Âurora Borealis
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[Canada, August 12, 2024; Aurora photographed between 12am - 1am]
Northern lights, known as Aurora Borealis, is a spectacle of colours which appear as curtains of light, like when a movie ends and curtains close on the stage ... they appear as faint whitish or greenish, growing stronger and redder, and then fading back. The night sky becomes colourful. At the zenith (directly overhead, top of the sky), there appears a swirl of lights, taking on various shapes. It is a dome of lights radiating all around the sky. A vortex of fluid colours.
The colours are caused by ionisation of gases in the Earth's atmosphere as it experiences a geomagnetic storm. Scientists link it to solar activity, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The Earth is naturally protected by its magnetic field which forms an invisible shield around it. As the atmosphere is hit by a solar wind, these incoming winds ionise the gases in the atmosphere. Different gases give off different lights. Regions near the Earth's magnetic poles are able to witness this spectacular display of dancing colours, fluidly moving across the sky.
The Sun, a creation of Allah, is throwing charged particles, and we are constantly being protected from it. The damage that is being done by it, in the atmosphere, is visible in colours. Now, consider what Surah ar-Rahman mentions about a future event:
فَإِذَا ٱنشَقَّتِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ فَكَانَتْ وَرْدَةًۭ كَٱلدِّهَانِ ٣٧
And when the heaven is split open and becomes rose-colored like oil -
— Saheeh International
When the sky is rent asunder, and it becomes red like ointment:
— A. Yusuf Ali
فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ ٣٨
So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? -
— Saheeh International
Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
— A. Yusuf Ali
[Al-Quran 55:37-38]
In Surah an-Nazi'at, we read a series of abstract statements:
وَٱلنَّـٰزِعَـٰتِ غَرْقًۭا ١
By the forceful chargers
وَٱلنَّـٰشِطَـٰتِ نَشْطًۭا ٢
raring to go,
وَٱلسَّـٰبِحَـٰتِ سَبْحًۭا ٣
sweeping ahead at full stretch,
فَٱلسَّـٰبِقَـٰتِ سَبْقًۭا ٤
overtaking swiftly
فَٱلْمُدَبِّرَٰتِ أَمْرًۭا ٥
to bring the matter to an end,
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ ٱلرَّاجِفَةُ ٦
on the Day when the blast reverberates
تَتْبَعُهَا ٱلرَّادِفَةُ ٧
and the second blast follows,
قُلُوبٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ وَاجِفَةٌ ٨
hearts will tremble
أَبْصَـٰرُهَا خَـٰشِعَةٌۭ ٩
and eyes will be downcast.
يَقُولُونَ أَءِنَّا لَمَرْدُودُونَ فِى ٱلْحَافِرَةِ ١٠
They say, ‘What? shall we be brought back to life,
أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَـٰمًۭا نَّخِرَةًۭ ١١
after we have turned into decayed bones?’ and they say,
قَالُوا۟ تِلْكَ إِذًۭا كَرَّةٌ خَاسِرَةٌۭ ١٢
‘Such a return is impossible!’
فَإِنَّمَا هِىَ زَجْرَةٌۭ وَٰحِدَةٌۭ ١٣
But all it will take is a single blast,
فَإِذَا هُم بِٱلسَّاهِرَةِ ١٤
and they will be back above ground.
[Al-Quran 79:1-14; Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem]
Imagine when Allah splits the sky open and all havoc is let lose upon the Earth. Then, what will be the state of the sky, and who will protect those on Earth from it?
From ancient times till today, sun-worship has been going on. The ancient Egyptians worshipped the Sun, and the modern Japanese people worship the sun. They both believe that their king is a descendant of the Sun. So, it is not out of place that in Surah an-Nazi'at we are informed about the Pharaoh declaring himself as the supreme god, and then being punished for his audacious false claim [Q79:15-26].
Immediately after that, attention is drawn towards the sky:
ءَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ ۚ بَنَىٰهَا ٢٧
Which is harder to create: you people or the sky that He built,
رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا ٢٨
raising it high and perfecting it,
وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا ٢٩
giving darkness to its night and bringing out its morning brightness,
وَٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ ٣٠
and the earth, too, He spread out,
[Al-Quran 79:27-30; Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem]
We have been given a lifetime of free-will and guidance to choose for ourselves how we want to be recompensed, where we would like to spend our eternity, before the overwhelming event arrives. That will be the Day of Recompense.
Thus, Surah an-Nazi'at concludes:
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا ٤٢
They ask you [Prophet] about the Hour,
فِيمَ أَنتَ مِن ذِكْرَىٰهَآ ٤٣
saying, ‘When will it arrive?’, but how can you tell [them that]?
إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ مُنتَهَىٰهَآ ٤٤
Its time is known only to your Lord;
إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰهَا ٤٥
you are only sent to warn those who fear it.
كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوٓا۟ إِلَّا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَىٰهَا ٤٦
On the Day they see it, it will seem they lingered [in this life] an evening [at most,] or its morning.
[Al-Quran 79:42-46; Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem]
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