The Ancient House
ثُمَّ لۡيَـقۡضُوۡا تَفَثَهُمۡ وَلۡيُوۡفُوۡا نُذُوۡرَهُمۡ وَلۡيَطَّوَّفُوۡا بِالۡبَيۡتِ الۡعَتِيۡقِ ٢٩
Then let them end their untidiness and fulfill their vows and perform ṭawāf around the ancient House."
...
لَـكُمۡ فِيۡهَا مَنَافِعُ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ثُمَّ مَحِلُّهَاۤ اِلَى الۡبَيۡتِ الۡعَتِيۡقِ ٣٣
For you therein [i.e., the animals marked for sacrifice] are benefits for a specified term; then their place of sacrifice is at the ancient House.
[Al-Quran 22:29,..., 33, Translation: Saheeh International]
Searching across The Quran for the word 'الۡعَتِيۡقِ' , one realises that these are the only two ayaat where this word has been used, exclusively for Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى 's house, and is translated as ancient. The root letters are ع ت ق .There are no other words with this root. The rest of the words translated as ancient are from other root words. Search results for ancient || old.
In Q2:125 (طَهِّرَا بَيۡتِىَ) and Q22:26 (طَهِّرۡ بَيۡتِىَ) we read that Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) is commanded by Allah to purify 'My House'.
The Ancient of Days
In the Book of Daniel, we come across a term: the Ancient of Days. This phrase refers to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى , and is a composite of two words: Ancient (Atik) and Days (yom). To quote from a Christian study of the term:
...
“The Ancient of Days” in its original linguistic form is Aramaic (Dan 2:4b – 7:28 are written in Aramaic), which is “atik yomin” with the Hebrew equivalent: עַתִּיק יֹומִין
There are two parts to this name: Ancient and Days
“Ancient” is an adjective meaning “advanced, aged”. (Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon)
“Days” is a plural noun meaning “a duration of time”. (BDB)
...
Daniel describes his vision of end times as when the thrones are set up and The Ancient of Days takes His Place, and a Judgement is made (Daniel 7:9, 7:13, 7:22).
The Quran, in the ayaat concluding the twenty-fifth ruku (Q2:197-210), which is about pilgrimage to the ancient house, with a focus on the types of pilgrims, also questions thus:
هَلۡ يَنۡظُرُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ يَّاۡتِيَهُمُ اللّٰهُ فِىۡ ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الۡغَمَامِ وَالۡمَلٰٓٮِٕکَةُ وَقُضِىَ الۡاَمۡرُؕ وَاِلَى اللّٰهِ تُرۡجَعُ الۡاُمُوۡرُ ٢١٠
Do they await but that Allāh should come to them in covers of clouds and the angels [as well] and the matter is [then] decided? And to Allāh [all] matters are returned.
[Al-Quran 2:210, Translation: Saheeh International]
Days, the concept of
The Quran and The Bible, both inform us that Allah created the earth and skies in six days.
Regarding end times also, we read about 'The Day ... '.
Moreover, in Q9:36, we read that the months of the year are twelve since the day Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى created the skies and earth, of which four are sacred. ... so the years and months are a system of measurement in this created world, while the concept of day is ancient to the calendar, and also ancient to the creation of the skies and earth.
...
Related Posts
Length of a Day: variable or fixed?
Wronging the Nafs - III (The Calendar)
Creation of Space & Time, and The Deen
No comments:
Post a Comment