HOW DID IT COME TO THIS?

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By Ayman (e-mail: drayman@fast-email.com)

INTRODUCTION

1:7. Guide us the straight path, the path of those You bestowed Your favor on, those who have not earned anger at them and not the strayers.

In the article entitled Language Barrier we have seen how even important events in Sira (the biography of the prophet) are problematic, for example, when the prophet was born and where he lived. There is no evidence of a pre-quranic town named Mecca and the evidence shows that the common noun "mecca" (destruction) in 48:24 was appropriated after the great reading was revealed. So naturally, the question arises, where did the prophet really live?

Before we try to answer this question, let me say that I don't believe that it is necessarily an important question in itself. Had the answer been important then we would have been given a precise map in the great reading to find it. However, a possible value to answering this question is dispelling some of the traditional myths that surround the prophet's biography. This in turn may help us in some way or another to more clearly understand some aspects of the great reading.

WHERE DID THE PROPHET REALLY LIVE?

In our quest to find the region where the prophet really lived, we will use a somewhat different approach to previous attempts. We will use an approach based on the orthography of the great reading. In the same way that one can recognize if a scribe is British or American from the style of a person's English hand writing, the use of certain vocabulary and the spelling of certain words, we will try to use orthography to identify where the great reading was originally descended. As we saw in the article "Language Barrier", Arabic was an informal common people language and not a prestigious religious or literary language of the elite. As a result, archeologists have found that up to the Islamic era and the appearance of the great reading, Arabic inscriptions were written in various scripts and there was no specific script associated with the language. Arabic writers simply used the script of prestige of the geographic area where it was written. The script of prestige was the script associated with the language of prestige in the area. In the pre-Islamic era, there were two main scripts used to write Old Arabic:

1. The Nabataean Aramaic script. This is the script of the Nabataean Aramaic language.
2. The Musnad script. This script is also called Ancient South Arabian script and it is the script associated with the Sabaic language.

While the Musnad script became extinct shortly after the Islamic era, the Nabataean script became the Arabic script that we are all familiar with today. The following map shows the location of Old Arabic inscriptions in the Nabataean script (in red) and Musnad script (in green).

In northern Arabia, southern Syria and southwestern Iraq, up to the fourth century AD, Aramaic was the language of prestige. Thus, we find that the important religious texts were in Aramaic. The distribution in the north of the Peninsula of Old Arabic texts suggests that speakers of the Old Arabic dialect were present throughout the areas where Aramaic had come to be the prestige language. It was therefore natural that when Old Arabic came to be written in these regions, the Nabataean Aramaic script was the chosen vehicle. However, unlike the Ancient South Arabian Musnad script, the late Nabataean script only had twenty-two letters to represent the twenty-eight phonemes of Arabic and thus was largely inadequate for the expression of Arabic. For example, the "B" and "T" are indistinguishable and so are the "Kh", "7a", and "J" and the "Z" and "R". Moreover, letters such as the "B", "Y", and "N" are indistinguishable in the initial and medial positions. Thus, dotting was sometimes used to resolve ambiguities. Despite those major inadequacies, the prestige of the Nabataean Aramaic script outweighed other considerations.[1]

While the script of prestige in Northern Arabia was the Nabataean script, the script of prestige in Central Arabia and South Arabia was the Musnad script. Thus, in the Central Arabian town of Qaryat Al-Faw we find that Arabic inscriptions (see example below) were written using the Ancient South Arabian script. We also see the same phenomenon is the South at places such as Najran and Haram.

Arabic inscriptions found in Central Arabia such as the above use the Musnad script.

The prestigious script in central Arabia as demonstrated at Qaryat Al-Faw is Sabaic. So the orthography of the great reading negates a central Arabian origin. In central and south Arabia, the Sabaic script remained the prestige script until the Islamic era when it was displaced by the Nabataean Aramaic script of the great reading.

In the Roman affiliated Ghassanid provinces of northern Arabia, Greek increasingly became the prestige language of politics and religion starting around the mid fourth century CE and thus took over as the prestige religious script. This is confirmed by two pre-quranic leaves of parchment bearing a part of the Septuagint text of Psalm 78 (LXX, 77) with an Arabic explanation written in Greek script[2]. On the other hand, in southwestern Iraq and the border areas of Northern Arabia, the Lakhmid provinces continued to use Nabataean Aramaic as the script of prestige for writing Arabic.

Given the physical archeological evidence above and the fact that there was no specific script associated with Arabic, the great reading was simply written in the script of prestige of the region where it originated. At the late sixth century CE, the Nabataean Aramaic script was the script of prestige in the Northern Arabian Lakhmid provinces and border towns, just as the Musnad script was in central Arabia. So this completely negates that the great reading was originally written in a central Arabian town such as present-day Mecca otherwise it would have been written in the far more suitable Musnad script, which was the script of prestige for that region. This also completely negates that the great reading was originally revealed in a Roman town such as Jerusalem or the Ghassanids towns around it where Greek was the prestige script. The only logical conclusion based on the evidence is that the great reading must have originated in a north Arabian Lakhmid province where Nabataean Aramaic was the prestige script.

As an interesting side note, we see in the great reading Nabataean idols such as Manat spelled using the Nabataean spelling with a medial "waw" ("mnwt") as opposed to the Arabic spelling ("mnt"). This further supports that the great reading was revealed in an area where Nabataean Aramaic was the prestige script and hence the scribes adopted the foreign Nabataean spelling of the proper name that they are used to instead of the Old Arabic spelling, which matches the Arabic pronunciation.

By connecting the locations of Old Arabic inscriptions in the Nabataean script on the map (see figure below), we get an idea of the general area where the great reading could have been originally written. Given that by the late sixth century CE, the upper parts of that area, such as Avdat and Umm Aljimal would have been under strong Roman influence and Greek would have become the prestige language, this leaves us with towns in the lower part of that area as the most likely candidates for where the great reading originated. This would be somewhere between Hegra and Hira, including towns such as Domat-Al-Jandal, Tabuk, Tayma, etc. Unlike the isolated and insignificant town later named Mecca, all those towns were significant towns on major trade routes and had diverse multi-faith populations. Thus, any of them would fit much better the description given in the great reading as "umm al-qura" (an expression akin to "mother of settlements" or "the cradle of civilization").

Any of those towns in the Lakhmid provinces and border areas would also fit much better the clearly multi-faith environment where the great reading was revealed. Between the fourth and sixth century CE, Roman Christians have been persecuting other faiths such as Jews and even other Christian sects that they viewed as heretic such as Nestorians and Monophysites. As a result, those groups increasingly moved to the Lakhmid areas were they were tolerated and welcomed as a result of their opposition to the Romans. Thus, unlike Roman Christians, the Nasara are never described as being Trinitarians. In 5:72-73 we see that the term Nasara doesn't occur. The passage condemns as unappreciative/rejecters/"kuffar" Monophysites (5:72) and Roman Trinitarians (5:73). On the other hand, 9:30-33 describes the Nasara as "mushrikeen" (setting up partners) for claiming that Jesus is son of The God. The Nestorians fit this description because they rejected the Trinity and emphasized the humanity of Jesus. We know from archeological evidence that the Lakhmid areas were the main center for Nestorians.

Unlike the Roman provinces where intolerance towards other religions was rampant, it seems that paganism as well as a multitude of faiths were tolerated and continued to flourish under the Lakhmids. This plus the Christian and Jewish scholarship in the area provides the context of the multi-faith environment that the great reading was revealed in (see 22:17). The area where the prophet originally lived was likely a cosmopolitan north Arabian trading border town that maintained a somewhat neutral disposition and tolerant attitude for commercial reasons. This way, they could serve as a hub and trade with the Persians, the Romans, and any other political entity in the region. Business came first.

This cosmopolitan influence is clear and hence we can see loan words into the Arabic of the great reading that have been borrowed directly from Middle Persian. Some examples are:

"istabraq": brocade (76:21)

"kanz": treasure (9:35, 9:34, 11:12, 18:82, 25:8, 18:82, 26:58, 28:76)

"dirham": silver coin (12:20)

"jund": army/soldiers (36:28, 36:75, 38:11, 44:24, 67:20, 19:75, 37:173, 48:4, etc.)

Unlike the great reading, pre-quranic inscriptions in the Musnad script use the South Arabian word "jaysh" not "jund" for army/soldiers. Given that the Lakhmids had military alliances with the Persians, this is consistent with the great reading being revealed in a Lakhmid province or border town where Persian influence on the local Arabic dialect in the domain of military lingo would be stronger than central/south Arabian influence.

As we saw above, based on the orthographic evidence from the great reading itself and physical archeological evidence, the great reading must have originated in a north Arabian Lakhmid province or border town and not in a central Arabian area such as the area later known as Mecca. So if Mecca was not the town where the great reading was originally descended and the prophet lived, why did it take on this myth?

WHY MECCA?

To understand what really happened, we need to know that the examples that The God gives us in the great reading are directly relevant to our lives. In all the examples, the majority of people reverted to paganism and their misguided ways after they had received guidance. We know from the great reading that the people of the prophet venerated idols called Allat, Aluzza and Manat (53:19-20) and this is confirmed by archeological evidence. We also need to know that there is nothing in the great reading that even remotely suggests that paganism was eradicated in Arabia and the fact that paganism continued to flourish under the Arab kingdom is confirmed by the evidence from manuscripts of independent non-Islamic sources.

With this in mind, let's observe what is going on in present day Mecca. If you go to Mecca, you will see that people are spinning seven times around a stone cube dressed in a black garment ("kiswah"). The focal point of the stone cube is what the pilgrims call the "Black Stone". It is set in the southeast corner of the stone cube precisely facing the winter sunrise. You will see the pilgrims compete to kiss the Black Stone. If you stop any of the pilgrims and ask them why they are performing the above rituals, they will answer that by performing the above rituals, their sins will be forgiven and they will return as if they are newborns.

The precise alignment of the Black Stone with the winter sunrise is not coincidental. Allat, the main idol of the prophet's people, was a fertility goddess and this is confirmed by archeological evidence from Nabataean sites. As typical of such fertility goddesses their symbols and rituals are related to the sun. In this case, the direction of the winter sunrise marks the location where the sun is "reborn". Now if you take a closer look, you will see that the enclosure of the Black Stone is in the shape of a dilated female vulva and the Black Stone is in the shape of the crown of the head of the newborn baby deity as it is coming out of the vulva.

Come closer yet and you will see that people are kissing the head of the newborn baby deity. Kissing the head is an ancient Arab tradition for asking for forgiveness. So kissing the top of the head of the newborn idol as traditionally done to ask for forgiveness, results in the pagan's sins being wiped out as if he or she was a newborn.

Hang around for a while and you will observe that people spin seven times around the Black Stone. A pre-quranic manuscript written by Epiphanius in the fourth century CE describes the ritual of spinning seven times as part of the birth festivals of the Nabataean idols Allat and Dhushara around the winter solstice. The number seven was considered sacred in Arab and pagan symbolism in general because of the five sacred planets plus the sun and the moon that the ancients venerated. To this day many people in the Arab world celebrate what is termed in Arabic Subu', which is a traditional festival that takes place on the seventh day after the birth of a newborn and on the seventh day after a pilgrims' return. Like the pagan pilgrimage that we observed and Epiphanius described, as part of the Subu' birth celebrations, people traditionally go around the house seven times while carrying the newborn baby.

Observe the pilgrims some more and you will see some of them running between two hills. Ask one of them why they do it and he or she will answer that this ritual is symbolic for looking for water for a newborn child. In all the above empirical observations, one can immediately see the strong connection between ideology, rituals and symbols that form concerted pagan celebrations of a fertility goddess giving birth. Those pagan rituals and symbols were simply appropriated into the new popular religion.

As a goddess of fertility, this would make Allat equivalent to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. This would also make her equivalent to the Roman goddess Venus, the Semitic goddess Astarte/Ashtoreth, the Mesopotamian Ishtar, the Vedic goddess Kali, the Anatolian Cybele, and Frigga in the Norse mythos. Such fertility mother goddess was worshipped all over the ancient world under various names. Interestingly, black stones like the one in Mecca are commonly associated with such goddesses. For example, the following picture shows a black stone that was venerated at the Temple of Aphrodite, near Paphos, Cyprus.

Black stone of Aphrodite

Black phallic stones were also widely associated with the cult of Cybele, the ancient Anatolian fertility goddess; and similar egg-shaped black stones are, to this day, revered in Indian temples to the Hindu fertility goddess Kali, who is also known as Black Mother.

Interestingly, according to Greek mythology Aphrodite's beauty is kept in a black cube. Allat has a particularly strong association with Aphrodite because Aphrodite is the Hellenized Allat. In post-quranic times we hear from Roman Christian sources about Aphrodite being worshipped by Arab pagans as late as the 8th century, long after the death of the prophet[3]. So paganism was not eradicated in Arabia as traditions contend but remained and reemerged.

Cyprus, the island of Aphrodite is also home to the highly venerated Hala Sultan Tekke shrine (many consider it the third holiest shrine of Islam). Like the shrine in Mecca, it too has a black rock, said to have fallen as a meteorite as part of the tritholon over the shrine. The shrine is also to a woman named Umm Haram, the alleged foster mother of the prophet.

Another interesting common thread that runs through several of those idols is that they all had association with Friday. For example, Ashtoreth is connected to Friday. So is Venus, where the Romans named Friday after her as "dies veneris". The very name Friday is derived from the Norse goddess, Frigga. When the Germanic tribes invaded England they imposed their goddess upon the day meant to honor Venus. The day was called Frigedaeg, which gradually became "Friday". I don't think that it is a coincidence that Friday also became the "holy day" for sectarians who venerate Allat/Aphrodite and her black cube and Black Stone.

Also another interesting commonality is that such fertility goddesses were often veiled. Like the fertility goddess Cybele's veil, which covered her whole body, Allat's stone cube was also veiled with a black "dress". This practice of veiling the stone cube of the female goddess (and females in general) with a black dress continues to this day.

There is nothing particularly unique or amazing about what I am saying. All prior nations have reverted to paganism to one degree or another shortly after the death of their prophet. We can see this, for example, in Christianity's appropriation of pagan symbols and festivals such as Christmas. This is human nature. To think that we are somehow unlike other humans is nothing more than arrogant denial. This is in line with what the great reading tells us:

12:106. And the majority of them do not have faith in The God except while they are idolaters.

If we believe in 12:106, then we must know that the majority of people who have faith in The God are idolaters who associate idols such as Allat with The God as we saw above. If those idolaters who are the majority wanted to maintain their illogical and indefensible pagan symbols and rituals while avoiding logical criticism, then what better way than to claim that the prophet himself did like they do and that their pagan symbols are mentioned in the great reading? By hijacking the common noun "maka(t)"/destruction in the great reading (48:24) an insignificant town with a small pagan temple became the rallying center of paganism. Sometime in the late Umayyad - early Abbasid era is when this location seems to have gained importance and the reintroduction of Allat's beloved pagan symbols and rituals under the guise of the new religion was completed.

How were billions of men and women who profess to trust in The God and the great reading tricked into serving Allat by adoring her stone symbols and performing her rituals? In a twist of irony, as many of those men and women aged and estimated that death is near, they hastened to go to Allat believing that kissing her newborn's stone head or even just waving at it and spinning seven times around her stone cube would make them sinless. They believed that by doing those mindless rituals and honoring those inert objects they were doing something good. They thought that they would die in peace and go to heaven. Alas, in reality they were committing unforgivable idolatry and buying their way to unavoidable hell. Those people are not nameless and faceless. They are most of our forefathers, our grandparents, our parents, our loved ones, us and probably our children. How did it come to this? Indeed, this is the question we need to try to answer next from the great reading so that perhaps we can protect them from a fire whose fuel is people and stones, if The God willed.  To be continued...

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:

2:2. This is the book no doubt in it, a guidance for the forethoughtful.

This article reflects my personal interpretation of the verses of the reading as of January 5, 2006. I will try to improve my understanding of the great reading and the universe, except if The God wills and perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality. Please verify all information within for yourself as commanded in 17:36, and remember that simply "none" is the forethoughtful answer to 45:6. If The God willed, the outcome of this article will be beneficial.

INTRODUCTION

In part 1 we saw that billions of sectarian Muslims across generations idolize the symbols of the Arab pagan goddess Allat and perform rituals that are meant for celebrating the rebirth of the fertility idol. In this part 2, we will be looking at a possible explanation from the great reading itself of how this (and all such lies) happened. When I started writing this article, it was solely about the location of where the great reading was originally revealed and exposing the sectarians' pagan rituals and symbols. As The God helped me progress, I realized that "what happened" or "where it happened" is not as important as fundamentally "how it happened". I am writing this introduction about half way through Part 2 and there are some unanswered issues still remaining. I would venture to say that, even at this stage, I feel that the findings here are far more important than Part 1. It is as if through the billions of sectarian Muslims who committed unforgivable idolatry, The God somehow provides guidance to us.

WHAT IS ALLAT?

Let's look in the great reading for answers. Since as we saw, the symbols and rituals are connected with the idol Allat, let's find out what information we are given about her in the great reading. In chapter 53 we hear about the belief of the pagans in Allat, Aluzza and Manat:

53:19-28.

Have you seen Allat and Aluzza and Manat, the third one?

Do you have the male and He has the female? This is a false division.

These are but names that you and your forefathers named. The God never authorized such. They follow conjecture and what the selves fantasize, while the guidance has come to them from their Lord.

Or will the human have what he wishes for?

To The God are the ending and the beginning and how many controllers in the heavens their intercession doesn't benefit anything except after The God permits for whom He wills and approves.

Those who don't have faith in the ending have named the controllers feminine names and they had no knowledge about this. They only follow conjecture and conjecture doesn't benefit anything of the truth.

From the above passage, we can see that those who believed in Allat and her consorts thought that they were controllers ("malaika"). We know from archeological evidence that Allat was a fertility goddess. So the prophets' people specifically believed that Allat controls fertility. We also hear that they were following conjecture and their own fantasies. In reality they were not serving the controllers but they were serving the "jinn" as we are told here:

34:40-41. And on the day He gathers them all and then He says to the controllers: "Were these serving you?" They say: "You be exalted, you are our ally without them, they were serving the "jinn", most of them have faith in them.

Those who serve Allat by venerating her symbols and performing her rituals are actually serving the "jinn". So Allat is actually a "jinn". This is further confirmed by the following passages:

6:100. And they made for The God partners the "jinn" and their creation and they made up for Him sons and daughters without knowledge, be He exalted and He is above what they describe.

37:158-159. And they made between Him and the "jinn" a kinship while the "jinn" know that they are summoned. The God be most exalted above what they describe.

We also hear from other passages that the "jinn" are the fuel of fire:

72:15. And as for the deviators, they are the fuel of hell.

By connecting 72:15 and 34:40-41 to 21:98, which says that the gods that the idolaters serve are the fuel of hell, we can see that people who serve the "jinn" take them as gods:

21:98. You and what you serve other than The God are the fuel of hell, you are entering it. Had those been gods, they wouldn't have entered it and all are forever in it.

But by applying 17:36, we know from our empirical observations that Allat is nothing more than the figment of imagination of people. In other words, she is just someone's fantasy. So now we can empirically verify that 25:43 and 45:23 are connected to 21:98 and 34:40-41 and complement them:

25:43. Have you seen the one who took his god as his fantasy? So would you be a guardian on him?

45:23. Have you seen the one who took his god as his fantasy and The God misguided him despite his knowledge and sealed his hearing and his heart and distorted his sight? So who guides him after The God? Don't you remember?

WHAT ARE THE "JINN"?

By putting all the above passages together, we can clearly see that the "jinn" are in fact equivalent to the "fantasy". This is confirmed by 6:71:

6:71. Say: "Do we call upon other than The God what doesn't benefit or harm us and we get turned on our heels after that The God guided us? Like the one who those exceeding in rebellion fantasized him in the earth, confused he has companions inviting him to guidance: "Come to us."" Say: "The God's guidance is the guidance and we are commanded to comply to The Lord of the worlds."

As we can see above, it is those exceeding in rebellion ("shayateen") that fantasize humans in the earth. So now we can go back and translate "jinn" in the above passages as "fantasies" and see if it fits:

34:40-41. And on the day He gathers them all and then He says to the controllers: "Were these serving you?" They say: "You be exalted, you are our ally without them, they were serving the fantasies, most of them have faith in them.

37:158. And they made between Him and the fantasies a kinship while the fantasies know that they are summoned.

6:100. And they made for The God partners the fantasies and their creation and they made up for Him sons and daughters without knowledge, be He exalted and He is above what they describe.

Notice that in 6:100, the partners that the idolaters made are said to be the fantasies and their creation. This is exactly what Allat is. It is someone's fantasy and the physical idols (the stone cube and the Black Stone in its corner) are the creation of that fantasy. This is confirmed by 29:17 where Ibrahim describes a situation similar to that of present day sectarians:

29:17. But what you serve other than The God are idols and you create falsehood. What you serve other than The God do not control for you any sustenance, therefore seek the sustenance at the God and serve Him and be grateful to Him; to Him you shall be returned.

Notice that Ibrahim in 29:17 says that those idols do not control any sustenance for his people. So clearly his people believed that those idols control for them their sustenance, in other words, they believed that they are controllers exactly as 34:40-41 was describing. There is no doubt that similar to what Ibrahim faced, anyone who destroys Allat's stone cube and Black Stone will face painful torture and probably death at the hands of the sectarians.

So for all intents and purposes a "jinn" is our hidden fantasy, our imagination. Our purpose both is to serve The God:

51:56. And I didn't create the fantasies and the humans except to serve.

Controlled fantasies drive beautiful designs and beneficial inventions. On the other hand, if we let our fantasies have power over us, then they become exceeding in rebellion ("shaytan") and they misguide us away from the path of The God. As can be seen from passages such as 7:18, 11:119, 32:13, 38:85, both the humans and the fantasies that are exceeding in rebellion will fill hell. Stone idols such as Allat are the physical expression of those exceeding in rebellion fantasies. Hence, we are also told that humans and stones are the fuel of hell (see 2:24. 66:6).

The story of Solomon gives us an example of what happens when fantasies are made to obey The God and are properly controlled.

27:17. Assembled for Solomon were his soldiers from the fantasies and the humans and the flying creatures and they were organized.

38:37-38. And those exceeding in rebellion every builder and excavator and others who are linked in chains.

In the same way that uncontrolled fantasies make people create stone idols such as Allat, when chained (controlled) they can also make people create building and excavation machinery. In the same way that stone idols are the physical expression of the fantasies that are increasing in rebellion, beneficial inventions such as building and excavating machinery are the physical expression of the controlled fantasies. We can use those building and excavating machineries to make useful things:

34:12-14. And for Solomon the wind, its coming one full-moon and its going one full-moon and we flowed for him the fountain of molten metal and from the fantasies are those who work within his power with the permission of his Lord and whoever deviates from our order, we make him taste from the torment of burning. They make for him what he wills from private rooms and models and containers like deep wells boilers built into the ground. "Work appreciatively family of Dawood and a small number of my servants are appreciative." So when we decreed death on him, nothing showed them his death except a creeping creature of the earth eating his staff so when he fell the fantasies realized that had they known the hidden, they wouldn't have remained in the disgracing torment.

Another passage that we can now better understand is 27:39:

27:39. One from the fantasies who stirs up the sand said: "I bring it to you before you cease from your situation and I am on it strong and trusty."

According to Classical Arabic dictionaries, the Arabic word عفر/"3afar" means "to stir up the sand". Therefore, the word "3ifrit" in 27:39 would mean something like "one who stirs up the sand". We know from other passages that Solomon was taught the logic of flying creatures:

27:16. And Solomon inherited from Dawood and said: "People, we have been taught the logic of flying creatures and we were given from everything, indeed this is the revealing favor."

By connecting 27:16 and 27:39, we can see that Solomon combined the knowledge about the logic of flying creatures with controlled fantasies to perhaps create one from the fantasies who stirs up the sand (this could be a flying machine, perhaps some kind of a helicopter, a rocket, or a hovercraft that stirs up the sand as it takes off or moves). The lesson learned here is that by combining knowledge with controlled fantasies, we can produce beneficial things. For all intents and purposes, such inventions can be considered the physical representation of the fantasies.

On the other hand, when we follow our fantasies without knowledge, in other words we let our fantasies and the fantasies of others have power over us, then we are misguided:

30:29. But those who are unjust followed their fantasies without knowledge, so who guides the one who The God misguides and they don't have supporters?

Our hidden fantasy is linked to us. On the day of the account, people's hidden fantasies that are linked to them will be readily apparent to everyone.

50:23. And The one who is linked to him said: "This is what I readily have."

If we don't control the hidden fantasy then it becomes exceeding in rebellion and we will go astray as we saw above in 30:29:

50:27-29. The one who is linked to him said: "Our Lord, I didn't cause him to transgress but he was far astray". He said: "Do not quarrel at Me and I had already gave you the warning. The saying is not changed with me and I am not unjust to the servants." And We say to hell: "Are you full?" And it says: "Is there more?"

See also 4:38 and 41:25:

41:25. And we assign to them linked companions so they decorate for them what is between their hands (the present) and what is behind them (the past). And the saying is true on them in nations that passed before them from the fantasies and the humans that they are losers.

We control the fantasy by remembering the Almighty:

43:36-38. And whoever withdraws from remembering The Almighty, we assign to him one who is exceeding in rebellion so he becomes linked to him. And they hinder from the path and deduce that they are guided. Until when he comes to us, he says: "I wish the distance of the two sunrises was between you and me (i.e., you were on the other side of the earth), what a miserable one who is linked."

The Arabic word "jinn" is also related to the word "majnoon", which is used to mean "crazy", in other words, someone whose mind is in the fantasy world and detached from reality. The word is used in two passages that talk about what the prophet saw at the highest/revealing horizon, namely 53:1-18 and 81:22-23. The passages share a particular refutation for the companions of the prophet:

53:2-3. Your companion did not go astray and deviate and he doesn't speak from the fantasy.

81:21. Your companion is not crazy.

Notice that the first passage starts with saying that "your companion did not go astray and deviate and he doesn't speak from the fantasy" and the second passage starts with "your companion is not crazy (his mind is in a fantasy)". Now we can see that those two passages are actually refuting an overlapping assertion by the companions of the prophet. This is because speaking from the fantasy is related to being crazy/"majnoon" (someone whose mind is in a fantasy).

As further confirmation of the present understanding, let's apply the same meaning of "fantasy" in different kinds of occurrences of the word "jinn" and its derivatives. For example, here we apply it to 15:27:

15:27. And the fantasy, we created it previously from smokeless fire (energy?).

Scientists have learned for sometime now that there are certain dominant brainwave patterns associated with imagination. Brainwaves are energy. The information given to us in 15:27 and 55:15 could perhaps be interpreted to mean that the fantasy was created from energy.

Another passage where "jinn" is mentioned in a different context is 27:10:

27:10. And throw your staff, so when he saw it shake like a fantasy, he turned back...

In 28:31 and 27:10, we are told that Moses saw his staff shake as if it was a fantasy. One can readily see that the meaning of "fantasy" fits in those passages as the staff was shaking as if one is imagining it.

Now when we read passages such as 55:56 and 55:74, it can be understood that they are giving allegories of things in heaven that no human or fantasy has ever touched (i.e., has ever been able to understand). In other words, they are things that are far better than what we can comprehend in the familiar physical world and even what we can imagine and fantasize about:

55:74. No human or fantasy previously touched.

Similarly, 17:88 can be understood as saying that something like this reading cannot be produced by humans and their fantasy/imagination.

17:88. Say: "If the humans and the fantasies assembled together to bring the like of this reading, they wouldn't bring like it, if even had they been supporters for each other."

In chapter 72, we hear that a group of the fantasies listened to the great reading. Since, as we saw above, fantasies are inherently linked to humans, so this means that those were the fantasies of a group of humans that were listening. The fantasies are paraphrased as saying that they were amazed by the reading and realized upon hearing it that The God did not have a female companion or children. They continue by saying that they believed that the humans and the fantasies would not say lies about The God (i.e., that the humans would not fantasize lies about The God). The same event is recounted differently in 46:29-32 so we know that those descriptions are not literal quotes but are paraphrasing what is to be learned from the passage. Now, one might ask: how can our fantasies listen, have conversations and so on? It is in the same way that mountains can choose (33:72) and our hands and legs can talk and testify (36:65). All creatures have a hidden side that we are unaware of. We are only aware of mountains and brainwaves but not their hidden side. Interestingly, 17:78 gives special importance to reading at dawn by saying that it is witnessed. Scientists have found out that when we had just woken up at dawn, the associated brainwave pattern (called Alpha) is a state of relaxed alertness that is good for inspiration and learning.

The passage continues in 72:6 by paraphrasing the fantasies as saying that men from the humans used to seek refuge in men from the fantasies so they increased them in hardship. This is what one would expect since unlike "one who stirs up the sand from the fantasy" in 27:39, "men from the fantasies" like an imaginary friend cannot be realized and really help with anything and if one seeks help from them as if they are real this will likely lead to psychological disorder.

The next part is perhaps one of the most puzzling in all of the great reading. It talks about the fantasies "touching" the heaven and finding it filled with guards and bombardments. A similar passage is in 55:33-35 and 37:7-10 so perhaps those can shed light on this puzzle.

55:33-35. O consorts of fantasies and humans if you can pass through the casings of the heavens and the earth, then pass through. You will not pass through without authority. So which of your Lord's marvels do you deny? He sends on both of you projectiles from fire and sparks so you don't prevail.

We can see from 55:33-35 that The God sends on both (dual) the fantasies and the humans projectiles of fire and sparks if they try to pass through the casings of the heavens and the earth. Since given our present state of knowledge, scientists haven't been able to know what would happen to an object that passes through regular space (into what is commonly known as hyperspace), let's focus on what we know, which is the earth. We know that even with all the scientific advancements today, no one has ever been able to penetrate beyond a few miles into the earth. Scientists predict that in the earth is encased an inner core that has a temperature of 7000 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 45 million pounds per square inch (or about 3.5 million times atmospheric pressure). So indeed passing through the earth would be impossible for humans and the fantasies. The immense pressures and temperatures will surely destroy anyone or any creation of our fantasies (such as an earth penetrating machine) that tries to pass through.

The passage in 34:14 makes it clear that the fantasies do not know the hidden:

34:14. So when We decreed on him death, nothing indicated to them his death except a mover of the earth eating his staff. So when he fell, it was revealed to the fantasies that had they known the hidden, they wouldn't have stayed in the degrading suffering.

Perhaps we can understand the suffering of the fantasies in 34:14 by understanding the opposite of their suffering, which is their enjoyment:

6:128. And at the time when He gathers them together, "O consorts of fantasies you took a lot of the humans" and their protectors from the humans said: "our Lord, we enjoyed one another and we reached our term that You appointed for us." He said: "The fire is your abode, everlasting in it, except what The God willed, your Lord is wise, knowledgeable.

We know that for humans uncontrolled fantasies are indeed enjoyable. People generally enjoy indulging in uncontrolled fantasies about wealth, power, and lust. So according to 6:128, humans enjoy uncontrolled fantasies and likewise the fantasies get enjoyment when the humans let them be uncontrolled in that way. So Solomon has caused the fantasies that were exceeding in rebellion to suffer by the degradation of controlling them and preventing them from getting enjoyment. It is interesting to note that shortly upon the death of all prophets, most of their people have returned to their misguided ways.

Let's continue to apply the same meaning of "fantasy" in other kinds of occurrences of the word "jinn":

6:112. And like this we made for each prophet enemies, those exceeding in rebellion from the humans and the fantasies, they inspire one another with fancy sayings out of arrogance and had The God willed, they wouldn't have done it. So leave them and what they make up.

We can now see that 6:122 is talking about an empirically verifiable fact. Namely, false but "fancy" sayings come from the inspirational interaction between humans and their fantasies/imagination.

A certain antecedent fantasy is described in several places in the great reading as taking part of an important turning point:

2:34. And when We said to the controllers: "Obey Adam so they obeyed except Iblis/"iblis?" refused and was arrogant and was from the unappreciative.

7:11. And we had created you then shaped you then said to the controllers obey Adam so they obeyed except Iblis/"iblis" was not from those who obey.

15:30-31. So all the controllers obeyed except Iblis/"iblis?" refused to be with those who obey.

17:61. And when We said to the controllers obey Adam so they obeyed except Iblis/"iblis?", he said: "Do I obey who you created as mud?"

18:50. And when We said to the controllers obey Adam so they obeyed except Iblis/"iblis?" was from the fantasies so he deviated from the command of his Lord. So do you take him and his descendants as protectors other than Me while they are your enemy? Miserable is this substitution for the unjust.

20:116. And when We said to the controllers obey Adam so they obeyed except Iblis/"iblis?" refused.

38:73-74. So all the controllers together obeyed except Iblis/"iblis?" was arrogant and was from the unappreciative.

As can be seen from the above, Iblis (which as a common noun means: "one who is stuck") was supposed to obey the human Adam. In the same way that we are descendants of Adam, our fantasies are the descendants of Iblis/"one who is stuck" (see 18:50).

Another piece of information that can be seen from the above passages is that this antecedent fantasy was one of the controllers/"malaika". Contrary to popular belief, the word "malaika" doesn't mean "angels". The Arabic word "malaika" is the plural of "malak". The word "malak" means "one who controls/owns", i.e. a controller. According to 3:26, "mlk"/control is a status that can be given and taken away by The God:

3:26. Say: "O The God, controller of control, You give control to whom you will and take away control from whom you will and you give power to whom you will and you make powerless whom you will, goodness is with your hand (i.e., your power), You are capable over everything.

From 3:26, it can be seen that control is given to anyone and taken away from anyone by The God at any time. 3:26 makes it clear that being one from the "malaika"/controllers is a status, not some kind of mythical creature flying around in a white robe with a halo over the head. Thus, the controllers can be any creature that The God gave this status to. As long as they obey The God, they remain in that status. If one of them chooses to disobey The God, as Iblis/"one who is stuck" did, then The God takes from him this status and he is no longer a controller.

Connecting the passages such as 2:34 above with what we learned so far about controlling the fantasies and not letting them control us, we can see that if we make the fantasies obey us as their ancestor should have done in the above passages then we both can fulfill our purpose to serve The God as stated in 51:56.

51:56. And I didn't create the fantasies and the humans except to serve.

CONCLUSION

We started out this article by asking "how did it come to this?" We tried to get to the root cause of the symptoms that we can see around us. The great reading provides a unique link between symptoms and hidden root causes. Those are links that we can all empirically verify and personally relate to. Going through the process of getting to our findings is at least as important as the findings themselves. Personally, going through this process has had a profound effect on me and my life and has increased my trust in The God's message.

In this process, we examined empirical observations in the world around us. For example, we looked at what sectarians do today at the place that their predecessors named Mecca and we looked at physical archeological evidence. We then looked at the evidence from the great reading and compared it to empirical observations. It is thus that we were able to find out what "jinn" means.

We can even test our understanding with any such "symptom", past or present. For example, sectarians today fantasize that the prophet can intercede on their behalf and can control who goes to heaven. Thus, one may think that they idolize the prophet. However, upon closer examination of the root cause of this symptom, one can see that they are in fact not idolizing the real prophet but they are idolizing an imagined prophet, i.e. a fantasy. So when they implore this fantasized prophet they are in fact serving nothing more than a fantasy. Another example is Jesus. What Christians actually idolize and serve is not Jesus but in fact is an imagined Jesus, i.e. a fantasy. In fact, you can test this understanding by applying it to all such symptoms of setting partners with The God and you would always get to the same fundamental root cause. It is also a fact that in all such tests, you would never get to the root cause as being reptilians/snakes as the Bible contends or ghosts as sectarian mythology contends.

As a side note, the word "jinn" is also related to the word "jannat", which means a garden. However, one can now see that it is not just any garden but a fantastic garden. As an interesting side note, while the "jinn"/fantasies are the fuel of hell, there is no evidence in the great reading of any "jinn"/fantasies in the fantastic garden ("jannat"). Those who go to heaven, by The God's mercy, will have free will. As we can see from passages such as 16:31, they simply will something and they get it:

16:31. Gardens of residence, they enter it, the rivers flow beneath it, for them in it what they will, like that The God reimburses the forethoughtful.

Of course, if someone simply wills something and gets it then there is no need to fantasize it. So fantasies become unnecessary and are not needed in the fantastic garden/"jannat". On the other hand, "jinn"/fantasies being the fuel of hell would imply that hell is the realization of our worst fantasies or the worst thing that we can even imagine.

With this understanding we can see how everything in the great reading including Iblis and the "jinn" interrelates to our lives and the empirical realities that we can observe. Moreover, we can now see that the great reading provides us with simple yet extremely powerful guidance. We can see that we simply have to control our fantasies and not let them or those of others control us. There are so many new doors that open as a result of this improved understanding of "jinn" and if The God willed, this will help us to better understand the great reading and the world. For example, we can better understand the following passage:

4:78-79. Wherever you are, death will reach you even if you were in fortified towers. And if good comes to them, they say: "This is from The God". And if bad comes to them, they say: "This is from you". Say: "All is from The God", so what is the matter with those people they almost can't understand any saying?

What comes to you from good is from The God and what comes to you from bad is from yourself and We sent you to humankind as a messenger and The God suffices as a witness.

We can empirically see that what bad that may come, for example the death of a loved one, although it may be bad for you, it is actually good when we look at the big picture. Death in general serves as a good reminder that this low life is not important and that it is the hereafter that matters. If the person served The God, The Truth, then they will enter the fantastic garden and this is good. On the other hand, if the person served the fantasies then death would indeed have been a bad thing for him/her but the badness came from him/herself not from The God. Indeed, when we hear that all comes from The God and good comes from The God, this means that all that comes from The God is good. Also, we can now see from the first chapter of the great reading that The God can guide us to the straight path (a good thing) by contrasting it with the path of the strayers. So, in a way, The God can accomplish good even from the strayers who spin seven times around an idol and kiss the crown of the re-born idol head. Perhaps, without their misguidance, we wouldn't have improved our understanding of what "jinn" means.

1:7. Guide us the straight path, the path of those You bestowed Your favor on, those who have not earned anger at them and not the strayers.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:

2:2. This is the book no doubt in it, a guidance for the forethoughtful.

This article reflects my personal interpretation of the passages of the great reading and of physical archeological evidence as of February 18, 2006. I will try to improve my understanding of the great reading and the universe, except if The God wills and perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality. Please verify all information within for yourself as commanded in 17:36, and remember that simply "none" is the forethoughtful answer to 45:6. If The God willed, the outcome of this article will be beneficial.