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I’m often blessed to carpool with other Submitters to ride to and from the Quranic study in our area. On the way home we take turns reciting from the Quran. For us, as English speakers, we do it in English. There are some sections of verses that we have all learned (or are trying to learn) and often one person will start one of those sections and the next person will continue it, going around the car until we finish the section. Sometimes one of us needs a little help, and what fun it is to hear the little whispered hints as others try to help without being too obvious. It is not a competition against each other, but a “team sport” (23:61).
I sometimes found myself struggling to bring any verse to mind, so I started trying to memorize two or three verses that start with each letter of the alphabet. That way when my mind freezes up I can pick a letter of the alphabet and, God willing, it jogs my poor memory.
Another game we sometimes play is to recite the titles of the Suras. I’m terrible at this game too, but others have developed wonderful clues to give, and we often find ourselves dissolving into laughter and praising God for the joy of being together and remembering Him in such an enjoyable way.
Even when I am away from my Submitting family, traveling or when living in an area without others who follow Quran alone, playing these games by myself helps me keep connection with my true family, and even more importantly with Quran and God, Lord of the universe!
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According to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor: birds, fruits, fish and flowers are all related and have evolved from a single cell. Today, we know this could never be. The tremendous advances made in molecular biology, biochemistry and
genetics over the past fifty+ years have proved that there are thousands of complex systems on a cellular level. According to Molecular biologist Michael Denton, “Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly small, weighing less than 10-12 grams, each is in effect a veritable micro-miniaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of one hundred thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machinery built by man and absolutely without parallel in the non-living world.” This is evident just by observing the intricacies of the eye, the ear and the heart; they are all examples of complexities that were not recognized by Darwin.
In the Quran God clarifies for us that evolution is a continuous process. While a mango can never turn into an apple, a new variety of mango is possible through cross pollination, proving that there is evolution within species. [29:19] Have they not seen how GOD initiates the creation, then repeats it? This is easy for GOD to do”. In the same manner a human being will give birth to another human being and not to an ape or vice versa. Additionally, it is also widely accepted that every generation is smarter than the previous one; that is why we find ourselves saying that kids are smarter than we were at their age. Scholar, James R. Flynn published research noting that IQ scores increase from generation to generation in every country that uses the test. Children have higher scores than their parents. This observation has become known as the Flynn effect, and while researchers agree that it happens, they don’t know why it happens. Proving the Quranic verse, [29:20] Say, “Roam the earth and find out the origin of life.” For GOD will thus initiate the creation in the Hereafter. GOD is Omnipotent. Footnote: We learn from the Quran that evolution is a divinely guided process. See Appendix 31 for the details.
In addition we regularly hear of new species of fish being discovered across the world, be it the blue-bellied night wanderer in the Amazon or the new species of black bass in Florida. While this phenomenon has baffled scientists, believers have been informed of this marvel. [36:36] Glory be to the One who created all kinds of plants from the earth, as well as themselves, and other creations that they do not even know. In addition to fish, new species of reptiles like the Itty Bitty
Chameleon, mammals like the mouse lemur, etc. are also continuously being discovered. New discoveries are not restricted only to earth and living creatures. Recently scientists have discovered a cosmic “cold spot” that suggests the existence of another universe. This too is not surprising news to believers as God has also told us about the creation of the seven universes. [2:29] He is the One who created for you everything on earth, then turned to the sky and perfected seven universes therein, and He is fully aware of all things [23:17] We created above you seven universes in layers, and we are never unaware of a single creature in them.
God has also informed us that:
[40:57] The creation of the heavens and the earth is even more awesome than the creation of the human being, but most people do not know. Every day new stars are born and older ones disintegrate.
A Star is Born: One of Hubble’s first victories was capturing several embryonic stars or EGGs (evaporating gaseous globules) hiding throughout clouds of hydrogen and helium gas that clump together and begin to generate their own gravity, drawing in nearby gas and dust. Once these balls of gravity grow big enough, nuclear fusion reactions triggers in their cores, and they become stars.
The world is baffled about the new discoveries, while those who submit to God and follow His laws know that this is proof from God that evolution is indeed a continuous process and that it will continue till the end of time. God has blessed those who submit to Him with knowledge and certainty on a wide range of topics—evolution is one of them. It serves to strengthen the faith of the submitters and proves that the Quran is indeed from God, as none but the Creator would have knowledge of the future.
References
Appendix 31, Evolution: Divinely Controlled. Quran, The Final Testament, translated by Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D.
Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis.
NewScientist Space, The void: Imprint of another universe?
The Smithsonian Magazine, The Hubble Space Telescope’s Finest Photos.
Wesh.com, New fish species found in Florida.
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