Do you agree?
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It is a good attempt, however, not very convincing. On the other hand, where nothing seems convincing every possibility must be left open and keep it in stock till may be some other idea comes up that may be would not have sprung bot for previous ideas which in themselve might not have been satisfactory.
There are many passages in the Qur'an that are like that. We do not have all the knowledge under the sun nor bove the sun to be able to explain absolutely everything. Sometimes new developments allow new explanations.
Salaam
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Thanks huruf anf Furqan for your reply. Arabic is not my first language, so I don't know the claim which is made by Modoodi is true or not. Any person who knows Arabic can shed some light on it.
What I understood from both of yours answer is that you guys disagree with Modoodi on his claim that "it would be against the Arabic idiom and usage to speak of a member of the tribe as namlah"
Late Muhammad Ali has different opinion and explain it in his Quran tafseer as follows
Many of the fables regarding Solomon have been due to a misconception of
the word naml. It should be noted that w?di-l-Naml cannot be properly translated as the
valley of the ants, for Naml is a proper noun, and according to T (see under the root
wady), the valley of the Naml is situated between Jibr?n and ?Asqal?n. And Namlah is
the name of a tribe, like M?zin, which literally signifies the eggs of the ants. Namil
means a clever man (T). The name Namlah used also to be given to a child in whose
hands an ant was placed at its birth, because it was said such a child would be wise and
intelligent (T). And the Namlah are plainly spoken of as a tribe in the Q?ms, which
says under the word barq, Abriqah is of the waters of Namlah.Salam
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http//haqeeqat.pk/English%20Tafsir%20e%20Haqeeqat/00.Arabic%20Text/027.%20An%20Naml/27.18.gif
http//haqeeqat.pk/English%20Tafsir%20e%20Haqeeqat/00.Arabic%20Text/027.%20An%20Naml/Temo%2001%2027.18b.gifThey marched until when they arrived upon a valley of the Ants
She-Ant imperatively said, "O you theAnts listen! you get in to your dwellings?
Lest Sulie'maan and his troops crush you while they were not even aware".
Thereon, having heard, he/Sulie'maan smiled feeling amused by her commanding statement;
And he said, "O my Sustainer Lord! Enable me that I may acknowledge with gratitude Your Favor which You have showered upon me and upon my parents;
And that I may conduct with that perfection which You the Exalted appreciatively approve;And do enter me with Your Mercy amongst Your sincere perfectionists".
Please google to search about kingdoms of ants, She-ant had commanded. In all kingdoms, She-ant is the queen. There is not concept of king in ant species. Also search whether or not the ants speak - communicate and whether we can understand their communication.
2715-28
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If we read this ayat we'll notice "we hum la jesh'uroon" at the end, which has its clear meaning. So, if this army of el-jinn and el-'ins and et-tayr, which looks like very big and powerfull, can go by some human tribe and do something to them (crush them), how come they (this army) couldn't notice them (human tribe?), unless they're (human tribe?) very small?
People are talking nonsences if they hear some weswesa from jinn or 'insan. Reading tefsirs leads to falsehood for sure, without the knowledge from Allah swt prior to that.Allah's bless and selam.
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Thanks Mazhar for your reply.
There are many problems to accept your interpretation.
First of all, Suleman knew the language of birds but in the verse an ant talked. The ant is an insect and the word "tair" could not be apply on it. The other problem is, when Suleman was marching towards Queen of Sheeba, he has a huge army of INS (NORMAL ARMY PERSONNEL), JINN (SPECIAL COMMANDOS) and TAIR(MILITARY INTELLIGENCE) and God knows how many ants they crushed during their march. No ant talk before, why now?.
The other problem, ant knew Suleman by name. isn't it strange?.
I know that animals and insects do communicate with each other but the question is how did Suleman heard her talk?. When he only knew the language of birds and not insects.
My main question was the claim of Modoodi that it would be against the Arabic idiom and usage to speak of a member of the tribe as namlah"
Could you answer my questions? and shed some light on the Modoodi claim.
Salam
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I know that animals and insects do communicate with each other but the question is how did Suleman heard her talk?. When he only knew the language of birds and not insects.
Pease first study about the ants. Try to acquire latest knowledge. When Allah the Exalted has given the news, it is a fact whether you understand it or not because of lack of knowledge on your - our part.
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Tayr is not the word reserved for birds. You should read all its occurancies, maybe you'll see and you should answer yourself questions you asked, except your "main question". Ant is (of) tayr.
Nemlet talked when the army came near them, so no of ants was crushed.
Regards your "main question", I can't answer, because what Arabs are using or were using in their speech has nothing with Allah's Speech, they don't speek Qur'anic lisan, except those who got the knowledge about it (Qur'an and its lisan).
Allah's bless and selam.
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The other problem, ant knew Suleman by name. isn't it strange?.
Everything can be perceived strange when one understands not the phenomenon. And you and me are not ant to confirm or reject whether we know the name of commander of troops landing in our valley.
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If you see Cockroach flying, would you tell your kid that it is a bird?.
Every word has its own meaning which you can apply literally or metaphorically. "TAYYAR" metaphorically called for those horses who run fast. It doesn't mean that they have wings. Even if any insects have wings, no scientist or any ordinary person would call them birds.
I have found following bird definition from the net
a warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate animal distinguished by the possession of feathers, wings, a beak, and typically by being able to fly.
Could you please reply my main question of the post.
Salam
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If you see Cockroach flying, would you tell your kid that it is a bird?.
Every word has its own meaning which you can apply literally or metaphorically. "TAYYAR" metaphorically called for those horses who run fast. It doesn't mean that they have wings. Even if any insects have wings, no scientist or any ordinary person would call them birds.
I have found following bird definition from the net
a warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate animal distinguished by the possession of feathers, wings, a beak, and typically by being able to fly.
Could you please reply my main question of the post.
Salam
Only two winged are called bird, as for as I know. When he says they are given the knowledge of speech of birds and then there is information he heard the command of she-ant, inference is obvious; ant is classified in the category of bird since it meets the basic and foremost requirement of such classification.
Accepting or rejecting an information given in Qur'aan is one's choice.
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Every word has its own meaning which you can apply literally or metaphorically. "TAYYAR" metaphorically called for those horses who run fast.
They are not called bird. The swiftness in covering a distance is indicated by using verb or adverb of that root.
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Peace Mazhar,
You didn't make any comment on my example. Would you tell your kid if you see flying cockroach that it is a bird?
If you do some research on the net, you will easily find out that whether current science knowledge categories insects as a bird or not.
Whether Suleman was marching toward Queen of Sheeba is true or false not relevant. I can prove by giving verses that he was marching but it will drift from the main topic.
Lets accept that he was not marching towards sheeba but it still not resolve the questions i have posted.
Salam
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Peace Mazhar,
Sorry for the late reply. As you know, Sunday is the day of groceries and completing pending work.
My brother, the bird will remain bird even if it can not fly and insect will remain insect even if it can fly, it is as simple as it is. There is no rocket science behind it.
I discuss not only for the sake of discussion but to learn something. To exchange knowledge. Google it and you will find that what I have said above.
I think we both can not convince each other. It is hard for a science person like me to accept your logic.
But thanks anyway for your contribution.
Salam
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As I said several times here, translating of words and thinking about translations can lead to misunderstanding. If we translate tayr as bird and we continue like that we'll have a problem, but if we understand tayr as tayr and think about it as tayr we'll probably avoid problems in thinking.
Our visions of "name of things" are mostly different of real, so some names we're using are far from what they're pointing to. This is why, for example, our brother Mazhar got confused when he tried to use words which cannot be associated to something real, as "asteroids".
Ask yourself is the definition of "bird" we mostly accepted correct and is it same as "tayr". Or, if it is easier, choose any word from the Qur'an and think about its translation you accepted, are they same?
Allah's bless and selam.
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Peace Aladin from Azra tribe,
Thanks for your replies and sharing your knowledge with us. I have discussed all those points in other forums which you have raised, so these are not new for me. The main reason i have came to this forum to get answer of my question.
I can give answers with references but it requires time which i don't have.
Stay blessed
Salam
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You will have same questions about why you wanna know what you asked, even if you get your answer. Because, for example, there's no difference between ants and some human tribe about what Nemlet said, that it was Suleyman a.s. and his army. One can ask how these people knew it was Suleyman a.s. and his army?
But if in his army were at-tayr and Nemlet is of them, maybe we can get answers. Was there any other army of el-jin, el-ins and at-tayr?
Allah's bless and selam.