Al Islam

Unveiling of the 'Unseen' by the Quran—A Historic Perspective (continued)

he Prophecy About Archaeological Exploration

And when the graves will be laid open. 15

While the verse of Al-Zilzal clearly refers to the throwing up by the earth of its hidden treasures, this verse of Surah Al-Infitar is evidently speaking of archaeology.

But this is not the only verse which does that. We have selected this because of its prophetic nature, otherwise there are many other verses in the Quran which draw the attention of man repeatedly and directly to many a buried township and civilization of earlier people. They exhort man to dig up their remains and study the factors which brought about their ultimate ruin.

HE FOLLOWING TWO OPENING VERSES OF SURAH AL-TAKWIR predict that Islam will already have gone into decline before the dawn of the new age:

When the sun is wrapped up,

And when the stars are obscured. 16

It should be borne in mind that the sun and the stars as mentioned in these verses refer symbolically to Islam and Muslim divines. The Quran refers to the Holy Prophetsa as Sirajan-munira ( ) which literally means the 'radiant sun' and the Holy Prophetsa refers to the company of the pious people who borrowed from his light as shining stars, who in the absence of the sun still emit enough light to guide the wayward:

My Companions are like the guiding stars; whomsoever you follow, you will be led to the right path. 17

When the sun is described as having ceased to shed light it clearly speaks of the decline of Islam, because the Holy Prophetsa was its living symbol. The obscurity of stars by the same logic refers to an age when the Muslim divines would cease to reflect the light of Islam. This inference is fully supported by the contents of the verses which follow. They all invariably speak of an age of great scientific, political and social advancement which evidently is a tribute to the age. If the opening statement of this Surah as quoted above applies to these revolutionary changes, the discord between the two would be too jarring. What a dismal compliment it would become. That brilliant age of exceptional advancement in knowledge would be described as if the sun had been wrapped up and the stars had ceased to shed light. They are two different things applicable to different areas of future developments. Hence, if the main contents of this chapter refer to the material rise of the Christian world which was to follow the discovery of the Americas, the first two verses must be understood by way of contrast to apply to the fate of Islam. What had happened to Islam to earn this gloomy description by the year the Americas were discovered? If we find the answer to this question no further proof would be needed to support our interpretation of the said verses. The year 1492 as we have pointed out before is the most outstanding landmark which separates the old world from the new. Can we prove that the downfall of Islam did reach its nadir in the same year so that any reader could easily recognise a clear link between the two? Yes we can and the verdict is not ours nor that of any other Muslim. The verdict is that of history evidenced by Christian historians themselves. The Chronicle of the World has the following to say about the most distinctive feature of that year in relation to Islam:

'After a ten-year campaign Granada, the only remaining Moslem state in Spain, has fallen to the Castilian army. The surrender of the city is being hailed by Christians as the "most signal and blessed day there has ever been in Spain". Moslems are describing it as one of the most terrible catastrophes ever to befall Islam.' 18

'Ferdinand and Isabella take Granada, the last Moslem kingdom in Spain, which had resisted Christian conquest for two centuries'18.

This brought to end the unbroken rule of Spain by the Muslims for seven hundred years.

After the termination of the Muslim political rule in 1492, there began an organized campaign by the Church to murder Islam. Though the Muslim domination had come to an abrupt end after an extended rule of more than five hundred years, the influence which Islam had built over the previous five centuries could not have been done away within a year or two. There was a large number of Moors who were scattered all over the southern hilly terrain of Andalusia providing strong isolated pockets for Islam. There was an even larger number of Spanish converts to Islam who were no less sincere and devout in practising Islam than their conquerors from Arabia and Africa. It was they, more than any other reminder of their faith, who proved an intolerable irritant to the Christian clergy which had grown desperate over the years to destroy them or their religion.

It was Ximenes (pronounced Khemenies), the loudest apostle of the Church Militant who,

'... would have the souls of these "infidels" saved from the hell fire whether they liked it or no.' 19

He imprinted in 'Isabella's holy mind the pernicious doctrine that to keep faith with infidels was breaking faith with God.'19 He was

'... not a man to be easily deterred from his purpose. He induced the queen to promulgate a decree by which the Moors were given their choice to baptism or exile. They were reminded that their ancestors had once been Christian, and that by descent they themselves were born in the Church, and must naturally profess her doctrine'. 20

Thus began the beginning of the end for Islam in Spain which took two hundred years to run its deathly course.

'The mosques were closed, the countless manuscripts that contained the results of ages of Moorish learning were burnt by the ruthless Cardinal, and the unhappy "infidels" were threatened and beaten into the Gospel of Peace and Goodwill after the manner already approved by their Catholic Majesties in respect of the no less miserable Jews. The majority of course yielded, finding it easier to spare their religion than their homes; but a spark of the old Moorish spirit remained burning bright among the hillmen of the Alpuxarras...' 21

'... the rulers of Spain were neither wise nor honest in their dealings with the Moriscos, and as time went on they became more and more cruel and false. The "infidels" were ordered to abandon their native and picturesque costume, and to assume the hats and breeches of the Christians; to give up bathing, and adopt the dirt of their conquerors; to renounce their language, their customs and ceremonies, even their very names, and to speak Spanish, behave Spanishly, and re-name themselves Spaniards.' 22

'It was reserved for Philip II to carry into practical effect the tyrannical law which his father had prudently left alone. In 1567 he enforced the odious regulations about language, customs, and the like, and, to secure the validity of the prohibition of cleanliness, began by pulling down the beautiful baths of the Alhambra.' 22

Al-Hambra in Spain (click to enlarge)	The Cordoba Mosque in Spain (click to enlarge)

'In the winter of 1569–70 he (Don John) began his campaign, and in May the terms of surrender had been arranged. The months between had been stained with a crimson river of blood. Don John's motto was "no quarter"; men, women, and children were butchered by his order and under his own eye; the villages of Alpuxarras were turned into human shambles.' 23

'Many hapless exiles died by the way, from want, fatigue, and exposure; others reached Africa, where they might beg a daily pittance, but could find no soil to till...' 24

'It is stated that no less than three million of Moors were banished between the fall of Granada and the first decade of the 17th century. The Arab chronicler mournfully records the coup-de-grâce: "The Almighty was not pleased to grant them victory, so they were overcome and slain on all sides, till at last they were driven forth from the land of Andalusia, the which calamity came to pass in our own days, in the year of the Flight, 1017. Verily to God belong lands and dominions, and He giveth them to whom He doth will." ' 24

'The Moors were banished; for a while Christian Spain shone, like the moon, with a borrowed light; then came the eclipse, and in that darkness Spain has grovelled ever since.' 25

Thus concludes Stanley Lane-Poole in his history of The Moors in Spain. The sun of the Muslim political domination of Spain which had set in 1492, left behind, it seems, a gory dusk which took two centuries to finally dissipate the light of Islam from the sky of Spain, and turn it into a starless night.

As for the secular enlightenment brought to Spain by the outgoing Muslim civilization, it did not take that long to follow.

Thus the year 1492 opened two gates at once. Out of one the future of the Christian domination of the world marched in with such majestic glory. Out of the other departed all the past glories of Islam with heads hung low, each aching step inflicting unbearable agony.

The fourth verse speaks of mountains being moved from one place to another:

And when the mountains will be made to move. 26

Mountains in Islamic terminology mean great worldly powers. There are many verses in the Holy Quran which mention mountains with the same connotation. So the third verse which speaks of the mountains is in fact the verse with which we begin our study to understand what would happen in the latter days. After the initial decline of Islam, a starless night would fall to be followed by the dawn of a day which was not to be the dawn of Islam. Great material powers would not only rise but move their influence widely from territory to territory, from continent to continent and bring under their domination country after country. That is how mountains in their sense can move and they did move. The moving of the mountains can also be understood in other ways, a discussion to which we shall turn later. Now that we have begun to re-visualize the great changes which according to this Surah of the Quran were destined to take place in that age, we take up the subject bit by bit and category by category in accordance with the verses as they follow.

While on the subject of movements, the implication of the fifth verse can be easily understood. It reads:

... when the ten month pregnant she-camels will be abandoned. 27

In this context the prophecy of the she-camels being abandoned can evidently be understood to mean that better, faster and more powerful means of transport will have been invented. The scenario of the mountains moving from place to place, great powers spreading their influence from continent to continent is directly related to the issue of the she-camels being abandoned.

It should be kept in mind that the movement of the mountains can be interpreted as transportation of immense loads as well as the spread of influence of mighty political powers. Both of these definitely require more advanced and powerful means of transport than she-camels. Unless such new means had become available to man it would be sheer madness on his part to abandon whatever poor means he already had available. He would certainly not abandon the she-camel and start carrying mountain-like loads on his bare back!

The inevitable conclusion one is left to draw from this verse is that far more powerful and swifter mechanical means would be invented which would render animal modes as insignificant and obsolete.

The she-camel, it should be remembered, can only symbolically represent such modes of transport as move on land surfaces. One wonders about boats and ships etc., and why have they not been mentioned and what breakthrough does the Quran predict in the area of marine transport? To this we shall return later. Presently we would like to take up the next verse which speaks of the gathering of all sorts of animals.

And when the wild animals will be gathered together. 28

The shift from the abandonment of she-camels to the gathering of animals is quite intriguing. This provides another proof that she-camels will not be left alone despite their usefulness. The mention of wild animals being gathered together in fact further advances the same idea of the invention of revolutionary means of transport. Of course all sorts of wild animals cannot be transported from place to place merely on the backs of camels. None can imagine elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, giraffes, crocodiles, blue whales and giant octopuses enjoying camel rides! Their transportation could only become possible by the modes of transport invented in our age.

The verse which follows is still on the subject of transport:

And when the seas are made to flow forth one into the other. 29

The word Sujjirat () according to Lane can be translated into the following three concurrent meanings:

1. And when the seas shall be filled.
2. And when the seas shall flow forth one into another.
3. And when the seas will be set on fire.

As for the first possible meaning the filling of the seas naturally creates the vision of the sea filled with plying vessels. Thus this verse too remains primarily occupied with the same discussion as in the preceding verses. This interpretation will be further corroborated when we return to this subject once again.

Presently we take up the second of the three possible meanings which speak of the joining of the seas. This prophecy is further elaborated in the following two verses of the Quran:

He has made the two bodies of water flow. They will one day meet.

Between them there is a barrier now which neither can trespass in an act of defiance. 30

And He it is Who shall merge the two seas together. This palatable and sweet, that saltish and bitter. And between them He has (presently) placed a barrier and a massive partition. 31

The two verses quoted above are taken from two different Surahs of the Holy Quran. Each predicts a separate event of the joining of two different seas together. This is exactly what happened in modern times. In the digging of the Suez Canal during 1859–1869 and that of the Panama Canal during 1903–1914, the world has already witnessed the fulfilment of these prophecies in a manner that could not have been even vaguely visualized by man during the age of the Holy Prophetsa.

The third concurrent meaning which presents the scenario of the seas put on fire is no less bizarre than the first one, hence as unlikely to be conceived by the human mind fourteen hundred years ago. It is an idea which can only be born during the age of naval warfare with exchanges of intense firepower. Incidentally the huge number of ships involved in modern naval warfare covers such large areas of the sea as justify our interpretation that by the filling of the seas it is primarily meant that the seas would be filled with plying vessels.

Again the third concurrent meaning portraying the seas as set ablaze is an idea which belongs to the age of huge oil spills such as occur in our time. They are often ignited to minimize the horrendous threat they pose to marine life. At such times even hundreds of thousands of square miles of sea can be observed as literally set on fire.

The next verse from Surah Al-Takwir advances the same idea still further. Instead of the gathering of animals, it is humans who would be gathered together is the central message of this verse:

And when people are brought together. 32

This too can be translated simultaneously into three different meanings as follows:

1. When people will be linked together by mutually binding ties.
2. When people from all over the world will be merged together.
3. When the meeting of people together will be facilitated by means of much faster modes of transport.

Each of the three interpretations mentioned above has clearly come true. Ours is an age when international treaties bind practically all the nations of the world without exception. Hence, this interpretation has evidently come true and needs no further elaboration.

Likewise the founding of the League of Nations which was replaced later by the United Nations has evidently advanced the ultimate unification of the world a step further as predicted.

As for the fulfilment of the third prophecy implied in the same verse, we have already observed the distances to be virtually so reduced by the new modes of travel as to create the impression that the whole world is squeezed into one community of a single township.

Before proceeding further it would be appropriate to mention another prophecy which also relates to the subject of the bringing together of people. That prophecy speaks of the return of the Children of Israel to the Promised Land in the latter days:

And after him We said to the children of Israel, 'Dwell ye in the land; and when the time of the promise of the latter days comes, We shall bring you together out of various peoples.' 33

The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, by the Romans tolled the bell for the death of the Jewish state. From then on the Jews were scattered throughout the world moving on from country to country. It is this state of ultimate diaspora to which the above verse refers when it declares that one day the Jews will be gathered from all over the world and once again they will be assembled in the Holy Land. It is a covenant of God which shall be fulfilled. We have already seen the fulfilment of this promise on such a wide scale as has never been witnessed by man before. Never in the history of the Jewish people after any diaspora were they brought back from all the countries of the world as it happened in the recent past after the creation of the state of Israel.

Returning to Surah Al-Takwir from which we digressed for a while, let us now take up verse 9 which follows. This verse as well as the next, describe the same age to which all previous verses refer to from different angles.

And when the girl-child buried alive is questioned about,
'For what offence has she been put to death?' 34

In their ignorance some Arabs felt extremely insulted when a daughter was born to them and out of shame might even bury her alive. Society had no right to interfere in such matters as though the fathers owned their children like property.

That age would be the age of the strict rule of law is the evident message. This message however, is delivered particularly with reference to the rights of women. Otherwise a simple statement concerning law and order could as well have been made. In the light of this, one simply cannot fail to register this significance. No longer will men be able to trifle with the rights of women, is the powerful import of this verse. Never in any age did the rights of women acquire such importance as in contemporary times.

All the features of the latter days which the verses of this Quranic Surah develop systematically with a progressive sequence, carry the subject forward from one feature to another like the brush of a master painter. The scientific development which is throughout implied is continuously interwoven with the political and social aspects. In verse 8 the bonding together of man is predicted in more than one way. The same subject is taken up again in verse 11 after the mention of social and political developments. The idea is introduced with reference to the most powerful means of joining people together which is through wider extensive publication of literature, newspapers, magazines etc. All the modes of transport referred to above have played their part in uniting the people of the world, but the role of the press can never be overshadowed or replaced by any other measure of uniting man. Take the role of the wide distribution of printed literature away from this age and mankind, despite the distances being reduced, will suddenly appear to fall apart once again. The people will become disjointed and isolated from each other. It was this modern state of the news media and the extensive publication of literature which is mentioned in the verse under discussion:

And when the books will be extensively published and spread. 35

Also implied in this prophecy is the invention of the modern press, otherwise it would not be possible for handwritten manuscripts to be extensively published and widely distributed.

An age of large-scale publication is also bound to be an age of intense proliferation of knowledge, research and investigation. The Holy Quran emphasizes the role of the pen so powerfully that it directly attributes to God the act of teaching humans how to write.

The following verses which are taken from Surah Al-'Alaq, the very first Chapter revealed to the Holy Prophetsa emphatically pronounce:

Read! And your Lord is the Most Honourable.

Who taught by the pen.

He taught man what he knew not. 36

These verses when read in conjunction with the verse under study clearly emphasize the character of the age as highly advanced in knowledge. During that age, the spread of educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities also seems to be implied.

The very first verse which makes the opening statement introduces God as Most Honourable because He has taught with the pen. It is obviously implied that the pen will be the source of all knowledge and knowledge would be the source of all greatness and honour. Incidentally one should not forget that these revelations were vouched to one who himself had never learnt to hold a pen in his hand. It was the pen of God which authored the Quran and not the pen of Muhammadsa. Another implication of the verse is that knowledge would become the means of gaining power and the pen shall emerge as mightier than the sword.

The next verse advancing the same theme further pronounces that the sky will be the limit of man's knowledge:

And when the heaven will be peeled off (laid bare). 37

This verse presents a tragic comparison between the state of Islam in that age and the rise of the worldly Christian powers when the light of the sun of Islam will be wrapped up and the stars of the Muslim heaven will cease to shed light. The non-Muslim materialistic world will begin to scale the heavenly heights to learn the secrets of space.

This scenario brings to mind some other verses of the Holy Quran which also predict an era of space and air travel. The following are the relevant verses:

And by the heaven full of tracks. 38

And by those who are sent forth with specific tasks,

And by those who move like the moving of fast winds,

And by those who propagate a goodly propaganda,

And by those who distinguish and discriminate between friends and foes. 39

These and many other similar verses repeatedly draw the picture of a sky which is extensively used for air travel. It is charted into tracks, messengers fly to and fro, airborne propaganda is carried out extensively and it has become possible at last for man to fly on the wings of air. Having fulfilled his dream to fly, man would begin to entertain loftier ambitions. He would begin to discern the secrets of the heavens and the heavenly bodies. He would peel off the covers which enwrap them to unveil their mysteries. He would set space stations and posts to watch and monitor what passes in the heavens above him. The following verse clearly illustrates this phase of human advancement in science and technology which would make it literally possible for him to probe into the vast expanse of the universe.

However much they strain their ears to eavesdrop on whatever passes in the lofty celestial chambers, they will not be able to do so without being pelted from all sides.

Repulsed! And for them will be a perpetual punishment. 40

Concerning the ambition of man to conquer space physically to its very limits, the following is the challenge which the Quran throws to all who seek the conquest of space, be they high or low.

Before we quote the relevant verse, it is essential to clarify the nature of its address. The translation: 'the company of the jinn and the company of the men' does not do full justice to the message implied. The word 'jinn' () does not indicate here a ghostlike existence different from humans. Instead as also mentioned earlier it is frequently employed to indicate big people as against the common people who are referred to as An-Nas (). Hence, the true import of this address would perhaps be better understood if it were translated as: 'O company of the capitalist powers and O company of the proletariat.'

Now we quote the verse and its translation taken from Maulawi Sher Ali:

O company of Jinn and men! if you have power to go beyond the confines of the heavens and the earth, then do go. But you cannot go save with authority. 41

We humbly suggest that a more appropriate translation in this context should have been 'Except with the help of most powerful deductive logic'. This means that although physically unable to transcend the boundaries of the universe, man would still be able to reach the limits of the universe as far as the extension of his knowledge is concerned. We have the following reasons to support this inference:

The translation 'Save with authority' can in fact create the opposite impression to what the Quran actually intends to convey which is a categorical denial of the possibility of physical conquest of space by man to its outer limits. Authority is not the only meaning of the word Al-Sultan. It can be simultaneously translated as a mighty monarch, a powerful argument or strong deductive logic. Hence it may signify that man will still be able to reach across the boundaries of the universe through powerful logical deduction.

What is clearly denied is not just a short hop or two into space. What is denied is the ability of man to reach the limits of the universe with his physical body. Incidentally the hazards attending upon space flights are also mentioned as follows:

There shall be sent against you blasts of fire, and smoke; and you shall not be able to help yourselves. 42

This verse in fact draws a clear picture of cosmic rays rather than that of ordinary flames of fire.

Having elaborated the implied meanings of verse 12 of Surah Al-Takwir, with the help of the above quoted verses of Surah Al-Rahman (Chapter 55), we now return to Al-Takwir from where we left off.

It is a strange coincidence that we finished our comments on the verses of Surah Al-Rahman with the warning of perpetual punishment by fire. This exactly is the subject of discussion of verse 13 of Surah Al-Takwir which we intend to elaborate now:

And when the hellfire will be made to rage. 43

Here the expression hellfire refers to such wars as would create the impression that all hell has broken loose. Hence, this is the warning delivered in this verse. This is the only feasible interpretation in the context of the preceding prophecies which speak without exception of the events of this world. It would appear very odd indeed if man is told that at some time while these events are taking place here on earth, hellfire would be raging above in an other-worldly space.

The sequence of prophecies thus reaches its logical conclusion. Material progress however massive it may be cannot be of any avail to man if he gains his worldly ambitions at the cost of God's pleasure. The hour of punishment must arrive and strike man down despite all his material might. But no calamity will befall him from on high as such. He will build his own hellfire himself and his selfishness will create such global tensions as are bound to culminate in hellish wars. Looking back at the history of the two World Wars this interpretation no longer remains an academic exercise but acquires a substantial threat. This exercise so far has brought to bold relief the contrast between the tragic decline of Islam and the rise of the non-Muslim powers. The verse under study clearly depicts that the global domination of materialism will not last perpetually. The downfall of the materialistic powers will begin with growing mutual enmities which will culminate in horrendous catastrophes of their own making. Wars will follow one after the other. They will be re-kindled and quenched yet again leaving behind the ashes of the mighty powers which will incinerate themselves. The two global wars have already dented the unchallenged might of the superpowers while the weaker and the poorer nations have relatively emerged with a sense of having gained some measure of their lost dignity. The balance is far from tilted as yet to have reached a critical stage, but though slowly, time is certainly moving in the direction of a global revolution. It is that revolution which is predicted in the Quran to be the ultimate revolution of Islam. Lest it should seem an over-generalized, unsubstantiated statement, we shall produce in the following chapter some sound concomitant evidence to dispel such doubts.

Based on the direct messages contained in many a verse of the Quran, the Holy Prophetsa has clearly predicted the ultimate outcome of the global conflict during the latter days. This he has done with reference to the advent of the anti-Christ. But it should be clarified at the outset that his image as it arises from the traditions of the Holy Prophetsa is not in reality as freakish as might appear on the surface. It refers to the anti-Christ in a manner that seems to combine in him the power and might of immensely powerful nations. In fact the entire age of the latter days is mentioned by the Holy Prophetsa as the age of the anti-Christ. All signs of the age are mentioned with reference to him. Among the signs which assist his identification is a category devoted specifically to the new modes of travel of which man had no experience before. A detailed account of what the anti-Christ would be and how he would dominate the world leaves no shadow of doubt in the mind of any unbiased reader that it is not a single person to whom these prophecies refer. The term 'anti-Christ' as used by the Holy Prophetsa is only symbolic. He would be a symbol of the mighty powers of his age and his exploits would in fact be the exploits of many highly advanced and powerful Christian nations of the world. But their supremacy would not last forever. The ultimate downfall of the anti-Christ who symbolizes them is also predicted in no uncertain terms. From the ruins of materialism would rise once again the sun of Islam unveiling its radiant beauty as it casts away the covers of doubt and suspicion which had enwrapped it for many a dismal century.

OW we take up the discussion of the revolutionary mode of travel once again but this time we refer to the traditions of the Holy Prophetsa. As for the remaining signs of the anti-Christ, particularly those which have religious significance, we shall discuss them separately at some greater length in another chapter.

Modes of travel on land, sea and air are all described without exception in a manner that fully endorses the interpretation of many a Quranic verse which we have presented earlier. Even the issue of the movement of mountains is explained so that the memory of the relevant verses is effortlessly resurrected. The Holy Prophet'ssa elaboration of the anti-Christ and the unique donkey he would ride must have seemed extremely odd to the people of his time. It had to appear odd because despite the fact that he continually refers to that mount as a donkey, none of the known characteristics of a donkey are ascribed to that oddity. However all the modern modes of transport answer to this description perfectly.

They have one common feature about them; they are all propelled by combustion engines drawing their energy from fire. Even the external combustion engines like those of locomotives driven by steam are dependant on fire. This is the sharp separating line between the earlier modes of animal transport and the revolutionary new modes of transport in the age of the anti-Christ which would reveal him to be not an animal but an inanimate object. We refer to him as 'he' only because in the prophecy he is literally spoken of as an animal. In fact he could be identified by this distinctive mark alone. Recognize the donkey of the anti-Christ and you will recognize in him the modern modes of transport. Fail to recognize him if you so choose and travel back to the age of donkeys.

Some other novel features of this symbolic donkey of the anti-Christ are described in great detail in various books of traditions. The following is a composite presentation of the information derived from them:

1. Like his donkey the anti-Christ himself would be so massive and gigantic that a monster like unto him has not even been heard of in the most bizarre tales of fantasy. He would be so tall that his head would seem to disappear beyond the clouds. He will be so immensely powerful that he would conquer the whole world single-handedly. 44
2. Despite all these physical advantages the one blemish that he would be blighted with would be the total loss of one eye, the right eye for that matter. 45
3. This donkey would not merely be a personal mount of the anti-Christ, but would also be made freely available as a means of public transport. People will climb into his belly from the openings on his side provided specifically for this purpose. 46
4. The belly will be well lighted within and equipped with comfortable seats. 46
5. The donkey would move at exceptionally fast speeds covering long distances in a matter of days or hours which ordinary animal mounts take months to cover. 47
6. He would have regular stoppages on its way. At every stoppage the public would be invited to come and be seated before he resumes his journey and every departure would be loudly announced. Thus the metaphorical donkey would continuously travel from place to place providing people with a fast, convenient and comfortable means of transport. 48
7. The passengers travelling in the belly would in no way be scorched by the fire he had eaten indicating that the seating compartment in his belly would be fully insulated from the fire chamber. 48
8. This donkey will also be able to travel by sea and move from continent to continent riding the ocean waves. 49
9. During his journey by sea he would somehow swell to a much larger size. Thus he will be able to transport mountains of food upon his back across the oceans. Many a time he will be employed to deliver these enormous food supplies to such poor nations as abjectly bow to the will of the anti-Christ. The transportation of mountain-loads of food is a figurative expression reminiscent of the one contained in another previously quoted verse which predicted such times when mountains will be made to move. 50
10. The amazing donkey would also know how to fly because some of his gigantic leaps are described to cover distances between East and West. It is said that one foot of the beast will be in the East and the other in the West. This is indicative of the size of his leap meaning that he would take off from one continent and land in another. 51
11. In the air he will move above the level of the clouds. 52
12. On his forehead he would carry the moon. Apparently the moon refers to the headlights which most modern vehicles are equipped with. 52

After reading this vivid description of the donkey of the anti-Christ which he would use for his world conquest, we wonder if the reader really needs further assistance to recognize him.

Obviously such great Christian powers are mentioned under the title Dajjal 53 as were destined one day to command the entire world. The fire-driven donkey which acquires the changeable roles of aeroplanes, ships or trains moving at exceptionally fast speeds was to play the most formative and crucial role in the conquest of the world by the Christian powers. Apart from emphasizing the advantage of higher speeds, the advantage of weightier possessions is also specifically mentioned in the global conflict for supremacy:

Then, as for him whose scales are heavy,

he will have a pleasant life. 54

The weightier they are in their possession and the faster in their speeds, the more inevitable would become the supremacy of the world powers. The mass and the speed at which he moves is what matters on the road to victory.

These prophecies are so unique that it is hard to find their equal in the realm of Divine prophecies elsewhere. The description is so vivid and precise that one has the impression that like a painter who captures with his brush what he sees, the Holy Prophetsa was moulding into picturesque words what he observed unfolding before his eyes.

With this we bring to a close the discussion on the series of the prophecies contained in the Surah Al-Takwir. Now we plan to present to the reader some other highly important prophecies which describe some other important features of the same age. Each of the following prophecies deals with different specific topics. They are dextrously encapsulated in various other Surahs of the Quran.

REFERENCES

15. Translation of 82:5 by the author.
16. Translation of 81:2–3 by Maulawi Sher Ali.
17. Mishkat-ul-Masabih. Vol.I, Chapter III. Kitab Al-Manaqib. Babo Manaqib Al-Sahabah. Publisher: Al-Maktab Al-Islami, Beirut.
18. Chronicle of the World. (1989) Chronicle Communications Ltd and Longman Group UK Ltd., London, p.436
19. LANE-POOLE, S. (1888) The Moors in Spain. 8th ed., T. Fisher Unwin, London, p.270
20. LANE-POOLE, S. (1888) The Moors in Spain. 8th ed., T. Fisher Unwin, London, pp.270–271
21. LANE-POOLE, S. (1888) The Moors in Spain. 8th ed., T. Fisher Unwin, London, p.271
22. LANE-POOLE, S. (1888) The Moors in Spain. 8th ed., T. Fisher Unwin, London, p.273
23. LANE-POOLE, S. (1888) The Moors in Spain. 8th ed., T. Fisher Unwin, London, p.278
24. LANE-POOLE, S. (1888) The Moors in Spain. 8th ed., T. Fisher Unwin, London, p.279
25. LANE-POOLE, S. (1888) The Moors in Spain. 8th ed., T. Fisher Unwin, London, p.280
26. Translation of 81:4 by the author.
27. Translation of 81:5 by the author.
28. Translation of 81:6 by the author.
29. Translation of 81:7 by Maulawi Sher Ali.
30. Translation of 55:20–21 by the author.
31. Translation of 25:54 by the author.
32. Translation of 81:8 by the author.
33. Translation of 17:105 by Maulawi Sher Ali.
34. Translation of 81:9–10 by the author.
35. Translation of 81:11 by the author.
36. Translation of 96:4–6 by the author.
37. Translation of 81:12 by the author.
38. Translation of 51:8 by Maulawi Sher Ali.
39. Translation of 77:2–5 by the author.
40. Translation of 37:9–10 by the author.
41. Translation of 55:34 by Maulawi Sher Ali.
42. Translation of 55:36 by the author.
43. Translation of 81:13 by the author.
44. 'ALLAMAH 'ALA-UD-DIN 'ALI AL-MUTTAQI. Kanz-ul-'ummal vol:14 p.604 & 613 (1979), Beirut.
45. IMAM MUSLIM BIN AL-HAJJAJ BIN MUSLIM AL-QUSHAIRI AL-NAISAPURI. Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fitan, Babo Zikrid-Dajjal wa Sifatehi Wa Ma Ma'ahu.
46. 'ALLAMAH MUHAMMAD BAQIR AL-MAJLISI. Biharul-Anwar, Babo 'Alamate Zohurihi Alaihis-salam min Al-sufyani wad-Dajjal.
47. 'ABDUR-REHMAN AL-SAFURI. Nuzhat-ul-Majalis,vol:1 p.109. Maimaniyyah Press, Egypt.
48. 'ALLAMAH MUHAMMAD BAQIR AL-MAJLISI. Biharul-Anwar, Babo 'Alamate Zohurihi Alaihis-salam min Al-sufyani wad-Dajjal.
49. 'ABDUR-REHMAN AL-SAFURI. Nuzhat-ul-Majalis,vol:1 p.109. Maimaniyyah Press, Egypt.
50. Sahih Al-Bukhari. Kitab-ul-Fitan, Babo Zikrid-Dajjal.
51. 'ABDUR-REHMAN AL-SAFURI. Nuzhat-ul-Majalis,vol:1 p.109. Maimaniyyah Press, Egypt.
52. 'ALLAMAH 'ALA-UD-DIN 'ALI AL-MUTTAQI. Kanz-ul-'ummal vol:14 p.613 (1979), Beirut.
53. Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fitan, Babo Zikrid-Dajjal wa Sifato Wa Ma Ma'ahu.
54. Translation of 101:7–8 by Maulawi Sher Ali