RAMADAN 2005 The 8th Day
Harun Yahya|
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| Ayat of the Day | ||||||||||||
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| Hadith of the Day: | ||||||||||||
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| Miracles of the Qur'an: | ||||||||||||
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The Sex of the Child Until fairly recently, it was thought that a baby's sex was determined by the mother's cells. Or at least, it was believed that the sex was determined by the male and female cells together. But, we are given different information in the Qur'an, where it is stated that masculinity or femininity is created out of "a drop of sperm which has been ejected."
The developing disciplines of genetics and molecular biology have scientifically validated the accuracy of this information given by the Qur'an. It is now understood that sex is determined by the sperm cells from the male, and that the female has no role in this process.
The formation of a new human being begins with the cross combination of one of these chromosomes, which exist in males and females in pairs. In females, both components of the sex cell, which divides into two during ovulation, carry X chromosomes. The sex cell of a male, on the other hand, produces two different kinds of sperm, one that contains X chromosomes and the other Y chromosomes. If an X chromosome from the female unites with a sperm that contains an X chromosome, then the baby is female. If it unites with the sperm that contains a Y chromosome, the baby is male. In other words, a baby's sex is determined by which chromosome from the male unites with the female's ovum. None of this was known until the discovery of genes in the 20th century. Indeed, in many cultures, it was believed that a baby's sex was determined by the female. That was why women were blamed when they gave birth to girls. Fourteen centuries before human genes were discovered, however, the Qur'an revealed information that denies this superstition, and referred to the origin of sex lying not with women, but with the semen deriving from men. The Wrapping of Muscles over the Bones Another important item of information provided in the verses of the Qur'an is the developmental stages of a human being in the mother's womb. It is stated in these verses that in the mother's womb, the bones develop first, and then the muscles form which wrap around them.
These observations at the microscopic level showed that the development inside the mother's womb takes place in just the way it is described in these verses. First, the cartilage tissue of the embryo ossifies. Then, muscular cells that are selected from amongst the tissue around the bones come together and wrap around the bones. This event is described in a scientific publication titled Developing Human in the following words:
In short, developmental stages of man, as described in the Qur'an, are in perfect harmony with the findings of modern embryology.
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| Wonders of Creation: | ||||||||||||
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Though everyone knows the poisonous feature of snakes, almost no one thinks about how this takes place. In fact, an animal’s possessing a technology to kill another animal by poison is quite astonishing and extraordinary. Those who insist on denying the existence of Allah are certainly incapable of explaining how snakes possess such an extraordinary skill. The venomous system in the mouth of the snake is a very complex and sophisticated one. In order for this system to function, the snake has to have special "venomous teeth", which are hollow inside, and venomous glands connected to these teeth. A very powerful venom that will paralyze its enemies has to have been formed, and this reflex has to work as soon as the animal bites its prey. This multi-component system would not work with one of its components missing. That would result in the snake’s falling prey to the animals it has chosen to hunt. The extraordinary skills of the animal in sensing temperature change and odor show the detailed nature of the design we are facing. Here, there is an extraordinary and unusual occurrence that we can only term a "miracle". It is, however, out of the question that nature could create a miracle which is "supernatural". Nature is a name given to the entire order we see around us. The founder of this order can surely not be the order itself. The laws of nature are those laws Allah fixed, which set the relationships among those that He created. Defining concepts properly reveals the truth. Confusing concepts, on the other hand, is a characteristic of the unbelievers. They do it to conceal the facts and deny the crystal-clear creation. | ||||||||||||
| Lives of the Prophets: | ||||||||||||
| The Wish to Burn Prophet Abraham (as) Angered that their idols had been smashed, the pagans decided to take their revenge upon Prophet Abraham (as) by burning him to death. As the Qur’an recounts: They exclaimed: “Build a pyre for him and fling him into the blaze!” They tried to outwit him, but We made them the lowest. (Surat as-Saffat: 98) In another verse, Allah reveals their hostility, as follows:
Although they could clearly see the proofs of Allah’s existence, their great anger drove them to throw Prophet Abraham (as) into the fire. This is an important example of their hatred and intolerance of Allah’s prophets and believers. In fact, the Qur’an reveals that a number of other believers were subjected to a similar cruelty:
As with all of the unbelievers’ other snares, this one was also foiled by Allah. Those believers who suffer torture gain great merit in His sight, and the unbelievers who inflict it upon them are rewarded with eternal suffering in Hell. At first sight, it appeared that Prophet Abraham (as) would be burned to death. However, in the same way that death only comes when Allah wills, fire can only burn if He so wills it. Allah, the Creator of all things, commanded the fire to be cool at that moment, and thus turned the unbelievers’ trap against themselves:
Just as Allah always helps His prophets, He rescued Prophet Abraham (as) in his moment of need and in the finest way. The unbelievers’ trap was miraculously foiled, just as He parted the sea and then drowned Pharaoh’s army to rescue Prophet Moses (as) and the Children of Israel. By keeping his fortitude, courage, and humility in such a situation, Prophet Abraham (as) sets an example for all believers. Due to his exceedingly powerful faith, he was aware that everything that happened to him was due to Allah’s will. He knew, therefore, that Allah’s help and support were always with believers, even in the most difficult-appearing events, for Allah never permits unbelievers to make progress at the believers’ expense: “Allah will not give the unbelievers any way against the believers.” (Surat an-Nisa’:141) Taking Prophet Abraham (as), who is praised for his faith in and submission to Allah, as well as for his pleasing morality, as a role model, believers must submit wholly to Allah when they encounter difficult circumstances, and must never forget that Allah creates everything. In fact, all events, even those that appear to be harmful, are actually tests and are auspicious for believers. This being the case, the most appropriate attitude for Muslims to adopt in order to earn Allah’s good pleasure is to be enthusiastic and determined and to place their trust in our Lord. For that reason, believers should not feel sad or troubled by the unbelievers’ traps, plots, and assaults, for they are all means to increase their enthusiasm and draw closer to Allah. Indeed, Allah tells our Prophet (saas) the following:
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| Evolution Deceit: | ||||||||||||
| Deceptive Reconstructions – I Even if evolutionists are unsuccessful in finding scientific evidence to support their theories, they are very successful at one thing: propaganda. The most important element of this propaganda is the practice of creating false designs known as "reconstructions." Reconstruction can be explained as drawing a picture or constructing a model of a living thing based on a single bone—sometimes only a fragment—that has been unearthed. The "ape-men" we see in newspapers, magazines, and films are all reconstructions. Since fossils are usually fragmented and incomplete, any conjecture based on them is likely to be completely speculative. As a matter of fact, the reconstructions (drawings or models) made by evolutionists based on fossil remains are prepared speculatively precisely to validate the evolutionary thesis. David R. Pilbeam, an eminent anthropologist from Harvard, stresses this fact when he says: "At least in paleoanthropology, data are still so sparse that theory heavily influences interpretations. Theories have, in the past, clearly reflected our current ideologies instead of the actual data."1 Since people are highly affected by visual information, these reconstructions best serve the purpose of evolutionists, which is to convince people that these reconstructed creatures really existed in the past. At this point, we have to highlight one particular point: Reconstructions based on bone remains can only reveal the most general characteristics of the creature, since the really distinctive morphological features of any animal are soft tissues which quickly vanish after death. Therefore, due to the speculative nature of the interpretation of the soft tissues, the reconstructed drawings or models become totally dependent on the imagination of the person producing them. Earnst A. Hooten from Harvard University explains the situation like this: To attempt to restore the soft parts is an even more hazardous undertaking. The lips, the eyes, the ears, and the nasal tip leave no clues on the underlying bony parts. You can with equal facility model on a Neanderthaloid skull the features of a chimpanzee or the lineaments of a philosopher. These alleged restorations of ancient types of man have very little if any scientific value and are likely only to mislead the public … So put not your trust in reconstructions.2 As a matter of fact, evolutionists invent such preposterous stories that they even ascribe different faces to the same skull. For example, the three different reconstructed drawings made for the fossil named Australopithecus robustus (Zinjanthropus) are a famous example of such forgery. THREE DIFFERENT RECONSTRUCTIONS The biased interpretation of fossils and outright fabrication of many imaginary reconstructions are an indication of how frequently evolutionists have recourse to tricks. Yet these seem innocent when compared to the deliberate forgeries that have been perpetrated in the history of evolution. There is no concrete fossil evidence to support the "ape-man" image, which is unceasingly promulgated by the media and evolutionist academic circles. With brushes in their hands, evolutionists produce imaginary creatures; nevertheless, the fact that these drawings correspond to no matching fossils constitutes a serious problem for them. One of the interesting methods they employ to overcome this problem is to "produce" the fossils they cannot find. 1. David R. Pilbeam, "Rearranging Our Family Tree," Human Nature, June 1978, p. 45. (emphasis added) | ||||||||||||
| Quick Grasp of Faith: | ||||||||||||
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As informed in the Qur'an believers may make mistakes. But, since they fear Allah and are sincere to Him, they do not knowingly persist with their wrongdoing, and immediately try to make amends for it. They seek forgiveness and self-improvement in the areas they were wrong, with the aim of not falling into the same error again. They are well aware of the fact that this world is a place of testing; therefore they draw lessons from their mistakes. Allah praises this commendable attribute of believers in many verses and promises them forgiveness:
What is the concept of justice in the Qur'an that believers are commanded to possess? Allah has commanded believers to evaluate all events with justice and within the boundaries stated in the Qur'an. He has instructed them to be absolutely just while judging between people and always to be on the side of justice. When believers bear witness, they are the most honest and just in their witnessing. A decision one makes or evidence one gives may sometimes be to one's own disadvantage, or may affect the interests of a friend or relative. However, this is of no importance for one who fears Allah because the measure for the deeds of believers is the good pleasure of Allah. In the moment, the most convenient thing to do may appear to be to bear witness or to make a judgment in a way that Allah does not approve. A worldly expediency, however, does not afford believers serenity or happiness, as long as Allah is not pleased with it. For that reason believers render justice even if it is against themselves or their relatives. Allah forbids believers the contrary as follows:
Another risk that is likely to prevent people from being just in their judgments is the anger they may feel towards other people. If one bears anger or malice towards someone else, then he would be unlikely grant that person the benefit of the doubt or to act in his favor. Believers, however, consider the pleasure of Allah to be of paramount importance and do not cease acting with justice no matter who the other party may be, because Allah has commanded believers:
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| Book Review: | ||||||||||||
| Colors, patterns, spots even lines of each living being existing in nature have a meaning. For some species, colors serve as a communication tool; for others, they are a warning against enemies. Whatever the case, these colors are essential for the well-being of living beings. An attentive eye would immediately recognize that not only the living beings, but also everything in nature are just as they should be. Furthermore, he would realize that everything is given to the service of man: the comforting blue color of the sky, the colorful view of flowers, the bright green trees and meadows, the moon and stars illuminating the world in pitch darkness together with innumerable beauties surrounding man...>>
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| Site of the Day: | ||||||||||||
| In the Qur'an, there is an explicit reference to the "second coming of the Jesus to the world" which is heralded in a hadith. The realization of some information revealed in the Qur'an about Jesus can only be possible by Jesus' second coming. People who are oppressed, who are tortured to death, innocent babies, those who cannot afford even a loaf of bread, who must sleep in tents or even in streets in cold weather, those who are massacred just because they belong to a certain tribe, women, children, and old people who are expelled from their homes.
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Chromosomes are the main elements in determining sex. Two of the 46 chromosomes that determine the structure of a human being are identified as the sex chromosomes. These two chromosomes are called "XY" in males, and "XX" in females, because the shapes of the chromosomes resemble these letters. The Y chromosome carries the genes that code for masculinity, while the X chromosome carries the genes that code for femininity.
Embryology is the branch of science that studies the development of the embryo in the mother's womb. Until very recently, embryologists assumed that the bones and muscles in an embryo developed at the same time. Yet, advanced microscopic research conducted by virtue of new technological developments has revealed that the revelation of the Qur'an is word for word correct. 
The heat-detectors located in the facial cavities at the anterior of the rattlesnake's head detect the infrared light caused by the body heat of its prey. This detection is so sensitive as to perceive a temperature increase of 1/300 in the heat of the setting. The snake, with the help of its forked-tongue, which is its organ of smell, can sense a motionless red squirrel sitting half a meter away in deep darkness. Fixing the location of its prey faultlessly, the snake first silently sneaks towards it, then comes close enough to attack, arches and stretches its neck and closes upon its target at great speed. By then, it has already inserted the teeth on its strong jaw, which can open to 180 degrees. All of this takes place at a speed equivalent to an automobile's accelerating from 0 km/h up to 90 km/h in half a second. The length of the snake's "venomous teeth", its greatest weapon in rendering its victim ineffective, is about 4 cm. The insides of its teeth are hollow and connected to the glands of venom. As soon as the snake bites, the gland’s muscles contract and with great power shoot the poison first into the teeth canal and then under the prey's skin. The snake venom either paralyses the central nervous system of the prey or causes its death by coagulating the blood. Only 0.028 g of some snakes’ venom is strong enough to kill 125,000 rats. The poison shows its effects so quickly that the prey does not have time to do any harm to the snake. From now on, all that is left to the snake is to engulf its paralyzed prey with its highly flexible mouth.
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