The spirit of truth.

"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak; and he will disclose to you what is to come."

John 16:12-13

Who said the above? and who is the Spirit of Truth?


It is said to be the words of Isa A.S (Jesus Christ) - as indicated in the Christian Bible today. As Muslims who believe in the Last Prophet Muhammad SAW, we of course believe Isa A.S. was referring to Muhammad SAW.

Actually that verse came to mind, because I suddenly felt and thought of something along the same line. I think it is a lesson also for us. I guess sometimes, we have to learn to control what we say to others in person. Some people may not be ready to hear everything we want to say or share.

A dummy-proof example would be, I cannot explain about the bad economics of the world, and about economic hitmen and how the world is dominated by the the wrong people and how we should support local and small businesses - to a 4 year old child.

Or sometimes, we cannot share EVERYTHING because not everyone will feel or see things as we do. And we would seem odd to them, and we might just drive them away.

Or, the information may just be a bit too much for a person to bear in one single sitting or within a period of time. Sometimes, information are best shared over a long period of time. This is also as what I understand, from what is taught in the Qur'an:

سَنُقْرِؤُكَ فَلَا تَنسَى
إِلَّا مَا شَاء اللَّهُ إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَى

"By degrees shall We teach thee to declare (the Message), so thou shalt not forget,
Except as Allah wills: For He knoweth what is manifest and what is hidden."

Al-A'la 87:6-7

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً كَذَلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلًا

"Those who reject Faith say: "Why is not the Qur'an revealed to him all at once? Thus (is it revealed), that We may strengthen thy heart thereby, and We have rehearsed it to thee in slow, well-arranged stages, gradually."

Furqan 25:32

(Translations by Yusuf Ali)

We need time to absorb information, to change mindsets and to bring ourselves to the different levels of understanding and perspectives.

There are times I feel like "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" Hopefully, insyaAllah I'll be intelligent enough to know how best to share my thoughts and feelings with close ones. Aamiin.

Tired

Sometimes, I feel like dah tak kuasa nak layan kerenah dunia* Always making life more complicated. If it's simple and straight-forward, it cannot be good. It has to be complicated so as to appear impressive.

People don't want to wait 5 seconds. It's too long. They'd rather spend thousands to remove that extra click. They want to save steps and time. They still have no time.

They don't want to listen anyway. They can have it their way. It is a waste of time. So look at it as a source of income.

:/

*I don't know how to translate that to English, without losing the EXACT feel of that sentence.
Language shapes how a person think and feel, don't you think? The availability of words to describe a situation or the grammatical sentence structure somehow shapes how a person think and feel. Wouldn't that, then means that the more languages we speak, the more broad and vast our mind may be. (?)

Banks still at it

Wow, six years ago, I was complaining about it. Now, I'm complaining some more, but now I've become ruthless(?) to them.

I started responding the way I do, about few months back. At that time, I was really TIRED and I was just about the leave the office when I received a call from an unknown number.

Nowadays, most of the time, unknown numbers means banks, insurance companies or spas. So anyway, that evening I was very irritated and I picked up the phone and true enough it's the bank.
Again, they are asking me to take a loan.

Caller : We are calling from XXXX representing XXX Bank (why don't the bank call us themselves?) and we'd like to offer you an attractive loan at a low interest rate of xxxx

I : Why would I need a loan??

Caller : Oh, because it's on offer now, if you take now you enjoy the low interest rate...

I : But why should I take a loan? I don't NEED the extra money desperately now. I am quite happy having no debt to settle and you are asking me to get into a debt???
I don't think it's nice to ask people to get into a debt. They have no problems and you are asking them to get a problem. This is not a good thing to do, you should seriously consider changing your job. You are suggesting to people and coercing them into getting a problem. If they really NEED the loan, they will GO TO THE BANK to ask for the loan.

Caller : Sorry to bother you ma'am. It's okay if you don't need it. Bye.

This works. At the same time a wake-up call for them to STOP ASKING PEOPLE TO TAKE LOANS THEY DON'T NEED.

Usually, I'd be the one saying Bye... bye... bye.. and they'd still go on rambling. This time, they said 'bye' and quickly hung up. :p

Just now, one more.

cotton candy clouds

Wouldn't learning about clouds be so much more fun and easier if the names of the clouds are made simple like 'cotton candy clouds', 'the wave', 'the grand puff', 'fishy cloud' etc, as opposed to 'cirrocumulus stratiformis', cirrus uncinus, altocumulus translucidus. They are such a mouthful and it could have easily have been a name given to an animal instead.

Those mouthful names mean nothing. They are just a nuisance to learning. The point of learning about clouds is to identify it's characteristics, what it means to us, what we can expect when we see these kind of clouds. But all those points are lost in just trying to memorise the spelling for the I-suspect-there-is-a-conspiracy-to-ensure-that-not-many-will-KNOW-how-to-spell-it kind of names.

Man. Always making things difficult for ourselves.

BUT, who says WE have to really know those names? I'll just learn about the clouds itself and ponder about these Creations - not the man-given-name.


p.s. This reminds me of how simple the ideas presented in the Qur'an are, for easy understanding.

About the so called 'Wahhabis'.

The first time I remember, hearing this word is when a sister told me to be careful of a person because he is a 'wahhabi'. I asked her what that means. She said she doesn't know, but she was told to be careful. And that's how the label spreads. With many people labelling others with it, but none of them knowing exactly what it is all about.

Mind you, none of the people who are being labelled as a 'wahhabi' has ever acknowledged themselves as one, because there is no such thing. This is a label created by someone and/or applied by the ignorant others on any person who doesn't agree with them in a matter of fiqh opinion.

Here is a video by Bro Yusuf Estes giving a short and clear explanation of the man who was being labelled as the leader of the so-called new or askewed belief, and where the name 'Wahhabi' came from.




I believe, none of the people who are labelling other people 'wahhabis', know the history of the label. If they know, they would find it silly to use it.

Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab, was just a scholar during HIS time and in HIS area who spoke and explained against the shirk practices of the people during his time. We have our own ulama's in our time and area, speaking against shirk practices and we don't call our selves by the ulama's name or calling ourselves as his follower. We are just all MUSLIMS - trying our best to do the right thing and for the sake of Allah SWT alone and nobody else. So don't label Muslims other than Muslims and considering that there are sects and groups within Islam. Don't be like the people that Allah has warned us about in the Qur'an.

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

مِنَ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ

So set thou thy face steadily and truly to the Faith: (establish) Allah's handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah; that is the standard Religion, but most among mankind understand not.

Turn ye back in repentance to Him, and fear Him: establish regular prayers, and be not ye among those who join gods with Allah,-

Those who split up their Religion, and become (mere) Sects,- each party rejoicing in that which is with itself!

Al-Qur'an, Ar-Rum 30:30-32 (translation by Yusuf Ali)

May Allah make us all among the people on the straight Path. Aamiin.

Solat

Solat, so that Allah may forgive your sins.
Solat, so that Allah may make life easy for you.
Solat, so that Allah may increase your Rezq (sustenance).
Solat, so that Allah may make you a stronger person.
Solat, so that Allah may help you refrain from bad things.
Solat, so that you may thank Allah for all that you have.
Solat, so that you may remember Allah always.
Solat, so that you will have more peace of mind.
Solat, so that Allah may save you from Hellfire.
Solat, with much hope that you will be among the dwellers of Paradise.
Solat, so that Allah may ease your problems.
Solat, so that Allah may purify your heart.
Solat, so that Allah may make you a good person.
Solat, so that you may Praise Allah.
Solat, because it is our obligation to solat.

How NOT to name an event.

I literally cringed at a couple of inappropriate names I saw for events intended to be soul-inspiring.
How to be inspired when the 1st image painted is of trash or out-of-the-world association?

The drama series (I don't even want to type out the name) is such a TRASH - all parents I meet agree that this is doing NOTHING but planting negative ideas into the minds of the youth. They ban their children from watching it. NO, the kids don't seem to learn anything positive from this series. Articles have been written in the newspapers suggesting that we just take this series as one for pure entertainment. My GOD! That is even worse for entertainment. Such a pollution to the mind and soul. Enough coming from the West already, we have to create our own TRASH??

AND THEN, somebody thinks that it would be a effective to associate this series name with a soulful talk. Of course it was with the good intention of trying to address wayward youth and bring them to something meaningful - hopefully God-consciousness. BUT, do we seriously believe the youths will be attracted to the event BECAUSE the errghh name, which everyone will relate to the trash series, was used? I'm totally turned off.

Another one quite recently which made me cringe is the association of the blessed name or 'Rasulullah SAW' with a thing that is not only known to cause much distraction to people and is used to spread negative things (besides the little good things). There are more negative than good, and you really need to sift through the contents in front of your eyes, to try and just read good ones. Yes, I'm trying to mention the thing as far away from the beloved name. They put the name beside ' & Facebook'. It's nothing you say, but I ask you, even if it's meant to create an interest - if you are a serious, God-conscious person, having much resistance to worldly distractions and calling people to Solah and Zakah and Good Deeds, would you like to see "YOUR NAME & GAMEBOY" "YOUR NAME & JUSTIN BEIBER" ?? Do you get the idea? You really think Rasulullah SAW would have been happy to be associated with the name that they associate him with? It's quite appalling.

It's sad, sad, SAD, that we think we have to accommodate THEIR WAYS to invite people to goodness. That we have to acknowledge a bit of trash to invite people to being God-conscious?

The other sad thing is, now there is more HYPE compared to actual work of bringing people to good, and the objectives always ALWAYS get blurred. People get excited in the planning and making things grand, to create hype until they forget what they are doing it for. The sincerity and simplicity of it is gone. Rasulullah didn't need to have a carnival or banners to spread the message of Islam. It is spread through good deeds and good advice and a clear example. Like I hear from a few reverts who have become scholars, the best way to invite people to Islam is by being a good Muslim yourself. Let's get back to basics.

Let us be proud of Islam. Let us be proud and stand firm on the beautiful, gentle, clean message of Islam and don't associate it to something useless. Where is our pride in our faith?

It's not just a name of an event - that name can reveal a LOT about how confident we are of our Deen.



Sometimes, after I get so disappointed and I wish I can do something about it - I'd wonder (realise?), as I do now, that, I guess, some of these crazy things were meant to happen because The Hour is approaching(?) We cannot make ALL things good. There will be good and bad. And there will be a lot more of bad, and only little good. I truly hope and pray that we will be among the little good left in the world. Aamiin.

Oh boy, I'm pms-ing.

Still.. :(

When you reach 40 years of age

Alhamdulillah, we've been given the complete and most perfect Book of Guidance, the Qur'an.

Just now my father shared with me this ayat, which I would like to in turn share with you, especially those 35 years old and above. It's a doa that Allah teaches us, when we reach 40 years of age.

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ إِحْسَانًا حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَالُهُ ثَلَاثُونَ شَهْرًا حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ نَتَقَبَّلُ عَنْهُمْ أَحْسَنَ مَا عَمِلُوا وَنَتَجاوَزُ عَن سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ فِي أَصْحَابِ الْجَنَّةِ وَعْدَ الصِّدْقِ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ

We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of the (child) to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months. At length, when he reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years, he says, "O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favour which Thou has bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and that I may work righteousness such as Thou mayest approve; and be gracious to me in my issue. Truly have I turned to Thee and truly do I bow (to Thee) in Islam."

Such are they from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and pass by their ill deeds: (They shall be) among the Companions of the Garden: a promise! of truth, which was made to them (in this life).

Al-Ahqaf 46:15-16 (translation by Yusuf Ali)

Aamiin.

Imitation

An excerpt from Islam at the Crossroads.
Every Muslim whose environment is bombarded with Western ideas/images/behaviour should read this book. Written by a... or should I say, ex-Westerner. The late Muhammad Asad, May Allah reward him for his earnest effort to uphold the idea of a true Muslim.

And only very superficial people can believe that it is possible to imitate a civilisation in its external appearance without being at the same time affected by its spirit.

(At this point I'm imagining those who dress up as gothics or punks or trojan heads - can they possibly dress like that and still feel like a true Muslim?)

A civilisation is not an empty form, but a living organism. As soon as we begin to adopt the outward forms of that organism, its inherent currents and dynamic influences set to work in ourselves and mould slowly, imperceptibly, our whole mental attitude.

It is in perfect appreciation of this truth that the Prophet said:

"Whoever imitates other people becomes one of them" (Musnad Ibn Hanbal, Sunan Abi Da'ud)

This well-known hadith is not only a moral admonition but also an objective statement of fact - in this case, the fact of the inevitability of Muslims being assimilated by any non-Muslim civilisation which they imitate in its external forms.

everyone-is-happy day

There was a bit of a hoohah about Mother's Day celebrations among the Muslims. Some group of people has strongly suggested that it is HARAM! And then there are others who say, this is just a Mother's Day celebration for heaven's sake!

There are several opinions or versions for the history of Mother's Day (just look up the web). One stemming out of a Christian's 'Mothering Sunday' celebration, and then some people relate it to the honour of Maryam or Mary - Mother of Jesus Christ A.S, and another which states that it is basically to have a day to appreciate mothers generally.





You know what - I feel silly wanting to talk about it for very long, and thus making a fuss. All I want to say actually is that - I have no strong resistance to the celebration if for all these people, they really feel it's basically THE day to honour their mothers and it will make their mothers happy.

However, I just wish that we don't make a big fuss with this Mother's Day thing because it is kind of funny to think that we should pick a day to honour our mother or make her happy, when we should on ANY OTHER DAY AND EVERY OTHER DAY, honour our mothers and make them happy. This concept of honouring and making mothers happy should be all year round - don't highlight it on this single day.

Mothers themselves shouldn't feel the slightest bit hurt if their children happens to be busy on or even forget Mother's day, when they have been good children every other day.

Like every declared 'something'-Day - the happiest people are the shopowners. All these X-Days have become a commercial and business opportunities to increase sales.

Some children feel pressured to get their mothers something, (and this applies for birthdays) because they feel that it's so wrong not to get her anything on this specific day - then they end up buying something that the mother do not actually use or like. All the unnecessary pressures and wastage. Any other time of the year - if you're out walking and you see something that your mother (or any loved ones for that matter) have been wanting or you know they would like to have - get it for them. No, don't wait for something-day.

I also hope that siblings don't fall into arguments because someone forgot to book a restaurant and they cannot get a place on a declared something-day. The food doesn't taste any better on that day - in fact it could even be more expensive than on other days. You can go another day. Oh, but there is a day when food taste better - that's on Hari Raya Puasa, after a month of fasting. :D



Why do I have to write about this today? Ok, nevermind. I just would like to wish everyone an Everyone-is-Happy Day. InsyaAllah. Aamiin.

Everyone have equal opportunity to achieve success

We have been bombarded with the wrong definition of success over and over and over again - until it seems like the truth. It's almost abominable to say, high education and wealth is NOT what success is. High education and wealth MAY be a tool to attain success. It could also be an obstacle to attaining success.

Some people hope that the general standard of living among people will rise - that we can 'educate' everyone - and by that they mean that everyone can get a piece of paper that says they have reached a certain level of study. Never mind if the person actually really LEARNED something for the years of school - as long as they get the high scores. However for most of these people, if we ask, what is the objective of your study? Most would say, it's to get the certificate, the degree the PHD - so that you can get a good job.

A good job. People want a 'good' job - meaning a job that pays well. WHY do people want a 'good' job that pays well? So they don't need to work as hard as the others? So that they get easier money?

What do they want to do with the easy money and a good job? To enjoy life? And then what? Do people think that the purpose of life is enjoyment?

This is how far we have been deluded in our effort and determination for 'success' in life.

This definition of 'success' in life has caused so much strain in the lives of people - those who cannot attain this 'success' or even for those who have 'attained' this success because they are still searching for something more.

The truth is - these are all delusions. The truth is hard to swallow. Just because it is being said repeatedly, it does not mean it's right.

There is only one objective of this life on earth - and that is worship Allah SWT who created us and to whom we will all return.

Allah has defined for us, what success is. It is NOT wealth and children. It's the good deeds that we do for the sake of Allah SWT. These can be achieved by anyone, young and old, rich or poor, one with a formal education or one without. Everyone has an equal chance at attaining THIS true success.

Then, should we let there be poor people? It's not about 'letting there be'. It's more about it being a natural state of being. Some people are born to lead, others to follow, some born male, others female. Some born rich, others poor. Some become rich, others become poor. We can't possibly have a uniform state for all man.

"For, He it is who has made you inherit the earth, and has raised some of you by degrees above others, so that He might try you by means of what He has bestowed upon you. [166] Verily, thy Sustainer is swift in retribution: yet, behold, He is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace."
Al An'am 6:165 (translation by Asad)

Having poor people is a blessing for the rich - it gives them the opportunity to do more good deeds - which is persistently mentioned in the Qur'an - that is to give to charity. If there are no poor people around, to whom can the rich give charity to?

Being poor or being rich is part of the Test that Allah has set for human beings. As mentioned, the best among them is not those who manage to attain more wealth, but those who can show more faith, piety, patience and perseverance in the state that are put in.

"Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: But the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes."
Al Kahf 18:46 (Yusuf Ali's translation).

So, what's the conclusion? Don't need to study? don't need to work?

Of course not. First we make clear our purpose of life. To seek Allah's blessings and therefore in whatever we do or try to achieve, we do it in order to seek His blessings. We work to seek the sustenance of Allah SWT, with intentions of giving back to the community, with the intention of being able to support our family and give back to charity. Be grateful for what Allah has provided for us. In whatever state that we are in, continue to have faith in Allah and his Rewards in the Hereafter, enjoin patience and perseverance.

The rich must remember their duty, and must not be miserly nor should they be wasteful. The rich have their own set of tests and their current wealth does not ensure their success in this world and Hereafter.

A successful community is not one where everyone is formally educated and wealthy. It's one where there are a mixture of the rich and the poor or needy, where the rich respects and helps the needy and the needy are not a nuisance to the society out of envy for the rich - in that they are knowledgeable in the deen of Allah SWT and practise it's teachings. Of course this applies to the rich too. In this scenario, people live in calmness and in harmony.

True, this situation is almost unimaginable - but the thing is, Allah will judge us individually - so it doesn't matter if this cannot be achieved at a community level. We are still required to do our part as an individual, as we are answerable for our own efforts and deeds.
We must try to find the meaning of life and peace and tranquility in our pursuit for the right kind of success - as defined by our Creator.


May we become a better Ummah. Aamiin.

the mere man

Live commentary on my reading Stephen Hawking's (& Leonard Mlodinow) - 'The Grand Design'.

Just bought it this afternoon. I bought it to read more about what we 'men' have known till now.

He wrote : "The M-theory predicts that a great many universes were created out of nothing. Their creation does not need the intervention of a supernatural being or god."

:-/

Up till now, man only have had a mere 'glimpse of a slice of Reality', according to another scientist, Briane Greene in his book Fabric of the Cosmos.

I can't imagine how Stephen H can confidently come to that deduction. Isn't it a wonder, isn't it proof enough that the whole universe is created and kept running in perfect balance & order? If even a single element is or goes out of proportion, we cannot exist.

Some men claims that every single perfect thing is mere coincidence. The theory of everything happening on it's own, the theory of 'coincidence'. Imagine getting 1 million women to put flour, sugar, and egg into an oven and see if perhaps just one of them, can coincidentally turn into a perfect cake.

"Glorify the name of thy Guardian-Lord Most High,
Who hath created, and further, given order and proportion;"
Al A'la 87:1-2


Man.


"He has created man from a sperm-drop; and behold this same (man) becomes an open disputer!"
Al Quran, An-Nahl 16:4


*all translations of the Quran above, by Yusuf Ali.


To be continued,
if I have the mood.
insyaAllah.





*UPDATE* - don't want to waste my time. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun to the money lost.

Where do they go to?

Just now I went to a talk titled 'If today is your last day.' It was done at a mosque near the graveyard, Pusara Aman Mosque :D How apt.

That talk was good alhamdulillah - Ustaz Mizi asked us to think what if, a doctor tells us we're going to die within a few days/weeks? How that will change the way we look at life and things. I believe the important lesson here is to always be prepared for death. For the Muslims, isn't living basically, all about preparation for death?

However what I want to comment on is, how glad I am to see quite a number of Bangladeshi workers attending the talk. They had questions after the talk. I've always wondered if they have the opportunity to listen to sermons or attend regular Islamic classes on weekends.

I know the church near my house, is very active in getting foreign workers to the church. They have church masses in Chinese, Tagalog and even in Indonesian language! They provide buses for the people to come.

I wish our mosques can be more pro-active like that. Perhaps some mosques already are, and I just don't know about it. :)

Boring

I think you can read my slow transformation, into this kind of a monotone person, if you read the blog from 5 years ago.
I also noticed, how I wrote previously. Perhaps I was more playful. Now I feel like I am more conscious about my language, because I heard in a lecture that day that a good Muslim also speaks in a good and clear way - they avoid using slangs.

However when I am being talkative, I think these things still escape my mouth. But I only become very talkative with people I know well and/or am comfortable with. Or if the subject matter is something that interests me. It does not include shopping seasons, bags or entertainers. Other than that, I think I'm (verbally) quiet most of the time.

Perhaps these are 'trivial' stuff.
But then, a single atom may also be trivial, with a lot of empty space, but together they make up everything in the universe we know.

I know I may not be 'fun' to a lot of my friends already. I think I have become kind of boring.

"Boring is good, boring is safe." - heard that in some cartoon show.

I think there is some truth in that.

About the universe and the earth - from the Qur'an

For my own reference. Connections between scientists' findings and the Qur'an, always intrigues me.

1) The flat universe.

Scientists found the universe to be flat.

What's amazing to me is that, Allah SWT said in the Quran :

"The Day that We roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books - even as We produced the first Creation, so shall We produce a new one : a promise We hae undertaken : truly shall We fulfil it."
Al Quran, Anbiyaa 21:104

I guess it's only logical that the heavens (universe) can be rolled up like a scroll, if it's flat like a piece of paper.


2) The earth, like a carpet.

The other time, someone has ever wondered what this ayat means, because we generally understand the earth to be a sphere.

"He Who has, made for you the earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go about therein by roads (and channels); and has sent down water from the sky. With it have We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others."
Al Qur'an, Ta-ha. 20:53

Now I personally think and understand this as referring to the crust of the earth, which is thin, like a carpet - like how in the deserts where the sand is hot, a carpet is spread - so we can rest on it comfortably, protected from the heat on the ground.

Geologists have found that the earth is made up of 4 known parts:

a) The inner core, the hottest part of the Earth.
b) The outer core, still extremely hot, with temperatures similar to the inner core.
c) The mantle, made up of semi-molten rock called magma - about 2900km in diameter.
d) The crust, which is the outer layer of the earth. It is a thin layer between 0-60 km thick. The crust is the solid rock layer upon which we live.

Wallahu a'lam.


رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
3:190