QUR'AN BABY AND DOUBTING THOMASES (3)

THE QUR'AN BABY AND DOUBTING THOMASES (3) As I was digging into the archives for Allah's wonders, the Nigerian Compass of Sunday 20th May, 2012 (page 28) published other stories of miraculous signs of Almighty Allah. Ali Yakubov, a 9-month old boy in Dagestan, southern Russia, had verses of the Qur'an appearing and fading on his body every few days. The verse on his right leg reads: "Be thankful to Allah" (in Arabic of course). This incident occurred in October 2009. It was covered by ABC news, reuters and London's Daily Mail. According to his mother, Ali always had temperature each time the signs appeared and they usually appear Mondays and Thursdays. Takbeer!   In Indonesia an acacia tree had the name of Allah formed by vines growing on it. In a forest near Sidney, Australia, a tree stood in a permanent posture of a Muslim in ruku' during Salat. The bottom half of the tree's trunk is bowed in a way suggestive of the ruku' posture in Muslim Salat while the 'hands' of the 'tree man' are resting on his knees. Surprisingly, the 'tree man' is directly facing the qiblah (the Qiblah is the direction of the Ka'abah in Makkah where Muslims face during Salat) India has had its own share of the manifestation of the signs of Allah. A horse in Ghodegaon, India, had Allah's name on one of its sides. The horse was owned by one Nana Whanmane of Ghodegaon, Taluka Malegaon, District Nasik, Maharashtra, These signs call to mind the promise of Allah in Qur'an 41:53 that He would show mankind His signs on the horizons and even in themselves until it becomes clear to them that He (Allah) is the TRUTH. Another relevant verse warns that because mankind fails to increase their faith in Allah in spite of this avalanche of signs, Allah will bring out Daabat al-Ard (i.e. the Earth Beast, Qur'an 27:82). This animal will come out from the bowel of the earth towards the end of Time. The verse says, "And when the word is fulfilled against them, We shall bring forth from the earth a beast to speak to them for mankind did not believe in Our signs". Daabat al-Ard is one of the major portents (Ashraat as-Saa'ah) of Doomsday. Exegetes of the Qur'an, including An-Nasafi, Ash-Shawkani and Ibn Kathir agree that Daabat al-Ard will emerge at the promised Hour when repentance shall no more be accepted. Ibn Kathir adds that this will be a time when corruption is at its peak among mankind and when they have ignored the injunctions of Allah. According to An-Nasafi, Daabat al-Ard would reprimand unbelievers and invoke the curse of Allah on all evil doers. Ibn Kathir and Ash-Shawkani assert that Daabat al-Ard would distinguish between the Mu'min and the Kafir by stamping the word Mu'min on the former and the word Kafir on the latter. The descriptions of the Daabat al-Ard given by scholars vary in some ways though the impression is given that the beast would combine the features of several animals and even homo sapiens.   The Egyptian scholar, Mahmud Shaltut, describes it as having a human head. As-Sayyid Sabiq contends that it will have the eyes of a pig. Sayyid Qutb affirms that it will be more than eighteen meters tall. According to Ibn Kathir, Daabat al-Ard would hold Musa's staff in its hand and wear Sulayman's ring on one of its fingers.  Yet Daabat al-Ard is only one of several signs of Doomsday. These signs are classified into major and minor. Some of the major signs are mentioned in the Glorious Qur'an and the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) while some of the minor signs are also mentioned in both sources. Among the signs mentioned in the Qur'an are the coming of Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog, Qur'an 21:95-97; 18:83-99); the Coming of Isa (Jesus peace be upon him Qur'an 43:61); the lunar eclipse (Qur'an 54:1); the solar eclipse (81:1) and the smoke (44:10). The hadith contains all the portents mentioned by the Qur'an but it also mentions more. Some of the omens which are exclusive to the hadith are the advent of Ad-Dajjal (the Anti-Christ); the coming of the Mahdi; the rising of the sun from the West; the messengership of Prophet Muhammad (SAW); clashes among Muslims; the disappearance of knowledge; the frequent occurrence of earthquakes; increase in bloodshed (al-haraj); the construction of high buildings and the worsening of socio-economic conditions such that the living would wish they were dead. Others mentioned in the hadith include the advent of hostilities between parents and their children; men would obey their wives and disobey their mothers; moral decadence would rise to its peak; bribery, corruption, oppression, lying, murder, materialism and other social ills will be the order of the day. Leaders will be mere impostors.  Politicians would deceive the electorate. There would be sharp rise in divorce and promiscuity. Justice would be for sale. Politicians would deceive the electorate. Both men and women would dress alike. The voices of hypocrites would rise in the mosques. There is no doubting the fact that many of the above omens have been actualized. Look at what politicians are doing to the electorate. Take a look at the issue of leadership in Nigeria. Walk down the streets of Western cities and see how women walk around shamelessly in nudity. Even some men now wear earrings! Children are prepared to sell their parents for paltry sums of money.  In my doctorate thesis entitled A Study of the Islamic Doctrine of Eschatology, I pontificated that even some of the major signs have occurred. Yajuj and Majuj are the powerful nations of the West who believe that might is right. Ad-Dajjal is simply Western deception through technology. We are all witnesses of both lunar and solar eclipses. But I reject the Second Coming of Jesus (peace be upon him) because the Qur'an only said he was a sign of Doomsday. It said nothing about his Second coming.  Professor Is-haq Akintola,  Lagos State University, P.O. Box 10211, LASU Post Office, HO 102 101, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. Tel. 234-803-346-4974        234-818-211-9714 Website: www.ishaqakintola.com Blog: drishaqakintola.blogspot.com Facebook: facebook.com/ishaqakintola Twitter: ishaqakintola   I remain oppressed untill the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed and the homeless sheltered