[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, April 24, 2024

Skin Markings

Hiding with clothes? 


اَلَاۤ اِنَّهُمۡ يَثۡنُوۡنَ صُدُوۡرَهُمۡ لِيَسۡتَخۡفُوۡا مِنۡهُ​ؕ اَلَا حِيۡنَ يَسۡتَغۡشُوۡنَ ثِيَابَهُمۡۙ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّوۡنَ وَمَا يُعۡلِنُوۡنَ​ۚ اِنَّهٗ عَلِيۡمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوۡرِ‏ ٥

Unquestionably, they [i.e., the disbelievers] turn away their breasts to hide themselves from him. Unquestionably, [even] when they cover themselves in their clothing, He [i.e., Allāh] knows what they conceal and what they declare. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.

[Al-Quran 11:5, Translation: Saheeh International]



وَاِنِّىۡ كُلَّمَا دَعَوۡتُهُمۡ لِتَغۡفِرَ لَهُمۡ جَعَلُوۡۤا اَصَابِعَهُمۡ فِىۡۤ اٰذَانِهِمۡ وَاسۡتَغۡشَوۡا ثِيَابَهُمۡ وَاَصَرُّوۡا وَاسۡتَكۡبَرُوا اسۡتِكۡبَارًا​ ۚ‏ ٧

And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance.

[Al-Quran 71:7, Translation: Saheeh International]


Outer garments are known as 'ثِيَابَ', as is clear from Q24:60

Q11:5 makes a general observation about disbelieving people, while Q71:7 quotes Messenger of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ , Noah (Nuh  عليه السلام) as to the response he was getting from the disbelieving people.  

What were they hiding with their outer garments? Something on their skin? Tattoos? There exists evidence of ancient polytheistic people whose mummies are marked with tattoos.  

Abrahamic religions have generally been averse to tattoos, while permitting henna markings. 

Tattoos are permanent marks made in the skin through puncturing it, while henna is a plant-based dye which colours the skin temporarily, and fades naturally in a few days or weeks. 

These days many people are getting tattooed, as a fashion statement. Some eventually try to get it removed after a while. Tattoos have been, and are still being used for a variety of reasons, including rituals, war ink, maturity, rite of passage, decorative, dragons and representation of other mythical characters and animals, Chinese characters, fad and popular culture, with many young people (millennials) getting body art. 

As fashion and fad go, many Believers are questioning if it is permissible or sinful to get tattooed? 

Scholars are unanimous in their consensus that tattooing is sinful and forbidden, to the extent that there exists a Hadith which curses the woman who gets a tattoo, and the one who tattoos: 

حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ أُتِيَ عُمَرُ بِامْرَأَةٍ تَشِمُ فَقَامَ فَقَالَ أَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ مَنْ سَمِعَ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْوَشْمِ فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ فَقُمْتُ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنَا سَمِعْتُ‏.‏ قَالَ مَا سَمِعْتَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ لاَ تَشِمْنَ وَلاَ تَسْتَوْشِمْنَ ‏"‏‏.‏


Narrated Abu Huraira: A woman who used to practise tattooing was brought to `Umar. `Umar got up and said, "I beseech you by Allah, which of you heard the Prophet () saying something about tattooing?" l got up and said, "0 chief of the Believers! l heard something." He said, "What did you hear?" I said, "I heard the Prophet (addressing the ladies), saying, 'Do not practise tattooing and do not get yourselves tattooed.'"

Sahih al-Bukhari 5946

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5946 


Another Hadith links it to Q4:117-123, changing (chemically damaging?) the creation of Allah: 

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبِيدَةُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَعَنَ الْوَاشِمَاتِ وَالْمُسْتَوْشِمَاتِ وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ مُبْتَغِيَاتٍ لِلْحُسْنِ مُغَيِّرَاتٍ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏ وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ شُعْبَةُ وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الأَئِمَّةِ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ ‏.‏

Narrated 'Abdullah: that the Prophet () cursed the women who practice tattooing and those who seek to be tattooed, the women who remove hair from their faces seeking beautification by changing the creation of Allah.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2782

https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2782


حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُقَاتِلٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْوَاصِلَةَ وَالْمُسْتَوْصِلَةَ، وَالْوَاشِمَةَ وَالْمُسْتَوْشِمَةَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ نَافِعٌ الْوَشْمُ فِي اللِّثَةِ‏.‏

Narrated Ibn `Umar: Allah's Messenger () said, "Allah has cursed such a lady as lengthens (her or someone else's) hair artificially or gets it lengthened, and also a lady who tattoos (herself or someone else) or gets herself tattooed

Sahih al-Bukhari 5937

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5937

...

Tatoos

tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes and techniques, including hand-tapped traditional tattoos and modern tattoo machines. The history of tattooing goes back to Neolithic times, practiced across the globe by many cultures, and the symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures.

Tattoos may be decorative (with no specific meaning), symbolic (with a specific meaning to the wearer), pictorial (a depiction of a specific person or item), or textual (words or pictographs from written languages). Many tattoos serve as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, marks of fertility, pledges of love, amulets and talismans, protection, and as punishment, like the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts. Extensive decorative tattooing has also been part of the work of performance artists such as tattooed ladies.

Although tattoo art has existed at least since the first known tattooed person, Ötzi, lived around the year 3330 BC, the way society perceives tattoos has varied immensely throughout history. 

[copied from Wikipedia, Tattoo, as on April 21, 2024]


Some specific reasons

From 1712 to 1717, Joseph François Lafitau, another Jesuit missionary, recorded how Indigenous people were applying tattoos to their skin and developed healing strategies in tattooing the jawline to treat toothaches.[29]: 33–36  Indigenous people had determined that certain nerves that were along the jawline connected to certain teeth, thus by tattooing those nerves, it would stop them from firing signals that led to toothaches.[29]: 35  Some of these early ethnographic accounts questioned the actual practice of tattooing and hypothesized that it could make people sick due to unsanitary approaches.[27]: 145  

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Osage Nation[edit]

The Osage people used tattooing for a variety of different reasons. The tattoo designs were based on the belief that people were part of the larger cycle of life and integrated elements of the land, sky, water, and the space in between to symbolize these beliefs.[35]: 222–228  In addition, the Osage People believed in the smaller cycle of life, recognizing the importance of women giving life through childbirth and men removing life through warfare.[35]: 216  Osage men were often tattooed after accomplishing major feats in battle, as a visual and physical reminder of their elevated status in their community.[35]: 223  Some Osage women were tattooed in public as a form of a prayer, demonstrating strength and dedication to their nation.[35]: 223  

[copied from Wikipedia, History of tattooing, as on April 21, 2024]

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Videos with transcript:

https://www.britannica.com/video/187012/permanency-pigments-tattoos-composition-some 

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Henna Art:

Henna is a reddish dye prepared from the dried and powdered leaves of the henna tree.[1] It has been used since at least the ancient Egyptian period as a hair and body dye, notably in the temporary body art of mehndi (or "henna tattoo") resulting from the staining of the skin using dyes from the henna plant. After henna stains reach their peak colour, they hold for a few days, then gradually wear off by way of exfoliation, typically within one to three weeks.

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The acceptance and use of henna for beautification in different parts of the world for centuries created an impact on the countries of the Anglosphere that started using it to design tattoos.[further explanation needed]

 

[copied from Wikipedia, Henna, as on April 21, 2024]

 

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For Q4:117-123, changing (chemically damaging?) the creation of Allah, read Natural Biology of Procreation.  


Saturday, April 20, 2024

Moon, Magic, and Envy

...

قُلۡ اَعُوۡذُ بِرَبِّ الۡفَلَقِۙ‏ ١

مِنۡ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَۙ‏ ٢

وَمِنۡ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ اِذَا وَقَبَۙ‏ ٣

وَمِنۡ شَرِّ النَّفّٰثٰتِ فِى الۡعُقَدِۙ‏ ٤

وَمِنۡ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ اِذَا حَسَدَ‏ ٥

[Al-Quran 113, 1-5]


Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ is the cleaver of daybreak, separating the night from the day, every morning, at Fajr. Just like He cleaves the seed in the darkness under the soil, so he cleaves the mornings from the darkness of the nights: 

Screenshot from corpus.quran.com

Surah al-Falaq is the second last surah of The Quran. It is a prayer seeking the protection of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ from the شَرِّ of all creatures. The word شَرِّ is generally translated as 'evil', as can be seen from this portion of the search result for شَرِّ

Screenshot from corpus.quran.com


Q72:10 uses أَشَرٌّ as the opposite of رَشَدًا (legally correct). 

Q76:7 and Q76:10 mention the evil of that day (The Day of Recompense) 

Q98:6 states that the rejectors from the People of the Book, and the polytheists,  are the worst of creatures (شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ). That is because they are not sincere to the Standing Law of Recompense (98:5 ... (لِيَعۡبُدُوا اللّٰهَ  مُخۡلِصِيۡنَ لَـهُ الدِّيۡنَ حُنَفَآءَ وَيُقِيۡمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَيُؤۡتُوا الزَّكٰوةَ وَذٰلِكَ دِيۡنُ الۡقَيِّمَةِ ؕ‏ ٥)).

Q99:8 states that every tiny bit of evil committed by anyone will be seen (وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ). Q99 is about the earthquake when the earth will throw up and chronicle everything ever done, whether good (خَيۡرًا) or bad (شَرًّا), every act will be seen, and nothing will remain hidden. 

Q113 seeks the protection of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ from the شَرِّ of all creatures, in general, and specifically from the شَرِّ of the three mentioned in the subsequent three ayaat: Q113:3, Q113:4, and Q113:5 

...



وَمِنۡ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ اِذَا وَقَبَۙ‏  (Moon) 

According to a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ , Q113:3 seeks protection from the Moon when it hides. Surah Al-Qiyamah mentions the unique eclipse when the Moon will be eclipsed (وَخَسَفَ الۡقَمَرُۙ‏ ٨), before being joined with the Sun. 

As noted above, Q76:7 and Q76:10 mention the evil of that day (The Day of Recompense), and Q99:8 states that every tiny bit of evil committed by anyone will be seen (وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ). So, we need to invoke Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ 's protection from the evil consequences of our actions on the Day when only the Mercy of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ will be the only protection.  

... 



وَمِنۡ شَرِّ النَّفّٰثٰتِ فِى الۡعُقَدِۙ (Magic) 

The word النَّفّٰثٰتِ is used only once in The Quran, and no other word from this root is used. So, exploring its meaning in Lane's Lexicon, the apparent meaning is basically to blow from the mouth, with or without the spit. So, this ayat is a prayer for protection from those who spit on الۡعُقَدِۙ . 

The meanings of الۡعُقَدِۙ are pledge, knot, contracts: 

Screenshot from corpus.quran.com

Q2:235 and Q2:237 use it for marriage contracts (عُقْدَةَ النِّكَاحِ). 

Q4:33, Q5:1, and Q5:89 use it generally for all contracted oaths, though Q4:33 is probably about family contracts, as it is about inheritance. Notice that Q4:33 and Q5:89 link rights with oaths (الْأَيْمَانَ) contracted, using the same root for right and oaths (ي م ن), while Q5:1 links faith / belief (root أ م ن) with fulfilling contracted oaths. 

Q20:27 is about the knot in the tongue or speech, as the word لِسَان is used for both tongue and speech. There are people whose ability is speak is normal, but they cannot express themselves clearly, and then there are people who stutter, so either of the meaning could apply. 

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From the story of Harut and Marut of Babylon (Q2:102), we know that the people used to learn the magic of how to create separation between man and his wife (Q2:101, 102, 103). 

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وَمِنۡ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ اِذَا حَسَدَ‏ (Envy) 

The Quran uses the root ح س د five times only: 








Screenshot from corpus.quran.com

Q2:109 is about the envy of the People of the Book 

Q4:54 is also about the envy of some of the People of the Book, specifically about those mentioned in [(Q4:51 (يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡجِبۡتِ وَالطَّاغُوۡتِ)), ... they believe in sorcery and evil... ; Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali]. 

Q48:15 is about those who didn't participate in the war being envious/jealous of those who participated and therefore receive the spoils of war as part of the compensation promised to them for their participation. 

Q113:5 is about the envy of the envier when he envies. 

The People of the Book are envious of the Muslims. We see that playing out on the world stage, overtly and covertly, across the centuries, and the current war in the Middle East is a glaring example.   

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References & Links

https://islamicstudies.info/quran/ishraq.php?sura=113 

https://quranstruelight.com/the-translated-verses/chapter-113-al-falaq-the-daybreak 

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Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad about the Moon 

 وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَظَرَ إِلَى الْقَمَرِ فَقَالَ: «يَا عَائِشَةُ اسْتَعِيذِي بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شَرِّ هَذَا فَإِنَّ هَذَا هُوَ الْغَاسِقُ إِذا وَقب» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

‘A’isha told of the Prophet looking at the moon and saying, “Seek refuge in God from the evil of this one, ‘A'isha, for this is the darkness when it overspreads.” 2  

2. cf. Qur’an, cxiii, 3. The tradition is said to refer to the moon being eclipsed.

Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Mishkat al-Masabih 2475

https://sunnah.com/mishkat:2475 


A study about The Unique Eclipse mentioned in Surah Al-Qiyamah 

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Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad  about Satan tying knots

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَخِي، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ يَعْقِدُ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى قَافِيَةِ رَأْسِ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا هُوَ نَامَ ثَلاَثَ عُقَدٍ، يَضْرِبُ كُلَّ عُقْدَةٍ مَكَانَهَا عَلَيْكَ لَيْلٌ طَوِيلٌ فَارْقُدْ‏.‏ فَإِنِ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِنْ صَلَّى انْحَلَّتْ عُقَدُهُ كُلُّهَا، فَأَصْبَحَ نَشِيطًا طَيِّبَ النَّفْسِ، وَإِلاَّ أَصْبَحَ خَبِيثَ النَّفْسِ كَسْلاَنَ ‏"‏‏.‏
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger () said, "During your sleep, Satan knots three knots at the back of the head of each of you, and he breathes the following words at each knot, 'The night is, long, so keep on sleeping,' If that person wakes up and celebrates the praises of Allah, then one knot is undone, and when he performs ablution the second knot is undone, and when he prays, all the knots are undone, and he gets up in the morning lively and in good spirits, otherwise he gets up in low spirits and lethargic."
Sahih al-Bukhari 3269
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3269


Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad   about Iblis and his troops causing separation between man and wife:  

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ إِبْلِيسَ يَضَعُ عَرْشَهُ عَلَى المَاء ثمَّ يبْعَث سراياه فَأَدْنَاهُمْ مِنْهُ مَنْزِلَةً أَعْظَمُهُمْ فِتْنَةً يَجِيءُ أَحَدُهُمْ فَيَقُولُ فَعَلَتُ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَيَقُولُ مَا صَنَعْتَ شَيْئًا قَالَ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ أَحَدُهُمْ فَيَقُولُ مَا تَرَكَتُهُ حَتَّى فَرَّقَتْ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ امْرَأَتِهِ قَالَ فَيُدْنِيهِ مِنْهُ وَيَقُولُ نَعَمْ أَنْتَ قَالَ الْأَعْمَشُ أرَاهُ قَالَ «فيلتزمه» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, "Iblis sets his throne on the water, then sends forth his detachments to tempt mankind, the one who is nearest him in station being the one who can cause the severest temptation. One of them comes and says, ‘I have done such and such,’ but he replies, ‘You have done nothing.’ Then one of them comes and says; ‘I did not leave him till I separated him from his wife.’ He then brings him near to himself saying, ‘What a fine fellow you are!' ” A'mash said he thought he said, "Then he embraces him.”

Muslim transmitted it.

Mishkat al-Masabih 71

https://sunnah.com/mishkat:71

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Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad about seeking refuge from the Evil Eye

أَخْبَرَنَا هِلاَلُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّادٌ، عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَعَوَّذُ مِنْ عَيْنِ الْجَانِّ وَعَيْنِ الإِنْسِ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَتِ الْمُعَوِّذَتَانِ أَخَذَ بِهِمَا وَتَرَكَ مَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ ‏.‏

It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed said: "The Messenger of Allah [SAW] used to seek refuge from the evil eye of the Jinn and the evil eye of humans. When Al-Mu'awwadhatan were revealed, he started to recite them and stopped reciting anything else."

Sunan an-Nasa'i 5494

https://sunnah.com/nasai:5494

Note: The last two surahs of The Quran (Q113 & Q114) are referred to as Al-Mu'awwadhatan. 

 

Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad about envy of the Jews

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَارِثِ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُهَيْلُ بْنُ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَا حَسَدَتْكُمُ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَىْءٍ مَا حَسَدَتْكُمْ عَلَى السَّلاَمِ وَالتَّأْمِينِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated from ‘Aishah that the Prophet () said: “The Jews do not envy you for anything more than they envy you for the Salam and (saying) ‘Amin’.”

Sunan Ibn Majah 856

https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:856



Wikipedia on Practical KabbalahHasidHasideansHasidic JudaismMagic and religion


Lexicon entry on ن ف ث :

Click images to enlarge
Screenshots from Lane's Lexicon


Some musings on Magic in this blog:

Magic 

Gog Magog & The City that will Return 

The Devils among The Angels & The Khilafat of Adam 

The Shuar & The Achuar (الشُّعَرَاءُ) 

Spirits and spirituality 


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Last updated on: April 21, 2024

Sunday, April 7, 2024

The Calculation & The Estimation of Time

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فَالِقُ الۡاِصۡبَاحِ​ۚ وَ جَعَلَ الَّيۡلَ سَكَنًا وَّالشَّمۡسَ وَالۡقَمَرَ حُسۡبَانًا​ ؕ ذٰلِكَ تَقۡدِيۡرُ الۡعَزِيۡزِ الۡعَلِيۡمِ‏ ٩٦

He causes the dawn to break, and has made the night for rest and ˹made˺ the sun and the moon ˹to travel˺ with precision. That is the design of the Almighty, All-Knowing.

[Al-Quran 6:96, Translation: Dr Mustafa Khattab]

Allah causes the dawn to break, indicated by the white thread of day distinct from the black thread of night, even though its very dark, and those not observing the eastern horizon wouldn't know for a while that morning has already commenced. 

اِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللّٰهُ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضَ فِىۡ سِتَّةِ اَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسۡتَوٰى عَلَى الۡعَرۡشِ يُغۡشِى الَّيۡلَ النَّهَارَ يَطۡلُبُهٗ حَثِيۡثًا ۙ وَّالشَّمۡسَ وَالۡقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُوۡمَ مُسَخَّرٰتٍۢ بِاَمۡرِهٖ ؕ اَلَا لَـهُ الۡخَـلۡقُ وَالۡاَمۡرُ​ ؕ تَبٰرَكَ اللّٰهُ رَبُّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏ ٥٤

Indeed your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then established Himself on the Throne. He makes the day and night overlap in rapid succession. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars—all subjected by His command. The creation and the command belong to Him ˹alone˺. Blessed is Allah—Lord of all worlds!

[Al-Quran 7:54, Translation: Dr Mustafa Khattab]

The precision with which night and day overlap and follow each other has enabled humans to calculate time with precision, in advance, for the whole year. 

اِنَّ فِى اخۡتِلَافِ الَّيۡلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللّٰهُ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّـقَوۡمٍ يَّتَّقُوۡنَ‏ ٦

Surely in the alternation of the day and the night, and in all that Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are truly signs for those mindful ˹of Him˺.

[Al-Quran 10:6, Translation: Dr Mustafa Khattab]

Isn't it amazing how punctual the night and day are, each overlapping and overtaking the other with such precision, without a moment's delay, that we can sync our clocks with it. 

Why is it important to understand the Quranic facts about natural phenomenon which help clarify our concepts and calculations of time? Prayer times depend on observation of natural phenomena. Moreover, in the future, we have been informed that time will dilate. A day will be equal to a year. Will we pray only five times that year, that is once every two months? According to this excerpt, full Hadith quoted below, attributed to Prophet Muhammad  , when the Companions رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ heard about it, they asked about the prayers. They were instructed to estimate and maintain the prayers: 

.‏ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا لُبْثُهُ فِي الأَرْضِ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَرْبَعُونَ يَوْمًا يَوْمٌ كَسَنَةٍ وَيَوْمٌ كَشَهْرٍ وَيَوْمٌ كَجُمُعَةٍ وَسَائِرُ أَيَّامِهِ كَأَيَّامِكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَسَنَةٍ تَكْفِينَا فِيهِ صَلاَةُ يَوْمٍ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَاقْدُرُوا لَهُ قَدْرًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ 

We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, how long will he stay on earth?' He said: 'Forty days, one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a week, and the rest of his days like your days.' We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, on that day which is like a year, will the prayers of one day suffice us?' He said: 'Make an estimate of time (and then observe prayer).' 

[Excerpt from Sunan Ibn Majah 4075]

How then do we estimate the time of prayers? Presently, we calculate the time of the obligatory five prayers according to the break of dawn (fajr), the beginning of the decline of the sun immediately after it has passed overhead (zuhr), when the shadow of an object equals its height or is twice as long (asr), sunset (magrib) and when the night completely covers the red, or even the white twilight (isha). 

So, how do we then estimate the time of prayers, when the size of a day increases from the present twenty-four hour day, three hundred and sixty-five days in a solar year, that we are used to? Are there any examples? 

Our polar regions experience a day and night equalling one year. That is, half the year the Sun is rising and slowly spiralling up towards its highest point in the sky, and then spirals down back towards the horizon, to eventually disappear below the horizon at the equinox, for six months, till the next equinox. When it is night at the North Pole, it is daytime at the South Pole, and when it is night at the South Pole, it is daytime at the North Pole. 

Muslims living in or near the polar regions thus have been contemplating, calculating and estimating prayer times. For example: 

https://www.amjaonline.org/fatwa/en/21730/polar-prayer-times-fasting 

https://www.islam21c.com/ramadan-1443/a-modern-misunderstanding-of-fajr/ 

https://slife.org/salah-in-polar-regions/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_the_Arctic 

Moreover, some of the People of the Book, i.e. Jews and Christians, also live north of the Arctic Circle.   


Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Humans & The Human Condition

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يٰۤـاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوۡا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَكُمۡ مِّنۡ نَّفۡسٍ وَّاحِدَةٍ وَّخَلَقَ مِنۡهَا زَوۡجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنۡهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيۡرًا وَّنِسَآءً​ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ الَّذِىۡ تَسَآءَلُوۡنَ بِهٖ وَالۡاَرۡحَامَ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ رَقِيۡبًا‏ ١

O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allāh, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allāh is ever, over you, an Observer.

— Saheeh International

O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward the wombs (that bore you). Lo! Allah hath been a watcher over you.

— M. Pickthall

[Al-Quran 4:1]

...

فَاَقِمۡ وَجۡهَكَ لِلدِّيۡنِ حَنِيۡفًا ​ؕ فِطۡرَتَ اللّٰهِ الَّتِىۡ فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيۡهَا ​ؕ لَا تَبۡدِيۡلَ لِخَـلۡقِ اللّٰهِ​ ؕ ذٰ لِكَ الدِّيۡنُ الۡقَيِّمُ ۙ  وَلٰـكِنَّ اَكۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ۙ ‏ ٣٠

So stand facing the Deen-e-Hanif; the Fitrat of Allah upon which He has separated / natured humans; no change in the creation of Allah; that is the standing Deen (religion / law of recompense), but most humans do not know. 

[Al-Quran 30:30]

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لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا الۡاِنۡسَانَ فِىۡۤ اَحۡسَنِ تَقۡوِيۡمٍ‏ ٤ ثُمَّ رَدَدۡنٰهُ اَسۡفَلَ سَافِلِيۡنَۙ‏ ٥

4 Certainly, we created the human in the best of standing 

5 Then, we returned him to the lowest of the low

[Al-Quran 98:4-5]

... 

My learnings from Genesis 1 26-28

Humans were created to rule over the creatures of the Earth 

Humans were created by God, in His Likeness, He created them male and female  

Humans were created by God on the sixth day, the last of the six days of creation  


My learnings from The Quran

Allah created the first humans from a single Nafs (soul), and from them many humans were created through the natural process of human procreation, in the wombs of the female humans (Q4:1) 

All good and bad is from Allah, but all bad is actually due to our nafs (Q4:78-79) 

Allah created humans after His Own Fitrat (nature || separation from other creatures?) (Q30:30) 

Allah created Adam with His Own Two Hands (Q38:75) 

Humans were created in the best of standing (Q98:4) 

Humans were returned to the lowest of the low (Q98:5) 

Adam and his wife were tried with the forbidden tree in The Garden (Q2:35, Q7:20, Q20:120) 

Adam and his wife admitted that they had done Zulm (wrong / darkness) on their nafs (Q7:22-23) 

Adam and his wife lost their external cover and clothing (Q2:36, 7:22, 7:27, Q20:121) 

Bani Adam have inherited this loss (we are not naturally covered or clothed the way almost all other creatures are) 

Bani Adam have been provided clothing to cover their nakedness, and to adorn them (Q7:26) 

Fahishatan (nakedness / immorality) is not part of Allah's decrees. Allah never commands it (Q7:28) 

Qist (equitable justice) has been ordered by Allah. He has commanded sincerity to the Deen, and that we will be created as we were created originally (Q7:29) 

Bani Adam are commanded to adorn themselves with what beautifies them at every masjid (place / time of prostration), without indulging in israaf (excessiveness / wastefulness) (Q7:31-32) 

We, and our souls, are in pledge for what we earn (Q52:21, Q74:38) 


What is critical for us to understand from the above is that the human condition that we find ourselves in, prone to diseases and many other troubles and travails, internal and external, are due to our fallen nature. Allah does not hold the progeny of Adam responsible for the sin and consequent fall of Adam, but He does want us to take responsibility for our own actions, and thus willingly adhere to the Deen (Law of Recompense), so that when we are recreated by Allah in our original forms, we are allowed to enter the Gardens promised by Allah to all those who believe and do acts of reform. May we not be of those criminals who will be tried with the Tree of Zaqqum, which grows from the bottom of Hell. May we not be of those permanently removed from Allah's Mercy. 




Previous Learnings: 

Until The Camel Passes Through The Eye Of The Needle 

Rust Upon Their Hearts 

Lying Sinful Forelock 

Teleology: A purpose-built Universe? 

Divine Will and Human Free Will  

The First Humans 

Orientation: Right or Left 

Fuel of Hell: Humans and Stones 

World Hunger & Slavery 

World History & Future Implications 

Virgin Birth 

Adam's Attempt to Improve upon Allah's Creation 

Immortality & A Kingdom that Never Decays 

Days of Allah 

Long Life – Reversed in Creation 

Guarding the Womb 

Wronging the Nafs 

The Right Religion (Deen) 

Human: Body or Soul? 

Adam Facts 

The Hajj 

Lessons in Surah al-Kahf 

Disease  

Cure 

Death & The Pursuit of Immortality 

Humans: Extinct & Extant  

The Cursed Tree 

Tears of Joy 

The Same Religion (الدِّينِ) 

Prayer & Remembrance of God 

The Creation & Emergence of Species 

Jinn-Human Hybrids 

The Evil of the الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ 

To Forget the Meeting with Allah 

Acknowledging the Perfection of our Lord 

Natural Clothing 

The Case against the Bani Israel 

The Hikmat (الْحِكْمَةَ) 

Seeking the Face of Allah 

When Allah Comes 

Fate, Deeds, Omens & The Mercy of Allah 

Our Record in Our Neck 

The Devils among The Angels & The Khilafat of Adam 

Signs of Allah 

Gratitude Reminders 

Non-Living & Living 

The Torah & The Quran 

Polytheism: The Sin committed by The First Human Couple 

The Night: A Sign! 

... and Join Me with The Reformed 

Prayers - The Need for Allah's Help 

Their Descendants from Their Backs 

The Quran: Shifa & Guidance for The Believers 

Nafs 

The Hardware & The Software 

Shackles in The Neck 

Joseph's قَمِيصَ (Shirt / Jacket) 

No ilah but Allah لا إله إلا الله 

Q2 30-39 || Q12 

Q7 10-36 || Q12 

Q18 50-51 || Q12 

The Nafs of The Insaan 

Major Sins & True Repentance 

Abortions & Family Planning 

The Clothing that Covers 

Human Devolution  

Natural Biology of Procreation 

Pregnancies mentioned in The Quran 

Gullet / امْرِئٍ  

Nafs / نَفْسُ 

Ruh / رُوحُ 

Body / بَدَنِ / جَسَدًا / سَوْءَةَ 

Snails, Slugs & The Devolution of Adam 

Act(s) of Reform (عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ and عَمِلَ صَالِحًا) 

Soul Mates 

With His Hands 

The Example of The Mosquito 

The Death of The Soul 

Adam & Job 


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