Hazrat Imam Baqar Muhammad bin Ali (ra) has narrated the following Hadith (saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad saw):
“For our Mahdi (Divine Reformer) there are two signs which have never appeared before since the creation of the heavens and the earth, namely the moon will be eclipsed on the first night in Ramadan (i.e. on the first of the nights on which a lunar eclipse can occur) and the sun will be eclipsed in its middle (i.e. on the middle day of the days on which a solar eclipse can occur), and these signs have not appeared since God created the heavens and the earth.”
(Dare Qutani Vol 1, page 188) or (Sunan Darqutni, kitabul eidain, chapter: salat-ul-kasoof-ul khasoof wa haitahuma)
In the literature of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the dates of the lunar and solar eclipses have been taken as 13, 14, 15 and 27, 28, 29 respectively…
It is a wrong assertion. God has made converse with the truthful persons, their Word of Revelation provide knowledge about Him to the humans. The non-believers of God have failed to provide any proof of His non-existence. They are however free to deny Him as there is no compulsion to believe in Him. Regards
I did not mention the unicorns to start with. One who mentioned them does not have any evidence of their existence, so his argument was invalid, please. Regards
I never gave anything dubious, for sure. God has made Converse with the truthful persons in all ages and regions, which confirm He exists. There is no compulsion for a person to believe in Him. God exist irrespective one believes in Him or does not believe in Him. God does not need that He should be believed in. It is the humans who need Him, please. Regards
<Kindly give evidence of God’s existence to us, please>
God’s many attributes are mentioned in Quran. some of them are: [57:4] He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He knows all things full well. https://www.alislam.org/quran/search2/showChapter.php?ch=57&verse=0 Manifest or Evident does not need to be proved. God is Evident and exists irrespective of if one believes in Him or does not believe in Him. He does not need to be believed by others and that does not mean that He does not exist. So He is to be believed by the humans very naturally as they believe in the existence of themselves. Right, please? Regards
Thanks for confirming that communication could be a profound evidence of one’s (your) existence though we have never met with one another or never seen one another or never touched one another. I witness God communicated with Muhammad and in our times with Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 1835-1908 and told them things that have happened exactly as they told, so it makes evident that God exists. Right, please?
One will be taken aback to note that Armegiddon/Armageddon is nothing like as one would have imagined or known so far. It is not to be fought with any physical and destructive weaponry and or the lethal arsenal of the day. It is peaceful and in fact, I understand, it has already started and it is sown like a seed!
It was a debate between the Pauline-Christianity (represented by Mr. Abdullah Atham) and the Second Coming 1835-1908 , that took place in Urdu language and was published then by the name “Jang-e-Muqaddas” in 1893 ( 22 May 1893 to 5 June 1893) in the then British India and has been recently translated and published in English by the name “The Holy War”:
I have written following comments on Richard Carrier’s “Freethought Blogs”.
Topic: “Minor Corrections to Crossley’s Jesus in an Age of Neoliberalism” by Richard Carrier
paarsurrey
April 23, 2014 at 9:22 am (awaiting moderation)
“Similarly, Crossley rightly takes to task the reactionary Islamophobia of Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris, but falsely treats that as representative of New Atheism, when in fact the bulk of the New Atheist movement has been consistently criticizing them for precisely these views.” Unquote
I read Hitchens book “God is not great”; and noticed that he had no in-depth study of Quran/Islam/Muhammad and generalized things from his experience with Christianity and had a biased view of Quran/Islam/Muhammad.
In the entire book Hitchens could not quote even a single verse from Quran in support of his views about Quran/Islam/Muhammad; though the title of the book suggests that his intention was to write the book against Islam.
A Note on Two Erased Persian Inscriptions on Takht-e-Suleiman Hill Srinagar
(Muzaffar Ahmad 2015)
Two erased inscriptions had been recorded by historians, archaeologists and travelers on the walls flanking the flight of eighteen steps leading to the main shrine of Takht-e Suleiman in Srinagar. They were reported to be erased by Sikh or Dogra soldiers as early as 1840.This paper is an effort to reconstruct their text from literary sources.
Sandhimana Parvata or Takht-e-Suleiman hill in Srinagar (Lawrence 1895:297) is one of the most important archaeological sites in Kashmir. It is a sacred place of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists (Lawrence 1895: 297-8) and probably of Central Asian Jews in past (Vigne 1842: I-395). Local traditions hold that the Temple built on its summit was spared from demolishment by Sultan Sikandar as he was told that Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna offered his prayers there (Hasan 1931:395-6). There is still a small but elegant structure near the temple which is considered a mosque by many (Fauq 1920:126). It was assumed by some that grave of sandhimana, Samdhimati or Suleiman is on the summit of this hill. An unrecorded excavation on the summit in 1915 brought to light a cenotaph near the mosque and the temple (Fauq 1920: 126-7, Ahmad 2015).
Jyeshtheshvara (Kalhana 1900:51) or modern Śaṅkarācārya temple on the summit of this hill is of great antiquity. Sir Alexander Cunningham recorded an inscription on the right hand flank wall of the stairs leading to the temple. It was a slab ten inches square dated to 1069 A.H./1659 CE. He copied it in 1839 but when he revisited Srinagar in 1841 it was reportedly erased by Dogra soldiers. He was hardly able to re-trace the name of Takht-e-Suliman. Cunningham never published the text of this inscription for some unknown reason and did not provide any details why he dated it to 1069 A.H. (Cunningham 1848:10-11) Major Cole in his Illustrations of the ancient buildings of Kashmir (Cole1869, Kak 1933:75) mentions two erased Persian inscriptions on the flank walls of stairs leading to octagonal platform and the temple on it. Ram Chandar Kak notes that two side
walls of the flight of steps1leading to the shrine once bore two Persian inscriptions:
1 Excellent details of stairs are found in Ince’s Kashmir Handbook (Calcutta 1867.p.85.) I am grateful to Dr. Tahira Saeed for making available to me photographs of a rare copy in Colombia
The temple is built on a high octagonal plinth approached by a long flight of steps enclosed by two side-walls which originally bore two Persian inscriptions. One of these was dated A.H. 1069 =A.D. 1659. Both inscriptions disappeared sometime in the last few decades (Kak 1933:74).
He also mentions a date of year 1069 A.H. engraved on staircase (Kak 1933:75). Here he appears to be in some confusion about the original location of the inscription. It looks as if he is trying to harmonize the accounts given by Cole and Cunningham. Cunningham’s account either confirms the defacement of the inscription of the left flank wall prior to the one on right or shows that he failed to notice or ignored the left flank wall inscription. Whatever was the case there is no doubt that there were inscriptions on both flank walls as writer of Wanchoo Folio, Ghulam Hasan Khuihami, Major Cole and Kak all confirms their presence.
Recovery of erased texts from historical sources
1. Inscription on northern flank wall
Around 1880, Ghulam Hasan Khuihami, the renowned historian of Kashmir recorded a mutilated inscription on the northern side wall of the stairs. In his Tarikh-e-Kashmir he holds Dogra soldiers and Sikhs responsible for erasing it and provides the following text on the authority of his father Abd-ur-Rasheed Shiva who saw the inscription written in Khat-i- Thulth in his youth:
At this time a youth named Yuzasp has arrived from Egypt and claims sonship of a prophet
At another place he adds “year 54 of the Kashmiri Calendar” at the end. The wording “of the Kashmiri Calendar” was not part of the original text and it should be taken as an interpretation of the text by Hasan.
University library. Information provided by D.F. Newall in JASB 35(1).1867.pp.120-21 is also very useful.
At this time a youth named Yuzasp has arrived from Egypt and claims sonship of a prophet. Year fifty four [of Kashmiri Calender]
The worn out Wanchoo Folio from an unknown history of Kashmir which survived only in a published photograph seems to be the oldest source of the text of these two inscriptions (Khwaja 1952). The one on northern wall is:
[…………] fifty four
Yuz Asaf proclaimed Prophethood.
2. Inscription on southern flank wall
There is only a single evidence of the text of the inscription on the southern flank wall and it comes from Wanchoo Folio:
He is Yasu the prophet of Bani Israel
Below is a comparison of the texts from both sources.
Discussion
There is little doubt that the text of these inscriptions as quoted in Wanchoo Folio and in an altered form in Tarikh-e-Kashmir by Hasan was well known before 18th century in Kashmir. Kalhana in his 12th century Rajatarangini depending on Chavillkara’s history narrates that Gopadityia I repaired the temple of Jeysthesvara on Gopadari, the ancient name of Takh-e-Suleiman hill (Kalhana 1900:50-51). Kalhana presents Samdhimati (Suleiman) and his guru Isa or Isana Rena (Isa or Isana the Helper) as contemporaries of Gopadytia II (Kalhana
1900:66-69, Shahabadi 1984:71-2), the Gopananda of local Kashmiri traditions and Persian historical sources. This shows his confusion about the reigns of great grandfather and the great grandson. The still extant document of a 1766 CE decree by Mufti Muhammad Fazil Qazi of Srinagar affirms the common knowledge of people of Srinagar that Yuzasaf was a prophet in the time of Raja Gopanand (Gopadytia) who built the temple on Takht (Mufti 1936: 56-58, 77).2 H.H. Wilson quotes from Gohar-e- Alam Tuhfa-e-Shahi (a history of Kashmir written by Badie
ul-Zaman before 1786 CE) that Suleiman was a Christian apostle (Wilson 1825: 30). The original wording in the Calcutta Manuscript of the History of Badie-ul Zaman is:
The assertion of the people of knowledge is that one of the disciples [of Jesus] (حواریون از یکے (is buried there. From whose tomb emanates divine grace and blessing.3
At the present state of research we can only reconstruct the text of these two erased inscriptions reported by well-known archaeologists of 19th and 20th century from two textual sources of the history of Kashmir. Texts provided by Wanchoo Folio are more reliable in comparison with Tarikh-e-Hasan as the document is of considerable antiquity but we have to wait for the discovery of the lost manuscript
2Two other sources are added by Dr. Fida Husnain. One is a so-called Muhammadi press edition of Haidar Malik’s Tarihkh-i-Kashmir which contains the same wording as in Wanchoo folio. This I cannot confirm. The second is Wajeez-u-Tawarikh by Ghulam Nabi Khaniyari. It has the sentence: Yuz Asaf proclaimed prophethood. Year 54. Khwaja Nazir writes that a manuscript of the history of Haidar Malik mentions all four inscriptions without quoting them on folios 11 and 12 while Khwaja Hasan Malik mentioned the first and the last sentence in his history. Again I cannot confirm it.
3 Ms.189.Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal. Folio 75b.
to say something with surety. An on spot examination of the present state of slabs (if they are not removed) could be helpful to recommend or not the use of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging technique.
To judge the text of these inscriptions in historical or religious context is beyond the scope of this paper. However two points are important to note.
1. The script of inscriptions on a pillar in sanctum (Picture 1) combined with some others (Pictures 2 and 3) makes it clear that the erased inscriptions on the flank walls were most probably depicted in a peculiar style of calligraphy common in Shahmiri period before the introduction of Nastaleeq by Mughals. These inscriptions were most probably Persian translations from original Sanskrit inscriptions and were made when the temple was repaired in Early Shahmiri period. Bilingual Sanskrit-Persian inscriptions of Shahmiri period are still found in Kashmir (Picture3).
2. There is some evidence that the two inscriptions on the flank walls were erased somewhere between 1833 and 1841 CE. by Sikhs on the incitement of a fanatic Christian preacher Joseph wolff (1795-1862). He was on his way to India when he informed Mohan Lal on 8th of May 1832 in Kabul that when he was in Bukhara he talked to Jesus in a vision in which Jesus told him that Srinagar will be the future Jerusalem of the world (Mohan Lal 1846:72-73). He informed Sir Alexander Burnes (1805 -1841) of this vision and started talking about it in public in Kabul. On 16th of May 1832 he met Mullah Abdul Qadir from
Kashmir who told him that “In the time of Jesus, the city was destroyed, and Parwarzeen (Pravrasena) built the present Cashmere (Srinagar)” (Wolff 1832:336). In 1833 he wrote to the editor of a newspaper in Calcutta that he will stay in Kashmir for 12 days and will enquire from Muslim Mullahs about Jesus (Wolff 1833:15). He reached Kashmir when Ranjit Singh’s son Sher Singh was the governor. He met him and talked with him about his vision. During his stay in Srinagar he made investigations about Jesus from Muslims and Buddhists4(Wolff 1861:120-21). A conversation between Vigne and Wolff provides a proof that Wolff was informed by local people about some graves of his interest on Takht-e-Suleiman (Vigne 1842: I-395). There is some probability
4 Bottas or Ladakhi Buddhists were living in a colony near Hari Parbat in Srinagar and they held Pus-Pahari (Takht-e-Suleiman) in great esteem (Lawrence 1895: 297-8).
that once he found out that the text of these inscriptions was contrary to his beliefs, he erased the inscriptions himself or used Sikh government to achieve this task. This could be the interpretation of Hasan’s words that in Sikh period the opponents deleted these inscriptions.
1. The inscription on a pillar in sanctum in ancient Kashmiri calligraphic style (after Cole)
2. Oldest Quran from Kashmir written in 1237 CE with a similar calligraphic style
3. The bilingual inscription of a Shahmiri Royal grave with same calligraphic style
4. Wanchoo Folio (After Khwaja)
5. Flank walls are visible above the door leading to the shrine of Śaṅkarācārya 5
Kak, R. C. Ancient Monuments of Kashmir. London, 1933.
Khwaja, Nazir Ahmad. Jesus in Heaven on Earth. Woking.1952.
Lawrence, Walter R. a y a r . 1895.
Mohan Lal .Travels in Panjab, Afghanistan and Turkistan. London. 1846.
Mufti, Muhammad Sadiq.Tahqeeq-e-Jadid.1936.
Stein, M.A. and Kalhana. Kalhana’s rajatarangini.Westminister.1900.
The Calcutta Christian Observer. 1(7).1832.
The Calcutta Christian Observer.2. 1833.
The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Regiter. 11. 1833
Vigne, Godfrey Thomas. Travels in Kashmir, Ladak, Iskardo, the Countries Adjoining the Mountain-course of the Indus, and the Himalaya, North of the Panjab : With Map Engraved by Direction of the Hon. East India Company, and Other Illustrations. London. 1842.
Wolff, Joseph. Journals of Rev. Joseph Wolff Vol.2. London 1861,
—————– Adventures of Rev. Joseph Wolff vol. ii, p. London. 1861.
Atheism people give the impression that they are supported by Science and they demand of the Religions to give “Evidence” of God in terms of the “Scientific Method”. Their demand is unreasonable. Paarsurrey gives here some posts from the thread “Is Atheism based on superstition? ” on Religious Forum. Please click on the post #1 to get to the discussion.
Atheism has neither basis in Revelation nor in science. Right? Please Regards
paarsurrey said: ↑Atheism has neither basis in Revelation nor in science. Right? Please Regards
Correct. The discussion of atheism would be a topic of philosophy.#27 Willamena
Atheism is a topic of philosophy because it deals with mental relations, namely belief. It also touches on existential being, knowledge, and reality, which also lie in the area of philosophy.#43 Willamena
For ethical, moral and spiritual matters the religious people have to refer to the Revelation, this does not check/stop them referring to science in the matters pertaining material and physical realms, and it is a reasonable approach. The Atheism do not refer to science necessarily as it is not essential in Atheism. Is it an essential part of Atheism ideology? Please Regards
“An attitude toward science may be a concomitant variable but that doesn’t make it part of the same thing” “Science is not part of atheism” “So saying atheists look to science for answers may describe most atheists, but even if it described all atheists it wouldn’t be part of what atheism actually is”
Invitation to Ahmadiyyat is an English translation of Dawat al-Amir, en epistle written in Urdu and presented in Persian to a Ruler of Afghanistan, Amanullah Khan. It is written by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II (ra).
(1889-1965) Khalifatul Masih II (1914-1965) Al Musleh Mauod (The Promised Reformer) Second Successor to the Promised Messiah.
He it is Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the true faith that He may make it prevail over all other faiths (Al-Quran, 9:33; 48:29; 61:10)
Invitation to Ahmadiyyat
Being a statement of beliefs, a rationale of claims and an invitation, on behalf of the Ahmadiyya Movement for the propagation and rejuvenation of Islam by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-din Mahmud Ahmad,1980,THE LONDON MOSQUE.
Please view paarsurrey’s posts on Religious Forum by clicking the post numbers.
Sxxxxx said: In a couple of Dharmic religions, Buddhism and Hinduism, it’s acceptable to be a follower of that religion and to identify as an atheist at the same time depending on the school of philosophy one follows, and doing so is generally accepted by followers of these religions (not that debate between the schools of philosophy isn’t all that uncommon). We have followers of these religions who are atheists on this very forum.
My question is this: Is it possible in your religion to be a member of or follow your religion and identify as atheist? Why or why not?
The “rider of two boats (a proverb in Urdu language) has his one leg in one boat and his other leg in another boat is sure to fall in the water and to drown. In Revealed Religions there is reasonably no place for this “ism” called Atheism etc. Either one believes in G-d and is a believer, or one doesn’t believes in G-d and one is a disbeliever. Right? In man-made religions one can combine or not combine any number of them, as confusion + confusion+ confusion is more and more confusion. Right? Why not research and resolve this situation with Religious Method and find the Truth, please? Right?
Regards
mikkel_the_dane said: ↑Yeah, everybody else than you are confused. I mean, I am so confused that I didn’t write this. It is truly a miracle that all these confused humans have a life.
But one has not combined Atheism with any Revealed Religions, at least I don’t see it displayed as such, one has only “the Wrong one”, but still “One” not two of them. Right?
Regards
mxxxxx said: It is a way to make fun of the idea of The Right One.
One has introduced 5 nonfiction reads. On the top is “Ishmael”- by Daniel Quinn, which one has read more than once. I checked about it the Wikipedia. Among others it mentions:
“Reinterpretation of Biblical myths Ishmael proposes that the story of Genesis was written by the Semites and later adapted to work within Hebrew and Christian belief structures. He proposes that Abel’s extinction metaphorically represents the nomadic Semites’ losing in their conflict with agriculturalists. As they were driven further into the Arabian peninsula, the Semites became isolated from other herding cultures and, according to Ishmael, illustrated their plight through oral history, which was later adopted into the Hebrew book of Genesis.
Ishmael denies that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was forbidden to humans simply to test humans’ self-control.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishmael_(novel)#Reinterpretation_of_Biblical_myths It is indeed weird that Genesis mentions that G-d forbad Adam eating from the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” and or from the ” Tree of Life”. I understand, it must be an attempt by the corrupt scribes so that the ordinary humans don’t make effort to have knowledge for life and to benefit from it and to know good from evil and they continue to depend on the clergy for all the matters of life and knowledge. Right? Not much has been written on the life of Ishmael . Ishmael was the elder son of Abraham and it is from the lineage of Ishmael that Muhammad the Prophet came and brought Quran. Quran has a chapter named Al-Furqan meaning to know right from wrong and there is a prayer to G-d to increase our knowledge. “Second Coming” 1835-1908 has also come as a Successor to Muhammad so the spiritual bounties of life and knowledge promised to Abraham by G-d continue to the world for the benefit of humanity, please. Right? Regards
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