399. The ship of the desert.

Verse 88:17 of the Quran asks men to ponder about the way camels are created.

The Quran asks humans to ponder the way a camel is created similar to a ship that travels in sea in verses 36:41,42.

In the vast expanse of the desert we witness the camels traveling with ease though the other creatures find it very hard even to exist. The camel has been equipped with the special characteristics to suit the environment which they live in.

All creatures of the world would die in extreme heat due to loss of water and blood.

The loss of water in blood would result in the clotting of the blood, stopping its flow through the body resulting in the death of the creature. 

There are certain arrangements found in the body of the camel that lives in the desert preventing it from dyeing.

A camel at one time can take in 100 liters of water and save it with a special arrangement in the inside of its body. When the water in the blood of the camel goes down it gets refurbished with the water from its specially arranged water sac within the interior of its body. 

Each RBC present in the blood of the camel can expand up to 200 times in size to hold on to its increased water content, enabling the camel to carry on with its activities even in extreme conditions at the same time preventing its blood from clotting. Not only the blood is in need of water, but also the tissues of the muscles need it.

But the tissues of the muscles do not take the required water from the water sac, in turn the fats stored in the hump of the camel breaks down into water and taken in by the tissue of the muscles of the body.

Hydrogen released from the fats mingles with oxygen during respiration by the camel to form water that is taken in by the tissues of the animal.

Moreover, the heat from the desert surface is many times more than that of the normal earth surface. To withstand this excess heat there are special arrangements in the sole of the camel with thick rubber like cushions.

The special arrangements within the body of the camel that exhibit unique characteristics in the camel, rightly called as the ship of the desert, proves the Quran as the word of God.

398. Nabi and Rasool are one and the same

We are using the words Nabi and Rasool to mean the same.

Let us try to understand whether these words mean the same or if there is a difference in their meanings.

The origin of the word Nabi is Nab-a meaning the announcer (ie.,) the one who brings and announces messages from God. This is how the messengers of Gao came to be known as Nabis.

The meaning of the word Rasool means a person who delivers the message from others and not of his own. Since Rasool receives messages from God is also known as a messenger.

Since all the Nabis, received messages from Almighty are also known as Rasools.

Since all the Rasools, delivered all the messages from God to people without fail they are also known as Nabis. 

The one who happens to be a Rasool (i.e.) the one who receives messages from God, is also a Nabi, and he should reach the messages to the people, these two tasks are intertwined with each other. There is no difference between the two. . 

But certain people differentiate between the two, by saying Nabi is one who has not revealed a scripture, and that Rasool is the one who has been endowed with one.

They cite the following verses 2:129, 2:151, 2:252, 3:164, 3:184, 4:136, 5:15, 5:67, 5:83, 6:130, 7:35, 9:97, 35:25, 39:71, 57:25, 62:2, of the Quran that say the Rasools were endowed with scriptures, to substantiate their argument,

But, since the verses 2:136, 2:213, 3:79, 3:81, 3:84, 5:81, 19:30, 37:112-117, 29:27, 45:16, 57:26 of the Quran say the Nabis were also revealed scriptures, their arguments fall through.

Some argue that Rasools would be given exclusive scriptures, while a nabi would elaborate on the scripture given previously to the one before him.

They cite verses 9:33, 10:47, 17:15, 48:28, 61:9 of the Quran that say Rasools are revealed exclusive scriptures to substantiate their claim. This is wrong on their part.

Because verses 19:49, and 66:8 say the Nabi was also revealed as an exclusive scripture. And moreover the verses 7:157, 7:158, 9:61, 19:51, 19:54, 43:6 of the Quran reveal that the Rasool and Nabi are one and the same.

There is just one verse (22:52) in the Quran that more or less conveys the message Rasool and Nabi are different from each other. But even this one verse of the Quran does not fit into the argument put forth by these people. 

There is a phrase in this (22:52) verse of the Quran as ‘the messengers or the prophets whomever we sent are not the same’. These people cite this verse to substantiate their claim that Rasool and Nabi are not the same. If we accept this argument of theirs to believe that Rasool and Nabi are different from each other, then we will be pushed to a corner where we have to reject numerous verses that deny a difference between the two.

In conversations held between humans there is a convention of using two different words at a time to arrive at a single meaning, especially when conveying directly opposite ideas this finds more prominence. This trend is seen in all the languages including Arabic.

For example we make use of phrases like ‘I do not have any friends nor any partners’. And I do not have any relations nor any bondage etc. To convey the pressure on the meaning of the word that is being used.

If the words Nabi And Rasool are seen in the same perspective they are in consonance with the other verses that reveal the meaning Rasool and Nabi are the same.

397. Can a super structure be built over a grave?

In this verse (18:21) it is being stated that some were saying ‘We will raise a place of worship over the grave of these dead pious people. Some foolish men hold on to this verse to justify their act of building a shrine and mausoleum over the grave of supposedly pious people.

These people try to justify burial site worship by citing this verse. The argument of these people is, just because the people of the cave were pious did Allah say a super structure be built over their grave.

There is absolutely no connection with the raising of a place of worship over the graves of the pious and the erstwhile pious. Allah says those who raised the superstructure over the graves were stronger and powerful at the time. Allah does not say the people who built the super structures were pious.

The details of people who, built super structures over the graves of the dead, such as whether they are good or evil, the reason for them to construct a building can be found in the guidelines by Prophet Muhmmad regarding this matter, because he said, God brought down His wrath upon Christians and Jews, because they transformed the burial site of messengers of God into places of worship.

The message conveying that, hadn’t this warning been sounded, the grave of Prophet Muhmmad would have been adorned with a super structure

This message can be found in the following hadiths:

Bukhari: 436, 437, 1330, 1390, 3454, 4441, 4444, 5816.

Muslim - 921, 922, 923, 924, 925 

Abu Dawood- 3227 

Nasaye - 703, 2046, 2047 

Mu-Ahda- 414, 1583 

Darami - 1403 

Ahmad - 1884, 7813, 7818, 7822, 7894, 9133, 9849, 10726, 10727, 21667, 21822, 24106, 24557, 24939, 25172, 25958, 26192, 26221, 26363 

Ibn Hibban - 2326, 2327, 3182, 6619 

Nasaeein Kubra- 782, 2173, 2174, 7089, 7090, 7091, 7092, 7093

Baihakki- 7010, 7011, 11520, 18530 

Abu Yahla- 5844 

Tabrani (Kabir)- 393-411, 4907. There are numerous other books where this message can be found. 

From these messages we come to understand that it was the convention of Jews and Christians to build super structures over the graves of saints and transform those sites into places of worship. Following the same custom, they raised a building over the grave of the cave people, transforming it into a place of worship.

There were certain deeds that were allowed in the former communities, only to be prohibited later; this act of constructing structures over graves cannot be included in this list. This was prohibited in the previous times also, can be found by Prophet Muhammad’s words ‘The people who built superstructures over graves of the dead are ones who earn the wrath of God.

Hence people who built superstructures over the graves of the cave people are those who earned the wrath of God and not the pious. 

Prophet Muhammad prohibited people from raising buildings over graves. 

(Muslim 1765, Tirmidee 972) 

Prophet Muhammad at that time, commanded the structures already built over graves be demolished.

(Muslim1763, 1764, Tirmidhi 970) 

Prophet Muhammad has severely warned not to transform his grave into a place of worship.

(Ahmad: 7054)

'Allah in the Quran has pointed out that Firoun declared as ‘I am the God’, this cannot be taken as one can also say ‘I am the God’.

In the same way Allah points out the act of these evil people, this cannot be taken as an example to emulate in the form of building shrines and mausoleums on the graves of dead people.

To know more about the fallacy in worshiping at shrines please refer points 17, 49, 79, 83, 100, 104, 121, 122, 140, 141, 193, 213, 215, 245, 269, 298, 327, 427, 471.

396. How many verses are there in the Quran, requiring (prostration) sujood while reciting the word.

We find about 15 verses of the Quran being marked with the words Sajda on the margins of the Quran, indicating that mere reciting the word requires the act of prostration by the person, to be carried out immediately.

The following are the fifteen verses of the Quran that are identified as containing such markings:

7:206, 13:15, 16:49, 17:107, 19:58, 22:18, 22:77, 25:60, 27:25, 32:15, 38:24, 41:37, 53:59, 84:21, 96:19. 

Though the markings are found in fifteen places in the Quran, those belonging to the Shafi sect, and Hanafi sects say only fourteen places in the Quran are needed to be complied with by performing the Sajda.

In chapter 22 of the Quran, it can be found the word sajdah being printed on the sides in two places, the one on the sides of the 77^th verse says sajdah to be performed as per the opinion of Imam Shafi’s opinion. Those belonging to the Hanafi sect while reading this verse will not perform the act of prostration. As far as the Hanafi sect is concerned there are only 14 verses of the Quran where one is required to carry out the act of prostration, while reading it.

Similarly, those belonging to the Shafi sect would not comply with this requirement of prostration though marked on the sides of the Quran while reading verse 38:24 of the Quran. Hence they also stick on to complying with only 14 verses. 

There is no any kind of evidence to prove such markings existed in the Quran compiled by Usman (RA).

There has to be some kind of evidence to prove the requirement of prostration (sajdah) while reading these 14 verses.

Not even one hadith exists, where Prophet Muhammad is said to have commanded people to prostrate when they come across the word sajdah while reading the Quran. It is hard to understand how people could dare to print something not emphasized or found in the Quran.

There are hadiths found in the books Abu Dawood 1193 and ibn Maaja 1047, about the act of prostration to be carried out while reading the 15 verses (not 14) of the Quran. But these are not authenticated ones.

The second narrator of this hadith Abullah bin Munain is an unknown person, and also Harris bin Saad through whom he quotes. Hence this is an unacceptable hadith. 

The list of the 15 verses containing the word sajdah is not available in any of these hadiths, except the two sajdahs mentioned in the chapter Haj, the rest of the thirteen verses where the sajdahs mentioned are not found anywhere, and they are products of their imaginations and printed as per their will and pleasure.

And moreover, the number of verses containing the word sajdah is mentioned as fifteen. But the people from both sects (i.e.) Shafi and Hanafi claim the number as fourteen, and violate their own proof of unauthenticated hadith given by them. 

In another Hadith quoted in the books Tirmidee 519, and Ibn Maaja 1054 it is found as “I accompanied Prophet Muhammad in worship when he performed the prostrations eleven times on coming across the word Sajda. This is also a weak hadith, because the narrator of this hadith by the name of Umar Dimishki an unknown person, 

In another hadith quoted in the book Ibn Majah the list of the chapters where the word Sajda is found requiring the act of performing prostration is as follows:

7^{th Chapter} Al- Araf,

13^th Chapter Ar-Raad 

16^th Chapter An-Nahal 

17^th Chapter Banu-Israel 

19^th Chapter Maryam 

22^nd Chapter Hajj two verses 

25^th Chapter Al-Furqan 

27^th Chapter An-Naml 

32^nd Chapter Sajdah

38^th Chapter Saad 

41st Chapter Ha Meem.

In this hadith the name of the narrator is given as Usman bin Fahid, who has been declared as unreliable. 

Hence there is no evidence to substantiate the 11 verses theory.

Going through the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad it has been discovered that he performed prostration (Sajdah) only when reading out four verses of the Quran. Hence the need to perform prostration while reading out the word sajdah from these verses. Hence, only these four verses are the ones that are qualified to be called as the designated as Sajda verses

It has been recorded in the hadith book Muslim:1010 and 1011, that Prophet Muhammad, performed prostration while reciting verse 96:19 of the Quran,

And in the hadith book Bukhari,766, 768, 1074, 1078 it has been recorded that Prophet Muhammad made prostration while reading verse 84:21 of the Quran.

and Prophet Muhammad made prostrations while reading the verse 53:62 of the Quran, says Bukhari 1067, 1070, 3853, 3972, 4863. 

The hadiths 1069, 3422 in the book Bukhari say Prophet Muhammad made Sajdah, while reading verse 38:24 of the Quran.

Hence other than the following four verses (38:24, 53:62, 84:21, 96:19) of the Quran there is no evidence based on Prophet Muhammad’s guidelines to prove that prostrations need to be carried out while reading other verses.

395. Can a person remain alive in the belly of a fish?

These verses (37:142, 21:87, 68:48) of the Quran say Prophet Yunus was imprisoned in the belly of a fish for a few days.

Now a question by the skeptics is raised regarding the possibility of man remaining alive inside the belly of a fish.

Though Allah can perform feats not normally possible by human beings, we present scientific evidence also about the possibility of a human staying alive inside the belly of a fish.If ever there is a fish that could swallow a whole human being it is the whale.

There are various types of whales found in the oceans, of these, the one known as the Blue Whale is the largest, in fact the largest of the animal species in the world. The tongue of this whale is so large that it can accommodate fifty persons seated on it, and it is not a ferocious animal but a soft natured one.

The size of its belly is not hard to imagine when the size of the tongue is given to hold a seating capacity of fifty people.

Whales are different from other types of fishes, though these belong to the class of fishes, they remain an exception in that class, because they breastfeed their young like mammals, and breathe through their lungs unlike the other fishes that breathe through their gills.

These whales come up to the surface of the sea from their depths to take in oxygen that might last them up to two hours at a time. Moreover, they take in 90% of the oxygen available in the air whereas humans could breathe in only 15% of it present in the air, a reason they can hold on to oxygen in their lungs even at a depth of 7000 feet. 

When the amount of oxygen in the belly of the whale is taken into consideration while it is alive inside the sea waters, it was indeed possible for Prophet Yunus to stay alive inside, because the whale was in a position to come out of the water to take in oxygen whenever the need arose for it. In this way Prophet Yunus did not face scarcity of oxygen while inside the belly of the whale.           When a person is placed within an airtight glass enclosure, the air present in the enclosure is good enough to hold him alive for a few hours. And the air that is taken in by the whale containing excess oxygen, the stay by Prophet Yunus inside the belly of the whale cannot be considered as something against science. And this incident can be considered as a message foretelling exception in organism.

394. What was Prophet Musa blamed on by his people?

In verse (33:69) of the Quran it is being said the Almighty relieved Prophet Musa of the blame thrown on him by his people.

There are two opinions expressed about what Prophet Musa is being blamed for by his people. 

The people in the community were in the habit of washing themselves in the open stark nakedly. But Prophet Musa used to bathe alone away from the gaze of his people, for this reason the people of his community said he did so because he was suffering from hydrocele. On a particular day Prophet Musa removed his clothes and placed it under a stone weight and while washing himself, the stone weight rolled down carrying along his clothes. On this Prophet Musa ran naked coming out from the water after his clothes crying aloud ‘my clothes, my clothes’ when his people viewed him naked and found their assumption he suffered from hydrocele wrong. Prophet Muhammad has said this is what is referred by the Almighty in the Quran. Book Bukhari: (278, 3404, 3407, 3152.) 

When Prophet Musa and Prophet Haroon went atop a mountain, Prophet Haroon passed away there, his people suspected Prophet Musa to have killed him. Prophet Muhammad is seen saying, the Almighty relieved Prophet Musa of this blame by sending Jibril (AS) in the hadith book Hakim in a authenticated hadith.

Of these two reasons the one quoted in Hakim is acceptable, because the prophets of God would never do anything that would affect their honesty, justice, discipline, vital for spreading the message of God.

And physical ailments would not be counted as impediments to spread God’s message. Numerous prophets all along history suffered from many diseases that did not impediment their efforts to spread God’s words.

But accusations against messengers of God pertaining to their good behavior would serve as their character assassination. When a message of Prophet Musa of having committed a murder spreads the people would grow skeptical of his prophethood. Hence it is imperative that Almighty get rid of the blame thrown upon Prophet Musa. 

Hence the reason found in the hadith book Hakim is more acceptable than that is found in Bukhari.

393. Justice for the orphans and polygamy.

Verse 4:3 of the Quran talks of justice for the orphans connected with polygamy.

When an affluent person passes away leaving behind a young daughter, the responsibility of taking care of her falls on the relatives.

The person who thus undertakes the responsibilities those days, marries the girl without paying her the mandatory dower and at the same usurping her property.

This verse was revealed as a warning to those who were indulging in such activities. With a mandate to marry three or four women, at the same time shouldered with the responsibility as a guardian for an orphaned girl, this verse of the Quran was revealed as an advice to people manipulating orphans.

Generally, man tends to remain a traitor to those who are under his care as their caretaker without realizing it himself, he does so because of the thought he is the person who maintains the orphan.

This is the weakness the Almighty points out in this verse. ‘Get the orphans married to appropriate persons, and you marry elsewhere’ is the message built here can be seen in verse 4:127 of the Quran.

Moreover, there are chances not only for the properties of orphaned girls being misappropriated, but also their marriage rights being violated by the guardians unjustly marrying the orphan girls themselves.

The phrases in this verse of the Quran includes this kind of injustice meted out to orphans with the words ‘If you apprehend that you will not be able to deliver justice in the case of orphans’ as a reminder. 

Please refer to explanation point 106 to know in detail about permission for polygamy.

392. Did the Almighty decimate those that did not commit sin.

Verse (7:155) of the Quran when superficially viewed would seem to convey, those who were not involved in the worship of the oxen idol were also brought to book and punished by God.

One cannot shoulder the crime burden of another is the rule of law depicted all through the Quran. (Please refer point No;265)

And this is the norm world over, because no one can be held responsible for another’s crime. 

Hence we need to understand this verse on the lines of God’s rendering of Justice.

 This verse of the Quran starts with the message of Prophet Musa picking the best seventy members from his community to serve them. Picking the best among people always points out the importance of their genuineness in serving. Prophet Musa chooses the best people in the community, and this was the moment it is said, a terrifying noise struck them. The reason for the terrifying noise striking them is not explained here.

But on analyzing other verses of the Quran it is found the noise struck them because of their demand to directly witness the Almighty.

Generally, the norm of Almighty punishing those who demand to see Him in person is to strike them with a loud bang, Prophet Musa was also struck and became speechless with a loud bang when he demanded to see God directly, in verse 7:43 of the Quran.

Hence they were struck for demanding a direct vision of God, and not for worshiping idols. 

 Moreover verse 4:153 of the Quran says they worshipped the oxen idol only after the loud sound struck them. ‘A loud bang struck them and later they worshipped the oxen’.

Many scholars came to this conclusion based on Prophet Musa’s question to God whether He is destroying all of them including the good for the wrong committed by a few imbeciles.

They did not bother about the verse in the Quran saying one cannot be held responsible for the wrong acts of another.

Only a few of them demanded vociferously for a direct vision of God while others did not do the same though they longed for the same. Hence the Almighty struck them with a loud bang. If we could understand Prophet Musa was aware that only a few among his people demanded God’s appearance outwardly, he questioned God the way he did, and would find all the verses of the Quran are in consonance with each other.