Salam all,

I just need to know your idea, not distorted informations as you mentioned. I respect to all the plights of human beings regardless Muslims. However, the plight of Rohingyas, Palestinians and Syrians have been in existence for years. As quranist, what the Quran said about this plight. Don't you help them, or you just ignore, because this is not belonged to you.

Muslims are focused on religion, in general, not the suffering, poverty, abuses, murders, rapes, tortures and exterminations of their fellow souls, it matters not if they are Muslim or otherwise, the horrors of the earth presently and historically suffered are due to a single issue, hierarchy, these hierarchical structures are false perceptions that people invest into, and the pyramid is always, just about, dominated by soulless psychopaths.

you may have no sovereign, not even a messenger, that's stated in the bad translations of the Qur?an, even that nugget is ignored, Muslim worship a multitude of sovereign, and adore many hierarchies.

I just focused on positive thinking, not negative one.

Allah says “Do not marry idolatresses (al mushrikāt) till they believe; and certainly a believing maid is better than an idolatress even though she would please you; and do not marry idolaters (al Mushrikīn) till they believe (hata yūminū), and certainly a believing slave is better than an idolater, even though he would please you. These invite to the Fire, and Allah invites to the Garden and to forgiveness by His grace, and makes clear His revelations to mankind so that they may remember.”Qur’an 2221.

Salam All,

God Almighty says, ?And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.? (Al-Anbiyaa? 21107). Prophet Muhammad

(peace and blessings be upon him and his house) and his House, is the Prophet of mercy, sent by God as a mercy to all mankind; believers, non-believers, and hypocrites. His mercy sheltered all humanity men, women and children. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his house) was merciful to all creatures including animals and birds. God almighty describes Muhammad?s pity, kindness, and mercy to all the creatures

?Certainly a Messenger has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to him is your falling into distress, excessively solicitous respecting you; to the believers (he is) compassionate,? (At-Tawbah 912.

Salam all, I have been doubtful about the life of Prophet Muhammad when he received the revelation and faced his companions if his companions asked him to make clear about the verses. I believed that there were companions couldn't understand clearly about some verses and needed the Prophet explain it it. However, in my point of view, I think that the prophet should explain to them, and would be model, and performed among companions. Later on the practice of the Prophet was told to many companions so called Prophetic tradition. Wallahu'alum, Allah has known best.

why you need other people's understandings on this? Why you want to follow others? Allah is going to ask for your deeds and you cannot point anyone saying that he/she told me to do so and so when Allah asked you why did you do so! Right?

As per 5156, we have been created to serve Allah. That means, whatever Allah guides us to or asked us to do, we have to do that way. That is the only way to serve Allah. It is the matter of individuality as we are going to stand in front of our Lord individually to answer for our deeds 1995. If Allah made you understand that you have to do alSalaat 5 times a day or 30 days of alSaum, then you are bound to do so. You cannot see others what and how they are doing.

Either Allah will make you understand by explaining you directly in your heart or through someone else who will explain you and make you understand. Now you will need to follow whatever is explained to you only if you understood it, no matter even if others who are more knowledgeable to you are practicing the other way.

Well said. However, for all muslims who share the idea they always cite the quranic verse and post, then there are many muslims read and share their understanding. I my point of view I think that when the verse was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad he should do explain to his companions if he didn't explain to them, then the verse must be interpreted in many segments, or it might be chaotic among the companions about the verses. On the other hand, his companions asked the Prophet when their had got the questions. However, the practice of the Prophet according to God revealed must be the best pattern of conduct and clear among the companions.The practiced of the prophet must be told and remembered by his companions and would be tradition for centuries after the Prophet passed away. In my opinion Imam Bukhari did a great job in collecting the prophetic traditions. I dont believe all words of Bukhari, but I read the Qur-an and compared with Bukhari. I realized that when you read the book of Buhkari liken to read the historic book. We have been reading many books since we could read as; Scientific book, business book and etc. But some theories we can get and some we can deny.
Allah Stated "And We have sent down to you the Book with truth, authenticating what is present of the Book and superseding it. So judge between them by what God has sent down, and do not follow their desires from what has come to you of the truth. For each of you We have made laws, and a structure; and had God willed, He would have made you all one nation, but He tests you with what He has given you; so strive to do good. To God you will return all of you, and He will inform you regarding that in which you dispute." (The Message 54

Scientific reason There are a lot of disadvantages. It causes cancer of kidney, loses the brain. It is just like slow poison and it causes many disadvantages.

Peace Crow,
I'm not a nasty nice when talking about alcohol.

O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed." (Al Ma'idah 90).

"There shall be no sin unto those who believe and do good works for what they may have consumed. So be mindful of your duty and do good works; and again be mindful of your duty, and believe; and once again be mindful of your duty, and do right. Allah loveth the good." (Al Ma' idah 93).

"They question thee about strong drink and games of chance. Say In both is great harm and utility for men; but the harm of them is greater than their usefulness." (Al-Baqarah 219).

http//www.biharanjuman.org/Quran/good-deeds-Quran.htm

Greetings and Peace, all group

@YAMU Have you considered the points brought up in other threads, such as http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9601872.40? The thread referenced can be continued if there is additional input (or another thread can be started so as to not derail this one).

ALLAH knows best.

peace

~Abdul-Hadi

I think I just conjecture according to my whim, because I'm going to change my mindset to not imitate any persons, but my stand point and ideology. I don't want anybody force me to be mine, except Allah, who shows me to the right path. I'm not a nice guy, but a Muslim who would like to be submitted the God's word.

Same sex marriage is the same crime ppl of LOT (Peace be upon him) used to do, Allah destroyed them, Now u can find their remains in Dead Sea. Read Holy Quran?s

?What! You commit the immoral with males, and cut off the roads; and you speak evilly in your gatherings?? So his people had no answer except to say, ?Bring the punishment of Allah upon us if you are truthful!?

So let's assume a situation from a real life example..

You're an ahmadi.. a sunni mob lead by their imams is marching to your village..
They're carrying torches.. and some carries rudimentary weapons such as swords, (fake and assembled) AK47, Clubs etc..
They're shouting "Allahu Akbar!!", "Death to Ahmadis!!".. "Burn their houses!!" "Burn the kuffars!!"

What would you do?

Salam / Peace

Salam

Quran (533) Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment.

Quran (474) So when you meet those who disbelieve , strike necks until, when you have inflicted slaughter upon them, then secure their bonds, and either favor afterwards or ransom until the war lays down its burdens. That . And if Allah had willed, He could have taken vengeance upon them , but to test some of you by means of others. And those who are killed in the cause of Allah - never will He waste their deeds.

Greetings and Peace, all group

ALLAH knows best.

peace

~Abdul-Hadi

I don't reject that Allah knows best, because all things belong to Allah. However, Allah sent the message to tackle the problem on earth.

Shalom Aleikhem,

What logical answer ? define it please. Atleast I stated rational things that I would do in stead of dreaming about a prince coming to save me with a unicorn. Or is it that you are looking for something like that ? In that case you could have simply requested in the initial post that "Please come up with unrealistic hippy things and do not forget to lay it thick"

Peace
---------- Student of Allah

Salam

Logical answer is the process of using a rational, systematic series of steps based on sound mathematical procedures and given statements to arrive at a conclusion, but your answers doesn't make sense.

Salam all,

I'd like logical answer, not ideal clue, please.

how you can speak with wisdom and intelligence to Sunnis and Shiites and say that? Even if they are misguided, we can not put them on one level with pre-Islamic Quraischs . There are many moderate Sunnis who know very well the problems of the traditions, but are trapped in their wrong thinkings. We should pray for them, not curse them. God gives us permission to fight if we are attacked, but he never gives us the right to insult other obscene.
peace peace

Well said.

Shalom Aleikhem,

1.If there is a group of people wanna make genocide Muslims, what will you do?

I will try my level best to make them realize its wrong and try to stop them.

2.If you were Syrian people, what would you do?

No clue, don't have enough information to decide.

3.What will you do if Sunni and Shiah wanna kill you because of Quran alone?

Try to reason with them and make them understand that its not the way. Try to convince them to not harm me and tolerate my theological disposition. If they still want war and attack, I will try my best to obliterate even the last spec of dust that used to be one of the ones that attacked me. I will rain down a godly firestorm upon them, I will ........hmmm let me express myself with a quote from a movie (edited to fit in our context). This is what I would say

"oh ok! Sunni/shia mullah; fuk face; first, take a big step back and littarly F**K YOUR OWN FACE! Now I don?t know what kind of pampas hitten bullshit power play your trying to pull here, but my freedom is my territory, so whatever your thinking; you better think again; otherwise I?m going to have to head down there and I will rain down in a godly fck?n fire storm upon you, your going to have to call the fck?n United Nation to get a fck?n binding resolution to keep me from fck?n destroying you! I Am Talking Scorched Earth Mother F**ker! I will Massacre You! I WILL FCK YOU UP!"

However, should they surrender/want peace, I will give it to them. I will stop my attacks and send them the message of Qur'an.

4.Do you agree with Syrian president?

No clue, don't have enough information to decide.

5.Do all Sunni scholars go to hell according to Quran?

Impossible to comment with yes or no. Every individual is on their own journey. It can well be the case that the person is incapable of making right decisions. So, that is up to God to decide.

6.What is jihad according to Quran alone?

There is right and there is wrong. Trying to do what is right in all circustances no matter how difficult the situations get is The Jihaad I suppose.

Peace
---------- Student of Allah

Peace be upon you.

1.If there is a group of people wanna make genocide Muslims, what will you do?

I will try my level best to make them realize its wrong and try to stop them.

Your answer is going against the verses below.

2.190. Fight against those who fight against you in the way of Allah, but do not transgress, for Allah does not love transgressors.

2.191. Kill them whenever you confront them and drive them out from where they drove you out. (For though killing is sinful) wrongful persecution is even worse than killing. Do not fight against them near the Holy Mosque unless they fight against you; but if they fight against you kill them, for that is the reward of such unbelievers.

2.If you were Syrian people, what would you do?

No clue, don't have enough information to decide.

Which is your information to decide?

4.Do you agree with Syrian president?

No clue, don't have enough information to decide.

How come this is not hidden agenda?

Peace

I'm shocked by this news. o If you are doubt, you can better not do it. tempt The servants of God are not in doubt. And what about fatherless children left behind with mother, by sex before marriage? And centuries ago, when there was no pill and condom?

Ahoedoe bilahie mina shetan irazjim >D

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. pr

And as for those who are guilty of an indecency from among your women, call to witnesses against them four (witnesses) from among you; then if they bear witness confine them to the houses until death takes them away or Allah opens some way for them.

And as for the two who are guilty of indecency from among you, give them both a punishment; then if they repent and amend, turn aside from them; surely Allah is Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful.

And she who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our inspiration and made her and her son a sign for the nations.

(This is) a chapter which We have revealed and made obligatory and in which We have revealed clear communications that you may be mindful.

(As for) the fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them, (giving) a hundred stripes, and let not pity for them detain you in the matter of obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the last day, and let a party of believers witness their chastisement.

The fornicator shall not marry any but a fornicatress or idolatress, and (as for) the fornicatress, none shall marry her but a fornicator or an idolater; and it is forbidden to the believers.

And those who accuse free women then do not bring four witnesses, flog them, (giving) eighty stripes, and do not admit any evidence from them ever; and these it is that are the transgressors,

Except those who repent after this and act aright, for surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

And (as for) those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves, the evidence of one of these (should be taken) four times, bearing Allah to witness that he is most surely of the truthful ones.

O you who believe! do not follow the footsteps of the Shaitan, and whoever follows the footsteps of the Shaitan, then surely he bids the doing of indecency and evil; and were it not for Allah's grace upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have ever been pure, but Allah purifies whom He pleases; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Surely those who accuse chaste believing women, unaware (of the evil), are cursed in this world and the hereafter, and they shall have a grievous chastisement.

Say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do.

And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful.

Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember-- Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward.

peace

Slam all,

The God's word mustn't create the problem, but it makes peace among people. When reading the God's word we must ponder over all verses, because the path as we have claimed is right for us, but is not right to others. When reading lexicon, there are many scholars giving the meaning, all cited Classical Arabic, so which one is authentic and who guaranteed? We couldn't play with fire if we are doubtful about the meaning. What should we do?

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.

Slam all,

I came across this article and wanna ask your position on his idea.