"By heaven furnished with paths;" Surat adh-Dhariyat

The Arabic word "alhubuki," translated as "furnished with paths" in verse 7 of Surat adh-Dhariyat, comes from the verb "hubeke," meaning "to weave closely, to knit, to bind together." The use of this word in the verse is particularly wise and represents the current state of scientific knowledge in two aspects.

The first is this: The orbits and paths in the universe are so dense and intertwined that they constitute intersecting paths, just like the threads in a piece of fabric. The Solar System we live in is made up of the Sun, the planets and their satellites and heavenly objects in constant motion such as meteors and comets. The Solar System moves through the galaxy known as the Milky Way, which contains 400 billion stars.1 It is estimated that there are billions of galaxies. Celestial bodies and systems revolving at speeds of thousands of kilometers an hour move through space without colliding with one another.

The science of astronomy was developed with the aim of mapping the positions and courses of stars, while astro-mechanics was developed in order to determine these complex motions. Astronomers used to assume that orbits were perfectly spherical. The fact is, however, that heavenly bodies are known to follow mathematical shapes, such as spherical, elliptical, parabolic or hyperbolic orbits. Dr. Carlo Rovelli of the University of Pittsburgh says, "Our space in which we live is just this enormously complicated spin network."

Above left; the orbits of some of the bodies in the Solar System. Based on this picture and looking clockwise, it can be seen that the Solar System itself is part of even greater orbital movements.

The picture above shows some of the complex movements of stars

This picture shows the approximately annual movements of just
seven stars in the Milky Way.
The second aspect is that the description in the Qur'an of the sky using a word meaning "woven" may be a reference to the String Theory of physics. (Allah knows the truth.) According to this theory, the basic elements that comprise the universe are not point-like particles, but strings resembling miniature violin strings. These tiny, identical and one dimensional strings oscillating in the form of filaments are regarded as being like loops in appearance. It is assumed that the origin of all the diversity in the universe lies in the way these strings vibrate at different vibrations, in the same way that violin strings produce different sounds with different vibrations.

Although it is not possible to see the size of the threads in the String Theory, the only theory to bring theories such as Einstein's theory of general relativity and quantum mechanics together in a coherent way, it can still be calculated mathematically. These strings, which scientists regard as the material from which space and time are woven, are just 1.6x10^-35 m (0.000000000000000000000000000000000016 meters) in size.This, known as Plank's length, is the smallest known, being just 10^-20 of the protons that make up the nucleus of that atom. If an atom were to be magnified to the size of the Solar System, each one of these strings would be no bigger than a tree.  Bearing in mind that an atom is 100,000 times smaller than the smallest thing that can be seen with the naked eye, the minute scale of these strings can be more easily grasped.

Professor of Physics Abhay Ashtekar from the University of Pennsylvania and Professor of Physics Jerzy Lewandowski from the University of Warsaw interpret the woven appearance of space as follows in an article titled "Space and Time Beyond Einstein":

In this theory, Einstein wove the gravitational field into the very fabric of space and time... The continuum we are all used to is only an approximation. Perhaps the simplest way to visualize these ideas is to look at a piece of fabric. For all practical purposes, it represents a 2-dimensional continuum; yet it is really woven by 1-dimensional threads. The same is true of the fabric of space-time. It is only because the "quantum threads" which weave this fabric are tightly woven in the region of the universe we inhabit that we perceive a continuum. Upon intersection with a surface, each thread, or polymer excitation, endows it with a tiny "Plank quantum" of area of about 10^-66 cm². So an area of 100 cm² has about 10⁶⁸ such intersections; because the number is so huge, the intersections are very closely spaced and we have the illusion of a continuum.

An Article in the New York Times seeking an answer to the question "How Was the Universe Built?" contained the following lines:

Even the tiny quarks that make up protons, neutrons and other particles are too big to feel the bumps that may exist on the Planck scale. More recently, though, physicists have suggested that quarks and everything else are made of far tinier objects: superstrings vibrating in 10 dimensions. At the Planck level, the weave of space-time would be as apparent as when the finest Egyptian cotton is viewed under a magnifying glass, exposing the warp and woof.

In his book Three Roads to Quantum Gravity, the theoretical quantum physicist Lee Smolin devotes one chapter to "How to Weave a String" and says this on the subject:

... space may be 'woven' from a network of loops... just like a piece of cloth is 'woven' from a network of threads.

In his book Our Cosmic Habitat the cosmologist and astrophysicist Prof. Martin Rees says:

According to our present concepts, empty space is anything but simple... and on an even tinier scale, it may be a seething tangle of strings.

The way that Allah describes the universe as being woven paths and orbits in verse 7 of Surat adh-Dhariyat shows that the Qur'an is in extraordinary agreement with science. As can be seen in a great many other instances, the way that all the information revealed in the Qur'an 1400 years ago is confirmed by modern scientific data is highly thought provoking. This perfect harmony between the Qur'an and scientific developments clearly reveals that the Qur'an is the word of our Lord, the creator of and He who knows best about all things. In one verse Allah states:

"Will they not ponder the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found many inconsistencies in it." Surat an-Nisa

Miracle of the Quran Series: Creation in 6 days

Your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then settled Himself firmly on the Throne... Qur'an, 7:54

One example of the harmony between the Qur'an and modern science is the subject of the age of the universe. Cosmologists estimate the age of the universe as 16^-17 billion years. The Qur'an states that the entire universe was created in six days. These two time frames, which may seem contradictory, are actually surprisingly compatible. In fact, both these figures concerning the age of the universe are correct. In other words, the universe was created in six days, as revealed in the Qur'an, and this period corresponds to 16-17 billion years in the way that we experience time.
In 1915 Einstein proposed that time was relative, that the passage of time altered according to space, the speed of the person travelling and the force of gravity at that moment. Bearing in mind these differences in the passage of time, the period of time in which the universe was created as revealed in seven different verses of the Qur'an is actually highly compatible with scientists' estimations. The six-day period revealed in the Qur'an can be thought of as six periods. Because, taking into account the relativity of time, a "day" refers only to a 24-hour period experienced on Earth under current conditions. Elsewhere in the universe, however, at another time and under other conditions, a "day" could refer to a much longer period of time. Indeed, the word "ayyamin" in the period of six days (sittati ayyamin) in these verses (Qur'an 32:4, 10:3, 11:7, 25:59, 57:4, 50:38, and 7:54) means not only "days," but also "age, period, moment, term."
In the first period of the universe, the passage of time took place much faster than that with which we are familiar today. The reason for this is that, at the moment of the Big Bang, our universe was compressed into a very small point. The expansion of the universe and increase in its volume ever since the moment of that explosion has extended the borders of the universe to millions of light years. Indeed, the stretching of space ever since that moment has had very important ramifications for universal time.
The energy at the moment of the Big Bang slowed down the flow of time 10¹² (one million million) times. When the universe was created the speed of universal time was higher up to a million million times, as time is experienced today. In other words, a million million minutes on Earth is the equivalent of just one minute in universal time.
When a six-day period of time is calculated according to the relativity of time, it equates to six million million (six trillion) days. That is because universal time flows a million million times faster than time on Earth. Calculated in terms of years, 6 trillion days equates to approximately 16.427 billion years. This is within the estimated range for the age of the universe.
6,000,000,000,000 days/365.25 = 16.427104723 billion years.

"Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent."
Qur’an, 2:255

 

On the other hand, each of the six days of creation equates to very different periods, as we perceive time. The reason for this is that the speed of the passage of time declines in proportion to the expansion of the universe. Ever since the Big Bang, as the size of the universe doubled, so the passage of time halved. As the universe grew, the speed at which the universe doubled increasingly slowed down. This rate of expansion is a scientific fact acknowledged the world over and described in the text book The Fundamentals of Physical Cosmology. When we calculate every day of creation in terms of Earth time, the following situation emerges:

• Looked at from the moment when time began, the first day of creation (first phase) lasted 24 hours. This period, however, is the equivalent of 8 billion years in Earth terms.
• The second day of creation (second phase) lasted 24 hours. This, however, lasted half as long, in our terms, as the preceding day, in other words 4 billion years.
• The third day (third phase) lasted half as long as the second day, in other words 2 billion years.
• The fourth day (fourth phase) lasted 1 billion years.
• The fifth day (fifth phase) lasted 500 million years.
• And the sixth day (sixth phase) lasted 250 million years.
• Conclusion: When the six days of creation, in other words the six phases, are added together in Earth terms, the resulting figure is 15 billion 750 million years. This figure displays an enormous parallel with modern-day estimations.

This conclusion is one of the facts revealed by 21st century science. Science has once again confirmed a fact revealed in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago. This harmony between the Qur'an and science is one of the miraculous proofs that the Qur'an is the revelation of Allah, the Creator, the Omniscient.

Rising of the Sun from the West

 
The rising of the sun from the west is also a major sign of Qiyamah proven by the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Allah says in the Qur'an, "The day when some signs of your Lord will come, no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his faith."    Surah Al-An'aam

The verse is referring to the rising of the sun from the west, as is the opinion of the majority of the commentators.  (Tabari/Ibne Kathir)
Imam Tabari, after mentioning the different opinions of the commentators writes, "The most correct opinion in regards to the meaning of this verse is that what is apparent from the reports narrated from the Prophet that he said, "(lmaan will be of no benefit) when the sun rises from the west."   
 
Abu Huraira reported that the Holy Prophet said, "Hasten to do good deeds before six (things happen) :Rising of the sun from the west."  
 
 
Where the Sun goes
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Zar that the Messenger of Allah one day said, "Do you know where the Sun goes?" They replied, "Allah and his apostle know best." He (The Holy Prophet) observed, "Verily it (the sun) glides till it reaches its resting place under the throne. Then it falls prostrate and remains there until it is told, 'Rise up and go to the place whence you came and it goes back." Then it continues emerging out from its rising place and then glides till it reaches its place of rest under the throne where it falls prostrate and remains in that state until it is told, 'Rise up and return to the place whence you came.' And it returns and emerges out of it's rising place and then it glides (in such a normal way) that the people do not discern anything (unusual in it) till it reaches its resting place under the throne. Then it would be said to it, 'Rise up and emerge from the place of your setting,' and it will rise from the place of its setting."
The Messenger of Allah said "Do you know when it will happen? It will happen at the time when faith will not benefit anyone who has not previously believed or has derived no good from the faith."   

Worshippers during the night will remain till the sun rises from the West

Abdullah-b-Abu-Owfa reported that I heard the Messenger of Allah say, "Verily a night will come upon the people which is equivalent of three of your nights. When it comes those that engage themselves in worship during the night will recognise it. One of them will stand in prayer, read his Hizb (The normal amount he has made the habit of reading) and then go to sleep. Thereafter he will wake up (for the second time) read his Hizb in prayer and go to sleep. While this is the situation the people will begin to shout, scream and call one another. They will say, "What's this?" With fear they will run to the mosque. To their surprise they will see that the sun has risen from the west. When it reaches the middle of the sky it will return and set in the west." He said , "That is when Imaan will not benefit anyone (who brings faith after seeing the sign)."          

Everyone will bring faith in seeing the sign

Narrated by Abu Huraira , "Allah's Messenger said, 'The hour will not come until the sun rises from the west; and when the people see it, then whoever will be living on the surface of the Earth will have faith, and that is (the time) when no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before."   

The real basis of faith is that man believes in the unseen realities on the authority of the Messenger of Allah . But when Allah manifests such startling and visible signs which herald the approach of the last hour and by which the veil of the unseen is rent asunder, then the belief becomes meaningless. The rising of the sun from the west will be of great disturbance to nature and will shake the mind of every man and awaken him to see for himself the great power of Allah. At this time the belief of the unseen will lose its importance.
 Door of Repentance Closed
Once the sun has risen from the west the door of repentance will be closed and will remain closed until the Day of Judgement. If any infidel embraces Islam or any Muslim repents and seeks forgiveness for his sins any time after the rising of the sun from the west till the Day of Judgement, it will not be accepted.
The Messenger of Allah said, "Verily Allah extends his hand at night so that the sinners of the day may repent and verily extends his hand during the day so that the sinners of the night may repent. (He will keep on doing this) as long as the sun does not rise from the west." 

The Prophet said, "Allah has built a door of repentance in the west the breadth of which is seventy years and it will not close as long as the sun does not rise from the west."  

The above Ahadith have clearly specified that the extreme limit of the acceptance of repentance is till the sun rises from the west. Once it has risen it will not be accepted.
Ibne Hajar has mentioned many Ahadith which prove that the door of repentance will remain closed till the Day of Judgement and thereafter writes, ''These narration's give strength to one another, agreeing completely in that when the sun rises from the west the door of repentance will be closed and will not be opened thereafter. And this is not specific with that day but will prolong till the Day of Judgement.''   

What you didn't know about Yagoog and Magoog

   

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Many thousands of years ago the barbarous tribes of Yagoog and Magoog were imprisoned behind an iron wall built by Zulqarnayn. Referred to in the Qur'an in Surah Al-Kahf. Zulqarnayn was a Muslim Arab who lived at the time of the Prophet Ibrahim and not Alexander the Great as it is commonly known.
From amongst one of the four that ruled the entire world (the other three being Prophet Soleiman,Nimrod & Buktnasr) he was a pious and just king, provide with all forms of strength through which he was able to carry his conquests and missions.

 Once he carried a mission in three directions, the far west, far east, and then in a northerly direction. Travelling first in the westerly direction, he conquered the lands he passed through establishing the laws of Allah therein until he reached the setting of the sun. There he met people  that didn't believe in Allah. Given a choice of punishing them for their kufr or being lenient by inviting them first to Islam; he chose the latter and addressed them, ''Those evil-doers who do injustice to themselves by rejecting Allah will be punished by death in this world and the hereafter, the fire of hell is their abode. As for those who accept  the invitation and believe in Allah they will be treated leniently and in the hereafter Jannah is their place of rest.''
 After the journey towards the west he made preparation for the journey towards the east. Conquering the lands he passed through, establishing he laws of Allah therein. He continued travelling in the easterly direction until he reached the rising of the sun. In this area of the east he saw a nation receiving the sunshine without any obstruction and they were dealt with like the previous people in the west.

 After the journey to the east he started his northern Journey, he kept on travelling until he reached the midst of two mountains, it was here he came across a tribe who complained to him about the tribes of Yagoog and Magoog. Yagoog and Magoog inhabited the land behind the mountains, plundered them, committed bloodshed, and then ran away. Observing Zulqarnain's power they asked to set a barrier in return for a wage for their protection from the disaster and bloodshed, which they often bore at the hands of Yagoog and Magoog. Refusing to accept any wealth he built an iron wall with their help which they could not cross or pierce. (Qurtubi/ Ibne-Kathir) 


The wall of Zulqarnain
 Many different opinions have been expressed as to the location of the iron wall of Zulqarnain. Having read many books, the best on the subject I came across was Sheikh Hifzur-Rahman's "Stories of the Qur'an" and thus have chosen to share a brief summary of what he has written.
He writes "The Yagoog and Magoog caused destruction and blood- shed in a vast area, and because of their oppression many barriers and walls were erected in different times and places by different kings. Four being the most famous:
1) The Great Wall of China which was built by the Chinese King Fagfor 3460 years after Prophet Adam was put on the Earth.
2) The wall in central Asia near Bukhara and Tirmidh in a place called Derbent.
3) The wall in Dagistan Russia also known as Derbent near the Caspian sea.
4) The wall which is in the westerly direction to the third in the region of the Caucasus.
Because these walls were built for one purpose and are all situated in the North, it has always been very difficult to determine exactly the wall built by Zulqarnain."
 
He further writes, "The biggest out of the four is the great wall of China and nobody is of the opinion that this is the wall built by Zulqarnain as it is in the easterly direction while the Qur'an indicates the wall of Zulqarnain is in the Northerly direction."
Thus leaving walls 2, 3, and 4.
He writes, "Historians like Masoodi, Istakhari and Hamawi are of the opinion that the wall of Zulqamain is wall number 3 or 4. Those that have said it is wall number two have confused the issue due to the location of Derbent which is near Bukhara and also in Degistan.''
 He finally writes, ''Out of two, the historians are of the opinion that it is wall 3 or 4, the master of hadith Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri in his book Aqeeda-tul-Islam holds the opinion that the wall of Zulqarnain is wall number 4, the one in the region of  Caucasus.'  (Stories of the Qu'ran)

After this short summary I find myself inclined to believe that noone knows the location of this wall and it would be almost impossible to determine it for sure anyway.

                                      Trying to break free

Abu Huraira  narrated that every day Yagoog and Magoog try to break free  through the wall of Zulqarnain until they reach the end of it to the extent that they could actually see the light on the other side. They then return home saying, ''We will break through tomorrow. '' However, Allah causes the wall to revert to its original thickness and the next day they start all over again. This process continues each day as long as Allah wills for them to remain imprisoned. When Allah wishes for them to be released, then at the end of that day they will say, ''If Allah wills, we will break through tomorrow.'' The next day they will find the wall as they left it the previous day and after breaking through the rest they will escape.   
 
Note: Some ulama have written that this hadith is weak and has been taken from the Jews as it contradicts with the verse from the Qur'an, ''They are not able to cross it or pierce it.''    ( Surah Al-Kahf)

However, if found that it is a Marfoo hadith, it still does not contradict the Qur'an as the Qur'an is referring to the time Zulqarnain built the wall and secondly the word ''naqb'' means a complete hole through which they are able to break free.
  The  great master of Hadith Ibne Hajr al-Askalani giving reference of Ibne Hibban and Abd- b-Humaid has mentioned this Hadith and not raised any doubt or indicated that this hadith is not Marfoo but positively mentioned that Ibne Arabi has said three miracles are evident from this Hadith and then mentioned the three miracles:
1) It never occurs to these tribes that they must continue work throughout the night. After all, they are in such large numbers that they can easily delegate the work amongst themselves and work in shifts. However, Allah does not allow this thought to occur to them.
2) It does not occur to them that they can merely cross the mountain or scale the wall, which they can do through the aid of equipment they possess in large numbers. According to a narration by Wahb-b-Munabbah it is known that these tribes are agriculturists and artisans possessing various types of equipment.
3) The thought of saying, "Insha-allah (if Allah wills)" never enters their minds and it will only occur to them when Allah wills that they be released.(Fathul-Bari)


Myths
 Many myths surround Yagoog and Magoog. One being that the common people believe that Yagoog and Magoog are not human beings but some kind of third being. How interesting it may be to believe that they are a third being, the reality is that they are human beings just like yourself and I, constitute nine-tenths of mankind and are from the progeny of Prophet Nuh.
 
The Holy Prophet said, "Yagoog and Magoog are the children of Prophet Adam and not one will die until thousand are born to him.''
 
The Messenger of Allah said, "Allah divided mankind into ten parts. Nine tenths constitute Yagoog and Magoog while the remaining one tenth constitutes the rest of mankind." 
 
Hadrat Abu Saeed Khudri narrates that the Messenger of Allah said, "On the Day of Judgement, Allah will tell Adam to pick out the Jahanamis from his progeny. Adam will ask, "O Allah, who are they?" Allah will say,"999 out of 1000 are Jahanamis while the one is a Jannati." On hearing this the Sahaba over taken by fear asked, "Who will the ONE Jannati be?" The Prophet replied, "Do not grieve the 999 will be Yagoog and Magoog while you will be the one Jannati."  

 
Physical Appearance of Yagoog and Magoog
 There are many different narration's regarding their appearance. These different narration's suggest that Yagoog and Magoog are of three types.

1) Some are as tall as the tree Arz - that is 120 ft.
2) Some are four arm lengths tall and four arm lengths wide.
3) Some spread one ear to sleep on and cover themselves with the other. Some also state that they are two spans tall and the tallest amongst them are three spans.
It should be noted that all the narration's above are weak and should not be taken. The authentic Ahadith like the Hadith of Nawwas-b- Saman in Muslim suggests that they are very strong and powerful people whom nobody has the power to fight. It has also been narrated that they have wide faces, small eyes, grey hair and their faces are like shields covered with skin.                 
                                                                                                                                      

Emergence of Yagoog and Magoog before Qiyamah
A short period after killing the Dajjal, Prophet Aissa will be informed of the release of Yagoog and Magoog. Obeying Allah's command He will take the Muslims to Mount Tur for their protection as nobody will be able to kill the Yagoog and Magoog. They will come forth from every lofty place causing destruction and bloodshed wherever they go. Their first batch will come to lake Tiberias and drink all of its water. Their last batch will come to it and say, "There was once water in this lake."
Marching on, carrying out pillage and murder to their left and right they will come to mount of Khamr (a mountain in Jerusalem) and say, "We have killed the inhbitant of the Earth, let us now kill the inhabitants of heaven." Thus they will shoot their arrows towards the sky. Allah will return the arrows covered with blood and these fools will think they have killed those in the heaven. Mean while Aissa and his companions will remain confined until the head of an ox becomes more valuable than 100 gold coins. Aissa and his companions will pray for their destruction. Allah, answering their prayer will send insects upon the necks of Yagoog and Magoog and in the morning they will be found dead like one dead man. In the narration of Abu Saeed al- Khudri which can be found in Tadkhira of Imam Qurtubi, it has been mentioned; the believers not being able to hear their noise that morning will say "Will anybody sacrifice his life and see what the situation is." Volunteering, a believer will come down the mountain thinking that he will never return . However to his suprise he will find that they are all dead and he will shout, "Good news! Your  enemy has died,"

Aissa and his companions will come down but will find that the earth is full with their stinking corpses. Yet again, Aissa and his companions will turn to Allah and pray. Allah will send birds with necks like the necks of Bactarian camels which will carry the corpses and throw them where Allah wishes. Thereafter, Allah will send rain and the earth will be cleaned. 

How Aissa (Jesus) will kill Dajjal

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The Dajjal having failed to enter the holy city of Madinah will proceed to Syria gathering his forces on the way.
Imaam Mahdi will have arranged the Muslim army and will be on the verge of leading the Muslims in the morning prayer when  Aissa will descend to the white Minaret in the east of Damascus, wearing two garments died with saffron, placing his hands on the wings of two angels. He will not return as a Prophet but as a man. It is very important to note the differen ce. The last prophethood lied with Prophet Mohamed!

All those that are present will recognise him, as he will look exactly like the description made by the Prophet Mohamed. The colour of his skin will be reddish white, he will be well built and his hair will be soft and reach his ears. When he lowers his head, beads of perspiration will fall from it and when he raises his head, beads like pearls will scatter from it.  

Every Kaafir who smells his sweet breath will die and his breath will reach as far as he can see. On seeing Aissa, Imaam Mahdi will take a couple of steps backwards so Aissa can lead the  prayer. However Aissa will place his hands on the Imaam's shoulder and will say, ''Go forward and lead the prayer as the Iqamah was made for you'' thus Imaam Mahdi will lead the prayer.  

After the prayer Aissa will say, ''Open the gate''. The gate will be opened and the Dajjal will be waiting behind it accompanied by an army of 70,000 Jews, each armed with a sword and shield. The Dajjal on seeing Aissa among the Muslims will begin to dissolve like salt in water and will begin to flee. Prophet Jesus will say to him, ''You will remain alive until I strike you with my spear, ''He will catch up with him at the Eastern gate of Ludd (Ludd is a mountain in Syria. Some say that it is a village in Jerusalem, and some say that it is a village in Palestine) and then Aissa will kill him with a small spear. 

  The Muslims will thereafter defeat and wipe out Dajjal's army. The Jews will not be able to hide behind anything on that day. Every time they try to hide behind a stone, a wall, a tree (except a boxthorn tree), or animal. Allah will make these things speak and they will say, ''O servant of Allah there is a Jew hiding behind me. come kill him.''

Dajjal's Deception and Lies

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Two angels resembling two Prophets, one on either side will accompany him. This will be to test mankind. Hence Dajjal will ask, "Am I not your lord? Do I not give life and death?" One of the angels will reply, "You are a liar." However nobody will be able to hear this reply besides the other angel. The second angel addressing the first angel will say, "You are speaking the truth." Every body will hear what this second angel said and will think that an angel is testifying that the Dajjal is Allah though in reality this second angel was addressing the first and agreeing with his reply that you are speaking the truth that the Dajjal is certainly a liar.  


He will come to a Bedouin whose parents have passed away and will say to him, "Will you believe that I am your Lord if I bring your parents back to life." He will reply, "Yes." The devils that are accompanying him will take the form of his parents and after resembling his parents will say to him, "Oh child believe in him and follow him, he is your Lord.' The Bedouin will be deceived and forced into believing him.  
 
He will come to another Bedouin and say, "Will you believe in me as your Lord if I bring your camel back to life?" "Yes", he will reply. He will make a figure for him like his camel, which will have a beautiful odour and a big hump. 
 
He will have water and fire with him. As for that which the people will see as water, in reality will be fire, which will burn and as for that which people will see as fire, in reality will be cold, sweet water.


The Prophet's  advice is: "Whoever meets the Dajjal and sees the water and the fire, he should fall in the fire and not the water, as the fire in reality is water and the water in reality is fire.'' 
 



He will come to people and tell them he is Allah and they will believe him. The sky on his order will pour rain and the earth will grow crops for these people. Their animals will graze on his land and return to them in the evening with large udders and their flanks full. He will then proceed to some other people and call them but they will refuse to believe him. Without forcing them he will leave and carry on with his mission. However, when these true believers wake up in the morning they will find that they are penniless and all their properties have been destroyed.   
Passing by a place in ruins, he will order it to take out its hidden treasure. The earth will immediately take out its hidden treasure. The earth will immediately take out its treasure and the treasure will literally follow him wherever he goes  like bees following the queen bee.  

On hearing about the Dajjal a true believer will head towards him. However, on the way he will be stopped by Dajjal's soldiers and asked where he is intending to go. Replying that he is going to meet the person who claims that he is Allah, the soldiers doubting him will ask, ''Do you not believe in our Lord (Dajjal)?'' He will reply there is nothing hidden about our Lord Allah so how can I take Dajjal as my Lord. Angry at his reply they will decide to kill him. But all of a sudden one of them will say, ''Hasn't our Lord (Dajjal) prohibited us from killing anyone without his permission?" Thus they will take him to the Dajjal. On seeing the Dajjal he will shout, "O people this is the Dajjal the Prophet mentioned and warned the believers of". Dajjal will order to kill him. He will be placed on his belly and severely beaten. He will be asked, "Do you still not believe in him?" "No! You are the lying Dajjal" he will reply. The true believer will then be sawn into two pieces, the Dajjal will walk in between the two pieces and address him, "Stand up." The true believer will become alive and stand up in one piece. Yet again he will be asked, "Do you now believe in me?" He will reply, "It has only added to my insight concerning you that you are really the Dajjal." The believer will then proclaim, "O people he will not be able to do anything to any man after me." The Dajjal angry at his refusal will grab hold of him and place a knife between his neck and throat to slaughter him but he will be unsuccessful as Allah will place copper in that area and the knife will find no way to penetrate. The Dajjal will grab hold of his hands and legs and throw him into the fire. However, the fire will turn into a pleasant garden for him. This person will be the greatest martyr in the eyes of Allah and achieve the highest position due to his first death, which was caused by severance of the body in two pieces.

Doctors and surgeons are not able to restore the eyesight of those born blind or cure the leper. Dajjal will be able to cure those born blind, restore their eyesight and cure the leper. 

He will have a mountain of bread with him but he will only give bread to those that believe and follow him.  

The Dajjal will make a stop at a place called Markanat, near Taif. On hearing about his arrival the womenfolk will rush towards him, the men will be forced to tie their mothers, daughters, and sisters fearing they will believe in him and get caught up in fitna.  

The Dajjal will remain on earth for 40 days, the first of which will be a year long, second a month , the third a week, and the remaining 37 days like our normal days, moving from city to another causing fitna. Finally he will proceed towards Makkah and Madina but he will be unable to enter these holy cities, Masjid Tur and Masjid al-Aqsa³. Every time he tries to enter these holy places, angels guarding these holy cities with swords in their hand will encounter him and chase him away, leaving Dajjal stationed behind Uhud. Meanwhile, earthquakes will hit Madinah thrice and all the hypocrites will be forced to leave^.

Conquest of Contantinople and the Mahdii's rule

The great war between the Christians and Muslims will result in the Muslims conquering Constantinople (which is modern day Istanbul).

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet said, ''Have you heard of a town of which a part is in the sea?'' ''Yes'' said they. He said: 'The last hour shall not occur till 70,000 of the children of Isaac shall attack it. When they come to it, they (Muslims) will not fight with arms, nor throw arrows. They will only say: There is no god but Allah, Allah is the greatest, and then on of its sides will fall down. They will recite for the second time : there is no god but Allah, Allah is the greatest, and then another of its side will fall down. After that they will say it for the third time: there is no god but Allah and Allah is the greatest, and then it will be opened for them and they will enter and acquire booty. While they will be dividing the booty, a proclaimer will come to them and proclaim: 'Verily Dajjal has come out. 'Then they will leave everything and return. ' 

The account of Istanbul being taken by the only mention of Allah's name might not need to be taken litterally, it is very likely a metaphore.
It could mean that the city will give itself up in sight of the sheer numbers of the Muslim army. Anyway, the point is that the city will be taken back.

It should be noted that the conquests will take place a very short period. Abdullah-b-Busr has reported that the Messenger of Allah has said: 'Between the Great War and the conquest of the city (Constantinople) there will be six years, and the Dajjal shall appear in the seventh year.' 

Once again the Quran and Sunnah will govern the people, this time by the rightly guided Khalifh, Imam Mahdi. Islam will gain an upper hand and will be firmly established in the land. The oppression, tyranny, and darkness that prevailed all over the globe will be replaced with justice, peace and equity. The smile, which was long forgotten, will be restored on the Muslim faces and the inhabitants of the Heaven and Earth will be pleased with him.

Everybody will be happy to the extent that even birds an wild animals will rejoice in his rule. Heaven will end rain profusely, livestock will be in abundance, land will become fertile, the earth will become green and sprout with abundant fruit ad vegetation. 
Due to the booty gained from the various conquest everyone will have so much wealth that an eyebrow will not even be raised at somebody else's wealth. Callers will proclaim in the street, ''Is anybody in need of anything?'' Nobody will respond except one person. In the latter part of Abu-Saeed al-Khudri's hadith it is mentioned ''A caller will call 'Who is in need of wealth?' Only one person will stand (and response to the call and say I am in need of wealth) he will be told to go to the treasurer and tell him that the Mahdi orders you to give some wealth. 'Gather and take it', he will be told. (He will begin to put it in his lap, when he realized that nobody else has come and he was the only one) he will regret it and say 'I was the greediest from among the Ummah of Mohamed.


There are different narration's regarding his reign as a Khalifh. Some traditions indicate that is reign will be seven years like the hadith of Umme Salama in Abu-Daud, ''He will remain seven years, then die, and Muslims will pray over him. ''
Other traditions indicate that his reign will last seven, eight or nine years like the Hadith of Abu Saeed in Mustadrak.

  Due to different traditions the period of Imaam Mahdi's reign is disputed. Many Scholars have taken seven years to be the period of his reign due to the fact that the Ahadith which indicate seven years are the most authentic. Other Scholars like Shah Rafiud-din, after careful analysis have concluded that the first seven years if his reign will pass without worry, he will spend the eight preparing to fight the Dajjal and spend the ninth with Prophet Aissa (Jesus).  He will thereafter die, Prophet Aissa will read his funeral prayer and bury him.

People's allegiance to the Mahdi and the Great Battle

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Upon the death of the Kalif (leader of Mecca and supposidely Saudi Arabia), people will argue on who should be the lawful successor.  In order not to get sucked in the argument or asked to step up, Imam Mahdi will move to Mecca.

Once there, those who will see the signs of a true leader on Islam in him will drag him out of his house and pledge allegiance to him in the space between the Kabbah and the “Position of Ibrahim” (it is the stone on which the Prophet Ibrahim stood while building the Kabbah with his son Ishmael).

With reluctance the Mahdi will finally give in to the wishes of his people and will agree to become their leader.

Upon that news, the leader of Syria will send his army to destroy him and his followers. In a place called: Baidah (area between Medinah and Mecca), God will order the ground to swallow the infidels.

Many Muslims after that will recognize the Mahdi for who he is and will pledge loyalty to him, from all corners of the Muslim world.

Over the next years, the Imam Mahdi will have to fight many battles and face many opponents; however no battle will be more deadly than the Great War. On this instance, the Muslims will fight a large number of Christians. Many will die in a state of martyrdom for their faith. This is what was reported of this coming day, by Yusayr bin Jabir (a companion of the Prophet):

 “Yusayr bin Jabir said, "A red sandstorm erupted in the city of Kufah. Afterwards, a man came shouting and repeating the same words, 'O Abdullah bin Mas'ud! The hour has come.' He (Yusayr) then said that he sat up after he was leaning (on his side) and said, ''The hour will not arrive until no inheritance will be divided and no war possessions will bring about satisfaction. ''He pointed with his hands towards Ash-Sham saying, ''An enemy will gather its forces against the followers of Islam. ‘I said, ''Do you mean Ar-Rum? He said ''Yes. ‘Then, during this war, fierce fighting will occur. Muslim will ask for a volunteer expedition that will vie to die or return victorious. They will fight until the night separates them. Both sides will return to their camps not yet victorious and the expedition will perish.

Muslims will then (in the third day) ask for volunteer expedition that will vie to die or return victorious. They will fight until the night separates them. Both sides will return to their camp not yet victorious and the expedition will perish. In the fourth day, the rest of the Muslim forces will turn against them (the disbelieves) and Allah will defeat them (the disbelievers). They will suffer casualties never heard of before or he said, ''Never seen before, even birds flying near them will not pass without falling down dead.

   Afterwards, sons of the same fathers (from the Muslim side), who were near a hundred, will count the survivors and will find out only one of them survived. Therefore, what war possession will bring satisfaction and what inheritance will be divided? While they are doing this they will hear of an even bigger calamity; That is, a man will scream amongst them that the Dajjal has appeared among their families which they left behind. They will discard what they have in their hands and proceed. They will send ten horsemen as an expedition force. “
In other words, the fighting will be so fierce and the casualties so many that very few from the same family will actually survive the event. With such a level of grief amongst their brothers in faith what riches could make any of it better?
The Prophet Mohamed has spoken in more details of those 10 horsemen. He said that they will be the best riders the World had ever seen. He also said that talking about the great battle that an alliance would be made between some Christians and the Muslims in order to fight a third enemy. On winning, the Christians will claim the victory in the name of their faith. In anger, the Muslims will break the cross and fight them.  
One could assume that the reference made to the birds dying while over the battlefield, could very well mean the use of nuclear weapons.

The Story of Tamim and the Dajjal

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The Prophet of Islam has always foretold the coming of Dajjal (the anti-christ) before the Day of Resurection. His coming is linked with the coming of the Mahdi and the return of Aissa (Jesus).
Now, many have wondered whether the Beast: the Dajjal would be born into the World or if he would merely appear one day.
The following story answer this question:


Fatimah-bint-Qais reported, "I heard the proclaimer of the Messenger of Allah  proclaiming for the prayer'. I went to the mosque and prayed with the Prophet. When he finished his prayer, he sat upon the pulpit smiling and said, 'Let every man remain in his seat.' He then asked, 'Do you know why I have called you together?' They replied, 'Allah and his Messenger know best.'
The Prophet  said, 'By Allah, I have not called you together for hope or for fear, I have called you together because Tamim ad- Dari who was a Christian, came and embraced Islam.

 He narrated a story to me, which agreed with the account I had given to you about the Dajjal. He informed me that he had embarked upon a sea-boat with thirty men of Lakhm and Jozam. Then the sea waves played with them for a month and threw them on to an island when the sun was about to set.
 They sat in a small side boat and landed on the Island. A beast with very coarse hair met them. They could not tell its front from its back due to its excessive hair. They asked, 'Woe to thee! Who art thou?" It replied, 'I am a spy. Go to this man in the monastery, as he is eager to receive the information you bring.

Tamim Dari said, 'When it named a man for us, we fled away from it lest it might be the devil. Then we hurriedly went on until we entered the monastery and found a big-bodied man whom we had never seen before. He was firmly tied up, his hands tied to his neck, the place between his knees, and joints tied up with iron chains.' We asked, 'Woe to thee! What are thou?' He replied, 'You have the power to get my information. Inform me about yourselves.
They replied, 'We are people from Arabia, we embarked upon a sea boat, but the sea waves played with us for a month and threw us onto this island. A beast of coarse hairs met us and said, 'I am a spy. Go to the man in the monastery.' So we approached you hurriedly.
 He asked, 'Tell me about the trees of Baisan (trees in Bahrain). Do they bear fruit?.' 'Yes' We replied. He said, 'Behold! Soon they will not yield fruit.' He asked, 'Inform me of the lake of Tiberias. (lake on the southwestern Syrian-Palestinian border) Is there water in it?' We replied, 'It is full of water.' He informed us, 'Soon its water will disappear.' He then asked, 'Inform me of the fountain of Zugara. Is there water in it and do its inhabitants irrigate with the water of the fountain?' 'Yes, it is full of water and it's inhabitants irrigate from its water. He asked, 'Inform me of the Prophet of the illiterates. What does he do?' We said, 'He has just come out of Makkah and gone to Yathrib.' He asked, 'Have the Arabs fought with him?' 'Yes' We replied. He asked, 'How did he treat them' We informed him that he had got the upper hand of those of the Arabs who opposed him and they obeyed him. He said, 'Behold! It is better for them if they obey him.
 As for myself I am certainly the Anti-Christ and it is near that an order will be passed for me to come out. I shall then come out and travel the world. I shall leave no village at which I shall not land within 40 nights except Makkah and Taibah, which will be forbidden to me.
Whenever I wish to enter one of the two, an angel with a sword in his hand will encounter me and prevent me therefrom. There will be angels on every side to guard it.
The apostle of Allah struck his pulpit with his staff and said, 'This is Taibah meaning Madinah. Behold! Did I not tell you?' 'Yes' they replied. 'Behold, he is in the Syrian sea or sea of Yemen; no, rather he is from the eastern direction. He then pointed out with his hand to wards the East.'  

The Signs of the Mahdi

He will be from the progeny of the Prophet and descendent of Fatma.

Umm Salama reported: I heard the Prophet of Allah  saying, "The Mahdi will appear from my progeny, from the descendants of Fatimah." 

  His name will be Mohamed or Ahmed and his father's name will be Abdallah.

Ibn Masood  reported that the Prophet  said, "If there remains in the world but a day, the mighty Allah will greatly prolong that day till he will send there in a man from me or from the members of my house. His name will be similar to my name and his father's name to my father's name." 

  He will resemble the Prophet  in character.

Hadrat Ali once looked at his son and remarked, "This son of mine is Saiyid who was named by the Prophet  and soon from his loins will come forth a man by the name of your Prophet  and who will resemble him in conduct but not in appearance."

 He will have a shiny forehead and a high bridge nose. Abu Saeed reported that the Prophet  said, "The Mahdi will appear from me, shining of forehead, long of nose."    

  Once Hadrat Ali  was asked regarding his description. He replied, "He is a well built youth of average height and a handsome face, his hair reaches his shoulders and the light of his face is contrasted by the darkness of his hair and beard." 

  He will be slow of speech (a slight stutter) and when he is delayed, he will strike his left thigh with his right hand." 
 He will appear from the east.

Thawban reported that the Prophet  said, "Three men will be killed at the place where your treasure is. Each of them will be the son of a Khalifah but none of them will get hold of the treasure. Then the black banners will come out of the east, and they will slaughter you in a way that has never been seen before. If you see him give him your allegiance, even if you have to crawl over ice, because he is the Khalifah of Allah, the Mahdi."   

Only some of the signs that will precede Imaam Mahdi and of the Mahdi himself have been gathered in this book. The true Mahdi, the one referred to in the Ahadith of Prophet  as one of the signs of Qiyamah, is the one in whom the pre-mentioned signs are found.

Islam and Money Part 2

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Commercial or usury banks build therir economy on usury which is as old as the human history . It was practiced by certain rich persons who used to lend money at high interest . These persons are now substituted with whatever called Commercial banks , these banks don't differ at all from the old money-lenders .These banks trade in money taking from this at low interest and giving that at high interest creating so many economic ,social and moral crises .

It is because of these crises that all the revealed religions banned usury whish is considered a heinous sin Islam ; reading some holy texts from Quran and the Hadiths reveals how heinous sin usury is .

God says in the Holy Quran " Those who swallow usury cannot rise up save as he ariseth whom the devil hath prostrated by (his) touch.

That is because they say: Trade is just like usury; whereas Allah permitteth trading and forbiddeth usury. He unto whom an admonition from his Lord cometh, and (he) refraineth (in obedience thereto), he shall keep (the profits of) that which is past, and his affair (henceforth) is with Allah. As for him who returneth (to usury) Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein. Al-Baqara :275

The state of the money –lender in this life is just like a man who is touched by devil , always in troubles , thinking , deviated and completely absorbed in his affairs and his state in the hereafter is greater .

God says in the Holy Quran what means " O ye who believe! Fear God, and give up what remains of your demand for usury, if ye are indeed believers.” Quran Verse 2:278

Verses like such (”…if ye are indeed believers.”) further highlights the gravity of offence by exhorting people to obey if they indeed think themselves as Muslims.

The Quran not only put a stop on Usury but it also encourages leniency towards debt-ridden as way to social upliftment.

God says in the Holy Quran: "Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity: for He loveth not creatures ungrateful and wicked." 2:276

Usury has penetrated the very structure of our economic systems and financial institutions. The hardship has become collective. Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) has spoken of the coming of such an age as a sign of the coming of the last day. Prophet Mohamed said “There will come an age where everybody eats usury and those who don’t will be touched by its dust.”

The Prophet (PBUH) has said, “If adultery and usury spread in a village, the people of that village are asking for the punishment of Allah.”

The Prophet (PBUH) cursed usury, those who take it, write its contract and those who witness such a contract.

The effects of usury is so wide and uncountable , it has so many consequences in the long run:

• Economic:                                                                    

Dependence on interest discourages people from working/trading to earn money and the value of work/trade is reduced. Such people won’t bother to take the trouble of running a business or risking money in trade/industry.

• Moral:

Acceptance of Usury discourages people from doing good to one another and lend out of good will. A society which encourages interest on lending will require needy people to pay back more than he borrowed, which quite often is a source of huge burden.

• Social:

If interest is allowed, the rich (who are most likely to be the lender) will exploit the poor (the borrower). As a result, the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer. This generates envy and hatred among the poor toward the rich, resulting in social disorders, conflicts and at times breeds revolutions & movements.

Islamic banking renders the solution .The rules regarding Islamic finance are quite simple and can be summed up as follows:

1/ Any predetermined payment over and above the actual amount of principal is prohibited.

Islam allows only one kind of loan and that is qard-el-hassan (literally good loan) whereby the lender does not charge any interest or additional amount over the money lent. Traditional Muslim jurists have construed this principle so strictly that, according to one commentator "this prohibition applies to any advantage or benefits that the lender might secure out of the qard (loan) such as riding the borrower's mule, eating at his table, or even taking advantage of the shade of his wall." The principle derived from the quotation emphasises that associated or indirect benefits are prohibited.

 2/ The lender must share in the profits or losses arising out of the enterprise for which the money was lent.
Islam encourages Muslims to invest their money and to become partners in order to share profits and risks in the business instead of becoming creditors. As defined in the Shari'ah, or Islamic law, Islamic finance is based on the belief that the provider of capital and the user of capital should equally share the risk of business ventures, whether those are industries, farms, service companies or simple trade deals. Translated into banking terms, the depositor, the bank and the borrower should all share the risks and the rewards of financing business ventures. This is unlike the interest-based commercial banking system, where all the pressure is on the borrower: he must pay back his loan, with the agreed interest, regardless of the success or failure of his venture.

3/ The principle which thereby emerges is that Islam encourages investments in order that the community may benefit. However, it is not willing to allow a loophole to exist for those who do not wish to invest and take risks but rather content with hoarding money or depositing money in a bank in return for receiving an increase on these funds for no risk (other than the bank becoming insolvent). Accordingly, under Islam, either people invest with risk or suffer loss through devaluation by inflation by keeping their money idle. Islam encourages the notion of higher risks and higher returns and promotes it by leaving no other avenue available to investors. The objective is that high risk investments provide a stimulus to the economy and encourage entrepreneurs to maximise their efforts.

4/  Making money from money is not Islamically acceptable.

Money is only a medium of exchange, a way of defining the value of a thing; it has no value in itself, and therefore should not be allowed to give rise to more money, via fixed interest payments, simply by being put in a bank or lent to someone else. The human effort, initiative, and risk involved in a productive venture are more important than the money used to finance it. Muslim jurists consider money as potential capital rather than capital, meaning that money becomes capital only when it is invested in business. Accordingly, money advanced to a business as a loan is regarded as a debt of the business and not capital and, as such, it is not entitled to any return (i.e. interest). Muslims are encouraged to purchase and are discouraged from keeping money idle so that, for instance, hoarding money is regarded as being unacceptable. In Islam, money represents purchasing power which is considered to be the only proper use of money. This purchasing power (money) cannot be used to make more purchasing power (money) without undergoing the intermediate step of it being used for the purchase of goods and services.

5/ Gharar (Uncertainty, Risk or Speculation) is also prohibited. Under this prohibition any transaction entered into should be free from uncertainty, risk and speculation. Contracting parties should have perfect knowledge of the counter values intended to be exchanged as a result of their transactions. Also, parties cannot predetermine a guaranteed profit. This is based on the principle of 'uncertain gains' which, on a strict interpretation, does not even allow an undertaking from the customer to repay the borrowed principal plus an amount to take into account inflation. The rationale behind the prohibition is the wish to protect the weak from exploitation. Therefore, options and futures are considered as un-Islamic and so are forward foreign exchange transactions because rates are determined by interest differentials.

A number of Islamic scholars disapprove the indexation of indebtedness to inflation and explain this prohibition within the framework of qard-el-hassan. According to those scholars, the creditor advances the loan to win the blessings of Allah and expects to obtain the reward from Allah alone. A number of transactions are treated as exceptions to the principle of gharar : sales with advanced payment (bai' bithaman ajil); contract to manufacture (Istisna); and hire contract (Ijara). However, there are legal requirements for the conclusion of these contracts to be organised in a way which minimises risk.

6/ Investments should only support practices or products that are not forbidden -or even discouraged- by Islam. Trade in alcohol, for example would not be financed by an Islamic bank; a real-estate loan could not be made for the construction of a casino; and the bank could not lend money to other banks at interest.