Say: “My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying,
are for Allah alone,
the Lord of all the worlds. (Surat al-An’am: 162)
… And whoever remains patient, Allah
will make him patient. Nobody can be given a
blessing better and greater than patience. (Bukhari)
THE END OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE BIG CRUNCH
The Big Crunch theory proposes that the universe, that began expanding with the Big Bang, will collapse in on itself with increasing speed. According to the theory, this collapse of the universe will continue until the universe has lost all its mass and turned into a single point of infinite density. |
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The creation of the universe began with a huge explosion, named "Big Bang". From this point, the universe has been expanding ever since. Scientists say that when the mass of the universe has reached a sufficient level, this expansion will come to an end because of gravity, causing the universe to collapse in on itself. 1
It is also believed that the contracting universe will end in a fierce heat and contraction known as the “Big Crunch.” This would lead to the end of all forms of life as we know them. Renata Kallosh and Andrei Linde, professors of physics from Stanford University, made the following statements on the subject:
The universe may be doomed to collapse and disappear. Everything we see now, and at a much larger distance that we cannot see, will collapse into a point smaller than a proton. Locally, it will be the same as if you were inside a black hole... We have found that some of the best attempts to describe dark energy predict that it will gradually become negative, which will cause the universe to become unstable, then collapse... Physicists have known that dark energy could become negative and the universe could collapse sometime in the very distant future... but now we see that we might be, not in the beginning, but in the middle of the life cycle of our universe. 2
This is how this scientific hypothesis of the Big Crunch is indicated in the Qur’an:
That Day We will fold up heaven like folding up the pages of a book. As We originated the first creation so We will regenerate it. It is a promise binding on Us. That is what We will do. (Qur’an, 21:104)
In another verse, this state of the heavens is described thus:
They do not measure Allah with His true measure. The whole earth will be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Rising the heavens folded up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! He is exalted above the partners they ascribe! (Qur’an, 39:67)
According to the Big Crunch theory, the universe will begin to collapse slowly and will then increasingly pick up speed. At the end of the process the universe will have infinite density and be infinitely hot and small. This scientific theory runs parallel to the Qur’anic explanation of this particular scientific concept. (Allah knows best)
1. Philip Ball, "Black Crunch Jams Universal Cycle," Nature, 23 December 2002; Dr. David Whitehouse, "Universe is 'doomed to collapse'," BBC News Online, 22 October 2002, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2346907.stm; and Mark Schwartz, "Cosmic 'big crunch' could trigger an early demise of our universe," Stanford Report, 25 September 2002.
2. Schwartz, "Cosmic 'big crunch' could trigger an early demise of our universe,"
| THE END TIMES AND THE MAHDI |
THE SIGNS OF THE LAST DAY IN THE HADITHS
Poverty
Despite the possibilities afforded by advances in technology, poverty continues to be one of the major problems in the world today. According to the report of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, for the year 2000, 826 million people are undernourished.
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The poor will grow in number. (Amal Al-Din Al-Qazwini, Mufid Al-'ulum Wa-mubid Al-humum) Gains will be shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor. (Tirmidhi)
Obviously, that period indicated by the Prophet (saas) describes conditions in our day. If we look at past centuries, we see that the difficulties and anxiety brought about by drought, war and other calamities were temporary and limited to a particular region. However, today, the poverty and difficulty of earning a living are permanent and endemic.
In the world today, poverty has reached grave proportions. The last report by UNICEF stated that one in four people of the world's population lives in 'unimaginable suffering and want.'1 1.3 billion of the world's people survive on less than $1 a day. Three billion people in the world today struggle to survive on $2 a day.2 Approximately 1.3 billion people lack safe water. 2.6 billion people are without access to adequate sanitation. 3
The collapse of moral values
The Hour will come when adultery becomes widespread. (Al-Haythami, Kitab al-Fitan)
The Last Hour will not be established until they (wicked people) commit adultery on the roads (public ways). (Ibn Hibban and Bazzar)
Men will imitate women; and Women will imitate men. (Allama Jalaluddin Suyuti, Durre-Mansoor)
People will indulge in homosexuality and lesbianism. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Muntakhab Kanzul Ummaal)
There will be prevalence of open illegal intercourse. (Bukhari)
The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until murders will increase. (Bukhari)
In our day, there is a great danger that threatens the world's social fabric. In the same way as a virus kills the human body, this danger brings about subtle social collapse. This danger is the degradation of those moral values that help to maintain a healthy society. Homosexuality, prostitution, pre-marital and extra-marital sex, sexual misdemeanors, pornography, sexual harassment and the increase of sex-related illnesses, are a number of important indications of the collapse of moral values.
Hadiths on the rejection of the true religion and the moral values of the Qur'an
Near the establishment of the Hour there will be days during which (religious) knowledge will be taken away (vanish) and general ignorance will spread... (Bukhari)
There will be a bried dark trial which will not fail to afflict everyone of this community and then when people think it is finished it will start all over again. during it a man may be a believer in the morning and an unbeliever in the evening. (Abu Dawud)
There will come a time upon the Ummat when people will recite the Qur'an, but it will not go further than their throats, (into their hearts). (Bukhari)
Before the Last Hour there will be commotions like pieces of a dark night in which a man will be a believer in the morning and an infidel in the evening, or a believer in the evening and infidel in the morning. (Abu Dawud)
A time will come when a man will not care about how he gets things, whether lawful or unlawful. (Bukhari)
There will appear in latter times a people who will gain this world with the help of religion. (Tirmidhi)
The Last Hour will not be established until there will remain those people who will neither be aware of the virtues and never prevent the vices. (Ahmad)
The Last Hour will not come before Allah takes His religion away from the people of the earth, leaving no one in it but heathens who do not recognise right or object to wrong. (Reported by Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As),
The emergence of false prophets
The Last Hour will not come before there come forth thirty Dajjals (imposters), each presenting himself as an apostle of Allah. (Abu Dawud)
Experts have noted that there has been a proliferation of so-called messiahs that began to appear in the 1970's and which has since increased substantially. According to these experts, there are two basic reasons for this increase. First is the collapse of communism, and the other is the possibilities afforded by Internet technology. 4 (For further reference, please see,
The End Times and the Mahdi, by Harun Yahya)
1. UNICEF, 'Children and Poverty: Key Facts', 2000; http://www.unicef.org/copenhagen5/factsheets.htm
2. Manufacturing Dissent, 'World Statistics – The Rich and the Poor', 1999; http://www.reagan.com/HotTopics.main/HotMike/document-8.13.1999.6.html
3. UNICEF, "Children and Poverty: Key Facts", 2000, http://www.unicef.org/copenhagen5/factsheets.htm
4. Time, April 7, 1997, 'The lure of the cult'
APE–MAN SIMILARITY IS A TALE!
The completion of the human's gene map today does not yield the result that man and ape are relatives. One need not be deceived by evolutionists' attempts to exploit this new scientific development just as they have done with all others.
As we know, the recent completion of the human gene map within the scope of the Human Genome Project was a very important scientific advance. However, some results of this project are being distorted in some evolutionist publications. It is claimed that the chimpanzee genes bear a 98% similarity to human genes and this is promoted as evidence for the claim that apes are related to humans, thus bearing out the theory of evolution. In truth, this is a "fake" piece of evidence put forward by evolutionists who take advantage of the lack of knowledge about this subject in society.
98 % Similarity Claim is Misleading Propaganda
First, it should be stated that the concept of 98% similarity between human and chimpanzee DNA frequently advanced by evolutionists is deceptive.
In order to claim that the genetic make-up of man and chimpanzee have a 98% similarity, the genome of the chimpanzee also has to be mapped, just like that of man, the two have to be compared, and the result of this comparison has to be obtained. However, no such result is available, because so far, only the human gene has been mapped. No such research has yet been done on the chimpanzee.
In reality, the 98% similarity between human and chimpanzee genes, which now and then enters the agenda, is a propaganda-oriented slogan deliberately invented years ago. This similarity is an extraordinarily exaggerated generalisation grounded on the similarity in the amino acid sequences of some 30-40 basic proteins present in man and the chimpanzee. A sequence analysis has been made using a method named "DNA hybridisation" on the DNA sequences that are correlated with these proteins and only that limited number of proteins has been compared.
However, there are about one hundred thousand genes, and therefore one hundred thousand proteins encoded by these genes in humans. For that reason, there is no scientific basis for claiming that all the genes of man and ape are 98% similar just because of the similarity in 40 out of 100,000 proteins.
Moreover, the DNA comparison carried out on these 40 proteins is also controversial. This comparison was made in 1987 by two biologists named Sibley and Ahlquist and published in the Journal of Molecular Evolution1. However, another scientist named Sarich, who examined the data obtained by these two scientists, concluded that the reliability of the method they used is controversial and that the data has been exaggeratedly interpreted. 2
Human DNA is also Similar to that of the Worm, Mosquito and Chicken!
Moreover, the above-mentioned basic proteins are common vital molecules present in various other living things. The structure of the same kinds of proteins present not only in the chimpanzee, but also in completely different living creatures, is very similar to that in humans.
For example, genetic analyses published in New Scientist have revealed a 75 % similarity between the DNAs of nematode worms and man.3 This definitely does not mean that there is only a 25% difference between man and these worms! According to the family tree made by evolutionists, the Chordata phylum, in which man is included, and the Nematoda phylum were different from each other even 530 million years ago.
On the other hand, in another finding which also appeared in the media, it was stated that the comparisons carried out between the genes of fruit flies belonging to the Drosophila species and human genes yielded a similarity of 60%. 4
In another case, analyses done on certain proteins show man as closely linked to some very different living things. In a survey carried out by researchers in Cambridge University, some proteins of land-dwelling animals were compared. Amazingly, in nearly all samples, human beings and chickens were paired as the closest relatives. The next closest relative was the crocodile. 5
Another example used by evolutionists on "the genetic similarity between man and ape," is the presence of 48 chromosomes in chimpanzees and gorillas versus 46 chromosomes in man. Evolutionists regard the closeness of the number of chromosomes as indication of an evolutionary relationship. However, if this logic used by evolutionists were valid, then man would have an even closer relative than the chimpanzee: "the potato"! Because the number of chromosomes in potatoes is the same as that of man: 46
These examples confirm that the concept of genetic similarity does not constitute evidence for the theory of evolution. This is because the genetic similarities are not in line with the alleged evolutionary schemes, and on the contrary, yield completely opposite results.
Genetic Similarities Upset the "Evolution Scheme" that is Sought to be Constituted
Unsurprisingly, when the issue is evaluated as a whole, it is seen that the subject of "bio-chemical similarities" does not constitute evidence for evolution, but rather leaves the theory in the lurch. Dr. Christian Schwabe, a biochemistry researcher from the Medical Faculty of South Carolina University, is an evolutionist scientist who has spent years searching for evidence for evolution in the molecular domain. In particular he carried out research on insulin and relaxin-type proteins and tried to establish evolutionary relationships between living beings. However, he had to confess many times that he could not find any evidence for evolution at any point in his studies. In an article published in a scientific journal, he said;
Molecular evolution is about to be accepted as a method superior to palaeontology for the discovery of evolutionary relationships. As a molecular evolutionist I should be elated. Instead it seems disconcerting that many exceptions exist to the orderly progression of species as determined by molecular homologies; so many in fact that I think the exception, the quirks, may carry the more important message. 6
Based on the recent findings obtained in the field of molecular biology, the renowned biochemist Prof. Michael Denton made the following comments;
Each class at molecular level is unique, isolated and unlinked by intermediates. Thus, molecules, like fossils, have failed to provide the elusive intermediates so long sought by evolutionary biology… At a molecular level, no organism is "ancestral" or "primitive" or "advanced" compared with its relatives… There is little doubt that if this molecular evidence had been available a century ago… the idea of organic evolution might never have been accepted.7
Similarities are not Evidence for Evolution but for Creation
It is surely natural for the human body to bear some molecular similarities to other living beings, because they all are made up of the same molecules, they all use the same water and atmosphere, and they all consume foods consisting of the same molecules. Certainly, their metabolisms and therefore genetic make-ups would resemble one another. This, however, is not evidence that they evolved from a common ancestor.
This "common material" is not the result of an evolution but of "common design," that is, their being created upon the same plan.
It is possible to explain this point with an example: all construction in the world is done with similar materials (brick, iron, cement, etc.). This, however, does not mean that these buildings "evolved" from each other. They are constructed separately by using common materials. The same holds for living beings as well.
Life did not originate as the result of unconscious coincidences as evolution claims, but as the result of the creation of God, the Almighty, the possessor of infinite knowledge and wisdom.
He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How could He have a son when He has no wife? He created all things and He has knowledge of all things. That is God, your Lord. There is no deity but Him, the Creator of everything. So worship Him. He is responsible for everything. (Qur'an, 6:101-102)
Conclusion
In addition to all the information we have detailed so far, we think it would be helpful to emphasize another fact.
Other than the superficial similarity between them, apes are no closer to human beings than other animals. Moreover, when intelligence is used as a point of comparison, the bee, which produces the geometrical wonder of the honeycomb, or the spider, which produces the engineering wonder of the web, are closer to man than the ape. We can even say that they are superior in some aspects.
Between man and ape, however, there is a tremendous gap, never to be closed by fairy stories. After all, an ape is an animal no different from a horse or a dog in terms of consciousness. Man, however, is a being who has consciousness and will, who can think, talk, reason, decide, and judge. All these qualities are functions of the "spirit" he possesses. The most important difference that causes this huge gap between man and other living beings is this "spirit." No physical resemblance can close this gap between man and other living beings. The only being that has "spirit" in nature is man.
In the Qur'an, this superior quality which man possesses and which differentiates him from other living things is referred to as follows:
Then He formed him and breathed His Spirit into him and gave you hearing, sight and hearts. What little thanks you show! (Qur'an, 32:9)
1. Journal of Molecular Evolution, vol. 26, p. 99-121
2. Sarich et al. 1989. Cladistics 5:3-32
3. New Scientist, 15 May 1999, p. 27
4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/ tech/specials/washington-2000/647139.stm
5. New Scientist, c. 103, 16 August 1984, p. 19
6. Christian Schwabe, "On the Validity of Molecular Evolution," Trends in Biochemical Sciences, c. 11, July 1986
7. Michael Denton. Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. London: Burnett Books, 1985, p. 290-9
| THE MUSLIM WAY OF SPEAKING |
SPEAKING IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ALLAH IS WITH YOU AT EVERY MOMENT
Some do not consider that Allah Who created them, provides their sustenance, grants the blessings they enjoy, watches over them and encompasses them at all times. They are unaware that, in the event of their death, they will be brought back to our Lord, and called to account for every act they had committed, and every word they had spoken in this world. They believe themselves to be creatures independent of Allah. When they speak, they fail to recognize that it was Allah Who granted them that power. In fact, Allah is the sole ruler and is aware of everything that they do; not a single leaf can fall from a tree without His knowledge. Allah is witness of everything, all the time. The Qur'an explains this truth:
You do not engage in any matter or recite any of the Qur'an or do any action without Our witnessing you while you are occupied with it. Not even the smallest speck eludes your Lord, either on earth or in heaven. Nor is there anything smaller than that, or larger, which is not in a Clear Book. (Surah Yunus: 61)
Everything in the universe, down to the tiniest dust particle, is under Allah's control. Yet, some people live their lives in ignorance of this very truth. It does not occur to them that, if their power of speech were to be taken from them, not a single syllable would form from their mouths so long as Allah willed it. The truth is this: People exist because of Allah's will; just as every action and every word comes about only with Allah's permission and His power. Throughout the time when they are speaking, these people need to be aware that, as in every moment of their lives, they are in the presence of Allah Who created them.
One of the primary characteristics in distinguishing the style of speech that is unique to believers is that they speak in the knowledge that they are with Allah at all times. This is cognizance of Allah's existence, might and grandeur, felt deep in one's heart; It is speaking without forgetting that He encompasses everything and everyone, is at our side at all times, hears and knows everything that we say, for which we will all be called to account. Those who are aware of these truths speak sincere and honestly. The fear of Allah which they have in their hearts prevents them from uttering a word of which Allah would not approve.
The fact that one lives at every moment according to the values of the Qur'an is one of the foremost indicators that that a person is aware of Allah's might and greatness, and that Allah can see and hear him, as all people, all the time. For example, though such people may be speaking on the subject of politics or economics, or conducting a mathematical calculation which occupies their mind completely, the fear of Allah in their heart ensures that, so long as they are speaking, they do not deviate from Allah's commands, but proceed from a feeling of deep respect, fear and love of Him. Such conscientiousness ensures that no word falls from their mouths which might be contrary to the morality prescribed in the Qur'an. Indeed, what is important is that, throughout the time they are speaking, that they have this sincere belief and the fear of Allah deep in their hearts. When he refers to such a political or economic topic, he is yet mindful of these facts which constitute the basis of his faith. He knows that there is no power other than Allah, that Allah sees and hears everything, and that nothing can be kept hidden from Him. This ensures that he speaks every word in a manner appropriate to a Muslim who takes refuge in Allah.
AHKAM AL-HAKIMEEN
The Most Just Judge
Is Allah not the Most Just Judge? (Surat at-Tin, 95:8)
Allah passes judgment on each matter and concludes them. All events evolve and develop upon His command and wish. Each of His judgments contains many hidden divine purposes. However, most people do not really understand His commands, for, given their limited intelligence, their ability to do so is also limited. Furthermore, Allah is infinitely wise, exalted above time and space, and the One Who created and bound humanity to these concepts. A person can never know what will happen the next day or even in an hour. When Allah gives a command, however, He has total knowledge of all of its consequences, regardless of time or place. Consequently, Allah creates everything in compliance with His plan and for a divine purpose.
But unbelievers can never understand Allah’s purposes, for they base their worldview on certain causes and then think that everything evolves randomly and coincidentally. Therefore, they fail to understand that Allah controls everything. Believers, however, strive to grasp the divine purposes in Allah’s judgments and comprehend that He gives the best judgments. In the Qur’an, Allah commands the following:
Follow what has been revealed to you, and be steadfast until Allah’s judgment comes. He is the Best of Judges. (Surah Yunus, 10:109)
Nuh called out to his Lord and said: “My Lord, my son is one of my family. Your promise is surely the truth, and You are the Most Just Judge.” (Surah Hud, 11:45)
HOW SHOULD THE BELIEVERS SHOW THEIR RESPECT FOR THE PROPHETS?
As the verse "
And Isma`il, al-Yasa`a, Yunus, and Lut. All of them We favored over all beings" (Surat al-An`am, 86) states, Prophets are those individuals whom Allah has chosen and favored over all human beings. Allah has granted them a special knowledge direct from Him, supported them with His angels, and promised them Paradise. Throughout the ages, they have been responsible for communicating Allah’s religion, and thus have conveyed His revelation to people and invited them to live by the religion of truth. No matter what difficulties they encountered, they always were resolute and continued their struggle with eagerness and steadfastness. All believers are attached to the Prophets, who are chosen by Allah and who are known for their strong faith and good morals, with true respect and love. The Prophet Muhammad (saas), whose loyalty to Allah is praised in the Qur’an, is said to be "
closer to the believers than their own selves." (Surat al-Ahzab, 6)
As a result, all believers have a great respect in their hearts for the Prophets and hold them in high esteem. The Qur’an instructs them to display this respect to His Messenger (saas) as follows:
So that you might all believe in Allah and His Messenger, and honor him and respect him, and glorify Him in the morning and the evening. (Surat al-Fath, 9)
Several verses in the Qur’an tell us how the Prophets should be respected in daily life. Some of them are given here: "not to wait where the Prophet lives while food is being cooked," "not to call out to the Prophet from outside his private quarters," "not to raise one’s voice above the Prophet’s voice," "not to be as loud when speaking to him as the believers are when speaking to one another," or "not to put oneself forward in front of the Messenger."
Along with those who lived at the time of the Prophet (saas), all believers who lived after him continue to have the same idea of respect in their hearts. As the verse "You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much" (Surat al-Ahzab, 21) reminds them, they try to express the deep respect they feel for our Prophet (saas) by taking him as their role models in all of their behavior and by honoring and praising him.
THE PERFECT DESIGN IN THE UNIVERSE IS NOT BY CHANCE
By Harun Yahya
He is God – the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Qur'an, 59, 24)
Just think about the things you see from the moment you wake up in the morning: the pillow under your head, the blanket over you, the alarm clock that woke you up, the slippers you search for as soon as you get out of bed, the window you open to get some fresh air, the clothes hanging in your closet, the mirror you look into every morning, the knife and fork you use for breakfast, the umbrella you take with you when you leave the house, the elevator you get into, the key that opens your car door, the traffic lights along the way, the billboards, the pen, paper and other things on your desk at work...
Spend some time to consider, and it will no doubt occur to you that each of these things was designed for a special purpose. No one would say that it was a matter of chance that everything was where it should be when you arose up in the morning. For example, who would claim that merely by chance, your house key was cut exactly to fit the door? Or that it ended up in your pocket by chance, in the first place? No one would claim that the billboards along the road were put there by chance, or that the meanings they intend came about by randomly painted symbols.
By the same token, no one would deny that a staple—nothing other than a specially shaped piece of wire on your desk—was bent and placed in its dispenser in order to hold papers together. Each staple's metal alloy, size, shape, and intended function show the evidence of deliberate design. It was planned specifically to accommodate your needs; and there's a particular reason why staples are so often found in any office setting.
What about the people you see walking along the street? Or the trees you pass by, the dog that runs out in front of you, the pigeons that build their nests in the eaves of your house, the flowers on your table, the sky above you? Could their existence be by chance, do you think?
It would be nonsense to even consider this possibility! Everything surrounding you, animate and inanimate alike, is too wonderful and complex to be compared with man-made items or ever to be ascribed to the operations of chance. Each is an example of a conscious creation, requiring consummate intelligence and skill. Everyone who finds it illogical to think that even a single staple came about by the proper bending of a wire by chance, will see that it is even more impossible that human beings, cats, birds, trees and the entire universe emerged by chance.
But today, there are people who cannot see this clear reality. Or rather they see it, but pretend not to. They claim that trees, birds, clouds, houses, cars, you yourself, others around you—in short, everything in the universe, animate and inanimate, is all the work of blind chance.
These people, known as Materialist-Darwinists, maintain the contradictory idea that chance occurrences can display supreme intelligence; and that the sum total of millions of chance events, occurring in sequence, can show creative power. According to Materialist-Darwinists, chance events have greater intelligence than every person in the world—no matter how many people have come and gone. They claim that a genius called "chance" has shaped everyone's brain, cognitive ability, judgment, memory, and countless other human characteristics for hundreds of thousands of years.
In this book, we'll examine the irrationality of those who have entered the blind alley of chance, ignoring the wondrous design that surrounds them as well as the proofs of creation, and denying the evident existence of God Who created them and the universe they live in.
Jesus, the Prophet and Messiah, is alive and will return to the Earth in the near future. We are Muslims who love Jesus, believe in all his miracles and noble morality, know that he will come back to the world again to save humanity and we are eagerly waiting for this great and blessed event to happen. We believe that Jesus would come back to the earth miraculously in the last days and bring peace, justice and happiness by uniting Christians and Muslims in a common religion and morality. Come, let us prepare together for the second coming of Jesus.
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