RAMADAN 2004 - The 29th Day

1729

18 February, 2018

Some people set up equals to Allah, loving them as they
should love Allah. But those who believe have
greater love for Allah…
(Surat al-Baqara: 165)

Those who are most aware of death and prepare
themselves for it. They are the wisest of people.
(Muslim)

MIRACLES OF THE QUR'AN

PULSARS: PULSATING STARS

Pulsars are the remains of extinguished stars which emit very powerful, pulse-like radio waves and which revolve very rapidly around their own axes. It has been calculated that there are more than 500 pulsars in the Milky Way, of which our Earth is a part.

[I swear] by Heaven and the Tariq! And what will convey to you what the Tariq is? The Star Piercing [the darkness]! (Qur’an, 86:1-3)

The word “Tariq,” name of the Sura 86, comes from the root “tarq,” whose basic meaning is that of striking hard enough to produce a sound, or hitting. Bearing in mind the word’s possible meaning as “beating,” “striking hard,” our attention may be being drawn in this sura to an important scientific fact. Before analysing this information, let us look at the other words employed in the verse to describe these stars. The term “alttariqi” in the above verse means a star that pierces the night, that pierces the darkness, born at night, piercing and moving on, beating, striking, or sharp star. Furthermore, the term “waal” draws attention to the things being sworn on—the heaven and the Tariq.

Through research carried out by Jocelyn Bell Burnell, at Cambridge University in 1967, a regular radio signal was identified. Until that time, however, it was not known that that there was a heavenly body that could be the source of regular pulse or beating rather like that of the heart. In 1967, however, astronomers stated that, as matter grows denser in the core as it revolves around its own axis, the star’s magnetic field also grows stronger, and thus gives rise to a magnetic field at its poles 1 trillion times stronger than that of Earth. They realised that a body revolving so fast and with such a powerful magnetic field emits rays consisting of very powerful radio waves in a conic form at every revolution. Shortly afterwards, it was also realised that the source of these signals is the rapid revolution of neutron stars. These newly discovered neutron stars are known as “pulsars.” These stars, which turn into pulsars through supernova explosions, are of the greatest mass, and are the brightest and fastest moving bodies in the universe. Some pulsars revolve 600 times a second. (www.atnf.csiro.au/news/press/double_pulsar/)

The word “pulsar” comes from the verb to pulse. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word means to pulsate, to beat. Encarta Dictionary defines it as to beat rhythmically, to move or throb with a strong regular rhythm. Again, according to the Encarta Dictionary, the word “pulsate,” which comes from the same root, means to expand and contract with a strong regular beat.

Following that discovery, it was realised that the phenomenon described in the Qur’an as “tariq,” beating, bore a great similarity to the neutron stars known as pulsars.

Neutron stars form as the nuclei of super giant stars collapse. The highly compressed and dense matter, in the form of a rapidly revolving sphere, entraps and squeezes most of the star’s weight and magnetic field. The powerful magnetic field created by these rapidly revolving neutron stars has been shown to cause the emission of powerful radio waves observable on Earth.

In the third verse of Surat at-Tariq the term “alnnajmu alththaqibu,” meaning piercing, piercing and moving on, or opening holes, indicates that Tariq is a bright star that pierces a hole in the darkness and moves on. The concept of the term “adraka” in the expression “And what will convey to you what the Tariq is?” refers to comprehension. Pulsars, formed through the compression of stars several times the size of the Sun, are among those celestial bodies that are hard to comprehend. The question in the verse emphasizes how hard it is to comprehend this beating star. (Allah knows best.)

As discussed, the stars described as Tariq in the Qur’an bear a close similarity to the pulsars described in the 20th century, and may reveal to us another scientific miracle of the Qur’an.

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

THE RETURN OF JESUS (as) TO EARTH

WELCOMING JESUS IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY

The Qur'an reveals Jesus' ascent into the heavens and the signs accompanying his second coming. Many hadiths, such as: "By the One in Whose hand is my self, definitely the son of Mary will soon descend among you as a just judge," also provide many examples of what Jesus will do and the prevailing conditions at that time. These revelations are so clear that there is no room for doubt. Moreover, they coincide even in the details with what we see in our own day. For centuries, many scholars expressed their valuable opinions on Jesus' second coming and informed people about the conditions that he will face. The Old and New Testaments also contain much clear evidence about his second coming. For example, the Old Testament reveals that the Messiah will rule the world: "... the God of Heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people ..." (Daniel 2:44) and the New Testament says: "... This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)

It is interesting to observe that all three books of revelation sent by God to guide and enlighten humanity are very much alike in this regard. Although the Jewish and Christian scriptures were altered over the passage of time, they still contain much material in accord with the Qur'an. It is probable that these parts date back to the era in which they were revealed. (God knows best).

Given the above evidence as well as humanity's current condition, there may be only 15 or 20 years until Jesus' return. Or, perhaps he has already returned. This news is a source of encouragement, happiness, and motivation for all people.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PREPARIG FOR JESUS IN JOY, EXCITEMENT AND EXUBERANCE

Jesus is a blessed Messenger whom God graced with a miraculous life and honored by being chosen as a Prophet. God revealed that Jesus is "of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near [to My presence]" (Qur'an, 3:45), and that he will be rewarded with Paradise. For this reason, all people must welcome him in the nicest possible way when he returns. Even a poor person prepares his or her house days in advance for an expected guest, and strives to be proper and worthy. On the other hand, given that Jesus is a most valued guest as well as a Prophet with superior qualities, everyone must welcome his return to Earth in the nicest way possible.

Jesus' second coming is a very great gift of God for all humanity, and it is an equally great gift to meet with this valued Prophet. When he comes, he will draw everyone's attention with his innocent, pure, and bright face, and will capture humanity's attention with his accurate, wise, and insightful speech. For the first time ever in their lives, all people alive at that time will see a Prophet of superior human qualities. God willing, his second life will be as full of miracles as was his first life. All people will admire him for his virtue and unrivalled wisdom. His every word will be inspired by God, and his every decision will be accurate.

All people, especially believing Christians and Muslims, must prepare in excitement, vigor, and great exuberance for his arrival. Those who do not do so are committing a great error, for it is a grave act of disrespect to be lazy or unconcerned about the arrival of such an important guest. Those who believe God's words must ponder the developments in the world and be aware of the signs of the End Times in order to prepare for this most important guest's arrival. They cannot say "I believe in Jesus' second coming" and then think along the lines of "but I will prepare later or make up for it later." Which conscientious, genuine Christian could say, when the appointed time has come: "We were expecting Jesus, but didn't consider it necessary to prepare for it?" If they say so because they believe that this event might be another 15-20 years away, they are mistaken, because they will see that 15-20 years can pass just like 15-20 days. As a result, they will suffer great remorse for their indifference. No one should forget that people in the 1970s thought of the 1980s or 1990s as the distant future. However, time passed quickly and brought the new millennium. Likewise, the day of our meeting with Jesus will arrive soon, God willing.

(For further reference, please see Jesus will Return by Harun Yahya)

THE EVOLUTION DECEIT

Self-Sacrifice in Animals

For months, penguins carry their young on their feet to protect them from the cold.

Living beings have to reproduce to continue their species. However, reproduction by itself often proves insufficient, because if living things fail to provide adequate care for their offspring, the newborn cannot survive. In other words, if living things did not feel the need to protect and look after their offspring and did not do this successfully, newborn creatures would not be able to look after themselves and would soon die.

When we look at nature, we see the majority of living things display amazing self-sacrifice in order to protect and provide the best care for their offspring, incomparable to any form of sacrifice shown by human beings. Furthermore, these living things risk their lives for their young without a moment's hesitation. So, how did such self-sacrifice in animals develop?

Evolutionists claim that self-sacrifice displayed by living things, especially that shown towards their offspring, is instinctive behavior. What then does the word instinct mean?

Evolutionists define instinct as a sense of intuition inherent in living things. They claim that an inner voice whispers to a spider, a bird, a lion or a tiny insect to practice self-sacrifice to keep the generations going. In reply to a question regarding the source of this voice, they desperately say "mother nature". In the view of evolutionists, every phenomenon in nature is a miracle of nature.

However, it is evident that this claim is futile and meaningless, because nature itself, is already a created entity consisting of the stones, flowers, trees, rivers and mountains familiar to all of us. It is obvious that these entities cannot come together to furnish a living being with a new trait, which is a product of intelligence.

As a matter of fact, even Darwin himself was aware of this logical failure from the very beginning. In his book The Origin of Species, which he wrote in 1859, he expressed his self-doubt about his own theory in the following words:

So wonderful an instinct as that of the hive-bee making its cells will probably have occurred to many readers, as a difficulty sufficient to overthrow my whole theory. (Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species, p. 233)

Research conducted by scientists on living things has revealed that they live in an astounding harmony, coordination and collaboration with one another. Wherever one turns in nature, one is likely to see examples of this. For instance, some little birds utter a shrill alarm call when they see a bird of prey like a hawk or eagle approaching their flock, to warn their companions of the danger. Thus, they attract the attention of the attacker to themselves. This behavior considerably reduces the chance of survival of the bird who sounded the alarm. But despite this, the bird puts its own life at risk for the hundreds of other birds in the flock.

A majority of animals undertake all kind of self-sacrifice for their young. For example the incubation period of penguins is during the polar winter. Female penguins lay only one egg, leave incubation to the males, and return to the sea. During the four months of incubation, the male penguin has to resist violent polar storms at times reaching speeds of 120 kilometers per hour. Making great sacrifices for four full months without leaving the egg, the male penguin loses half of its body weight, because it has no chance of going hunting. Although it goes without any food for months, it does not go hunting, and resists the violent storms without ever leaving the egg. After the end of the four months, the female penguin shows up with a huge store of food. She has not wasted time in the meantime, but has worked for her young and stored food for it. She empties her stomach and takes over the job of caring for the young.

The care provided by the crocodile, a particularly savage animal, for its offspring is also quite astounding. First, the crocodile digs a hole for the incubation of its eggs. The temperature of the hole must never rise above 30ºC. A slight rise in temperature would threaten the lives of the offspring in the eggs. The crocodile takes care that the holes in which it places its eggs are located in rather shady places and goes to extraordinary efforts to keep the eggs at a constant temperature. Some crocodile species build nests of weeds on cold water. If the temperature of the nest still rises despite these measures, then the crocodile cools the nest by sprinkling urea on it.

The time when the eggs hatch is most important, because, in the event the crocodile failed to hear the noises coming from the nest, the young would be suffocated. The mother crocodile brings the eggs out and helps the offspring out of their eggs by using her teeth as tweezers. The crocodile, with her razor-sharp teeth, avoids the slightest movement likely to injure her young. The safest place for the newly born is the protective pouch in its mother's mouth which is specially designed to shelter half a dozen newly born crocodiles.

A protective female crocodile carries her young in her jaws.

The meticulous care and concern a wild animal like the crocodile shows its offspring is only one of the examples proving the invalidity of the evolutionist claim of the struggle for life which maintains that the strong survive while the others are defeated and disappear.

How can this instinct, defined by evolutionists as "a drive observed in animals but not completely understood", guide animals to become civil engineers while building their nests, perfect soldiers while protecting their young or colonies, and turn even the most aggressive species into compassionate and gentle creatures towards their young?

Indeed, Darwin also had difficulties in answering this query, which he, himself, put forward. He often left related questions unanswered too. In his book The Origin of Species, he asks the following questions:

Thirdly, can instincts be acquired and modified through natural selection? What shall we say to so marvelous an instinct as that which leads the bee to make cells, which have practically anticipated the discoveries of profound mathematicians? (Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species, p.205)

As seen, Darwin's doubts on "Natural Selection" are quite precise. Although Darwin himself confesses that Natural Selection is not a reasonable explanation, the majority of evolutionists still insist on adhering to this fallacy.

Yet, every human being who observes nature with a clear consciousness sees that living things are not brutal, tough or uncompassionate because of the so-called struggle for life. On the contrary, living beings are self-sacrificing because of the "inspiration" their Creator bestowed upon them.

As expressed in the 68^th verse of the Surat an-Nahl, which says "Your Lord revealed to bees…", "God" the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, the Infinitely Compassionate and Oft-Forgiving has control over all living things. Their instincts, which Darwin was unable to explain within the scope of evolution, are actually the inspiration given by God to all living things.

All life in nature is created by God. All living things come into being by the Will of God and behave in compliance with His inspiration. The self-sacrificing behavior, kindness and care living beings display towards their young are merely the reflection of God's name, the "Compassionate". This is revealed in the 7^th verse of Surat an-Nahl:

"Your Lord is All-Gentle, Most Merciful"

(For further reading, see Evolution Deceit by Harun Yahya)

THE MUSLIM WAY OF SPEAKING

Avoiding speaking out of covetousness and envy

In the verse, "... people are prone to selfish greed. If you do good and guard against evil, Allah is aware of what you do." (Surat an-Nisa': 128), Allah points out that selfish greed and jealousy is to be found in the soul of everyone, but that it is a tendency which must be avoided. In another verse, Allah explains what it is a person who feels jealousy needs to do to avoid wrongdoing and the types of wickedness which ensue from jealousy:

Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of Daybreak, from the evil of what He has created and from the evil of the darkness when it gathers and from the evil of women who blow on knots and from the evil of an envier when he envies." (Surat al-Falaq: 1-5)

That Allah warns people against the evil of those who are inclined to this misguided sentiment is important in understanding the kind of base morality into which envy can lead people. Problems caused through envy are frequently encountered in society; the source of arguments and conflicts which lead to serious injuries and even murder is often found to be jealousy.

Muslims know that envy is a feeling which Allah disapproves of, and for this reason they try to cleanse their selves of this vice. The faithful are aware that Allah is the bestower of all blessings and all beautiful things. They therefore know that coveting such blessings or things of beauty given by Allah is tantamount to disapproving of Allah's decision, because, according to His own wisdom, Allah saw good to grant these things to a particular person. Moreover, all of such things are part of the test which that person undergoes in the life of this world; they also comprise part of the test of other people who cherish these things. Either a person will lapse into jealousy because of these blessings or, by suppressing this tendency, arrive at the morality by which he or she will be pleased that others possess such blessings. In fact, the Qur'an announces that this very state of affairs has been especially created to test people, in the following verse: "In this way We try some of them by means of others so that they say, 'Are these the people among us to whom Allah has shown His favor?' Does not Allah know best those who are thankful?" (Surat al-An‘am, 53) In addition it should not be forgotten that all the blessings for which some have become jealous in the life of this world will no longer be attainable beyond their death. To covet something which will eventually vanish, thereby engaging in behavior of which Allah will not approve, is a grave error. Acting in this knowledge, the faithful take refuge in Allah from jealousy when they see something particularly beautiful belonging to others around them. As they carefully guard themselves from jealousy, so too do they also avoid arousing doubt and anxiety in others. They appreciate the good qualities of those they talk to, and employ a style of speech imbued with praise and expressions of admiration. As for those who, in such circumstances, are overtaken with envy, rather than speaking in a way to show their appreciation of the other person, they overlook their good qualities and try to emphasize instead the flaws and deficiencies of the person.

Muslims are people who can control the desires and passions of the lower-self as described in the verse of the Qur'an. As with other forms of deviation, they respond to the envy within themselves as stipulated in the verses of the Qur'an. In the eyes of Allah, determining the foremost among the faithful is not established on criteria like beauty, wealth, education or culture. The most pious is he or she who is the most respected and the best loved amongst the faithful and in the sight of Allah. Believers' knowledge that which ought truly be coveted is piety (that is, consciousness of Allah) prevents them from feeling envy of any thing of this world.

AVOIDING A PROBING AND PRYING SPEECH

Another thing which Muslims ought to avoid is speaking in a prying and deceptive way. We have mentioned in previous sections that sincerity and honesty are amongst the finest characteristics of the Muslims, qualities which are also reflected in their speech. Saying what they want to say directly, without hiding behind false pretenses, is also a requirement of sincerity and honesty. The intention of Muslims can be easily discerned from their speech.

People who are far from the morality of the Qur'an generally do not say what they want to say directly. The reason for this is that they have formed a number of ill-intentioned pre-calculations. When they want to learn something, instead of asking openly, they prefer to go by devious routes. On a subject on which they want information, they try to lead the conversation towards it, and lead the other to talk about it by deceptive tactics. They also believe these ruses are not noticed by other people. However, such a cunning and deceptive way of speaking makes itself immediately apparent through its evident insincerity.

This is the behavior of those far from the Qur'an and of the hypocrites. Muslims, who see everything in the light of the Qur'an, immediately detect the Satanic motives in such ways of speaking, and are not deceived by them.

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

NAMES OF ALLAH

AL-GHAFFAR
The Forgiving

"I [Nuh] said: 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Truly He is Endlessly Forgiving.'” (Surah Nuh, 71:10)

Allah’s forgiveness is infinite. He gives all of His servants countless opportunities to repent and thereby purify themselves. People can save themselves from the punishment of Hell by repenting for what they did in ignorance. If they turn sincerely to the Qur’an and scrupulously adhere to Allah’s commands, they will find our Lord ever forgiving and most merciful, as stated below:

Why should Allah punish you if you are thankful and have faith?... (Surat an-Nisa', 4:147)

In fact, even ungrateful people who are ignorant of religion may enjoy many blessings because of His forgiveness and compassion, for:

If Allah were to take mankind to task for what they have earned, He would not leave a single creature crawling on it; but He defers them until a specified time. Then, when their time comes, Allah sees His servants! (Surah Fatir, 35:45)

Allah grants enough time for anyone who is willing to receive admonition. He sends Messengers who warn and inform them about what is allowed and what is prohibited. Those who insist on denial, despite His revelations, will surely be repaid.

... I am Ever-Forgiving to anyone who repents, has faith, acts rightly, and then is guided. (Surah Ta Ha, 20:82)

But to those who do evil in ignorance and then, after that, repent and put things right, to them your Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nahl, 16:119)

O you who believe! Have fear of Allah and faith in His Messenger. He will give you a double portion of His mercy, grant you a Light by which to walk, and forgive you. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Hadid, 57:28)

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

QUICK GRASP OF FAITH

What is the point of not being punished immediately for one’s mistakes?

The fact that their punishment is not immediate should not encourage people to be slack, for Allah gives people a specified time and thus tests them. He promises the life of Paradise to those who do good, and the life of Hell to those who do evil. This being the case, those who are not punished immediately should realize that Allah, out of His love and compassion, has given them time to repent. The Qur’an states:

If Allah were to take mankind to task for what they have earned, He would not leave a single creature crawling on it, but He is deferring them until a specified time. Then, when their time comes, Allah sees His servants! (Surah Fatir, 45)

Are people accountable for what crosses their minds?

Satan may fill people with all sorts of false hopes, whisper to them, or sow suspicious thoughts in their minds. If they are deluded by these whispers, believe in Satan, and comply with his whisperings, they may be responsible for their thoughts. But if they realize that these whispers come from Satan and so seek refuge with Allah and exhibit good behavior, they immediately abandon such evil thoughts and replace them with good thoughts. As a result, the evil thoughts vanish. How the believers behave when Satan whispers to them is related in the Qur’an, as follows:

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)

But it should also be noted that if people, despite being aware of the above, allow provoking whispers, doubts, and negative thoughts to cross their minds, they may be held responsible for these. Those who always think evil against the believers and seek to cause dissention among them also may be held responsible for their intentions, for "Say: ‘Whether you conceal what is in your breasts or make it known, Allah knows it. He knows what is in the heavens and what is on Earth. Allah has power over all things.’ " (Surah Al `Imran, 29)

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

BOOK REVIEW

The Miracle of Talking Birds

By Harun Yahya

Some birds distinguish themselves by their superior intelligence and special talents.

These particular species are the subject matter of this book and which we may define as birds that can imitate sounds, include the parrots, songbirds, and hummingbirds.

Many of us have heard about, seen on television or even personally witnessed these birds' ability to talk.

However, we may not have considered what a great miracle it is that these creatures can mimic in this way, or to the perfection of the way in which God has created them.

This book explains how these creatures' being hatched with their ability to talk or imitate sounds is one of the miracles of creation and, at the same time, how this very ability invalidates the claims of evolutionary theory. And so, we will display the magnificence of God's creation for all to see.

SITE OF THE DAY