[Al-Quran 50:6-8] Have they not looked at the heaven above them - how We structured it and adorned it and how it has no rifts? And the earth - We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [something] of every beautiful kind, Giving insight and a reminder for every servant who turns [to Allah].

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

The Serpent & The Snake: a Clear Sign


  قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.
Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.
Not He begets and not He is begotten.
And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."
[Al-Quran 112]


The Quran uses separate words for serpents and snakes:
Screenshot from corpus.quran.com

Screenshot from corpus.quran.com

Stick, Snake, Serpent 

The Quran explicitly mentions that the first clear sign that Allah  gave to Moses (Musa عليه السلام) was the snake and the serpent. In His conversation with Moses (Musa عليه السلام), Allah  asked him to throw his stick, and it turned into a snake. When Allah  sent him to the Pharaoh to show him the clear sign, it turned into a serpent. In both cases, when Moses (Musa عليه السلام) picked up the creature, it turned back into a stick. 
 


Like unto the Pharaoh

The Quran is replete with lessons from the confrontations between Moses (Musa عليه السلام) and the Pharaoh, and so is the Torah / Bible. The Quran explicitly states that we have been sent a Messenger witness upon us, just as a Messenger was sent to the Pharaoh (Q73:15). Pharaoh disobeyed and was ruined (Q73:16). A terrible day is approaching which we will not be able to ward off, if we disbelieve and do not heed to the Message and the Messenger (Q73:17-18).  

From Adam's story in the scriptures, we are familiar with the evil Satan who caused Adam's fall. 

Serpents feature not only in Egyptian mythology, but also is several mythologies all over the world. In fact, serpents and snakes are perhaps the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols in the world. In Surah al-Mulk (The Kingdom), we read: 

أَفَمَن يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَىٰ أَمَّن يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيم

But then, is he that goes along with his face close to the ground better guided than he that walks upright on a straight way
[Al-Quran 67:22, Translation: Muhammad Asad]


Snakes & Jinn 

The Quran mentions snakes not just in relation to Moses (Musa عليه السلام)' stick, but throughout the text. Since we do not translate the word الْجِنِّ as the snake, but rather just transliterate as the jinn, thus we do not realise that the subject has been mentioned in detail. The noun jinn (جِنّ) occurs twenty-two times, and the active participle jānn (جَآنّ) occurs seven times in The Quran. We even have a surah titled al-Jinn.  

[Related post: جَانٌّ (Snake || Jinn) ] 


Adam's Fall

The Jewish and Christian scriptures mention the serpent and the snake in the story of Adam. According to The Quran, Adam was expelled from The Garden when he heeded to his sworn enemy, Iblis, the snake, and disobeyed Allah ﷻ . The disobedience was in pursuit of a change of state. The devil was able to persuade Adam to try to achieve immortality and a kingdom that never decays. In obeying the snake, Adam degraded himself instead. As discussed in several previous posts, Adam lost his natural clothing by taking the medicine prescribed by Iblis even though Allah  had prohibited eating from that particular tree. We have repeatedly been warned about taking instructions from Satan: 

أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِين

وَأَنِ اعْبُدُونِي هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيم

Children of Adam, did I not make a covenant with you not to worship Satan, who is clearly your enemy,
and that you worship [only] Me? This is a straight path.
[Al-Quran 36:60-61, Translation: Safi Kaskas]


Mythology 

In the mythological pantheons of gods and goddesses, the concept of a divine family keeps emerging, with different names, but many similarities. The Quran, Surah al-Jinn, quotes the jinns (snakes) themselves stating that the divine family is a lie: 

وَأَنَّهُ تَعَالَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا اتَّخَذَ صَاحِبَةً وَلَا وَلَدً

وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيهُنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ شَطَطً

وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن تَقُولَ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبً

And exalted be the glory of our Lord! He never had a spouse nor a child.
But the fools among us had been saying outrageous things about God
although we had thought that no human or jinn would dare tell a lie about God.
[Al-Quran 72:3-5, Translation: Safi Kaskas]


In Surah an-Nisa`, the unforgivable sin of association of partners with Allah  is explained: 

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدً

إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَّا إِنَاثًا وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلَّا شَيْطَانًا مَّرِيدً

لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضً

 Allah forgiveth not (The sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, Hath strayed far, far away (from the right)
(The Pagans), leaving Him, call but upon female deities: They call but upon satan the persistent rebel
Allah did curse him, but he said: "I will take of Thy servants a portion Marked off
[Al-Quran 4:116-118, Translation: Yusuf Ali]


Wikipedia, and other resources on the internet, contain details about the symbolism and belief systems which revere the serpent, and snakes: 

Excerpt from Serpent (symbolism) [Quote dated December 31, 2020]: 

The serpent, or snake, is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. The word is derived from Latin serpens, a crawling animal or snake. Snakes have been associated with some of the oldest rituals known to mankind[1][2] and represent dual expression[3] of good and evil.[4]

Excerpt from Snake worship [Quote dated January 3, 2021]:

Snake worship is devotion to serpent deities. The tradition is present in several ancient cultures, particularly in religion and mythology, where snakes were seen as entities of strength and renewal.

Excerpt from Snakes in mythology [Quote dated January 2, 2021]:

In most cultures, snakes were symbols of healing and transformation, but in some cultures snakes were fertility symbols. 


In Surah an-Nisa`, we further read: 

لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضً

وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذَانَ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينً

 يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورً

Allah did curse him, but he said: "I will take of Thy servants a portion Marked off
"I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah." Whoever, forsaking Allah, takes satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest
Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires; but satan's promises are nothing but deception
[Al-Quran 4:118-120, Translation: Yusuf Ali]

The Quran contains examples of some diseases and mentions some cures. However, the few cases of fertility issues it mentions about the pious people, the common theme is that they await patiently for Allah ﷻ 's blessing. They do not seem to be actively seeking fertility treatments. More on these at: Disease & Cure. Quoting Prophet Abraham from Surah ash-Shu`ara`:




Healers & The Symbol of Modern Medical Science  

Shamans are believed to be religious healers.

Excerpt from Shamanism [Quote dated December 31, 2020]: 

Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner who is believed to interact with a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance.[1][2] The goal of this is usually to direct these spirits or spiritual energies into the physical world, for healing or some other purpose.[1]

On the Alternative Medicine page of Wikipedia, there is criticism of a list of methods that are not based on modern medical science. However, the snake is the symbol of modern medicine as well. 

Excerpt from Serpent (symbolism) [Quote dated December 31, 2020]: 

Modern medicine[edit]

The Star of Life features a Rod of Asclepius.

Snakes entwined the staffs both of Hermes (the caduceus) and of Asclepius, where a single snake entwined the rough staff. On Hermes' caduceus, the snakes were not merely duplicated for symmetry, they were paired opposites. (This motif is congruent with the phurba.) The wings at the head of the staff identified it as belonging to the winged messenger Hermes, the Roman Mercury, who was the god of magic, diplomacy and rhetoric, of inventions and discoveries, and the protector both of merchants and that allied occupation, to the mythographers' view, of thieves. It is however Hermes' role as psychopomp, the escort of newly deceased souls to the afterlife, that explains the origin of the snakes in the caduceus, since this was also the role of the Sumerian entwined serpent god Ningizzida, with whom Hermes has sometimes been equated.

In Late Antiquity, as the arcane study of alchemy developed, Mercury was understood to be the protector of those arts too and of arcane or occult "Hermetic" information in general. Chemistry and medicines linked the rod of Hermes with the staff of the healer Asclepius, which was wound with a serpent; it was conflated with Mercury's rod, and the modern medical symbol—which should simply be the rod of Asclepius—often became Mercury's wand of commerce. Another version is used in alchemy where the snake is crucified, known as Nicolas Flamel's caduceus. Art historian Walter J. Friedlander, in The Golden Wand of Medicine: A History of the Caduceus Symbol in Medicine (1992), collected hundreds of examples of the caduceus and the rod of Asclepius and found that professional associations were just somewhat more likely to use the staff of Asclepius, while commercial organizations in the medical field were more likely to use the caduceus.

Excerpt from The spread of the cult of Asclepius in the context of the Roman army ...  [copied November 20, 2022]:

Asclepius was one of the most popular healing deities of the Greco-Roman world. Originally from Greece, the cult of this mythical son of Apollo was officially invited to Rome in 293 BCE and became firmly rooted in Roman society as a patron deity of health [1–5]. The uniqueness of Asclepius’ cult, when compared to other Graeco-Roman cults, lies in 1) the promise of a close relationship between the god and his supplicant, because the supplicant expected to meet the god in their dreams during the temple rituals of incubation; 2) the patients’ deep expectation of being healed; and 3) a non-exclusive membership for people across socio-economic groups [1, 3, 6]. A potential fourth point argued here is that the cult of Asclepius could have had a special appeal among Roman soldiers, as they were often in the need of medical care due to combat wounds or inhospitable environments at the border provinces of the Empire. 

...

Serpent on a Pole

Moses (Musa عليه السلام) is dated to have walked the Earth approximately a thousand years before Asclepius. So, this symbol of serpent on a pole was not original to Asclepius in particular, or even to the Greeks in general.  

The first of the clear signs sent to the Pharaoh was a serpent. After the Exodus, a serious problem involving snakes and serpent happens. The following is an excerpt is from The Bible, Numbers 21:4-9

The Bronze Serpent
4Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey 5 and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
6So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.
7Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people.
8Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.” 9So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live.

Later on, it seems the people started revering the serpent on the pole. Hezekiah destroyed it. We find the following in The Bible, 2 Kings 18:4

3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. 6 He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses.

7 And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.

Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) preached the worship of the one true God whom Moses (Musa عليه السلام) worshipped. Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) also endorsed The Torah and attested to its truth. Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) also attested to himself being a human, a servant and a worshipper of Allah , and not a god or a relative of God. The Quran confirms that Allah  does not have any family or relations, and also informs us clearly that Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) was not crucified, but rather someone else. In Surah an-Nisa` we read: 

4:157  And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain

4:158  Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise

4:159  And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness

As the Christians believe that Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) was crucified, and they have a passage in John comparing the raising of the serpent by Moses (Musa عليه السلام) to the raising of the son of man, thus there is speculative literature about what the comparison means. This is perhaps a better example of a Christian comparison of the Moses (Musa عليه السلام)' serpent on a pole with the Rod of Asclepius.  


Listening Posts & Space Travel

يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانفُذُوا لَا تَنفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَان

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَان

يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌ مِّن نَّارٍ وَنُحَاسٌ فَلَا تَنتَصِرَان

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَان

O company of the jinn and humankind, in case you are able to penetrate through the regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate (them)! You will not penetrate except with an all-binding authority
Then to whichever of your Lord's boons do you (both) cry lies
Against you (both) will be sent flares of fire, and (molten) brass; then you will not vindicate yourselves
Then to whichever of your Lord's boons do you (both) cry lies
[Al-Quran 55:33-36, Translation: Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali]

The space race to gather more and more information, and the dreams of travelling to and colonising other planets, is not only a modern initiative, but we find mentions of such things in ancient mythologies as well. From The Quran, we know that Pharaoh commissioned the building of something which would allow him access to the heavens (skies) to meet the Lord of Moses (Musa عليه السلام) [Q28:36-42, Q40:35-37]. More on this at: Pyramids || The Mighty Ancients!    

From Surah al-Jinn (The Snakes), we also learn that those who lie about Allah  among humans and snakes have been collaborating, and trying to gather information earlier also: 

وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن تَقُولَ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبً

وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِّنَ الْإِنسِ يَعُوذُونَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَزَادُوهُمْ رَهَقً

وَأَنَّهُمْ ظَنُّوا كَمَا ظَنَنتُمْ أَن لَّن يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ أَحَدً

وَأَنَّا لَمَسْنَا السَّمَاءَ فَوَجَدْنَاهَا مُلِئَتْ حَرَسًا شَدِيدًا وَشُهُبً

وَأَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ فَمَن يَسْتَمِعِ الْآنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَابًا رَّصَدً

وَأَنَّا لَا نَدْرِي أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَدً

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ كُنَّا طَرَائِقَ قِدَدً

وَأَنَّا ظَنَنَّا أَن لَّن نُّعْجِزَ اللَّهَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَن نُّعْجِزَهُ هَرَبً

 And we had thought that mankind and the jinn would never speak about Allah a lie
And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden
And they had thought, as you thought, that Allah would never send anyone [as a messenger]
And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames
And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him
And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course
And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways
And we have become certain that we will never cause failure to Allah upon earth, nor can we escape Him by flight
[Al-Quran 72:5-12, Translation: Sahih International]




The Moving Creature from The Earth

وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُون

And when the saying fell on them, We will bring out a moving creature for them from the earth that will speak to them, that: Humanity had not been certain of Our signs.
[Al-Quran 27:82, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]

Surah an-Naml (The Ant) recounts the story of Moses (Musa عليه السلام)' staff becoming a snake, then goes on to mention Solomon's army which includes birds and snakes, and their ability to speak with each other. Then, the Queen Ant warning her ants; the Hoopoe who goes on a reconnaissance mission; the Sun-worshipping Queen of Saba; Solomon's warning letter demanding submission to the true religion; the throne of Saba being transported in the blink of an eye to Solomon's court; the Queen of Saba realising how she had been wronging her nafs, and consequently accepting the true religion; and then it flashes back to the Samood: the nine groups in the city plotting to kill their Messenger of Allah ﷻ 

وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُون

And there had been nine groups of persons in the city who make corruption in the earth and make not things right.
[Al-Quran 27:48, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]

The surah continues with a brief mention of the destruction of the Samood; and then an overview of the impurity-loving people to whom Messenger Lot had been sent to, and how they were also destroyed. 

After a few pertinent questions establishing Allah  as the only true ilah (god), the surah foretells the emergence of the moving creature from the Earth who will speak with humans! 

The Book of Revelation also mentions a creature will emerge from the Earth: 

The Beast out of the Earth

11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666.

Note: 666 or 616 Wikipedia 

Many mythologies expect the return of the serpent as the saviour of the world. 

The Abrahamic faiths expect the false messiah (the Anti-Christ || the Dajjal) to appear during end times. It is going to be a time of great tribulation.    

Abrahamic faiths also await the true Messiah as the saviour. While the Jews still await a Messiah from the line of David, Christians and Muslims believe that Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) is the promised Messiah who will return to Earth. He will defeat the false messiah, and usher in the peaceful Days of Allah  when the humble shall inherit the Earth. 



... 

Last updated on: November 20, 2022


Saturday, December 26, 2020

Gog Magog & The City that will Return

Is the Babylon of The Book of Revelation being rebuilt?! 


21:1  اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُون

21:1  There hath approached unto mankind their reckoning, while they in neglect are turning away

...

21:95  وَحَرَامٌ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُون

21:96  حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ وَهُم مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنسِلُون

21:97  وَاقْتَرَبَ الْوَعْدُ الْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِيَ شَاخِصَةٌ أَبْصَارُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ هَٰذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَالِمِين

21:98  إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُون

21:99  لَوْ كَانَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ آلِهَةً مَّا وَرَدُوهَا وَكُلٌّ فِيهَا خَالِدُون

21:95  And a ban is laid on every town which We have destroyed, that they Shall not return

21:96  Until when Ya'juj and Ma'juj are let out, and from every mound they are trickling down

21:97  And there shall approach the true promise; and lo! the eyes of those who disbelieved shall be staring: woe unto us! surely we have been in neglect thereof; aye! we have been the wrong-doers

21:98  Verily ye and whatsoever ye worship beside Allah shall be firewood for Hell: thereunto ye shall go down

21:99  Had these been gods, they would not have gone down thereunto; and all of them therein shall be abiders

[Al-Quran 21:1,...,95-99, Translation: Daryabadi]

Few other translations of Q21:95

21:95  وَحَرَامٌ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُون

[Dr S Shaikh, Katri and more] And (there is) prohibition upon a city which We have destroyed, that they not will return.

[Yusuf Ali] But there is a ban on any population which We have destroyed: that they shall not return

[Dr Laleh Bakhtiar] And there is a ban on the town that We caused to perish. They will not return 

[Muhammad Shafi] And an injunction against any village/town that We have destroyed: they shall not return

The reason there is a difference in the translations is because the word قَرْيَةٍ is a singular common noun. The next ayat (Q21:96) goes on to mention the condition: 

21:96  حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ وَهُم مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنسِلُون

21:96  Until when Ya'juj and Ma'juj are let out, and from every mound they are trickling down

We know from Surah al-Kahf that Gog and Magog (Ya'juj and Ma'juj), who were causing corruption, were contained behind a metal barrier by the legendary Dhu al Qarnayn. They are probably living in some cave system in some mountainous terrain. The Quran also foretells their release, and informs us that a town will return (become re-inhabited) when they are released. Among the places we read about in The Quran, one of them mentioned by name is Babylon. The world has a lot of detail about the Kingdoms of Babylon, how it flourished, how it ruled the world. Its various rulers, their beliefs and the power bestowed upon them, and when and how it was taken away. The Quran mentions Babylon in the context of the angels, the devils, and the magic being taught and learnt there: 

2:97  قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِين

2:98  مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِين

2:99  وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُون

2:100  أَوَكُلَّمَا عَاهَدُوا عَهْدًا نَّبَذَهُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُون

2:101  وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُون

2:102  وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ وَمَا هُم بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُون

2:103  وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَمَثُوبَةٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُون

2:97  Say thou: whosoever is an enemy unto Jibril, ----then verily he it is Who hath brought down this Revelation, by Allah's command, to thine heart, confirming that which went before, and a guidance and glad tidings unto the believers

2:98  Whosoever is an enemy unto Allah and His angels and His apostles and Jibril and Mikail, then verily Allah is an enemy unto the infidels

2:99  And assuredly We have sent down Unto thee evident signs,and none shall disbelieve therein save the transgressors

2:100  Is it that whenever they enter into a covenant some party among them cast it aside? Aye! most of them even believe not

2:101  And whenever there came unto them an apostle from Allah confessing to that which was with them, a Party among those who were vouchsafed the Book, cast Allah's Book behind their backs as though they knew not

2:102  And they follow that which the Satans recited in the reign of Sulaiman; and Sulaiman blasphemed not, but the Satans blasphemed.; teaching people magic; and they follow that also which was sent down unto the two angels in Babil, Harut, and Marut. Unto none the twain taught it until they had said: We are but a temptation, so blaspheme not; but they learned from the twain that wherewith they might separate man from his wife; and they could harm none thereby save by Allah's will. And they have learnt that which harmeth them, and profiteth them not; and assuredly they know that whosoever purchaseth it, his is no portion in the Hereafter. And surely vile is the price for which they have bartered themselves, if they but knew

2:103  And had they believed and feared, surely better had been the reward from before Allah, if they but knew

Babylon lies in ruins today. Is it the city mentioned in Surah al-Anbiya which will return? 

The Christian Bible mentions terrible end times, and names Babylon as the city of vice. As quoted above, The Quran mentions Babylon during the time of the righteous Solomon, and the evil magic taught and practiced there. Jewish Books record the besieging and capture of Jerusalem and Judah by the King of Babylon. The Quran mentions the destruction of their homes and their masjid (The Temple of Solomon) when they were causing corruption on Earth: 

17:4  وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي الْكِتَابِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرً

17:5  فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ أُولَاهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَّنَا أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَجَاسُوا خِلَالَ الدِّيَارِ وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَّفْعُولً

17:6  ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمُ الْكَرَّةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَمْدَدْنَاكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ أَكْثَرَ نَفِيرً

17:7  إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيرً

17:8  عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يَرْحَمَكُمْ وَإِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا وَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ حَصِيرً

17:9  إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرً


17:4  And We decreed unto the Children of Isra'il in the Book; ye will surely cause corruption in the land twice, l and ye will surely rise to a great height
17:5  Then when the promise for the first of the two came, We raised against you bondmen of Ours endued with exceeding violence, so they entered the dwellings; and it was a promise fulfilled
17:6  Thereafter We gave you a return of victory over them, and We supported you with riches and children, and We made you a numerous concourse
17:7  If ye will do well ye will do well for yourselves, and if ye will do evil it will be against the same. Then when the promise of the second came, We raised up a people that they may disgrace your faces and may enter the Mosque even as they entered it the first time, and that they may destroy with utter destruction whatsoever may fall under their power
17:8  Belike your Lord may yet have mercy on you; and if ye still revert, We will revert. And We have appointed Hell for the infidels a prison
17:9  Verily this Qur'an guideth unto that path which its sraightest and beareth glad tidings to the believers who work righteous deeds that for them shall be a hire great
[Al-Quran 17:4-9, Translation: Daryabadi

Though Jerusalem has been plundered twice, it has continued to remain a populated area. The mosqueالْمَسْجِدَ || Temple of Solomon), however, was destroyed and no longer exists. Now,  Jerusalem is being repopulated with its original people (Bani Israel), as per Q17:104. As the State of Israel has already been established in 1948, it follows that the promise has come to pass, and we are in the last times.  

The first containment of the corruption of the Bani Israel was by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar who captured Jerusalem and Judah. He took many slaves. Among them was the Prophet Daniel by whose name The Book of Daniel is known. This book is included in both the Jewish and Christian canon. It chronicles the faith(s), dream(s), loss of, and return to, power of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3 and 4. In Daniel 5, Nebuchadnezzar's son King Belshazzar blasphemes and the kingdom is taken away: 

17 Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. 18 “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes. 22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. 25 “This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN 26 “Here is what these words mean: Mene : God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 Tekel : You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28 Peres : Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

Babylon changed hands, and eventually ceased to exist. Babylon still lies in ruins. It has not been populated for centuries. Saddam Hussain tried to rebuild it. He also razed the village near it to build his palace. His palace is also in ruin. The invading army "Coalition of the Willing" inflicted further damage to the ruins. Now, UNESCO and World Monuments Fund, along with Iraqi authorities, are making efforts to restore and preserve what was erased. Is Babylon being rebuilt? 2020!   

Babil, Iraq 2005

...

A Prayer in Surah al-Mominoon

23:93  قُل رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّي مَا يُوعَدُون

23:94  رَبِّ فَلَا تَجْعَلْنِي فِي الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِين

23:95  وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَادِرُون

23:96  ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُون

23:97  وَقُل رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِين

23:98  وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُون

23:93  Say: My Lord! If Thou wilt cause me to see what they are promised,
23:94  then, assign me not, my Lord, to the folk, the ones who are unjust.
23:95  And, truly, We cause thee to see what We promise them as certainly ones who have power.
23:96  Drive thou back evil deeds with what is fairer. We are greater in knowledge of what they allege.
23:97  And say: My Lord! I take refuge with Thee from the evil suggestions of the satans.
23:98  And my Lord, I take refuge with Thee so that they not attend me.



Excerpt from Dhu al Qarnayn visited the Polar Regions? 

 ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا  
    حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًا  
   قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَىٰ أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا  
    قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا  
   آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انفُخُوا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا قَالَ آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا  
  فَمَا اسْطَاعُوا أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا لَهُ نَقْبًا  
   قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّي ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي جَعَلَهُ دَكَّاءَ ۖ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي حَقًّا
وَتَرَكْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِي بَعْضٍ ۖ وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَجَمَعْنَاهُمْ جَمْعًا   

[Al-Qur’an 18:92-99] [link27] [92] Then followed he (another) way, [93] Until, when he reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word. [94] They said: "O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog (People) do great mischief on earth: shall we then render thee tribute in order that thou mightest erect a barrier between us and them? [95] He said: "(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them:  [96] "Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead." [link28] [97] Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it. [98] He said: "This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust; and the promise of my Lord is true." [99] On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another: the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together.

The third place Dhu al Qarnayn arrives at is distinguished by the facts that it is between two mountains or barriersthe people did not have understanding or knowledge, they were suffering due to Gog and Magog, who did great mischief on Earthiron was used and another element was poured over it, the opening was sealed, thereby making them powerless to scale or dig through it.

Space between two barriers?
The word used is ‘alssaddayni’ [root: s-d-d] meaning two barriers. Since the word j-b-l has been used elsewhere in the Qur’an when speaking of mountains, and s-d-d has been used for barrier, hence it is reasonable to assume that here also two barriers are being referred to, and not two mountains.

Who scarcely understood a word? 
‘yafqahoona’ root f-q-h: to possess fiqh means to possess understanding, and knowledge, and intelligence, and especially knowledge of the law. [29] ‘la yakadoona yafqahoona qawlan’ or ‘who scarcely understood a word’ implies, I suppose, that these people were primitive in the sense that they were not organized in terms of religion or society, or were lawless/unable to follow the law/suffering lawlessness (due to terrorism?). The former follows from the fact that these people are in isolation between two barriers, while the latter follows from the fact that, in the subsequent verses, they converse with Dhu al Qarnayn, tell him about the mischief being created by Gog and Magog, request a barrier from them, and also offer tribute for the building of such a barrier. Furthermore, they were also able to bring (mine?) iron and lead or copper alloy, as well as provide the labour.  

Barriers against whom?
Barriers are meant to prevent something or someone from crossing over, i.e. entering or leaving, as the case may be. Dhu al Qarnayn was able to reach this place, thus these barriers did not keep him out. Perhaps, and this is pure speculation, these barriers were not meant to keep out the people on Earth, but rather were meant to seal a ‘portal’ to keep out ‘aliens’ from the sky or below Earth from reaching the Earth’s surface?

Filled between the ‘l-ṣadafayni’?
‘l-ṣadafayni’ is the dual form of the noun with root s-d-f, meaning mother of pearl as well as two tall structures meeting together or facing each other. [30] I assume then that this was a portal or a breached barrier that needed to be sealed.

Iron covered with molten Copper alloy or Lead? Powerless to scale or dig through it?
Sheets or blocks of Iron were placed to construct/repair the barrier. Then, it was coated with another material, probably to reinforce it and prevent rusting, thus giving it a smooth finish and making it impenetrable.

The word used for this coating material is ‘qitra’, which has been variously translated as Copper[31], Brass[32] and Lead. [33]  The same word has been used for the spring of molten liquid that was made available to Solomon. [34] (Interestingly, Iron was made pliable for his father, David. [35]) 

Gog and Magog, who did Great Mischief on Earth?
There is mention of and references to these in ancient scriptures and related works. [36] Some have identified them with a particular place/race, while others do not identify them with a particular place or race on Earth. Notable among them is the Hindu mythology, according to which they are hidden from human realm and are probably subterranean. [37] [38]

Legends and adventure stories[39] also abound about the inner Earth, of creatures/people dwelling within the Earth. Though modern science refutes ideas about a hollow earth, if there is any figment of truth to any of these accounts, then it is a wonder why we humans have not been able to dig through or find a way to their subterranean civilization, or why they haven’t been able to reach up to the Earth’s surface, unless there exists a natural barrier with only one opening, which was sealed by Dhu al Qarnayn.

Until the Promise comes to Pass?
In the Quran, this expected event is mentioned twice: in Chapter 18 (as quoted above), and in Chapter 21, Verse 96, ‘Until when [the dam of] Gog and Magog has been opened and they, from every elevation, descend,’ [40]

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Excerpt from The Case against the Bani Israel

Gathered Together 
Towards the end of the surah, the proofs that were being demanded from Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regarding his ascension are quoted. The surah includes the following remarks about the Bani Israel among its last few ayaat: 

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ تِسْعَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ فَاسْأَلْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ فِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ مَسْحُورًا
قَالَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا أَنزَلَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ بَصَائِرَ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ يَا فِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًا
فَأَرَادَ أَن يَسْتَفِزَّهُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُ جَمِيعًا
وَقُلْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اسْكُنُوا الْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ جِئْنَا بِكُمْ لَفِيفًا
وَبِالْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَاهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا

And verily We gave unto Moses nine tokens, clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty). Do but ask the Children of Israel how he came unto them, then Pharaoh said unto him: Lo! I deem thee one bewitched, O Moses.
He said: In truth thou knowest that none sent down these (portents) save the Lord of the heavens and the earth as proofs, and lo! (for my part) I deem thee lost, O Pharaoh.
And he wished to scare them from the land, but We drowned him and those with him, all together.
And We said unto the Children of Israel after him: Dwell in the land; but when the promise of the Hereafter cometh to pass We shall bring you as a crowd gathered out of various nations.
With truth have We sent it down, and with truth hath it descended. And We have sent thee as naught else save a bearer of good tidings and a warner. 
[Al-Quran 17:101-105, Translation: M. M. Pickthal] 

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Excerpt from The Oaths in Surah alFajr 

The Dawn  

وَالْفَجْرِ
  
By the dawn,
[Al-Quran 89:1]


إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ

Indeed, We revealed it in a Night Blessed flourishing. Indeed, We [We] are (ever) warning.
[Al-Quran 44:3; Translation edited for clarity in italics]


سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ

Peace it (is) until (the) emergence (of) the dawn.
[Al-Quran 97:5

Fajr is the time before sunrise, when the darkness of the night begins to dissipate. Surah al-Qadr,  informs us that The Quran was sent in the night of al-Qadr. Its last ayat (97:5) informs us that there is peace until dawn (الْفَجْرِ) . The root ف ج ر occurs 24 times in The Quran in words translated as: gush forth, wicked, wickedness, abundance and dawn.

The Book of Daniel is included in both Jewish and Christian canon. The Jews have it as part of the Ketuvim (Writings), while the Christians have it in The Prophets in the Old Testament. It prophesies end-time events. There are many reservations about the Book of Daniel among Jewish and Christian readers, especially the Jews.

Among the end-time events, The Quran prophesies:
(i) an announcement of war by Allah and His Messenger to those who continue to indulge in usury [ref Q2:278-279]
(ii) the Hour & the recompense, the evil burden of those who turn away from The Quran, the Day the Horn will be blown, the blue-eyed criminals, the passing away of the mountains, ...  [ref Q20:14-16, Q20:100-114]
(iii) the release and swarming return of Yajuj and Majuj, known for their corruption, who were contained behind a metallic barrier by Dhu al Qarnayn [ref Q18:98-99, Q21:96]
(iv) the rise of a creature from the Earth, speaking with humans, because the people did not believe in Allah's ayaat / signs [ref Q27:82]

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the seal of the prophets, is the most definite sign of the beginning of end-time prophecies. In Surah Muhammad it states:

فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا السَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُم بَغْتَةً فَقَدْ جَاءَ أَشْرَاطُهَا فَأَنَّىٰ لَهُمْ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَاكُمْ 

Then do they wait but (for) the Hour that it should come to them suddenly? But indeed, have come its indications. Then how to them when has come to them their reminder.
So know that [He] - (there is) no god but Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and the believing women. And Allah knows your movement and your resting places.
[Al-Quran 47:18-19
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Last updated on December 29, 2020