﻿ RAMADAN 2004 - The 17th Day

RAMADAN 2004 - The 17th Day

Enlarge video

If you were to follow the common run of those on this earth,
they would lead you away from the way of Allah.
They follow nothing but conjecture:
they do nothing but lie.

(Surat al-An'am: 116)
Allah has revealed to me that you must be humble,
so that no one boasts over another,
or oppresses another.


The Geminid meteor shower is observed at its highest intensity in the second week of December each year. The short lines in the photograph to the side are traces belonging to stars; the long ones belong to meteors. The meteors in the shower seen in the picture fall at a density of up to 58 per hour.

Here, the Arabic word for the sky is “assamaa binaan.” As well as the meaning of “dome” or “ceiling,” this also describes a kind of tent-like covering used by the Bedouin. What is being emphasised here, through mention of a tent-like structure, is a form of protection against external elements.


The protective property of the atmosphere we discussed in the preceding section protects the Earth from space—in other words, from external elements. With the word “dome,” referring to the sky in the above verse, attention is drawn to this aspect of the sky, which could not possibly have been known at the time of our Prophet (saas). The fact that this information was imparted 1,400 years ago in the Qur’an, when there were no spacecraft or giant telescopes, shows that the Qur’an is the revelation of our Lord, the Omniscient.
[I swear] by Heaven which returns. (Qur’an, 86:11)
The troposphere, 13 to 15 kilometres above the Earth, enables water vapour rising from the surface of the Earth to be condensed and turned back as rain. The ozone layer, the lower layer of stratosphere at an altitude of 25 kilometres, reflects harmful radiation and ultraviolet light coming from space and turns both back into space.


The fact that this property of the atmosphere's layers, that was only demonstrated in the recent past was announced centuries ago in the Qur'an, once again proves that the Qur’an is Allah’s Word.
Dhu'l-Qarnayn (as)
They will ask you about Dhu'l-Qarnayn. Say: 'I will tell you something about him that is worthy of remembrance and mention.' (Surat al-Kahf, 83)
Throughout history, many scholars have interpreted the narrative of Dhu'l-Qarnayn in many ways. The verse says that it was revealed to remind Muslims and is connected with the revelations of hidden meanings and reasons.
Dhu'l-Qarnayn (as) had power and was enlightened
We gave him power and authority on Earth, and granted him a way to everything. So he followed a way. (Surat al-Kahf, 84-85)
From these verses, we understand that Dhu'l-Qarnayn's country is away from problems. In other words, his rule is solid, rational, and strong.
'We granted him a way to everything' suggests that Dhu'l-Qarnayn (as) was given the ability to solve every problem, which means that he was a very intelligent, sagacious, and perceptive Muslim. With these Allah-given faculties, he solved all complex issues quickly and removed the obstacles.
Dhu'l-Qarnayn (as) was also a spiritual guide
He (Dhu'l-Qarnayn) said: 'As for those who do wrong, we will punish them. Then they will be returned to their Lord, and He will punish them with a dreadful punishment. But as for him who believes and acts rightly, he will receive the best of rewards, and we will issue a command, making things easy for him." (Surat al-Kahf: 87-88)
When Dhu'l-Qarnayn (as) spoke, he reminded his people of Allah and the Hereafter. He spoke in a Muslim manner. From the expressions used in the verse, we understand that he was a Muslim leader who ruled a Muslim nation.
Dhu'l-Qarnayn (as) proceeded straight away to call the people he met to believe in Allah, devotion, the good deeds prescribed by the Qur'an, and to perform the prayers and acts of worship. He drew their attention, in order to encourage them, to the rewards that they are promised in this world and the next, and thus called them to faith.

It is frequently claimed that Darwinism is central to modern biology. On the contrary, if all references to Darwinism suddenly disappeared, biology would remain substantially unchanged… (G. W. Harper, "Alternatives to Evolution,” School Science Review, vol. 61, September 1979, p. 26)

One of the manners of speech which is the most effective is that which is sincere, because, as with words that are wise, sincere speech attains the heart and conscience of the listener directly. It is in a human beings' nature to be prone to the effects of sincerity. Sincere speech aids people to see the truth of an idea which they had till then not believed in, which they would not have tolerated, and which, therefore, they would have opposed and refused to evaluate objectively. It encourages the listener to also think sincerely, as well as to judge and speak sincerely. Compared to one who speaks sincerely, the insincerity of one who makes flowery speeches with much affectation is immediately recognizable. Indeed, often, people see that speaking insincerely only works against the person.
One of the more important characteristics of those who speak sincerely is that they take refuge in Allah, with no attempt to elaborate their speech in some peculiar way. Sincere speech reflects the honest feelings of a person. If there is a defect or some corruption in that person, then admitting to it honestly is also a sign of sincere speech. Those who speak sincerely present themselves as they are; they do not attempt to present themselves as good if they are bad, or if they are good to conceal the fact, or to give a different impression of what they are to those around them.
Even if they have not been introduced to those they speak to, their sincere manner of speaking makes the introduction on their behalf. Their tone of voice, their emphases, the words they select, the structure of their logic, their honest and objective approach to events, their natural manner of speaking purified from artificiality, their avoidance of seeking to please people, and their determined refusal to avoid telling the truth provide proof of their sincerity to their audience.
Speaking sincerely is a great comfort, both to the speakers, and to the listeners; the speakers experience the peace of saying what comes from their heart, without worry, because they are devoted to Allah, while the listeners experience the confidence of trusting sincere, well-intentioned and honest people, and acting upon their truthfulness. Whatever happens, they know these people are concealing no ill-will, and are certain of the honesty of their advice or criticism.
In the Qur'an, those who describe themselves as believers but who, in truth, do not believe, are referred to as "hypocrites." Although they are invited to belief, the fact that they remain bound to the life of this world, and have adopted a way of life contrary to the morality of the Qur'an leads these hypocrites to adopt an insincere way of speaking, because there is a profound difference between their true sentiments and the ones they try to show to the faithful.
Hypocrites interpret the Qur'an in a corrupt manner. This distorted logic is also reflected in their speech. They interpret the verses of the Qur'an according to their own desires and passions. However, such ways of speaking are a sign of their true selves. This situation, which is highlighted in this verse of the Qur'an, "If We wished, We would show them to you and you would know them by their mark and know them by their ambivalent speech. Allah knows your actions." (Surah Muhammad: 30) is a help to believers from Allah. In this way, the faithful may recognize the insincere who are trying to infiltrate themselves amongst them.

Sometimes, hypocrites try to make their insincere speech seem reasonable by ornamenting it. But when examined closely, it can be seen that this is a Satanic form of speech which only encourages further insincerity:

When you see them, their outward form appeals to you, and if they speak you listen to what they say. But they are like propped-up planks of wood. They imagine every cry to be against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. Allah fight them! How they are perverted! (Surat al-Munafiqun: 4)
Muslims immediately detect the way of speaking of insincere people and carefully avoid speaking in a similar way.
However, if some of the faithful behave like hypocrites, this does not definitely establish that they are hypocrites. Believers are progressively educated throughout their lives. During that time, they may make many mistakes or behave wrongly, and of these mistakes may be some similar to those of hypocrites. However, what is important is for those believers to be able to see their mistakes, and correct them and to achieve a level of morality by which they will not repeat the same errors. That one feels a sincere regret and changes one's behavior, in keeping with the Qur'an, shows that he or she has purified himself and sought to act sincerely. If hypocrisy in speech is stubbornly adhered to, however, that is a very different matter.
The Beneficent; The All-Good


Religion is best conveyed to a person by communicating it both verbally and physically. By explaining the religion’s commands and the Qur’an’s morals, and then living according to them, those who are not yet believers can grasp the truth’s meaning far more accurately. Since sincerity is measured by the consistency of a person’s words with his or her actual actions, the sincerity of the conveyor significantly helps the person to perceive the beauty of religion.
For example, if the person explains why self-sacrifice is a virtuous action and, on the other hand, exhibits selfishness, this will diminish the effect of his or her words and raise serious doubts about that person’s sincerity. However, if a person displays good morals and invites other people to do the same, they will form a strong opinion about that person’s sincerity and observe how the good morals that he or she mentions can be practiced in daily life. Likewise, if the person explaining modesty displays it in his or her actions, it becomes the best way to spread the religion. Allah reminds believers to do what they tell other people to do:
By Harun Yahya
Jesus, whom God supported with superior wisdom, is set apart from the other Prophets in several aspects, among them that he spoke even in the cradle, and that he was the vehicle for countless miracles while he was in this world. That his status is different also can be deduced from the fact that he was raised to God's presence and that the Qur'an indicates strongly his second coming.
Jesus' second coming is a very great gift of God for all humanity. For the first time ever in their lives, all people alive at that time will see a Prophet of superior human qualities.
While reading this book, the reader will come to know of Jesus’ miraculous life and realize that we live in a very special time. Given that his second coming will be an extraordinary, miraculous, and metaphysical event that will affect the whole world, all believers should prepare and mobilize to welcome him in the best possible way.




2005-07-05 07:23:41
© 1994 Harun Yahya. www.harunyahya.com - info@harunyahya.com