"He is Allah (GOD), the Creator, the Originator, The Fashioner, to Him belong the most beautiful names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, do declare His praises and Glory. And He is the Exalted in Might, The Wise" The 99 Names of Allah, also known as The 99 Most Beautiful Names of God, are the names of God by which Muslims regard God and which are traditionally maintained as described in the Quran, and Sunnah, amongst other places. There is, according to hadith, a special group of 99 names but no enumeration of them. Thus the exact list is not agreed upon, and the names of God exceed 99 in the Quran and Sunnah. Name Of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

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Education is the knowledge of putting one’s potentials to maximum use. Without education, no one can find the proper right path in this world. This importance of education is basically for two reasons. Education makes man a right thinker. Without education, no one can think properly in an appropriate context you. It tells man how to think and how to make decision. The second reason for the importance of education is that only through the attainment of education; man is enabled to receive information from the external world. It is well said that “Without education, man is as though in a closed room and with education he finds himself in a room with all its windows open towards outside world.” This is why Islam attaches such great importance to knowledge and education. When the Quran began to be revealed, the first word of its first verse was ‘Iqra’ that is, read.. The reflective book of Holy Quran is so rich in content and meaning that if the history of human thought continues forever, this book is not likely to be read to its end. Every day it conveys a new message to the humanity. Every morning, it gives us new thoughtful ideas and bound us in the boundaries of ethics. Islamic Education is one of the best systems of education, which makes an ethical groomed person with all the qualities, which he/she should have as a human being. The Western world has created the wrong image of Islam in the world. They don’t know that our teachings are directly given to us from Allah, who is the creator of this world, through our Prophets. The Muslims all over the world are thirsty of acquiring quality education. They know their boundaries and never try to cross it. It is the West, which has created a hype that the Muslims are not in a path of getting proper education. They think that our education teaches us fighting, about weapons, etc., which is so false. This is true that there are certain elements, which force an individual to be on the wrong path, because as we will mould a child, they will be like that, but it doesn’t mean that our religion teaches improperly to us. Our Holy Prophet (SAW), said, Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. And: Seek knowledge even [if it is to be found in a place as distant as China. At the battle of Badr, in which our beloved Holy Prophet (SAW) gained victory over his foes, seventy people of the enemy rank were taken to prison. These prisoners were literate people. In order to benefit from their education the Prophet declared that if one prisoner teaches ten Muslim children how to read and write, this will serve as his ransom and he will be set free. This was the first school in the history of Islam established by the Prophet himself with all its teachers being non-Muslims. The Sunnah of the Prophet shows that education is to be received whatever the risk involved. We provide quality Quran Education… Today, the Muslims are acquiring good ideas, thoughts, knowledge, and skills, from all corners of the world. The world is moving very fast, and in this industrialized world, it is the duty of the teachers to give quality ethical integrated education to the Muslim students worldwide, because children are invaluable assets of future generations. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) encouraged all Muslims to acquire knowledge and share it. He said: “Acquire knowledge, for he who acquires it in the way of Allah performs an act of piety; he who speaks of it, praises the Lord; he who seeks it, adores Allah; he who dispenses instruction in it, bestows alms; and he who imparts it to others, performs an act of devotion to Allah.” (Bukhari, Muslim) As Islamic information service provider, its our main responsibility to provide authentic, pure and true quality education to our worldwide students. Alhamdulillah, we are doing this noble job with great courage, effort, dedication, devotion and credibility. Everyone who is interested in this field can trust us. We have hired an experienced team of skilled tutors who have studied the Quran for many years and are reputed enough in the field of teaching. Thus, we have made it easy to learn Quran for you!! With our alliance, you can in the comfort of your homes study and learn Quran at your own pace without any form of hassles and trouble Nine benefits of Quran education • For each letter you read from the Quran, ten rewards are bestowed upon you • Reading and going through the Quran verses fulfils Islamic obligation • The Quran will stand as a proof for us and will plead for us on the Judgment Day • Your rank in this life will be raised, making you the most pious among others • The noble and obedient angels will accompany the one who recites Quran • Your position in Paradise is determined by the amount of Quran you memorize in this life! • The Holy Quran is also an instrument for your Dua to be answered • Quran will guide you in circumstances of daily life

How To Offer Namaz ! It is related by Hazrat Abu hurairah (R.A.) that (once) the Apostle of Allah (Sallallaho alaiho wasallam) was sitting to one side in the mosque that a man came in and offered his Namaz (Prayer). Afterwards, he came to the holy Prophet (SAW) and paid his respects to him. The Holy Prophet (SAW) returned the salutation and remarked: "Go and offer the Namaz (Prayer) again. You have not said it properly." He went back and said the prayers again and returned to the Holy Prophet (SAW), and paid his respects. The Holy Prophet (SAW), returning the salutation, once again remarked: "Go and offer the Namaz (Prayer) again. You have not said it properly". After offering Namaz (Prayer) for the third (and the fourth) time, the man said to the Holy Prophet (SAW): "Sir, tell me how to offer Namaz (Prayer)". The Holy Prophet (SAW) replied: "When you decide to offer Namaz (Prayer), first perform Wadhu throughly and well, then turn to Qibla, then begin the Namaz (Prayer), after uttering Takbir-i-Tahrima. After it recite some part of the Holy Qur’aan which you know by heart and can recite easily. (In other Traditions relating to the same incident it is stated that the Apostle of Allah (SAW) told the questioner, specifically, to recite Surah-i-Fateha and whatever he liked, in addition to it). Then after the recital, perform Ruku till you are still and at ease in Ruku. Then, arise from Ruku till you stand erect. Then, perform the Sajadah till you are still and at ease in Sajadah. Then arise till you sit up comfortably. (According to another narrator, the Holy Prophet (SAW), instead of it, said: "Then arise till you stand erect). Then, do like that throughout the Namaz (Prayer) (i.e., in every Ruku, Sujud, Qauma and Jalsa in a calm and collected manner)." (Bukhari and Muslim) The incident mentioned above related to Hadhrat Khallad bin Rafay (RA), the brother of the well-known Sahabi, Hadhrat Rifa’ah bin Rafay (RA). According to Nassai, he had offered up two Raka’ah of Namaz (Prayer) in the Holy Prophet’s (SAW) mosque but some other commentators suggest that these Raka’ah were of Tahiyyat-ul-Masjid which Hadhrat Khallad (RA), had said rather hurriedly, and upon it, he was reproached by the Holy Prophet (SAW) and told to offer them up again. It shows that the Holy Prophet (SAW) did not plainly tell Hadhrat Khallad bin Rafay (RA), at the first time, what was wrong with his Namaz (Prayer) and how it was to be said correctly but at the third or fourth time, and, then, at his own request. It was, probably, for the simple reason that a lesson imparted in such a manner suffices for a lifetime and gets talked about among others as well. The paractical teaching imparted in the above Tradition is that Namaz (Prayer) should be offered up in a calm and composed manner and if it is offered hurriedly and wiithout making the necessary pauses and carrying out the various acts properly it be as good as unsaid. Namaz (Prayer) of Holy Prophet (SAW) Hadhrat Ayeshah (RA) narrated that the Apostle of Allah (SAW) commenced his Namaz (Prayer) with Takbir and the recital with Al-Hamdu-Lilaahi Rabbil ‘Alameen, and while performing Ruku he neither raised his head upward nor bent it downwards but kept it in the middle position (i.e., in line with the waist) and when he from Rukuh he did not go into Sajadah till he had stood erect, and when he raised the head from Sajadah he did not perform the second Sajadah until he had sat upright and he recited At-Tahiyyatu after every two Rak’ah and at that time, he flattened the left foot under him and kept the right foot in the upright postion and he forbade Uqbatish Shaitan (sitting like the Devil), and he, also, forbade that a man sat (in Sajadah) with his forearms (i.e., parts of arms between elbow and wrist) placed on the ground like the animals, and he brought the Namaz (Prayer) to an end by saying Assalmu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullah." ----Muslim Namaz (Prayer) is a worship of a very high order. For it such forms and postures of Qayam, Qaood, Ruku and Sujood have been prescribed as constitute the finest marks and expressions of adoration and humbleness, and all the unbecoming manners of holding the body that are indicative of vanity, awkwardness or indifference, or bear a resemblance with the lowly creatures have been, particularly, forbidden. The Holy Prophet (SAW) has, accordingly, ordered us not to sit in Sajadah with forearms spread on the ground as the dogs and wolves do or in the manner which, in this Tradition, has been described as Uqbatish Shaitan , and, in another, as Aq’aa-al-kalb. Commentators have differed in their explanation of the two terms. In our humble view, however, they denote sitting on the heels with the feet held upright on the toes and since this posture gives the impression of haste and exaggerated self-es-teem and only the knees touch the ground and it is the way dogs and wolves and other wild animals, generally, sit, the Holy Prophet (SAW) took special care to forbid against sitting like that in Namaz (Prayer). Special prayers and formulas of Allah-remembrance The inner feelling of earnestness and deep devotion that runs through the prayer-formulas through which the revere and adore the Lord during the various parts or acts of Namaz (Prayer) like Qayam, Ruku and Sujood, and the entreaties he made in them, form the essence of Namaz (Prayer). The sayings we are now going to discuss should be read from that point of view and the endeavour should be to produce the same emotional and spiritual state of feeling because it is the characteristic legacy of the Holy Prophet (SAW). Hadhrat Ayeshah (RA) related to us that ‘when the Apostle of Allah (SAW) began (to offer up) Namaz (Prayer) he first glorified the Lord in these words: Subhaanakal-laa-humma wabihamdika wa tabarakasmuka wa ta’ala jadduka wa laa-ilaaha ghiruka (O Allah, with Thy glorification and Thy praise; blessed is Thy Name; and there is no Allah save thee). Tirmidhi, and Abu Dawood. Hadhrat Ibn-Taimiyah (RA) writes in Muntaqa about Hadhrat Abu Bakr (RA), on the authority of Hadhrat Sunnan-i-Saeed bin Mansur (RA), and about Hazrat Omer (RA) on the authority of Sahih Muslim, and about Hadhrat Osman (RA) and Hadhrat Abdullah bin Masud (RA), on the authority of Qutni, that they began their Namaz (Prayer) with Subhaanakallahumma wa bihamdika... and, then, goes on to observe that it appears from it that the Holy Prophet (SAW), usually, recited this short prayer after Takbir in Namaz (Prayer). It, therefore, enjoys preference over all the other prayers of adoration mentioned in the traditions with relation to the commencement of the service though there is no harm in reciting the other proven hymns, as for instance, the one occurring in the next Tradition related on the authority of Hadhrat Ali (RA). Hadhrat Ali (R.A.) related that "when the Apostle of Allah (SAW) stood up to offer Namaz (Prayer) he recited the following prayer after Takbir: Waj-jahtu Waj-hil-lazi fataras samawati wal-arz hanifan wa maana minal-mushrikeena in-nasalaati wa nusuki wa mahya-yawa ma-matillahii rabbil ‘Aalimeena Laa Shareeka Lauhu Wa bizaalika omirtu wa ana minal muslimeena allahumma antal maliku laa ilaaha anta anta rabbi wa ana abduka azlamtu mafsi wa-’ataraftu bizanbi faghfirli zunubi jamee’an in-nahu laayaghfiruzzunuba illa anta wahdin li-absaril akhlaq laa yahdi liahsaniha illa anta was-rif’ annisaiyyi-aha laa yahsnifu ‘an-nisajyyi-aha illa anta, labbaika wa sa’adaika was-sharru laisa ilaika anabika wa ilaika tabarkta wa ta’a-laita astghfiruka wa atoobuilaika (I have turned away from every direction and set the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and I am not of those who associate anyone with Him in allegiance. My worship, and my every religious act, and my life and my death are for Allah alone, the Lord of the Worlds. To this I have been commanded and I am of those who obey. O Allah Thou art the Sovereign and Master. No one is worthy of obedience save Thee. Thou art my Lord and Owner, and I am Thy slave. I have wronged my soul, and ruined myself, and I confess my inquities. O Lord! Forgive me my sins; no one can forgive sins expect Thee. And remove all bad manners and deplorable morals from my side, and take them away from me. This, too, no one aside of Thee can do. I am in THY presence the service and Thy victory. Here I am, O Lord! All the good things, and every kind of piety and virtue are in Thy hands, and evil has no access towards Thee. Thou art the Blessed, the Most High, then art my only hope and my face is turned towards Thee. I beg The forgiveness and unto the do I turn penitent). This prayer the holy Prophet (SAW) recited after Takbir and before the commencement (of recitation from the Holy Qur’aan. Then, as he perform the Ruku’, (after completing the recital), he used to say: Allahumma laka rak’atu wa bika aamantu wa laka aslamtu khash’a laka sam’anini wa basari wa mukhkhi wa’azmi wa ‘asbi (O Allah! I am bowed low before Thee and I have believed in Thee and placed myself I Thy charge. My earns, and my eyes, and my marrow and my bones, and my muscles, and my nerves are all bent in submission to Thee). Later, as the Holy Prophet (SAW) raised his head from Rukuo’ and stood erect, he said: "Allahhumma rabbana lakal-hamdu mila-a-as- samawaati wal-arzi wa ma bainahuma wa mila-a ma shiata min shaiyyan b’adu" (O Allah! Praise is for Thee alone, such boundless praise as my cover the extensiveness of the heavens and the earth and fill all the empty space between them). After it when the Holy Prophet (SAW) performed Sajadah, he used to say (placing his forehead on the ground): Allahumma laka sajad-tu wa bika aamantu wa laka aslamtu sajada waj-hiyyallazi khalaqa-hu wa sawwar-tuhwa shaq-qa sam-’ahu wa basarahu tabarak-allahu ahsanul khaliqeen (O Allah! I am prostrating myself for Thy sake, and in Thy presence, amd I have believe in Thee, and I have placed myself in Thy charge. My face is carrying out genuflexion before the Creator who created it, and gave it its shape, and its ear, and its eyes out of nothing. \Blessed, indeed, is the Best of Creators). In the end, between Attahyyaatu (Also known as Tashahhud) and Salutation,he would pray: Allahummaghfirli ma qaddamtu wa ma akhkhartu wa ma anta a’alamu bihi minni antalmuqqdimu wa ant-al muwakhkhartu la ilaaha illa anta (O Allah! Forgive me all the sins I have committed earlier or later, and secretly or openly) and whatever in equity I have been guilty of, and of which Thou art better informed than me. "Thou it is who raises to higher rank and reduces to lower position. Verily, there is no deity save Thee)."--Muslim From the narratives relating to the Namaz (Prayer) of the Holy Prophet (SAW) is it clear that it was not the Prophet’s (SAW) regular practice to recite in Namaz (Prayer) the prayers mentioned by Hadhrat Ali (RA) in the above report. Perhaps, he did so occasionally, and most probably,in Tahajjud. Infact, Imam Muslim (RA) has quoted this Tradition in connection with the traditions appertaining Tahajjud. Many other prayers were, also, recited by the Holy Prophet (SAW) in Namaz (Prayer), particularly in Tahajjud which will be taken up at the approbate time. These possess a special significance and are charged with rare feeling. The Imam can read them in Fardh Namaz (Prayer) as well if he is satisfied that it will not go hard with the Muqtadis, and as far as supererogatory services are concerned, there is no reason why one should not avail oneself of this marvellous bequest in them. https://youtube.com/shorts/PjzwOyNV8hA?si=KsNVmAsU_Y0ZChO8

Tajweed - Learn quran with Tajweed Tajweed when related to the Holy Quran, means recitation of the Holy Quran in the way the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) recited the Quran. Tajweed in general means ‘to make it fine”. As the Holy prophet was the only person who produced the rightist pronunciation of the Almighty’s words in the Holy Quran. It is therefore imperative to learn Tajweed to apply the same to read the Holy Quran for getting exact pronunciation and meanings of the Quran words. The word Tajweed linguistically means 'proficiency' or 'doing something well'. It comes from the same root letters as the word 'Jayyid' in Arabic (meaning 'good'): Jeem, Waw and Daal. When applied to the Quran, it means giving every letter of the Quran its rights and dues of characteristics when we recite the Quran and observing rules that apply to those letters in different situations. We give letters their rights by observing essential characteristics of each letter that never leave it. And we give them their dues by observing the characteristics of each letter that are present in them some of the time and not present at other times. The Quran was revealed with Tajweed rules applied to it. In other words, when the angel Jibreel (alaihis salaam) recited the words of Allah to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) he recited them in a certain way and he showed the Prophet (pbuh) the ways in which it was permissible to recite the Quran. So it is upon us to observe those rules so that we recite it in the way it was revealed. At the time of the Prophet (pbuh) there was no need for people to study Tajweed because they talked with what is now known as Tajweed so it was natural for them. When the Arabs started mixing with the non-Arabs as Islam spread, mistakes in Quran recitation started appearing, so the scholars had to record the rules. Now, because the everyday Arabic that Arabs speak has changed so much from the Classical Arabic with which the Quran was revealed, even Arabs have to study Tajweed. The purpose of Tajweed The Quran is the word of Allah, and its every syllable is from Allah. Its recitation must be taken very seriously. The purpose of the Science of Tajweed in essence is to make the reciter proficient in reciting the Quran, observing the correct pronunciation of every letter with the rulings and characteristics which apply to each letter, without any exaggeration or deficiency. And so through this the reciter can recite the Quran upon the way of the Prophet (pbuh) who received it from Jibreel who received it from Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) in the Classical Arabic dialect that it came down in. Arabic letters each have a Makhraj - an exit or articulation point - in the mouth or throat from which they originate and they also each have Sifaat - attributes, or characteristics - particular to them. Knowing the Makhraj and Sifaat of each letter is an important part of Tajweed. Sometimes two letters have very similar exits which makes mixing them up easy. So if a person does not know the attributes of each letter there is a danger that he will change the meaning of the words in Quran recitation. Observing the rules of Tajweed in reciting protects the reciter from making mistakes in reciting the Quran. Why Learning Tajweed is Necessary Learning Tajweed is necessary because the glorious Islam expanded in just a few decades of its inception to most part of the world. The people belonged to different regions in the world and so did their languages. Even alphabets of the languages were different. The Holy Quran is for the entire world and uptil the Day of Judgment. With the spread of Islam, Arab and Non-Arab were mixed together but they had much difference in their languages and accents. Even most of the Arabs can not read the Holy Quran with Tajweed. At that time it was feared that in the absence of Tajweed, if the original spoken words of the prophets are not preserved, it might lead to distortion of pronunciation in the days to come. It was therefore necessary that Tajweed rules should be scientifically outlined on uniform basis for Arabs and Non-Arabs for preserving the same wording, sounds, accent, pronunciation and meanings. It is necessary both for Arabs and Non Arabs to learn Tajweed and apply the Tajweed Rules while reading Holy Quran Who set Basic Tajweed Rules & what is authenticity of Tajweed rules No other than the prophet Muhammad PBUP; as the Holy Quran was revealed to him from Allah the almighty through the most responsible angel, Jibreel, who instructed the prophet, PBUH how to pronounce the words of the Holy Quran. The prophet Muhammad PBUH taught these rules to his companions and they did the same to the followers and so on till this day. Therefore it can be surely said that these Tajweed rules were set by the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which are being followed in letter and spirit by all recites of the Holy Quran who recite Holy Quran using the Tajweed rules. Tajweed Scientific Test by Tajweed experts After the spread of Islam, a number of scholars have worked for making Tajweed rules adaptable for all the people around the world. These Tajweed rules have been tested scientifically for its uniformity and integrity of the pronunciation. When Tajweed rules are applied, every reciter whether its an Arab or Non-Arab. produces the same sound of the Holy Quran words giving the exact pronunciation for the correct meanings. Holy Quran Teaching with Tajweed Al-Hamdolillah, www.islamicnet.com is teaching Holy Quran with Tajweed online, where the tutors are well qualified in teaching with Tajweed rules. A separate Tajweed Course is also organized every now and then for the learners so that they can read the Holy Quran with Tajweed Why the need for Tajweed rules? When Islam was being spread (and it was done so at a very quick pace and also into non-Arab speaking countries) not everyone's tongue was accustomed to the Arabic letters and sounds. Thus, when reciting the koran, much error and distortion occurred and the Muslim scholars feared (the perpetration of) that error and distortion. It was at this point that some of them recorded the rules and foundations that regulate the correct pronunciation of Qur'an, and they named this the Science of Tajweed. The rules were not made up by these Scholars. In fact, all they did was closely observe the perfect readers who read as they were taught by the Prophet () and wrote down for later generations the rules of recitation of the earlier generations. From the outset, Tajweed was a Science that cannot be learnt only from a book and will always retain this inherent quality. The most important part of Tajweed is learning about correct positions of the organs of speech and the manner of articulation. The Quran can lose its meaning if the letters are not pronounced correctly. Helpful Tips towards learning Tajweed • You must find a Quran teacher who has studied Tajweed to listen to your recitation and correct you. Tajweed cannot merely be learnt from books, because the movements of your mouth as well as the sounds are important and only a teacher can correct you and make sure you are applying the rules correctly. Sometimes local Mosques will run classes. Quran recitation is a science which was passed down generation by generation through teachers not just books, with a direct line to the Prophet (pbuh) • Find a book containing the rules of Tajweed and learn each rule little by little, applying it as you go along with the help of your teacher. There are many concise Arabic books and in English there are some books as well as tapes to help. Look for books with some drawings showing you how to pronounce each letter. • Listen to Quran tapes of reciters who recite very clearly, at a medium or slow speed (like Sheikh Hudhaify or Sheikh Muhammad Hosary) and try and notice them applying the different rules of Tajweed. Repeat after them while trying to apply the rules you've learnt. Try to copy their tone and melody as well and see how it changes as the meaning of what they're reciting changes. • Tajweed website: There is an excellent Tajweed website I came across in English which details many aspects of Tajweed in a very clear way including a Question and Answer section: • Tajweed Mus-haf: You can get a new Mus-haf (copy of the Quran), called Mus-haf at-Tajweed, which has the rules of Tajweed incorporated in the text of the Quran in colour coding! This is very helpful as it prompts you as you go along. There is also a computer program you can buy with it which highlights Tajweed rules with recitation. • Tajweed Poem: If you know Arabic you could memorize Ibn al-Jazaree's poem which contains all the rules of Tajweed. You can get the poem on tape sung as a nasheed in Arab countries. You might find memorising the rules easy in this way. • Try and apply the rules you learn to the Surahs you have already memorised and don't become lazy about reciting correctly. You might have to revise the surahs by looking back at them. • Practice and repetition will make perfect InshaAllah: As Ibn al-Jazaree says in his poem about acquiring Tajweed: 'And there is no obstacle between it (learning Tajweed) and leaving it, Except that a person must exercise his mouth with it!' https://youtube.com/shorts/PjzwOyNV8hA?si=KsNVmAsU_Y0ZChO8

The Description of Knowledge in the Quran and by the Prophet (saas) There are plenty of references to knowledge and the pursuit of knowledge in the Quran. The general feeling they leave the reader with is that the possessor of knowledge or wisdom has been given a very powerful gift, and that the pursuit of knowledge is something which should be done actively by everyone. Here are a few verses on the subject: [96:1-5] Read! In the name of your Lord who created - Created the human from something which clings. Read! And your Lord is Most Bountiful - He who taught (the use of) the Pen, Taught the human that which he knew not. These five verses make up the first passage revealed from the Quran to mankind through the Prophet Muhammad (saas). It is interesting that of all the things which Allah chose to begin His revelation with is related to the actions of reading and writing, especially the latter. The ability to write and store information is described by Professor Carl Sagan in his book COSMOS: "Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people, citizens of distant epochs, who never knew one another. Books break the shackles of time, proof that humans can work magic." [21] [2:269] He [Allah] grants wisdom to whom He pleases; and he to whom wisdom is granted indeed receives a benefit overflowing. But none will grasp the Message except men of understanding. [20:114] High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth. Do not be in haste with the Quran before its revelation to you is completed, but say, "O my Sustainer! Increase my knowledge." [3:190-191] Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day - there are indeed signs for men of understanding; Men who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth (with the thought) "Our Lord! Not for nothing have You created (all) this. Glory to You! Give us salvation from the suffering of the Fire." These verses are a clear demonstration that 'science' and 'religion' were NOT meant to be fundamentally incompatible with each other by Allah. In fact, verses [3:190-191] strongly imply that "contemplating" the world around us is an integral part of faith. [29:20] Say: Travel through the earth and see how Allah originated creation; so will Allah produce the second creation (of the Afterlife): for Allah has power over all things. There are also references in the Quran describing the value (in the sight of Allah) of a knowledgeable person as opposed to an ignorant person. They are not equal: [39:9] ...Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that remember (Allah's Message). [58:11] ...Allah will raise up to (suitable) ranks (and degrees) those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge. The first source of Islam is the Quran - and we have seen some verses above on the subject of knowledge. The second source is the life of Prophet Muhammad (saas). Here are a few of the Prophet's sayings on the subject of knowledge: "Upon a person whom Allah desires good, He bestows the knowledge of faith." - from the hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim "A person who follows a path for acquiring knowledge, Allah will make easy the passage to Paradise for him." - from the collection of Muslim "A Muslim is never satiated in his quest for good (knowledge) till it ends in Paradise." - from the collection of Tirmizi The Relationship Between the Quran and Modern Science Modern scientific theory today finds itself quite close to the Quran. There are at least two reasons behind this observation. The first is the lack of inconsistencies between the Quran and observable natural phenomena. Science has not been able to produce theories or experiments that fundamentally contradict the Quran. Had our science done so, either our understanding of the Quran or of the world would have been to blame: the Quran itself is true for all times. The second reason for the remarkable harmony between the Quran and science is the presence in the Quran itself of very clear and positive encouragement to contemplate and investigate the world around us. As the verses quoted above indicate, Allah has not forbidden man to question, and in fact, it seems He wants us to do so. [41:53] Soon will We show them Our Signs in the (farthest) horizons, and within themselves, until it becomes manifest to them that it is the Truth... The historical event which this verse alludes to is the conquest of Makkah. However, almost every verse in the Quran carries a historical and a universal meaning, and therefore one possible interpretation of this verse is that it refers to the gradual discovery of greater and greater natural "evidence" of the Creator's involvement in our world. Two of the most important and most fascinating goals of modern science are to peer farther and farther out to the edge of the universe, and to look deeper and deeper into the structure of the human body. It is in these two areas that we find the "signature" of Allah's creative power at its strongest. A Selection of Quranic Verses which Comment on the Natural World A. - On the ongoing process of creation [16:8] ...and He creates other things beyond your knowledge... [24:45] ...Allah creates what He wills... These two verses, among others, indicate that Allah has not 'finished' creation; rather, it is an ongoing process. This is very significant from a scientific point of view because we are gradually beginning to observe and understand certain natural phenomena which are still in a process of formation. One prime example is our observation of still- emerging galaxies from huge clouds of nebulae. Another is the evolution of species, with its associated evidence of strange and exotic "intermediate" life forms turned into fossils. These two examples are just the tip of the iceberg; the following excerpt from the physicist Paul Davies' book The Cosmic Blueprint underscores the growing awareness of continuous creation: "An increasing number of scientists and writers have come to realize that the ability of the physical world to organize itself constitutes a fundamental, and deeply mysterious, property of the universe. The fact that nature has creative power, and is able to produce a progressively richer variety of complex forms and structures, challenges the very foundation of contemporary science. 'The greatest riddle of cosmology,' writes Karl Popper, the well-known philosopher, 'may well be...that the universe is, in a sense, creative.'" [21] B. - On pollution and the wasting of natural resources [30:41] Rottenness (decay/corruption) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds, in order that they may turn back (from evil). [7:31] O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer; eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah does not love those who waste. The importance of understanding the ecological consequences of our actions as individuals or as a society was not fully appreciated until this century. We now understand that we cannot alter the face of the earth indiscriminately without paying some penalty, which may be disastrous. We also understand that caution ought to be applied globally, not just locally but truly "on land and sea". Ecological awareness does not imply asceticism however. According to the Quran, we are not forbidden to take pleasure in this life, however we are forbidden from wasting resources needlessly. C. - On the dual nature of iron [57:25] ...And We sent down iron in which is mighty harm, as well as many benefits for mankind... Iron is one of two metals found abundantly on the earth (aluminum being the other). It was known to many ancient civilizations, and is the most important metal we use today. The general description of it in the Quran was accurate in the time of the ancients, and it is even more so today: iron is the basis for most weapons of war and most of the everyday tools which we work with. D. - On the origin of life in water [21:30] ...And We made every living thing from water... [24:45] And Allah has created every animal from water... Modern scientific theory on the origin of life was not firmly established up until the last two or three centuries. Prior to that, the predominant theory on the origin of life was based on a concept called "spontaneous generation" where living creatures literally popped out of inanimate matter spontaneously and continuously. This view was discredited with the work of many Renaissance scientists including Harvey and Redi, and in the 1850's, Louis Pasteur's research on bacteriology sealed the coffin on this theory. Starting with the work of Huxley up to the present day, an alternative theory has been proposed where life is understood to have emerged from a long, increasingly complex chain of chemical reactions. These reactions are believed to have begun in the depths of the oceans because the atmosphere was not sufficiently developed to protect living organisms from ultraviolet radiation: "...it is believed that early forms of life developed in oceans or pools...It has been suggested that the colonization of land, about 425,000,000 years ago, was possible only because enough ozone was then produced to shield the surface from ultraviolet light for the first time." [20] This idea of life originating in the oceans is strongly supported by the two Quranic verses quoted above. It is important to note however that the Quran does NOT contain an exclusive endorsement for evolution. While the verses quoted above indicate beyond any doubt that Allah created all living things from water, there are many other verses that emphasize His Absolute power over everything. [41:39] "...For He (Allah) has power over all things." [3:47] "...when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it, 'Be', and it is." E. - On the diversity of mankind [30:22] And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors; verily in that are Signs for those who know. [49:13] O mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him... The racial and linguistic differences between humans are not meant as reasons to discriminate. Allah simply describes this diversity as a part of His creative power, and He does not single out any race as being inherently superior to the others. The emphasis in [49:13], in fact, is to learn to communicate with one another. F. - On the Water Cycle Most of us are familiar with the water cycle from our classes in middle school, where we learned how a drop of seawater evaporates, then becomes a drop of rainwater, and then finally returns to the sea via rivers or underground channels. The first person in modern times to understand this process was Bernard Palissy who described it correctly in 1580 [10]. Prior to him, most of the ancient Greek and Roman scholars had various incomplete or incorrect theories on the water cycle (Plato, for example, believed that precipitation eventually descended into the abyss called Tartarus and from there it fed into the oceans [10]). The Quran does not give a complete description of the water cycle from start to end, however there are a few precise references to specific stages. Perhaps the most fascinating of these references are the following two verses on rain clouds: [30:48] It is Allah Who sends the winds, and then they raise clouds: then He spreads them in the sky as He wills and makes them dark, then you see the drops issue from the midst of them... [24:43] Don't you see how Allah drives clouds with force, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? - then you see the drops issue from the midst of them. And He sends down from the sky mountains (of clouds) wherein is hail: He strikes therewith whom He pleases and He turns it away from whom He pleases. The flash of His lightning well-nigh snatches away the sight. The two verses are describing the stages in the formation of rain clouds, which is in turn a stage in the water cycle. A close examination of these two verses suggests that they make reference to two different phenomena, one of "spreading" the clouds and the other of "joining" them together, two different processes by which rain clouds might be formed. Modern meteorology has come to this very conclusion within the last two centuries. [17,18,19] There are two types of clouds which can yield precipitation, and they are classified by their shape: stratus (layer-type) and cumulus (heap- type). The precipitative layer clouds are further subdivided into stratus and nimbostratus (nimbo meaning rain). The first verse above on rain clouds ([30:48]) precisely sums up the formation of layer rain clouds. It is known today that these types of clouds are started under conditions of gradual, rising winds: "...and then they [winds] raise clouds..." [30:48] Next, the cloud takes on its distinctive shape, that of a layer: "...then He spreads them..." [30:48] If the conditions are right (i.e. low enough temperature, high enough humidity, etc.), the cloud droplets further condense into (larger) rain droplets, and we observe this effect from the ground as a darkening of the cloud layer: "...and makes them dark..." [30:48] Finally, drops of rain fall from the cloud. "...then you see the drops issue from the midst of them..." [30:48] The second type of precipitative cloud is the heap type, and it is subdivided into cumulus, cumulonimbus, and stratocumulus. These clouds are characterized by being puffy-shaped and piled upon each other. Cumulus and cumulonimbus are the true heap clouds - stratocumulus is a form of degenerated, spread-out cumulus [18]. The second verse above on rain clouds ([24:43]) describes the formation of heap rain clouds. These clouds are formed under conditions of strong updrafts (thermals) and downdrafts of air: "...drives clouds with force..." [24:43] As the puffs of clouds form, they may unite into a single giant cloud, all piled up on top of one another: "...then joins them together, then makes them into a heap..." [24:43] At this point, either a cumulus or a cumulonimbus cloud has formed - either of which can yield rain. The rest of the verse is applicable to the case of a cumulonimbus (which is familiar to all of us as the towering thunderstorm cloud). If the heap cloud assumes large vertical proportions, then it can appear to the observer on the ground as a huge mountain or hill, but more importantly, by extending high into the atmosphere, the upper cloud droplets can freeze and thereby yield hail [17, 18]: "...And He sends down from the sky mountains (of clouds) wherein is hail..." [24:43] Finally, cumulonimbus clouds (i.e. thunderstorms) can have one last vivid property: lightning [17, 18]: "...The flash of His lightning well-nigh snatches away the sight..." [24:43] Other Quranic verses deal with more stages in the water cycle. [23:18] And We send down water from the sky according to (due) measure, then We cause it soak into the soil. And We are most certainly able to withdraw it. This is a single verse stating that rainfall is absorbed into the ground and that it can eventually be removed (drained). [13:17] He sends down water from the sky, and the rivers flow, each according to its measure... [39:21] Don't you see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and leads it through the springs in the earth?... Two methods by which absorbed rainfall is moved are described here: surface and underground rivers. There are other references in the Quran to the water cycle (e.g. [40:13], [23:18], [25:48], [29:63], and others) , and all of them have the same property as the verses quoted above: modern scientific findings are fully compatible with them [10]. A few other verses also deal with water but in a slightly different context. They are not nearly as numerous as the verses on the water cycle. [56:68-69] Do you see the water which you drink? Do you bring it down from the cloud or do We? This rhetorical question emphasizes our inability to fulfill one of our oldest dreams: to control the rain. The fact is we cannot make it rain unless a pre-existing cloud is in the vicinity - and then only under the proper conditions, and even then we are not assured of success. The cloud should have different sized cloud particles, a high rate of condensation from the rising air, and good vertical development. If all of these characteristics are present, then we MAY coax some more rain out through cloud seeding and various other techniques. However, modern meteorologists are unsure of its effectiveness. Regardless, it is the presence of the necessary preconditions which we have no control over, and this ultimately stops us from arbitrarily bringing down the water of any cloud in the form of rain [10]. The following verse describes a property of large rivers. [25:53] It is He who has caused to mix freely the two great bodies of water, this one pleasant-tasting and sweet and this one salty and bitter, and He made between them a barrier and a forbidding ban. A description of the estuaries of large rivers is supplied by the verse above. These estuaries are relatively unusual because the outgoing fresh water of the river does not immediately mix with the salt water of the sea into which the river empties. Instead, the fresh water penetrates deep into the salt water body before any mixing occurs, far from the mouth of the river. Small rivers do not have this property. [10] Finally, one more reference to clouds. [52:44] And were they to see a piece of the sky falling down, they would (only) say "Heaps of clouds!" Another reference to clouds but this time in the context of responding to a challenge by an earlier peoples who ridiculed a prophet by asking him to cause a piece of the sky to fall on them, apparently thinking it to be a solid cap around the earth. Allah refutes their challenge here, declaring that they would only find a pile of clouds, something all of us would understand today. [10] G. - On Human Embryological and Fetal Development The Quran has an extensive amount of information on the growth of the human embryo and fetus, especially the former. Before presenting this information, it may be helpful to provide a brief outline of human development in the womb as modern science understands it. [10] An unfertilized egg is produced by the female, and is subsequently placed in her Fallopian tubes. The male cohabits with the female, and a single sperm cell fertilizes the egg. The fertilized egg retreats into the uterus, and attaches itself to the uterine wall. Embryological growth (roughly 3 months). Fetal growth (6 months). Birth We will examine some of these stages in greater detail as the verses in the Quran require. First, however, two verses which give a general overview of human development: [71:14] ...seeing that it is He (Allah) Who has created you in stages... [35:11] And Allah created you from dust, then from a drop... The first verse is a very general, yet accurate description of our creation as coming in stages (see the six-step outline above). The second verse puts some perspective on the whole affair: how man originally came from dust (Adam), and then from a drop. There are at least four specific details regarding human development in the Quran which modern science has revealed only within the last few centuries, and in some cases only in this present century. The first concerns the emission of semen: [75:37] Was he (man) not a drop of semen emitted? In spite of the large amount of liquid which can be produced by a man during human intercourse, this verse emphasizes that only a small drop of it is important. The second important detail in the Quran on human development is the description of the fertilizing liquid (i.e. semen): [86:6] He (man) is created from a gushing liquid. [76:2] We created the human from a drop which is a mixture... [32:8] Then He (Allah) made his (Adam's) progeny from a quintessence of a despised liquid. The second and third verses relate to the contents of semen. Modern science has established that semen is in fact a composition of different secretions which come from four different glands during ejaculation: the testicles, the seminal vesicles, the prostate gland, and the urinary tract glands. The actual sperm cells come from the testicles; the other three glands produce no fertilizing agents. The Quran goes farther than just informing us that semen is a mixture of liquids. It tells us in [32:8] that only the "quintessence" of the liquid is used (the "despised" comes from the fact that semen is emitted from the same place as urine, and thus may be despicable in some people's sight). The Arabic word for "quintessence" in this verse signifies extracting the absolute best out of something. The numbers tell the story: a normal ejaculation involves about 3 ml of fluid containing between 120,000,000 and 150,000,000 sperm cells. Of these cells, only one fertilizes the egg in the female, and this is the point which [32:8] alludes to [15]. A third detail of human development mentioned in the Quran concerns the newly fertilized egg: [75:37-38] Was he (man) not a drop of semen emitted? Then he did become something leech-like which clings... Recent observations of the fertilized egg in the womb have revealed that the egg literally implants itself into the uterine wall. It "clings" in the strongest sense, and it remains like so in the early stage of development. On top of that, the developing organism acts as a leech on the female host in the sense that it draws its sustenance directly from its mother's body [10]. Finally, the Quran gives a fascinating account of embryological development (the first three months) in the following verses (certain words have been transliterated directly from the Arabic): [23:14] ...We made the drop into an ALAQAH (leech-like structure), and then We changed the ALAQAH into a MUDGHAH (chewed-like substance), then We changed the MUDGHAH into IDHAAM (bones, skeleton), then We clothed the IDHAAM with LAHM (flesh, muscles), then We caused him to grow and come into being as another creation. [22:5] ...We created you out of dust, then out of a drop, then out of a MUDGHAH, partly formed and partly unformed... Verse [23:14] divides embryological development into four stages. The first stage picks up right after fertilization ("drop"), and is characterized by an ALAQAH or "leech-like structure" which describes how the egg implants itself into the uterus (see above). The second stage describes the embryo as evolving into a MUDGHAH which means something which has been chewed (especially a piece of meat), or which has the appearance of having been chewed. This seemingly crude description is in fact quite accurate: after the fertilized egg lodges itself in the uterus, it begins to receive its first nutrients and energy from its mother. Consequently, it begins to grow especially rapidly, and after a week or two it looks like a ragged piece of meat to the naked eye. This effect is enhanced by the development of small buds and protrusions which will eventually grow into complete organs and limbs. The next two stages described in verse [23:14] tell of bones being made from the MUDGHAH, followed by the "clothing" of the bones with flesh or muscles. If we follow the progress of the embryo with our own eyes, we find that after approximately four weeks, a process called 'differentiation' begins, where groups of cells within the embryo transform themselves to form certain large organs. One of the earliest structures to develop in this stage is the cartilaginous basis of the human skeleton (in subsequent months, the cartilage hardens or ossifies). It is followed soon after by the appearance of a host of other organs including muscles, ears, eyes, kidneys, heart, and more. This maintains the order described in the Quran. Verse [23:14] concludes with the growth of the organism in the womb (and simple growth is the primary characteristic of the fetal stage) followed by its birth. Verse [22:5] adds one more interesting note on the embryo. In this verse, the MUDGHAH is qualified with the phrase "partly formed and partly unformed." As alluded to above, our modern observations of embryological development have revealed how different structures and organs develop one after another through differentiation. This gives rise to unusual situations where the embryo is unevenly formed (i.e. lungs but no ears for example). [11,16] H. - On Cosmology Of all the references in the Quran to scientific matters, the most numerous are on the creation and structure of the universe and the earth. This area is singled out in several verses like the one below as an example of Allah's creative power: [45:3] Verily, in the heavens and the earth are signs for those who believe. For a much more detailed exposition of the Quran and cosmology (and science in general), interested readers should consider reading M. Bucaille's book 'The Bible, The Quran, and Science' [10]. Below, a brief summary of some of the more powerful verses. First, a verse which makes a small note regarding the age of mankind with respect to the universe: [76:1] Has there not been over Man a long period of Time when he was not yet a thing thought of? The Arabic word for "Time" in this verse is "Dahr" and it can mean either all of eternity or simply a tremendously long time. Modern science can help us understand this verse better. The first appearance of humans on this earth is estimated to have occurred on the order of one million years ago. The age of the universe, on the other hand, is estimated at roughly fifteen billion years. If we normalize the age of the universe to one day, then man would be less than six seconds old. The following verse deals with the creation of the heavens and the earth. [50:38] And We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six days, and nothing touched us of weariness. Notice the sharp counterpoint to the Bible at the end of this verse regarding whether Allah "rested" after the sixth day from tiredness. However, a more subtle yet perhaps vastly more important difference is brought out when we look at the first verse in the Bible, Genesis [1:1]: Bible [1:1] In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. There is no mention of "and all between them", as opposed to the Quran (which refers to this in several verses, no less). Modern science has just within this last century discovered that much of the mass of the universe is contained in the vast spaces between galaxies and stars (ignoring for the moment the possibility of 'dark matter' which would only make a stronger point). In spite of having only a single hydrogen atom every few cubic meters on average (interstellar material), the universe is so huge that the "empty" space may account for more of the total universe's mass than all the stars combined - at the very least, it is a significant amount. Thus, it is an important omission to leave out "all between" the earth and the other stars and galaxies ("heavens"). As to the debate which has wracked Christianity and Judaism for centuries regarding the meaning of "six days", the word "days" in classical Arabic has a secondary meaning of a "very long time" or an "era" [12]. The Quran, however, presents a conclusive answer to this question via the following three verses scattered throughout the text: [22:47] And yet they ask you to hasten on the Punishment! But Allah will not fail in His promise. Verily a Day in the sight of your Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning. [32:5] He (Allah) directs (all) affairs from the heavens to the earth: in the end will (all affairs) go up to Him on a Day the space whereof will be (as) a thousand years of your reckoning. [70:4] The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a Day the space whereof is (as) fifty thousand years. It is clear from these verses that a "day" in the Quran can easily have different meanings in different contexts, and is thus not constrained to mean a strict 24-hour period. The next two verses address certain details of creation. [21:30] Don't those who reject faith see that the heavens and the earth were a single entity then We ripped them apart?... [41:11] Moreover, He applied His design to the heavens, while it was (yet) vapor,and He said to it and to the earth, "Come (into being), willingly or unwillingly." They said, "We do come in obedience." Verse [21:30] foreshadows the modern cosmological theory known as the Big Bang theory wherein all matter is presumed to have originated from a violent explosion. Verse [41:11] refers to a later stage in creation, one in which a cosmologist would describe the universe as filled with a nebulous gas undergoing a slow coalescence into gross structures such as clusters, galaxies, stars, and so on. The words of these two verses may seem coarse and simplistic to the modern eye, but this does not detract from their general accuracy. Then there are verses that speak of the sun and the moon. [25:61] Blessed is He Who put in the heavens constellations, and put in it a lamp and a light-giving moon. This verse emphasizes the sun as a direct source of light ("lamp"), whereas the moon is not given this title. Man has long since established that the moon's light is simply reflected sunlight. [55:5] The sun and the moon follow precise courses. The meaning of this verse is obvious, and we have known the mathematical description of these "courses" since Kepler and Newton formulated them several centuries ago. [21:33] It is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon: all swim along, each in its rounded course. This verse supplements the previous one: here, we learn that the sun and moon follow "rounded courses." It is significant that the Arabic word used here - "falak" - does not mean circular course, just rounded. Kepler was the first European astronomer to realize that the paths of the planets and the moon are elliptical. It was not until later, though, that astronomers also realized that the sun has an orbit as well - around the center of the Milky Way. The Quran contains a number of verses on the structure and contents of the universe. There are too many to list here, but the following three form an interesting sample: [51:47] And the heavens We did create with Our Hands, and We do cause it to expand. Flatly stating what Einstein refused to believe at first, this verse anticipates Hubble's discovery of the expanding universe by approximately thirteen centuries. This verse makes a very clear point that the expansion is continuous (until the Day of Judgement, which is guaranteed by Allah to come upon us unexpectedly). [42:29] And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the living creatures that He has scattered through both of them... [45:13] And He has subjected to you (man), from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth: behold, in that are signs indeed for those who reflect. These two verses are extremely interesting. Not only does the first one very strongly imply the existence of living creatures on other planets throughout the universe, but the second tells us that the heavens are "subject" to us. With a little imagination, we (or perhaps our children) can begin dreaming of the possibility of interstellar travel - and not just confined to our own solar system!

What is a miracle? I think it is necessary that we have a clear picture of what we mean by a miracle. Here are some definitions: "An event that appears so inexplicable by the laws of nature, that it is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God." "A person, thing or event that excites admiring awe." "An act beyond human power, an impossibility." It is logical that greater the impossibility, greater the miracle. For example, should a person expire before our very eyes and is certified dead by a qualified medical man, yet later on a mystic or a saint commands the corpse to 'arise!', and to everybody's astonishment the person gets up and walks away , we would label that as a miracle. But if the resurrection of the dead took place after the corpse had been in the mortuary for three days, then we would acclaim this as a greater miracle. And if the dead was made to arise from the grave, decades or centuries after the body had decomposed and rotted away, then in that case we would label it the greatest miracle of them all! A Common Trait It has been a common trait of mankind since time immemorial that whenever a guide from God appeared to redirect their steps into the will and plan of God; they demanded supernatural proofs from these men of God, instead of accepting message on its merit. For example, when Jesus Christ (pbuh) began to preach to his people - "the children of Israel" - to mend their ways and to refrain from mere legalistic formalism and imbibe the true spirit of the laws and commandments of god, his 'people' demanded miracles from him to prove his bona fides (his authenticity , his genuineness), as recorded in the Christian scriptures: Quirk Continues Some six hundred years after the birth of Jesus (pbuh), Muhammad (pbuh) the messenger of God was born in Makkah in Arabia. When he proclaimed his mission at the age of forty, his fellow countrymen, the mushriks of makkah made an identical request for miracles, as had the Jews, from their promised Messiah. Text book style, it was as if the Arabs had taken a leaf from the Christian records. History has a habit of repeating itself! And they say: why are not signs sent down to him from his lord? [Quran 29:50] SIGNS! WHAT SIGNS!! "Miracles ? Cries he, what miracles would you have? Are not you yourselves there? God made you 'shaped you out of a little clay.' Ye were small once; a few years ago ye were not at all. Ye have beauty, strength, thoughts, 'ye have compassion on one another.' Old age comes-on you, and grey hairs; your strength fades into feebleness: ye sink down, and again are not. 'Ye have compassion on one another': This struck me much: Allah might have made you having no compassion on one another, how had it been then! this is a great direct though, a glance at first-hand into the very fact of things...." "(On heroes hero-worship and the heroic in history"), by Thomas Carlyle. "This Struck Me Much" This, that "ye have compassion on one another", impressed thomas carlyle most from his perusal of an English translation. I presume, there verse that motivated this sentiment is: 1. And among his signs is this, that he created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them. and he has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are signs for those who reflect. (emphasis added) Translation by A Yusuf ALi [Qur'an 30:21] 2. And one of his signs it is, that he hath created wives for you of your own species that ye may dwell with them, and hath put love and tenderness between you. herein truly are signs for those who reflect (emphasis added) Translation by Rev. J.M. Rodwell(M.A.) 3. By another sign he gave you wives from among yourselves, that ye might live in joy with them, and planted love and kindness into your hearts. surely there are signs in this for thinking men (emphasis added) Translation by N.J. Dawood. Taint is in the Motive Carlyle is very charitable to his fellow countryman. The motives of George sale, who pioneered an English translation of the Holy Quran, were suspect. He makes no secret of his antagonism to the holy book of Islam. In his preface to his translation in 1734 he made it known that it was his avowed intention to expose the man Mohammad and his forgery. He records: "who can apprehend any danger from so manifest a forgery?... The protestants alone are able to attack the Koran with success; and for them, I trust, providence has reserved the glory of its overthrow." George Sale, And he set to work with his prejudiced translation. You will be able to judge how 'fair' and scholarly George sale was from the very verse which 'struck' (carlyle) 'much!' Compare it with the three example already given by a Muslim, a Christian and a Jew: And of his signs another is, that he had created you , out of yourselves, wives that ye may cohabit with them, and hath put love and compassion between you. Every word of the Quranic text is meticulously chosen, chiseled and placed by the All-Wise himself. They carry God's 'fingerprint', and are signs of God. And yet, the spiritually jaundiced... Ask For A Sign What signs?? They mean some special kinds of signs or miracles such as their own foolish minds dictate. Everything is possible for God, but God is not going to humor the follies of men or listen to their false demands. He has sent his messenger to explain his signs clearly, and to warn them of the consequences of rejection. Is that not enough? The trend of their demand is generally as follows: In specific terms they asked that he - Muhammad (pbuh) - 'Put a ladder up to heaven an bring down a book from God in their very sight' - "Then we would believe," they said. Or "ye see the mountain yonder, turn it into gold' - "then we would believe." or 'make streams to gush out in the desert' - "then we would believe." Now listen to the soft, sweet reasoning of Muhammad (pbuh) against the unreasonable and sceptical demands of the mushriks - "Do I say to you, verily I am an angel? Do I say to you, verily in my hands are the treasures of God? Only, what is revealed to me do I follow." Listen further to the most dignified reply he is commanded by his Lord to give the unbelievers. Two Proofs As a proof of the divine authorship and the miraculous nature of the Quran, two arguments are advanced by the almighty Himself: 1. 'that we' (God Almighty) have revealed to you (O Muhammad!) 'the book to you' who art absolutely an unlearned person. An 'ummi' prophet. One who cannot read or write. One who cannot sign his own name. Let Thomas Carlyle testify regarding the educational qualifications of Muhammad - 2. one other circumstance we must not forget: that he had no school learning; of the thing we call school-learning none at all.' Moreover the divine author (God Almighty) himself testifies to the veracity of Muhammad's (pbuh) claim that he could never have composed the contents of the holy Quran; he could not have been its author: "And thou (O Muhammad) was not (able) to recite a book before this (book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted." [Qur'an 29:48]. Consistency It is inconceivable that any human author would remain consistent in this teachings and his preaching for a period of over two decades. From the age of forty, when Muhammad (pbuh) received his first call from heaven to the age sixty-three when he breathed his last, for twenty-three years the holy prophet practiced and preached Islam. In those twenty-three years, he passed through the most conflicting vicissitudes of life. Any man, during the course of such a mission, would be forced by circumstances to make 'honorable' compromises, and cannot help contradicting himself. No man can ever write the same always, as the message of the holy Quran is: consistent with itself, throughout! Or is it that the unbelievers objections are merely argument, refractory, against their own better light and judgment.? Furthermore, the holy Quran contains or mentions many matters relating to the nature of the universe which were unknown to man before but which subsequently through evolution and discoveries of Science have fully confirmed - a field where an untutored mind would have most certainly lost in wild and contradictory speculations! Self-Evident Proof Again and again when miracles are demanded from the prophet of God by the cynical and frivolous few, he is made to point to the Quran - message from high - as 'the miracle.' The miracle or miracles! And men of wisdom, people with literary and spiritual insight, who were honest enough to themselves, recognised and accepted al-quran as an a genuine miracle. Says the holy Quran: "Nay here are signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge: And none but the unjust reject our signs." [Quran 29:49]

The Final Revealed Text from God The Holy Quran (also written as Koran) is the eternal and literal word of God. Prophet Muhammad ( an Arab and a descendant of Abraham) received these divine revelations (The Holy Quran) over a period of 23 years in the seventh century of the Common Era (C.E.). Each revelation was written down by the Prophet's scribes according to the Prophet's instructions. The current order and organization into the 114 chapters (surahs) of the entire revelations were therefore given to us by the Prophet himself. Additionally, the Prophet and many fellow Muslims (sahabah) had committed the entire Quran to memory. The practice of memorizing the whole Quran continued throughout the centuries. There are thousands of such Muslims, known as Huffaz, usually one for each Mosque in Muslim countries. To learn more on this, please read Preservation of the Quran. In order to gain a proper understanding of many verses in the Holy Quran, it is important to understand and know the historic context of the revelations. So many revelations in the Holy Quran came down to provide guidance to Prophet Muhammad and the fellow Muslims based on what they were confronting at that time. "Alif, Lam, Meem. This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil). Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them; And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter. These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful. As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not. Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom." (Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2) Calling the Quran amazing is not something done only by Muslims, who have an appreciation for the book and who are pleased with it; it has been labeled amazing by non-Muslims as well. In fact, even people who hate Islam very much have still called it amazing. One thing which surprises non-muslims who are examining the book very closely is that the Qur'an does not appear to them to be what they expected. This page contains a list of articles about the Holy Quran (Koran), the Holy Book of Muslims. The original text of the Quran, in Arabic, is widely available throughout the world. The Holy Quran is the only revealed text still extant today in its original language and form. The Quran has been translated into every major language. The English translations by Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Pickthall are two popular translations. We have made these translations available to our readers on this page. We recommend the translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali with commentary as a first reading. Maulana Maududi's translation and commentary on the Qur'an "The Meaning of the Qur'an" ranks as one of the best such works in existence today. Unlike many early translators, Syed Maududi uses the standard technique of providing an explanation of the Qur'anic verses from the Sunnah of the Prophet including the historical reasons behind the verses.