| THE AYAT AND THE HADITH OF THE DAY |
WHAT IS A RIGHTEOUS PERSON LIKE?
HARUN YAHYA
Holds fast to Allah and is sincere in his religion to Allah:
Allah orders believers to live as those "who hold fast to Allah and are sincere in their religion to Allah" in the following verse:
Except those who repent and put things right and hold fast to Allah and dedicate their religion to Allah alone; they are with the believers. Allah will give the believers an immense reward. (Surat an-Nisa': 146)
A man is purified if he holds fast to Allah, devotes his life to gain His consent with the knowledge that there is no other deity than Allah, and never gives up on his faith in Allah, whatever happens. Allah enjoins in the Qur'an as follows: "Whoever holds fast to Allah has been guided to a straight path." (Surah Al 'Imran: 101)
"Being sincere in one's religion to Allah" means seeking to gain Allah's consent and satisfaction without expecting any other personal advantages or benefits. Allah also has emphasized the importance of this issue in another verse, and has revealed that the religion could only be lived in the following manner:
They were only ordered to worship Allah, making their religion sincerely His as people of pure natural belief, and to establish prayers and pay the welfare tax-that is the religion of the correct. (Surat al-Bayyina: 5)
In his deeds and prayers, a true believer never strives to obtain the love, satisfaction, appreciation, interest and admiration of any person other than Allah. Any such longings are an indication that he has failed to turn to Allah with complete sincerity and purification. In fact, we frequently encounter people "doing good deeds or establishing prayers for purposes other than gaining Allah's consent." For instance, there are people who brag about helping the poor, or aim to acquire respect or advantages when practicing important religious duties such as the regular prayers (salat). In the Qur'an, people who establish prayers or do good to be seen are mentioned as follows:
Have you seen him who denies the religion? He is the one who harshly rebuffs the orphan and does not urge the feeding of the poor. So woe to those who pray, and are forgetful of their prayer, those who show off. (Surat al-Ma'un: 1-6)
Anyone who desires to be seen is indeed looking to gain the assent of other people, rather than Allah. A true believer should meticulously avoid aiming to show off while lending a helping hand, assuming a pleasing attitude, praying or making a sacrifice. The only true aim of one who sincerely believes in Allah should be to obtain Allah's consent. In the Qur'an, it is also emphasized how the prophets performed religious rites only for Allah's consent and never sought personal rewards or advantages. The following words spoken by the Prophet Hud (as) to his people confirms this truth:
My people! I do not ask you for any wage for it. My wage is the responsibility of Him Who brought me into being. So will you not use your intellect? (Surah Hud: 51)
A believer never attempts to gain the consent of any being other than Allah. Hence, he knows for certain that Allah possesses all hearts, and that all people would submit if only He wishes so. Furthermore, no amount of worldly acclaim, praise or admiration gained in the world will secure anything in the hereafter. On the Day of Judgment, each man will stand alone in Allah's presence and be asked to account for each of his deeds. On that day, faith, piety, sincerity and submission will play the fundamental role. Likewise, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) reminded believers of the importance of sincerity, by saying "Allah accepts those deeds which were performed purely for His sake and which were meant to seek His pleasure." 1
Turns to Allah with Repentance and is Sincere in deed and intention to Him
Allah informs true believers about genuine faith as follows:
[Adhere to the correct religion], turning in repentance to Him. Heed Him and establish prayer. Do not be among the idolaters. (Surat ar-Rum: 31)
Turning to Allah with heartfelt devotion means loving Him so much that one cannot refrain from faith, devotion and fidelity under any circumstances, and fears Him with awe.
It is to have faith in Him with such reverence that one anxiously fears Him and ardently avoids losing His consent. Anyone believing in Allah in such a manner is sure to attain self-purification. One who believes and is so devoted to Allah performs prayers and other deeds to earn His consent sincerely. In reward for this, which is the basis of self-purification, true believers are "those who have faith and do right actions and humble themselves before their Lord." (Surah Hud: 23)
Allah instructed true believers to fulfill the orders and acts of worship prescribed in the Qur'an with total submission, sincerity and hearts purified for His sake. In a verse, it is related how Allah reminded Maryam (as) to submit to Him with heartfelt devotion: "O Maryam, worship your Lord devoutly: Prostrate yourself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down." (Surah Al 'Imran: 43)
This is also stated by the Prophet (saas), who said:
"Goodness and comfort are for him who worships his Lord in a perfect manner and serves his Master sincerely." 2
Allah also revealed the good news that those obeying Him with heartfelt devotion and fulfilling His orders with submission will be rewarded doubly:
But those of you who are obedient to Allah and His Messenger and act rightly will be given their reward twice over; and We have prepared generous provision for them. (Surat al-Ahzab: 31)
The characteristics of true believers, as mentioned in the verse below, are best exemplified in the prophets sent by Allah to warn people: "The steadfast, the truthful, the obedient, the givers, and those who seek forgiveness before dawn." (Surah Al 'Imran: 17)
1. Hadith of Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i on the authority of Abu Umamah
2. Sahih Bukhari Hadith
(For further reading see, Sincerity described in the Qur'an by Harun Yahya.)
| WONDERS OF CREATION FOR THE 29th DAY |
PERFECT SYMMETRY IN LIVING THINGS
HARUN YAHYA
Have a look at your face in the mirror. You will see perfect symmetry. Pick up a magazine and start turning its pages. The people you see there as you turn its pages, and the birds, flowers and butterflies you see when you look at the outside world, share the same symmetry.
Symmetry is one of the factors that provides harmony in the universe. All creatures have a symmetrical structure. When you look at sea creatures, you see the same symmetry. Fish, crabs, shrimp… Take a pair of seashells in your hand and arrange them in a symmetrical way. You will again encounter a perfect order and symmetry in the arrangement of the lines and in their arrangement from larger to smaller. No matter what creature you look at in nature, every time an extraordinary order, perfect symmetry and matchless diversity of color will be observed.
The defenders of the evolution theory, which claims that everything in the universe has come into being as a result of haphazardly occurring coincidences, cannot explain this color diversity, symmetry and order displayed in nature. It is evident that such a perfect order cannot be explained by blind chance or unconscious events. It is not possible for evolutionists to explain, with any of the claims they put forward, the formation of the colors of creatures in nature, their designs or symmetry. Even Charles Darwin had to confess this fact, even though he was the very founder of the theory:
I value the cases of bright-coloured, incubating male fishes, and brilliant female butterflies, solely as showing that one sex may be made brilliant without any necessary transference of beauty to the other sex; for in these cases I cannot suppose that beauty in the other sex was checked by selection. 1
Surely, no one who is wise and reasonable can claim that the supreme beauty we see around us, colorful butterflies, roses, violets, strawberries, cherries, all with their dazzling colors, and parrots, peacocks, leopards, in short, the Earth with all its magnificence, has come into existence by chance. Allah created all living creatures along with their features. The knowledge of Allah surrounds us everywhere. There is no god but He. This is maintained in the Qur'an in this way:
Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent (Surat al-Baqara: 255)
1. Francis Darwin, Life and the Letters of Charles Darwin, Vol. II, p.305.
You can also read the book >> Magnificence Everywhere
You can also watch the movie >> The Miracle Planet
| COLLAPSE OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION DAY BY DAY |
THE RESISTANCE OF BACTERIA TO ANTIBIOTICS
IS NOT AN EXAMPLE OF EVOLUTION
HARUN YAHYA
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.
| E. coli bacteria
 
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is not evidence for evolution as suggested by Darwinists. |
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. 1
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. 2
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. 3
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. 4
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."5 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! 6
(For further reading, see "The collapse of the theory of evolution in 20 questions" by Harun Yahya)
1. Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max," 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp
2. Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max," 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp
3. Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max," 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp
4. Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max," 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp
5. Francisco J. Ayala, "The Mechanisms of Evolution," Scientific American, Vol. 239, September 1978, p. 64
6. Dr. Lee Spetner, "Lee Spetner/Edward Max Dialogue: Continuing an exchange with Dr. Edward E. Max," 2001, http://www.trueorigin.org/spetner2.asp
THE 123 SIGNS OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS
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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