Thursday 30 June 2011

SALE'S KORAN - The Jew, The Gypsy, and El Islam

Jew, The Gypsy, and El Islam, The
Jew, The Gypsy, and El Islam, The 
HiddenMysteries
THE ALKORAN
OF
MOHAMMED

COMMONLY CALLED
THE KORAN
Sale Translation
Translated Into English
From The Original Arabic
George Sale


THERE is surely no need to-day to insist on the importance of a close study of the Koran for all who would comprehend the many vital problems connected with the Islamic World; and yet few of us, I imagine, among the many who possess translations of this book have been at pains to read it through. It must, however, be borne in mind that the Koran plays a far greater role among the Muhammadans than does the Bible in Christianity in that it provides not only the canon of their faith, but also the textbook of their ritual and the principles of their Civil Law.


Excerpt:

It was the Great Crusades that first brought the West into close touch with Islam, but between the years 1096 and 1270 we only hear of one attempt to make known to Europe the Sacred Book of the Moslems, namely, the Latin version made in 1143, by Robert of Retina (who, Sale tells us, was an Englishman) , and Hermann of Dalmatia, on the initiative of Petrus Venerabilis, the Abbot of Clugny, which version was ultimately printed by T. Bibliander in Basel in 1543, nearly a hundred years after the fall of Constantinople.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, several translations appeared both in Latin and in French, and one of the latter, by Andre du Ryer, was translated into English by Alexander Ross in 1649. But by far the most important work on the Koran was that of Luigi Marracci which was published in Padua in 1698. George Sale's translation first appeared in November, 1734, in a quarto volume; in 1764 it was first printed in medium octavo, and the reprint of 1825 contained the sketch of Sale's life by Richard Alfred Davenant which has been utilized in the article on Sale in the Dictionary of National Bibliography. The Chandos Classics edition in crown octavo was first issued in 1877.

Soon after the death of the Prophet, early Muhammadan theologians began to discuss, not only the correct reading of the text itself, but also to work out on the basis of first-hand reports the story connected with the revelation of each chapter. As the book at present stands in its original form the chapters are arranged more or less according to their respective length, beginning with the longest; except in the case of the opening chapter, which holds a place by itself, not only in the sacred book of Islam, corresponding as it does in a manner to our Pater Noster, but also in its important ceremonial usages. The presumed order in which the various chapters were revealed is given in the tabular list of Contents, but it may be mentioned that neither Muhammadan theologians, nor, in more recent times, European scholars, are in entire agreement upon the exact chronological position of all the chapters.

It is well for all who study the Koran to realize that the actual text is never the composition of the Prophet, but is the word of God addressed to the Prophet; and that in quoting the Koran the formula is "He (may he be exalted) said" or some such phrase. The Prophet himself is of course quoted by Muhammadan theologians, but such quotations refer to his traditional sayings known as "Hadis," which have been handed down from mouth to mouth with the strictest regard to genealogical continuity.

It would probably be impossible for any Arabic scholar to produce a translation of the Koran which would defy criticism, but this much may be said of Sale's version: just as, when it first appeared, it had no rival in the field, it may be fairly claimed to-day that it has been superseded by no subsequent translations. Equally remarkable with his translation is the famous Preliminary Discourse which constitutes a tour de force when we consider how little critical work had been done in his day in the field of Islamic research. Practically the only works of first-class importance were Dr. Pocock's Specimen Historio Arabum, to which, in his original Address to the Reader, Sale acknowledges his great indebtedness, and Maracci's Koran.

In spite of the vast number of eminent scholars who have worked in the same field since the days of George Sale, his Preliminary Discourse still remains the best Introduction in any European language to the study of the religion promulgated by the Prophet of Arabia; but as Wherry says: "Whilst reading the Preliminary Discourse as a most masterly, and on the whole reliable, presentation of the peculiar doctrines, rites, ceremonies, customs, and institutions of Islam, we recognize the fact that modern research has brought to light many things concerning the history of the ancient Arabs which greatly modify the statements made in the early paragraphs."

For many centuries the acquaintance which the majority of Europeans possessed of Muhammadanism was based almost entirely on distorted reports of fanatical Christians which led to the dissemination of a multitude of gross calumnies. What was good in Muhammadanism was entirely ignored, and what was not good, in the eyes of Europe, was exaggerated or misinterpreted.

It must not, however, be forgotten that the central doctrine preached by Muhammad to his contemporaries in Arabia, who worshipped the Stars; to the Persians, who acknowledged Ormuz and Ahriman; the Indians, who worshipped idols; and the Turks, who had no particular worship, was the unity of God, and that the simplicity of his creed was probably a more potent factor in the spread of Islam than the sword of the Ghazis.


430+ pages - 10.5 x 7.5 inches SoftCover
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 The Jew, The Gypsy,
and El Islam

by
Sir Richard F. Burton

The first part-The Jew-has a somewhat curious history. Burton collected most of the materials for writing it from 1869 to 1871, when he was Consul at Damascus. His intimate knowledge of Eastern races and languages, and his sympathy with Oriental habits and lines of thought, gave him exceptional facilities for ethnological studies of this kind. Disguised as a native, and unknown to any living soul except his wife, the British Consul mingled freely with the motley populations of Damascus, and inspected every quarter of the city-Muslim, Christian, and Jewish. His inquiries bore fruit in material, not only for this general essay on the Jew, but for an Appendix dealing with the alleged rite of Human Sacrifice among the Sephardím or Eastern Jews.

Excerpt:

The ethnologist and the student of general history are urgently invited to consider the annals and the physical and intellectual aspects of the children of Israel, perhaps the most interesting subject that can occupy their attention. The Jew, like the Gypsy, stands alone, isolated by character, if not by blessing. Traditionally, or rather according to its own tradition, the oldest family on earth, it is at the same time that which possesses the most abundant vitality. Its indestructible and irrepressible life power enables this nation without a country to maintain an undying nationality and to nourish a sentiment of caste with a strength and a pertinacity unparalleled in the annals of patriotism.

The people that drove the Jews from Judæa, the empires which effaced the kingdoms of Israel and Judah from the map of the world, have utterly perished. The descendants of the conquering Romans are undistinguishable from the rest of mankind. But eighteen hundred years after the Fall of Jerusalem, the dispersed Jewish people have a distinct existence, are a power in every European capital, conduct the financial operations of nations and governments, and are to be found wherever civilization has extended and commerce has penetrated; in fact, it has made all the world its home.

One obstacle to a matured and detailed ethnological study of the Jew is the difficulty of becoming familiar with a people scattered over the two hemispheres. Though the race is one, the two great factors blood and climate have shown it to be anything but immutable, either in physique or in character. Compare, for instance, the two extremes-the Tatar faced Karaïte of the Crimea with the Semitic features of Morocco, the blond lovelocks of Aden and the fiery ringlets of Germany with the greasy, black hair of Houndsditch. And as bodily form differs greatly, there is perhaps a still greater distinction in mental characteristics: we can hardly believe the peaceful and industrious Dutch Jew a brother of the fanatic and ferocious Hebrew who haunts the rugged Highlands of Safed in the Holy Land. Yet though these differences constitute almost a series of sub races, there is one essentially great quality which cements and combines the whole house of Israel.

The vigour, the vital force, and the mental capacity of other peoples are found to improve by intermixture; the more composite their character, the greater their strength and energy. But for generation after generation the Jews have preserved, in marriage at least, the purity of their blood. In countries where they form but a small percentage of population the range of choice must necessarily be very limited, and from the very beginning of history the Jew, like his half brother the Arab, always married, or was expected to marry, his first cousin. A well known traveller of the present day has proved that this can be done with impunity only by unmixed races of men, and that the larger the amount of mixture in blood the greater will be the amount of deformity in physique and morale to be expected from the offspring. Consanguineous marriages are dangerous in England, and far more dangerous, as De Hone has proved, in Massachusetts. Yet the kings of Persia intermarried with their sisters, and the Samaritan branch of the Jews is so closely connected that first cousins are almost sisters.

370 + pages - 8 x 5 inches SoftCover


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Is the Bible Worth Reading and 105 Other Essays 

Is the Bible
Worth Reading


And 105 Other Essays

by
Lemuel K. Washburn

The writer of this book dedicates it to all men and women of common honesty and common sense.

Large Print 15 point font

Also Available in These Editions:
Extra Large Print PDF Edition 21 point font

PRC MobiPocket Reader Edition

Kindle Reader Edition

**************

Excerpt:

Is The Bible Worth Reading

That depends. If a man is going to get his living by standing in a Christian pulpit, I should be obliged to answer, Yes! But if he is going to follow any other calling, or work at any trade, I should have to answer, No! There is absolutely no information in the Bible that man can make any use of as he goes through life. The Bible is not a book of knowledge. It does not give instruction in any of the sciences. It furnishes no help to labor. It is useless as a political guide. There is nothing in it that gives the mechanic any hint, or affords the farmer any enlightenment in his occupation.

If man wishes to learn about the earth or the heavens; about life or the animal kingdom, he has no need to study the Bible. If he is desirous of reading the best poetry or the most entertaining literature he will not find it in the Bible. If he wants to read to store his mind with facts, the Bible is the last book for him to open, for never yet was a volume written that contained fewer facts than this book. If he is anxious to get some information that will help him earn an honest living he does not want to spend his time reading Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Kings, Psalms, or the Gospels. If he wants to read just for the fun of reading to kill time, or to see how much nonsensical writing there is in one book, let him read the Bible.

I have not said that there are not wise sayings in the Bible, or a few dramatic incidents, but there are just as wise sayings, and wiser ones, too, out of the book, and there are dramas of human life that surpass in interest anything contained in the Old or New Testament.

No person can make a decent excuse for reading the Bible more than once. To do such a thing would be a foolish waste of time. But our stoutest objection to reading this book is, not that it contains nothing particularly good, but that it contains so much that is positively bad. To read this book is to get false ideas, absurd ideas, bad ideas. The injury to the human mind that reads the Bible as a reliable book is beyond repair. I do not think that this book should be read by children, by any human being less than twenty years of age, and it would be better for mankind if not a man or woman read a line of it until he or she was fifty years old.

What I want to say is this, that there is nothing in the Bible that is of the least consequence to the people of the twentieth century. English literature is richer a thousand fold than this so-called sacred volume. We have books of more information and of more inspiration than the Bible. As the relic of a barbarous and superstitious people, it should have a place in our libraries, but it is not a work of any value to this age. I pity men who stand in pulpits and call this book the word of God. I wish they had brains enough to earn their living without having to repeat this foolish falsehood. The day will come when this book will be estimated for what it a worth, and when that day comes, the Bible will no longer be called the word of God, but the work of ignorant, superstitious men.




296 pages - 7 x 8½ softcover

ISBN-10: 1610337735
ISBN-13: 9781610337731

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About the Holy Bible

by
Robert Ingersoll

Somebody ought to tell the truth about the Bible. The preachers dare not, because they would be driven from their pulpits. Professors in colleges dare not, because they would lose their salaries. Politicians dare not. They would be defeated. Editors dare not. They would lose subscribers. Merchants dare not, because they might lose customers. Men of fashion dare not, fearing that they would lose caste. Even clerks dare not, because they might be discharged. And so I thought I would do it myself.

**************

Excerpt:

A few wandering families -- poor, wretched, without education, art or power; descendants of those who had been enslaved for four hundred years; ignorant as the inhabitants of Central Africa, had just escaped from their masters to the desert of Sinai. Their leader was Moses, a man who had been raised in the family of Pharaoh and had been taught the law and mythology of Egypt. For the purpose of controlling his followers he pretended that he was instructed and assisted by Jehovah, the God of these wanderers.

Everything that happened was attributed to the interference of this God. Moses declared that he met this God face to face; that on Sinai's top from the hands of this God he had received the tables of stone on which, by the finger of this God, the Ten Commandments had been written, and that, in addition to this, Jehovah had made known the sacrifices and ceremonies that were pleasing to him and the laws by which the people should be governed.

In this way the Jewish religion and the Mosaic Code were established.



70+pages - 5¼ x 8¼ softcover


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Brain Development in Schizophrenia and Autism

by

Clancy D. McKenze, M.D.



Dear David Icke,

Paul MacLean concurred with my findings of where and how the schizophrenic process was taking place in the brain, and the findings have been confirmed with data on 9,000 persons with the disorder

Autism might relate to a similar process. Both involve activation of phylogenetically earlier developmental brain structures to the partial exclusion of later developmental ones.

I have identified unsuspected infant separation traumas in the first two years of life that correlate with the later development of schizophrenia. The identical traumas in the next year of life correlate with the later development of non psychotic major depression.

The mechanism is delayed posttraumatic stress disorder from infancy, and it is reactivated later in life by a similar separation from some other "most important person" (husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend -- or group). The flashback is a partial shift to the entire earlier gestalt, the earlier mind/brain/reality/ feelings/behavior/ chemistry/ physiology and neuroanatomic sites active and developing at the precise time of the earlier trauma during infancy.

The earlier brain structures produce more of the neurotransmitters involved in the disease process, and when reactivated they produce more. The corresponding deactivation of higher cortical structures results in disuse atrophy. Thus we have an apparent neurodevelopmental disorder -- but which really is a psycho-neurodevelopmental disorder. Sarnoff Mednick confirmed this for me on the 6,000 in the Finnish data base on Schizophrenia, and Mortensen provided data on the 2,700 in the Danish cohort on schizophrenia which was significant beyond .000001.

The gender ratio of 4-7 to 1 in autism causes me to wonder about early traumas in males that do not occur in females. The obvious one is circumcision -- without anesthesia and without the mother present. This occurs at a time when the infant is using reptilian and old mammalian brain. The reptilian brain is active or there would not be the Moro reflex, for example.

(Much of this is described in my textbook or on my web site.)
http://www.DrMcKenzie.com

Early trauma could result in fixation of activity in early developmental regions of brain. These sites could serve as epileptogenic focal points of activity and be caused to perceverate -- to the exclusion of later developmental regions -- such as the language centers in the left posterier superior temporal gyrus -- which would then fail to develop.

I soon will be conducting a study in India, because Muslims and Hindus live side by side in the same culture. Hindus are not circumcised, but for muslims it is law by age three days.

Sincerely,

Clancy D. McKenze, M.D.
Chairman, Dept of Behavioral Medicine
Capital University of Integratiive Medicine
Washington DC

http://www.DrMcKenzie.com


Recommended Reading:
We're All in this Together

by Jess Miller

A How-To Guide on overcoming fear, stress, anxiety and depression, by one who did.






04-29-01


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Wednesday 29 June 2011

QUR'AAN, SCIENCE, MOON, DATES ...

Further Topic Research:
Syntax help

Video file:
  
Rebuttals:
Please see section #8 below.
  
  
Moon's S-shaped orbit around earth is shaped like a branch of a date tree, mentioned in the Noble Quran and confirmed by Science!
The sections of this article are:
1-  Dr. Harun Yahya's proofs.
2-  My elaboration.
      -  كال [kal] ('similar to' or 'looking like').
3-  Further Scientific Quotes and Proofs about the S-shaped orbit of the moon.
4-  Natural Pictures of date tree branches.
5-  What about those date-branches that are shaped like an arch and do not resemble the letter "S"?  Do they disprove the Noble Quran's Statement?
        -  But what about the date-stalks that are straight lines and aren't either archy or S-shaped?  Wouldn't they refute the Noble Quran's Statement?
6-  Two indisputable proofs from the Noble Quran about Allah Almighty referring to the S-shaped date branches and not just the archy ones.
7-  The moon had water and became dry.
      -  Why did Allah Almighty choose the date branch?
8-  Conclusion.
9-  Rebuttals.
10-  Great articles on the moon.
  
  
  
1-  Dr. Harun Yahya's proofs:
(More scientific quotes and proofs are in section #3 below)
The Noble Quran is filled with scientific statements and notions.  These are statements of Allah Almighty describing how He created things on earth and in the Universe.  What's most amazing is that all of these scientific statements and notions had been proven to be in perfect agreement with science and our modern-day scientific discoveries.  Allah Almighty made the Noble Quran be Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Everlasting Divine Miracle and proof for Prophethood.  The Holy Book certainly stood the test of time 1,500 years ago with Its Claims, Prophecies and Miraculous language eloquence, and it does again and again in our day today with Its overwhelming agreement with science and discoveries that were not known to man 1,500 years ago.
Allah Almighty Said: "We will show them Our signs in the Universe and inside their selves, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things?  (The Noble Quran, 41:53)"
With this said, let us look at Dr. Harun Yahya's quote and then I'll give my detailed analysis and more scientific quotes and proofs about the Noble Verse and Its Arabic Words.
  
(emphasis below are mine)
 
THE MOON'S ORBIT
And We have decreed set phases for the moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. It is not for the sun to overtake the moon nor for the night to outstrip the day; each one is swimming in a sphere. (Qur'an, 36:39-40)
( 36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم )
  
  
Loops that resemble the number 8:

(This image was added and modified by me.  I found it here and here)

(Ample natural pictures are provided in section #4 below)

The Moon does not follow a regular orbit like the satellites of other planets. As it orbits the Earth, it sometimes moves behind it and sometimes in front. As it also moves with the Earth around the Sun, it actually follows a constant pattern resembling the letter "S" in space. This route, traced by the Moon in space, is described in the Qur'an as resembling an old date branch and does indeed resemble the twisted form of the date tree branch. Indeed, the word "urjoon" employed in the Qur'an refers to a thin and twisted date branch and is used to describe that part left after the fruit has been picked. The way that this branch is described as "old" is also most appropriate since old date branches are thinner and more twisted.

(This is my modified image. See Dr.
Yahya's original image
here)
 
Since the Moon revolves around the Sun together with the Earth, it follows a path through space which resembles the letter “S.” The appearance of this orbit resembles the twisted shape of a dry date branch, as is revealed in the Qur’an.
There is no doubt that it was impossible for anyone to have any knowledge about the orbit of the Moon 1,400 years ago. The way that this pattern, identified by modern technology and accumulated knowledge, was revealed in the Holy Book is yet another scientific miracle of the Qur'an.
An addition from me, Osama Abdallah:
Allah Almighty also Said about the moon's phases:
With this said, let us now look at what Allah Almighty Said in the Noble Quran:
10:5 هو الذين جعل الشمس ضياء والقمر نورا وقدره منازل لتعلموا عدد السنين والحساب ماخلق الله ذلك الا بالحق يفصل الايات لقوم يعلمون
"It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty), and measured out stages for it; that ye might know the number of years and the count (of time). Nowise did God create this but in truth and righteousness. (Thus) doth He explain His Signs in detail, for those who understand.  (The Noble Quran, 10:5)"
So there is no question that the moon's stages and phases, in Noble Verses 36:39 and 10:5, are referring to the moon's positions in space (i.e., its cycles and its various orbits).
  
  
2-  My elaboration:
(More scientific quotes and proofs are in section #3 below)
Here is what Noble Verse 36:39 says in Arabic and English:
  
36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
Dr. Munir Munshey:
[036:039]  And the moon! We destined it to return in stages until it comes back like the dried out branch of the date tree!
Yusuf Ali:
[036:039]  And the Moon,- We have measured for her mansions (to traverse) till she returns like the old (and withered) lower part of a date-stalk.
Pickthall:
[036:039]  And for the moon We have appointed mansions till she return like an old shrivelled palm-leaf.
Sale:
[036:039]  And for the moon have We appointed certain mansions, until she change and return to be like the old branch of a palm-tree.
Muhammad Al-Hilali & Muhsin Khan:
[036:039]  And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk.
(The rest of the English translations are in section #4 below)

When Allah Almighty said "And the moon! We destined it to return in stages....", He undoubtedly referred to the different orbits that the moon does around the earth.  And عاد (comes back) is a very crucial key word here, because as Dr. Harun Yahya demonstrated above, the final stage of the moon's orbit makes it complete an S-shaped cycle which is indeed shaped like an "old (qadeem)", dry and twisted branch of a date tree!
  
كال [kal] ('similar to' or 'looking like'):
It is also important to know that "kal" كال  in "كالعرجون القديم" and also in the Arabic language means:
1-  Similar to.
2-  Looking like.
3-  Appearing as.
4-  Being as.
5-  Acting as.
6-  Resembling.
7-  As if it were.
What this means is that the moon's orbit around the earth doesn't exactly have to be a perfect S-shape, because neither does the moon's orbit resemble a perfect "S" according to the scientists' quotes below, nor does an old and twisted date-tree branch as the ample pictures below reveal.  Both the orbit and the old branch resemble the English letter "S" and look similar to it.  This is also what Allah Almighty Said in Noble Verse 36:39 when He said "kal" كالThe Almighty Said that the moon's orbit, in the end, LOOKS LIKE an old and twisted date-branch.
  
Latest Update!
  
From: Detailed Analysis from Lisan Al-Arab (this alone is 10 big books) and 7 other dictionaries proving the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran in Great Details.

2-  The moon's S-shaped orbit, reflection of light, and the curvy orbits of the celestial bodies:
Noble Verse(s) 36:39
Dr. Munir Munshey (one of www.answering-christianity.com's authors): [036:039]  And the moon! We destined it to return in stages until it comes back like the dried out branch of the date tree!
Transliteration:
[036:039]  Waalqamara qaddarnahu manazila hatta AAada kaalAAurjooni alqadeemi Arabic (from right to left):
36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
When the date-tree branches begin to grow, they start out looking archy.  As they continue to grow they start arching the other way from the bottom, giving them the look of an English letter S.  When they become very old, and begin to dry and die, they would've reached their maximum growth, and in most cases, they resemble the English letter S.
Allah Almighty also Said:
Noble Verse(s) 15:14
Yusuf Ali:[015:014]  Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein,
Transliteration:
[015:014]  Walaw fatahna AAalayhim baban mina alssama-i fathalloo feehi yaAArujoona Arabic (from right to left):
15:14 ولو فتحنا عليهم بابا من السماء فظلوا فيه يعرجون

Noble Verse(s) 70:3
Yusuf Ali:[070:003]  (A Penalty) from God, Lord of the Ways of Ascent.
Transliteration:
[070:003]  Mina Allahi thee almaAAariji Arabic (from right to left):
70:3 من الله ذي المعارج
المعارج and يعرجون  are partially translated here are ascend up. 
According to
1.  Lisan Al-Arab dictionary [1] , Book 2, Page 111.
2.  Al-Muheet dictionary [2], Page 194.
3.  Al-Muajam Al-Waseet dictionary [3], Page 591.
4.  Al-Mawrid dictionary Arabic-English section [4], Page 756.
6.  Arabic-English dictionary the Hans Wehr dictionary [6], Page 602.
the meaning of AARAJ means the following:
اعرج (a'aaraj), which is the root word: person who has a lame leg from a polio disease.  He walks lamely.  Such person doesn't walk straight. 
العرجان (al-aarajan): مشية الأعرج  (mishyatu al-a'aaraj) the walk of the a'aaraj.      
العرج (al-aaraj):  كالحقب , و هو ان لا يستقيم مخرج البول it means al-haqab, which is when the ejecting of the urine is not straight and is curved (لا يستقيم la yastaqeem).
العرج (al-aaraj): غيبوبة الشمس, و يقال إنعراجها نحو المغرب  the setting of the sun, and it is said: it's inejaajuha towards the West, which means, it's curved or archy path towards the West.    
عَرَجَ (aaraja):  عريج (aareej):  إرتفع و علا  raised and ascended up.
عرّج تعريج (aarraja taareeja):  ميّل (mayyala)  made curvy or archy.
المُنْعَرَجْ (al-munaaraj):  المنعطف (al-munaataf) a curved turn ahead.
[So when Allah Almighty Says: الله ذي المعارج , it means that Allah Almighty is the One who Created the archy and curvy orbits and paths of the Universe.  They are not straight shots!  They are curvy.  That's why Allah Almighty chose the Words  عرج ,  يعرجون , المعارج because they all speak about curvy routes to Heaven and not straight ones.]
Furthermore, we read:
إنعرج الشئ  (in'aaraja al-shaya'): إنعطف و مال يَمْنَةً و يَسْرَةً. يقال: إنعرج النهر.  Something that curved to the right and to the left.  It is said: the river إنعرج (in'aaraja), which means the river curved to the right and to the left.  It is not straight.
تعاريج النهر (ta'aareej al-nahr):  منعطفاته (mun'atafatih) the river's curving points.
عَرَجَ (aaraja): to swerve,  to zigzag, to follow a zigzag course.
تعاريج (ta'aareej): wavy lines.
مُنْعَرَجْ (munaaraj):  zigzag, winding.

  • Winding: snaking, snaky.

  • So when Allah Almighty Said:
    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
    عرجون is derived from عرج or إنعرج, and it clearly means that the moon's orbit does curve to the right and the left, like the English-letter S!
    Remember that the English language, and its letter S were not known to Arabia!  And as our scientists today say that the moon orbits the earth in S-shaped loops, Allah Almighty also Said that the moon orbits the earth in dry and twisted date-tree branches loops, that curve to the right and to the left, which is S-loops.
     
      
      
    3-  Further Scientific Quotes and Proofs about the S-shaped orbit of the moon:
    The following articles give ample scientific proofs about the S-shaped orbit of the moon.  Let's see if Dr. Harun Yahyah's image and claims about the moon's S-shaped orbit around the earth are confirmed by the non-Muslim scientists and discoveries.  Some important key terms in the following articles' quotes refer to the moon's S-shaped orbit around the earth:
    1.  "eastward drift".
    2.  "retrograde motion".
    3.  "nutation".
      
    Article #1:
    The following link and image were sent to me by Bassam Zawadi; may Allah Almighty always be pleased with him.
    Bassam said: "....if you see the pic of the moon orbit here http://www.scienceu.com/observatory/articles/eclipses/ you would notice that it is moving in an S shape. analyze it carefully." 


    (Click on any of the images to enlarge)


    "Eclipses, be they solar or lunar, occur when the Earth, Sun and Moon are in a line. If the Moon is in-between the Earth and the Sun, it blocks the view of the Sun from some parts of the Earth, and this produces a solar eclipse. If, on the contrary, it is the Earth that is in-between the Sun and Moon, then the earth will block the light from the Sun before it can get to the Moon. Since moonlight is just the light the Moon reflects from the Sun, this will darken the Moon, and we get a lunar eclipse.
    Since the Moon goes around the Earth every 28 days, shouldn't we expect a solar eclipse about every 28 days (when the Moon is new), and a lunar one in the same period, (when the Moon is full) ?
    Well, this would be so if the orbit of the Moon were in the same plane as the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. But we know eclipses are rarer than that; and the Moon's orbit is not in the same plane. Instead, it is tilted with respect to it, and the Moon does not in general pass directly on the Earth-Sun line. Moreover, the Moon's orbit tilt varies slowly. To have an eclipse, then, it is not enough that the three bodies be in the right order; the Moon's orbit should also be at the right tilt."
       
     The following image and text were taken from: http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=1742693:
     

    "This is an animation of the Moon's orbit around the Earth. It was made with Gravity Simulator's 1st order Euler's method. The time step was 16000 seconds. At this time step, the simulation is very innacurate. This would be evident if you look at the Moon's position at a known future date. For example, on August 12, 2045 there will be a total eclipse of the Sun across America. So if I paused the simulation there, I should see the Moon directly between the Earth and Sun. But with the errors introduced by the numerical method, the Moon will likely be elsewhere in its orbit at this time. However, despite the error, many features of the Moon's orbit remain accurate: Its semi-major axis has held constant. Its eccentricity and inclination remained constant as well. And its nodes still precess at their 18 year cycle known as the saros cycle, as evident in this animation. In fact, the saros cycle remains consistent no matter how large of a time step I take as long as it is slow enough that the Moon remains in its orbit."
     
    The orbit looks almost the same as Dr. Harun Yahya's image above:
      
    Loops that resemble the number 8:
    And also this image:
       
    Moon Orbit's Stages from Wikipedia
      
    The following image was taken from: http://www.timezone.com/library/tmachine/tmachine0005
    These pictures futher demonstrates the changing of the moon's orbit around the earth throughout the months, which makes it resemble S-shaped loops that we see in the first , second and third images above. 
       
    Article #2:
    The following movie-clip is about the earth orbiting the sun while the moon is orbiting the earth in a series of S-shaped curves, and it was taken from The universe "is full of paths and orbits" film that is listed at the top of this article.
    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
    And We have decreed set phases for the moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. (Qur'an, 36:39)
    Notice how the Noble Quran said the phases for the moon's orbit, and didn't just limit it to the orbit around the earth.  So the Noble Verse could very well also mean the moon's orbit around the earth while both of them are orbiting the sun as the following two images clearly shows the series of S-shaped orbits of the moon around both the earth and the sun.  Now of course, and as the articles below clearly state, the moon's orbit around the earth is also S-shaped by itself.  So in either interpretation, Noble Verse 36:39 is clearly and indisputably confirmed.

    Click on image to play the brief movie-clip.
      
    The following image was sent to me by Bassam Zawadi; may Allah Almighty always be pleased with him.
    Also, their source is: Arthur Mee and Holland Thompson, Ph.D., The Book of Knowledge Vol 1 (New York, NY: The Grolier Society, 1912) 147 Map Credit: Courtesy The Private Collection of Roy Winkelman.
      
    "Fig. 1: Lunar orbit. The blue grid is the ecliptic plane with the sun at the center. The earth’s orbit is represented by the blue oval. The lunar path is represented by the dotted red spiral."
      
    Again, for the following text-articles, some important key terms refer to the moon's S-shaped orbit around the earth:
    1.  "eastward drift".
    2.  "retrograde motion".
    3.  "nutation".
      
    Article #3:
    "The Lunar Month
    Another example of compound motions is the Lunar Month, which combines these two motions:
    1. The orbit of the Moon around the Earth, which appears as an eastward motion relative to the stars. This takes about 27.3 days to complete one orbit with respect to the stars (the sidereal month).
    2. The orbit of the Earth around the Sun, which causes the location of the Sun to slowly move eastward along the Ecliptic."
    (Source)
    The moon's orbit around earth appears as an 'eastward motion.'  So what is an eastward motion, in general, for any planet?  It is an S-shaped orbit as the next article says.  
      
    Article #4:
    "....the planet appears to speed up relative to the stars and begins moving faster than the stars toward the west, before it settles back into drifting once again toward the east each day. This sudden motion to the west is called "retrograde motion," since the planet seems to be regressing from its eastward drift. In this strange type of motion, the planet forms a looping or S-shaped path against the background of the stars...." (Source)
    'Eastward drift' is the same as 'eastward motion'.
      
    Article #5:
    "precession of the equinoxes, westward motion of the equinoxes along the ecliptic. This motion was first noted by Hipparchus c.120 B.C. The precession is due to the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun on the equatorial bulge of the earth, which causes the earth's axis to describe a cone in somewhat the same fashion as a spinning top. As a result, the celestial equator (see equatorial coordinate system), which lies in the plane of the earth's equator, moves on the celestial sphere, while the ecliptic, which lies in the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun, is not affected by this motion. The equinoxes, which lie at the intersections of the celestial equator and the ecliptic, thus move on the celestial sphere. Similarly, the celestial poles move in circles on the celestial sphere, so that there is a continual change in the star at or near one of these poles (see Polaris). After a period of about 26,000 years the equinoxes and poles lie once again at nearly the same points on the celestial sphere. Because the gravitational effects of the sun and moon are not always the same, there is some wobble in the motion of the earth's axis; this wobble, called nutation, causes the celestial poles to move, not in perfect circles, but in a series of S-shaped curves with a period of 18.6 years. There is some further precession caused by the gravitational influences of the other planets; this precession affects the earth's orbit around the sun and thus causes a shift of the ecliptic on the celestial sphere. The precession of the earth's orbital plane is sometimes called planetary precession, and that of the earth's equatorial plane (caused by the sun and moon) is called luni-solar precession; the combined effect of the moon, the sun, and the planets is called general precession. Planetary precession is much less than luni-solar precession. The precession of the equinoxes was first explained by Isaac Newton in 1687." (Source)
    (Also, their reference/source is: The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.  Licensed from Columbia University Press)
    The S-shaped curves here are relative to us on earth.  From our stand point and perspective here on earth, the moon is orbiting our planet in an S-shaped orbit.
       
    Article #6:
    "NUTATION
    in astronomy, a slight wobbling motion of the earth's axis. The causes of nutation are similar to those of the precession of the equinoxes, involving the varying attraction of the moon on the earth's equatorial bulge. However, the period of the motion is only 18.6 years, the same as that of the precession of the moon's nodes, as opposed to the nearly 26,000-year period of the precession of the equinoxes. Nutation was discovered by the English astronomer James Bradley in 1728 but was not explained until 20 years later." (Source)
      
    Article #7:
    "5.3. Precession of the Lunar Nodes
    [41] A higher order difficulty in determining the Earth’s reflectance from the albedo is that the intensity of the earthshine varies with the precession of the lunar nodes. That is, because the gravitational effects of the Sun and Moon are not always the same, there is some wobble in the motion of the Earth’s axis; this wobble, called nutation, causes the celestial poles to move, not in perfect circles, but in a series of S-shaped curves with a period of 18.6 years. This precession of the Moon’s orbital plane has a period of 18.6 years. The sensitivity of the earthshine arises from the anisotropy of the light scattered by the Earth. For example, when the declination of the new Moon is a maximum (some 29 ), and it is near the northern-summer solstice, more of the arctic polar ice cap is visible and the earthshine will be brighter. Some 9 years later, the lunar declination under the same conditions will be only 18 , and the earthshine will be at a minimum. We have performed simulations to study this effect and the results appear in Figure 10 and the Table 1. It is clear from Figure 10 that the nutation of lunar nodes perturbs p* at the 0.0012 level or less, or about five times smaller than the effect of anisotropy." (Source)
    Again, the S-shaped curves here are relative to us on earth.  From our stand point and perspective here on earth, the moon is orbiting our planet in an S-shaped orbit.
              
    Dr. Harun Yahya's Image is confirmed!
    There is no question that Dr. Harun Yahya's scientific claims weren't just a Muslim's biased views to support the Noble Quran.  They were rather accurate scientific statements that were clearly and indisputably confirmed by the Western Scientists, as I've clearly demonstrated above.
    Below, you'll see ample natural pictures of date branches clearly resembling the letter "S".
      
    It's just quite amazing!
    It is truly quite amazing that Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran Said these precise words through the tongue of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that no ordinary person would've thought about.  I mean, who would've been able to come up with such sentences and words 1,500 years ago to describe and comparing the moon's orbit to an old, dry and twisted date branch tree, which is shaped like the English-letter "S" as shown in the next section below, similar to our our scientists today when they describe it as "S-shaped"?  Who on earth would've thought about that??  The answer is simple.  The Prophet didn't think about anything.  He only spoke what was sent down to him from Divine Truth and Revelations!  Allah Almighty Said:
    "We will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and INSIDE THEIR SELVES, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things?  (The Noble Quran, 41:53)"
      
    The egg-shaped earth's orbit!
    This is not the only time Allah Almighty used a notion for astronomy.  In another Noble Verse, He described the shape of the earth's orbit around the sun as egg-shaped which had also been confirmed by science.
      
      
    4-  Natural pictures of date tree branches:
    (Please see the next main-section #5, below, about "What about those date-branches that are shaped like an arch and do not resemble the letter "S"?  Do they disprove the Noble Quran's Statement?")
      
    S-Shaped Date Branches:
    Please be advised that the moon's orbit around earth is not really a perfect "S".  Scientists said that it resembles the letter "S", but that doesn't mean that it looks perfectly like the English-letter "S".  Therefore, the date-branches below don't also have to look like a perfect letter "S".  Resembling it would be enough to prove the Divine Miracle of Allah Almighty.
    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
    And We have decreed set phases for the moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. (Qur'an, 36:39)
      

    Click here for emphasis on more branches.

        
     
    Dying, dry and twisted date branches that
    resemble the English-letter "S".  The more
    they die-out, the more they naturally and
    freely resemble the English-letter "S".
    The first image, above, which is also the last one, almost perfectly resembles the
    following Scientific image of the moon's orbit:
      
      
    Loops that resemble the number 8:
    As I've explained in main-section #2 above, كال (kal) means 'looking like' or
    'resembling'.  Since according to scientists, the moon's orbit isn't a perfect "S",
    but a close-enough one, and since an old date-branch isn't also a perfect "S" but
    a close-enough one, then this means that the pictures of the old and non-old
    date-tree branches, in this section, don't exactly have to look perfectly and exactly
    as this
    scientific image above of the moon's orbit.  Being similar to it or resembling
    it would certainly suffice, and all of the pictures in this section do perfectly
    just that.
       
     
    Date branches with all of their dates and the weight of those dates, that
    pull them down, removed, reveal that the natural curves of the date stalks
    do indeed resemble the English-letter "S".

    See the image in its original size (1) [2]:

    Notice how
    naturally curved the date branches are at their ends in both pictures, and how they freely
    resemble the English-letter "S"
    when the dates and their weights are completely removed from them.



    Again, notice how naturally curved the date branches are at their ends in both pictures, and how they
    freely resemble the English-letter "S" when the dates and their weights are completely removed
    from them.

      

    Click here for emphasis on more branches.

    Also, notice in the following picture how the moon's S-shaped orbit looks almost the same as the S-shaped stalks in the pictures above, where the body between the two blue circles, below, is long and the curves that make up the "S" in the two ends are short.
      

    Loops that resemble the number 8:

    Again, Please see the next main-section #5, below, about "What about those date-branches that are shaped like an arch and do not resemble the letter "S"?  Do they disprove the Noble Quran's Statement?"
       

      
    The date-stalk's ends are curvy, and it's general natural look and curves look similar to the following:
      
    The following pictures clearly reveal the curvy ends of the date-stalks:
    [1] [2] [3] [4a, 4b] [5] [6] [7a, 7b, 7c] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15a, 15b] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23a, 23b] [24] [25] [26a, 26b] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32a, 32b] [33a, 33b] [34a, 34b] [35a, 35b] [36] [37a, 37b] [38] [39a, 39b] [40a, 40b] ....  

    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
    And We have decreed set phases for the moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. (Qur'an, 36:39)
       

    Click to view original image

    Click to view original image

    Click to view original image

      
    Notice how the fully grown and freely hanging, date branches, that are not tied down and/or pulled down by
    any other branches or weight of date-fruits resemble the English-letter "S".
       
    Notice how the freely-hanging, fully grown, dry, and almost-dead date-branch almost perfectly resembles the
    English-letter "S", while the other shorter ones are close enough. 
      
    Film:

    This is brief film-clip of slowly bringing down date-tree stalks via ropes.  The film clearly reveals how the
    natural curves of the date-stalks resemble the English-letter "S".
    Click on any of the images to play the film.
       

    Click on an image to see the original.
      

    Picture of dead, dry and twisted date-tree branches that resemble wavy curves that look
    like the English-letter "S".  The
    red circles are the nodes where the date fruits used to hang
    from to further prove that this image is not forged and that these are indeed real dead
    date-branches.  I did this because the pictures didn't look as clear as the others.
    The dead branches resemble the following image of the moon's orbit:

    Click on image to play the brief movie-clip.
      
    Most, if not all, of the date branches resemble the English letter S. To clearly see the S-shaped curves of the branches, Click on the image above and then zoom in.
       
     
      

    Closing tightly:  The corner of each curve will curve and close more and more tightly as the branch
    dries out.  This will cause for all of the branches above to be much closer to the resemblance of the letter
    "S".  The curving is a natural result with all tree-branches and leaves in general.  Remember that Allah
    Almighty compared the Moon's orbit with an "an old date branch" and not just a normal and young one. 
       
    ILALA3.jpg 
    Two pictures of one palm-tree of a different palm-fruit carrying dry, curvey,
    and S-shaped stalks/branches.
       
    Notice here how the branches on the left and the center have the curves of snakes or the letter "S".  Now,
    the reason why the one on the outside far right looks like an arc is because the angel of the camera didn't
    do it justice.  But notice, however, the sections that I've circled in the image and how they're twisted and
    curved like the letter "S".  When the branches all dry out and die, their curves start getting more and more
    twisted and resembling to the letter "S".  Again, remember that Allah Almighty compared the Moon's
    orbit with an "an old date branch" and not just a normal and young one.
    And again, the moon's orbit around earth is not really a perfect "S".  Scientists said that it resembles the
    letter "S", but that doesn't mean that it looks perfectly like the English-letter "S".  Therefore, the
    date-branches don't also have to look like a perfect letter "S".  Resembling it would be enough to
    prove the Divine Miracle of Allah Almighty.
            
    Allah Almighty's description of the "phases/stages" of the moon's orbit as an "old (qadeem)" and dried out "branch of a date tree," and the scientists' description of the orbit as S-shaped only prove that the Noble Quran is indeed a Divine Revelation from Allah Almighty.  And as we clearly see below, all of the English translations of Noble Verse 36:39 accurately translated  كالعرجون القديم  as old dried out branch of a date tree.
    Noble Verse(s) 36:39
    Yusuf Ali: [036:039]  And the Moon,- We have measured for her mansions (to traverse) till she returns like the old (and withered) lower part of a date-stalk.
    Dr. Munir Munshey (one of www.answering-christianity.com's authors):
    [036:039]  And the moon! We destined it to return in stages until it comes back like the dried out branch of the date tree! Transliteration:
    [036:039]  Waalqamara qaddarnahu manazila hatta AAada kaalAAurjooni alqadeemi Arabic (from right to left):
    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم Sher Ali:
    [036:039]  And for the moon WE have appointed stages, till it becomes again like an old dry twig of a palm-tree. Shakir:
    [036:039]  And (as for) the moon, We have ordained for it stages till it becomes again as an old dry palm branch. Pickthall:
    [036:039]  And for the moon We have appointed mansions till she return like an old shrivelled palm-leaf. Sale:
    [036:039]  And for the moon have We appointed certain mansions, until she change and return to be like the old branch of a palm-tree. Muhammad Al-Hilali & Muhsin Khan:
    [036:039]  And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk. Palmer:
    [036:039]  And the moon, we have ordered for it stations, until it comes again to be like an old dry palm branch. Arberry:
    [036:039]  And the moon -- We have determined it by stations, till it returns like an aged palm-bough. Khalifa: (why is he here?)
    [036:039]  The moon we designed to appear in stages, until it becomes like an old curved sheath. Rodwell:
    [036:039]  And as for the Moon, We have decreed stations for it, till it change like an old and crooked palm branch.
    Indeed, all Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty alone!
      
      
    5-  What about those date-branches that are shaped like an arch and DO NOT resemble the letter "S"?  Do they disprove the Noble Quran's Statement?
    I've noticed that among the date-stalks' bunch (either dry and twisted or not) that not all of them resemble the English-letter "S".  Some of them are archy and sometimes even short.  So would this now disprove the Noble Quran's Statement?
    Answer:
    Absolutely not for the following reasons:
    1-  Allah Almighty never Said that every single existing date-tree-stalk on the face of this earth is shaped the same.  In all of Allah Almighty's creations, there are always variations in looks, behaviors and characteristics among every group of creation.  So it is only normal and natural to expect and anticipate differences among the date-tree-stalks' looks, lengths, colors and other characteristics.
     
    2-  Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran Said:
    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
    And We have decreed set phases for the moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. (Qur'an, 36:39)
    If we actually look at all of the old, dry and twisted date-stalks (or branches or strands), we would see that many of them naturally resemble the English-letter "S", and that some of them do look archy and others even look like straight lines.  In the case of the moon's orbit around the earth, it visibly appears archy to us.  To the ordinary person, 1,500 years ago, the moon orbited the earth in a circle.  No one could have ever imagined that the moon's orbit around the earth is S-shaped, and when we know today that many of the old, dry and twisted date-stalks do also resemble the English-letter "S", then we are left with a stunning Divine Miracle from the Noble Quran, because, yes, while the moon's orbit is archy, but it is still also S-shaped, which is a more comprehensive description of the moon's orbit.  The beautiful thing about this is that the S-shaped date-tree-stalks do encompass both.
    Also, as we've seen with the ample pictures above, it is indeed a true statement to say that the natural curves and looks of the date-tree-stalks, either when they're young or when they dry-out, do indeed resemble the English-letter "S".  We are not talking about exceptions here or 1 stalk out of a 1,000.  I've looked at countless pictures of date-stalks' bunches on the internet and all of them had many curved and twisted branches that resembled the English-letter "S" along with other branches that were archy and also straight lines.  In fact, in the very first date-stalk picture, above, where they've made and positioned the stalk to look like the English-letter "S", proves that the common thought about the shape of the date-tree-branches or stalks is that they do indeed resemble the English-letter "S".  This picture along with most of the other ones, above, were all taken from non-Muslim Western commercial web sites.  So they are definitely not for proving the Noble Quran so that they would doctor the picture, - not that I am claiming that we Muslims are liars who doctor pictures or anything like that.
    So yes, the moon's orbit around the earth is both archy and S-shaped, and both cases combined perfectly confirm Allah Almighty's Divine Statement in the Noble Quran.  All Praise and Glory are due to Him alone.
      
    But what about the date-stalks that are straight lines and aren't either archy or S-shaped?  Wouldn't they refute the Noble Quran's Statement?
    Again, absolutely not, because even to man, 1,500 years ago, the moon's orbit around the earth never looked like a straight line.  So those stalks must be excluded because they do not represent anything.
    And again, as I mentioned in point #1, above, Allah Almighty never Said that every single existing date-tree-stalk on the face of this earth looks the same.  In all of Allah Almighty's creations, there are always variations in looks, behaviors and characteristics among every group of creation.  So it is only normal and natural to expect and anticipate differences among the date-tree-stalks' looks, lengths, colors and other characteristics.
    The very fact, though, that Allah Almighty made it clear in the Noble Quran that the sun's and the moon's orbits are different from each others [1], while to man, 1,500 years ago, they both looked the same just going around in endless circles, clearly and indisputably proves that Allah Almighty's Statement in the Noble Quran is indeed a stunning Divine Miracle in the Noble Quran!  Again, all Praise and Glory are due to Him, the Almighty, alone.
      
    Notes for this section:
    1.  Allah Almighty Said that the moon's orbit is like an old and twisted date-tree branch.  However, Allah Almighty never said anything about the shape of the sun's orbit.  Not only that, but Allah Almighty also Said that the day and the night, and the sun and the moon, each swims in its orbit:
    "And He is the One Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Each is afloat in its orbit.  (The Noble Quran, 21:33)"
    Yet, the moon's own orbit is different from the others because it is shaped like a date-branch.
    Not only that, but notice how Allah Almighty Said that He Created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon.  Scientists today have indeed confirmed that it is the day-layer that processes and reveals the sun's brilliant rays, because the sun's brilliant rays in outer space are very dark blue, and they are not shining.  That is why the space is absolutely black during our brightest day on earth.  Allah Almighty Said:
    "By the sun and its radiant light, and the moon that trails (and reflects) its light. By the day that reveals its brightness.  (The Noble Quran, 91:1-5)"
    I have provided ample Noble Verses from the Noble Quran, and ample Scientific quotes, pictures, and even a movie-clip that thoroughly demonstrate the Truthfulness of this Noble Verse.  Please visit:
    So yes, indeed, it is not the sun that reveals our day, but rather, it is the day that processes reveals the sun's radiant lights.  So yes, indeed, the night and the day, and the sun and the moon are all swimming in their orbits and they are each doing their own different and unique tasks that complement each others by Allah Almighty's Magnificent Design, Wisdom and Will.
      
      
    6-  Two indisputable proofs from the Noble Quran about Allah Almighty referring to the S-shaped date branches and not just the archy ones:
    As we've clearly seen above, the date branches, whether dry and twisted or not, do resemble:
    1-  S-shaped curves.
    2-  Archy curves.
    3-  Just plain straight lines.
    So which one did Allah Almighty mean?  And why and how?
      
    Answer:
    The first proof:
    To man 1,500 years ago, the sun and the moon were orbiting the earth in endless circles.  The sun's orbit was the bigger circle than the moon's because people witnessed eclipses where the moon comes in front of the sun, blocks its rays, and turns the day into a night.  There are ample Noble Verses from the Noble Quran and Sayings (Hadiths) from Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that talked about eclipses [1].  So this was a known fact to man 1,500 years ago.
    So what does this mean?  Well, there is certainly a Divine Purpose for Allah Almighty to only Say that the moon's orbit is shaped like an "old and twisted date branch" and never mentioned anything about the sun's orbit.  Why didn't Allah Almighty mention anything of this sort about the sun's orbit around the earth?  Didn't the sun and the moon's orbits look the same to man 1,500 years ago and even to us today?  I mean, to the ordinary, aren't the sun's and the moon's orbit no more than endless circular motions around the earth?  So if the moon's orbit is shaped like an "old and twisted date branch" then this should make the sun's orbit the same thing to man 1,500 years ago.  Right?
    This certainly would've been true if Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a liar and the Noble Quran wasn't revealed by Allah Almighty.  But because Prophet Muhammad is a True Messenger from GOD Almighty, and because the Noble Quran is a True Divine Revelation from GOD Almighty, Allah Almighty only talked about the moon's orbit and not the sun's, because they are both different.  Allah Almighty Said:
    "We will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and inside their selves, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things?  (The Noble Quran, 41:53)"
    Certainly, the moon's orbit being different from the sun's is a Sign from Allah Almighty "in the Universe" for us, and there are tens (10s) more topics with 100s of Noble Verses, combined, that were revealed to us throughout the Noble Quran.  Since man have discovered that the sun's orbit and the moon's orbit are completely different from each others, and since Allah Almighty PRECISELY Chose to only talk about the moon's orbit being S-shaped and since scientists today have demonstrated and proven that the moon's orbit around the earth is S-shaped, and the moon's orbit around the sun is also in an endless S-shaped loop, then we have indeed a Stunning Noble Verse and a Divine Miracle in Noble Verse 36:39:
    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
    And We have decreed set phases for the moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. (Qur'an, 36:39)
      
    The second proof:
    If Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was indeed a liar, and if the Noble Quran was indeed a Book not from Allah Almighty, then we wouldn't have seen ample Scientific Miracles in the Holy Book.  We, instead, would've seen scientific blunders in It:
    "Do they not ponder on the Qur'an?  Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.   (The Noble Quran, 4:82)"
    The very fact that Allah Almighty Chose to Say "old and twisted date branch" and not just "date branch" for the moon's orbit proves that there is a Divine Message, Purpose and Wisdom in this Noble Verse, especially that when Allah Almighty only Said it about the moon and didn't include the sun with it.  We have already seen how the freely hanging date branches - when they become dry and twisted - they resemble the English-letter "S": [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7a, 7b] [8] [9].  And we have also seen the ample scientific proofs in both pictures and text (quotes from scientists) that have demonstrated and proven how the moon's orbit around the earth indeed resembles the English-letter "S", and how the moon's orbit around the sun is also swimming in S-shaped loops.
    So undoubtedly, the main characteristic of the moon's orbit, whether around the earth or the sun, is that it is shaped like the English-letter "S".  I just find it to be indeed very stunning that Allah Almighty Said this about the moon's orbit alone and the characteristics of the moon's orbit alone 1,500 years ago when man had absolutely no idea and no clue about this fact.  Indeed, all Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty alone.
      
    Notes for this section:
    1.  The following sample Hadiths and Noble Verse prove that eclipses were known to man 1,500 years ago:
    Narrated Asma' bint Abu Bakr: "The Prophet ordered us to free slaves at the time of solar eclipses.  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 46, Number 695)"
    Narrated Abu Bakra: "The solar eclipse occurred while we were sitting with the Prophet He got up dragging his garment (on the ground) hurriedly till he reached the mosque The people turned (to the mosque) and he offered a two-Rak'at prayer whereupon the eclipse was over and he traced us and said, "The sun and the moon are two signs among the signs of Allah, so if you see a thing like this (eclipse) then offer the prayer and invoke Allah till He remove that state,"  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Number 676)"
    "And the moon is eclipsed.  (The Noble Quran, 75:8)"
      
      
    7-  The moon had water and became dry:
    It is important to know that the some of the Noble Verses in the Holy Quran could have multiple interpretations to them, and all of those interpretations are true at the same time.  Noble Verse 36:39 seems to fit this well:
    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
    And We have decreed set phases for the moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. (Qur'an, 36:39)
      
    The Arabic word عاد (ended up, returned) is both a simple past and a past tense.  What this means is that the Noble Verse could also be referring to an event that took place in the past. 
    Date is a desert fruit.  The fruit and its branches are known to store water for survival:

  • "Living and surviving in the Sahara Desert is very challenging to animals, plants and people. They must adapt themselves to the very hot climate and find ways to survive.
    ..........
    The Sahara Desert is very far from the animal-free climate because many living creatures call this place a home. Additionally, over thirty thousands petrolyphs or primitive drawings of animals such as crocodiles and the fossils of dinosaurs are found in the area of Sahara. This is evidential proof of life and existence.
    Many types of plants grow in the Sahara Desert. Grasses like Eragrostis, Panicum and Aristida are abundant. Trees such as Acacia and Atemisia and the shrubs like doum palm, and date palm are the common. These planta are saline-tolerant, also found in saline depression area. They are adaptable to the excessive heat and precipitation.
    Plants need enough water for survival. Desert plants must adapt to very hot and harsh state. For example, the cactus plant has spines instead of a broad leaves to minimize too much loss of water and thick stem to store water in a plant's body for a long period of time."
      (Source)
         

  • "Because water is limited, desert plants must protect against water loss and wilting, which can damage their cells. Large plants require strong fibers or thick, woody cell walls to help hold them upright. Even smaller plants have a great number of these, which makes them fibrous and tough. Their leaves tend to be small and thick, with less surface exposed to the air. Outer leaf surfaces are often waxy, which helps prevent water loss. Pores in the surface of green leaves allow the plant to "breathe," taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. The leaves of some desert plants may have grooves to protect their pores against the movement of hot, dry air. Other leaves curl up or develop a thick covering of tiny hairs for protection. Still others have adjusted to the dry environment by adapting the shape of their leaves. For, example cactus leaves are actually spines (needles). These spines provide less surface area from which water can evaporate. As a result, more water is stored within the plant.
    ..........
    Palms: Date palms, found at many oases in the Sahara and Arabian Deserts, can grow in soil with a high salt content. Only female trees produce dates, and only a few male trees are necessary for cross-pollination. The dates can be eaten raw, dried, or cooked and are an important food source for desert dwellers."
      (Source)
         

  • Other articles to read: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]......

  • In fact, it is said that if you travel in the desert and you're carrying dates with you, then you wouldn't need to drink much from your water, because eating dates will help quench your thirst and boost your energy due to the water, sugars, vitamins, minerals, and all of the other energy materials such as hormones and others that they contain.  Dates have everything your body needs to keep you alive.
    The moon used to have water.  The moon too used to have water in its interior until it all dried out: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]....
      
    Why did Allah Almighty choose the date branch?
    There is certainly a Divine Wisdom and a big reason for why Allah Almighty chose to compare the moon and its orbit to a desert fruit's branch.  And all Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty Alone, the more we discover about both the moon and the date fruit, the more we see that the parable was indeed a great example with much Divine Knowledge, Wisdom and Truth in it. 
    I believe the reason why Allah Almighty chose the date-fruit branch for the parable is because:
    1-  The date-fruit branch, when it dries up, it does resemble the English-letter S, which is what the moon's orbit looks like.
    2-  The date-fruit branch, when it starts growing up, it looks like an arch (crescent), and then as it ages, it starts curving from the bottom making it resemble the English-letter S as shown in the 10s (tens) of pictures above.
    3-  The date fruit and its branch, like a camel, store much water for later use to enable them to survive the unforgiving desert's extreme heat and lack of much water.  While other desert plants like the cactus and cactus fruit also store water, but their branches are not anywhere near resembling the moon's S-shaped orbit.
    I am sure there are other reasons that I can't think of right now.  All Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty Alone!
      
      
    8-  Conclusion:
    Again, the Noble Quran is filled with scientific statements and notions.  These are statements of Allah Almighty describing how He created things on earth and in the Universe.  What's most amazing is that all of these scientific statements and notions had been proven to be in perfect agreement with science and our modern-day scientific discoveries.  Allah Almighty made the Noble Quran be Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Everlasting Divine Miracle and proof for Prophethood.  The Holy Book certainly stood the test of time 1,500 years ago with Its Claims, Prophecies and Miraculous language eloquence, and it does again and again in our day today with Its overwhelming agreement with science and discoveries that were not known to man 1,500 years ago.
    Allah Almighty's comparison of the moon's orbit around the earth with the shape of an old and dried-out branch of a date tree is truly amazing!  No man could've possibly thought about this 1,500 years ago, because the S-shaped orbit of the moon around our planet was not known to man back then.  On the contrary, man thought that the earth was flat and that the sun and the moon were rotating around it in perfectly circular motion.  Not only that, but in some of the far eastern pagan scriptures such as in Hinduism, they are even taught that the earth has two holes at its "ends" that the sun goes through during its rising and setting!  Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran, on the other hand, described the earth as egg-shaped [2] [3], and talked about its motion in space and around its own axle in numerous Noble Verses [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].  And now, the Almighty GOD perfectly described for us how the moon orbits our planet earth!
    Also, scientists have recently confirmed that the moon used to have water in its interior.  Desert fruits and their branches do also store water in their interiors to survive the hot and unforgiving desert.  Allah Almighty's parable of the moon going through phases until ends up looking like or being like a date-tree branch is also Miraculous, because both the moon and an old date-tree branch are dry and dead.  And both used to have water and life in them.
    Indeed, all Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty alone for making the Noble Quran be the Perfect and Everlasting Miracle, for us humans, out of all of His Divine Miracles!  And may Allah Almighty send His Peace, Mercy and Blessings upon our Beloved and Blessed Prophet, Teacher and Role Model, Muhammad.  Ameen.
      
      
    9-  Rebuttals:
    Some polytheist trinitarian pagans tried to refute this article by claiming that people of old, before Islam, knew of the moon's different positions in regards to orbiting the planet earth.  Thus, the Noble Quran's Claim is not a big deal or is not Miraculous.
      
    My Response:
    It is true that people of old, before Islam, knew of the moon's different positions in regards to orbiting the earth.  That is why they had eclipses and that is why they had lunar and solar year-calculations.  But none ever claimed that the moon's orbit around the earth is S-shaped or shaped like an old and twisted date-tree branch or shaped like any Latin alphabet that resembled the English-letter S.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was an illiterate Bedouin who lived in the desert.  He also didn't know this fact, nor did anyone in Arabia or elsewhere.  It was Allah Almighty Alone Who Knew it and mentioned it to mankind in His Divine Revelation, in the Noble Quran, before astronomers today discover it.  That is why Allah Almighty Promised and Prophesized in the Holy Quran:
    "We will show them Our signs in the Universe and inside their selves, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things?  (The Noble Quran, 41:53)"
    The polytheist trinitarian pagans failed to provide a single claim from the people of old, before Islam or even after Islam, about the moon's orbit being shaped like a date-tree branch or an English letter S.  It was our astronomers who just recently confirmed this fact that already existed in the Holy Quran 1,500 years ago.  All what the pagans did was provide an explanation on how people calculated the moon's orbit for lunar date calculations. 
    Furthermore, I challenge the pagans to provide us with something similar to the Noble Quran's Stunning Divine Claim in their pornographic bible; the book that literally sings glory and praising songs about women's vaginas and breasts taste like "wine"; the book of she wished if her lover (boyfriend) was her brother so that she wouldn't have to take him home in secrete to "our bed" (their bed that is); and the book of 100s of textual, scientific and historical contradictions and errors in it.
    As to pagans' claim about the Noble Verse's text being too vague and that we are reading the Divine Miracle into it, please refer to sections 1, 2, 5 and 6 above for detailed analysis of the Arabic text, and the comparison of the sun's and the moon's orbits in the Noble Quran.
    Therefore, the polytheist trinitarian pagans' arguments fail and Islam wins.  All Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty Alone!
      
    Latest Rebuttal Update!
      
    From: Detailed Analysis from Lisan Al-Arab (this alone is 10 big books) and 7 other dictionaries proving the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran in Great Details.
      
    2-  The moon's S-shaped orbit, reflection of light, and the curvy orbits of the celestial bodies:
    Noble Verse(s) 36:39
    Dr. Munir Munshey (one of www.answering-christianity.com's authors): [036:039]  And the moon! We destined it to return in stages until it comes back like the dried out branch of the date tree!
    Transliteration:
    [036:039]  Waalqamara qaddarnahu manazila hatta AAada kaalAAurjooni alqadeemi Arabic (from right to left):
    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
    When the date-tree branches begin to grow, they start out looking archy.  As they continue to grow they start arching the other way from the bottom, giving them the look of an English letter S.  When they become very old, and begin to dry and die, they would've reached their maximum growth, and in most cases, they resemble the English letter S.
    Allah Almighty also Said:
    Noble Verse(s) 15:14
    Yusuf Ali:[015:014]  Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein,
    Transliteration:
    [015:014]  Walaw fatahna AAalayhim baban mina alssama-i fathalloo feehi yaAArujoona Arabic (from right to left):
    15:14 ولو فتحنا عليهم بابا من السماء فظلوا فيه يعرجون
      
    Noble Verse(s) 70:3
    Yusuf Ali:[070:003]  (A Penalty) from God, Lord of the Ways of Ascent.
    Transliteration:
    [070:003]  Mina Allahi thee almaAAariji Arabic (from right to left):
    70:3 من الله ذي المعارج
    المعارج and يعرجون  are partially translated here are ascend up. 
    According to
    1.  Lisan Al-Arab dictionary [1] , Book 2, Page 111.
    2.  Al-Muheet dictionary [2], Page 194.
    3.  Al-Muajam Al-Waseet dictionary [3], Page 591.
    4.  Al-Mawrid dictionary Arabic-English section [4], Page 756.
    6.  Arabic-English dictionary the Hans Wehr dictionary [6], Page 602.
    the meaning of AARAJ means the following:
    اعرج (a'aaraj), which is the root word: person who has a lame leg from a polio disease.  He walks lamely.  Such person doesn't walk straight. 
    العرجان (al-aarajan): مشية الأعرج  (mishyatu al-a'aaraj) the walk of the a'aaraj.      
    العرج (al-aaraj):  كالحقب , و هو ان لا يستقيم مخرج البول it means al-haqab, which is when the ejecting of the urine is not straight and is curved (لا يستقيم la yastaqeem).
    العرج (al-aaraj): غيبوبة الشمس, و يقال إنعراجها نحو المغرب  the setting of the sun, and it is said: it's inejaajuha towards the West, which means, it's curved or archy path towards the West.    
    عَرَجَ (aaraja):  عريج (aareej):  إرتفع و علا  raised and ascended up.
    عرّج تعريج (aarraja taareeja):  ميّل (mayyala)  made curvy or archy.
    المُنْعَرَجْ (al-munaaraj):  المنعطف (al-munaataf) a curved turn ahead.
    [So when Allah Almighty Says: الله ذي المعارج , it means that Allah Almighty is the One who Created the archy and curvy orbits and paths of the Universe.  They are not straight shots!  They are curvy.  That's why Allah Almighty chose the Words  عرج ,  يعرجون , المعارج because they all speak about curvy routes to Heaven and not straight ones.]
    Furthermore, we read:
    إنعرج الشئ  (in'aaraja al-shaya'): إنعطف و مال يَمْنَةً و يَسْرَةً. يقال: إنعرج النهر.  Something that curved to the right and to the left.  It is said: the river إنعرج (in'aaraja), which means the river curved to the right and to the left.  It is not straight.
    تعاريج النهر (ta'aareej al-nahr):  منعطفاته (mun'atafatih) the river's curving points.
    عَرَجَ (aaraja): to swerve,  to zigzag, to follow a zigzag course.
    تعاريج (ta'aareej): wavy lines.
    مُنْعَرَجْ (munaaraj):  zigzag, winding.

  • Winding: snaking, snaky.

  • So when Allah Almighty Said:
    36:39 والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم
    عرجون is derived from عرج or إنعرج, and it clearly means that the moon's orbit does curve to the right and the left, like the English-letter S!
    Remember that the English language, and its letter S were not known to Arabia!  And as our scientists today say that the moon orbits the earth in S-shaped loops, Allah Almighty also Said that the moon orbits the earth in dry and twisted date-tree branches loops, that curve to the right and to the left, which is S-loops.
     
    Also and as I have demonstrated in great details in the earlier section above, scientists have recently confirmed that the moon used to have water in its interior.  Desert fruits and their branches do also store water in their interiors to survive the hot and unforgiving desert.  Allah Almighty's parable of the moon going through phases until ends up looking like or being like a date-tree branch is also Miraculous, because both the moon and an old date-tree branch are dry and dead.  And both used to have water and life in them.
    All Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty Alone!
      
      
    10-  Great articles on the moon:
    Here are some nice articles on the moon and its orbit:
      
      
      
      


  • The egg-shaped earth's orbit! This is not the only time Allah Almighty used a notion for astronomy.  In another Noble Verse, He described the shape of the earth's orbit around the sun as egg-shaped which had also been confirmed by science.
    Please visit: If the Noble Quran says the earth is "egg-shaped" through a Notion, then why couldn't Prophet Muhammad just say it clear in plain Arabic? with detailed proofs demonstrating the miracle of the Word/Notion "dahaha".
      
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