General Issues / Questions

ALIENS IN THE QURAN Introduction On 7th August 1996,NASA (1) scientists made an announcement that made front page headlines throughout the world.Within a Martian meteorite,they had found evidence of a microscopic lifeform that may have existed on Mars more than three billion years ago. (2) Although other studies were later published which challenged this conclusion, (3) numerous recent discoveries,for example,the discovery by the Galileo spacecraft, (4) in February 1997,of a possible red-coloured sea under the ice crust of Jupiter's moon,Europa, (5) are raising hopes that we may soon be able to get an answer to one of the oldest and most interesting questions asked by humans-"Is anyone out there,or are we alone in the universe?" However,it may be that none of us may live to see the day when scientists will give us a definitive answer to this question.For Muslims,that should not be a problem.We already have the answer.Although many Muslims are unaware of the fact,the Quran (6) explicitly mentions the existence of extraterrestrial life. The existence of creatures of a spiritual nature,such as angels,in the universe,is accepted as a fact by all Muslims,as well as people of other religions, such as Christians.The point that generates excitement among the public,and scientists is the question of whether material lifeforms like ourselves,which can be found by science,do actually exist outside the earth. (7) The objective of this article is to present evidence from the Quran for the existence in the universe,of MATERIAL lifeforms ("Life as we know it&quot. "Dabbatun" In Sura 42,Verse 29 (4229) of the Quran,we are told, "Among His (God's) signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth,and the living creatures that He has scattered through them and He has power to gather them together when He wills." ( Before proceeding further,a point or two must be noted.The word "sama",translated "heavens",is also the Arabic for "sky".One may object that the verse refers to creatures in the sky (which would be birds),not in the heavens.However,birds are mentioned seperately from creatures of the heavens in 2441, "Seest thou not that it is God Whose praise all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate,and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread?..." (9) In a note to 42;29,Muhammad Asad states,"In the Quran,the expression "the heavens and earth" invariably denotes the universe in its entireity." (10) The Quran mentions that inanimate objects also worship God"Do they not look at God's creation, (even) among (inanimate) things- how their (very) shadows turn round,from right to left,prostrating themselves to God..."(164. (11) Therefore,may not the creatures spoken of in 4229 in the heavens,be inanimate creatures of God.No.The next verse,1649 goes, "And to God doth obeisance all that is in the heavens and earth,whether moving (living) creatures or the angels...". (12) The word translated "living creatures" here is the same as that in 4229- "Dabbatun".Comments Asad,"The word dabbah denotes any sentient,corporeal being capable of spontaneous movement and is contrasted here with the non-corporeal,spiritual beings designated as "angels" ". (13) In other words,4229 is referring to precisely the type of lifeforms that science is searching for,not some metaphysical entities.Yusuf Ali says,"Dabbatunbeasts,living,crawling creatures of all kind." (14) This is the same word used in 2164,"...in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth...are signs for a people that are wise," (15) and in 2445,"And God has created every animal from waterof them are some that creep on their bellies;some that walk on two legs;and some that walk on four. God creates what he wills..." (16) Commenting on 4229,Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani says,"From the verse it appears that like on the earth,there are some kinds of animals- living creatures- in the heavens also." (17) On the same verse,Yusuf Ali comments, "Life is not confined to our one little Planet.It is a very old speculation to imagine some life like human life on the planet Mars...it is reasonable to suppose that Life in some form or other is scattered through some of the millions of heavenly bodies scattered through space." (1 From such remarks,the reader will realize that Muslim scholars are well aware of the fact that 4229 clearly mentions the existence of aliens. Is there any alien intelligent life ? Although the discovery of any form of life outside the earth would be dramatic,humankind is especially interested in knowing whether there is any alien intelligent life in the universe.NASA previously had a program on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).Although now scrapped due to budget cuts, private SETI organizations (19) have now been made which continue the search.The Planetary Society, (20) a private organization,in which the film director Steven Speilberg (21) is a member of the Board of Directors,has the largest SETI program in the world.So far, no sign of alien intelligent life has turned up.Can the Quran provide an answer? Sura 2765 commands,"SayNone in the heavens or on earth, except God,knows what is hiddennor can they perceive when they shall be raised up (for Judgement)." (22) This shows that,like humans,there are other creatures in the universe that will also be raised from the dead.We are told in 1993-96,"Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to (God) Most Gracious as a servant.He does take an account of them (all),and hath numbered them (all) exactly.And everyone of them will come to Him singly on the Day of Judgement.On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (God) Most Gracious bestow love." (23) From these verses we learn that there are alien lifeforms that,like us,will also be judged according to the works that they do during their lives.Among them are the believers.Therefore,naturally,there will also be those aliens who are unbelievers.The believers will be rewarded.The lifeforms being descibed in the above verses can hardly be expected to be microorganisms.The Quran is referring to creatures of a level of development that makes them morally accountable beings.They must be organisms possessing qualities which we would ascribe to intelligent lifeforms. In Sura 7214-15,jinn (a type of spiritual lifeform,which the Quran mention as living on the earth) say,"Amongst us are some that submit their wills (to God),and some that swerve from justice.Now those who submit their wills- they have sought out (the path) of right conductBut those who swerve- they are (but) fuel for Hell-fire." (24) The Quran mentions that good jinn will be rewarded with Paradise.Summing up from all the above verses,it is clear that Judgement Day is for creatures in the whole universe (Sura 3968-"The Trumpet will (just) be sounded when all that are in the heavens and on earth will swoon, except such as it will please God (to exempt).Then will a second one be sounded,when,behold,they will be standing and looking on!&quot (25) and like jinn,aliens will also be sharing Paradise and Hell with humans.In fact,the Quran mentions that Paradise is of a size like that of our present universe- 5721,"Therefore (vie) with one another for the pardon of your Lord,and for a Paradise as vast as heaven and earh, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His apostles." (26) Therefore, it is not surprising that when we are sharing this universe with aliens,we should share Paradise and Hell with them too.The Quran shows us,therefore,that not only do aliens exist,but among them are also intelligent beings. Where can aliens be found? Knowing that aliens,including intelligent lifeforms exist elsewhere, our next question would be,"Where do they live?"Scientists naturally expect them to live on planets.They look for other planets around other stars- planets that have the right conditions to harbour life- in other words,other earths.In October 1995,scientists announced the discovery of the first extrasolar planet around the star 51 Pegasi. (27) Since then,there have been a string of discoveries of other planets.At the time of writing of this article,fifteen planets have been claimed to have been discovered. (2 Although some of these objects have been dismissed as brown dwarfs (including the object around Pegasi 51) by some scientists, (29) at least some of the fifteen objects are agreed upon as being planets.Scientists believe that on potential moons around planets found to be orbiting two stars, the right conditions may exist for life to be present. (30) In Sura 6512,we are informed,"God is He Who created seven heavens and of the earth a similar number..." (31) This verse,although usually translated properly,is very commonly misinterpreted by commentators.They give their interpretation that space is divided into seven zones,and likewise,as Yusuf Ali puts it,"the crust of the earth is built up of geological strata one above another". (32) This interpretation arises due to a misunderstanding of what a "heaven" is as mentioned in the Quran.Before continuing further about the topic of aliens,it is necessary to clear up this confusion.The answer can be deduced from verses in the Quran itself and comparing them with our current scientific knowledge about the universe. Sura 2130 asks,"Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation),before we clove them asunder?..." (33) Sura 4111-12 tell us,"Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke,and said unto it and unto the earthcome both of you,willingly or loth...Then We ordained them seven heavens...and inspired in each heaven its mandate;and We decked the lowest heaven with lamps..." (34) and Sura 7115-16,"See ye not how Allah hath created seven heavens in harmony,and hath made the moon a light therin,and made the sun a lamp?" (35) Sura 5147 informs us,"And it is We who have built the universe with (Our creative) power;and,verily,it is We who are steadily expanding it." (36) Asad,comments on the above verses as followsabout 2130,"...the above unmistakable reference to the unitary origin of the universe- metonymically described in the Quran as "the heavens and the earth"- strikingly anticipates the view of almost all modern astrophysicists that this universe has originated as one entity from one single element,namely,hydrogen,which became subsequently consolidated through gravity and then seperated into individual nebulae,galaxies,and solar systems,with individual parts progressively breaking away to form new entities in the shape of stars,planets and the latter's satellites"; (37) about 4111,he explains the word "smoke" as,"a gas- evidently hydrogen gas,which physicists regard as the primal element from which all material particles of the universe have evolved and still evolve..." (3 and says about the verse,"explaining this passage,Zamakhshari observes"The meaning of God's command to the skies (heavens) and the earth to "come"... is thisHe willed their coming into being..."";for 4112,he explains "seven heavens" as,"a multiplicity of cosmic systems"; (39) about 5147 he says,"the phrase "inna la-musi'un" clearly foreshadows the modern notion of the "expanding universe"- that is,the fact that the cosmos,though finite in extent,is continuously expanding in space." (40) Finally,three more verses need to be referred to- 5038,"And verily We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them...and naught of weariness touched us" (41) ,21104,"The Day when We shall roll up the heavens as a recorder rolleth up a written scroll.As We began the first creation,We shall repeat it.(It is a promise binding) upon Us.Lo!We are to perform it" (42) ,and 1448, "One day the Earth will be changed to a different Earth,and so will be the heavens..." (43) From the verses above,we learn this from the Qurana heaven is a material entity which arose from the same material as the earth originated from.Initially,there was one gaseous mass.A cleavage process occured resulting in the making of the "seven heavens" and "all that lies between them".The sun,moon and earth are constituants of a heaven.Therefore,a heaven must be larger than a star (sun).When the end of the universe is at hand,the heavens,which till then were in an expanding universe (5147) will come together.Then,the way our present universe came into being,in a similar manner,a new creation will come into being,containing other heavens and another earth.Any astronomer reading these verses can tell you that there is only one entity that fits the description of a heaven in the Quran- a "heaven" in the Quran must be referring to a "galaxy".According to modern science,the universe arose from a singularity,at the Big Bang,and has since,been expanding.From a primordial gas cloud arose hugh fragments from which the galaxies and their clusters arose.Today,the galaxies are moving apart from each other in space.They are seperated by intergalactic space in which may lurk invisible dark matter,making upto 90% of the total mass of the universe.if there is sufficient dark matter,at some time in the future,the universe will stop expanding and enter a contraction phase in which the galaxies will finally come close together in a Big Crunch marking an end to the present universe.The universe would have returned to a singularity state similar to that from which the present universe arose.Then,once again,scientists predict,a new universe may rebound from the singularity of the Big Crunch,as another Big Bang gives rise to a universe with its own galaxies and planets etc.Verses in the Quran agree amazingly with our current ideas about the universe! The purpose of our lengthy divergence from the main topic of this article was to prove that the "seven heavens" are not zones into which the universe is divided,but large astronomical entities, the galaxies.Some people have interpretted a heaven as being a solar system.However,while this view may seem appropriate for some verses,it does not tally with all the verses. The Quran mentions the creation of seven heavens.Asad explains that,"...as regards the "seven heavens",it is to be borne in mind that in Arabic usage...the number "seven" is often synonymous with "several"." (44) I have shown that the heavens are the galaxies and we can see that millions of them exist.Even if we assume that the heaven are some other astronomical objects that arose from the primary gas cloud,they definitely are not literally seven in number,but in the millions. The relevance of this to our discussion on aliens is that the Sura 6512 tells us that,as God has created "seven Heavens",He has created,"of the earth a similar number..." Therefore,as there are millions of galaxies,God has also created millions of earths scattered throughout the universe.Usmani comments on 6512,"The earths as well,He created seven (Usmani thinks literally seven.We know it actually means "many&quot,as given in the Tradition of Tirmizi etc.It is possible they are not visible, it is possible they are visible,but people think them to be stars or planets,as the scientists of today have predicted the possibility of life on Mars etc..." (45) An important thing to point out in 6512 is that God does not use the word "worlds",but specifically,"earth".An 'earth' would be a planet that harbours life.Scientists also often speak of looking for other earths.They mean not just any planet,but one sustaining or capable of sustaining life.In his book,The Bible,The Quran and Science, Maurice Bucaille writes,"...it comes as no small surprise to the reader of the Quran to find that earths such as our own may be found in the Universe..." (46) We have finally arrived at the Quran's answer as to where aliens can be found.They inhabit the millions of earths that God has created among the millions of heavens (galaxies) in the universe. The Quran therefore,gives us a magnificent view of the universe- a universe teeming with life,a place that the late astronomer Carl Sagan described as a "cosmic fugue,with themes and counter- points,dissonances and harmonies,a billion different voices playing the life music." (47) Will we ever discover aliens? So far,we have learnt from the Quran that extraterrestrial life,inclucing intelligent life, exists throughout countless earths in the universe.But this is not sufficient to satisfy our curiosity.We want scientists to actually discover aliens.Only after we have found incontrovertible scientific evidence that aliens exist,will our (unbelieving) hearts see that the Quran was correct all along.We actually won't be satisfied till we meet an alien face to face.Is there any chance that in the future we will actually discover,through science,the existence of aliens and establish some kind of contact with them or even meet them? To get some idea on this matter,we must return to Sura 4229.We are told over there that the scattering of living creatures in the heavens and the earth is a "sign".What is a sign?Sura 6104 says,"Momentous signs have come to you from your Lord.He that sees them shall himself have much to gain,but he who is blind to them shall lose much." (4 Sura 6109,"They solemly swear by Allah that if a sign be given them they would believe in it." (49) Sura 773,"A clear proof has come to you from your Lord.Here is Allah's she-camela sign for you." (50) Clearly,a sign is something which we can see,or at least,experience with our senses.Otherwise,it would not be a sign.Some signs are those that God showed to humans in the past.Other signs remain for God to show us in the future-"Soon we will show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions,and in their own souls,until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth" (4153). (51) THERFORE,SURA 4229 CONTAINS A PROPHESY THAT A TIME WILL INDEED COME IN THE FUTUTE WHEN HUMANS WILL DISCOVER ALIENS. In Sura 5533-34,we are addressed,"O ye assembly of Jinn and men!If it be you can pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth,pass ye!Not without authority will ye be able to pass!Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?" (52) Why does God ask us to go into space? There must be some purpose.Maybe it be for us to fulfil some grand destiny in store for our species- maybe to become a galactic race,a respectable part of the galactic community of civilizations.Maybe,it is our travels in space that may lead to our encounter with aliens and fulfil the prophesy in 4229.Only time will tell.In anticipation of the time when we become space-travellers,we are told in Sura 2922, "Neither on earth nor in heaven shall you be beyond reachnor have you any guardian or helper besides Allah." (53) To reach other civilizations,we must be capable of feasible interstellar transport. Might we one day be capable of undertaking such a voyage?Sura 168 says,"And (it is He Who creates) horses and mules for you to ride...and He will yet create things of which (today) you have no knowledge." (54) The latter part of this verse is often translated in the present tense but as Asad points out,"The use in this context,of the aorist "yakhluqu" implies the future tense ("He will create&quot ...Since this reference to God's continuing creation comes immediately after a mention of primitive means of transport,it obviously relates to other- as yet unknown- things of the same categorythat is to say,to new means of transport which God unceasingly creates through the instrumentality of the inventiveness with which He has endowed man's mind." (55) Therefore,it is possible that we may one day make the spacecraft required for interstellar travel.After all,God Himself has encouraged us to,"pass beyond the regions of the heavens".Sura 4229 ends with the statement that God has the power to gather the creatures of the heavens and earth together if He wills.This also points to the possibility of our meeting aliens in the future.However,this gathering may well refer to that which will occur on Judgement Day as mentioned in Sura 1993-96 (see above). Man's position among creation The most revolutionary discoveries in history have been those which altered the way humans perceived themselves in the universe.We discovered that the earth was not at the centre of the universe.We discovered that our Sun was a very ordinary star located in an insignificant part of an ordinary galaxy,which was only one of millions of galaxies.These discoveries should have humbled us.Yet,even today,many of us triumphantly proclaim ourselves as being the most supreme creation of God.It is common to ascribe our cherished position among all living things to our higher intellectual abilities.If we were to find out that there are other intelligent beings in the universe,and that some may be intellectually more superior to us,where would that leave us ?Would we finally be dethroned? Sura 1770 informs us,"Verily We have honoured the children of Adam...and preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment." (56) Many translations fail to mention the "marked preferment" in the verse,although the verse contains the Arabic "tafzelan" which conveys this.Note that the verse mentions that there are other creatures besides humans,who have also been given a position of distinction,and humans have been preferred above many,not all,of these creatures.Usmani states in a comment on this verse,"Under this verse a debate is openedWho is superior- Man or Angel?But logically this verse does not decide the issue." (57) Another scholar has written,"From this (verse) it is evident that whatever superiority humans have got over other creatures is not whole.Allah's creatures contain such creatures upon which humans have got no superiority."It must be remembered here that while so far we have been discussing material alien lifeforms,the debate of man's position in creation includes both material and spiritual creatures of God.Some early authorities,such as Hasan,have not accepted the word "akser" mentioned in 1770 as meaning "many".Hasan maintains that the word "akser",as used in 1770, should be understood as meaning "all",since the same word is used in 26233 and 1036,where it would be inappropriate to take its meaning as "many" but rather as "all".With such a substitution in verse 1770,the meaning would be altered to mean that man is preferred by God over all creatures. The debate on man's status continues among scholars and also among the public.Let us make an analogy to the debate of whether man is superior to woman.Suppose for a moment that we hand the trophy to man and let him enjoy his "superior" position.On the Day of Judgement,it will only be deeds that count and good women will go to Paradise and bad men will burn in Hell.Who would have been more superior?As you can see,in the final analysis,any debate on the status of a race,or species is useless.From earlier verses mentioned in this article,the reader will remember that,according to the Quran, God will judge humans as well as aliens on the basis of their deeds and reward them accordingly.Many humans will be sent to Hell for their wrongdoings. At the same time there will be aliens who will be rewarded for their good deeds.Who would be more superior- the unbelieving human or the faithful alien?The answer is obvious.Therefore,what's the use of debating this point?Status of a creature is relative to its moral conduct.Sura 954-5 states, "Surely We created man of the best stature,then We reduced him to the lowest of the low." (5 Islam and the geocentric universe It is the fanciful idea of religion-bashers that the discovery of extraterrestrial life will undermine any remaining credibility that religion may have.In the case of Islam,as one can see from this discussion,that can hardly be the case.On the contrary,such a discovery would verify the truth of the statements contained in the Quran relating to the subject of alien life,and strengthen the position of Muslims.The vision of Islam is that of a truly universal religion.It is far removed from the exclusiveness of Judaism ("We are the Chosen Ones for God's message&quot.It is a pity that the image of all religions has suffered a setback from the great scandal of the Church- its treatment of Galileo,for (rightly) challenging their views of a geocentric universe,in which Man was The Central Figure in God's Plan of Creation,living on a planet around which all the rest of creation revolved. The Quran gives us a picture of our place in the universe that is quite different.In Sura 4057,God says, "Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the creation of menyet most men understand not." (59) Comments Yusuf Ali,"Man is himself a tiny part of creation.Why should he be so ego-centric?" (60) No one race of humans was chosen to be the exclusive custodians of the truth.Sura 1636 tells us,"For We assuredly sent amongst every People an apostle,(with the command),"Serve God,and eschew Evil"of the people were some whom God guided,and others on whom Error became inevitably (established).So travel through the earth,and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth)." (61) According to some Traditions of The Prophet (pbuh), 124,000 messengers have been sent into the world by God,throughout the ages to people all over the world.No nation was denied access to the Truth.Even on earth,guidance was provided not only to humans,but also the Jinn who co-habit this planet with us- 6130"(Then He will say)"Jinn and men!Did there not come to you apostles of your own who proclaimed to you my revelations and warned you of this day?" (62) .God's bounty,according to Islam,is not confined to creatures of the earth because He is,"...Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth,the Lord of the Worlds" (4536). (63) To the people were sent revealed Books also,the last of which is the Quran.About the Quran itself,we are told in 434,"It is in the Mother Book with Us,sublime and full of wisdom." (64) About other planets,S.Bashir-ud-din Mahmood has this to say,"On the basis of the interpretation of verse 6512 by Ibn-e-Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him),we can say that inhabitants of these worlds must have their religion like ours and so the Holy Books.They all come from the same "Supreme Source" of revelation from where the Holy Quran originated for us on the Earth.It is evident from the verse of the Holy Quran" (ie.43;4.All Books come from the "Mother Book with Us&quot. (65) The very first verse of the Quran begins,"Praise be to Allah,Lord of the Worlds." (66) Summing up,while the Quran does point out that man has a favoured position on earth, (230-"Behold,thy Lord said to the angels"I will create a vicegerent on earth.""; (67) 234- "We said to the angels"Bow down to Adam..."" (6 954- We have indeed created man in the best of moulds." (69) ) there are other creatures of God who have also been favoured in the universe (1770).Humans are just a small part of God's creation (4057).When they act wrongly,they are reduced to the lowest of the low (955).Salvation is not only for some race of humans, but for all humans and creatures throughout the universe.There is a grand destiny planned by God for all of them.All humans as well as aliens who follow the guidance that God sent to their respective planets,will be rewarded (1996)."...it is God Whose praise all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate..."(2441). (70) All will return to Him.How far the picture of the universe that Islam paints is from that of a geocentric universe! Conclusion - a "secret" waiting to be told If the Quran is so explicit in stating the existence of living organisms in the universe (4229),we would suppose that the Muslim population would generally be aware of the fact that the Quran mentions extraterrestrials.Unfortunately that is not the case.A significant proportion of Muslims have no idea that this exciting piece of information is provided in their Holy Book.I have quoted a number of scholars in this article,who have commented on the verses relating to extraterrestrials.Among them are those such as Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Asad,whose works are known to Muslims throughout the world.Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani was a prominent figure in the Freedom Movement of Pakistan.All scholars quoted are from the mainstream of Islam. So,at least,Muslim scholars are aware of the Quran mentioning aliens.Yet,there are scholars also who have no idea about this subject.Surprisingly,even Maurice Bucaille,whose brilliant book, The Bible,The Quran and Science is extensive in its coverage of scientific topics in the Quran,completely overlooked the mention of aliens. How aware were the early Muslims,about the existence of extraterrestrials,or verses in the Quran on this topic?Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood writes,"The idea that there is life elsewhere in the universe also,was derived from the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) when he told Muslims,"When you sit down in the prayer for the Attahiyat and say "Peace be upon us,and the righteous servants of Allah" you actually send peace on all the righteous people living on the Earth and in the heavens."This clearly implies that all type of people,good and bad live in the other worlds as they live on our Earth." (71) He also writes,with reference to the Rasial Imam Ghazali,"According to Imam Muhammad Ghazali (11th Century),people in some of these planetary worlds have learnt to travel and communicate with each other." (72) The case of Ibn-e-Abbas is interesting.He was one of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh).The Prophet (pbuh) had prayed to God specially to endow Ibn-e-Abbas(73) with knowledge of the Quran,and he became one of the great scholars of the Quran.Maulana Maududi writing in his Tafhim-ul-Quran,tells us that,"Ibn-e-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)...believed with confidence that there are many more earth-like bodies in the heavens. ...He not only thought that such earths are inhabited by intelligent beings but also that their people are exactly like the inhabitants on the Earth.He even went so far as to say that they may have a Prophet like Muhammad (pbuh),and had a Adam,like our Adam,a Noah,like our Noah,an Ibrahim like our Ibrahim,and a Jesus like our Jesus (pbut)." (74) The knowledge of the existence of aliens and that they are mentioned in the Quran, has been present among Muslims from the earliest days of Islam! There is something else that we know about Ibn-e-Abbas.He did not widely publicize his views about aliens. Rather,he was quite secretive about this matter.The reason is that he was afraid that his ideas would confuse people.In fact,he was afraid that people would be in danger of becoming unbelievers by not accepting the truth of this matter,which the Quran itself attested to.Perhaps it was such considerations that lead Muslim scholars of later times not to touch on the topic of aliens much,and so today,also,so many Muslims remain unaware about this matter.But times have changed.We've come a long way in our voyage of discovery of the wonders that surround us.The recent discoveries of extrasolar planets,of ice on the moon (75) ,of microbes deep beneath the earth's surface and around thermal vents in the oceans (76) ,of water on the sun (77) and many other amazing findings are setting the stage for a grand finale.The public is mentally prepared to hear soon about the discovery of life outside the earth. In recent times,Muslims have missed golden opportunities of propagating their religion to the peoples of the world.For example,the Quran mentions the expansion of the universe.This phenomenon was discovered by scientists only in 1929.If Muslims had let the world know beforehand,that the Quran mentioned this fact, then upon its discovery,a big impact could have been made on the non-Muslim world.We would have shown the world the power,the miracle,of the Quran.Of course,even today,the miracle remains that the Quran mentions the expansion of the universe,but non-Muslims tend to say,"Now you tell us,after science has already discovered this!You must be construeing the meaning of Quranic verses to suit your wishes." Today,as we stand at the threshold of making the most revolutionary discovery in the history of humankind,we Muslims should ask ourselves,"Hasn't the time finally come for the "secret" that Ibn-e-Abbas held to be made known to the whole world?"Yes,the time is ripe.Let the world know,before it discovers for itself,that 1400 years ago in the deserts of Arabia,a prophet received revelations,mentioning the existence of extraterrestrial life through countless heavenly bodies in the universe,and prophesying that one day, humans will indeed discover aliens. The Quran contains many amazing statements relating to science.There is no reason to believe that it has finally yielded all of its scientific secrets and as we enter the next century,we can be confidant that the Quran will continue to shed light on some of the most enduring and intriguing scientific mysteries of our times.

I accept being a "Quraanist" as I believe Quraan is the Hukumate <Manifest will> and therefore it is EmmanuEl <God with us> because Quraan recited is Elah /Allah speaking directly to us then this is a "Barrier" through which our Lord gives Wahy and ruhiim to Mediums <rasool> and the witness <shaheed><both of whom appear each generation > Proclaim the Good News that our King-Deity -Deity-King, is with us! I know my reaching out in my prostration is <Supplication>answered in my Recitation part salaat Affirmation Supplication & Recitation> I simply open Quraan Majeed and Elah/Allah speaks to my supplication! <> that being said I have also compiled 2 Revelation order Quraan(s) this collection and putting together and utilizing for my last 5 Ramadans I have come to the conclusion that Quraan is EmmanuEl - I have discovers al Quraan & the 7 pairs, are 7 distinct Books each with their own header Letters the First one lead to finding the 7 books and later still I going that all 7 books had their own unique Header Letters The first book is Song and praise <al Zabor> the second is al Fruqan <Statute Book> 3rd is book of Musa 4th Book of Hadith & Sunnah of the Mediums 5th instruction to Mediums 6th & 7th pure instructions in Ummitin-State building. Interesting! Please keep us updated. I agree that al-quran is as close to "God with us" as we can get until death. The book seems alive to me in a very divine way. Reading al-quran is like talking to the creator in a strange sense. It's like having a guru in a book. At first you can only "talk" about the basics. Then as you evolve spiritually and learn lessons it opens up and you see more light within.

There is an esoteric aspect to it. It seems God is looking at where I am going, and inspired in his ways, a verse from the Quran in me. This was a STRONG antisatanic meditation Inspired by the verse http//www.islamawakened.com/Quran/70/4/ "To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years." Which I turned into some meditations "God is a 50 000 year journey away." Or even more esoteric "Almightyness is a 50 000 year journey away." Or "We are 50.000 years away from creation". PEACE BE WITH YOU.

Salam, In the beginning, this guy helped me alot. Then I found Ahmed Deedat, and noticed that all the lectures of Ahmed Deedat are now used by these evangelists against Christians (often word for word, even copying examples that Deedat gave from experience). I liked Zakir aslong as he was promoting the Qur'an. He lost me when my Qur'an studies advanced. Like death to apostates and the "ROPE of ALLAH" thing really made me doubt him. One thing I noticed about these evangelists is that when they are debating a christian, they debate using the Qur'an and sometime manage to impress christian audience and convert them. Soon after the person converts, they inject the "Sunnah according to hadith". Just as if they were using the Qur'an to sell its ayaats in order to convert some people and discarding it as soon as they convert. What never made any sense to me is the converts who understood that the Gospels are the hadiths attributed to Jesus and hence unreliable , does not understand that the hadiths of Bukhari/Muslim are nothing better. Anyways, Zakir naik, as a person is much more tolerable than his followers. May Allah guide Zakir Naik to the straight path. PEACE ------------------------- Student of Allah I agree with you. Actually these Zakir Naik types they (mis)use the Quran in order to convert people to haditherism because Quran is the only thing they can impress people with. Please notice how they in the converting process carefully avoid any mention of hadith. But once the person is impressed by the Quran and converts then they begin to teach him their hadiths and makes him think that Quran and hadiths are identical things in order to make him a true hadither like themselves. In other words, Zakir Naik and company abuse the Quran in order to promote their own Agenda. But the question is, does their effort have some effects? Well some researchs suggest that 75% of the converts to Islam in USA leave Islam within some few years again. I have personally talked to a couple of americans who became muslims but then left Islam again, and they all without exceptions told me that it was the Quran which impressed them but many other things did not made any sense for them just like the importance of using the right hand and the importance of being beard etc. In other words The Quran converts them but the Hadiths makes them leave Islam again.

We were talking about prayer, she said so for the 3 rakaat is it 2 to Allah and one to Muhammad? I know the 4 rakkat it is 2 and 2. Salaam, elektro Is this real? My hands are shivering while I type. & May Allah protect us. The problem with hadith followers are that they don't know what they say and they don't understand. May Allah guide us all to His true path pr Mohammed M. Khan

Omar, just like konichiwa, I am new too. Hadith were ruining my relationship with Allah and the Prophet. Welcome and kgwithnob said it perfectly!

Thankyou so much to Amir Hanif for his donation... May Allah bless you. Salamunalaykom peace

We don't need a new messenger. We need people to ACTUALLY read the quran! I don't think most people even really touch it. Just as most Christians have probably never really read the bible, likewise most Muslims.

to me ALLAH means the law , as simple as that ALLAH or the LAW , is the naturel law of the ceator , our RABB , there is no other LAW walid on anything except the LAW of our RABB . We serve the LAW means we serve ALLAH the american law, the articles conform with the quran is ALLAH , and we have to serve and respect, the Law that is not conform with nature and justice isn't The law, but a law, another ILEH, if we serve , than we serve other ileh's. everything that is right in THE LAW , is ALLAH, everything that isn't just , is another LAW. it is my opinion, my research, and I , so far , never found anybody agree with what I think and what i truly believe. You sure you're writing in the right topic?

You are correct, it does not. But here is how I look at it. I believe we are currently in a period of time where there are no messengers ?The days are coming,? declares the Sovereign LORD, ?when I will send a famine through the land? not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it (Amos 811-12). Think of it. From the time of Moses, there was a nearly constant stream of prophets and messengers. Until after Mohammed, the seal of the prophets. It has been 1400 years, and we are in a famine of HEARING the word of God. We now READ was was spoken by the prophets. What kind of knowledge is it that God teaches that we do not know? It is the knowledge of supernatural things. The growth of scientific knowledge is merely something that builds upon things we previously knew. In one sense, the potential for knowing all of these things is already latent within humanity anyway. Science does not teach us what we cannot know and discover on our own. God teaches us what is beyond the limits of what we can know. I know you asked a rhetorical question, but it does deserve further exploration. Is it really God that teaches us these things? Let me ask a question or two in response. Is it possible for a person without electricity, running water, etc, to be rightly guided by God? Is it possible for a person with all of the modern advances in the world to NOT be rightly guided? Of course! All of the things you mentioned are good things. We should see what other good things we can discover. But they are a separate matter from revelation. My friend, you are thinking that revelation only came through "Nabi/Nevi/Prophet".. (those whose tongue are being 'borrowed' to speak words not from their own). You are 'imprisoning' yourself to that expectation.. The culture / habits of 'prophethood' only happen in 'western culture', semitic culture to be exact where God is being 'personified' as thus He speaks and so on... Such conception doesn't exist in (for example) eastern culture, where God is not being personified.. as thus there are no 'prophets' within their society.. Yet it doesn't mean that they doesn't received any revelation from It... (Since they refer to God as It rather than Him) There are no such thing as 'super natural', the notion of 'natural' and 'super natural' are defined by human to differentiate "thing that we now understand" and "thing that we now haven't understand". As time progress and human learned more.. things which was "super natural" became "natural".. Virgin birth for example... it's hardly a miracle nowadays.. because we now understand how it can be done... The advent of the so-called 'scientific methodology' is also within His plan.. it's something the He revealed.. It also a part of His revelation.. Science is not a 'party' or 'something that give knowledge' it's merely a methodology.. a knowledge that we learn... God teaches us everything that we knew not before.. including (but not limited to) scientific methodology and empirical research. which was a kind of 'quantum leap' from doctrinal / dogmatic methodology.. commonly employed by sectarians.. As a species, we have not grown wiser and more enlightened. We have medicines that can practically erase the HIV virus from a body, better farming techniques to improve yields, and new ways of filtering water. And yet how many people die daily for lack of these things, all because of greed? What potential for evil do we possess with our military technology? Yes we do.. there are no more 'official slavery', 'human sacrifice' for example.. We now understand thing about Virus and health.. And we now know that there are many people still living in poor condition.. While hundred years ago.. Nobody knows about virus.. and nearly everybody are living in poor condition (compare with our standards now).. But since they didn't know about it.. they didn't complain or see it as a 'problem'... The advent of 'modern weaponry' also has a blessing in disguise.. seeing the 'destructive effect' which modern war can cause.. nation now practiced (relatively) more of a 'self restraint'.. Compare the frequency of war happening in the last century with 19th century for example.. the number has gone down and the casualties has gone down too.. WWI and WWII makes people grew more wiser... They learn now that instead of doing war doing business and trading are more beneficial... Nation's border are getting less-less relevant... international trade flourishes.. international travel flourishes.. international communication flourishes.. the so-called 'globalization' which (slowly but sure) bring a sense of 'togetherness' accross border. When EU and US economy being hit hard.. (just like now), China also suffers... given less people are able to buy their products... that was just one simple example... When India & China economy grew (just like now) every nation in the world rejoice.. as that mean more business to be made.. more trading to be made with them.. People across the ocean send relief when other people hit hard with a disaster such as tsunami.. Something which never happened 1400 years ago... Nietzsche's Overman has yet to be realized - and never will be. We have philosophically reached the limits of epistemology. Modern philosophers have declared that God is dead, and they have good arguments. And yet humanity overall is in the grip of an existential crisis. We are not growing more enlightened, our pride at our achievements is causing us to transgress the limits. Again, all of the things you mentioned are good things. But they will not solve humanity's angst. They do not speak to the soul of man. God's word does. While we are in a famine of having a prophetic tradition in the world, we do have God's words for us to read. I advice you to (for example) go to China.. and seek out whether they are 'wisdomless society'... They never had any 'prophets'... yet I don't see them as lacking of wisdom.. In many ways I see them relatively 'wiser' than those people who had received many prophets... God sent His revelation to everyone with variety of ways / mechanism... And God signs are there in the heaven and the earth.. for people to understand.. That is for those who can understand... But nevertheless if you believe that God has stopped His revelation, well then it's your choice.. so it will be then.. for you.. Salam / Peace

yea now i cant even get into the homepage (

How about someone take my home + few more homes of others around me for such a great cause and make hospital, university, etc for the benefit of mankind. Does my home or our homes must be a fixed place in a building covered with brick and mortar. I may seek refuge on a daily basis in various places with various people and dont need a bayt / house for my day to day needs. And really, this prayer, pilgrimmage, etc is really causing stain to religion with a lot of waste of money. How about applying the same concept on Las Vegas and similar areas like 5-star hotels offering open opportunities of prostitution, gambling, etc to people. Let us have charity hospital in those places as well in place of places that cause stain to the society similar to the one causing stain due to pilgrimmage. Oh! maybe that's not a good idea, because the civilized world and their business pursuits need structures like those in Vegas and those galaxy start hotels. Lets demolish Baytullah. That is the most reasonable solution and no one has any issues with it. Atleast I am happy that a place causing stain to our society would be destroyed.

anytime I tried to enter 19.org forum, the following screen appeared http//img.webme.com/pic/7/77depo/z0.jpg any idea? The 19.org has been banned by the Turkish courts because of some messages posted by members years ago. The site has been blocked for the Turkish people for six or seven years. We currently, initiated another attemp to unblock the sites (19.org and yuksel.org). We decided to disable the forum in order not to provide excuses for the Turkish authorities. Adnan Oktar aka Harun Yahya is the one behind all the complaints. They find a message containing insults to Turkish military or any other institution or a message promoting Kurdish guerillas and terrorists, etc. Free-minds/forum is an excellent forum... Besides, I am currently active on facebook and find discussions there engaging and more timely. We will improve the 19.org inshallah via more content. Peace, Edip

Peace All, Another thing that baffles me is the line that says; those of you who witness Ramadan. It always makes me ask who of us might not witness Ramadan? Why might some of us not witness Ramadan? I think this question contains a lot if we can answer it. Peace Salaam How does one witness a month? When you experience the day breaking and ending for around thirty/29 days. So those who live in the s/northern hemisphere do not witness some months, as the sun never sets or rises and so there is no distinct separation at dawn or towards night. This is a basic requirement for starting and ending fast and as one commentator said ? a common principle that any who suffers from impractibility, the relevant provision of law does not apply to him? Best regards farida

Salam, What will happen is what always happens when God's system prevails...There is peace, harmony, progress, justice, etc., then, over time, the devil sneaks back in and corruption, suspicion, sectariansim, etc. exapnd into the society and we are back to where we were... It is a natural cycle until J-Day, so I would not lose any sleep over it

I challenge you to tell me how a stone will take Moses's clothes and run away....

Peace Student of Allah. No. I first started using www.versebyversequran.com/ but then decided to cut the verses myself using the program Audacity. And instead of cutting verse by verse, I start at the beginning of a verse until the end of a set of verses. For example, 3923-45. If verse by verse, that's already 23 verses (23 tracks). My way, it's only one track and easier to listen to. Abdelilah Salam Abdelilah, Yes, I believe it becomes easier to listen to the way you are doing it. Thanks for the mail ) PEACE -------------------- Student of Allah

of course he will 5.75. The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded. Check the definition of the word "messiah" 43.59. Jesus was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. 43.60. And if We willed, We could have made of you angels succeeding on the earth. 43.61. And indeed, Jesus will be knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path. Peace, A definition of "messiah" is "a deliverer". Jesus was a deliverer of the message. The definitions indicating it's someone who is returning are there because of the widely accepted conjecture that Jesus is returning. Either way, simply looking at the English definition isn't solid proof. No where in the Quran indicates Jesus will return. In regards to 4361, I suggest you read this article http//www.freewebs.com/nadqur/sign.htm There are a few links at the top of the page that will also help in understanding why the many other misconceptions of Jesus exist among Muslims. May peace be with you.

Salam , What do you mean when you say "A lot of Peace on you and yours!" Dont think of me as an idiot P I do get the first part of it , but the red letters, I do not comprehend . Explain please. PEACE --------------------- Student of Allah Salam and Peace! I am sorry, I should rephrase A lot of Peace on you! And no Peace on yours! Happy?-----Perhaps this is what you wanted! I never can think of you as an idiot! Peace again!

Thank you, you opened my eyes brother...that Al bukhari is fake...thanks. Epic.