Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Moonshine - Part Deux

*subject to the appearence of moon.

I hate this statement. It appears before the dates mentioned on the calendar on which I have to visit my home. Every year this happens. Damn it... why on earth can not we sight this stupid moon. One has to have tickets arranged, leaves managed. Every year my leaves get sandwiched - if I leave on the final day then I have to bear extra ticket fare. See My Post of last year - same issues.

The place where I am visiting.. usually has 3 Eids. Another absurdity.

Morons. One does not need to the 'sight' the moon to celebrate Eids. Its no where in Quran.

10:05 - It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light, and measured out stages for her; that ye might know the number of years and the count (of time). Nowise did Allah create this but in truth and righteousness. (Thus) doth He explain His Signs in detail, for those who understand.

Its just a measure to know when Hajj or Eid whatever will take place. One can use any measure to know about the new moon. But we wont. Why should we? Stupid is as stupid does.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Prophets and Miracles

In my last post I had ended with a piece that it appears that Prophet Muhammad was not given any miracles - apart from Quran that is. I had asked whether not giving miracles to a prophet reduces his stature?

We all know that prophets in their times were given various miracles/ signs to support their cause of spreading the message of One God and other reasons like fighting tyranny. Jesus could spoke as an infant, could heal the blind and talked to the dead. Moses was given various miracles in his fight against the pharoh. So why not Prophet Muhammad?

The answer lies in this verse perhaps.

20:133 - They say: "Why does he not bring us a sign from his Lord?" Has not a Clear Sign come to them of all that was in the former Books of revelation?

Quran refers at several places that the disbelievers should ask for the advice of people of the book if they have doubts regarding the authenticity of this scripture. According to Quran, those that are true 'believers' in the followers of the other scriptures readily see whether Quran is a true scripture.

17:107 - Say: "Whether ye believe in it or not, it is true that those who were given knowledge beforehand, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration,

People from previous generations have been given sign/ miracles but they still chose not to believe.

8:54 - (Deeds) after the manner of the people of Pharaoh and those before them": They treated as false the Signs of their Lord: so We destroyed them for their crimes, and We drowned the people of Pharaoh: for they were all oppressors and wrong-doers.

Quran says that all the signs/ examples/ miracles are already in knowledge of the disbelievers. They do not need any new miracles. If they want to believe then the previous ones do the same good. But its of no use...

6:111 - Even if We did send unto them angels, and the dead did speak unto them, and We gathered together all things before their very eyes, they are not the ones to believe, unless it is in Allah's plan. But most of them ignore (the truth)

So we come to know that Prophet Muhammad was not given miracles. But does this in anyway reduce his stature?

Of course not. He was the final prophet of God - the seal of them. Only God knows who was the best amongst them but for the followers... the proclamation is straight. There is no distinction between the messengers.

2:285 - The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His messengers." And they say: "We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys."

Check My Previous Posts:
- Planet Mars and Islam
- Moon Split - The Miracle?

Friday, November 23, 2007

Moon Split - The Miracle?

As a muslim you must have heard about the miracle attributed to Prophet Muhammad that he split the moon in two halves in reply to the critics of his prophethood. I am not concerned whether you believe in it or not. What I am writing here alludes to what Quran tells us about miracles given to Prophet Muhammad.

Interestingly, Quran does not inform us that Prophet was given the Miracles - apart from Quran only. Quranic tone is very different. Quran tells us that Prophet Muhammad was just a 'bearer of good news and warner' and the last Prophet at that. He knew nothing about the future nor knew about the unseen.

7:187 - They ask you about the hour, when will be its taking place? Say: The knowledge of it is only with my Lord; none but He shall manifest it at its time; it will be momentous in the heavens and the earth; it will not come on you but of a sudden. They ask you as if you were solicitous about it. Say: Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most people do not know.

7:188 - Say: I do not control any benefit or harm for my own soul except as Allah please; and had I known the unseen I would have had much of good and no evil would have touched me; I am nothing but a warner and the giver of good news to a people who believe.

6:50 - Say (O Muhammad, to the disbelievers): I say not unto you (that) I possess the treasures of Allah, nor that I have knowledge of the Unseen; and I say not unto you: Lo! I am an angel. I follow only that which is inspired in me...

The disbelievers of Mecca did ask Prophet Muhammad to show them miracles so as to believe in him.

6:109 - And they swear by Allah with the strongest of their oaths, that if a sign came to them they would most certainly believe in it. Say: Signs are only with Allah; and what should make you know that when it comes they will not believe?

Whether God grants a Prophet with a miracle or not that is His wish - not the prophet's. If God deems fit then He will grant a miracle to a prophet. When it came to disbelievers of Mecca - it just did not matter. According to Quran, they were just not being honest.

6:111 - And even if We had sent down to them the angels and the dead had spoken to them and We had brought together all things before them, they would not believe unless Allah pleases, but most of them are ignorant.

Now coming to the attributed miracle of Splitting of the moon. There is chapter in Quran Al-Qamr (The Moon) and the first verses state..

54:1 - The Hour is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder.
54:2 - But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, "This is (but) transient magic."
54:3 - They reject (the warning) and follow their (own) lusts but every matter has its appointed time.

To most of the translators of Quran - these verses refer to the time and the sign that Day of judgment will be very close. Many refer to these verses as evidence of Prophets miracle.

The interesting thing is that Chapter Al-Qamr was revealed in Mecca and was revealed as the 37th Sura in order of revelation. Chapter 6 (Al-Anam) too is a Meccan Sura but has the revelation order of 55. So Sura Qamr was revealed before Sura Anaam and disbelievers are still asking for miracles from Prophet in that Sura. why would it be so if the miracle of splitting of Moon had occured?

These are the issues that I think needed to be highlighted. There is just one more thing which will be highlighted in the subsequent post and which is that whether all of the above indicate somehow that Prophet's stature has been degraded as compared to the prophets who were given miracles?

I'll write about it in the next post.

Also Check These Posts
  • Prophets and Miracles
  • Planet Mars and Islam!
  • Wednesday, November 21, 2007

    Moon Split!

    Ok here is an other one related to my theme of recent postings. I am sorry but I "do" have to talk on it. I got a forwarding in which it was stated that 'muslims' have graphical evidence that supports the miracle attributed to Prophet Muhammad that he split the moon in two halves in reply to the questions posed on him by the people of Mecca regarding the authenticity of his Prophethood.




    If anyone has a least bit knowledge of astronomy - he/ she would tell you that "the evidence" can be anything but a sign of split. You can see the craters formed on either side of it.. they seem deeper than the split-line. Secondly, the split-line is very small! The image which has been provided is a zoomed in one on one of the areas of Moon. If you zoom-out of this pic somehow.. you will not be able to see the line!

    A rocky celestial body like earth, moon, Mars, Mercury... the surface has various features. Mountains, ridges, canyons, craters and albedos. Check the surface of one of the moon of Jupiter - Europa.



    See any markings? appear similar? to me they do at least.
    Finally. See this image of Moon. I got it from somewhere I cant remember. Credit to anybody to whom it belongs :| sorry



    This is a very detailed pic of almost half of Moon. And I for one can't see a split line in it. You can clearly see the crater Copernicus, Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Serenitatis.

    This also brings us to another aspect of this post. Did moon Split occur? hmm. Very tricky one. I'll be giving my opinion in next post.

    Check My Other Posts:

    - Moon Split - The Miracle?
    - Prophets and Miracles
    - Planet Mars and Islam!

    Friday, November 16, 2007

    Planet Mars and Islam!

    No seriously! Mars does figure in Islam! one way or the other! As I wrote in my previous post that one receives a forwarding in email regarding motion of planet Mars and the closest ever proximity of it to Earth, one also gets an other email for the 'believers' that the motion of Mars is explained in Islam already! Go figure!

    But first the text of that email...

    Sunrise from the West
    (Nasa's Report):
    The science of astronomy states that the speed of planet Mars has been decreasing in its course toward the eastern direction in the few past weeks to the level we notice the "waver" between the east and the west and on Wednesday the 30th of July the planet movement stopped going toward the eastern direction..
    Then in the months of August and September...Mars changed its course in the opposite direction to the West- and that until the end of September..which means the sun will rise now from the west on Mars!!
    And this weird phenomena of the opposite movement called "Retrograde Motion" Most scientist state that all the planets will go through the same once at least and our planet Earth is one of them. Planet Earth will move in the opposite direction some day and the sun will rise from the west!!
    This might occur soon and we are unaware!
    The rise of the sun from the west is mentioned in the hadith and this is the major sign of the day of judgment, most if not All, the minor signs have occured. Wake up.
    Our beloved messenger Mohamed (Peace Be Upon Him) said:
    "One of the signs of the hour..the sun will rise from the west, where no longer tauba (forgiveness) will be granted" !!
    And the strange thing..most of our Shariah scholars mentioned that the rise of the sun from the west occurs only once..on that day..thewest..then again from the east..and continues until Allah wishes..and this is similar to what is happening to Mars..it stops, then it changes its course of direction for a short period of time..then returns to way once it was.
    Check the following link:

    I don't know but reading this made my marbles follow a retrograde motion! For heavens sake. Retrograde motion of Mars is an optical phenomenon. Mars does not actually start to go in reverse! It appears to the human eye to be reversing back becasue of the relative motion of Earth and Mars around the Sun and the Earth being in the inner orbit as compared to Mars!

    Even if one follows the link that has been provided in the text - one can read all about it (update 4th September 2012: The link no longer works. Follow this one). But No! we muslims will take for granted anything as being true if it has been labeled under the tag of 'Islam'!

    First we keep ourselves ignorant about science. The we love to place Islam and Prophet Muhammad in it! and guess who gets mocked? I just request people out there not to put Prophet's name and keep placing Islam in everything not even remotely related to them.

    And I really do not like people branding Prophet Muhammad as 'local hakeem' or astronomer with a very poor knowledge suggesting herbs to remedy certain ills or explaining motion of planets. Really I do not.

    Muslims should be the ones respecting Prophet Muhammad. They on the other hand provide sufficient material otherwise.

    Also Check the following posts.


    - Moon Split - The Miracle?
    - Prophets and Miracles

    Thursday, November 15, 2007

    Two Moons in the Sky!

    Every year around August I receive an email forwarding (and most probably you would have too) that mars will be closest to Earth in gazillion years so do not miss the chance of watching it. There will be two moons in the sky!

    Hell No! nothing can be farther from the truth! Mars was at its closest in August of 2003! Every year people keep asking me questions.. is it true? and every year I keep telling them no its not the case!

    And its not Two moon in sky! When I watched Mars in 2003 - naked eye of course cuz I do not have a telescope :( - it was this brilliant orange kinda star! still no better than Venus! Damn Venus is very beautiful and bright in evenings!

    So next time if you find this sort of mail in your Inbox.. delete it!

    Man I love the sky :)

    P.S: I am writing this after 2 months cuz I realized my blog was missing my interest elements of Astronomy and Egyptology! Better late than never!

    Check My Other Posts:

    1 - Prophets and Miracles
    2 - Moon Split - The Miracle?
    3 - Planet Mars and Islam!

    Tuesday, November 13, 2007

    Movement For The Independence (MIND)

    MOVEMENT FOR THE INDEPENDENCE (MIND) OF JUDICIARY, MEDIA, CIVIL SOCIETY

    First Grand and Unified Peaceful Protest In Islamabad

    Of

    All the sections of the civil society

    Lawyers, students, journalists, traders, transporters, doctors,
    engineers, businessmen, professionals, NGOs employees, human rights
    activists, government servants , retired soldiers, politicians,
    housewives, labour unions and Conscientious citizens

    November 14, Wednesday
    3 30 p.m.
    Aabpara Chowk

    In the form of
    FLOWER AND BLACK BAND SHOW

    __________
    Kindly share.

    Saturday, November 10, 2007

    Protest in Holland Against Musharraf

    Pakistani community is getting more active in protesting against Musharraf and his military dictatorhip. People in Pakistan and their non-resident brothers feel the same pain. Students and ordinary folk alike - they joined in the protest to show solidarity with the people of pakistan who are being subjected right now to the whims of a single person.

    Protests in Holland



    (Translation: Wake up Europe! Musharraf is the problem - not the solution!)



    Protests In Front of International Court of Justice




    Thursday, November 08, 2007

    Asma Jahangir's Arrest Orders

    This is a picture I received in mail that contains order to arrest Miss. Asma Jahangir- renowned human rights activist of Pakistan.

    I do not know whether it has been shared already or not. Thanks to who-ever it belongs to.

    p.s: I have no idea about the authenticity of this image.

    Wednesday, November 07, 2007

    21 Grams

    This is 'supposedly' the weight lost by the body the instant a person dies. So somehow indicating the aspect that 'soul' weighs 21 grams.

    Death is a very uneasy business. Unfortunately, if there is a death in your family or a dear one - then there is certain uneasiness which does not make you rest at peace.

    An auntie in our neighborhood died. May God rest her soul in peace. The coffin (there is no coffin as such but a bed on which the body is placed and is moved by being carried on peoples shoulders) was being carried by 6 people and I was one of them.

    Apart from reciting 'shahada' - I was thinking... a dead body is heavy. I mean really heavy. 6 people were carrying the coffin but they had to be switched and took turns. The poor soul who died was a weak physique woman, frail. She must have not weighed much when she was alive. But this was certainly not the case.

    This is one of those things that really intrigues me. What is it that makes body weigh so much after soul departs from it...

    With due respects to the people who left this world.

    p.s: I like the movie though. My kinda movie. Slow.

    Monday, November 05, 2007

    Emperor Musharaf's New Clothes

    12th October 1999 - "Have to hear this guy! whatever is going on is unbelievable!"
    3rd November 2007 - "What the hell does he want to say now?!"

    The above equates almost what I had in mind.

    Mr. Musharraf.. whatever you are selling.. we are'nt buying it. Whatever credibility you had.. has been lost. I was perhaps the biggest supporter of yours - now I dont give a damn to the explanations you give.

    You are not the saviour, you are not indispensable, you are not infallible.

    The common man may not come on streets... cuz they are too busy trying just to survive. My friend asked a bread maker (tandoor wala) that emergency has been imposed. He replied "Will it lower the prices of essentials?"

    Please do not consider us idiots. Nawaz, BB, you - all of the same category. Just your interests to safeguard.

    It sucks really. By the way.. you are not wearing anything.

    Thursday, November 01, 2007

    Pakistan - Cricket Cheats

    Remember that Oval Test which Pakistan 'forfeited', the first in 129 years of cricket? Well the ghost is back. In that Test Match, Umpire Darrel Hair had accused Pakistan of ball tampering, awarded penalty to Pakistan without telling what had happened to the bewildered Pakistani team. When Pakistani team refused to come out on field to protest the incident, he called off the match citing forfeiture by Pakistan! Lovely incident.

    English Coach Duncan Fletcher has been musing in his autobiography regarding Pakistani cricketers which actually portrays his mentality. "England staff used binoculars to monitor Pakistan players they suspected of ball tampering during last year’s forfeited Test at the Oval". Fletcher writes that the England coaching staff were, “interested in what the Pakistanis were doing with the ball.”. Basically he considers Pakistani cricketers as cheats.

    He further elucidates.. “Using binoculars, we began examining the Pakistanis closely in the field because we thought we had picked something up.”


    And now the icing.. He added: “We could not understand how they were able to get it to reverse swing so early in the innings. With the lush outfields it had been a problem for us all series".

    Asshole has branded the whole Pakistani team as cheat just becasue "they could not do it"?! Who the hell he thinks he is? In early 90's when Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram out English cricketers to smithreens by the deadly fast bowling and lethal yorkers - The english press had called us Cheats! Morons! ALan Lamb and Ian Botham sued Imran Khan in courts for that!

    When Michael Atherton was caught using dirt in his pocket to tamper the ball in South Africa - nothing happened much. He was not a pakistani I guess otheriwse hell would have broken loose.

    And surprise surprise.. they use the same "cheating methods" to beat Australia in Ashes in 2005! Dunacan Fletcher was the coach! and then they were titled Officer of the British Empire - OBE! wtf.