Prophet Muhammad and the Power of Peace

 

As we go about our lives in this modern age, we are constantly bombarded with reports of violence and unrest in all parts of the world.

It often feels like our world is broken, and nothing short of a miracle will fix it.

So many people have serious grievances and seemingly unsolvable problems.

But this is nothing new.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born into a society that had many of the major problems that we face today.

And he mended ties between neighbors, people and even his own enemies.

He taught us how to turn those issues of strife into peace and security for everyone.

A Peacekeeper Between Neighbors

In the society in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) was raised, treating one’s neighbor badly was considered acceptable and even expected behavior.

It wasn’t uncommon for neighbors to be constantly fighting and spitting insults at one another, among other more harsh treatment.

Ja’far ibn abu Talib, Prophet Muḥammad’s cousin, described to Negus, The King of Ethiopia, the common practice of un-neighborliness.

He said:

“We were a nation of ignorance and evil. We used to break our family ties and treat neighbors badly”. (Reported by Ahmad)

To this society who thought nothing of treating each other so badly, the Prophet Muhammad said:

By God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer, with whom his neighbors are not secure. (Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet came to establish peace, justice and social harmony.

And by rectifying the treatment of neighbors, he was using a grassroots approach to establishing a community based on neighborliness.

But he didn’t just preach this good treatment of neighbors to other. He practiced it.

One of many examples of this was when the Prophet learned of the sickness of his Jewish neighbor, he visited him and made sure he was taken care of.

A Peacekeeper Among Peoples

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born into a world filled with turmoil.

Not only did neighbors regularly disrespect and goad each other, tribes were constantly warring with each other over the smallest and even perceived infractions.

Corruption was the order of the day in politics.

The rich and wealthy lived lavishly on the backs of the weak and oppressed.

Peace and safety was not a luxury many enjoyed.

Prophet Muhammad’s time and place had a great effect on him. Before the revelation came to him, he spent a lot of time in seclusion, contemplating the chaotic state of his society. It weighed on him heavily.

During the Prophet’s life, even prior to revelation from Allah Almighty, he was known as a peace keeper.

He demonstrated his desire to keep the peace and his genius way of doing so while the tribes of Quraysh were rebuilding the Ka’bah:

“The tribes of Quraysh reached the point where the Black Stone was to be placed in its designated site.

A dispute erupted between the various tribes of Quraysh.

[… The Prophet] asked them to bring a garment and place it on the ground. He placed the Black Stone on it.

He then requested that each of the leaders of Quraysh hold the garment from one side and all participate in lifting the Black Stone, moving it to its designated area. […].” (Tafsir ibn Kathir)

This is one of many examples in which he established peace among different peoples.

After having received revelation from Allah (SWT) and proclaiming the message, his role as peacekeeper intensified.

Many people did not like the message of Islam. It demanded justice and social equality.

Those who benefited from the unjust social structure of the time didn’t want to see their status change nor did they want their privilege taken away.

These tyrants saw Islam as a threat to their unjust advantage in life over the weak.

Those who opposed Islam sought to destroy the message by any means necessary.

The first Muslims in Mecca were tortured, murdered, starved, boycotted by these enemies of Islam.

But during this time in Mecca, the Prophet sought peace and told the Muslims not to retaliate.

Allah revealed to him that:

Not equal are the good deed and the bad deed. Repel evil by that which is better, and then the one who is hostile to you will become as a devoted friend.

But none is granted it except those who are patient and none is granted it except one having a great fortune. (Quran 41:34-35)

When the situation in Medina got so bad that the Muslims were running the risk of extinction, Prophet Muhammad’s reputation as a peacekeeper secured for the Muslims a home in a new city called Yathrib, now known as Medina.

In Medina at that time, there were many different peoples, tribes, and faiths living in extreme civil unrest.

The city was lawless and most disputes were settled by the blade, which lead to even more disputes.

The inhabitants of Medina desperately needed peace and structure, so they ask the Prophet to come arbitrate and establish peace among them.

Upon his arrival in Medina, the Prophet drew up the constitution of Medina. A document that is, to this day, a shining example of how pluralism can exist and can even exist in peace.

The Zia Shah explains that:

“The Constitution established: the security of the community, religious freedoms, the role of Medina as a haram or sacred place (barring all violence and weapons), the security of women, stable tribal relations within Medina.” and so much more.

A Peace Creator Between Enemies

Prophet Muhammad taught his followers to exhaust all avenues to peace before fighting:

“O people, do not wish to meet the enemy but rather ask Allah for security. If you meet your enemy in battle, then be patient and know that Paradise is under the shade of swords.” (Sahih Bukhari)

But even after leaving Mecca, the enemies of Islam pursued the Prophet and his followers.

The enemies of Islam would not accept peace, and there came a time for self defense so that this message of justice and equality could be propagated. But even though it came to the point of bloodshed, the Prophet still wanted peace.

In the battle of Uhud, when his enemies attacked the Muslims, Prophet Muhammad suffered a head injury.

When the blood started to seep from his head, he swabbed it saying:

“‘If a drop of my blood fell on the earth, those infidels will be destroyed by Allah.’

Umar told him, ‘O Messenger of Allah, Curse them!’

The prophet replied:

‘I wasn’t sent (by Allah) to curse. I was sent as a mercy.’

Then he said:

‘O Allah, Guide my people!’ (Authenticated by Al-Albani)

The Prophet taught us that peace should be sought until those who wish to fight you leave you no other option but to defend yourself and your right to worship Allah (SWT) alone.

But even then, the Prophet showed us how to always leave the doors to peace open.

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned to Mecca in victory and having the upper hand, he did not go back to the city looking for revenge.

He went back victorious with an offer of peace.

He didn’t take revenge on the people who had tortured, murdered, and brought war to the Muslims.

Forgiveness and peace were offered and the dua of the prophet: ‘O Allah, Guide my people!’- was answered.

To this day, the descendants of his people are Muslims who love and respect the Prophet for the peace and mercy he brought to them.

(From Discovering Islam’s archive)

About Theresa Corbin

Theresa Corbin is the author of The Islamic, Adult Coloring Book and co-author of The New Muslim’s Field Guide. Corbin is a French-creole American and Muslimah who converted in 2001. She holds a BA in English Lit and is a writer, editor, and graphic artist who focuses on themes of conversion to Islam, Islamophobia, women's issues, and bridging gaps between peoples of different faiths and cultures. She is a regular contributor for AboutIslam.net and Al Jumuah magazine. Her work has also been featured on CNN and Washington Post, among other publications. Visit her blog, islamwich, where she discusses the intersection of culture and religion.

-aboutislam.net

The water cycle and the seas in the Quran

 

When the verses of the Quran concerning the role of water in man’s existence are read in succession today, they appear to express ideas that are obvious. The reason for this is simple: in our day and age, we all know about the water cycle in nature to a greater or lesser extent.

However, if we consider the various ancient concepts on this subject, it becomes clear that the data in the Quran does not embody the mythical concepts prevalent at the time of Revelation, that had developed more according to philosophical speculation than observed phenomena. Although it was empirically possible to acquire the useful practical knowledge necessary to improve irrigation, the concepts held on the water cycle in general would hardly be acceptable today.

Thus, it would have been easy to imagine that underground water could have come from the infiltration of precipitation in the soil. In ancient times however, this idea, held by Virtuvius Polio Marcus in Rome 1^st century CE, was cited as an exception. Thereafter, for many centuries (and the Quranic Revelation occurred during this period) man held completely inaccurate views on the water cycle.

Two specialists on this subject, G. Gastany and B. Blavoux, in their entry in the Encyclopedia Universalis under the heading ‘Hydrogeology’, give an edifying history of this problem.

“In the 7^th century CE, Thales of Miletus held the theory whereby the waters of the oceans, under the effect of winds, were thrust towards the interior of the continents; so the water fell upon the earth and penetrated into the soil. Plato shared these views and thought that the return of the waters to the oceans was via a great abyss, the ‘Tartarus’. Until the 18^th century CE, this theory had many supporters, one of whom was Descartes. Aristotle imagined that the water vapour from the soil condensed in cool mountain caverns and formed underground lakes that fed springs. He was followed by Seneca (1^st century CE) and many others, until 1877 CE, among them O. Volger …”

The first clear formulation of the water cycle must be attributed to Bernard Palissy in 1580 CE. He claimed that underground water came from rainwater infiltrating into the soil. This theory was confirmed by E. Mariotte and P. Perrault in the 17^th century CE.

In the following passages from the Quran, there is no trace of the mistaken ideas that were current at the time of Prophet Muhammad  (may Allah exalt his mention).

The Quran says (what means): “We sent down water from the sky, blessed water whereby We caused to grow gardens, grains for harvest, tall palm-trees with their spathes, piled one above the other – sustenance for (Our) servants. Therewith We gave (new) life to a dead land. So will be the emergence (from the tombs).” [Quran 50:9-11]

And (what means): “We sent down water from the sky in measure and lodged it  in the ground. And We certainly are able to withdraw it. Therewith for you We gave rise to gardens of palm-trees and vineyards where for you are abundant fruits and of them you eat.” [Quran 23: 18-19]

And (what means): “We sent forth the winds that fecundate. We cause the water to descend from the sky. We provide you with the water – you (could) not be the guardians of its reserves.” [Quran 15:22]

There are two possible interpretations of this last verse. The fecundating winds may be taken to be the fertilizers of plants because they carry pollen. However, this may be a figurative expression referring by analogy to the role the wind plays in the process, whereby a non-raincarrying cloud is turned into one that produces a shower of rain.

The Quran says (what means): “Allah is the One Who sends forth the winds which raised up the clouds. He spreads them in the sky as He wills and breaks them into fragments. Then thou seest raindrops issuing from within them. He makes them reach such of His servants as He wills. And they are rejoicing.” [Quran 30:48]

And  (what means): “(Allah) is the One Who sends forth the winds like heralds of His Mercy. When they have carried the heavy-laden clouds, We drive them to a dead land. Then We cause water to descend and thereby bring forth fruits of every kind. Thus We will bring forth the dead. Maybe you will remember.” [Quran 7:57]

And (what means): “Hast thou not seen that Allah sent water down from the sky and led it through sources into the ground? Then He caused sown fields of different colors to grow.”  [Quran 39:21]

And (what means): “Therein We placed gardens of palm-trees and vineyards and We caused water springs to gush forth.” [Quran 36:34]

The importance of springs and the way they are fed by rainwater conducted into them is stressed in the last three verses. It is worth pausing to examine this fact and call to mind the predominance in the Middle Ages of views such as those held by Aristotle, according to whom springs were fed by underground lakes. In his entry on Hydrology in the Encyclopedia Universalis, M.R. Remenieras, a teacher at the French National School of Agronomy (Ecole nationale du Genie rural, des Eaux et Forets), describes the main stages of hydrology and refers to the magnificent irrigation works of the ancients, particularly in the Middle East. However, he notes that an empirical outlook ruled over everything, since the ideas of the time proceeded from mistaken concepts. He continues as follows:

“It was not until the Renaissance (between circa 1400 and 1600 CE) that purely philosophical concepts gave way to research based on the objective observation of hydrologic phenomena. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519 CE) rebelled against Aristotle’s statements. Bernard Palissy, in his Wonderful Discourse on the Nature of Waters and Fountains both Natural and Artificial (Discours admirable de la nature des eaux et fontaines tant naturelles qu’artificielles; Paris, 1570) gives a correct interpretation of the water cycle and especially of the way springs are fed by rainwater.”

This last statement is surely exactly what is mentioned in the Quran (chapter 39, verse 21) describing the way rainwater is conducted into sources in the ground.

The subject of chapter 24, verse 43, is rain and hail (which means):

 “Hast thou not seen that God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them a heap. And thou seest raindrops issuing from within it. He sends down from the sky mountains of hail, He strikes therewith whom He wills and He turns it away from whom He wills. The flashing of its lightning almost snatches away the sight.”

The following passage requires some comment (which means):

 “Have you observed the water you drink? Do you bring it down from the rainclouds? Or do We? If it were Our will, We could make it salty. Then why are you not thankful?” [Quran 56: 68-70]

This reference to the fact that God could have made fresh water salty is a way of expressing Divine Omnipotence. Another means of reminding us of the same Omnipotence is the challenge to man to make rainfall from the clouds. In modern times however, technology has surely made it possible to create rain artificially. Can one therefore oppose the statement in the Quran to man’s ability to produce precipitations?

The answer is no, because it seems clear that one must take account of man’s limitations in this field. M.A. Facy, an expert at the French Meteorological Office, wrote the following in the Encyclopedia Universalis under the heading Precipitations: “It will never be possible to make rain fall from a cloud that does not have the suitable characteristics of a raincloud or one that has not yet reached the appropriate stage of evolution (maturity).” Therefore, man can never hasten the precipitation process by technical means, when the natural conditions for it are not present. If this were not the case, droughts would never occur in practice – which they obviously do. Thus, to have control over rain and fine weather still remains a dream.

Man cannot willfully break the established cycle that maintains the circulation of water in nature. This cycle may be outlined as follows, according to modern ideas on hydrology:

The heat from the sun’s rays causes the water from the sea and other water surfaces on Earth to evaporate. The water vapour that is given off rises into the atmosphere and, by condensation, forms clouds. The winds then intervene and move the clouds thus formed over varying distances. The clouds can then either disperse without producing rain, or combine their mass with others to create even greater condensation, or they can fragment and produce rain at some stages in their evolution. When rain reaches the sea (70 percent  of the Earth’s surface is covered by water), the cycle is soon repeated. When rain falls on the land, it may be absorbed by vegetation aid its growth; the vegetation in its turn gives off water and thus returns some water to the atmosphere. The rest, to a lesser or greater extent, infiltrates into the soil, from where it is either conducted through channels into the sea, or comes back to the Earth’s surface network through springs or resurgences.

When one compares the modern data of hydrology to what is contained in the numerous verses of the Quran quoted in this paragraph, one has to admit that there is a remarkable degree of agreement between them.

Summarized from: The Bible, the Quran and Science

-islamweb.net

Do You Know the Greatest Pleasure in Paradise?

 

In a very beautiful hadith it is narrated that `Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) led a group in Salah and he made it short. After he finished, made the after-prayer dhikr, and walked out the masjid.

Some people followed him and said, “You led us for a too short prayer. Why did not you make it longer?”

Now pause here: when was the last time you ever heard a complaint in a masjid about the Salah being too “short”? Right, those were the good old days!

So, they were complaining about the shortness of the Salah. What was the reply of `Ammar ibn Yasir?

Special D`uaa’

He said that even if he did a short Salah, he made a special du`aa’ (supplication) in it that he heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Even if it’s a short prayer, he made this very special du`aa’ and so he was happy at that du`aa’.

Somebody asked, “What is that du`aa’, O `Ammar ibn Yasir?”

`Ammar related a very beautiful du`aa’ that he heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). There’s only one phrase that’s relevant to us in this lecture but I am going to narrate all of it because of  its beauty:

O Allah I ask you through your knowledge of the unseen and your power over the creation, to give me life as long as you know my life is good for me and give me death when You know death will be better for me.

This is how the du`aa’ begins. a Muslim does not want life just for the sake of living; a Muslim wants to live for the sake of the hereafter (Aakhirah) a and once life does not help achieve that goal he would like to finish up his life and move on to the Aakhirah.

The du`aa’ goes on as follows

O Allah I ask you your fear in open and in secret (wherever I am I want to fear you.)

O Allah bless me with the truth whether I am happy or angry.

Notice here the two extremes: you want to fear Allah when people are looking at you and when you are alone; you want to speak the truth when you’re happy and when you’re angry.

O Allah I ask you for a happiness that never finishes and the coolness of the eye that never ceases.

And now listen to this:

O Allah I ask you for the sweetness (ladhaah) of looking at Your Face, and eagerness to be with You.

He called it a sweetness to look at the Face of Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught the sahaba and taught `Ammar ibn Yasir to aspire for the sweetness of looking at His Face and to experience the eagerness to meet Him.

Why? Because every single desire of love is manifested in eagerness to meet and see the beloved. The love of Allah is the greatest love; so the meeting of Allah is the greatest meeting and the looking at Allah is the greatest blessing.

More in the Video:

What is greater than Paradise?

Acts qualifying for seeing Allah’s Face

Impact of seeing the Face of Allah

Prophet Moses’ request to see Allah in the World

Did Prophet Muhammad see Allah in the Night of Israa’

The light veil

Signs of loving Allah

- aboutislam.net

THE CHALLENGE OF THE QURAN

 

The Quran is not only unique in the way in which it presents its subject matter, but it is also unique in that it is a miracle itself.  By the term “miracle,” we mean the performance of a supernatural or extraordinary event which cannot be duplicated by humans.  It has been documented that Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, challenged the Arabs to produce a literary work of a similar caliber as the Quran, but they were unable to do so in spite of their well-known eloquence and literary powers.  The challenge to reproduce the Quran was presented to the Arabs and mankind in three stages:

l.      The Whole Quran

In the Quran, God commanded the Prophet to challenge all of creation to create a book of the stature of the Quran:

“Say: ‘If all mankind and the jinn would come together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce its like even though they exerted all their strength in aiding one another.’” (Quran 17:88)

2.      Ten Chapters

Next, God made the challenge ostensibly easier by asking those who denied its divine origin to imitate even ten chapters of the Quran:

“Or do they say that he has invented it?  Say (to them), ‘Bring ten invented chapters like it, and call (for help) on whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful.” (Quran 11:13)

3.      One Chapter

This final challenge was to produce even a single chapter to match what is in the Quran, whose shortest chapter, al-Kawthar, consists of only three verses:

“And if you all are in doubt about what I have revealed to My servant, bring a single chapter like it, and call your witnesses besides God if you are truthful.” (Quran 2:23)

These challenges were not just empty words with no one caring to prove them wrong.  Prophet Muhammad’s call to monotheism, to the abolition of idolatry in all its forms, and to the equality of slaves and their masters threatened the whole socio-economic framework of Mecca society in general, and the position of the ruling Quraishee tribe from which the Prophet came in particular.  Mecca, the trading center of Arabia, as well as its spiritual center, desperately wanted to stop the spread of Islam.  Yet all that the Prophet’s opponents had to do to crush the movement was to make up a single chapter like any one of those which the Prophet and his followers were reciting to the people.  A number of Quraishee orators and poets tried to imitate the Quran, but they failed.  They then resorted to offering him vast amounts of wealth, the position of king over them, and the most noble and beautiful of their women in exchange for his promise to stop inviting people to Islam.  He responded to them by reciting the first thirteen verses of Chapter Fussilat, until they asked him to stop.[1]  The Quraish also resorted to torturing their slaves and relatives who had embraced Islam in a vain attempt to cause them to revert to paganism.  Later they organized an economic boycott against the Prophet, his followers and the members of his clan, Banoo Haashim, in an attempt to starve them into submission.  But even this plan eventually failed.  Finally, they plotted to kill him in his home by sending armed young men from each of the clans of Quraish in order that the guilt of his murder be shared by all the clans, making revenge by the Prophet’s clan impossible.

However, God enabled the Prophet and his followers to flee Mecca and join a new band of converts who had arisen among the tribes of a city to the north called Yathrib.  Islam spread rapidly through the clans of Yathrib, and within a year Muslims became the city’s majority.  Prophet Muhammad was then made the ruler, and the name of the city was changed to Madinatun-Nabee (The City of the Prophet), which was then shortened to “Medina.” Over the next eight years, the clans of Mecca and its neighboring lands mounted a series of unsuccessful battle campaigns against the emerging Muslim state in Medina, which ended with the Muslim invasion of Mecca itself.

All of this bloodshed could have been avoided if only the Quraish and their allies had been able to produce a mere three lines of poetry or flowing prose similar to the shortest chapter of the Quran.  Hence, there can be no doubt about the inimitability of the Quran’s literary style, about the miracle of its rhyme and the marvel of its rhythm.

It has been suggested that the inimitability of the Quran is not necessarily unique, for great English poets like Shakespeare, Chaucer, or great poets in any language tend to have distinctly unique styles which set them apart from their contemporaries.  However, if, for example, some leading poet of today were to make an in-depth study of Shakespeare’s writings and write a sonnet in Shakespeare’s style in old ink and on old paper, then claim that he had discovered a lost poem of Shakespeare’s, the literary world would probably accept this claim, even after careful study.  Thus, even the greatest of poets could be imitated, no matter how unique his style was, just as the famous painters have been imitated.  [In fact, some English scholars consider much of what has been attributed to Shakespeare to have been written by his contemporary, Christopher Marlowe.] The Quran, however, is way above this level, as attempts to forge chapters have been made throughout the ages, yet none has withstood close scrutiny.  And, as was mentioned before, the incentive to imitate the Quran was more intense during the time of its revelation when literally skills were at their peak than at any other time, yet there was no successful attempt. - islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Collected by al-Haakim, al-Bayhaqee, Aboo Ya’laa and Ibn Hishaam, and declared hasan by lbraaheem al-’Alee in Saheeh as-Seerah an-Nabaweeyah, p.64.

The imaginary mechanism of evolution

 

The neo-Darwinist model, which we shall take as the “mainstream” theory of evolution today, argues that life has evolved through two naturalistic mechanisms: “natural selection” and “mutation”. The basic assertion of the theory is as follows: Natural selection and mutation are two complementary mechanisms. The origin of evolutionary modifications are random mutations that take place in the genetic structure of living things. The traits brought about by mutations are selected by the mechanism of natural selection and this is the means by which living things evolve.

When we further probe into this theory, we find that there is no such evolutionary mechanism at all, because neither natural selection nor mutations make any contribution to the claim that different species have evolved and transformed into one another.

Natural selection is a natural process

As process of nature, natural selection was familiar to biologists before Darwin, who defined it as a “mechanism that keeps species unchanging without being corrupted”. Darwin was the first person to put forward the assertion that this process had evolutionary power, and on the basis of this assumption he erected his entire theory of evolution. The name he gave to his book indicates that natural selection was the basis of Darwin’s theory: ''The Origin of Species, by means of Natural Selection… ''

However since Darwin’s time, there has not been a single shred of evidence put forward to show that natural selection causes living beings to evolve. Colin Patterson, senior paleontologist at the Museum of Natural History in England, who is also a prominent evolutionist, stresses that natural selection has never been observed to have the power to cause things to evolve: 

''No one has ever produced a species by mechanisms of natural selection. No one has ever got near it and most of the current argument in neo-Darwinism is about this question.''

Natural selection holds the view that those living things which are more suited to the natural conditions of their habitats will prevail by having offspring that will survive, whereas those that are unfit will disappear. For example, in a deer herd under the threat of wild animals, naturally those that can run faster will survive. That is true. But no matter how long this process goes on, it will not transform those deer into another living species. The deer will always remain deer.

When we look at the few incidents the evolutionists have put forth as observed examples of natural selection, we see that these are nothing but a simple attempt to hoodwink.

“Industrial melanism”

In 1986, Douglas Futuyman published a book, The Biology of Evolution, which is accepted as one of the sources explaining the theory of evolution by natural selection in the most explicit way. The most famous of his examples on this subject is about the colour of the moth population, which appeared to darken during the Industrial Revolution in England.

According to the account, around the outset of the Industrial Revolution in England, the colour of the tree barks around Manchester was quite light. Because of this, dark-colored moths resting on those trees could easily be noticed by the birds that fed on them and therefore they had very little chance of survival. Fifty years later, as a result of pollution, the barks of the trees had darkened and this time light-colored moths became the most hunted. As a result, the number of light-colored moths decreased whereas that of the dark-colored ones increased since the latter were not easily noticed. On the one hand, evolutionists use this as an important evidence to prove their theory. On the other hand, they take refuge in obscurantism by window-dressing the questions regarding how the light–colored moths “evolved” into dark-colored ones.

It should be quite clear that this example can in no way be used as evidence for the theory of evolution, because natural selection gave rise to a new form that had not existed before. Dark colored  moths existed in the moth population before the Industrial Revolution. Only the relative proportions of the existing moth varieties in the population changed. The moths had not acquired a new trait or an organ, which would cause a ‘speciation'. In order to have a moth turn into another living species, a bird for example, new additions would have had to be made to the genes. That is, an entirely separate genetic program would have had to be loaded to include information about the physical traits of the bird.

Briefly, natural selection does not have the capability to add a new organ to a living organism, remove one, or change the organism into another species – quite contrary to the image that evolutionists conjure up. The “greatest” evidence put forward since Darwin has been able to go no further than the “industrial melanism” of the moths in England.

Can natural selection explain complexity?

There is nothing that natural selection contributes to the theory of evolution, because this mechanism can never increase or improve the genetic information of a species. Neither can it transform one species into another: a starfish into a fish, a fish into a frog, a frog into a crocodile or a crocodile into a bird. The biggest defender of punctuated equilibrium, Gould, refers to this deadlock of natural selection as follows:

"The essence of Darwinism lies in a single phrase: natural selection is the creative force of evolutionary change. No one denies that natural selection will play a negative role in eliminating the unfit. Darwinian theories require that it create the fit as well. "

Another of the misleading methods that evolutionists employ on the issue of natural selection is their effort to present this mechanism as a 'conscious designer'. However, natural selection has no consciousness. It does not possess a will that can decide what is good and what is bad for living beings. As a result, natural selection cannot explain biological systems and organs that have the feature of “irreducible complexity”. These systems and organs are composed of the co-operation of a great number of parts and they are of no use if even one of these parts is missing or defective. (For example, the human eye does not function unless it exists with all its details). Therefore, the will that brings all these parts together should be able to figure the future in advance and aim directly for the benefit that is to be acquired at the last stage.

Since natural mechanism has no consciousness or will, it can do no such thing. This fact which demolishes the foundations of the theory of evolution, also worried Darwin: “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.''  

Natural selection only selects out the disfigured, weak or unfit individuals of a species. That is, it cannot make anything evolve. Darwin accepted this reality by saying: “Natural selection can do nothing until favourable variations chance to occur.” This is why neo-Darwinism has had to elevate mutations next to natural selection as the “cause of beneficial changes.” However as we shall see, mutations can only be “the cause for harmful changes.” - islamweb.net

MARY IN ISLAM

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, holds a very special position in Islam, and God proclaims her to be the best woman amongst all humanity, whom He chose above all other women due to her piety and devotion.

“And (mention) when the angels said, ‘O Mary!  Indeed God has chosen you, and purified you, and has chosen you above all other women of the worlds.  O Mary!  Be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those bow (in prayer).’” (Quran 3:42-43)

She was also made by God an example to follow, as He said:

“And (God sets forth the example for those who Believe) of Mary, the daughter of Heli, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into it through Our Angel (i.e., Gabriel), and she believed in the words of her Lord and His Scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.” (Quran 66:12)

Indeed she was a woman who was fit to bring such a miracle as that of Jesus, who was born without a father.  She was known for her piety and chastity, and if it were any different, then none would have believed her claim to have given birth while remaining in a state of virginity, a belief and fact to which Islam holds true.  Her special nature was one which many miracles proved of from her early childhood.  Let us recount what God revealed in regards to the beautiful story of Mary.

The Childhood of Mary

“Indeed God chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham and the family of Heli above all others of the creation.  Offspring, one of the other, and God is the All-Hearer, All-Knower.  (Remember) when the wife (Hannah; also Anne, Ann, Anna) of Heli said: ‘O my Lord!  I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this, from me.  Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.” (Quran 3:33-35)

Mary was born to Heli and his wife Hannah, who was of Davidic descent, thus coming from a family of Prophets, from Abraham, to Noah, to Adam, may the Peace and Blessings of God be on them all.  As mentioned in the verse, she was born to the chosen family of Heli, who was born into the chosen family of Abraham, who was also born into a chosen family.  Hannah was a barren woman who longed for a child, and she made a vow to God that, if He granted her a child, she would consecrate him to His service in the Temple.  God answered her invocation, and she conceived a child.  When she gave birth, she was saddened, for her child was female, and it was usually males who were given in service to Bait-ul-Maqdis.

“So when she gave birth to her, she said, ‘My Lord!  I have delivered a female…and the male is not like the female.”

When she expressed her sorrow, God rebuked her saying:

“…And God knows best what she delivered…” (Quran 3:36)

…for God chose her daughter, Mary, to be the mother of one of the greatest miracles of creation: the virgin birth of Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  Hannah named her child Mary (Maryam in Arabic) and invoked God to protect her and her child from Satan:

“…And I have named her Mary (Maryam), and commend her and her offspring to your protection from Satan, the outcast.” (Quran 3:36)

God indeed accepted this supplication of hers, and He gave Mary and her soon to come child, Jesus, a special trait - given to none before nor after; neither of them were afflicted by the touch of Satan upon birth.  The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:

“None are born except that Satan touches them upon their birth, due to which it comes out screaming from its touch, except Mary and her son (Jesus).” (Ahmed)

Here, we can immediately see a similarity between this narration and the Christian theory of the “Immaculate Conception” of Mary and Jesus, although there is a great difference between the two.  Islam does not propagate the theory of ‘original sin’, and therefore does not condone this interpretation of how they were free from the touch of Satan, but rather that this was a grace given by God to Mary and her son Jesus.  As other prophets, Jesus was protected from committing grave sins.  As for Mary, even if we take the position that she was not a prophetess, she nevertheless received the protection and guidance of God which He grants the pious believers.

“So her Lord accepted her with gracious acceptance, and reared her in purity and beauty, and entrusted her to the care of Zachary.” (Quran 3:37)

Upon the birth of Mary, her mother Hannah took her to Bait-ul-Maqdis and offered her to those in the mosque to grow under their tutelage.  Knowing the nobility and piety of their family, they quarreled as to who would have the honor to rear her.  They agreed to cast lots, and it was none other than the prophet Zachary who was chosen.  It was under his care and tutelage which she was reared.

Miracles in her Presence and Visitation by Angels

As Mary grew older, even the prophet Zachary noticed the special features of Mary, due to the various miracles which occurred in her presence.  Mary, as she was growing up, was given a secluded room within the mosque where she could devote herself to the worship of God.  Whenever Zachary would enter the chamber to see to her needs, he would find abundant, and out of season, fruit in her presence.

“Whenever Zachary entered the chamber, he found her provided with sustenance.  He said, ‘O Mary!  From where did you get this?’  She replied, ‘It is from God.’  Surely God bestows sustenance upon whom He pleases without measure.” (Quran 3:37)

She was visited by angels on more than one occasion.  God tells us that the angels visited her and informed her of her praised status amongst humanity:

“When the angels said, ‘O Mary!  God has chosen you and purified you (due to your worship and devotion), and chosen you (by making you the mother of the prophet Jesus) above the women of the worlds.  O Mary!  Pray to your Lord devoutly, and prostrate yourself, and bow down with those who bow down.’” (Quran 3:42-43)

Due to these visitations of the angels and her being chosen above other women, some have held that Mary was a prophetess.  Even if she was not, which is a matter of debate, Islam still deems her having the highest status amongst all women of creation due to her piety and devotion, and due to her being chosen for the miraculous birth of Jesus.

Her Annunciation

God informs us of the instance the angels gave Mary the glad tidings of a child, his soon to be status on earth, and some of the miracles he will perform:

“When the angels said: ‘O Mary!  Indeed God gives you glad tidings of a word (His saying, ‘Be’) from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and of those nearest to God.  He shall speak to people while still in the cradle, and in manhood, and he shall be from the righteous.’  She said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has touched me?’  He said, ‘Even so, God creates what He pleases.  When He decrees, He merely says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.  And He will teach him the Book and the Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel.” (Quran 3:45-48)

This sounds much like the words mentioned in the Bible:

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.”

Astonished, she replied:

“How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:26-38)

This instance was a great trial for her, for her great piety and devotion was known to everyone.  She foresaw that people would accuse her of being unchaste.

In other verses of the Quran, God relates more details of the annunciation by Gabriel that she would give birth to a Prophet.

“And mention in the Book, Mary, when she withdrew from her people to a place.  And she placed a veil to screen herself from them; then we sent to her Our Spirit (Gabriel), and he appeared to her in the form of a human in all respects.  She said, ‘I seek refuge in the Most Gracious (God) from you, if you fear Him.’  He said, ‘I am only a messenger from your Lord, to announce to you the gift of a son most pure.’” (Quran 19:17-19)

Once, when Mary left the mosque to see to her needs, the angel Gabriel came to her in the form of a man.  She was frightened due to the close proximity of the man, and sought refuge from God.  Gabriel then told her that he was no ordinary man, but an angel sent by God to announce to her that she would bear a child most pure.  Out of astonishment, she exclaimed

“She said, ‘How shall I have a son, when no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?!’” (Quran 19:19-20)

The angel explained that its was a Divine Decree which already has been ordained, and that it is indeed something easy for God the Almighty.  God said that the birth of Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, will be a sign of His Omnipotence, and that, just as He created Adam without father or mother, He created Jesus without father.

“He said, ‘So it will be,’ your Lord said: ‘That is easy for Me, and We shall make him a sign to the people, and a Mercy from Us, and it is a matter which has been decreed.’” (Quran 19:21)

God blew the spirit of Jesus through the angel Gabriel into Mary, and Jesus was conceived in her womb, as God said in a different chapter:

“And Mary the daughter of Heli, who guarded her chastity, so we breathed into her through Our Spirit (Gabriel).” (Quran 66:12)

When the signs of pregnancy became apparent, Mary became even more worried about what people would say about her.  Her news spread far and wide and, as was inevitable, some began to accuse her of being unchaste.  Unlike the Christian belief that Mary was espoused to Joseph, Islam upholds that she was neither betrothed, nor espoused nor married, and it was this that caused her such anguish.  She knew that people would hold the only logical conclusion to her state of pregnancy, that she was so out of wedlock.  Mary isolated herself from people and left to a different land.  God says:

“So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place.  The pain of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree.” (Quran 19:22-23)

The Birth of Jesus

On the onset of her labor, she was in extreme pain, both mentally and physically.  How could a woman of such piety and nobility bear a child out of wedlock?  We should mention here that Mary had a normal pregnancy which was no different than other women, and delivered her child as others do.  In Christian belief, Mary did not suffer the pains of childbirth, for Christianity and Judaism regard menstruation and labor to be a curse upon women for the sin of Eve[1].  Islam neither upholds this belief, nor the theory of ‘Original Sin’, but rather strongly emphasizes that none shall burden the sin of others:

“…No person earns any (sin) except against himself (only), and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another...” (Quran 6:164)

Not only that, but neither the Quran nor the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, ever mention that is was Eve who ate from the tree and enticed Adam.  Rather, the Quran places the blame on either Adam alone, or on them both:

“Then Satan whispered suggestions to them both…So he misled them with deception.  Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was hidden from them of their shame (private parts) became manifest to them” (Quran 7:20-22)

Mary, due to her anguish and pain wished that she had never been created, and exclaimed:

“Would that I had died before this, and become something forgotten.” (Quran 19:23)

After delivering the child, and when her distress could not be any more severe, the newborn babe, Jesus, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, cried out miraculously from beneath her, appeasing her and reassuring her that God will protect her:

And he called to her from beneath her, “Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream.  And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.  So eat and drink and be contented.  And if you see from among hhumanity anyone, say, ‘Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to (any) person.’” (Quran 19:24-26)

Mary felt reassured.  This was the first miracle performed at the hands of Jesus.  He spoke reassuringly to his mother upon his birth, and once again when people saw her carrying her newborn baby.  When they saw her, they accused her saying:

“O Mary, truly a strange thing you have brought!...” (Quran 19:27)

She merely pointed to Jesus, and he miraculously spoke, just as God had promised her upon annunciation.

“He shall speak to people while still in the cradle, and in manhood, and he shall be from the righteous.” (Quran 3:46)

Jesus said to the people:

“I am indeed a slave of God.  He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet, and He has made me blessed wherever I may be.  And He has enjoined upon me prayers, and to pay the alms, as long as I live and (He has made me) kind to my mother, and He has not made me insolent, unblessed.  And may Peace be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and on the Day I shall be raised to life.” (Quran 19:30-33)

From here starts the episode of Jesus, his lifelong struggle to call people to the worship of God, evading the plots and plans of those Jews who would strive to kill him.

Mary in Islam

We have already discussed the great status which Islam gives to Mary.  Islam gives her the status of being the most perfect of women created.  In the Quran, no woman is given more attention than Mary even though all the prophets, with the exception of Adam, had mothers.  Of the Quran’s 114 chapters, she is among the eight people who have a chapter named after them, the nineteenth chapter “Maryam”, which is Mary in Arabic.  The third chapter in the Quran is named after her father, Imran (Heli).  Chapters Maryam and Imran are among the most beautiful chapters in the Quran.  In addition, Mary is the only woman specifically named in the Quran.  The Prophet Muhammad said:

“The best women of the world are four: Mary the daughter of Heli, Aasiyah the wife of Pharaoh, Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid (The wife of the Prophet Muhammad), and Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, the Messenger of God.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

Despite all these merits which we have mentioned, Mary and her son Jesus were only human, and they had no characteristics which were beyond the realm of humanity.  They were both created beings and both ‘born’ into this world.  Although they were under the special care of God from committing grave sins (total protection - as other prophets - in the case of Jesus, and partial protection as other righteous persons in case of Mary, if we take the position that she was not a prophetess), they still were prone to make mistakes.  Unlike Christianity, which holds Mary to be faultless[2], none are given this quality of perfection except God Alone.

Islam commands the belief and implementation of strict monotheism; that none have any supernatural powers other than God, and that He alone deserves worship, devotion and adoration.  Even though miracles may have occurred at the hands of the prophets and righteous people during their lives, they have no power to help themselves, let alone others, after their death.  All humans are slaves of God and are in need of His help and mercy.

The same holds true for Mary.  Although many miracles occurred in her presence, all this ceased after her death.  Any claims people have made that they saw apparitions of the Virgin, or that people were saved from harm after invoking her, like those mentioned in apocryphal literature such as “Transitus Mariae”, are mere apparitions made by Satan to steer people away from the worship and devotion to the One True God.  Devotions such as 'the Hail Mary' praised upon the rosary and other acts of magnification, such as the devotion of churches and specification of feasts to Mary, all lead people to magnify and glorify others besides God.  Due to these reasons, Islam has strictly forbidden innovations of any kind, as well as building places of worship over graves, all to preserve the essence of all religions sent by God, the pristine message to worship Him alone and to leave the false worship of all other besides Him.

Mary was a maidservant of God, and she was the purest of all women, specially chosen to bear the miraculous birth of Jesus, one of the greatest of all prophets.  She was known for her piety and chastity, and she will continue to be held in this great regard throughout the ages to come.  Her story has been related in the Glorious Quran since the advent of the Prophet Muhammad, and will continue to be so, unchanged in its pristine form, until the Day of Judgment. - islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]See Genesis (3:16)

[2]St. Augustine: “De nat. et gratis”, 36.