A Closer Look at the Oaths in Surat Al-Tīn 95

Surat At-tīn is analyzed here on this blog, where I discussed how “all four oaths are possibly places where significant messages were sent to their respective messengers.” Here I want to examine the oaths a bit further to reveal an even bigger picture. 

These oaths are the first three ayat/verses of this sura which has a total of eight (8) ayat. Notice the first aya contains two different oaths, both of which are fruits, the fig with many seeds and noted for its sweet flesh, and the olive with one seed/ pit, not sweet but known for its oil. In the 3rd and 4th oaths located in the 2nd and 3rd ayat (a {2,3,4} set) Allah swears by two places: Mt. Sinai, a “wild/natural” place away from people, and Makkah, a city, which is in essence a civilized place, a human construct. It’s not referring to the Kaaba but rather to the city itself as a secure place. Of course all 3 ayat containing 4 oaths (a {3,4} set) relate to the sending of Divine revelations through prophets; all these meanings tie together. 

Light and Darknesses in the Quran

This is a huge and meaningful subject, so we will touch on some basic ideas as well the locations of these mentions in the Quran, whose binary theme it graphically illustrates.

LIGHT نور is associated with: day, illumination, truth, eternity, wholeness, healing, goodness, the Quran, guidance, opening, peace, straight path (note that light rays follow a straight path), love, hope, trust, faith, sincerity, guarding the sacred, eternal values vision بصير (inner light which is a separate word).

DARKNESSES ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ is associated with ignorance, concealment, hiding, closure, sickness of the soul, evil, tearing apart, falsehood, crooked path, crime, loss and misleading, oppression and injustice, misery, hopelessness, despair, hate, hypocrisy, betrayal, violence, violating what is sacred, worldly values.

Why is light mentioned as singular but darknesses plural? Because light, as used in the Quran, is One and Whole, but darknesses are scattered and plural, dispersing and separating.

Celestial Realm (19) vs Earthly (7) Realm Graphics

This graphic compares the upper (celestial) and lower (earthly/ dunya) hemispheres of the Quranic Architectural Chart. If we add the house (pie section/ month/ first 12 suras’) numbers as “opposite side” adjacent pairs, as shown by connecting lines in the illustration below, we find an interesting pattern that highlights the significant numbers 7 and 19 in the Quran. The dark line separates the two hemispheres, the upper half representing the “celestial timeless realm” and the lower half representing the “earthly/dunya realm of time,” a central theme in the Quran.

The large numbers of the first 12 suras are also the house or pie section numbers. A darker line divides the upper and lower hemispheres. Note the sums of the connected house numbers are highlighted in yellow to show the 7’s in the lower and the 19’s in the upper hemispheres.

The sums in the lower half all added to 7 (highlighted in yellow), and sums in the upper half all added to 19 (also highlighted in yellow), indicating the significance of these two numbers may relate to the two realms these hemispheres represent. The two realms are discussed at length in a previous post as the Unseen Al-Ghaib, which points out: “The ‘seven heavens’ likely involve ‘dimensions’ or worlds/realms’ between which are partitions (the word hijab), an example being the jinn, creatures normally invisible to humans.” But these seven heavens are likely not all in the Unseen realm; the stars we see at night are in the “lower heaven” which we can see (37:6). And although we cannot see the jinn, they are nonetheless part of the dunya, the lower realm (34:14, 72:8). Below we examine the numbers 7 and 19, and what they could mean in light of the graphic above. The number 7 is repeated more often (27x) than 19 (1x), and there may be a reason for this.

Interpretation of Quranic Numbers 9.5 and 19

The number 19 is, for a number, relatively famous (or perhaps infamous) as a Quranic number, but is mentioned in the Quran (74:30) and is a factor of the number of suras in the Quran, 114 = 6 x 19. The number 9.5 is not known to be significant, but revealed a significance while studying the metaphor of the chambered nautilus and its significance in the Quran. That is explained elsewhere on this blog, but I will flesh it out separately here. The numbers 9.5 and 19 are formative elements in the design of Quranic Architecture as discussed on this blog. In its calendric architecture, the Quran is divided into 12 months for each “year,” or each complete turn of the spiral. For 114 suras, there are 9.5 years, expressed by an equation: 114 ➗ 12 = 9.5. Then when we multiply 9.5 x 2 = 19, we can ask the question “is there any significance to this equation in terms of the meaning of the Quran?” And the answer is a resounding YES! Explained below:

In the War on Humanity, Allah Gives us a Fighting Chance

This article in Yaqeen website shows us the tools Allah gives us to fight against genocide, the propaganda that upholds it in Palestine and elsewhere including America, and more.

There’s never been a more important moment. In a very real sense we are all Palestinians, and a few in control are censoring our voices and trying to control even our biological makeup as individuals. But the Quran is highly relevant and guides us as to how to save ourselves. Some excerpts below:

Inspired by Palestinians, Many Now Read the Quran, Turn to Islam

This is such a big thing, especially on TikTok, that Zionists are trying to ban the social media site used by millions, a large number of whom are young people. Meanwhile, Israelis have humiliated themselves on TikTok with videos displaying the utmost arrogance and lack of humanity, so out of touch are they with moral values or actual compassion for people. Their dances are often explicitly sexual, showing the depraved nature of this genocide. On the other hand, the faith and resilience of Palestinians under the most dire of circumstances has inspired untold numbers of people around the world to read the Quran and find out more about Islam, often reverting/converting. But they, and all people of conscience, face an international movement to ban free speech, targeting anyone who opposes the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. This is in opposition to democratic principles to circumvent those very principles for the despicable and greedy goals of destroying Palestinians entirely in a total genocide and usurping the oil off their coast.

“Invest your energy in one thing; Erasing Gaza from the face of the earth,” the Likud MK and former public diplomacy minister Galit Distel Atbaryan said. (The Times of Israel)

Allah’s Infinite Justice

Note re featured image above: When you plot the sun’s position at the same time of day once a week throughout the year you get this figure of eight, or infinity symbol, called Analemma. April and September are at the crossover point in precisely the same position.

Muslims know that Allah’s justice is perfect – one of His significant names is Al-‘Adl, the Just. In fact, justice of the highest order is required of all Muslims, for “indeed Allah loves those who act justly.” (5:42, 49:9, 60:8) But certain theological dogmas in Christianity and other faiths involve beliefs which at their heart represent God/Allah to be unjust. Which is itself unjust to Allah/God. It’s not the only one we’ll explore here, but the doctrine of original sin is a prime example. Is it just or fair to hold a person guilty for an act they did not themselves commit? Clearly not. The Quran tells us, contrary to church doctrine, that God/Allah forgave Adam/Eve and even gave them words to properly express their feelings.

Then Adam received some words from his Lord, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed it is He who is the Acceptor of Repentance, the Merciful. (2:37) – (close to the beginning of the whole Quran)

Exposing the “Genocide Club” to Light

After 9/11, which Netanyahu said “was very, very helpful to us,” the US started the “International War on Terror,” going full-tilt on its path toward becoming a security state, also known as a police state, through the implementation of the Patriot Act. The War on Terror was followed by the development of a very lucrative product, the Genocide Enablement Kit, complete with a ready-made “internationally” agreed-upon group to demonize (Muslims), instructions on the use of false flag atrocity theater to achieve compliance among the people, the reputation of the US and other “respectable” nations as a shield against accountability, and a host of security technology from Israel’s top-rated surveillance and security-related products. This enables the despots’ and fascists’ takeover of public opinion, enabling the kits’ consumer nation to join an international party of nations without accountability, committing crimes against humanity and genocide with the support and publicity cover of their “fellow nations:” the United States, France, and Israel, among others. But Israel didn’t need such a kit. They already got one from the Nazis, coupled with inspiration from Zionism, the idea of a “land without a people,” not telling the Jews who followed them that to make such a land, first they had to murder or expel all the people.

Israel has a Jewish population of 7,145,000.

90,000 of them subscribe to this channel.

1.2% of Israeli Jews are enjoying watching videos of Palestinians being brutally murdered by their bombs.

Sick society doesn't being to describe it. https://t.co/HKjhUi5JoR

— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) October 21, 2023

Israel has successfully brainwashed a sector of the country into believing their lies. But not all the people of Israel. The human conscience is seriously hard to erase. We must all stand as one: Jews, Muslims, Christians, the unaffiliated whose religion is their own conscience.

When People Worship Their Feelings

This Nouman Ali Khan video shows us the difference between Quranic guidance and pop psychology, where people use terms like “toxic” and “narcissist” and “gaslighting” to pass judgment on others without knowledge of psychology, morality, or even common sense. The idea of “boundaries” we need to set for ourselves can become in itself a refusal to treat another person with dignity or compassion, and the idea of passing judgment on, say, “toxic parents” or “narcissistic” siblings, or label any of one’s family members or others with the popular labels is itself the opposite of what Allah the Exalted asks of us in the Quran.

Worship God alone; do not attribute divinity to others. Be good to your parents, close relatives, orphans, the needy, to close and far neighbors, close friends, stranded travelers and those whom your right hands held in trust. God does not love those who are conceited and full of pride; (4:36)

Quran Transforms Zodiac to Signs of Ethical Path

An old blog post – “Why 114 Chambers?” – revamped and published on its original date – explains how zodiac symbolism is properly interpreted as guideposts to the Way of Allah. The post goes into brief details of each constellation’s “sign” as exemplified in the Quran, showing these placements of the suras correlate with both the Hijri months and Zodiac signs in uncanny ways that point to —> ethical behavior. For those who wish to “cut to the chase” and see what it all boils down to, the final set of principles derived from this study are shown below. Adding a reference to the discovery of an ancient Arab zodiac not mentioned in the above-linked post.

‘Abad Al-Rahman: Who Are Special to the Almighty?

This is the question answered in the ayat 25:63-77, the very end of Surat Al-Furqan, the Criterion. And here is Allah’s Book, the Quran, also referred to as Al-Furqan, the Criterion, giving us in these ayat/verses the detailed criteria required to be Al-Rahman’s chosen servants/worshipers. And the plural ‘abad is for “worshipers” in particular, people whose service is in their devotion to Him. And the name Al-Rahman focuses on His Authority, the Authority to punish or be merciful, for it is His unfathomable almighty power that empowers His mercy and love. In the videos below, Nouman Ali Khan presents a discussion of the meaning of these ayat and importantly, how to apply them to our lives. Below that I’ve listed the relevant ayat from the Quran and a brief explanation of the conclusion.

Who “Allah Guides/ Allah Does Not Guide”

Guidance is one of the main purposes of the Quran, and Allah frequently describes what guidance is and how to receive it, how to distinguish between good and evil. These two phrases “Allah guides/ Allah does not guide” appear in the Quran 35 times – 5×7 –  in 34 ayat – a {3,4} set – 24 times in reference to whom He does not guide, and 11 times in 10 ayat referring to whom He does guide. There are correspondences between these and the narratives of the creation of Adam. For example, the verse numbers in bold below match the numbers above:

the two tests…of the central ayat (34, 35): 34 testing Iblees/Satan as well as the angels, and 35 testing Adam/Eve, the human.

The “central ayat” are two verses in the center of the ring composition of this narrative. The central theme was to test both Iblees and humanity (as the first pair). Satan/Iblees failed the test out of defiant disobedience, devoid of humility before Allah. Although Adam/Eve also disobeyed Allah, they were tricked and then forgot; they did not disobey out of arrogance but rather immediately turned to Allah in humility and shame and a desire to return to Him, unlike Satan. So Allah gave them words to ask for forgiveness and forgave them. .

The Meaningful Universe 3 – Dhikr and Memory as Connection

Mentioned in the Quran far more frequently than any form of “thinking,” dhikr (which I also spelled as thikr, which seems closer to how to pronounce it, like the “th” sound in “the” or “this” but dhikr is “standard” transliteration) means “to remember” and also “to invoke,” which can be expressed as “to bring to mind.” To get an idea of how far-reaching memory can be, some “ultraconserved” words have survived 15,000 years pointing to a “deep language ancestry across Eurasia;” ancient oral histories have preserved information later confirmed by science and in a larger scale (showing ancient sea rise, for example) as well; and scientists are aware of memory’s key role in thought processes, described as “an integral part of human cognition, since it allows individuals to recall and draw upon past events to frame their understanding of and behavior within the present…and future.” Memory plays a role across all time-scales, from short-term to long-term within individuals, to untold millennia in “collective memory” which is often preserved through oral tradition. The Quran itself, self-described as Dhikr al-hakeem or “wisdom-remembrance,” is a Divine revelation given to us as both an oral tradition as well as a written book/manuscript. 

The Meaningful Universe, Part 2 – Thinking from the Heart

To think is given great emphasis and importance in the Quran; of course, in a meaningful universe, this is how we can understand both the fact that it is full of meaning, and what it means for us. In fact, in a meaningful universe, it’s impossible for us to access that meaning without using our minds. The nautilus as a symbol for humans uses the metaphor of cephalopod or “head-foot.” We truly are guided on our path through life in pursuit of its meaning for us by our minds/“heads.” In the Quran, the “heart,” which is described by several terms (a really excellent presentation of the words for heart/mind in the Quran), as the locus of our souls/selves, is where various thought processes take place, whereas what we think of as the “brain” is not what does the thinking, rather we do as conscious selves/souls using the heart/brain. One could say we are the nautilus but our “feet” – that which truly moves us forward – are our ways of thinking/intellect, refined and actively used in the heart. First we need to distinguish between presumption and reason; between being guided by whatever we assume to be true without thinking, and being guided by what actually makes sense when we think about it, by logic and “common sense,” and of course, conscience. Which, again, is associated in the Quran with the heart, in a more profound and comprehensive way. 

 

Islam Is Not a Club

Although this may be obvious to many, some Muslims seem to treat Islam as if it were a membership club. This is especially true when mosques become divided by nationality and culture. But also there’s a certain emphasis by many on d’awa or proselytizing Islam in order to bring as many people as possible into Islam. The problem is, what do people mean by “Islam?” If it means faith in God/Allah, the Hereafter which includes a “meeting” with Allah in an overwhelming event called Judgment Day, and acceptance of His prophets and His abiding Truth, then yes, this is indeed what the Quran endorses and tells us. But if it means joining an exclusive “club” involving other extraneous beliefs to be accepted without question,  this is not mentioned or required in the Quran. 

Are Muslim Women Deprived of Prayer and Rewards from Ramadan and Laylatul Qadr for having Menses?

This Quora post answers a question from a Muslima who repeatedly missed praying on Laylatul Qadr because of menstruation. Clearly she believes that women should not pray during their menstruation and therefore by adhering to this rule, she missed the night or nights considered by those around her to be that singular night. Quranists would say there is no such prohibition to begin with; still others would say that Laylatul Qadr was only the night in which the Quran was sent but that the notion of our prayers being given a higher value on a specific recurring night more than any other is erroneous. Without delving into those issues relating to Quran vs. Hadith, the answer linked above offers reassurances directly from the Quran that she has not been and will not be deprived of rewards and that such presumptions are unfounded. 

Meaning and Truth Is So Much More than Miracles

There is much speculation about numbers in the Quran, their interrelationships, and the idea of finding “miracles” in them. In fact, my previous post was all about Quranic miracles (examples very hard to debunk), not simply because they were clearly extraordinary, but because they were relevant to the message of the Quran as a whole. Although I’ve studied numerical relationships in the Quran somewhat extensively, “finding miracles” was never my aim, but rather finding meaning. For example, what I found remarkable in studies done to show that the Quran doesn’t comply with  Zipf’s Law (then claim it is therefore a miracle) was not so much its “noncompliance” as the fact that the first two words in order of frequency in the Quran are min Allah, which means “from Allah.” This means something. Whether or not it “miraculously” complied with Zipf’s Law…in itself does not. Because what is so important about Zipf’s Law in itself? And these sorts of things can be debunked. Why? Well, mathematics itself is kind of miraculous. 

The Basmalah as Gateway to the Quran and, Symbolically, Paradise

There is no dispute that the Basmalah contains the first words one reads in the Quran, and in that sense one could consider it the gateway into the Quran. Similarly, as the “opening” to the Quran, most graphically illustrated in the “nautilus shell” architecture discussed on this site, Al-Fatiha (the first sura whose name literally means “opening”) is our point of entry into the Quran, establishing its perimeters, in particular the primacy of salat, of connecting to Allah the Exalted. But it also symbolizes the gate to paradise as is mentioned in three ayat discussed below. Because of course, the Quran is our guide to how to get through the coming catastrophe of Al-Akhira to the ultimate success that transcends the tests and suffering of our brief mortal existence. 

The Quran’s Arrangement Is Entirely by His Design

This may seem to be an obvious “given” any Muslim would deem true of the Quran. Yet surprisingly other ideas have made their way into “mainstream” Islamic belief. This article addresses the history of compiling and numbering the Quran, an interesting subject indeed, fleshed out here in great detail. But in the process states this: 

The order of the surahs was not based on the order the archangel Gabriel gave them to Prophet Muhammad, but on the consensus of the companions. (Emphasis mine.)

With all due respect, this is an assumption based on anecdotal and certainly non-Quranic sources that directly contradicts the Quran, a fact of which the author(s) of this article and possibly also their source(s) may not have been fully aware. Although the order of revelation differs from the final arrangement, this is by Allah’s design, and the final arrangement was given directly through Jibreel (Gabriel) to prophet Mohammad, not a decision made by sahaba after his death. Saying that it was presumes it is somehow out of Allah’s jurisdiction – while we should know that everything is in Allah’s jurisdiction.

Why Does the Quran Focus on Al-Akhira?

This is one of the most important questions one can ask. Faith in Allah is indelibly entwined with faith in Al-Akhira, the Hereafter. The life of this world is temporary and is, according to the Quran, only a test, but the Hereafter is everlasting. This understanding is in some ways – at the least, as an emphasis on higher “eternal” values – the basis for all major religions. There are however differences in Islam, which gives a clear and balanced approach to the subject.