Road of the Patriarch
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Important Update
I will complete this thread sometime in the coming week.
But before I continue, please read the following links about ancient mummies discovered in Yemen
http//www.archaeologydaily.com/news/20090228663/New-Yemeni-prehistoric-archeological-discoveries.-Primitive-settlements-mummies-and-65-rocky-tombs.html
This next one gives an even bigger picture of the importance of the find
http//www.yemeneconomist.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8842009-04-28-15-26-27&catid=26reportages&Itemid=3
Finally, an eye-catching link from the Yemen Times Newspaper, mentioning the mummified body of an Abyssinian soldier from the 6th Century B.C
http//www.taph.com/customs/unlocking-the-secrets-of-history.html
Here is a quoted passage worth paying close attention to
?However, not all mummies that were found belong to Yemenis, ?A Mummy has been found which belonged to the 6 century, however the body wasn?t preserved by humans, but by natural forces. We prsume this mummy belonged to one of the Ethiopian soliders who served in the Army of (Abraha) when they invaded Yemen. There are two theories about the solider?s death the first theory was that he was killed in battle, the second theory was that he died because of suffocation by volcanic smoke,? said Dr, Abdul Hakim, who is a tutor at Sana?a University in the Archeology Department and also the storekeeper at the museum?
?A soldier of Abraha?s army died of suffocation by volcanic smoke?.Does this ring a bell?
P.S To the moderators please be firm about members spamming the thread by quoting entire posts (with photos) before making a comment..
Thank you.
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The People of Aad
Our final stop in this tour of the ancient nations concerns Aad, a people whom the Quran tells us were given high status by Allah, but they eventually chose the path of transgression rather than righteousness. To these people, Allah sent His messenger, Hud (P) as a warner. Our main aim here is not to discuss who these people were, but rather what happened to them. This subject is directly related to the geography of the region, and of paramount importance in determining the location where Muhammad (P) began preaching the Quran (Was it in the north, or the south of Arabia?).
Still, it wouldn't hurt to take a brief glimpse about Aad?s history
{And to Aad We sent their brother Hud, he said "My people, serve Allah, you have no god besides Him. Will you not be righteous?" * The elite who rejected from among his people said "We see you as a fool, and we think you are one of the liars" * He said "My people, there is no foolishness in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds." * "To deliver to you the messages of my Rabb, and to you I am a trustworthy advisor." * "Are you surprised that a reminder has come to you from your Rabb through a man from among you to warn you? And remember that He made you successors after the people of Noah, and He increased you in status. So remember the grace of Allah, that you may succeed."}?
The first point of interest here is the fact that Aad were successors to the people of Noah, as is clearly evident from the verse. (Also, if you look at the verses immediately before 765, you will see they are talking about Noah and his people). This means that the people of Noah and the people of Aad lived in the same geographic region. This is the first proof we have that the great flood did not take place in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), as is commonly believed. (The story of Noah made it clear to us that it took place in a volcanic region that relied on rain for its agriculture. This does not fit with the geography of Iraq).
The second mention of Aad comes in the following verses
{And to 'Aad was sent their brother Hud. He said "My people, serve Allah, you have no god besides Him; you are simply conjecturing." * "My people, I do not ask you for any wage, my wage is from the One who has initiated me. Will you not comprehend?" * "And my people, seek forgiveness from your Lord, then repent to Him; He will send (from) the sky to you in abundance, and He will add might to your might. So do not turn away as criminals." * They said "O Hud, you have not come to us with any proof, nor will we leave our gods based on what you say. We will not believe in you." * "All we can say is that perhaps some of our gods have brought an affliction upon you." He said "I make Allah my witness, and all of you witness, that I am innocent of what you have set up."}...
Again we see repeated mention of Hud?s people stubbornly ignoring their messenger?s warnings. Of specific interest to us is the underlined verse, which again shows dependence on rain for agriculture. By contrast, the agriculture of Iraq, for thousands or years, has depended on the continuous flow of the Tigris and Euphrates (irrigation), and is a land that, like the Nile Valley, receives very little rain ? if any ? throughout the year.
The Muslims fail to notice these small, subtle, yet very important clues as to where the events of these ancient nations took place, because they have pre-conceived notions in their heads which cloud their thinking.
Another mention of Aad can be seen in the following verse, which gives us a further clue as to their location
{'Aad denied the messengers * For their brother Hud said to them "Will you not be righteous?" * "I am to you a clear messenger." * "So be aware of Allah and obey me." * "And I do not ask you for any wage, for my reward is upon the Lord of the worlds." * "Do you build in every high place a symbol, for the sake of vanity?! * "And you take for yourselves strongholds, perhaps you will live forever?" * "And when you strike, you strike ruthlessly?" * "So be aware of Allah and obey me." * And be aware of the One who provided you with what you know." * He provided you with livestock and sons * And gardens and springs." * I fear for you the retribution of a great day * They said "It is the same whether you preach or do not preach." * "This is nothing except an invention by the people of old." * And we are not going to be punished." * So they denied him, and We destroyed them. In that is a sign, but most are not believers.}?
These people built some of their homes in high and lofty mountainous places. Why is that? Some commentators of the Quran claimed it was so they would avoid the same fate as Noah?s people (thinking that they would be safe from floods in high places). However, the verse does not imply this for certain. It simply says they built these high places out of vanity (as a show of their power). And they thought their fortresses would make them live forever in safety. But in the end, after repeatedly ignoring Hud?s warnings, they were destroyed.
The verses also tell us that they enjoyed gardens and springs. This point is very important and we will get back to it later on. So please keep it in mind.
In the end, Allah destroyed Aad in a way that was fitting of how they built their homes. Not with a flood, but with something else?something that their high and lofty homes and fortresses could not save them from.
So how were they destroyed?
{But if they turn away, then say (O, Muhammad) ?I have warned you of a destruction like the destruction of Aad and Thamud.? * When the messengers came to them, publicly and privately (and they were told) ?You shall not serve except Allah?, They said ?Had our Rabb willed, He would have sent mala?ika. We are rejecting what you have been sent with? * As for Aad, they turned arrogant in the land, without any right, and they said ?Who is mightier than us in strength??. Did they not see that Allah, who has created them, is mightier than they in strength? And they were denying Our revelations * Consequently, We sent upon them a violent wind, for (a period) of some miserable days, that We may let them taste the humiliating retribution in this worldly life, and the retribution of the Hereafter is more humiliating; they can never win}?.
So their might and their arrogance could not save them from that violent wind. This same wind is mentioned again in chapter 54
{We sent upon them a violent wind, on a day (period) of continuous misery * It uprooted the people as if they were decayed palm tree trunks}?
So what is the story of this wind then?
Each instance mentioning Aad in the Quran adds another dimension to the story, and provides more detail. This is how the Quran explains itself. In Chapter 51, we read the following
{And also Aad, for We sent upon them the barren wind * Anything that it came upon was utterly destroyed}?
It was a wind described as barren and sterile. A wind that did not bring any blessing, cooling, nor contribute to the pollination of plants; nor did it push rain clouds over their gardens. It brought only destruction.
{Thamud and Aad disbelieved in the Shocker * As for Thamud, they were annihilated by the devastation * And as for Aad, they were annihilated by a furious violent wind * He unleashed it upon them for seven nights and eight days, in succession. You (O Muhammad) could have seen the people destroyed in it, as if they are decayed palm trunks * Do you see anything remaining of them?}?
The verses above are addressing Muhammad (P) and asking him a question about one of the nations who came before him, and who were destroyed by the violent, barren wind ?Do you, Oh Muhammad, see anything remaining of them??
This means that the empty, desolated homes of Aad were relatively near the place where Muhammad was preaching the Quran. If they were not so, then the above question would not make any sense whatsoever.
Finally, we reach a critical verse which reveals to us exactly what kind of wind it was that destroyed these people, and where they were located
{And recall that the brethren of Aad when he warned his people of the ahqaf, while numerous warnings were also delivered before him and with him ?You shall not serve except Allah. For I fear for you the retribution of a great day.? * They said ?Have you come to us to divert us away from our gods? Then bring us what you are promising us, if you are truthful!?? * He said ?The knowledge is only with Allah; and I but convey to you what I was sent with. However, I see that you are a people who are ignorant? * Then when they saw it (the retribution) heading towards their valleys, they said ?This is but a passing cloud that will bring to us heavy rain!?. ?No, this is what you had asked to be hastened; a violent wind wherein there is a painful retribution? * It destroys everything by the command of its Lord. Thus they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings. We thus requite the criminal people. * And We had established them in the same way as We established you (O people of Muhammad), and provided them with hearing, and eyesight, and hearts. But their hearing, eyesight, and hearts did not help them at all. This is because they used to disregard the revelations of Allah, and they will be surrounded by that which they used to mock * And We destroyed the towns around you (O people of Muhammad), and We had dispatched the signs, perhaps they would repent.}?.
The first major clue given here is the word ?ahqaf? which appears at the beginning of the verses. This Arabic word is derived from the root h-q-f , which means to gather together / shovel (as in quantities dirt, or sand) / stacked on top of each other. The word is used in the colloquial dialects of south Arabia, as meaning giant sand dunes. The FM rendering of the phrase is as follows "Aad warned his people at the dunes" . This is a very grave error, because it conveys the meaning that the people of Aad were initially living WITHIN the area of the sand dunes itself. This is completely false, and contradicts all the previous verses we have seen concerning Aad. How can they be living IN the region of the sand dunes when the Quran clearly states that they built fortresses and lofty mountain homes overlooking valleys full of springs and gardens?
The correct rendering would have to be that Hud warned his people OF the sand dunes, not AT the sand dunes.
Now the question is Where are these giant sand dunes located?
If we look at a map of Arabia, and contemplate the Rub? al-Khali Desert (the Empty Quarter), which happens to be the largest sand desert on the planet, we will note that the more we move southward, the less rocky the desert becomes and the more sand is accumulated, until we reach the northern border of Yemen and Oman, where these sand dunes become monstrous in size, and are legendary for emitting strange sounds (there is a documentary on National Geographic about the sound made by the Ahqaf and I will try to find a link to it).
On the other hand, the more northward we move (towards Saudi Arabia), the less sandy the desert becomes, and the more we see rocks. This is why the ancient Romans called the north of Arabia as ?Arabia Petraeus? (meaning Rocky Arabia).
http//i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb386/Gorefiendel/Dune1.jpg
Map of the Rub-al-Khali Desert. Notice the dark brown area in the southern part? That's the area known as "Al-Ahqaf"
http//i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb386/Gorefiendel/Dune2.jpg
The Ahqaf (sand dunes) of the Rub-Al-Khali
This means that the remains of Ad?s people (their homes and fortresses) are buried somewhere on the southern edge of this great desert, near the Saudi-Yemeni border, in the northern reaches of the Hadhramaut valley, and not far from the Sarat mountains. Also, they could not have been very far from the ruins of Thamud, who were descendants of Aad, as the Quran clearly tells us. (Hence we have Noah - Aad - Thamud - Abraham / Lot - Midian. Those were the ancient nations, descendants of each other, and all lived in the same geographical region).
What happened was the following Hud warned his people that a giant SANDSTORM would come their way. (Meaning he warned them of the danger of the Ahqaf dunes coming their way!).
See http//corpus.quran.com/concept.jsp?id=al-ahqaf
Also, there was a famous Yemeni tribe, one of the extinct tribes of Arabia?s distant bygone days, called "Bani Haqoofa" (sometimes rendered in the singular as "Bani Haqaf". The name of this tribe also coincidentally appears in the Old Testament (alongside such names as Shibam, Hazaramaveth, Uzal, and Aden) as one of those tribes who were taken captive by the Assyrians, during their campaign to discipline the rebelious tribes controling the trade routes of Yemen and Asir (a campaign whom the forgers of history claim took place in Palestine). The name is rendered as ?Hakufa? as it is spelled in modern so-called ?Hebrew?, and transliterated into English (because they are incapable of pronouncing the ?qaf? sound)
?.the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur. (Nehemiah 753)
These are names that have zero association with ancient Palestine's history.
This word, ?Hakufa? (Haqoofa) (which comes from "hqf" ف was the proper name of a tribe that resided in what is today known as Wadi al-Ahqaf (meaning Valley of the Sand Dunes), which is geographically a part of the Hadhramaut region. The ancient and deep-rooted traditions of Yemen stipulate that Hud (P) was buried somewhere in that valley.
Prominent Yemeni geographer, Al-Hamadani (page 169,170 in his Description of Arabia) says the following about the place
.... .
What Al-Hamadani is telling us is basically this A region of the Hadhramaut valley, not far from Shibam, is called ?Mahra?. And in the red-rock cliffs overlooking the sand dunes of the Ahqaf Valley is a cave containing the tomb of Hud. And the people of Mahra visit it regularly. (Note this was back in the days of Al-Hamadi, who lived around 930 A.D).
If I had more time on my hands, I would put up a list of no less than 25 names of tribes appearing in Nehemia?s Roster in the Old Testament (the tribes whom King Cyrus freed from bondage when he sacked Babylon in 539 B.C), analyze them name by name, and show you that they were all residing in ancient Yemen, the true theater of the OT events.
Going back to the subject of the barren wind, what happened was the following Hud warned the people of Aad that the giant sand dunes of the Al-Ahqaf area would be coming their way. They failed to heed his repeated warnings. The consequence They were destroyed by a catastrophic sandstorm that blew over their valleys continuously for a week, and all their lofty dwellings and fortresses could not help them. (They saw the giant sandstorm approaching their green valleys from far, pusehd along by a wind from the north, and thought that it was only a passing cloud).
Based on all we have seen, we can approximate the region where Aad lived, while keeping in mind that the people of Thamud, who came later, where descendants of Aad, who in turn, where descendants of Noah?s people. These where the Ancient Nations, whom the Quran refers to as ?Al-Quroon al-Oula? ( the pre-Israelite age). And these nations lived in the same geographical region South Arabia.
{We had given Moses the Scripture after We had destroyed the ancient nations; as an example for the people and a guidance and a mercy, perhaps they will take heed}?
{He (Far3oun) said "What then has happened to the ancient nations?" * He (Moses) said "The knowledge of it is with my Rabb, in a record. My Rabb does not err or forget."}?
This means that Far3oun ?s domain also could not have been very far from Aad and Thamud. (Remember the verse where the believing man from Far3oun?s people warned them of a fate like that of Noah, Aad and Thamud).
Also, Muhammad?s people were not far from those places either, as we have already seen, and as is shown by
{And Aad and Thamud. Much was made apparent to you (Muhammad) from their dwellings. The shaytan had adorned their works in their eyes, thus he diverted them from the path, even though they could see}?
{Did not news come to you of those before you the people of Noah, and 'Aad, and Thamud, and those after them whom none know except Allah? Their messengers came to them with clarity, but they placed their hands onto their mouths and said "We are rejecting what you have been sent with, and we are in doubt as to what you are inviting us to."}?
Allah is reminding the people of Muhammad (P) of the fate of those nations who came before them, and were not geographically far from them.
Retracing Abraham's Footsteps
Now at last, after all the evidence has been gathered, we can piece together this age-old puzzle and walk in the footsteps of the Patriarch, retracing the road that took him from the home of his ancestors to the Land that was blessed to the ancient world. The Quran called it blessed because of its riches Iron ore, copper, rivers, trees, honey, figs and olives. But most importantly because of the trade routes and camel caravans that would later be established along it. It was also a land of volcanic activity towering mountain peaks, and abundant streams.
This cannot be Palestine. Only the Sarat and the highlands of Arabia, along the Red Sea coast, could fit this description.
Here is our rendering of the story
Abram (P) was born somewhere in the wilderness south of the Hadhramaut valley, not far from the south-central coast of Yemen, (the almost mythical coastal plain of Tihama). As is common in the ancient Yemeni dialects, they inserted the middle letter ?h? in many of their names, and thus ?Abram? became ?Abrahm? . You can compare this for example with Sayoun/ Sahyoun (Mount Zion), a mountain lying east of Sana?a. Another good example is Al-Hadad/ Al-Hdhd (The Hudhud? of the Quran). He was a warrior chief who fought against King David, was later taken prisoner by Solomon, and forced to serve in his army of fast steeds (the name ? Hudhud? could coincidently serve as a title for a general or soldier known for his speed of movement). He is mentioned in the Old Testament as "Hadad Ezar". This is the ?bird? who went to spy on neighboring Sheba at first, then visited its queen openly, and bore a letter for her from Solomon.
After a religious debate with the Imams of Misguidance from among his people, Abraham (P) packed his gear and migrated westward with his relative, Lot (P), towards the mountainous Sarat country. Allah guided him and led him towards the location of the ancient sanctuary (al-Bayt), which was a sacred valley somewhere in the south Asir region. (This means that Abraham did not originally know the location of this place, but through the help of Allah, he was able to reach it). Hence the Sanctuary already existed since before Abraham?s time, but had become a place of idols. Abraham, along with his son, Ismael, cleansed the place and it became an important destination for the hajj.
Because of this migration, Abraham became known as a ?Hebrew?, which, in the Arabic dialect is ?3ibri? , meaning one who crosses over (ر from one region to another. This title was given by the arrogant and sedentary inhabitants of the Sarat mountains, notably the ancient Kananah and Mudhar - rendered as ?Canaanites? and ?Egyptians? by the orientalist criminals and forgers of history - to any and all migrating nomads who crossed the Arabian wilderness and made their way to their lush mountain oases. Abraham?s offspring, Ismael and Isaac were both born in the Asir region, and it was there that the Patriarch was eventually buried, in a cave known in local legends as Al-Miqfalah (the ?Makfela? of the Torat).
Among the future descendants of Abram-Abraham (P) was a tribe called "Bani Israel", who were originally a band of goat and sheep herders living off the land in a tented, tribal village where Jacob (Yaqoob) resided. One of their sons, Joseph (Yusuf) eventually achieved high office in the ranks of a chief figure (malik) in the region, who grew fond of Yusuf. The latter was able, through Allah?s will, to transform his brothers from a life of goat-herding and agriculture, to a life of trade. (See chapter 12 of the Quran for the full details of the story, and refer to the following thread
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9603137.0
Some 150-200 years later, the Israelites were persecuted by a villainous Mudhari chief, called Far3oun (I am now 100% convinced it?s a proper name, not a title), and were eventually enslaved. Their plight continued until Allah sent them Moses to lead their escape from a prominent trade citadel (the ?Misr? mentioned in the Quran), and into the wilderness areas. After the drowning of Far3oun and his men, the majority of Bani Israel disobeyed Allah?s command and refused to enter a certain fortified town somewhere in the Asir region, so they were punished and made to roam aimlessly from one place to another, for a period described in the Quran as 40 ?sana? (not necessarily solar years). This continued until such time when their faith was renewed and they were finally able to achieve unity under a strong leadership. It was then, during the early Iron Age, that they established a strong, centralized kingdom under David, and later Solomon. And this kingdom was located in the south of Yemen, centered around the city of Sana?a, and shared borders with Sheba, the realm of the Queen Bilquees.
The establishment of ancient Israel along the trade routes of Arabia is so blatantly evident, even from the Old Testament, that the rampant beliefs placing it in Palestine are quite simply scandalous. The OT itself, especially in its Song of Songs and Psalms (Zubur), picturing the long-lost glories of Israel and the love story of Solomon , talks of camel caravans, and mentions places rich with myrrh and frankincense. These two almost legendary substances became the envy of all surrounding kingdoms. The Egyptians used the myrrh plant as ingredient for their mummification chemicals, while the ancient Mesopotamians and later the Greeks sought incense fumes for their religious rituals. These two substances became more valued than gold.
Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense (Song / Songs 46).
Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, With all the chief spices --(Song / Songs 414)
And their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man -- a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. (Genesis 4311)
To those who continue to live on in stubborn arrogance and denial, I ask you Which land in the entire region produced myrrh and incense? Only TWO countries were known to produce it The Horn of Africa (Somalia) and Yemen.
The map below shows the areas of myrrh and frankinsence production in the ancient world
http//i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb386/Gorefiendel/myrrh.jpg
Makkah, Bakkah, and the Mother of Towns Three DIFFERENT Places.
According to Islamic folklore and tradition (i.e. Islamic Hearsay), Bakkah was the old name for Makkah. The problem with this belief is that it doesn?t explain why Allah would use BOTH names in the Quran if they did indicate the SAME place.
Let?s take the following example as an illustration
Let?s assume, for argument?s sake, that there is an old ruined opera house in the city of Paris, France, and that the site of the ruined building has been declared a preserved cultural area. Also, let?s assume that 1000 years ago, there was no Paris, but a small town existed in its place that was called ?Frankbourgh?. This ?Frankbourgh? later became Paris, many centuries later. This name however, has now been lost and forgotten, as the generations of today no longer use it. To them, the city is called Paris. Only those who specialize in European history will know of the name ?Frankbourgh?. Now imagine this In the year 2012, Joe and Mac are engaged in a conversation, and Joe says to Mac ?Hey, Mac, did you know that the first opera house ever built is the one at Frankbourgh??. What would Mac?s reaction be? Of course, being a resident of the 21st Century, he will stare stupidly, not knowing a damn thing about ?Frankbourgh?. Eventually, Joe will have to explain to him that Frankbourgh was a small town that existed 1000 years ago in the very same place where Paris now stands (meaning Frankbourgh was the old name for Paris). Instead of all this trouble, Joe could have simply cut it short and said ?The first opera house ever built is the one in Paris?.
Another example can be made of the city of Sana?a, the capital of Yemen. Historians know for a fact that the ancient name of this city, starting from the Biblical times, was Uzal/Azal. This name is no longer in use, and only the hardline historian or researcher is aware of it. Now imagine this If I tell you ?Did you know that the oldest Quranic manuscript was discovered in Uzal in 1972?? I think it?s safe to assume that 99.99% of laymen would not even have a clue as to where on Earth this ?Uzal? is, or what I?m jabbering about. But If I say ?The oldest manuscript was found in the Grand Mosque of Sana?a in 1972?, then it would make things clear.
Now let?s take these two examples and apply them to Makkah
The Quran tells the people of Muhammad (P) that the first sanctuary established IS the one at Bakkah.
{The first Sanctuary established for the people is the one in Bakkah, blessed, and a guidance for the worlds}?
Note how the verse is using the PRESENT tense (IS) not the past tense (was). If Bakkah was the ancient name for Makkah during Abraham?s time, but then, by Muhamad?s time, the name had become Makkah, then why would Allah use both names? Couldn?t He simply have said {The first Sanctuary established for the people is the one in Makkah} ?
This can only mean that Bakkah and Makkah are NOT the same place, and those who claim otherwise are simply conjecturing.
Furthermore, who says that Makkah is the ?Ummul? Qura? (Mother / Capital of Towns) mentioned in the Quran? Again, this is merely conjecture on the part of the Hijazi Arabs, who hijacked the title ?Mother of Towns? and the name ?Bakkah? and attributed both to a small and insignificant town that was a pagan center, by the name of Makkah. And this lie has continued until today, and become part of unquestionable Muslim belief. The Sanctuary (Bayt) was never meant to be in the heart of a metroplis area. It was a wilderness place, tucked away in a mountainous valley. The Saudis have made a mockery of Allah's words, and surrounded their idol cubic structure with skyscrapers and 5-star hotels. But in the end, they cannot fool humanity for all eternity, and a time will come when their lie will be exposed.So what is ?the Mother / Capital of Towns? then?
Here is a reminder of what the Quran says concerning the previous messengers who were sent before Muhammad (P)
{These are the towns whose news We told you of (O Muhamamd); their messengers had come to them with proofs, but they would not believe in what they had denied before. It is such that Allah stamps on the hearts of the rejecters}?
{That is from the news of the towns which We recount to you (O Muhammad), some are still standing and some have been wiped out}?
{And We have not sent before you (Muhammad) except men, to whom We gave inspiration, from the people of the towns. Will they not roam the land and see how was the punishment of those before them? And the abode of the Hereafter is far better for those who are aware. Do you not comprehend?}?
{And We destroyed the towns around you (O Muhammad), and We had dispatched the signs, perhaps they would repent.}?
{And your Rabb was not to destroy the towns until He sends a messenger to their mother/capital (town) to recite Our revelations to them. And We do not destroy the towns unless its people are wicked}?
{And this is a Book which We have sent down, blessed, authenticating what is between his hands, and that you (Muhammad) may warn the Mother of the Towns and those around it. And those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they maintain their contact prayer}?
What the Quran is telling us is quite clear ALL the messengers who came before Muhammad (P), were from among the towns surrounding a capital / mother town. This means they were all around the same geographic region. Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, India, Mexico and Japan have nothing to do with these events whatsoever. The Mother of Towns and the towns around it are all located in the South of Arabia.
So which of them was the Mother of Towns, where Muhammad began preaching the Quran?
Based on all the information we have gathered so far, we can say that in order to qualify for this title, the town must have the following criteria
1- It must be an important trade center strategically located on or very near the ancient trade routes.
2- It must have had a mixture of communities of Jews, Nasara, Sabeans and pagans.
3- Most importantly, it must be very old - ancient - possibly the first urban settlement.
4- It must be near volcanic mountains.
5- It must be reasonably close to the remains of the homes of Ad and Thamud, which we have shown were in South Arabia, not in the North. This is line with what the Quran says{Is it not a guide to them how many generations We had destroyed before them, which they are walking now in their homes? In that are signs for the people of understanding}?.
Does the current city of Makkah in the Hijaz area of Saudi Arabia fit these criteria? If yes, then why is there ZERO mention of this town in the records of the ancient Greek and Roman merchants who had dealings with Arabia, nor the geographers who visited the Peninsula? Why is there ZERO archeological evidence of the existence of Makkah before the 3rd Century A.D? Why is there no mention of it in the Old Testament? Look at the map of volcanoes in Arabia on page 7 of this thread, and verify for yourself if Makkah is located near any of them.
My current belief (until I am presented with evidence proving otherwise) - and I am not forcing this belief upon anyone - is that there are two prime candidates for the Mother of Towns, and neither of them is Makkah. The more I read and research about this issue, and the more I look at the evidence surrounding the current city of Makkah, the more I become convinced that we?ve been lied to.
1st Candidate Najran (known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as Negrana).
Here are some facts about this city
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Najran has been proven by archeologists to be over 4,000 years old, which means it has ben an urban settlement since before Abraham migrated to the region. It lies in the far south of Saudi Arabia, near the political border of Yemen.
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Najran was known by its ancestral name of ?Al-Rabbah? (a name that appears several times in the Old Testament as well), and later became known as Al-Ukhdood (meaning ?The Trench?).
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It lay on a strategic fork in the frankincense and myrrh trade routes. The first fork came from Hadhramaut, passed through Shibam and Ma'reb (capital of Sheba). The second came from Aden, and passed through Sana'a.
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The city contains ancient Egyptian, Roman, as well as Persian ruins, which shows how the ancient nations that launched campaigns against the trade routes of South Arabia always made a point to control the city. One of those campaigns was led by Roman general Aelius Gallus in the year 24 B.C, when he attempted to put a stranglehold on the region, by sacking Najran and the port of Aden, in order to secure the trade routes and protect the passage of naval fleets through the Bab-al-Mandib Straight (the thin straight between Yeme nand the Horn of Africa). The campaign met with spectacular failure, however, due to a disease which plagued Gallus' soldiers, as well as betrayal by a Nabatean guide. Look up ?Aelius Gallus Arabian Campaign? in the internet for more information about this disastrous and scandalous defeat of the Romans, one that even historian Strabo, who was a personal friend of Gallus, wrote about.
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Najran was known for harboring the largest community of Nasara (and later Nestorian Christians) in all of Arabia. Many modern scholars believe that it may very well have been the destination of the Apostle Paul (inventor of Christianity) who made a ?mysterious? trip to Arabia, where he stayed for 3 years (as he admits in his own Letters), before returning to the Levant to start preaching Christianity as we know it today. (Look up ?Christian Community in Najran? on the internet). It was also the home of Waraqa bin Naufal, the famous Christian Cannon of Islamic folklore, who may very well have been an authentic and historic figure (The Hijazi Arabs stole him and shifted him to Makkah, their pagan idol center).
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About 25 KM east of the city is Taslal Mountain (a mountain surrounded by groves of date trees), the site of the legendary Ka?aba of Najran, a giant cathedral that was built there long before the era of Muhammad (P). The Ka?aba was erected by a family of clergy, namely Bani Abd al-Madan Ibn al-Dayyan al- Harithi. The Ka?aba is mentioned in the poetry of famous Yemeni poet Al-A?asha, who was a personal friend of the Al-Dayyan Cardinals of Najran, wherein he says
Paraphrase
And the Kaaba of Najran is a must for you (to visit),
Until you are honored (as a guest) at its doors.
To visit Yazeed Bin Abdul Madan,
And Qays, (they) are its stewards,
And the sight of flowers and jasmines will greet you there,
And the ringing chimes of its threshold.- In the year 525 A.D, some 50 years before the advent of Muhammad (P), the city of Najran became famous (or rather infamous) for a massacre perpetrated by the mad Yemeni Jewish king, Yusuf Bin Zar3a bin Himyar, better known as Dhu? Nawwas (note the ?dhu? title of kings, a very common phenomenon in Yemeni culture). Some 15,000 Christians were drenched in oil and burnt in trenches there. This event, which has been documented by the Ethiopian and Roman Byzantine Churches, as well as the Yemeni historians, was the first ?holocaust? perpetrated in history, and is mentioned in the Quran in the chapter called ?The Constellations?. It was, in fact the catalyst which later led to the army of Abraha attacking the Himyars of Yemen to avenge the death of the Christians. (Islamic folklore, invented by the Hijazi Arabs of the north, however, stole this actual historic event, and made a legend out of it, claiming that Abraha had attacked Makkah with elephants, on the year of Muhammad?s birth. This is an example of how truth is often mixed with myths, and how rival nations or groups hijack each others? history and accomplishments, and claim it as their own). After deposing of the Himyarites, the Ethipians (viceroys of Christian Rome) established their own rule in Yemen, and built another magnificent church in Sana?a, which was known to the Yemenis of the time as Al-Qunays (or "Kunays", meaning the Basilica. (Think of where the word ?Kenesset?, the seat of the ?Israeli? government, comes from).
The issue of the Roman-Jewish (and later the Roman-Sassanid) wars for the conquest of South Arabia is very important, and could very well explain the first verses of Chapter 30 of the Quran, entitled ?The Romans?.
2nd Candidate Sana'a (The Jewish Capital of Arabia).
The following are some facts about Sana'a
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The ancestral name of Sana?a was Azal (or Uzal), a name which appears in the Old Testament by the letter, as one of Noah?s descendants. (Legends tend to attribute the names of heroes to towns. But this does not necessarily mean that they are complete myths which must be discarded. There is always some truth in them. Legends serve as dramatizing "dry" historical accounts, and gving them some human substance and emotion). The OT mentions Uzal, son of Joktan (Qahtan) son of Shem, son of Noah. Is it a coincidence that the term ?Qahtan? was a derogatory title given to the South Arabians by their northern (Hijazi) neighbors?
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The ancient traditions and culture of Yemen tell us that Sana?a was known to the old generations as ?City of Shem, son of Noah?, and was established right after the Great Flood, making it the oldest city in all of Arabia. Anthropologists and linguists are now 100% confident that Arabia was the source of all the so-called ?Semitic? migrations to Mesopotamia and the Levant. This means that the civilization of south Arabia is OLDER than that of Mesopotamia and the Levant. And since there is an emerging theory among many (notably from Gremany and Russia) that Sana?a is Yemen?s oldest city, then there is credence and some truths ringing in these legends.
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Until the 1960?s, Sana?a harbored the largest single community of Arab Jews (in terms of concentration). And the Rabbis of Sana?a were staunchly opposed to the Jewish migration to Palestine. In ancient times, the city was also a melting ground for Himyaritic Christians and Sabeans. (These three groups were addressed during Muhammad?s time by the Quran, which promised Paradise for Jews, Christians and Sabeans who did good deeds and believed in the Oneness of Allah).
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The Islamic traditions speak of a famous Jewish Rabbi by the title of Kaab?ul Ahbar , who is claimed to have ?embraced? Islam later on. Even the Jewish Encyclopedia mentions him by name, and says very clearly that he was from Sana?a. (You can look him up in the Jewish Encyclopedia).
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Sana?a lies at an altitude of nearly 2000 meters, overlooking the ancient myrrh and incense trade routes, and is surrounded by volcanic peaks, making it one of the highest altitude capitals in the world.
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The very name ?Sana?a? means ?fortress? or something along that line. It was built in a way that was later followed as a model by many fortified cities in Yemen, safely tucked away in treacherous mountain passes. The Old Testament description of the City of David as a fortified military outpost on Mount Zion (Sayoun), surrounded by towering mountain peaks, is unlike anything existing in the entire geography of Palestine.
In fact, King David's campaign against Rabbah (ancient Najran) in the 11th Century B.C, as desribed in the OT, mirrors Dhu Nawwas' brutal attack against that same city, in the 6th Century A.D. The departure point of both kings was from mount Zion, a fortified citadel east of Sana'a.
So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it (2 Samuel 1229).
- The city of Sana?a is where the oldest manuscript of the Quran was found, stashed in the attic of the Grand Mosque, in 1972. (The mosque that has a cube-like structure in its central courtyard).
These evidences, once gathered together, present a new picture, and a theory exposing a conspiracy that I have been suspecting for some time now Could it be that the Northern Arabs (of the Hijaz) hijacked the history and culture of their southern neighbors, and claimed it as their own, mixing historical truths with myths to give credence to their story?
What we are proposing here is a radically new perspective While the folkloric Muhammad of Islamic tradition was born in Makkah and began preaching there, the actual historic Muhammad may well have been a figure originating from South Arabia. He was a small-town man of common and humble descent. He was not BORN in Najran nor in Sana?a, for that matter, but in a small town not far from the trade routes. This explains why some skeptics and doubters of Muhammad's message said, as the Quran recounts
{And they said ?If only this Quran was sent down to a man of greatness from the two towns!}?{4331}
This is made all the more evident when we look at some old maps of the region, in yellowed and rotten Saudi gazetteers, and discover the shocking truth of the presence of towns by the name of "Badr" (famous for the Battle of Badr) and "Khaybar" (famous for the "Khaybar Raid" in the vicinity of Najran!!
Take at look at teh following map, taken from Ziad Mina's book "Geography of the Torah in Asir", page 122
http//i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb386/Gorefiendel/Gazetteer.jpg
Red circle Khaybar
Blue circle Badr
Green circle NajranHow can there be "Badr" and "Khaybar" in South Arabia, barely 100 KM from the Yemeni border, when Muslim traditions place the first just south of Madinah, and the second just north of it? Could these names have been copied or projected northwards by the Arabs of Hijaz?
Coincidently, I did some research about the present day "Khaybar" and "Badr" of the Asir region, and sure enough, they are BOTH mentioned in Arabic websites. They are known to Saudis as "Badr of the South" and "Khaybar of the South".
Here is a link to Arabic wikipedia containing passing reference to "Badr" in Asir
http//ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%B1_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8
And here a link to a forum talking about a tragic traffic accident that took place in the "Khaybar of the South"
http//www.alrslan.com/vb/t8398.html
(Arabic readers can verify the existence of these two towns).
If the nearby city of Najran was known to the ancient Romans and Greeks by that same name (Negrana), this means it has retained that name since at least 300 BC. It is therefore safe to assume that the towns surrounding could very well have kept their names since those eras.
Conclusion
The theatre of the Old Testament events was in South Arabia. It has nothing to do with Palestine or Egypt whatsoever. The land of the Prophets was there, along the coastal mountainous strip stretching from Asir to the furthest reaches of Yemen, and from the highlands of Najd, all the way to the Hadhramaut Valley in the east. And the Patriarch Abaham never set foot outside this region.
The story of Bani Israel is an account of a people?s struggle against tyranny, and their transition from a nomadic life of goat-herding, to a sedentary life of trade and industry. It is a story of a people?s search for an ideal and a meaning to their lives. It is for all of humanity to study and learn from. Allah kept sending them messengers in rapid succession, because He saw in them the seed of true monotheism, and thus He favored them over the peoples of their time, despite the vein of stubbornness and arrogance that ran through them.
Nuh, Hud, Saleh, Shuaib, Ibraheem, Ismael, Isaac, Esa, Dawood, and Sulayman...they were not mythological figures, as the modern scholars and Neo-Archeologists have claimed. These were the prophets and heroes of Yemen, in its long-distant childhood era. And their memory and legends have been passed down from generation to generation and sung in the ancient psalms of the region for generations untold.
It's the archeologists who have been looking in the wrong place.
This is because someone, somewhere down the line, prostituted the history of an Arabian tribe by the name of "Bani Israel", and claimed it as their own, in order for that "someone" to give credence to a false belief that they are a pure race, (Semitic), and God?s Chosen People. After a political debate (Palestine versus Uganda), that "someone" chose the former as the site of the alleged ?Promised Land?, for no better reason than to plant an alien, cancerous entity of Europeans (Russians, Hungarians, Polish, Lithuanians, etc?) in the heart of the Arab world, strategically placed between its African and Asian wings, in order to pursue their globalist and imperialist agendas. Ever since the 18th Century, orientalist translations of the Old Testament have fooled people into believing the doctrine of a ?Promised Land? in Palestine, into believing Judaism is a ?race?, hidden the true identity of the Israelites, Satanically merged between the concept of ?Israelite? and ?Jew? (making them synonymous), and most importantly hijacked the entire history of Arabia, the true cradle and origin of civilization on this planet, and projected its events onto other regions. But the most tragic concept is that the Arabs themselves have no idea of how their history was stolen. They send their children to schools and universities that teach them a Zionist version of history, while openly and ignorantly declaring those same Zionists as their enemies. The Muslims arrogantly live in denial, believing their creed to be 100% true and clear of falsehoods and forgeries.
But in the end, the truth always has a way of revealing itself, no matter how long the LIE endures. This is Allah?s Way, His Sunna, which never changes. And it is only a matter of time before the new awakening conscience among archeologists and anthropologists will make this truth known. A day will come when the ancient mountains, plains and valleys of Yemen will be heard, their secrets unveiled, and a new version of history will then emerge.
http//i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb386/Gorefiendel/Road-1.gif
Abraham's Trail
Peace...
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Peace Pazuzu,
I must say you have done a marvelous research!
As Allah's ways don't change, and truth will indeed prevail, it is so joyful to see that it is all there to see for anyone. The records are there, waiting to be read. Anyone can read that maps, anyone can read the OT, anyone can read AQ, anyone can scrutinize the various sources of geographical and historical information. Anyone can put it all together. And you have! You have done the movement of truth a huge favor. This saves alot of time! To me, this is a quantum leap forward.
If you can share as many sources and references as possible, then it would be the pleasure of any truth seeker to go and dig further and confirm and expand on what you have told us through your posts here on the forum.
Well done! (although irrelevant, but I enjoy your way of narrating what you have found, leading the reader forward through your posts)One of my regular prayers to Allah is "ya Allah, show me the truth, and let me be able to handle it!"
I find this a wonderful prayer which helps me forward in understanding the world.
I believe everyone should pray similarly. We should all sincerely and unconditionally keep asking Allah to show us the truth, WHATEVER it might be.
The second and CRUCIAL part of the prayer is that we should be able to handle the truth. This is VERY important. If we can't handle it, we will not benefit from it. Rather it would be bad for us and we would reject it. Instead Allah can gradually reveal more and more to us, letting us slowly mature to be able to handle whatever truth is coming up, step by step.I really enjoyed your posts so far... they have really opened up new doors of understanding!
Peace! -
This is written for the last 1400 years. Going there is a must for resourceful people otherwise what is stated almost means "to hell with them".
http//haqeeqat.org.pk/English%20Tafsir%20e%20Haqeeqat/00.Tabweeb%20Part%202/01.Roots%20originating%20in%20Sura%20003/02.Mubarak%20Ba%20Ra%20Kaaf/1.gifPassive Participle indefinite; masculine; singular; accusative; ; Root . This Root enfolds the basic perception of anything that became firm, steady, steadfast or fixed; remained, continued or stayed in a place, constantly or perseveringly. It reflects permanence and stability, thereby it results in keeping expanding and developing and becoming more and more prominent and obvious for people.
Does this Passive Participle apply to any place other than the House in Mecca?
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Salaam Pazuzu
Thank you again for eloquently presenting your convincing arguments. It will be good to see your valuable work in the form of a book or ebook where all your relevent threads would form chapters of that book, except your thread on Isa as that does not seem to fit belowSome 150-200 years later, the Israelites were persecuted by a villainous Mudhari chief, called Far3oun (I am now 100% convinced it?s a proper name, not a title), and were eventually enslaved. Their plight continued until Allah sent them Moses to lead their escape from a prominent trade citadel (the ?Misr? mentioned in the Quran), and into the wilderness areas. After the drowning of Far3oun and his men, the majority of Bani Israel disobeyed Allah?s command and refused to enter a certain fortified town somewhere in the Asir region, so they were punished and made to roam aimlessly from one place to another, for a period described in the Quran as 40 ?sana? (not necessarily solar years). This continued until such time when their faith was renewed and they were finally able to achieve unity under a strong leadership. It was then, during the early Iron Age, that they established a strong, centralized kingdom under David, and later Solomon. And this kingdom was located in the south of Yemen, centered around the city of Sana?a, and shared borders with Sheba, the realm of the Queen Bilquees.
Peace
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Salaam, Pazuzu,
I concur with all those who have appreciated your work on so many questions as to the historicity of events and people mentioned in the Qur'an. I certainly concur with Farida's suggestion or request that you put all those efforts into a book form.
I am also confident that you will be patient. This kind of setting everything that has been taken for grnated upside down takes time to seep and find transform peoples minds. But as you say, in sha Allah it will come, and in the meantime it will be discussed and may be confusions and conflicting aspects dispelled.
Thanks for sharing your insights and for the effort you have made to do so.
Salaam
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There are several academic sources, however, unfortunately, many of them are in Aarabic and have not been translated. The remaining sources are basically just random articles I have picked up from the internet, and whose contents I have spliced together.
If you'd still like names and titles, I can mention the most important sources, as follows (The term "YES" means the title has been translated to English).
Arabic Books
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The Bible Came from Arabia (Kamal Salibi - 1985), YES
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Secrets of the Bible People (Kamal Sailibi - 198, YES
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Who Was Jesus? A Conspiracy in Jerusalem (Kamal Salibi - 198, YES
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The Historicity of Biblical Israel (Kamal Salibi - 199, YES
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Imagined Palestine The Land of the Torat in Ancient Yemen (Fadhel al-Rubayee - 200
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The Truth of the Babylonian Exile (Fadhel al Rubayee - 2009)
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Call of the Sarat Hijacking the Geography of the Prophets ("Tajdeed" Society - Bahrain - 2005)
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The Wars of David (Kamal Salibi - 2001)
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The Geography of the Torat in Asir (Ziad Minah - 1991)
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The Arabian Torah and the Jerusalem of Yemen (Farajullah Saleh Deeb - 1990)
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Sunnat al Awwaleen (Ibn Qirnas - 2004)
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Christianity of Paul and Constantine (Ibn Qirnas - 2007)
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Crowns of the Kings of Himyar (Muthir Ahmad Muthir - 1750 A.D.)
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Description of Arabia (Al-Hamadani - 942 A.D.)
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The Old Testament (Various Translations)
English Books
- Queen of Sheba and Biblical Scholarship (Bernard Leeman - 2005)
- Palestine is Not the Promised Land (Jameel Effarah - 2002)
- The Bible Unearthed Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts (Israel Finklestein and Neil Silberman - 2002)
- The Quest for the Historical Israel Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel (Israel Finklestein and Amihai Mazar - 2006)
- The Alexandria Link (Steve Berry - 2007)
As for websites and forums, they are simply too numerous to be counted. Aside from the links I posted in the threads themselves, you might want to check the following
http//baheyeldin.com/science/kamal-salibi-and-the-israel-from-yemen-theory.html
http//kamalsalibi.blogspot.com/2009/11/supplement-for-second-edition-how-much.html
http//kamalsalibi.blogspot.com/p/king-ahaz.html
http//uprootedpalestinians.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-ten-reasons-east-jerusalem-does-not.html
@Farida / Huruf
I have already thought of that, and yes, you are right. I am planning a collection of 5 e-books where the information will be presented in a more organized form. The e-books will have all the contents of the threads (updated) + new content that I never got he chance to post. If all goes according schedule, 2 of these 5 books will be completed in 2012. The thread about "Isa" will have its own e-book dedicated to it (probably the last one).
To everyone else, thank you for your patience and support.
Peace and best regards.
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Salaam Pazuzu,
I didn't read every post of you but I read some. You have some interesting views, in some I agree, there were also some things on which I didn't agree and some things that I didn't study properly to confirm for myself. Anyhow thank you for your hard work and research and for sharing it. I really like to read the e-books when you finish them.
Salaam and may Allah increase us in knowledge,
Bender -
Slaam to all sun
Thank you brother Pazuzu for this amazing post, surely in E-books will be easier to analyse and study all details, handshake
Any help you need feel free to ask sun We will be waiting, patiently, for more posts and contiunuation of the unfinished one?s pr2211Ask the Seeds (or sonsof Israel) how many a supremely evident sign We brought them; and whoever exchanges the favor of Allah even after it has come to him, then surely Allah is strict in punishment.
2212Adorned for the ones who have disbelieved is the present life (Literally the lowly life, i.e., the life of this world) and they scoff at the ones who have believed; and the ones who are pious will be above them on the Day of the Resurrection and Allah provides whomever He decides without reckoning.
2213 Mankind was one nation; so, Allah sent forth the Prophets, constant bearers of good tidings and constant warners, and He sent down with them the Book with the Truth, to judge among mankind concerning that in which they differed. And in no way did anyone differ concerning it except the ones to whom it was brought even after the supreme evidences had come to them, being inequitable among themselves; So Allah guided the ones who believed to the Truth, concerning which they differed, by His permission, and Allah guides whomever He decides to a straight Path.
2214 Or (even) did you reckon that you should enter the Garden, while as yet there had not come up to you the like of (the ones) who passed away even before you? Misery and tribulation touched them, and (they) were shaken until the Messenger and the ones who believed with him said, "When does victory from Allah (come)?" Verily, victory from Allah is surely near.
Salaam to All, May Allah guide us All into enlighment pr
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Salaam Pazuzu,
Makkah, Bakkah, and the Mother of Towns Three DIFFERENT Places.
According to Islamic folklore and tradition (i.e. Islamic Hearsay), Bakkah was the old name for Makkah. The problem with this belief is that it doesn?t explain why Allah would use BOTH names in the Quran if they did indicate the SAME place.
I agree with you, but I have something different about Bakkah.
The Quran tells the people of Muhammad (P) that the first sanctuary established IS the one at Bakkah.
{The first Sanctuary established for the people is the one in Bakkah, blessed, and a guidance for the worlds}?
Here is my opinion about Bakkah
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9603590.msg293981#msg293981
The first major clue given here is the word ?ahqaf? which appears at the beginning of the verses. This Arabic word is derived from the root h-q-f , which means to gather together / shovel (as in quantities dirt, or sand) / stacked on top of each other. The word is used in the colloquial dialects of south Arabia, as meaning giant sand dunes.
Sorry for offtopic, but this part gave me an idea, that many of the important things in Al Quran has been stated in the Surah title.
For examples
AL-MAIDAH = brings me to what inside the real Injeel.
AL-AHQAF = brings me to your conclusion
AL-MUMTAHANAH = brings me to malakat aymanukum
AL-JUMUAH related to AT-TAGHABUN = to explain what Yaumil Jumuah is
AL-ANKABUT = to explain what bayt is
And many others which need to analyzed further. Do you have any info about who gave the title for all surah? It seems that He/She wanted to leave the main point or clue to be analyzed.
And by the way, I look forward to have your e-book. sun
peace
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Just to thank you Pazuzu and send you encouragement to write your ebooks! sun
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Salam and jazakkallah pazuzu (I wish you changed this demonic nick though).
I purchased 3 Kamal Salabi books to study the matter further...
You do not touch at the whereabouts of Mohammed (P) and how/if he migrated to Yathrib...
Or is there a town called Yathrib in Yemen too? brickwallThis is an important matter. There is historical evidence that Mohammed administered the city of Yathrib/ Medinah.
- Medinah charter, letters to Monarchs, battles of Hunain, Tabuk, etc.
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Salam and jazakkallah pazuzu (I wish you changed this demonic nick though).
Thank you.
If it bothers you, don't use it. You can call me Rudolph if you wish )
You do not touch at the whereabouts of Mohammed (P) and how/if he migrated to Yathrib...
I did prove that Muhammad began preaching the Quran somewhere in Northern Yemen, and that he was of humble origins, born in a small town located in the territory between Sana'a and Najran.
I did not touch upon the subject of his migration. Also, I am not denying the fact that the Quran mentions Yathrib BY NAME, nor that the Muslims expanded northwards and were given territories that their forefathers had never set foot on.
However, Muhamad never reached Palestine. The claim that the "Majsid Aqsa" is in Palestine is a lie fabricated by the Marwani Umayyads, who wanted to ascribe divinity and "holliness" to that area, because they had hijacked the Deen and moved the center of power fro mArabia to the Levant.Most importantly, the aim was to show that the Bani Israel were a tribe of ancient Yemen, and that the theater of the Old Testament stories/legends was not Palestine.
Also, what I wrote does not agree 100% with Salibi. Salibi placed ancient Israel in Asir, and made it centered around the Jizan coastal town in South Saudi Arabia. The theory I presented is that it was centered around Sana'a and Mount Sion, just west of Sheba.
Just to thank you Pazuzu and send you encouragement to write your ebooks!
I am facing enormous problems and hurdles with translation. The Quranic Arabic is untranslatable, and I sometimes find myself frozen for many days on the same page, trying to find English words that convey the same meaning.
It will be a long and arduous task.
Peace...
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As a person who has been earning her bread very long years from translation, I can understand you and I never grudge compliments to translations of the Qur'an, because it does take courage and dedication to a maximum degree and even with the purest aim and intention, it may leave to be desired, which may be is intended that will keep us on our toes and prevent us from stopping at the first seemingly satisfactory solution. Being an ever fruitful text, it should always bring something of itself that we didn't have or expect and which will for other insights, alhamdulillah.
But every honest translation deserves respect and love. So ?courage, Pazuzu! it will not be perfect, but in sha' Allah, will be very good and fruitful.
Salaam
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Dear Pazuzu,
We all struggle in life. Insights, understanding and wisdom never comes without work or effort. We are all on our own individual paths of improvement... and I know this is indeed something difficult, painful and strenuous... I know this from my own life. But it is worth it many times over.
Sometimes we must wait for ourselves to grow and mature a bit further before Allah blesses us with more understanding. It's a process. And I believe that Allah says we should not haste in this business.
Also, the quran contains so many layers or levels of understanding that one will never come to a final optimal conclusion of its meaning. But perfection is not the goal... or purpose. The book is a guide, and we will read from it what we are capable of understanding... which is different for different people... this is like a natural law.
The important thing is instead to evolve and improve and better our understanding. As long as our understanding gets better... in this case the understanding of the quran and how best to render it in other languages..... then we are doing fine. A less bad translation is better than a worse translation. We may see translations as a report and sharing of the translators current understanding, with the purpose to help others in expanding their understanding and making more sense out of things that previously have been associated with lots of insane ideas.May Allah bless you with more knowledge, insights, understanding and lots of joy, peace, excitement and success in your honorable work of understanding the quran and clearing our misunderstandings that are so widespread and indoctrinated in the world.
All the best,
peace -
If it bothers you, don't use it. You can call me Rudolph if you wish )
and I sometimes find myself frozen for many days on the same page, trying to find English words that convey the same meaning.
It will be a long and arduous task.
Peace...
maybe calling you rudolph will unfreeze you.. ;D
but as I do not know how you look or talk like, the two threads moustache, and the fiery language
otherwise...
just do it, write it, and make versions that you amend as you go along... only Allah is perfect...
the reward will be your effort, and the purity of your intentions...I want to add a weird thought that has been following me (maybe the devil is planting it, or maybe it is worthy of consideration)...
The Quran does not speak of Jews, but of Yahud, and yahud are those who hadu, meaning those who got guided or accepted guidance... and these are most probably Saul, Daoud and Sulaiman folks...
as for Jews, there is an interesting phonetic play in the words of Gog and Magog, the fact is in Arabic it pronounces jewjz wa ma jewjz...
Could it be a cryptic prophecy (referring to an event that already happened in the time of Dhul Qarnain, but bound to repeat itself as the shield he built was temporary), about those who decided to call themselves jews who then got reinforced by majews (ie non jews - the khazars)... just a wild guess... incidentally from someone who has in his lineage jewish blood (the Tribe of Kaheena Dahia, she is one of my family ancestors... but I do have also some up to 50% arabic blood + a half turkish grandmother - nice mixture)