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jamaesi
To Save A Lamb
Actually, I had an ex who told me that I'd go to Hell for the fact I love to draw- which led me to stop drawing for a bit. You can imagine how much I wanted to pound some sense into his little head after I had read the Qur'an and found nothing against making art- just making art for the purpose of being worshipped as an idol.
>:{
>:{
Anastasios
Member
From the book of "Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth.
THE JINN
PREPARE NOW to undertake a journey upon the wings of scientific vision into the ancient past to explore the nature and identity of the jinn. The Quranic concept of jinn has been briefly discussed before in Life in the Perspective of Quranic Revelations. Arabic lexicon mentions the following as the possible meanings of the word jinn. It literally means anything which has the connotation of concealment, invisibility, seclusion and remoteness. It also has the connotation of thick shades and dark shadows. That is why the word 'jannah' (from the same root word) is employed by the Quran to denote paradise, which would be full of thick, heavily shaded gardens. The word jinn is also applicable to snakes which habitually remain hidden from common view and live a life secluded from other animals in rock crevices and earthen holes. It is also applied to women who observe segregation and to such chieftains as keep their distance from the common people. The inhabitants of remote, inaccessible mountains are likewise referred to as jinn. Hence, anything which lies beyond the reach of common sight or is invisible to the unaided naked eye, could well be described by this word.
This proposition is fully endorsed by a tradition of the Holy Prophetsa in which he strongly admonishes people not to use dried up lumps of dung or bones of dead animals for cleaning themselves after attending to the call of nature because they are food for the jinn. As we use toilet paper now, at that time people used lumps of earth, stones or any dry article close at hand to clean themselves. We can safely infer therefore, that what he referred to as jinn was nothing other than some invisible organisms, which feed on rotting bones, dung etc. Remember that the concept of bacteria and viruses was not till then born. No man had even the vaguest idea about the existence of such invisible tiny creatures. Amazingly it is to these that the Holy Prophetsa referred. The Arabic language could offer him no better, more appropriate expression than the word jinn.
Another important observation made by the Quran is in relation to the creation of the jinn. They are described as having been born out of blasts of fire (from the cosmos).
Here the adjective used to describe the nature of the particular fire from which the jinn were created is Samum, which means a blazing fire or a blast that has no smoke. 2 We find a similar statement in another Quranic verse:
Having established that the word jinn applies here to some type of bacterial organisms, let us again turn our attention to the verses quoted above that speak of the jinn as having been created out of fire. The prime candidates for the application of these verses seem to be such minute organisms as drew the energy for their existence directly from hot blazes of lightningSamumand cosmic radiation.
Dickerson inadvertently agrees with the Quranic view when he observes that the most ancient organisms:
'... would have lived on the energy of lightning and ultraviolet radiation ...' 4
This scenario of cosmic radiation is not specifically mentioned in the work of other scientists in their search for the pre-biotic organisms. But they too have corroborated the idea that whatever organisms existed before biotic evolution must have drawn their energy directly from heat. Of all the categories of bacteria classified as the most ancient only 'prokaryotes' and 'eukaryotes' were mentioned by previous generations of scientists. However, that conclusion proved to be a hastily drawn one, according to Karl R. Woese and his colleagues. They observed:
'Simply because there are two types of cells at the microscopic level it does not follow that there must be only two types at the molecular level.' 5
For the benefit of the lay reader the difference between the two bacteria, known as the prokaryotes and eukaryotes, is explained in terms as simple as possible. It relates to the presence or absence of a nucleus in them. The prokaryote type of bacteria, despite having a well-defined cell membrane, have no distinct nucleus. The eukaryotes on the other hand, possess well-defined and well-developed nuclei occupying the centre of each cell.
It was considered that these were the only two ancient forms of bacteria which gave birth to others and evolved into organisms which could be referred to as the ancestors of life. However, Woese published the findings of his pioneer research in Scientific American, June 1981, claiming that archaebacteria, could be rightly considered as the earliest form of organisms. He and his colleagues informed the scientific community that they were a third distinct line which preceded all others. Thus it is they who should be entitled as the most ancient ancestors of life. Woese and his collaborators continued to pour strong evidence into this discovery and as the ice began to thaw, according to Woese:
'Although a few biologists still dispute our interpretation, the idea that archaebacteria represent a separate grouping at the highest level is becoming generally accepted.' 6
Again he writes:
'This implies that the methanogens are as old as or older than any other bacterial group.' 6
According to The Hutchinson Dictionary of Science:
'... the archaebacteria are related to the earliest life forms, which appeared about 4 billion years ago, when there was little oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere.' 7
But the author of Genetics a Molecular Approach states:
'Since 1977 more and more differences between archaebacteria and other prokaryotes have been found, so much so that microbiologists now favour the term archaea, to emphasize that these organisms are distinct from bacteria.' 8
THE ORGANISMS REFERRED TO AS JINN in the Quran seem to fit the above description. But, though scientists unanimously describe these bacteria as possessing the potential of drawing their energy from heat, they are not mentioned as having been originally created directly by the cosmic rays and blasts of lightning by any scientist other than Dickerson. The rest however, continue to throw more light on their various modes of dependence on heat for their survival:
'... in undersea vents, hot springs, the Dead Sea, and salt pans, and have even adapted to refuse tips.' 9
On the issue of antiquity though, Woese and his colleagues have no doubt that the archaebacteria are the prime claimants. According to some scientists they may have evolved from some unknown parenthood simultaneously.
But these are issues which fall outside the domain of this exercise. Whether the other bacteria evolved out of them or not is irrelevant to the discussion. The relevant point is that all forms of most ancient bacteria draw their energy directly from heat. This is a tribute of no small magnitude to the Quranic declaration made over fourteen hundred years ago:
According to the accepted scientific studies, direct heat from fire had to play a vital role in the creation and maintenance of pre-biotic organisms. This, in fact was the only mode of transfer of energy for the consumption of organized forms of existence during this era. As they multiplied during their uninterrupted proliferation lasting over billions of years, their death must have polluted the oceans while they decayed and fermented turning the oceans into the primordial soup. This will be discussed at greater length in the following chapter.
REFERENCES
THE JINN
PREPARE NOW to undertake a journey upon the wings of scientific vision into the ancient past to explore the nature and identity of the jinn. The Quranic concept of jinn has been briefly discussed before in Life in the Perspective of Quranic Revelations. Arabic lexicon mentions the following as the possible meanings of the word jinn. It literally means anything which has the connotation of concealment, invisibility, seclusion and remoteness. It also has the connotation of thick shades and dark shadows. That is why the word 'jannah' (from the same root word) is employed by the Quran to denote paradise, which would be full of thick, heavily shaded gardens. The word jinn is also applicable to snakes which habitually remain hidden from common view and live a life secluded from other animals in rock crevices and earthen holes. It is also applied to women who observe segregation and to such chieftains as keep their distance from the common people. The inhabitants of remote, inaccessible mountains are likewise referred to as jinn. Hence, anything which lies beyond the reach of common sight or is invisible to the unaided naked eye, could well be described by this word.
This proposition is fully endorsed by a tradition of the Holy Prophetsa in which he strongly admonishes people not to use dried up lumps of dung or bones of dead animals for cleaning themselves after attending to the call of nature because they are food for the jinn. As we use toilet paper now, at that time people used lumps of earth, stones or any dry article close at hand to clean themselves. We can safely infer therefore, that what he referred to as jinn was nothing other than some invisible organisms, which feed on rotting bones, dung etc. Remember that the concept of bacteria and viruses was not till then born. No man had even the vaguest idea about the existence of such invisible tiny creatures. Amazingly it is to these that the Holy Prophetsa referred. The Arabic language could offer him no better, more appropriate expression than the word jinn.
Another important observation made by the Quran is in relation to the creation of the jinn. They are described as having been born out of blasts of fire (from the cosmos).
15.28: And the Jinn We created before that (the creation of man) from blasts of fire (naris-samum). 1
Here the adjective used to describe the nature of the particular fire from which the jinn were created is Samum, which means a blazing fire or a blast that has no smoke. 2 We find a similar statement in another Quranic verse:
55.16: And the Jinn He created from the flame of fire. 3
Having established that the word jinn applies here to some type of bacterial organisms, let us again turn our attention to the verses quoted above that speak of the jinn as having been created out of fire. The prime candidates for the application of these verses seem to be such minute organisms as drew the energy for their existence directly from hot blazes of lightningSamumand cosmic radiation.
Dickerson inadvertently agrees with the Quranic view when he observes that the most ancient organisms:
'... would have lived on the energy of lightning and ultraviolet radiation ...' 4
This scenario of cosmic radiation is not specifically mentioned in the work of other scientists in their search for the pre-biotic organisms. But they too have corroborated the idea that whatever organisms existed before biotic evolution must have drawn their energy directly from heat. Of all the categories of bacteria classified as the most ancient only 'prokaryotes' and 'eukaryotes' were mentioned by previous generations of scientists. However, that conclusion proved to be a hastily drawn one, according to Karl R. Woese and his colleagues. They observed:
'Simply because there are two types of cells at the microscopic level it does not follow that there must be only two types at the molecular level.' 5
For the benefit of the lay reader the difference between the two bacteria, known as the prokaryotes and eukaryotes, is explained in terms as simple as possible. It relates to the presence or absence of a nucleus in them. The prokaryote type of bacteria, despite having a well-defined cell membrane, have no distinct nucleus. The eukaryotes on the other hand, possess well-defined and well-developed nuclei occupying the centre of each cell.
It was considered that these were the only two ancient forms of bacteria which gave birth to others and evolved into organisms which could be referred to as the ancestors of life. However, Woese published the findings of his pioneer research in Scientific American, June 1981, claiming that archaebacteria, could be rightly considered as the earliest form of organisms. He and his colleagues informed the scientific community that they were a third distinct line which preceded all others. Thus it is they who should be entitled as the most ancient ancestors of life. Woese and his collaborators continued to pour strong evidence into this discovery and as the ice began to thaw, according to Woese:
'Although a few biologists still dispute our interpretation, the idea that archaebacteria represent a separate grouping at the highest level is becoming generally accepted.' 6
Again he writes:
'This implies that the methanogens are as old as or older than any other bacterial group.' 6
According to The Hutchinson Dictionary of Science:
'... the archaebacteria are related to the earliest life forms, which appeared about 4 billion years ago, when there was little oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere.' 7
But the author of Genetics a Molecular Approach states:
'Since 1977 more and more differences between archaebacteria and other prokaryotes have been found, so much so that microbiologists now favour the term archaea, to emphasize that these organisms are distinct from bacteria.' 8
THE ORGANISMS REFERRED TO AS JINN in the Quran seem to fit the above description. But, though scientists unanimously describe these bacteria as possessing the potential of drawing their energy from heat, they are not mentioned as having been originally created directly by the cosmic rays and blasts of lightning by any scientist other than Dickerson. The rest however, continue to throw more light on their various modes of dependence on heat for their survival:
'... in undersea vents, hot springs, the Dead Sea, and salt pans, and have even adapted to refuse tips.' 9
On the issue of antiquity though, Woese and his colleagues have no doubt that the archaebacteria are the prime claimants. According to some scientists they may have evolved from some unknown parenthood simultaneously.
But these are issues which fall outside the domain of this exercise. Whether the other bacteria evolved out of them or not is irrelevant to the discussion. The relevant point is that all forms of most ancient bacteria draw their energy directly from heat. This is a tribute of no small magnitude to the Quranic declaration made over fourteen hundred years ago:
15.28: And the Jinn We created before that from blasts of fire (naris-samum). 10
According to the accepted scientific studies, direct heat from fire had to play a vital role in the creation and maintenance of pre-biotic organisms. This, in fact was the only mode of transfer of energy for the consumption of organized forms of existence during this era. As they multiplied during their uninterrupted proliferation lasting over billions of years, their death must have polluted the oceans while they decayed and fermented turning the oceans into the primordial soup. This will be discussed at greater length in the following chapter.
REFERENCES
- Translation of 15:28 by the author.<LI class=ListItem>LANE, E.W. (1984) Arabic-English Lexicon. Islamic Text Society, William & Norgate. Cambridge. <LI class=ListItem>Translation of 55:16 by Maulawi Sher Ali. <LI class=ListItem>DICKERSON, R.E. (September 1978) Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life. Scientific American, p.80 <LI class=ListItem>WOESE, C.R. (June, 1981) Archaebacteria. Scientific American, p.104 <LI class=ListItem>WOESE, C.R. (June, 1981) Archaebacteria. Scientific American, p.114 <LI class=ListItem>The Hutchinson Dictionary of Science (1993) Helicon Publishing Ltd. Oxford. p.37 <LI class=ListItem>BROWN, T.A. (1992) Genetics A Molecular Approach. Chapman & Hall. London, p.245 <LI class=ListItem>The Hutchinson Dictionary of Science (1993) Helicon Publishing Ltd. Oxford. p.37
- Translation of 15:28 by the author.
Anastasios
Member
From the Book of "An Elementary Study of Islam"
The existence of angels is a universally accepted doctrine in different countries and different religions. However, they are sometimes discussed under other titles, the distinction being only one of nomenclature. Similarly, the nature of angels is understood differently among the followers of different religions. Islam speaks of angels as celestial beings of a spiritual nature who have their own entity as persons. The major role they play is the transmission of messages from God to human beings. But they are misunderstood by many, even within Islam, as having human shape or some shape and form, which in fact is an inseparable idea from that of material existence. Matter must have shape and a well defined boundary. But spirit lies beyond the five dimensions of man's understanding. One can only believe in the existence of spirit if he is a religious person; otherwise it is beyond his reach to conceive the shape and form of spirits. Perhaps to resolve this problem and to make it easier for man to visualise angels, they are sometimes mentioned in religious books as appearing to holy people in the form of human beings. Not only that; they are also known to have appeared to some messengers of God in the form of certain birds. The Holy Ghost appeared to Jesus in the form of a dove:
Let us now try to comprehend the nature of angels with reference only to the Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet of Islam, and not with reference to commonly held views. According to the Quran, the entire material universe as well as the entire religious universe is governed by some spiritual powers, which are referred to as angels. Although some angels are referred to as single persons -- such as Gabriel, Michael or Israel -- they in fact do not work alone. For each function there is one leader or one supreme angel who governs that function and under him work a host of angels, who are referred to in the Holy Quran as the Junood of the Lord. Whatever they do is completely subject to the will of God and the design that He has created for things. They cannot make the slightest deviation from the set course of functions allocated to them, or from the overall plan of things made by God.
According to the Quran, for each human being two angels are appointed to record good deeds and misdeeds, as the case may be. In this way the task of the angels is to organise the most intricate and profound system of recording. It does not mean that each has a book in his hand, jotting down in it whatever he observes. In fact, angels are responsible for a very complex system of registering the effect of man's deeds on his soul and personality so that a good man develops a healthy soul and a bad man breeds an unhealthy one.
The soul as it is takes shape in every man till his death, needs a conscious organiser who transfers the effects of human thoughts, actions etc. to the soul. This is an intricate process not fully comprehended by man. However, we do partially witness this in the case of criminals acquiring a different visage from those of noble conduct. It is not at all impossible for anyone to observe such a difference, although it cannot be described in terms of black and white or other material terms. In fact, the administration of the huge universe, right from its inception through the entire course of the billions of years of its evolutionary history, requires an enormous organisation of constant attention and control. This is performed by innumerable angels, who literally govern the vast universe and its intricate system of laws, as agents of God.
As far as the traditions go, we can comprehend to a degree the versatility of angels in being able to materialise in various forms or apparitions, which have no relation to their real form or existence, which is beyond man's comprehension and has different dimensions from those known to us.
Once it is reported that a stranger suddenly entered the mosque where the founder of Islam was sitting along with his companions. This man approached the assembly, sat respectfully in the front row, and started to ask questions regarding the nature of Islam. Having finished his list of questions, he took leave and departed. Those present were amazed because first this man was a complete stranger who must have travelled some distance to reach the mosque. In small townships the knowledge of such visits does not remain a secret, and everybody seems to know who has arrived and for what purpose. In his case, the arrival was so sudden that it appeared mysterious. Secondly, there were no marks of a journey on his bearing or his clothes. A fresh looking gentleman, he was of immaculately clean dress. Moreover the manner in which he began to ask questions without any introduction, and his abrupt departure, was extremely unusual to say the least.
Before the companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) could say anything, the Holy Prophet (sa) himself informed them that the person had actually been the angel Gabriel, who had asked the leading questions so that the companions become acquainted with the facts contained in the answers given. Some companions ran out of the mosque to meet the angel in disguise, as they thought, but there was no trace of him anywhere. No-one in the township admitted to seeing such a man. As this incident is reported in the highly authentic books of tradition, we can safely infer that angels sometimes appear in ordinary human form for the purpose of discharging sundry errands. We find mention of angels in many other traditions, particularly in relation to the battles of Badr and Uhad, but it would be inappropriate perhaps to enter into a lengthy discourse on this issue.
As against the Quranic view explained above, almost in every country the commonly held view about angels among followers of various religions is more on the pattern of fairy tales than of them belonging to a celestial form of existence. They are said to have wings like birds or fairies, flapping them about as they fly from place to place. This misconcept is perhaps born out of over- much literalising of religious terminology, which is cryptic and has, most often, metaphorical allusions. Thus we also find mention in the Holy Quran of wings in relation to angels, which speaks of them as having wings in twos, threes and fours:
[size=-1]All praise belongs to Allah the Maker of the heavens and the earth, Who employs the angels as messengers, having wings, two, three and four. Surah Al-Fatir (Ch. 35, v. 2)[/size]
The Holy Quran has a very special style of elucidating all such passages where there lies a danger of obscurity -- it does this with the help of other similar usages. About the wings, for instance, we also find these mentioned in relation to a son's attitude towards his elderly parents. Building this subject, the Holy Quran admonishes the son to lower his wing of mercy over his parents, as they brought him up from the time of his infancy. 'Wing' only means attributes and powers, and we believe it is in this sense that wings are attributed to angels, or to persons claiming divine manifestation from among the various religions. For instance, in Gita, Krishna is known to have possessed four arms instead of two. There the extra pair of arms serve the same purpose as the wings found in other divine books.
Angels are responsible for controlling and maintaining the laws of nature. Virus and bacteria are governed, organised and maintained by specific angels, who work in harmony with each other to maintain a perfect balance. Similarly, eco-systems are not accidental or chaotic, but are regulated by the invisible, spiritual beings that we call angels.
The Case of the Fallen Angel
There is another very much misunderstood episode concerning Satan. It is said, and it is believed, that prior to his fall he belonged to the category of angels. The Holy Quran rejects this view and presents Satan as possessing a fiery nature, thus belonging to such forms of life as are created from fire, for example the Djinn.
ANGELS
The existence of angels is a universally accepted doctrine in different countries and different religions. However, they are sometimes discussed under other titles, the distinction being only one of nomenclature. Similarly, the nature of angels is understood differently among the followers of different religions. Islam speaks of angels as celestial beings of a spiritual nature who have their own entity as persons. The major role they play is the transmission of messages from God to human beings. But they are misunderstood by many, even within Islam, as having human shape or some shape and form, which in fact is an inseparable idea from that of material existence. Matter must have shape and a well defined boundary. But spirit lies beyond the five dimensions of man's understanding. One can only believe in the existence of spirit if he is a religious person; otherwise it is beyond his reach to conceive the shape and form of spirits. Perhaps to resolve this problem and to make it easier for man to visualise angels, they are sometimes mentioned in religious books as appearing to holy people in the form of human beings. Not only that; they are also known to have appeared to some messengers of God in the form of certain birds. The Holy Ghost appeared to Jesus in the form of a dove:
- [size=-1]As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. (Matthew 3:16)[/size]
Let us now try to comprehend the nature of angels with reference only to the Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet of Islam, and not with reference to commonly held views. According to the Quran, the entire material universe as well as the entire religious universe is governed by some spiritual powers, which are referred to as angels. Although some angels are referred to as single persons -- such as Gabriel, Michael or Israel -- they in fact do not work alone. For each function there is one leader or one supreme angel who governs that function and under him work a host of angels, who are referred to in the Holy Quran as the Junood of the Lord. Whatever they do is completely subject to the will of God and the design that He has created for things. They cannot make the slightest deviation from the set course of functions allocated to them, or from the overall plan of things made by God.
According to the Quran, for each human being two angels are appointed to record good deeds and misdeeds, as the case may be. In this way the task of the angels is to organise the most intricate and profound system of recording. It does not mean that each has a book in his hand, jotting down in it whatever he observes. In fact, angels are responsible for a very complex system of registering the effect of man's deeds on his soul and personality so that a good man develops a healthy soul and a bad man breeds an unhealthy one.
The soul as it is takes shape in every man till his death, needs a conscious organiser who transfers the effects of human thoughts, actions etc. to the soul. This is an intricate process not fully comprehended by man. However, we do partially witness this in the case of criminals acquiring a different visage from those of noble conduct. It is not at all impossible for anyone to observe such a difference, although it cannot be described in terms of black and white or other material terms. In fact, the administration of the huge universe, right from its inception through the entire course of the billions of years of its evolutionary history, requires an enormous organisation of constant attention and control. This is performed by innumerable angels, who literally govern the vast universe and its intricate system of laws, as agents of God.
As far as the traditions go, we can comprehend to a degree the versatility of angels in being able to materialise in various forms or apparitions, which have no relation to their real form or existence, which is beyond man's comprehension and has different dimensions from those known to us.
Once it is reported that a stranger suddenly entered the mosque where the founder of Islam was sitting along with his companions. This man approached the assembly, sat respectfully in the front row, and started to ask questions regarding the nature of Islam. Having finished his list of questions, he took leave and departed. Those present were amazed because first this man was a complete stranger who must have travelled some distance to reach the mosque. In small townships the knowledge of such visits does not remain a secret, and everybody seems to know who has arrived and for what purpose. In his case, the arrival was so sudden that it appeared mysterious. Secondly, there were no marks of a journey on his bearing or his clothes. A fresh looking gentleman, he was of immaculately clean dress. Moreover the manner in which he began to ask questions without any introduction, and his abrupt departure, was extremely unusual to say the least.
Before the companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) could say anything, the Holy Prophet (sa) himself informed them that the person had actually been the angel Gabriel, who had asked the leading questions so that the companions become acquainted with the facts contained in the answers given. Some companions ran out of the mosque to meet the angel in disguise, as they thought, but there was no trace of him anywhere. No-one in the township admitted to seeing such a man. As this incident is reported in the highly authentic books of tradition, we can safely infer that angels sometimes appear in ordinary human form for the purpose of discharging sundry errands. We find mention of angels in many other traditions, particularly in relation to the battles of Badr and Uhad, but it would be inappropriate perhaps to enter into a lengthy discourse on this issue.
As against the Quranic view explained above, almost in every country the commonly held view about angels among followers of various religions is more on the pattern of fairy tales than of them belonging to a celestial form of existence. They are said to have wings like birds or fairies, flapping them about as they fly from place to place. This misconcept is perhaps born out of over- much literalising of religious terminology, which is cryptic and has, most often, metaphorical allusions. Thus we also find mention in the Holy Quran of wings in relation to angels, which speaks of them as having wings in twos, threes and fours:
[size=-1]All praise belongs to Allah the Maker of the heavens and the earth, Who employs the angels as messengers, having wings, two, three and four. Surah Al-Fatir (Ch. 35, v. 2)[/size]
The Holy Quran has a very special style of elucidating all such passages where there lies a danger of obscurity -- it does this with the help of other similar usages. About the wings, for instance, we also find these mentioned in relation to a son's attitude towards his elderly parents. Building this subject, the Holy Quran admonishes the son to lower his wing of mercy over his parents, as they brought him up from the time of his infancy. 'Wing' only means attributes and powers, and we believe it is in this sense that wings are attributed to angels, or to persons claiming divine manifestation from among the various religions. For instance, in Gita, Krishna is known to have possessed four arms instead of two. There the extra pair of arms serve the same purpose as the wings found in other divine books.
Angels are responsible for controlling and maintaining the laws of nature. Virus and bacteria are governed, organised and maintained by specific angels, who work in harmony with each other to maintain a perfect balance. Similarly, eco-systems are not accidental or chaotic, but are regulated by the invisible, spiritual beings that we call angels.
The Case of the Fallen Angel
There is another very much misunderstood episode concerning Satan. It is said, and it is believed, that prior to his fall he belonged to the category of angels. The Holy Quran rejects this view and presents Satan as possessing a fiery nature, thus belonging to such forms of life as are created from fire, for example the Djinn.
Anastasios
Member
Please follow the links below, for a better understanding:
http://www.alislam.org/terrorism.html
http://www.alislam.org/jihad/index.html
http://www.alislam.org/terrorism.html
http://www.alislam.org/jihad/index.html
rocketman
Out there...
A double mistake, friend. He can't speak on behalf of a private citizen. Don't you understand that in a free country you can do what you want!? A test of free speech by private interests does not mean we condemn the whole country!! The test was not an attack, and if you can't legally apologize for the test [what you call an attack] how can you be accused of aiding the attack?!EiNsTeiN said:
You are ignorant of the world friend!!!!!!! There has been no attack on Islam, merely a test which was offensive to some [and only some] Muslims. The attack is on Denmark, not Islam.
If they drew a caricature of Allah would Islam feel it was being attacked? Remember, in the Quran, it says don't make images of prophets and so on lest they be worshipped, [who would worship a cartoon?!:areyoucra ]but you can worship Allah, right? The problem is that some Muslims worship Muhammed more than they worship God Almighty, probably without realising it. Forgive the infidels and bring a good name to Allah and Islam. Muhammed is only of 3rd importance.
No hard feelings brother.
MdmSzdWhtGuy
Well-Known Member
I have read the history of Muhammed. That is how I came by the information I have about him. But by all means, continue to presume I dreamed up the information I have on Muhammed and continue to ignore the questions posed.The Truth said:
B.
YmirGF
Bodhisattva in Recovery
Why is it that there are no real works of art in Islam.
IE. No musical masterpieces. No great works of literature (aside from Rumi & the Qur'an, of course). No great architecture. No great paintings?
It would seem that there is almost a creative vaccuum in Islamic thought. Is personal creativity frowned on?
IE. No musical masterpieces. No great works of literature (aside from Rumi & the Qur'an, of course). No great architecture. No great paintings?
It would seem that there is almost a creative vaccuum in Islamic thought. Is personal creativity frowned on?
Terrywoodenpic
Oldest Heretic
YmirGF said:
I have seen some incredibly beautiful Moslem buildings,
one everyone knows is the Alhambra in Spain.
They do not allow representational art so they decorate with exceptional Calligraphy, and intricate designs.
They have an ancient musical tradition which is again represented, for western ears, by some of the great Spanish music of Moorish background.
Some of the greatest illuminated books in the world are Islamic in origin.
If they have any great story tellers I dont know, perhaps they dont translate into our world too well. But as they are a story telling people I am sure the do.
Ali Baba and the forty thieves originated in the middle east.
Terry_______________________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.
Popeyesays
Well-Known Member
One must not forget the Taj Mahal, and every bit of Spanish architecture EXCEPT cathedrals is Moorish in form.Terrywoodenpic said:
The 1001 Nights is actually Persian in origin, but the stories were translated into Arabic within years at most. Other literature simultaneously in Arabic and Persian includes Omar Khayyam, of course and agreat deal of poetry including Sufi works and non-religious in nature.
Great works of art include the hand woven rugs and tapestries, and the art of the miniature painting which are highly esteemed. Ymgir's a good man, but sometimes bias-blinded.
Regards,
Scott
Terrywoodenpic
Oldest Heretic
I love that expression.Popeyesays said:
Terry_____________ Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.
EiNsTeiN
Boo-h!
Well....too much posts I have to read...!!
Satan is Eblis and he is a form of Jinn...He is the same as that in the Christians believes...
We have lote of art works...lots of Islamic songs, lots of islamic videoclips...lots of such things..
Check these art works http://www.visualdhikr.com/main.php
There is an islamic museum in Egypt....Lots of art works are done in the age of Islamic empire..
There are islamic songs with beats, drums and musical instruments...you can search and download them...
Cat steven is still doing islamic songs, after converted to islam...
Islam agrees with arts and all these cultural stuff....
Satan is Eblis and he is a form of Jinn...He is the same as that in the Christians believes...
We have lote of art works...lots of Islamic songs, lots of islamic videoclips...lots of such things..
Check these art works http://www.visualdhikr.com/main.php
There is an islamic museum in Egypt....Lots of art works are done in the age of Islamic empire..
There are islamic songs with beats, drums and musical instruments...you can search and download them...
Cat steven is still doing islamic songs, after converted to islam...
Islam agrees with arts and all these cultural stuff....
EiNsTeiN
Boo-h!
Islamic empire had a great history is sciences as well...lot of science branches originated by muslims..
Optics and light, bacteriology, modern mechanics including Newtons laws of motions which were initiated by muslim scientests, and developed into mathimatical form by Newton...
we wrote many books in medicine, astronomy, algebra...
Optics and light, bacteriology, modern mechanics including Newtons laws of motions which were initiated by muslim scientests, and developed into mathimatical form by Newton...
we wrote many books in medicine, astronomy, algebra...
EiNsTeiN
Boo-h!
I found this thread here discussing one of the famous islamic singers nowadays:
http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=342355&posted=1#post342355
http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=342355&posted=1#post342355
i believe in tranquility
Member
i dont know if this was already asked, but can you please explain to me the whole "women" issue. I have respect for culture, but dont oppression. Right now, from speaking with numerous muslims and others, I have come to find out that women shield themselves for a number of reasons: respect for God, respect for their bodies, BUT my favorite; because of their culture.
I just wanted to hear from another Muslim the whole issue.
I just wanted to hear from another Muslim the whole issue.
