REVIEW

PALESTINE

By Harun Yahya

Over the course of nearly a century, thousands of innocent people have been killed by Israeli terror, massacres, and torture. Millions of innocent Palestinians have been forced from their homes and their homeland and sentenced to live in poverty, at the brink of starvation, in refugee camps. All efforts to solve this oppression and cruelty, played out before the world's eyes, and to build a sustainable regional peace have failed. The phony peace initiatives carried out under the auspices of Western governments have proven to be of no use, other than to buy time for Israel to carry out new tactics for depopulating the territories it occupied.

Palestine is sacred not only to Jews and Muslims, but to Christians as well. For these reasons, it is folly to try and keep Palestinian lands, Jerusalem in particular, under the authority of an exclusively nationalist political entity or to recognize the rights of only one religious or national group. Palestine must be a land where Jews, Christians, and Muslims can live together in peace and fulfill their religious duties as they wish.

A merciless struggle continues today between the two peoples living in the land of Palestine. On the one hand, the well-equipped Israeli army is carrying out a policy of all-out destruction; on the other, radical Palestinian groups are carrying out suicide bombings against helpless Israeli citizens. This book will discuss the grave error of trying to solve existing problems through violence, and how a real solution might be devised.

As you read these lines, know that the struggle of thousands of beleaguered Palestinians to remain on their lands continues in all of its violence. The occupying Israeli forces may be bombing Palestinian cities or refugee camps. Possibly, children will be going to school under helicopter fire, and families who were forced to flee over 50 years ago will still be trying to scratch out an existence in the refugee camps.

For these reasons, every person of conscience must reflect upon this situation. The responsibility of following media stories about this cruelty and barbarism, and then continuing to live as if nothing has happened, no doubt will be a heavy burden to bear. In fact, the Qur'an tells us that each person who has faith and who adheres to his or her conscience is responsible to struggle on behalf of those who have been oppressed:

What reason could you have for not fighting in the Way of God – for those men, women, and children who are oppressed and say: "Our Lord, take us out of this city whose inhabitants are wrongdoers! Give us a protector from You! Give us a helper from You!" (Qur'an, 4:75)

The responsibility borne by those who hear this command and wish to rush to the aid of those experiencing cruelty is that explained by: "Let there be a community among you who call to the good, enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success" (Qur'an, 3:104). This responsibility is to invite all people to believe in God and experience the beauty of religious morality, and to wage an intellectual struggle against all ideologies that are hostile to God's religion and the Qur'an's ethics.

SITE OF THE DAY

www.islamdenouncesantisemitism.com

ISLAM DENOUNCES ANTISEMITISM

Antisemitism is a fanatical hatred felt for the Jewish people. This racist ideology has caused millions of innocent Jews to be killed, persecuted, exiled and threatened over the centuries.

Islam aims to bring justice to the world. Just as it denounces all kinds of racism, so it denounces antisemitism. Muslims criticize Zionism, but defend the right of Jews to live in peace and security.

This site is launched to reveal that there is no place for antisemitism and any other racist ideology in Islam. All true Muslims denounce these ideologies and defend the rights of the Jews against antisemitism.

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

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RAMADAN 2004 - The 14th Day