Allah Is My Guide

Qur’aanic Verse 22.5:

Transliteration:

5. Ya ayyuha alnnasu in kuntum fee raybin mina albaAAthi fa-inna khalaqnakum min turabin thumma min nutfatin thumma min AAalaqatin thumma min mudghatin mukhallaqatin waghayri mukhallaqatin linubayyina lakum wanuqirru fee al-arhami ma nashao ila ajalin musamman thumma nukhrijukum tiflan thumma litablughoo ashuddakum waminkum man yutawaffa waminkum man yuraddu ila arthali alAAumuri likayla yaAAlama min baAAdi AAilmin shay-an watara al-arda hamidatan fa-itha anzalna AAalayha almaa ihtazzat warabat waanbatat min kulli zawjin baheejin

Translation:

5. O mankind! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then – to make things clear to you – We did indeed create you from dust, then from a speck of human sperm, then from a leech-like clinging clot of curdled blood, then from a chewed-like lump of flesh (foetus) with formed and unformed parts. And We facilitate what We will in the wombs till an appointed time, and then We bring you out as babies. Then We facilitate conditions for you to attain to your maturity. And of you is he who is made to die, and of you is he who is reduced to the worst part of life (very old age), so that he does not remember anything of the knowledge he had acquired earlier. And you see the earth barren, but when We send down the water on it, it stirs to life and flourishes and produces every kind of a beautiful spouse of herbage.^{2, 3}

Study Notes:

2. When Allah Almighty is quite capable of bringing about all these things, how could mankind entertain doubts about His capability to resurrect life in the Hereafter?

 3. And the different stages of embryonic development described so accurately in this Verse is yet another sign that the Qur’aan is indeed a revelation from the Creator. Man discovered these stages scientifically only centuries later. [Source]

===========================

I am unable to give you my usual reference to my website here since the webhosts have not been able to rectify some snag on their sitebuilder site for over a week now.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of Islamic Books

Qur’aanic Verse 21.32:

Transliteration:

32. WajaAAalna alssamaa saqfan mahfoothan wahum AAan ayatiha muAAridoona

Translation:

32. And We have made the sky a protected roof and yet they are oblivious to its signs! ¹⁰

Study Note:

10. It is only now that science has discovered the protective role played by the atmosphere around the earth. The harmful radiations from the Sun and outer space are filtered out therein letting only beneficial sunlight pass through. The temperature on the surface of the earth is maintained within tolerable limits. Water vapour is not allowed to dissipate beyond and thus lost. The water cycle is maintained and sustained. In short, no life would be possible on earth without the protective shield of its atmosphere. [Source]. But the Qur’aan had revealed this role centuries before science could discover it. And yet people believe not in Allah and the Qur’aan, His own Book of guidance! 

============================

The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXXIII. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXXII already published and freely available thereon.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of Islamic Books

Qur’aanic Verse 21.31:

Transliteration:

31. WajaAAalna fee al-ardi rawasiya an tameeda bihim wajaAAalna feeha fijajan subulan laAAallahum yahtadoona

Translation:

31. And We have placed mountains in the earth so that positions thereon do not move.⁹ And We have made therein passes to enable people to move about and find their way.

Study Note:

9. Imagine the earth without its mountains – without its ups and downs. What would happen to its reservoirs of water – the oceans, seas, lakes, ponds etc.? Wouldn’t they spread all over and leave no dry space for humans and animals living on dry land? The fact of the matter is that these mountains, hills and other ups and downs on the surface of the earth give the earth its stability and enability to sustain life as we know it. And the fact is: the Creator has created everything very meticulously. And, yet, most of mankind do not give Him due recognition – to their own detriment, of course.

==========================

The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXXIII. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXXII already published and freely available thereon.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of Islamic Books

Qur’aanic Verse 21.30:

Transliteration:

30. Awa lam yara allatheena kafaroo anna alssamawati waal-arda kanata ratqan fafataqnahuma wajaAAalna mina alma-i kulla shay-in hayyin afala yu/minoona

Translation:

30. Do those who suppress the Truth not see that the heavens and the earth were both one in kind, and then We did distinguish the two. And We have made of water everything living, will they not then believe? ⁸

Study Note:

8. Here is yet another sign, for the modern man, to come to the belief that the Qur’aan is from none other than the Creator of this universe and of everything therein. In this Verse, revealed over 1400 years ago, it is abundantly made clear that water is the distinguishing feature between the earth and all other heavenly bodies! The earth was as dead as all the other bodies in the beginning, but the Creater first created water therein for His subsequent creation of a myriad of living creatures therefrom. HE thus distinguished the earth from the other heavenly bodies. The facts mentioned in this Verse stand verified by modern science. It is only recently that some traces of water have been discovered in the moon, but it is far from sufficient for sustaining life. 1400 years ago people were unaware of these facts, which could only have been inserted in the Qur’aan then by none other than the Creator Himself.

=========================

The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXXIII. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXXII already published and freely available thereon.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of Islamic Books

Qur’aanic Verse 29.78:

Transliteration:

78. FaatbaAAahum firAAawnu bijunoodihi faghashiyahum mina alyammi ma ghashiyahum

Translation:

78. And Pharaoh followed them with his armies. And so there came upon them from the sea that which came upon them.⁹

Study Note:

9. They all died by drowning and got annihilated therein – except for Pharaoh’s dead body which got divinely preserved to serve as a sign for generations to come (refer Verse 10.92). His body was later discovered, with a thick layer of salt theron, preserved as a mummy in one of the pyramids. The discovery was made in 1881, over 12 centuries after the revelation of the Qur’aan. At that time no man knew how and where the dead body was preserved. Verse 10.92 therefore provides a clear sign that the Qur’aan is indeed a divine Message. But, as the Verse itself notes, most of mankind remain blind to such signs. [Source]

============================

The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXXII. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXXI already published and freely available thereon.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of ‘ISLAM & INTEREST‘

Translations of Qur’aanic Verses 18.83 to 18.98:

83. And they ask you about Zulqarnain¹⁷. Say, “I will recite an account of him to you.”

84. We did indeed give him authority on earth and means to pursue any thing he did.

85. So he followed a means.

86. And when he reached a place at sunset, he found it set on a oligotrophic spring.¹⁸ And he found a people living near it. We said, “O Zulqarnain! Cause them to suffer or treat them well.”

87. He said, “We will punish only the one who is wicked. He shall then be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a severe punishment.”

88. And as for him who believes and does good deeds, he shall have good reward, and We will make Our command easy for him.

89. Then he followed another means.

90. And when he reached a place at sunrise, he found it rise on a community to whom We had given no shelter therefrom.¹⁹

91. And thus We had put a limit to the knowledge he (Zulqarnain) could have.²⁰

92. Then he followed yet another means.

93. And when he reached a place between two mountains, he found beyond these a people who could hardly understand a word.

94. They said²¹, “O Zulqarnain! Gog and Magog do indeed make mischief in this land. Shall we then pay you the expenses for raising a barrier²² between us and them?”

95. Zulqarnain said, “What my Lord has given me is better than what you would give me. So you assist me with labour only and I will construct an obstruction between you and them.”

96. “Bring me iron sheets.” And when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain sides, he said, “Blow!” And when he had turned it red hot, he said, “Bring me molten brass to pour over it.”

97. So they were not able to scale it nor could they breach it.

98. He said, “This (construction of the barrier/gate) is a mercy from my Lord. But when the prophecy of my Lord comes to pass, He will level it to the ground, and the prophecy of my Lord has ever to come true.”

=======================

Study Notes:

17. This is one of the personalities of the ancient times. Let us unquestioningly listen to what the Qur’aan says about him and not indulge in speculations. For, Allah is the only reliable source of information about those pre-historic times.

18. On the border between Albania and Macedonia in Europe there is a huge lake called Lake Ohrid fed by underground springs that issue through limestone rocks and its water is termed as oligotrophic i.e. unfit for sustaining life. On the eastern side of this lake is the city of Ohrid. If one were to observe sunset from this city, the sun would appear to set in this oligotrophic water issuing from said underground springs. So the description in this Verse tallies with the description of sunset as seen from Ohrid city. This is a clear sign that the Qur’aan is a divine Book. Prophet Muhammad (peace on him) or his companions living in Mecca in the 7^th century A.D. could not have known about the geography of Ohrid in far off Europe.

19. Apparently, the community there lived on the open land. They had no houses built for themselves. They had no roofs over their heads. Zulqarnain had reached the end of human civilization. The community he came upon was that of wild animals.

20. Zulqarnain had been given the facility to improve the conditions of human peoples he came upon in his expeditions. But this facility did not extend to other animals. He could therefore do nothing, when he came upon a community of animals. There are indeed animals that live in large communities.

21. It may be that, although the people did not know the language spoken by Zulqarnain and his army, the latter knew the former’s language. Or, it may be that the ensuing conversation was carried on through interpreters or through signs. The Qur’aan is economical with words. It leaves many things to be understood through the context. 

22. In the Wikipedia account of the travels of the Chinese Pilgrim Hioen Tsang, it is mentioned, “The pilgrim turned his face to the south to pass through Shar-i Sabz (Kesh) and an eastern spur of the Pamir Mountains. He entered the famous pass called The Iron Gates, 8 miles west of modern Derbent on the regular trade route from Samarkand to the Oxus and beyond to India.” Although the Iron Gates are not there any more, those did exist during the Chinese pilgrim’s travels in the 7^th century A.D. The description of how the barrier was built as given in Verse 96 here tallies with the mention of the Iron Gates in the Chinese Pilgrim’s travelogue. And the fact, that the gates do no longer exist at the pass in the mountains, tallies with Verse 98 here, which is a prophecy come true. This is yet another sign that the Qur’aan is a divine Book.

==================================

The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXXI. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXX already published and freely available thereon.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of ‘ISLAM & INTEREST‘

Qur’aanic Verse 18.25:

Transliteration:

25. Walabithoo fee kahfihim thalatha mi-atin sineena waizdadoo tisAAan

Translation:

25. And they remained in their cave for three hundred years and some add nine to the number.⁹

Study Note:

9. There is a strange and remarkable thing about these two numbers 300 and 309. 300 solar years are equal to 309 lunar years. The divine Verse could also therefore be indicative of this relationship between the two systems of counting time. No man could have the knowledge of this relationship at the time the Qur’aan was revealed. Here is yet another evience/sign that the Qur’aan is divine.

=============================

The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXX. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXIX already published and freely available thereon.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of ‘ISLAM & INTEREST‘

Qur’aanic Verse 16.65:

 

Transliteration:

 65. WaAllahu anzala mina alssama-i maan faahya bihi al-arda baAAda mawtiha inna fee thalika laayatan liqawmin yasmaAAoona

Translation:

 65. And Allah it is Who sends down water from the sky and therewith gives life to the earth after its death. There is indeed a sign¹² in this for people who listen.

Study Note:

12. The life-reviving rain is one of the innumerable signs of the existence of the Creator Who has made adequate provisions for continuance of life on earth. The earth’s revival after rains is a sign also that the Creator can likewise resurrect mankind after it dies out entirely. Some other signs are mentioned in Verses 66 to 72 below. Such signs are mentioned elsewhere too in the Qur’aan.

==========================================

The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXVIII. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXVII already published and freely available thereon.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of ‘ISLAM & INTEREST‘

Qur’aanic Verse 14.9:

 

Transliteration:

 9. Alam ya/tikum nabao allatheena min qablikum qawmi noohin waAAadin wathamooda waallatheena min baAAdihim la yaAAlamuhum illa Allahu jaat-hum rusuluhum bialbayyinati faraddoo aydiyahum fee afwahihim waqaloo inna kafarna bima orsiltum bihi wa-inna lafee shakkin mimma tadAAoonana ilayhi mureebun

Translation:

 9. Have you not heard of those before you - of the people of Noah and Aad and Samood, and those after them? None knows them but Allah. Their Messengers come to them with clear signs. And they thrust their hands into their mouths in astonishment while witnessing those signs, but said, “We do not believe in the Message that you are sent with, and we are indeed utterly in doubt about what you invite us to.”³

Study Note:

3. Those ancient peoples were astonished to see the miraculous signs Allah’s Messengers had brought to them, and yet they did not believe in the divine Message they had brought! And today’s modern peoples are no better. They too refuse to believe in the divine Message given to them through the last Prophet, even when He has opened to them a vast reservoir of His infinite knowledge of innumerable miraculous happenings, day in and day out, throughout the universe. Glimpses of these miraculous happenings are shown, inter alia, in TV channels like Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet etc. They dismiss these discoveries as just wonderful nature, but refuse to believe in any Intelligent Creator behind their creation.

==============================

The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXVI. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXV already published and freely available thereon.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of ‘ISLAM & INTEREST‘

Qur’aanic Verse:

 

Transliteration:

 105. Wakaayyin min ayatin fee alssamawati waal-ardi yamurroona AAalayha wahum AAanha muAAridoona

Translation:

 105. And how many a sign, in the heavens and the earth, do they pass by? And yet they turn aside from it!²¹

Study Note:

21. The very tips of our fingers and every thing, little or big, around us in this world and in the unimaginably vast universe over us provide irrefutable signs of the existence of an Unseen, but All powerful, Being, Who can do and undo anything. And there are signs that provide proof that the Qur’aan is a Message of Guidance from that Being to the entire mankind. It is a pity that most of mankind remains blind to these signs galore.

===========================

The above is extracted from yet-to-be-published Qur’aanic Studies - Volume XXV. It will be published, in due course, inshaAllah on the website INVITATION TO SALVATION, in continuation of Volumes I to XXIV already published and freely available thereon.

Mohammad Shafi
Author of ‘ISLAM & INTEREST‘