It is also God who creates the atheist association

IT IS ALSO GOD WHO CREATES THE ATHEIST ASSOCIATION

(Viewer’s letter) My dear Adnan Hodja, I would like to know what you think about the Atheist Association. Your opinions are important to me. 

I have already explained this before. Atheist thinking has been around since humans were first created and will remain until the Reckoning. There will always be atheist thinking. We see it in the story of Cain and Abel. One brother had faith, the other did not. The wife of the Prophet Lot (pbuh) was an atheist. Burt the Prophet Lot was a believer. Pharaoh was an atheist, but his wife was a believer. Nimrod was an atheist. The Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was a believer. The presence of atheists is therefore created by God in this world of the test. It is God Who creates atheists. If God so wished, they would not hold those views. That is revealed in a verse, "But you will not will unless God wills. " It is God Who created the Atheist Association, Who had it founded. They imagine they founded their association themselves. But it is God Who chooses their members one by one in destiny. 

- Our Prophet says in one hadith that, 'The Day of Reckoning will not come until God is openly denied.’ 

This is a sign of the coming of the Mahdi. There will be atheist associations, and atheism will spread. This is also described in the Torah. It describes how atheism will spread in the End Times. 

They will found associations and be active. There will be communists, and atheism will spread. 

Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Conversation on A9TV dated April 26th, 2014

Adnan Oktar’s response to the question ‘Are you the Mahdi?’

Adnan Oktar’s response to the question ‘Are you the Mahdi?’ (07.04.2014)

Adnan Oktar’s response to the question ‘Are you the Mahdi?’

Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar's Live Conversation on A9TV dated April  07th, 2014

(Viewer’s letter): I think you are the Mahdi. Please identify yourself. 

What these people are doing is wrong. Declare yourself, they say… They think the Mahdi will be someone extraordinary. That is how they create the system of the Mahdi in their own heads. They imagine someone like a hero in the films. They imagine he will appear, with a bright sword, radiating light, on his steed, from one end of the horizon to another, and he will say that he is the Mahdi. The people will then kneel before him, millions of people will gather. They will all shout in joy beneath his banner. They will recite the greatness of God. 

The system of the Mahdi is not like that. The system of the Mahdi is the teaching of love. The Mahdi is someone who criticized rebellion and arrogance, who shows people the errors in these, who shows people love and injects great love into their hearts. By God’s leave, insha’Allah. 

So I make no such claim. I never have, and I never will.

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Please consider this with your conscience. Now let us imagine such a potential mahdi. Having fun and with ladies in low-cut clothes. Before the eyes of the world. He becomes a freemason and gets the 33^rd degree from Freemasons. These are the last things you need for a potential mahdi, the most unimaginable things. Rabbis come to visit me. That puts an end to the matter right from the outset. I talk with the rabbis. Someone who believes in the mahdi of the fanatics, who claims to be a mahdi, will try to strangle a rabbi as soon as he sets eyes on him. He would never listen to music. As soon as the word Freemason is mentioned he starts wondering how to kill them. With a knife or the rope? He is certainly going to want to kill them, he just wonders about the details. He would never let a woman in low-cut dresses pass within 100 meters of him. 

Fanaticism is widespread among Muslims in the Turkish-Islamic world. That is why I target fanatics in my community. Now, if I were a potential mahdi, why should I behave in this behavior that would annoy the fanatics so much? It means my heart is at ease. If I were the Mahdi, nobody could stop me in any case. But I make no such claim, and my heart is at ease. I am a follower of the Mahdi. I serve him. You should see the kind of thing that people who claim to be mahdis do. You invite them to dine and they say they are fasting and put on saintly airs, may God forbid. And they keep producing the miswak to brush their teeth with. 

Since my worldly and loving behavior is the exact opposite of the belief in the Mahdi, you can relax. I could offer you hundreds of thousands of other reasons why I cannot be the Mahdi. So you can relax. But the world will never be deprived of a mahdi. The true Mahdi of the End Times is living now. Jesus the Messiah is living and the Mahdi is living.

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Explanations of various verses from Surat Al-Hijr by Mr. Adnan Oktar

New Statements by Mr. Adnan Oktar (24 April 2014)

Explanations of various verses from Surat Al-Hijr by Mr. Adnan Oktar  

Surat Al- Hijr; Verse 26   

We created mankind out of dried clay formed from fetid black mud.

What kind of mud is this? It is a mud used in ceramics; mud used in the production of porcelain. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 27

We created the jinn before out of the fire of a searing wind.

So that is something like electricity. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 28

When your Lord said to the angels, ´I am creating a human being out of dried clay formed from fetid black mud

Look, “… dried clay formed from fetid black mud…” so God says, “I will create a human being out of porcelain.”

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 29 

“When I have formed him and breathed My Soul into him, fall down in prostration in front of him!´”

Almighty God makes a perfect statue of a human being out of porcelain. When that porcelain is given life, that porcelain statue starts walking all of a sudden; that is how humans are created. God formed that statue looking just like a human. When God breathed His Soul into him, he starts walking, saying “Bismillah”. That is the creation, that is how it happened. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 30-31 

Then the angels prostrated all together, every one of them except Iblis. He disdained to be one of the prostrators.

Because of egocentricity and arrogance. Among people there are also some who refuse to believe in the Existence of God, in the beauty of His existence, in the Wisdoms of God and His Artistry. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 32

He said, ´Iblis, what is it that prevents you being among the prostrators?´

So God says, “Why do you not prostrate with them?” 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 33

He said, ´I will not prostrate to a human being whom You have created out of dried clay formed from fetid black mud.´

That offends the satan, he acts arrogantly. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 34 

He said, ´Get out from here, you are accursed

“A'uzu billahi minash shaitaanir rajeem”: We seek refuge in God from the satan.

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 35-36

The curse will be on you till the Day of Reckoning.´He said, ´My Lord, grant me a reprieve until the Day they are raised again.´ 

So the life it is given is long; for instance, if the life span of the universe is 100,000 years, if the life span of humanity is 200,000 years, it is given 200,000 years of life. But when satan is asked; “How long have you lived?” he will say, ”I lived for a day or for a part of a  day.” So 200,000 years feels like that for him. And that is why it says this; that is how it feels like. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 37-38-39

He said, ´You are among the reprieved until the Day whose time is known.´ He said, ´My Lord, because You misled me, I will make things on the earth seem good to them and I will mislead them all, every one of them, 

He said; “My Lord, because You misled me,   I will make things – rebellion against You and worldly ambitions- Darwinism and materialism – seem good to them.” So he says, “I will make them seem good, so they would appear to be good.” “… and I will mislead them all, every one of them.”

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 40 

“except Your servants among them who are sincere.´”

So the satan says that he cannot mislead sincere servants of God. Satan says, “I will mislead every insincere servant of Yours.”

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 41

He said, ´This is a Straight Path to Me.

God says, “That is right. You are now telling the truth.”

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 42

You have no authority over any of My slaves except for the misled who follow you.´ 

For instance, see that they are now trying to instill doubts and fear in Muslims by saying, “The PKK is inconvincible,” this and that. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 43-44

Hell is the promised meeting-place for all of them. It has seven gates and each gate has its allotted share.

It has seven Gates; those might be magnetic doors, doors maybe people cannot differentiate or it might be an iron door that can easily be seen. We do not know the characteristic of that door.  That is a door people will pass by in masses. But hell is forbidden for Muslims and Heaven is forbidden for unbelievers. When unbelievers come to the door of Heaven, they cannot pass by, the door of the Heaven would push them out. And the doors of the hell would push Muslims out, Muslims cannot enter hell. “… and each gate has its allotted share.” So God says that the door for each group to pass by has been determined.

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 45

Those who have piety will be amid Gardens and Springs: 

Those who have piety, those sincere servants will be amid Gardens and Springs. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 46-47

´Enter them in peace, in complete security!´ We will strip away any rancor in their hearts — brothers, resting on couches face-to-face. 

“… We will strip away any rancor in their hearts…” Muslims do not have any rage or anger against one another. “-...brothers, resting on couches face to face.” They are sitting face to face on couches. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 48

They will not be affected by any tiredness there and they will never be made to leave. 

“They will not be affected by any tiredness there.” In this world when night falls we feel sleepy but that would not be the case in Heaven. “They will not be affected by any tiredness there,” says God and “… they will never be made to leave.” For how long? For all eternity. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 49

Tell My servants that I am the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful, 

So God says; “Even if you commit a sin, even if you make a mistake, I will forgive you, I will protect you.”

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 51

And tell them about the guests of Abraham. 

You know that the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was very hospitable. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse  52

When they came in to him, they said, ´Peace!´ He said, ´Truly we are afraid of you.´ 

When his guests came they said “Peace” to him and the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) said, “Truly we are afraid of you.” Why is he afraid? He is not afraid of them when they first came. They tell him that they’ve come there from very far away. For instance, they are coming there from hundreds of kilometers away but the clothes they have on are all clean and shiny, their skin is very well groomed and it is all very clean. There is no dust, no soil, no dirt. “Come in,” he says, “have a meal.” He brings in a roasted calf without delay.  And they say, “No, we won’t eat.” He asks, “Why?” And they respond, “We do not eat, that is why.” And then the verse states that the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was afraid. That is because he understands that he came across an extraordinary being. Later on they say, “We came to take revenge. We came here to take revenge from that perverted nation.” There were people who engaged in perverted relations back at that time as well. And the angels say, “We came to raze them to the ground. You should leave this place, you and your wife.”

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 72

By your life! They were wandering blindly in their drunkenness! 

“By your life!” God takes an oath to the life of the Prophet (saas). “They were wandering blindly in their drunkenness!” God says that they are fool, stupid, mindless, thickheaded and bigoted. God says that “They were wandering blindly in their drunkenness!” They are blind, they fail to see the truth. They were addle-brained. They were inciting depravity with their mindless, foolish character, says God. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 73

So the Great Blast seized hold of them at the break of day. 

The break of day refers to the system of the Mahdi. God says, “So the Great Blast seized hold of them.” That scourge seized hold of them. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 74-75

We turned the place completely upside down and rained down on them stones of hard-baked clay. There are certainly Signs in that for the discerning. 

“There are certainly Signs in that for the discerning.” God says that there are Signs in that for those who have a good head on their shoulders. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 76

They were beside a road which still exists.

They are still there as a warning. 

Surat Al-Hijr; Verse 87 

We have given you the Seven Often repeated and the Magnificent Qur´an.

Almighty God really conceals a secret in sevens.  For instance, look, there had been a drought in 2007. There had been another drought in 2014. No rain fell. For instance, in Hijri 1400 Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) appears. When we go back in time with multiples of 7, we find the foundation date of the Ottomans; when we go back a little more in time with multiples of 7, we go to the time of Oğuzhan. We reach the dates that Turks have founded states. We come across the multiples of 7 throughout history. 7’s will be very important in the system of the Mahdi; the figure 9 as well. Our Prophet (saas) informs us about this in his hadiths. When Hazrat Ali (ra) is asked about the Mahdi (pbuh),  he makes the sign of the figure 9 with his hand. 7's and 9’s are important.

Natural Hazards and Disasters

Natural Hazards and Disasters

The Truth Of The Life Of This World

Natural Hazards and Disasters

http://www.harunyahya.com/en/books/1001/The-Truth-Of-The-Life-Of-This-World/chapter/2677/Natural-Hazards-and-Disasters

The world is anything but serene and still. We are all vulnerable to natural threats, both internal and external. Meteor showers, asteroids are only a few of the factors likely to pose threats to the world from space. As for the seemingly solid earth, the planet's interior has an inner core of molten elements. It surely would not be an exaggeration to call this part of the earth, which remains invisible to our eyes, "a flaming core". There also exists an atmosphere surrounding the earth, which is a "shield" against external threats. Yet, no part of the earth is immune against the effects of atmospheric forces like thunderstorms, storms, or hurricanes.  Natural hazards may strike at any time. They can cause considerable loss of life and property. Generally referred to as "natural" disasters, earthquakes, lightning, flash floods, global wildfires, acid rain, and tidal waves have different intensities and effects. What is common to all these disasters is that in just moments they can reduce a city, with all its inhabitants, to ruin. What is most important, no human being has the power to combat or prevent any of these hazards. Heavy destruction is the legacy of catastrophes all over the planet. Yet, a disaster always affects only a particular region of the earth, thanks to nature's delicate balance which is a creation of Allah. A significant protection exists on earth for all living things as well as for human beings. The possibility of a devastating natural disaster always lurks in spite of this protection. Allah creates these disasters to show us how insecure our habitation can sometimes be. These outbursts of nature are reminders to all mankind that we have no control whatsoever over the planet. Likewise, each disaster serves the purpose of reminding us of our inherent weakness. These are surely warnings to those that can contemplate the significance of such events and draw lessons from the experience of others. What other lessons should man learn from natural disasters? The world is specially created for man. The reason why man is created is evident as the verse suggests: "He it is who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, and His Throne was over the waters, that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct." (Surah Hud: 7)

The "setting" for this "test" is quite elaborate, however, and each event is a component of this sophisticated setting. Furthermore, none of these natural phenomena occur randomly; all have a scientific explanation. For instance, the earth's gravitational force explains why we do not drift off into space; rain falls when water vapour reaches a certain level of saturation. The same kind of causation is also valid for death, accidents or disease. Numerous causes can be cited for why a man dies, becomes sick, or has an accident. Yet, what really matters is not the number of these reasons but the "reliability" of the system these causes and their consequences rest upon. One particular aspect of this system is important; each incident proceeds in a way such that the human mind can entirely understand it. Allah warns man by means of natural disasters. An earthquake, for instance, kills thousands of women, children and young people and leaves many more injured. Those who are heedless of the warnings of Allah are prone to explain such incidents as "natural" phenomena and little understand that Allah creates these for specific purposes. Let us think for a moment: what would happen if only those who are guilty before Allah died in an earthquake? In such a case, the appropriate basis for the "test" of humankind would not be established. That is why Allah creates each phenomenon in a "natural" setting. Only those who are aware of the existence of Allah and have a deep comprehension of His creation understand the divine rationale behind this "natural" appearance.In the verse, "Every soul shall taste death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must you return," (Surat al-Anbiya: 35), Allah states that He tests man through good as well as bad events. That many people are affected by a disaster is the riddle of this test. One should always keep in mind that Allah is the All-Knowing Judge and "the Decision between them at judgement will be in perfect justice." (Surat az-Zumar: 75). All events happening to a person in this life are a part of the test. Those who are truly believers comprehend the essence of this riddle. Whenever a misfortune befalls them, they turn to Allah alone and repent. They are servants of Allah and are aware of the promise of Allah: Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods and lives and the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return". They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah, and mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance. (Surat al-Baqarah: 155- 157) As is stated in the verse, all people, believers and disbelievers, are tested in many ways: sometimes by natural disaster, at other times by something happening in our daily lives, a disease or an accident that befalls us. Such misfortunes strike individuals as well as societies and cause material loss along with spiritual suffering. A wealthy man may become bankrupt, a girl with good looks may receive a severe injury on the face, or a city may be reduced to rubble by an earthquake. These incidents are all clear demonstrations of how, at any moment, events can alter our lives.People should be able to draw lessons from these events. No doubt, Allah does not create anything without a purpose; each disaster is a reminder for human beings whose purpose is to save humans from the perversity they are in. In the Qur'an, Allah says that without His leave, nothing can occur on earth: No kind of calamity can occur, except by the leave of Allah: and if anyone believes in Allah, (Allah) guides his heart (aright): for Allah knows all things. (Surat at-Taghabun: 11) Nor can a soul die except by Allah's leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any desires a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any desires a reward in the hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve Us with) gratitude. (Surah Ali-'Imran: 145) Another lesson one draws from disasters is that man, assuming himself to be mighty on earth, realises that he is simply weak and actually does not have the strength to cope with disasters, which happen in a moment by the will of Allah. Man can provide no help either to himself or to anyone else. Surely Allah is Omnipotent. This is stated in the following verse: If Allah touch you with affliction, none can remove it but He; if He touch you with happiness, He has power over all things. (Surat al-An'am: 17) In this chapter, a comprehensive account of types of disasters affecting the earth will be given. The purpose is to remind people that this world is not a place for which to feel blind affection. These incidents indicate how desperately we need Allah's guidance and help. This desperation is a clear statement that people are impotent before Allah. As is said in the verse; "and nor have you, besides Allah, any protector or helper." (Surat al-'Ankabut: 22)Earthquakes Earthquakes are the most devastating natural forces on earth. The worst loss of life occurs during earthquakes. Research reveals that every two minutes somewhere the surface of the earth cracks. According to statistics, the earth shakes millions of times a year. On average, the intensity of three hundred thousand of these earthquakes is minor; they are imperceptible tremors and cause no destruction at all. Twenty of them, on the other hand, are powerful earthquakes which convulse the land. Yet since they often do not hit densely populated areas, they kill few people, if any, and cause little economic loss. Only five of these earthquakes reduce buildings to heaps of rubble. This information shows that people do not frequently encounter earthquakes. No doubt, this is Allah's special protection against disasters for humankind. In our day, only a city or a province becomes subject to damaging earthquakes. Yet, by the will of Allah, an earthquake affecting the whole planet could happen at any time. This type of shaking of the ground could end life on earth. The structure of the earth is quite vulnerable to quakes; a sudden movement or rupture of large masses of rock within the earth's crust or upper mantle would make catastrophe inescapable.  An earthquake has no relation with the type of soil that amplifies the effects of seismic waves travelling through it. An earthquake may still occur even when the natural conditions for an earthquake do not exist. By the will of Allah, an earthquake may happen at any time. Yet, Allah specially creates insecurity and instability in some parts of the land. This is to remind people that, at any time, an unexpected incident may place their lives in jeopardy. In the Qur'an, Allah warns people against a possible calamity: Do then those who devise evil (plots) feel secure that Allah will not cause the earth to swallow them up, or that the wrath will not seize them from directions they little perceive? (Surat an-Nahl: 45-47) These earthquakes shaking the earth for only seconds can last for hours, even days. While recovering from a devastating disaster, people can suffer another. This is surely easy for Allah. However, by His mercy, Allah protects man and with such disasters reminds him, now and then, that he has no control whatsoever over his life.At this point, it could be beneficial to remember a major earthquake, which took place in the 20th century. Technology Defeated: Kobe Today's advanced level of science and technology inspires man with the feeling that he has control over nature. Yet, those who are overwhelmed by such a notion may soon feel disappointment. Technology is a tool provided by Allah for the service of man and is entirely under His control. Various events show that even the most advanced technology is impotent to rule nature. For instance, despite the "earthquake-resistant technology" developed by Japanese scientists, Kobe fell victim to widespread subsidence caused by twenty seconds of intense shock waves during the 1995 quake. The world's most earthquake-resistant structures built to withstand an intense jolt simply collapsed during a momentary 6.9 magnitude quake. During the previous three decades, the Japanese government had invested 40 trillion dollars in academic research to develop warning systems for earthquakes. Yet, these efforts yielded no conclusive results at all. As the millennium draws to a close, scientists are still unable to devise systems to issue warnings that could reduce the destructive effects of dangerous seismic events. Kobe was a recent example, among many others, demonstrating how vulnerable to unexpected patterns of seismic hits a modern industrialised city is. The public was reassured that modern technology developed to predict major earthquakes would save them from complete destruction. Yet, after the disaster which reduced Kobe to heaps of rubble, it became apparent that no technology had been available to alert people to the danger. It also became apparent that the so-called "quake-resistant structures" had no resistance at all to the earthquake whose epicentre was 15 miles south-west of downtown Kobe. Kobe, Japan's second most densely populated industrialised city and most important port after Tokyo. At 5:46 am on the 17th January 1995, twenty seconds of intense shock waves caused appalling damage. Only twenty seconds and everything people had toiled their whole lives to possess was destroyed. The region affected by the earthquake included the populous cities of Kobe and Osaka. That is why appalling damage occurred, leaving 5,200 people dead and another 300,000 injured. The total damage was put at 200 billion dollars.3 There are certainly lessons to be drawn from such a disaster. City-dwellers, used to leading comfortable lives, were suddenly confronted with many hardships after the disaster. In a state of shock, they were unable to figure out what to do with their lives,- let alone make plans for the future.  Typhoons, Hurricanes, Tornadoes... Typhoons, hurricanes, and tornadoes are natural disasters that people frequently experience. These disasters and their aftermaths claim thousands of lives every year. These are very strong winds, which can cause great damage to cities, killing and injuring residents, hurling thousands of trees, huts, telephone poles, cars, and even buildings miles away. Great typhoons in particular can cause giant sea waves to raise suddenly from the seabed. In this phenomenon, powerful storms send waves speeding at hundreds of miles per hour across the ocean against seacoasts. In such cases, water rises onto the land and heavy rains cause serious floods in delta regions. In February 1988, a hurricane caused extensive damage when it struck Florida. The hurricane demolished buildings and hurled automobiles onto buildings. Automobiles and households scattered by the hurricane. A tornado big enough to sweep away homes and reduce a whole city to rubble. In February 1988, after a hurricane's passing in Florida, a heap of powerboats. The transformation of winds that are generally experienced as mild breezes into powerful storms capable of moving buildings no doubt forces us to look for the great power making such events happen. The same rationale discussed in the section on earthquakes is also true for typhoons, hurricanes and tornadoes: if Allah willed it so, man would very frequently be confronted by such natural disasters. While recovering from disaster, human beings could suffer another. In the Qur'an, Allah reminds man that winds are under His control: Do you feel secure that He Who is in heaven will not cause you to be swallowed up by the earth when it shakes (as in an earthquake)?   Or do you feel secure that He Who is in heaven will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones), so that you shall know how (terrible) was My warning? (Surat al-Mulk: 16-18) However, Allah protects man against hazards. He only occasionally sends against them violent storms. This is surely to give man a warning. The intention is to remind people that their ultimate purpose in life is to be servants of Allah, that they are but impotent against Allah's might and that they will be judged on the day of judgement.Volcanoes As well as the vibration or shaking of the ground caused by sudden movement or rupture of large masses of rock within the earth's crust or upper mantle, volcanic eruptions are another spectacular form of natural disaster. There are about 1,500 active volcanoes around the world today; 5504 of them exist on land while the remainder are under the oceans. These volcanoes can erupt at any time in extremely destructive ways that no-one can anticipate in advance. When they erupt, they can kill the residents of nearby cities in addition to destroying crops and covering farmland with ash. A volcano erupting. The bus in the middle of the sea of lava reminds one of the Pompeii disaster. Some catastrophic eruptions that took place in this century as well as earlier in history made indelible impressions on the human mind. These eruptions wiped many cities off the map and killed numerous communities. There are certainly lessons to be drawn from the volcanic eruptions witnessed in history. Mount Vesuvius in Italy, for instance, buried Pompeii, a city whose residents led a life of total debauchery, under a storm of hot lava. It is striking that 20,000 inhabitants of this prosperous city were asphyxiated mostly by the pyroclastic flows that swept through it on the 24th August 79 CE. In our own day, however, the dormancy of volcanoes can often end abruptly and they can explode at unexpected times shooting steam and ash thousands of feet into the air. In the meantime, pyroclastic flows sweep through areas causing irrecoverable damage to whatever they encounter. Another adverse effect of eruptions is the harmful clouds of gases and ash carried by winds into populated areas. These terrifying winds, sometimes about 90 miles per hour, set everything on fire and engulf cities like sun-extinguishing canopies. One of history's worst disasters occurred in 1883 when Krakatau, in the East Indies, erupted explosively, generating a sound-wave heard 3,000 miles away and creating tsunamis up to 125 feet high. The waves razed 165 coastal villages and killed 36,000 people.5 Filling the entire horizon in June 1991, searing clouds of ash-laden gas - a lethal pyroclastic surge - spew from Mount Pinatubo in one of the 20th century's most violently explosive eruptions.  Volcanoes are memorable not only for their tragically high death tolls but also because they erupt in extremely destructive ways that cannot be predicted. The eruption of Nevado Del Ruiz is an example. This was an eruption of minor intensity. In comparison, its intensity was only 3% of the eruption of Mount St Helens. After being dormant for 150 years, Nevado Del Ruiz erupted in 1985 melting the snow and ice on its summit. So devastating was the lahar, or river of mud, that flowed down the volcano's slopes and into the Lagunille River valley, that some 20,000 residents in Armero, Colombia perished, entombed in hot mud as they slept. This event was the worst volcanic disaster since Mount Pelee annihilated St Pierre in 1902. Mount Pelee claimed 30,000 lives when it sent a nuee ardente, or pyroclastic flow, into the town of St Pierre. 6 Allah demonstrates how suddenly man can meet his death by means of such disasters and thereby calls on him to ponder the purpose of his existence on earth. These incidents send a "warning". What is expected in return from man, who can conceive of his Almighty Creator, is not to indulge distractedly in the affairs of a short life of 50-60 years and neglect the eternal life, the hereafter. We should keep in mind that death will come upon all men one day and that everybody will be judged in the presence of Allah: One day the earth will be changed to a different earth, and so will be the heavens, and (men) will be marshalled forth, before Allah, the One, the Irresistable. (Surah Ibrahim: 48) Tsunamis Great surges of water (tsunamis) at times may ravage coastal cities. Seismic sea waves or tidal waves are caused by a sudden uplift or subsidence of the sea floor or by volcanic eruptions. Some tsunamis can be as destructive as atom bombs. Floods Allah surely creates all these disasters as "warnings" to mankind. He is exalted in power and He has power over all things. Allah testifies to this in the verse: "He has power to send calamities on you, from above and below." (Surat al-An'am: 65) That there are so many serious physical threats around the world no doubt underlines one important reality. With disasters, in only a matter of seconds Allah may take back whatever He has granted man. Catastrophes may strike anywhere at any time. This is a clear demonstration that no place exists on earth that can guarantee man's security. Allah says this in the following verse: Do the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of Our wrath by night while they are asleep? Or else, do they feel secure against its coming in broad daylight while they play about (carefree)? Do they then feel secure against the plan of Allah But no-one can, (unwisely), feel secure from the plan of Allah, except those (doomed) to ruin! (Surat al-A'raf: 97-99) Water, granted to man as a favour, may in times turn out a disaster by the will of Allah. It is incomprehensible that man witnesses one or two floods every year and still disregards the possibility of experiencing such a calamity himself. Wildfires and fires caused by human neglect may cause major losses. A tornado big enough to sweep away homes and reduce a whole city to rubble.  Ice falling at close to 100 miles an hour shattered automobile windows in Tampa, Florida, during a 1992 thunderstorm that cost some 25 million dollars in property damage.9 The roof of a house damaged by hailstones. In 1997-1998, "El-Niño" raged over many cities. The total damage all over the world was put at 20 billion dollars.(8) A city affected by El-Niño Although water is of great significance for life on earth, devastating floods remain to be a threat. A Lesson from History: The Titanic History abounds with cases of people relying on technological breakthroughs and totally disregarding the might of Allah. That is exactly why many disasters have gone down in history as painful lessons for everyone. Each one of these events is important in the sense that it reminds man that neither wealth nor power, science nor technology has any power to resist the will of Allah.  Numerous examples of such incidents can be given. The best known is the famous Titanic, a huge ocean liner 55 meters in height and 275 meters in length, which sank nearly ninety years ago. The Titanic, intended to be an "assault on nature", was a grand project that employed a team of engineers and as many as five thousand people. Almost everybody was absolutely convinced that this ship would never sink. The ocean liner was a masterpiece of technology with many engineering advances that pushed back the limits of its day. Yet those who relied on the technical prowess of the ship did not take into consideration one important fact stated in the verse "The command of Allah is a decree that is made absolute" (Surat al-Ahzab 38) and that everyone will sooner or later meet his fate. Eventually, a minor failure led to the sinking of the ship and advanced technology could not save the Titanic from her bitter end.  From what the survivors of Titanic related, the majority of her passengers gathered on the deck to pray when they realised the ship was about to sink. In many sections of the Qur'an, this tendency of human behaviour is repeated. In times of serious trouble and danger, man sincerely prays and seeks the help of his Creator. However, when delivered from danger, they immediately turn away in ungratefulness: Your Lord is He that made the ship go smoothly for you through the sea, in order that you may seek of his bounty. For He is unto you most Merciful. When distress seizes you at sea, those that you call upon - beside Him - leave you in the lurch! But when He brings you back safe to land, you turn away (from Him). Most ungrateful is man! Do you then feel secure that He will not cause you to be swallowed up beneath the earth when you are on land, or that He will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones) so that you shall find no-one to carry out your affairs for you? Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back a second time to sea and send against you a heavy gale to drown you because of your ingratitude, so that you find no helper therein against Us? (Surat al-Isra: 66- 69) One might never have experienced such a disaster, yet one should always remember that, at any time, one may find life stripped to its fundamentals. Accordingly, man should always occupy himself with the remembrance of Allah since "the power is wholly Allah's." (Surat al-Baqarah: 165) On the other hand, once a catastrophe strikes, one might not have the opportunity to change his ungrateful attitude towards Allah and seek to repent to Him. Death may be very sudden: Do they see nothing in the government of the heavens and the earth and all that Allah has created? (Do they not see) that it may well be that their terms are nigh drawing to an end? In what message after this will they then believe? (Surat al-A'raf: 185) By the Mercy of Allah Each one of them We seized for his crime: against some of them We sent a violent tornado (with showers of stones); some were caught by a (mighty) blast; some We caused the earth to swallow up; and some We drowned (in the waters): It was not Allah who injured (or oppressed) them; They injured (and oppressed) their own souls. (Surat al-'Ankabut: 40) What has been discussed so far is intended to remind those who forget their purpose in creation of an important fact: everything on earth owes its existence to Allah, the Creator who has created the entire material universe. In other words, everything's existence is consequent upon the exercise of the will of Allah. Therefore, nothing has a being separate and apart from Allah. The Qur'an tells us that nothing is beyond Allah's control: "Allah has full power and control over His affair; but most of mankind know it not." (Surah Yusuf: 21)Nevertheless, as Allah makes clear in the second part of the verse, the majority of people are not aware of this. They assume, during the course of their lives, that no misfortune whatsoever will befall them, never thinking that they too are vulnerable to any of those devastating disasters. We feel that "others" experience such terrifying incidents and that "we" will always live in safety. News about disasters, accidents or epidemics surely makes us feel sympathy for the sufferers. We indeed share their sorrow; however, as disasters recede into memory, we become less concerned and such an attitude proves to be a passing interest for us. Once we immerse ourselves in the flow of daily life or face personal problems, we quickly develop a sense of apathy and remain indifferent to those who have been through disaster. Nevertheless, the notion that every day of one's life will be the same is a flawed one. This is evident from the warnings of Allah. Certainly, those people who were exposed to various disasters did not know that a natural hazard would throw their life into complete disarray. They certainly started that day as an ordinary one, thinking that it would be the same as the preceding ones. However, it turned out to be totally different. Most probably, it never occurred to them that, on that particular day there would be a drastic change in their lives, which would transform life into a dangerous struggle. On such occasions, lives are reduced to their simplest truths. Surely, this is how Allah reminds man that security in this world is a sham. A majority of people pay no heed to this, however. They forget that life is short and temporary and disregard that they will be judged in the presence of Allah. In this state of heedlessness, they spend their lives in pursuit of vain desires instead of living for the good pleasure of Allah. Viewed from this standpoint, troubles are a mercy of Allah. Allah demonstrates the true nature of this world and encourages man to be prepared for the next life. That is why what is said to be a misfortune is in fact an opportunity offered by Allah. These misfortunes are given to people so that they may seek to repent and amend their conduct. The lessons that should be drawn from disasters are related in one of the verses: See they not that they are tried every year once or twice? Yet they turn not in repentance, and they take no heed. (Surat at-Tawbah: 126)

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3- H.J. de Blij, M.H. Glantz, S.L. Harris, Restless Earth, The National Geographic Society, 1997, p.8 

4- H.J. de Blij, M.H. Glantz, S.L. Harris, Restless Earth, The National Geographic Society, 1997, p.8 

5- H.J. de Blij, M.H. Glantz, S.L. Harris, Restless Earth, The National Geographic Society, 1997, p. 64 

6- H.J. de Blij, M.H. Glantz, S.L. Harris, Restless Earth, The National Geographic Society, 1997, p.18-19 

7- H.J. de Blij, M.H. Glantz, S.L. Harris, Restless Earth, The National Geographic Society, 1997, p.64 

8- The Guinness Book of Amazing Nature, p.60 

What to do with Boko Haram?

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/articles/analysis-a-opinion/8917-what-to-do-with-boko-haram.html

What to do with Boko Haram?

Harun Yahya,

13 May 2014

There is no need to always look for external forces to see what actually is harmful for Islam. We should first look inside ourselves. Like the inhuman and hate-filled practices such as those of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, al-Shabaab in Somalia and the Taliban in Afghanistan, the savage actions of Boko Haram in Nigeria give rise to Islamophobia.  The atrocities committed by fanatics bring down troubles on the entire Islamic world. Islamophobia is spreading across the world because of a handful of fanatics; the savage practices of fanatical belief terrify the world.

Two hundred female students between 12 to 15 years old were kidnapped in the Nigerian state of Borno on April 15^th; eight more girls were seized on May 6^th. Boko Haram, alleged to have links to al-Qaeda, assumed responsibility for these inhuman actions. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau continues his defiance and issues threats saying he will sell the girls into slavery.

Hundreds of acts of terror supposedly committed in the name of Islam by numerous radical organizations have taken place in Africa in the last 50 years. These organizations use violence to try to impose their own beliefs and living systems. Boko Haram says it does not want to see a scientific and European-style education system in Nigeria; their very name means “Western education is forbidden.” They therefore attack schools, students and state institutions. The terror organization killed 50 people, 42 of them students, in an attack on a school boarding house in the state of Yobe in September 2013. In the last year, this radical organization is responsible for the deaths of more than 1,500 people.

The USA offered assistance to Nigeria in the wake of the seizure of the female students. However both the USA and the European countries have largely failed  to produce policies that lead to success when it comes to dealing with radicalism. As talk of “eliminating radicalism through force” rises in the West, it leads to the radicals who declare the Western world to be “the enemy” to resort to violence even more. Radicals attract supporters by spreading propaganda saying that the West is a foe preparing to destroy them. Victims of violence turn to violence and those who have access to guns use guns. Hatred and violence do nothing but incite further hatred and violence. As a result, every death, invasion or  war turns into an agent that strengthens radical propaganda; it creates what's known as a positive feedback loop.

Contrary to what people think, fanaticism is not an unconscious and blind system. Fanaticism is the name given to a “dark philosophy of life” furnished with misinformation. People in it are loveless and sick at heart.

For example, Boko Haram is opposed to Western education, but engages in intensive educational efforts using its own sources filled with superstitions. It regards the Holy Qur’an, the main source of Islam, as insufficient - may Allah forbid - and fabricates hundreds of rules based on false and unrealistic sources. As a result of these perverse and sinister philosophies, they issue fatwas concerning the kidnapping of female students, selling them into slavery or otherwise legitimizing violence. The members of this group therefore lose the ability to judge and analyze by the light of the true Islam and imagine that they are in fact on the true path. At this point, one needs to reconsider the issue: Since radicalism is based on a false belief, all it needs is education with the truth. Indeed, teachers of love who will tell people of Islam using true sources, who are capable of approaching people with love, friendship, brotherhood, peace and reason, and of telling them of love and compassion need to be supported.

Fanaticism can be treated. Their sickness, fears and doubts can be overcome through systematic and scientific educational mobilization, without hating the fanatics. That is how they can be re-integrated into society. It is important to understand their concerns in striving against radicalism and to build a solution accordingly.

The underlying reason why a fanatic opposes science, technology and Western-style education is that he fears these concepts will undermine his own beliefs; he tends to believe that science is used against religion. The fact is, however, that all scientific advances prove the truth of the divine faiths. The hostile attitudes of the fanatics can be quite easily done away with by including these scientific advances in education systems. This education system will also prevent the emergence of new fanatics. If people are intellectually, philosophically and culturally equipped with accurate information about Islam, then fanaticism will lose the very support it needs in society in order to function.

In truth, misogyny – another issue commonplace among those with the fanatical mindset - is a long-standing historical problem as well and we must not look for it only among fanatical Islamic groups. Bearing in mind that women across the world were only given the right to vote and stand for the office in the 20^th Century, we can see a very twisted attitude toward them in many societies and belief systems. These rights were finally bestowed in 1944 in France and in 1971 in Switzerland. Abuse of and violence toward women is at very high levels, even in the European countries we consider to be the most civilized. Women have been regarded as half-human for thousands of years. Yet in the Qur’an, men and women are equal in all respects. This is clearly explained in the 13th verse of the Surat al-Hujurat.

As it is seen clearly, there is a world of difference among the false sources used by the fanatics and the Qur’an, the true source of Islam. Let us remind ourselves of the one thing that urgently needs to be done – education.

Weapons at the time of the Mahdi

Weapons at the time of the Mahdi

Tanks, cannon shells, water cannons; none of those will exist in the End Times. They will all be used for industrial purposes. There will be no weapons at the time of the Mahdi (pbuh). 
(A9 TV; May 2nd, 2014)

At the time of the Mahdi no one would ever throw things at each other. Consequently there would be no need for even one anti-riot water cannon vehicle. Those vehicles will be used for watering gardens in the End Times, at the time of the Mahdi (pbuh). 
(A9 TV; May 2nd, 2014)

There will be no need for the police, for the anti-riot water cannon vehicles; there will be no need for tear-gas in the time of the Mahdi (pbuh). Why is that? That is because love will prevail in the time of the Mahdi(pbuh). Love does not prevail right now; violence and terror is running rampant. 
(A9 TV; May 2nd, 2014)