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The following is my debate with David Wood on "Does the Quran contain Scientific Miracles in It?"

VS

We discussed Surah 18 in great details, and I demonstrated
3 Miracles in
It.

New Proofs and Update:

The following important Arabic key-words in Noble Verses 18:86,90 are thoroughly analyzed in this
section and throughout the article:

بلغ

وجد

عندها

تغرب في
عين

لم نجعل لهم من
دونها ستر

Let us analyze Noble Verse 18:86,90:

Yusuf Ali Translation:

[018:086]
Until, when he reached (بلغ) the setting of the sun,
he found it (وجدها) set in a spring of murky water
(تغرب في عين): Near it (the water) he found
(ووجد عندها) a People: We said: "O
Dhul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat
them with kindness."

[018:090]
Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found
it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering
protection shade against from under the
sun (لم نجعل لهم من
دونها ستر).

I colored them so that it would be easier for you to locate
them and to follow through.

Now while below we will find ample detailed analysis that
I've provided from Arabic, but the following points are very important to
keep in mind:

1-  The Arabic word balagha بلغ (reached) is discussed in great details in this article
below.  This Noble Word is key because it is used for time
determination.  Below, I've proven with many Noble Verses and proofs
that balagha بلغ (reached) indisputably means he reached the time of
sunset.

2-  In the Glorious Quran, wajada
وجد
(found) has multiple meanings, which among them is "to see" or
"saw", as the Noble Verses, below, clearly and
indisputably reveal.  Wajada وجد
here means that the sun disappeared from Dhul-Qarnayn's naked eye,
especially since the neighborhood was mountainous (18:93).  As
Dhul-Qarnayn was looking at the sun, he saw it disappearing
inside or behind a murky body/pond/lake/sea of dark/murky water.  And
of course, as I mentioned below, if the sun were to literally set inside a
pool of water, then it would have to rise back again from that location
and set into another body of water, which the Glorious Quran makes
no mention of, and then rise back again from that body of water and
set again in Dhul-Qarnayn's body of water, and so on.  This never
happened, and nor did the Glorious Quran mention it.  The sun simply
does not bounce back and forth between the east and the west on earth, and
nor does the moon.  The Noble Verses also do not say that the
Dhul-Qarnayn went to the east or the west of the earth.  No east nor
west were mentioned in any of the Noble Verses, and as I mentioned below,
neither does the Glorious Quran mention that there are ends of the
earth.  On the contrary, the Glorious Quran, as I also mentioned
below, clearly and indisputably Declares that the earth is Spherical, Round, is Suspended and orbiting in
Space, and is rotating around its own axle.  See the ample
Noble Verses and ample Arabic Analysis for the proofs, in the link.

Now as to wajada's (وجد)
meanings throughout the
Glorious Quran:

In Noble Verses 43:22-24, 31:21, 26:74, 21:53, 18:93, 12:65, 10:78, 7:44,
7:28, 5:104 and 3:37 the pagans used this word to say "we
saw our fathers do idol worship".  The English
translations use the word "found", but the context of the Noble Verses
clearly speak about these people were doing what they saw their fathers
do in the past.

In Noble Verses 93:7-8 and 38:44, Allah Almighty used this word
to State that "He Saw".
Again, the English translations use the word "found", but the context of
the Noble Verses clearly speak about Allah Almighty seeing the
deeds.  Allah Almighty Knows everything, and hence, He doesn't have
to go out His Way to find things.  Finding something means
that it was missing from you, or
it was unknown to you.  Nothing is missing from
Allah Almighty, nor is anything unknown to Him, not even an atom of
things:

"....Nor is hidden (و ما يعزب) from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of
an atom on the earth or in heaven.... (The
Noble Quran, 10:61)"

"The Unbelievers say, "Never to us will come the Hour": Say, "Nay!
but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows
the unseen,- from Whom is
not hidden (لا يعزب) the least little atom in the heavens or on
earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the
Record Perspicuous:  (The Noble Quran,
34:3)"

So clearly, وجد
in the Glorious Quran was used in some Noble Verses to mean to
see.  Using the word "found" is really inaccurate.

3-  In the Noble Verse, endaha
عندها (near it) is referring to the spring of
the murky water.  Both the sun (الشمس)
and the spring (عين)
are feminine.  They are not masculine.  عندها is also feminine, and the context of the
Noble Verse clearly suggests that Dhul-Qarnayn found settlers near the
spring at sunset.

Archeological discoveries were found that
revealed the iron gates that Dhul-Qarnayn had built.  They were
near the Middle East in Asia.  And the waters in that region are
very dark and murky.  That is why, by the way, the black sea was named as
such, because its waters are very dark.  All of the
scientific proofs and details for these claims are provided below in
this article.

Also, please visit: The Overwhelming Scientific Miracles in the Glorious
Quran.

4-  As
for تغرب
في عين (disappear in a murky water),
the following points make it quite clear.  This point is also
discussed in great details throughout this article:

تغرب (taghrub) throughout the Glorious Quran means to
disappear, or to cease to be seen.  This is further proven in the
Noble Verse that I just mentioned above:

"....Nor is hidden (و ما يعزب) from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of
an atom on the earth or in heaven.... (The
Noble Quran, 10:61)"

"The Unbelievers say, "Never to us will come the Hour": Say, "Nay!
but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows
the unseen,- from Whom is
not hidden (لا يعزب) the least little atom in the heavens or on
earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the
Record Perspicuous:  (The Noble Quran,
34:3)"

So تغرب (taghrub) here doesn't necessarily mean
the sun is setting.  It, again, rather means that the sun
disappeared from Dhul-Qarnayn's naked eye, especially since the
neighborhood was mountainous (18:93).  As
Dhul-Qarnayn was looking at the sun, he saw it
disappearing inside or behind a murky body/pond/lake/sea of
dark/murky water.  And of course, as I mentioned below, if the sun
were to literally set inside a pool of water, then it would have to rise
back again from that location and set into another body of water,
which the Glorious Quran makes no mention of, and then rise back
again from that body of water and set again in Dhul-Qarnayn's body
of water, and so on.  This never happened, and nor did the Glorious
Quran mention it.  The sun simply does not bounce back and forth
between the east and the west on earth, and nor does the moon.  The
Noble Verses also do not say that the Dhul-Qarnayn went to the east or
the west of the earth.  No east nor west were mentioned in any of
the Noble Verses, and as I mentioned below, neither does the Glorious
Quran mention that there are ends of the earth.  On the contrary,
the Glorious Quran, as I also mentioned below, clearly and indisputably
Declares that the earth is Spherical, Round, is Suspended and orbiting in
Space, and is rotating around its own axle.  See the
ample Noble Verses and ample Arabic Analysis for the proofs, in the
link.

5-
The following Noble Words are further discussed in this table,
below:

لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر

Another Important
Point:

Allah Almighty never Said that
Dhul-Qarnayn had reached the "ends of the
earth" where the sun supposedly rises and sets.  In fact, no
where in the entire Quran is "ends of the
earth" mentioned.  The Glorious Quran, on the contrary, says
clearly that the earth is spherical [2].  Also on the contrary, it is the Bible
that says that:

The earth has ends

It is standing on pillars that prevent
it from shaking.

GOD Almighty will shake the earth to
throw the people into space.

Please visit: The Bible declares that the earth is flat [2].  Also read the article, below, for ample
more proofs, Noble Verses and details.

Clearly, the Glorious Quran is in no scientific blunder
regarding the shape of the earth, and the solar system.  In fact,
there are ample Noble Verses that clearly and indisputably state:

The earth is spherical.

The earth is suspended in
space.

The earth is in constant rotation
around itself.

The earth is moving in space.

The earth was expanded and our water
was then produced from it.

Our sun is traveling at high speed in
space.

Please visit:

Detailed Analysis from Lisan Al-Arab (this alone is
10 big books) and 7 other dictionaries proving the Scientific Miracles in the Holy
Quran in Great Details.

The Overwhelming Scientific Miracles in the Glorious
Quran.

So why did Allah
Almighty Choose "he found saw it (وجدها)" and not رآها (saw it):

I certainly can't speak on behalf of Allah Almighty, but I
could give you few possibilities as to why would the use of وجدها would be most appropriate:

1-  Dhul-Qarnayn seems to have been
following the path of the sun.  On a cloudy day or in mountainous
areas, the sun during the day, or the moon during the night, could
disappear either behind the thick clouds or the mountains.  A
traveler 1000s of years ago, who had no compass to guide him
through the North and South Poles' magnetic fields, could easily get lost.

Noble Verse 18:93 clearly
suggests that the area had very high and steep
mountains in it.

Noble Verse 18:90 also states
that Dhul-Qarnayn traveled through the night and then finally reached a
town at the time of sunrise.  Perhaps, because of  the high
mountains, the citing of the moon during the night, and the citing of
the sun as it rises was not easy.  Thus, the sunrise had to be found in
the horizon to be seen.

2-  So the use of the word وجدها in this case, if the case was true, is
more accurate then just رآها (saw it), because
وجدها now becomes more encompassing to
the situation, and is more accurate and descriptive.

What about the people who had no cover
from the sun in Noble Verse
18:90?

(لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر)

Let us look at Noble Verse 18:90:

Yusuf Ali:

[018:090]
Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found
it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering
protection shade against from under the
sun (من
دونها ستر).

‏18:90 حتى اذا بلغ مطلع
الشمس وجدها تطلع على قوم لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر

The following key Words are analyzed in great details below:

1-  لم =
did not.

2-  نجعل  = caused it to be, evolved
it.

Throughout the Glorious Quran, Allah Almighty used this
Noble Word to speak about things being created through a development or
an evolution.  The Noble Word means that Allah Almighty Creates, Develops
and/or Makes a creation through the process of (1) Evolution,
(2) Natural development of a creation, or (3) A process of
engagement, mixing and/or development through two or more creations
being combined or put together; similar to a chain
reaction:

"And We have
set made in/on (في) the earth mountains standing firm, lest
it should shake with them, and We have made therein broad highways
(between mountains) for them to pass through: that they may receive
Guidance.  (The Noble Quran, 21:31)"

‏21:31 وجعلنا في الارض رواسي ان تميد
بهم وجعلنا فيها فجاجا سبلا لعلهم يهتدون

"And We have made the
heavens sky as a canopy
well guarded a protective roof: yet do they
turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)!
(The Noble Quran, 21:32)"

‏21:32 وجعلنا السماء سقفا محفوظا وهم
عن اياتها معرضون

Other
Noble Verses in English and Arabic:

‏78:9 وجعلنا نومكم سباتا

‏78:10 وجعلنا الليل لباسا

‏78:11 وجعلنا النهار معاشا

‏78:13 وجعلنا سراجا وهاجا

‏87:5 فجعله غثاء احوى

‏90:8 الم نجعل له عينين

‏105:2 الم يجعل كيدهم في تضليل

05:5 فجعلهم كعصف
ماكول

Please visit:

(a)-  The Miracle of the Mountains in the Glorious
Quran.

(b)-  The Ozone layer is a protective ceiling/roof to earth.

3-  لهم = to them, for them.

4-  من =
from.

5-  دونها
= under it.  See this detailed article for ample details and
proofs on the ample uses of this Noble Word throughout the Glorious
Quran.  I also used many reputable Arabic dictionaries, including the
Encyclopedic 10-Book Lisan Al-Arab dictionary, to
demonstrate and prove this Noble Word's meanings.  Click on the link for the details.  So the sun was
never physically near the people, nor near Dhul-Qarnayn and his army.

Also, according to Google's Arabic-English online dictionary,
دون,
which is root word of دونها,
means:

1.  below
2.
beneath
3.
under
4.  put
down
5.  set
down
6.  stick
down
7.  take
down
8.  mark down

6-  ستر =
(atmospheric) cover, shade.

According to Google's Arabic-English online dictionary,
ستر
means:

1.  cover
2.
screen
3.
veil
4.
shade
5.
coat
6.  enshroud

The Scientific Data about the Oriental Race's
Epicanthic fold, or stretching of the eyes, is fully detailed in
the next sub-section, below, in this
table.

While the Noble Verses may seem on the surface to be
speaking only about the community that Dhul-Qarnayn had reached, but the
Noble Words, لم نجعل لهم من دونها
ستر, are clearly speaking about the whole land that
he reached, and perhaps even the whole race.  This is further
confirmed in the following Noble Words that have been demonstrated
above.

1-  دونها,
which clearly means "under it" [1] [2].  So the sun was never physically near
the people, nor near Dhul-Qarnayn and his army.  Throughout the
Glorious Quran, Allah Almighty used certain words in many Noble Verses
that spoke about being physically close to something.  The following
Noble Words clearly and indisputably prove this:

قرب (qurb) means being physically and geographically near
something.  See Noble Verses: 2:35, 2:187, 2:222, 2:237, 3:167, 4:11, 5:8, 6:151, 7:19,
9:28, 16:77, 17:32, 17:57, 18:24, 18:81, 26:42, 24:37, 50:16, 51:27,
56:85.

جنب (janb) also means being physically and
geographically near.  See Noble Verses: 4:36, 92:17.  Note that سيجنبها in Noble Verse 92:17
means that the Believer will not physically come جنب (near) the Hell Fire in the Day of
Judgment.  See Noble Verses 92:12-20.

2-  نجعل, as I demonstrated
with the ample Noble Verses above, means that Allah Almighty Creates,
Develops and/or Makes a creation through the process of (1)
Evolution, (2) Natural development of a creation, or (3) A
process of engagement, mixing and/or development through two or more
creations being combined or put together; similar to a chain
reaction.

Therefore, the Noble Words and
Verses are clearly and indisputably speaking:

About the land(s) and all of the
people that lived in it was not given an-enough atmospheric cover from
the sun.

About the people and
Dhul-Qarnayn and his army were all under the sun and not physically
anywhere near it.  Otherwise, Allah Almighty would've used any of
the Noble Words above, as He, the Almighty, Had used them countless
times throughout the Glorious Quran.  A simple search on these
Noble Words shows that there are 93 Noble Verses that Allah Almighty used them
in throughout the Glorious Quran.

So in a nutshell, Noble Verse 18:90 is saying the following:

When Dhul-Qarnayn and his army took off during the night,
in the mountainous area that they were in (18:93), they kept on going until they
reached sunrise.

They saw a community (قوم) of people who were
living in a land that possibly had no shade nor cover from
the sun's very-hot rays, contrary to the shades that the mountains
provided the other communities in the area.

It is also possible that the people were also suffering
from drought.

Again, Allah Almighty Said that Dhul-Qarnayn saw the
people under the sun (دونها),
as we are all always under the sun when it is up in the sky during the
day.

If the sun were to literally rise on the people, then its
blazing lights would've fried Dhul-Qarnayn, his army, and the
community of people that they reached.

The Oriental & Indian Races and the
lack of shade from the sun:

The following points shed some light upon what the town was
possibly like:

1-  The people were probably
suffering from a drought.

2-  The people probably didn't have
enough natural shades from the mountains and trees against the sun's rays
like other neighboring ones might've had.  We know that the area was
mountainous and had steep mountains in it (18:93).  Yet, the people were probably
located in an area that
couldn't capitalize on the shades that the mountains
would've provided.

3-  The sun rays were too bright,
and the climate wasn't really suitable for a rich and healthy life.
Notice how that the farther you go into Asia, the more you'll notice how the natives' eyes are
stretched.  This is due to the extreme
brightness of the sun's rays.  This is certainly a lack of
atmospheric protection against the sun's rays, because the stretching of
the eyes is really a form of physical deformity (no offense intended here)
to the people.

"An epicanthic
fold, epicanthal fold, or epicanthus is a skin fold of the upper
eyelid, from the nasal bone to the inferior side of the
eyebrow, covering the inner
corner (medial
canthus) of the eye. It is a normal trait for
a large percentage of humans. This lower fold of
the upper eyelid gives the eyes of some East Asians an appearance which
seems relatively narrower and almond-like in comparison to
most persons of Western (Caucasian) and Sub-Saharan African descent, whose
eyes seem wider due to a higher upper eyelid fold.

The term "epicanthic
fold" refers to a visually categorized feature of the eyelid; however,
there are different underlying explanations of the causes. For instance,
one theory is based on the fact that the fold is almost always associated
with absent to near-absent brow ridges and vice versa, thus causing
some to posit that the absent brow ridge is responsible for the occurrence
of the fold.

Other names for this
trait include plica palpebronasalis,[1] palpebronasal
fold,[2] and Mongolian
eye fold[3].

Distribution

The epicanthic fold can
occur among people of North Asian, Central Asian, East
Asian and Southeast Asian descent, such
as the Mongols, Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Vietnamese, Kazakhs, Hazaras, and some other Asian
ethnic groups like Burmese, Cambodians, Thais, Bhutanese, northern Nepalis, Tibetans, Ladakhis, people (mostly
tribal) from Eastern
Bangladesh and North Eastern
India (for example, the Chakma, Marma, the Sylhetis, the Mizo and the Garo), among others. Mixed
race people of partially Asian descent, such as Eurasians and Afro-Asians may inherit
epicanthic folds.

Epicanthic folds are also
common among Native Americans and
Inuit. They can also be found
inherited among some Oceanic peoples including Tongans, Samoans, Micronesians and Hawaiians.

A minority of people
within some African ethnic groups also
have epicanthic folds; these include the Khoisans (Capoids) in Africa and certain groups
from southern Sudan such as the Dinka and the Nuer.

Epicanthic folds are also
found in a minority of Europeans having no obvious Asian background,
especially in eastern Europe and across northern Europe in areas such as
Scandinavia and Poland , as well as within
Ireland and Britain. One of the existing accounts suggests that Europeans
who possess the fold also have less prominent brow ridges.[citation
needed]

Genetic factors

All humans initially
develop epicanthic folds in the womb, with some children losing them at
birth.[citation
needed] Children who have one parent with a pronounced epicanthic
fold, of non-medical causation, and one without the fold can have varying
degrees of epicanthic fold, indicating that the trait is in some degree
heritable.

Conditions
underlying expression

Evolutionary

One hypothesis as to why
epicanthic folds came about involves the climates in which
populations expressing them arose. Sunlight reflects more intensely off
light colored surfaces, such as those prevalent in snowy regions or
savannahs and deserts. The theory is that an epicanthic fold in such an
environment would protect the eyes from extra UV
radiation.[citation
needed] The trait may also be useful against strong winds and cold
weather such as the ones on the Central Asian steppes.[citation
needed] For instance the country of Mongolia is hot in the summer
and extremely cold in the winter, with January averages dropping as low as
-30°C (-22°F).[4] The country is also
subject to occasional harsh climatic conditions known as
zud. The capital Ulaanbaatar has the lowest
average temperature of any national capital in the world. Mongolia is
high, cold, and windy. It has an extreme continental climate with long,
cold winters and short summers, during which most of its annual
precipitation falls.

With regard to the vast
dry grasslands of the savannah regions, the yellow grasses also reflect a
higher intensity of sunlight[citation
needed][clarification
needed]. Additionally, analogous conditions are present among
desert groups such as the Dinka or Nuer of Sudan[5] who live in
environments in which sunlight reflects off the light colored sands of the
desert.

Developmental

Epicanthic folds may be
seen in young children of any ethnicity before the bridge
of the nose begins to elevate. They
may persist where birth is pre-term, and sometimes also where the mother
is alcoholic.[6] Epicanthic
folds can cause a child's eyes to appear crossed, a condition known as
pseudostrabismus.

..........

Surgical
alteration

In some Asian
ethnicities, the presence of an epicanthic fold is associated with a less
prominent upper eyelid crease, commonly
termed "single eyelids" as opposed to "double eyelids". The two features
are distinct; a person may have both epicanthic fold and upper eyelid
crease, one or neither.

The procedure of reducing
or removing epicanthic folds is epicanthoplasty. It is now an
extremely rare procedure. Asian blepharoplasty,
however, is a popular form of cosmetic surgery in East
Asia. The use of "eyelid
glue" or "eyelid tape" (sometimes referred
to as "eye glue" or "eye tape") is
used to create the appearance of the "double eyelid" by finding a "natural
fold" in the eyelid and tucking it in and holding it with an
adhesive." (Source
from Wikipedia.org)

4-  Also beside the Oriental folks,
when we consider their neighbors in India being very dark and even black
in color, while the Orientals are bright-white makes it all more amazing
on how Allah Almighty Has indeed Structured our planet earth.  Now of
course, the differences between the colors and the structures of the faces
and the eyes are all due to the atmospheric factors that determine the
brightness of the sun, and the temperature and the air pressure of the
air.

5-  We have already seen how نجعل refers to how Allah Almighty causes for
certain things to be or to evolve based on other conditions and/or
creations.  So,
لم نجعل لهم من دونها ستر means that Allah Almighty did
not create that certain atmospheric shade, cover and/or protection for
these people to allow them to have enough protection and shade from the
sun, without altering their facial structures.

There are perhaps other possibilities, but these certainly
make logical sense and are quite feasible.  And Allah Almighty always
Knows best.

Also as further mentioned in this article, strong evidence suggests, from
the archeological discoveries of the discovered Iron Gates, that the location
of the Iron Gates that Dhul-Qarnayn built was near Derbend in Central
Asia, Hissar District, about 150 miles southeast of Bukhara:

"....near
Derbend in Central Asia, Hissar District, about 150 miles southeast of
Bukhara.  A very narrow defile, with overhanging
rocks, occurs on the main route between Turkestan and India: latitude 38
degrees North; longitude 67 degrees East.  It is now called in
Turkish Buzghol-Khana (Goat-house), but was formerly known as the Iron
Gate (Arabic, Bab  al Hadid; Persian, Dar-i-ahani; Chinese
T'i-men-kuan).  There is no iron gate there now, but there was one in
the seventh century, when the Chinese traveller Hiouen Tsiang saw it on
his journey to India.  He
saw two folding gates cased with iron hung with bells.
Nearby is a lake named Iskandar Kul, connecting the locality with
Alexandar the Great.  We know from history that Alexandar, after his
conquest of Persia and before his journey to India, visited Sogdiana
(Bukhara) and Maracanda (Samarqand).  We also know from Al Maqdis (or
al Mudaddas), the Arab traveller and geographer, who wrote about A.H. 375
(A.C. 985-6) that the Abbasi Caliph al Wathiq (842-846 A.C.) sent out a
mission to Central Asia to report on this Iron Gate.  They
found the defile 150 yards wide: on two jambs, made with bricks of
iron welded together with molten lead, were hung two huge gates, which
were kept closed.  Nothing could correspond more exactly with the
description in 18:95-96." (Source)

Again, please visit:

Detailed Analysis from Lisan Al-Arab (this alone is
10 big books) and 7 other dictionaries proving the Scientific Miracles in the Holy
Quran in Great Details.

The Overwhelming Scientific Miracles in the Glorious
Quran.

Were the Gog and
Magog in 18:93-101 a tribe of the nation of Gog and Magog,
or were they the entire nation?

Were the Gog and Magog a small
group of them, or were they the entire nation in Noble Verses
18:93-101?
It is clear that they were a small tribe/group of them that was wicked,
and perhaps full of bullying and trouble, dishonesty, and nuisance to
peace.  And it seems that the main route between them and the town
that Dhul-Qarnayn had reached was between the two mountains, which
Dhul-Qarnayn had sealed with the Iron Gates.

Did the Noble
Quran really say that the sun sets and rises on
earth?

The sections of this article are:

1-  The Noble Quran's Divine Claims and detailed
analysis about them.

-   Aayn (spring) VS hufra (hole, pit) are clear proofs in
Noble Verse 18:86.

Noble Verse 18:86:

Proofs that "aayn" means spring or lake or a
body of water.

Proofs that "aayn" does not mean hole or
open space.

"taghrubu" means to go
away.

The Black Sea and the
dark waters near it in the Noble Verse!

Noble Verse 18:90:

MatliAAa VS mashriq clearly prove that Noble
Verse 18:90 never declared that Dhul-Qarnayn reached the ends of the
earth.

No mention of Aayn (spring) or Hufra
(hole or pit) in this Noble Verse.

Noble
Verses 18:85, 89 & 92:

The speech in Noble Verses 18:85,89 and 92
is clear that he walked or
marched for short distances and
did not go to the ends of the earth!

*  In fact, no where in the entire
Noble Quran is "ends of the earth"
mentioned!

2-
"balagha" is metaphoric and "yudrik" is literal.

Balagha is not literal.

Balagha is used for time
determination since clocks didn't exist back then!

Yudrik and tudrik are literal.

Further proofs from the word
"adraaka".

Were the Gog and
Magog in 18:93-101 a tribe of
the nation of Gog and Magog, or were they the entire
nation?

3-  Further clear-cut proofs from
the moon in the Noble Quran!
4-  The Prophecies of the Iron Gates did come true,
and the Iron Gates were found!

5-  The Miracles and
Prophecies of the Noble Quran which prove its
Divinity.
6-  Conclusion.
7-  Articles on other web
sites explaining Noble Verses 18:86 and 18:90.

1-  The
Noble Quran's Divine Claims and detailed analysis about
them:

Before we start, we have to first of all know that the Noble Quran does
contain Divine Figurative and Poetical Speech and Parables in it, as I
documented many of Them in good details, and it does also contain
speech that is literal such as the Divine
Scientific Claims and Notions about how GOD Almighty Created things.
In this article, we will examine whether certain
Noble Verses were meant to be Figurative Speech or Literal One.

Let us look at the following Noble Verses from the Noble Quran.  Please
pay close attention to the bolded and
underlined parts.

Let us look at Noble Verses 18:83-110:

83. They ask thee concerning Zul-qarnain [or Dhul-qarnain]. Say, 'I will
rehearse to you something of his story.'
84. Verily We established his power
on earth, and We gave him the ways and the means to all ends.
85. One (such)
way he followed,
86. Until, when he reached ("balagha".....it doesn't mean literal arrival.  See Noble
Verses 6:19, 12:22, 18:61, 18:86, 18:90, 18:93, 24:59, 28:14, 37:102, 46:15 in
the next section below.  "adraka" or "yudrik"
mean literal arrival or reaching as also shown in the next section
below) the setting of the sun, he found it set in a
spring of murky water: Near it (the water) he found a People: We
said: 'O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat
them with kindness.'
87. He said: 'Whoever doth wrong, him shall we
punish; then shall he be sent back to his Lord; and He will punish him with a
punishment unheard-of (before).
88. But whoever believes, and works
righteousness,- he shall have a goodly reward, and easy will be his task as We
order it by our Command.'
89. Then followed he (another) way,

90. Until, when he came (balagha....not literal.   See the next section) to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for
whom We had provided no covering protection against the sun.
91.
(He left them) as they were: We completely understood what was before him.

92. Then followed he (another) way,
93. Until, when he
reached (balagha.....not literal.  See the next
section) (a tract) between two mountains, he
found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word.
94.
They said: 'O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog (People) do great mischief on
earth: shall we then render thee tribute in order that thou mightest erect a
barrier between us and them?'
95. He said: '(The power) in which my Lord has
established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and
labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them:
96.
Bring me blocks of iron.' At length, when he had filled up the space
between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, 'Blow (with your bellows)' Then,
when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: 'Bring me, that I may pour over it,
molten lead.'
97. Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to
dig through it.
98. He said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the
promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust; and the promise of
my Lord is true.'
99. On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on
one another: the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together.

100. And We shall present Hell that day for Unbelievers to see, all spread
out,-
101. (Unbelievers) whose eyes had been under a veil from remembrance
of Me, and who had been unable even to hear.

There are several points and
proofs to notice here:

1-  The sun had always risen from
the east and set in the west in a constant circular motion.  To our human
perspective, the sun had always rose from the east, and set in the west, and
then goes under the earth to rise back from the east and so on.

2-  The sun could not physically
set on a lake or Spring, because that area of
water could not have space or hole under it where the sun
would go through it to then go under the earth so it would rise back up again
from the east.

3-  Not a single Muslim scholar
interpreted this Noble Verse as the SUN SETTING INSIDE THE Murky spring
water.  See the "Aayn
(spring) VS hufra (hole, pit) are clear proofs in Noble Verse
18:86." sub-section below.

4-  On the contrary in point #3,
the
Muslim scholars were the first to recognize earth as a spherical
globe.

5-
If the intention of Noble Verses 18:83-110 was that
the sun literally set inside the murky spring, then it would have had to rise
back again from the West and set into another murky spring in the East, which
the Glorious Quran never made any mention of, and rise back from the East
and set in the West, and rise back from the West and set in the East, and so
on.

Please visit: Ample figurative and poetical Noble Verses in the Noble
Quran.

Did the
sun ever rise from the west?

Did the sun
ever bounce back and forth between the east and the west in its rising and
setting?

See the "Aayn (spring) VS hufra
(hole, pit) are clear proofs in Noble Verse 18:86." sub-section below.

6-  If we take the above Noble
Verses LITERALLY, then this means that the sun would
have to bounce back and forth between the west and the east.

7-  While the Noble Verses above
don't give specific timing on how long it took Zul-Qarnayn to roam through the
lands, but people back then were believed to do a lot of traveling on
foot.  While they didn't have the convenient and time-saving transportation
that we have today, but nonetheless, they did travel through the lands without a
problem.  They were very physical in their life styles and they were able
to build so much resistance against tiredness.

8-  Clearly, the setting of the
sun, is a figurative speech (see examples of Noble Verses)
indicating that he reached a town with a spring or lake in it, and he meditated
through the beautiful view of the setting of the sun on that town.

9-  Some might say that the Noble
Verse meant to say that the sun set on a place or through a hole near that
Spring.  In this case, this interpretation had refuted their "Literal Speech" interpretation,
because they now had NULLIFIED their point and fixed
position about the sun setting exactly in that murky lake or spring.  Since
they now agree that it doesn't NECESSARILY mean that the sun
literally set on the water, then the "setting through a hole near the water"
claim is only an interpretation without clear cut certainty and proofs.
See the sections below regarding the mentioned Iron Gates (only mentioned in the Noble Quran and no where
else) were indeed found, and see the Scientific and Divine
Miracles in the Noble Quran along with the modern scientific proofs confirming
their Truthfulness.

Having
established point #9, we now can indisputably say
that the Speech in the above Noble Verses is Figurative and not Literal.
Otherwise, we are left with the explanation of why the sun never rose from the
west.  Not even once.

Aayn, VS hufra are clear proofs in Noble Verse
18:86:

Noble Verse
18:86:

(a)-  Proofs
that "aayn" means spring or
lake or a body of
water:

"And remember Moses prayed for water for his people;
We said: "Strike the rock with thy staff." Then gushed forth
therefrom twelve springs (fainfajarat
minhu ithnata AAashrata AAaynan). Each group knew its
own place for water. So eat and drink of the sustenance provided by God, and do
no evil nor mischief on the (face of the) earth.  (The Noble Quran, 20:60)"

"We divided them into twelve tribes or nations. We
directed Moses by inspiration, when his (thirsty) people asked him for water:
"Strike the rock with thy staff": out of it there gushed forth twelve
springs (ithnata AAashrata
AAaynan): Each group knew its
own place for water. We gave them the shade of clouds, and sent down to them
manna and quails, (saying): "Eat of the good things We have provided for you":
(but they rebelled); to Us they did no harm, but they harmed their own souls.
(The Noble Quran, 7:160)"

"And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient): Its early
morning (stride) was a month's (journey), and its evening (stride) was a month's
(journey); and We made a Font of molten brass to flow for
him (waasalna lahu AAayna
alqitri); and there were Jinns
that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any of them turned
aside from our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.
(The Noble Quran, 34:12)"

"In them (each) will be two Springs flowing
(free) (AAaynani tajriyani);  (The Noble
Quran, 55:50)"

"In them (each) will be two Springs
(AAaynani) pouring
forth water in continuous abundance:  (The Noble
Quran, 55:66)"

"A fountain (AAaynan) there, called
Salsabil.  (The Noble Quran, 76:18)"

"A spring (AAaynan), from
(the waters) whereof drink those Nearest to God.  (The Noble Quran, 83:28)"

"The while they are given, to drink, of a
boiling hot spring (AAaynin
aniyatin),  (The Noble Quran, 88:5)"

"Therein will be a bubbling spring
(AAaynun jariyatun):   (The
Noble Quran, 88:12)"

(b)-
Proofs that "aayn" DOES NOT mean hole or
open space:

"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which God
(stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with
gratitude God's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in
love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the
brink of the pit (hufratin) of
Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth God make His Signs clear
to you: That ye may be guided.  (The Noble
Quran, 3:103)"

The Arabic word "hufra" literally means a hole or a pit.  Allah Almighty
never used this word in the rising and setting of the sun.

(c)-
"taghrubu" means to go away:

"Until, when he reached the setting of the sun
(ghuroob al-shams), he found it set (taghrubu) in a spring of
murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast
authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness."
(The Noble Quran, 18:86)"

"taghrubu" in Arabic is derived from the root word
"ghuroob", which has one literal meaning which is
"to go away" or "to leave"
or "to disappear".  "gharb" means "west".

"taghrubu" does literally mean to "going away" or "disappearing",
and doesn't necessarily have to be in the
direction of the west.

Get out of my face!

"ughrub aan wajhi" literally means "get out of my face" or "go away from
me now!".

So taking this literal meaning of the words in Noble
Verse 18:86, the Noble Verse would then read as follows:

"Until, when he reached sunset,
he found it disappearing in a spring (aayn) of murky (or dark)
water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou
hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness."
(The Noble Quran, 18:86)"

By the way, "spring"
(aayn), can also mean a body of water and not
necessarily a pond or a fount.  When Allah Almighty refers to the SPRINGS
in Heaven, He is probably referring to large bodies of blissful water!

Again, as I mentioned above in the fifth
point:

5-  If the verses were to be
taken literally, then the sun would have to set in the west, and would have to
then rise back from the west, and then set in the east and then rise back from
the east and so on.

Please visit: Ample figurative and poetical Noble Verses in the Noble
Quran.

Did the sun
ever rise from the west?

Did the sun
ever bounce back and forth between the east and the west in its rising and
setting?

(d)-  The Black
Sea and the dark waters near it:

It is no coincidence that the black sea was named as such!  Yet, Allah
Almighty CLEARLY referred to
the waters near its neighborhood in Noble Verse 18:86!

Here is why the "black sea" was named as such:

"Another possible explanation comes from the color of the
Black Sea's deep waters. Being further north than the Mediterranean Sea and much less
saline, the microalgae concentration is much
more rich, hence the dark color." (Source)

The neighboring waters of the black sea do also contain less saline and high
concentration of microalgae:

"We now come to the Iron Gate
which corresponds exactly to the Quranic description, and has the best claim to
be connected with Alexander's story.  It is near another Derbend in Central
Asia, Hissar District, about 150 miles southeast of Bukhara.  A very narrow
defile, with overhanging rocks, occurs on the main route between Turkestan and
India:  latitude 38 degrees N; longitude 67 degrees E.  It is now
called in Turkish-Buzghol Khana (Goat- house), but was formerly known as the
Iron Gate (Arabic, Bab al Hadid; Persian, Dar-i-ahani; Chinese
Tie-men-kuan).  There is no iron gate there now, but there was
one in the seventh century, when the Chinese traveler Hiouen Tsiang saw it on
his journey to India.   He saw two folding gates cased with iron hung with
bells.   Nearby is a lake named Iskandar Kul, connecting the
locality with Alexander the Great.

..................

The Mediterranean interpretation may pass if we had not a
closer explanation.   Alexander's first exploits were when he was a mere
boy, in the reign of his father Phillip.  The region of Illyricum was due
west of Macedonia, and Macedonia's first expansion was in that direction.
The town of Lychnis was annexed to Macedonia and thus the western frontier of
Macedonia was secured.  The northern frontier towards the Danube had
already been secured, and the lesson he subsequently gave no Thebes secured him
against attack from the Greek States to the south, and prepared the way for his
great march east against the Persian Empire.

To the west of the town of Lychnis is a lake170 square
miles in area, fed by underground springs that issue through limestone rocks and
give out murky water.   Both town and lake are now called Ochrida,
about 50 miles west of Monastir.   The water is so dark that the
river which forms the outlet of the lake to the north is called the Black
Drin.  Looking at the sunset from the town, the observer would see the
sun set a pool of murky water (18:86).  It was a question before
the boy Alexander -- the dreamy, impulsive, fearless rider -- whether he would
put the barbarous Illyricans to the sword or show them mercy.  He showed
true discrimination and statesmanship.  He punished the guilty but showed
kindness to the innocent, and thus consolidated his power in the west.
This I construe to be the meaning of (Noble Verses) 18:86-87; otherwise these
verses do not seem to be perfectly clear."  (Source)

So clearly,
Allah Almighty's description of the dark waters of the lands
near the black sea is accurate, and the claim of the Iron Gates had been
historically proven to be
True!

(click
here for the Iron Gates details)

All Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty!!

Noble Verse
18:90:

(a)-  MatliAAa
VS mashriq clearly prove that Noble Verse
18:90 never declared that Dhul-Qarnayn reached
the ends of the earth:

It is first of all important to know that Noble Verses 18:83-110 are poetical and
metaphorical, and not literal.  This is clearly seen in Allah Almighty's
choice of words as clearly proven throughout this article.

Notice in Noble Verse 18:90, Allah Almighty said
"matliaaa alshshamsi" AND
NOT "mashriqa alshshamsi".  This is very important because the Arabic words "sharq"
and "gharb" which mean "east" and "west" respectively, are the root words for
the sun's rising "mashriq alshams" and sun setting "maghrib alshams".
"Mashriq" is derived from "sharq" and "maghrib" is derived from
"gharb".

While "maghrib" was used in Noble Verse 18:86, but "mashriq" was never in Noble
Verse 18:90!  The word "matliaaa" was used instead.  Like "balagha"
(reached) as clearly proven below, "matliaaa" IS NOT a
literal.  See the following
sub-section for more proofs.  It is
metaphoric.  The reason it is metaphoric is because this word is precisely
used when good news or major events occur.  For instance, when Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him, arrived to the city of Madina, the Muslims there
sang the famous song "Talaaa al-badru
aalyna", which means "The full moon has come up above us".

Very important points and
proofs:

We must also know that since the sun rises upon all of
the nations and tribes of this earth, as this was a known fact 1500
years ago, then one does not necessarily have to physically be near the
physical location where the sun rises (going along with the flat-earth
theory).  So "mashriq" wouldn't be suitable here, because it would mean
that Dhul-Qarnayn went all the way to the far east after he was in the far
west.

Tuloo
Al-Shams:

Also, Allah Almighty used the root word "tuloo", which is
what "matliaaa" is derived from, in the following Noble Verses:

"Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate
(constantly) the praises of thy Lord, before the rising
(tulooAAi) of the sun, and before its setting; yea,
celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day:
that thou mayest have (spiritual) joy.  (The
Noble Quran, 20:130)"

"Bear, then, with patience, all that they say, and
celebrate the praises of thy Lord, before the rising
(tulooAAi) of the sun and before (its) setting (alghuroobi).  (The Noble
Quran, 50:39)"

Again, the fact that the sun rises above all of the nations of this earth,
then there is no question that "tuloo" is metaphoric and not literal since one
does not need to be near the hole where the sun rises from (assuming that the
Noble Quran embraces the flat-earth theory, which is bogus, because the Noble
Quran declared that the earth is egg-shaped).

By the way, "maghrib" is not literal either, because in
Noble Verse 50:39 above,
"alghuroobi" is a sister word of "maghrib" (both derived from the same root word
"gharb" or "west"), and since the sun sets on every nation on earth, and one
does not have to be physically near the hole where the sun sets in (again,
assuming that the Noble Quran embraces the flat-earth theory, which is
bogus, because the Noble
Quran declared that the earth is egg-shaped), then this clearly means
that Dhul-Qarnayn did not physically reach the setting of
the sun, as further proven in the sections below, nor did the Noble Quran say
that he went to the "ends of the earth".  In fact, no where in the Noble Quran does the term
"ends of the earth"
exist!

The fact that Allah Almighty never used the word
"mashriq" instead of "matliaaa" proves:

1-  Dhul-Qarnayn did not go to the "ends of the
earth".

2-  Allah Almighty specifically made it clear that Dhul-Qarnayn
did not go to the far west where the sun sets and then went to the far east
where the sun rises, since the word "mashriq" was never used in the Noble
Verses.

3-  Allah Almighty did use in OTHER Noble Verses "mashriq" and
"sharq" when referring to places located in the east, and to the rising of the
sun, in the Noble Quran.  See the following
Noble Verses.

Shorooq
Al-Shams:

"Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she
withdrew from her family to a place in the East (makanan sharqiyyan).  (The Noble
Quran, 19:16)"

"God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The
Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp
enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed
Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west
(la sharqiyyatin wala
gharbiyyatin),
whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon
Light! God doth guide whom He will to His Light: God doth set forth Parables for
men: and God doth know all things.  (The Noble
Quran, 24:35)"

"To God belong the east (almashriqu) and the West
(waalmaghribu): Whithersoever ye turn, there is the
presence of God. For God is all-Pervading, all-Knowing.  (The Noble Quran, 2:115)"

"The fools among the people will say: "What hath turned
them from the Qibla to which they were used?" Say: To God belong both
east and West (lillahi almashriqu
waalmaghribu): He guideth whom
He will to a Way that is straight.   (The Noble
Quran, 2:142)"

"It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces
Towards east or West (qibala
almashriqi waalmaghribi); but it
is righteousness- to believe in God and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the
Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for
your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and
for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular
charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient,
in pain (or suffering) and a dversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such
are the people of truth, the God-fearing.  (The
Noble Quran, 2:177)"

"Hast thou not Turned thy vision to one who disputed with
Abraham About his Lord, because God had granted him power? Abraham said: "My
Lord is He Who Giveth life and death." He said: "I give life and death". Said
Abraham: "But it is God that causeth the sun to rise from the east
(almashriqi): Do thou then cause him to rise from the West
(almaghribi)." Thus was he confounded who (in arrogance)
rejected faith. Nor doth God Give guidance to a people unjust.
(The Noble Quran, 2:258)"

"(Moses) said: "Lord of the East
(almashriqi) and the West (waalmaghribi),
and all between! if ye only had sense!"  (The
Noble Quran, 26:28)"

"Till, when (such a one) comes to Us, he says (to his
Qareen (Satan / devil companion)) "Would that between me and you were the
distance of the two easts (almashriqayni)" a worst (type of)
companion (indeed)!  (The Noble Quran,
43:38)"

"(He is) Lord of the two Easts
(almashriqayni) and
Lord of the two Wests (almaghribayni):  (The Noble Quran, 55:17)"

"(He is) Lord of the East and the West
(almashriqi waalmaghribi): there is no god but He: take Him therefore for (thy) Disposer of
Affairs.  (The Noble Quran, 73:9)"

"It was We that made the hills declare, in unison with
him, Our Praises, at eventide (bialAAashiyyi) and at break of
day (waal-ishraqi),  (The Noble
Quran, 38:18)"

"(He is) Lord of the two Easts
(almashriqayni) and Lord of the two Wests (almaghribayni):  (The Noble Quran, 55:17)"

So as we clearly see, Dhul-Qarnayn DID NOT go to the "ends of the earth"
according to the Noble Quran!  He rather walked for a period of time and he
met during the sun rising and sun setting some tribes.

(b)-  No
mention of Aayn or Hufra in this Noble Verse:

"Until, when he came (balagha) to the rising of the sun, he
found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection
against the sun.  (The Noble Quran,
18:90)"

Notice here that Allah Almighty did not mention any
spring (aayn) or hole/pit (hufra) that the sun came from.  This further
proves:

1-  Dhul-Qarnayn did not go to the "ends of the
earth".

2-  The earth doesn't have two "springs" and/or "holes" that it
rises and sets through.

In the sub-section below, "Balagha is used for
time determination since clocks didn't exist back then!", we will see how "balagha" was used for determining time since
clocks didn't exist back then.

People determined time and date through the:

1-  Sun.

2-  Moon.

3-  Lines in the sky (day breaks, even breaks,
etc...).

4-  Stars.

Sun rise and
sun set were another form of time determination.  It was one of the clocks 1500 year
ago!

Noble Verse 18:85, 89 &
92:

(a)-  The
speech in these Noble Verses:

"Then followed he (another) way,  (The Noble Quran, 18:85)"

"Then followed he (another) way,  (The Noble Quran, 18:89)"

"Then followed he (another) way,  (The Noble Quran, 18:92)"

The speech in Noble Verses 18:85,89 & 92 is clear
that Dhul-Qarnayn walked or marched for short distances
and did not go to the ends of the earth!

"thumma ittaba'a sababa", literally read as:

thumma - then.

ittaba'a - he walked; he
followed; he proceeded.  It could also mean he
continued to walk/follow/proceed.

sababa - path; way;
avenue.

The text just doesn't at all say or refer to Dhul-Qarnayn
going to the farthest western point on earth where the sun sets, and then he
went back to the farthest eastern point on earth where the sun rises, and then
went back somewhere in the middle and stopped at between two
mountains!

In fact, no where in any of the Noble Verses are the
words "back" or "ends of the
earth" mentioned!

In fact,
no where in the entire Noble Quran is "ends of the earth"
mentioned!

2-
"balagha" is metaphoric and "yudrik" is
literal:

This section is divided into the following sub-sections:

1-
Balagha is not literal.

2-  Balagha is used for time determination since clocks
didn't exist back then!

3-
Yudrik and tudrik are literal.

4-
Further proofs from the word "adraaka".

5-  So why
would GOD Almighty speak in such a complex and confusing way?

Let us look at the following ample Noble Verses to set the record clear once
and for all regarding the two Arabic words "balagha" and "yudrik".

1-
Balagha is not literal!

Let us look at the following Noble Verses:

"Say: "What thing is most weighty in evidence?" Say: "God
is witness between me and you; This Quran hath been revealed to me by
inspiration, that I (Prophet
Muhammad) may warn you and all whom it reaches
(balagha).
Can ye possibly bear witness that besides God there is another God?" Say: "Nay!
I cannot bear witness!" Say: "But in truth He is the one God, and I truly am
innocent of (your blasphemy of) joining others with Him."  (The Noble Quran, 6:19)"

Here in this Noble Verse, the word balagha is referring to those men and
women of mankind who will hear about the Noble Quran in their life.

Obviously,
Prophet Muhammad is not alive today
to "warn"
anyone!

"Balagha" here is rather more
symbolic and metaphoric!

"When Joseph attained (balagha) His full
manhood, We gave him power and knowledge: thus do We reward those
who do right.  (The Noble Quran,
12:22)"

Notice, no specific age or range of age was given.  "Balagha" here is rather a symbolic term that says that
when Joseph became mature enough and grown enough, GOD Almighty then "gave him power and knowledge...."  Nothing physical was touched or reached by "balagha" in this Noble
Verse.

"But when the children among you come
(balagha) of
age, let them (also) ask for permission, as do those senior to them
(in age): Thus does God make clear His Signs to you: for God is full of
knowledge and wisdom.  (The Noble Quran,
24:59)"

"When he reached (balagha) full age, and
was firmly established (in life), We bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge: for
thus do We reward those who do good.  (The Noble
Quran, 28:14)"

"Then, when (the son) reached (balagha) (the age of) (serious) work
with him, he said: "O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in
sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!" (The son) said: "O my father! Do as thou
art commanded: thou will find me, if God so wills one practising Patience and
Constancy!"   (The Noble Quran,
37:102)"

Notice again in these Noble Verses, no specific age or
range of age was given.  It is open, especially for Noble Verse
24:59, because it depends
on the child's personality, gender, and the environment that he/she was raised
in.  These factors will determine when his/her parents will decide on when
he/she has "grown up".

When the child
is "grown up", then the rules would apply to
him/her.

No age
limitation or restriction was given here.  Each child is
different!

"But when they reached (balagha) the Junction,
they forgot (about) their Fish, which took its course through the sea (straight)
as in a tunnel.  (The Noble Quran,
18:61)"

"Until, when he reached (balagha) the setting of the
sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a
People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them,
or to treat them with kindness."  (The Noble
Quran, 18:86)"

"Until, when he came (balagha) to the rising of the
sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no
covering protection against the sun. (The Noble
Quran, 18:90)"

These three Noble Verses are talking about physical
places in unspecified locations.

"Until, when he reached (balagha) between two
mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood
a word.  (The Noble Quran, 18:93)"

Again, this Noble Verse is talking about Dul-Qarnayn reaching a random spot
in a land where people lived in a land that expanded between two vast
mountains.  He didn't necessarily, at first, reach where they were
living.  Notice "he found, beneath
them...."  So Dhul-Qarnayn was some where up there on one
of the mountains looking down at the village or the town or country side that
the people lived in.

"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: In pain
did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of the
(child) to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months. At length,
when he reaches (balagha)
the age of full strength and attains (balagha) forty years, he
says, "O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favour which Thou has
bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and that I may work righteousness
such as Thou mayest approve; and be gracious to me in my issue. Truly have I
turned to Thee and truly do I bow (to Thee) in Islam."  (The Noble Quran, 46:15)"

In this Noble Verse, Allah Almighty first Said that when the man reaches the
full age (the same exact Arabic Words for in Noble Verses
12:22 and 28:14 (balagha ashuddah)), and then becomes 40 years old.
While "balagha" here is used for the exact reaching
of the age of 40, but the context that it was used in the Noble Verse is that
when the man reaches his full age and reaches 40 years old and beyond, he will
be more thankful to GOD Almighty and to his parents, because he will most
probably be a father with growing children then, and he will appreciate the role
that his parents played when they raised him, and the hardship that they went
through from emotions (caring for him and worrying about him
getting hurt) and physical hardship (his mother
beast-feeding him in the middle of the night, and his father working hard to
provide for him).

So even in this Noble Verse, "balagha" is used
more symbolically than literally.

2-  Balagha is used for time determination
since clocks didn't exist back
then!

When people spoke of time and time determination, such as what time to
perform a prayer from the 5-daily Prayers, they relied mostly and heavily
on:

1-
The sun.  Dawn for instance was the time for the morning prayer.

2-
The pink or reddish line in the sky determined the evening daily prayer and the
ending of the Ramadan fasting for the day.

3-
The moon determined the start of night.

And so on....

The word "balagha" when referring to any heavenly object was mainly used for
determining the time of the day.  For instance, when the Muslims talk about
the pink or reddish line in the sky appearing so that they can start the evening
daily prayer and end the fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, they say a
phrase such as:

"Balagha al-khattu al-ahmar haddah", which means
"The red line has reached its limit"

Of course, the phrase can be different from person to
person, but the word "balagha" would be mainly used for such time determination,
because again, clocks did not exist
1500 years ago.

So balagha, maghrib al-shams, and matliAAa al-shams in Noble Verses 18:86 & 90, were referring to the time in
the day that Dhul-Qarnayn reached the mentioned places, and not the actual
physical places themselves, because the sun via its rising and setting is used
for time determination.

Now as to the two mountains in Noble Verse 18:93,
that is probably literal (although even in this Noble Verse
balagha here is giving a very general place and not a specific location),
because the words "between two mountains" are
referring to an actual place that Dhul-Qarnayn finally arrived to and not a
metaphoric one.

3-  Yudrik and tudrik are
literal!

Let us look at the following Noble Verses and set of Hadiths (Sayings of
Prophet Muhammad):

"It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up (tudrik) the Moon, nor can the Night
outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (falak) (according to Law).
(The Noble Quran, 36:40)"

"It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun
and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course
(falak).
(The Noble Quran, 21:33)"

The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked if the sun and
the moon would ever collide while they are rising and setting above the
earth.  Allah Almighty responded to them by Saying that neither the sun
will ever catch up with the moon, nor will the moon ever catch up with the
sun.  On the contrary, each one of them is swimming in its own
orbit (falak)!  They are not on the same orbit (falak).

Of course, on Judgement Day, things will be different,
and all of the stars and the planets will explode and collide with each others
as Allah Almighty Said:

"The Day that We roll up the heavens like a
scroll rolled up for books (completed),- even as We produced the
first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken:
truly shall We fulfil it.  (The Noble Quran,
21:104)"

"Nay! When the earth is pounded
to powder,  (The Noble Quran, 89:21)"

"And the earth is moved, and its mountains, and they are
crushed to powder at one stroke, -  (The Noble Quran, 69:14)"

It is predicted in the Noble Quran that the earth will be pounded with
asteroids (a nuclear attack from outer space) before Judgement Day and its
mountains will be leveled to a flat crushed sand.

"No vision can grasp (tudrik-hu) Him, but His grasp
(yudrik) is over all
vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all
things.  (The Noble Quran, 6:103)"

Here in this Noble Verse, the visions of GOD Almighty's
creations can not see Him, but He, the Almighty, can see all.  This is
literal and not metaphoric.

""Wherever ye are, death will find you out
(yudrikkumu), even if ye
are in towers built up strong and high!" If some good befalls them,
they say, "This is from God"; but if evil, they say, "This is from thee" (O
Prophet). Say: "All things are from God." But what hath come to these people,
that they fail to understand a single fact?  (The Noble Quran, 4:78)"

Here in this Noble Verse, Allah Almighty is saying that
no one can escape death!  Again, this is literal and not
metaphoric.

"He who forsakes his home in the cause of God, finds in
the earth Many a refuge, wide and spacious: Should he die
(yudrik-hu almawtu) as a
refugee from home for God and His Apostle, His reward becomes due
and sure with God: And God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.  (The Noble Quran, 4:100)"

Again, death in this Noble Verse is literal and not metaphoric.

There is
no question that "yudrik" and
"tudrik" are literal while
"balagha" above is metaphoric!

4-  Further proofs from the word
"adraaka":

The Arabic word "adraaka", which means to come to complete comprehension or
to fully know, is derived from the root word "idraak", which also the words
"yudrik" and "tudrik" above are derived from.  "idraak" literally means to
reach the complete knowledge of or to reach the end of.  Also, another root
word that is equal to "idraak" is "adraka", which means the same thing.

Some examples of adraka:

1-
George finally adraka (realized; comprehended; reached the reality
of) that he was wrong!

2-
When the lion adraka (got a hold of; reached) his prey, he
killed it and began to eat it!

3-
The American soldiers adrakoo (plural of adraka) Saddam Hussein's fox
hole that he was hiding in, and they arrested him after that.

4-
The British civilian jet balaghat the US' air space from
the international waters over the Atlantic ocean.

Here no specific location is given regarding the airplane.  All we know
is that the airplane was detected by the Radar or Satellite and that it is now
over the US space (either water or soil) in general.  While the radar can
certainly pin point the airplane, but the Arabic word
balaghat here is used for general and unspecified
location.

5-  (Sorry for
this insensible example.  I certainly do not mean to be inconsiderate to
the American reader especially my dear American Muslim brothers and sisters, but
rather I am trying to prove a point)

The hijacked airplane adrakat the south tower of the
world trade center building on 9/11/2001!

Here balaghat would be
grammatically WRONG!  Adrakat is the proper word
because we are now pin pointing an exact location where the airplane flew
to.  We do not even need to say that the airplane crashed into the
building, because Arabic is a poetical language, and adrakat here in this
sentence would suffice that, because adrakat is for precise reachings
while balaghat is for general ones that would also include symbolic
and metaphoric ones.

Notice again
that we do not even
need to say that the airplane crashed into the building!

In the Arabic grammar, the word "balagha" can not be substituted in the above
sentences, because it would be grammatically wrong.  "balagha" is not
literal.

1-  I
can't say the lion balagha his prey when I am trying to say that he hunted it
down.

2-  I
can't say that the American soldiers "balaghoo" (plural of balagha) Saddam
Hussein when I am referring to an actual physical confrontation and arrest.

3-  I
can't say that George "balagha" that he was wrong.

etc...

Same thing with Noble Verses 18:86, 18:90, 18:93 above about the rising and
setting of the sun.  Because Allah Almighty used the word "balagha" in all
of them and not "adraka" or any word derived from it such as "yudrik", then it
is quite clear that the speech is metaphoric and not literal.

That is why Allah Almighty used the word
"tudrik", not
balagha, in Noble Verse 36:40 above when He
addressed the question about the sun and the moon ever colliding with
each others!

Colliding
is a physical event, not symbolic!

Again, I renew my challenge:

If the sun literally set in a murky lake or sea or ocean, then this means
that it would have to stay inside that body of water for the night and rise the
next morning from the WEST, not the EAST!

Have the
sun ever risen from the west?  No!

Let us look at the following Noble verses:

"And what will make thee realise (adraaka) what the Sure
Reality is?  (The Noble Quran, 69:3)"

"And what will explain to thee (adraaka) what Hell-Fire
is?   (The Noble Quran, 74:27)"

"And what will explain to thee(adraaka) what is the Day
of Sorting out?  (The Noble Quran,
77:14)"

"Again, what will explain to thee (adraaka) what the Day of
Judgment is?  (The Noble Quran,
82:18)"

"And what will explain to thee (adraaka) what the (Day)
of Noise and Clamour is?  (The Noble Quran,
101:3)"

In these Noble Verses, Allah Almighty is referring to the
the literal knowledge about the Day of Judgement , its timing and the
details of events that will take place in it.  The Prophet, peace be upon
him, was asked several times about the Day of Judgement and it will come.
Allah Almighty responded by saying that only Him, the Almighty, Know when
Judgement Day will come, and what the details of it will be.
Notice how "adraaka" is used for literal events and not metaphoric
ones.

"Day! Surely the record of the wicked is (preserved)
in Sijjin. And what will explain to thee (adraaka) what Sijjin is?
(There is) a Register (fully) inscribed. Woe, that Day, to those that
deny-  (The Noble Quran, 83:7-10)"

"Day, verily the record of the Righteous is (preserved)
in 'Illiyin. And what will explain to thee (adraaka) what 'Illiyun
is? (There is) a Register (fully) inscribed,  (The Noble Quran, 83:18-20)"

In these Noble Verses, Allah Almighty is talking about
the actual records that keep track of every person's deeds.  Allah Almighty
further said in the Noble Quran:

"Then shall anyone who has done an atom's
weight of good, see it!  And anyone who has done an
atom's weight of evil, shall see it.  (The Noble Quran, 99:7-8)"

He, the Almighty, also said:

"In whatever business thou mayest be, and whatever
portion thou mayest be reciting from the Quran,- and whatever deed ye (mankind)
may be doing,- We are witnesses thereof when ye are deeply engrossed therein.
Nor is hidden from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or
in heaven. And not the least and not the greatest of these things but
are recorded in a clear record.   (The Noble Quran, 10:61)"

"There is no moving creature on earth but its sustenance
dependeth on God: He knoweth the time and place of its definite abode and its
temporary deposit: All is in a clear Record.
(The Noble Quran, 11:6)"

"Knowest thou not that God knows all that is in heaven
and on earth? Indeed it is all in a Record, and that is easy for
God.   (The Noble Quran,
22:70)"

"Nor is there aught of the unseen, in heaven or earth,
but is (recorded) in a clear record.  (The Noble Quran, 27:75)"

"The Unbelievers say, "Never to us will come the Hour":
Say, "Nay! but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows
the unseen,- from Whom is not hidden the least little atom in the heavens or on
earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in
the Record Perspicuous:  (The Noble
Quran, 34:3)"

"And the Earth will shine with the Glory of its Lord:
the Record (of Deeds) will be placed (open); the
prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward and a just decision
pronounced between them; and they will not be wronged (in the least).
(The Noble Quran, 39:69)"

"Every matter, small and great, is on record.
(The Noble Quran, 54:53)"

"No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls
but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into
existence: That is truly easy for God:  (The
Noble Quran, 57:22)"

"Then he that will be given his Record in his right hand
will say: "Ah here! Read ye my Record!
(The Noble Quran, 69:19)"

"And he that will be given his Record in his left hand,
will say: "Ah! Would that my Record had not been given to
me!   (The Noble Quran,
69:25)"

"And all things have We preserved on record.
(The Noble Quran, 78:29)"

Further more with "adraaka":

"By the Sky and the Night-Visitant (therein);- And what
will explain to thee (adraaka) what the
Night-Visitant is?- (It is) the Star of piercing brightness;- There is no soul
but has a protector over it. Now let man but think from what he is
created!  (The Noble Quran, 86:1-5)"

"And shown him the two highways? But he hath made no
haste on the path that is steep. And what will explain to thee
(adraaka) the
path that is steep?- (It is:) freeing the bondman; Or the giving of food in a
day of privation. To the orphan with claims of relationship, Or to the indigent
(down) in the dust. Then will he be of those who believe, and enjoin patience,
(constancy, and self-restraint), and enjoin deeds of kindness and compassion.
Such are the Companions of the Right Hand. But those who reject Our Signs, they
are the (unhappy) Companions of the Left Hand. On them will be Fire vaulted over
(all round).  (The Noble Quran,
90:10-20)"

"We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of
Power: And what will explain to thee (adraaka) what the night
of power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come
down the angels and the Spirit by God's permission, on every errand:
Peace!...This until the rise of morn!  (The
Noble Quran, 97:1-5)"  This is a blessed day during the Fasting Month of Ramadan when the
Noble Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon
him.

"But he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found)
light,- Will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit. And what will
explain to thee (adraaka) what this is?
(It is) a Fire Blazing fiercely!  (The Noble
Quran, 101:8-12)"

"Woe to every (kind of) scandal-monger and-backbiter, Who
pileth up wealth and layeth it by, Thinking that his wealth would make him last
for ever! By no means! He will be sure to be thrown into That which Breaks to
Pieces, And what will explain to thee (adraaka) That which
Breaks to Pieces? (It is) the Fire of (the Wrath of) God kindled (to a blaze),
The which doth mount (Right) to the Hearts: It shall be made into a vault over
them, In columns outstretched.  (The Noble
Quran, 104:1-9)"

Notice again in these Noble Verses and in all of the Noble Verses above that
used the Noble Word "adraaka", Allah Almighty used "adraaka" in literal sense.
The details of Hell Fire, Judgement Day, the Records of Deeds, the Night
of Power, etc..., all of these are literal events and objects that GOD Almighty
Created for and against Mankind.

There is
no question that "adraaka", like "yudrik" and
"tudrik", is literal and not metaphoric or
symbolic!

5-  Were the Gog
and Magog in (18:93-101) a tribe of the nation of Gog and Magog, or
were they the entire nation?

Were the Gog and Magog a small group
of them, or were they the entire nation in Noble Verses 18:93-101?  It is
clear that they were a small tribe/group of them that was wicked, and perhaps
full of bullying and trouble, dishonesty, and nuisance to peace.  And it
seems that the main route between them and the town that Dhul-Qarnayn had
reached was between the two mountains, which Dhul-Qarnayn had sealed with the
Iron Gates.

3-
Further clear-cut proofs from the moon in the Noble
Quran!

The moon and what people thought about the moon, 1500 years ago, further
proves that Noble Verses 18:86 and 18:90 are metaphoric and not literal.  Let us consider
the following analysis:

1-
No where is it documented that people in Arabia
used to think that the moon would set in a hole on earth.  People always
viewed it as a planet that went around the earth.

2-   When solar eclipses
occur, the moon comes exactly in front of the sun and covers its light.
This means that the sun is farther than the moon.  In fact, Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him, knew about the solar eclipses:

Narrated Asma' bint Abu Bakr: "The Prophet ordered us to
free slaves at the time of solar eclipses.
(Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 46,
Number 695)"

Narrated Abu Bakra: "The solar eclipse occurred while we
were sitting with the Prophet He got up dragging his garment (on the ground)
hurriedly till he reached the mosque The people turned (to the mosque) and he
offered a two-Rak'at prayer whereupon the eclipse was over and he
traced us and said, "The sun and the moon are two signs among the
signs of Allah, so if you see a thing like this (eclipse) then offer the prayer
and invoke Allah till He remove that state,"  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Number
676)"

Allah
Almighty also talked about the eclipse of the moon in the Noble
Quran:

"And the moon is eclipsed.  (The Noble Quran, 75:8)"

3-   When
Allah Almighty spoke about the moon in the Noble Quran, He said that it is
swimming in its own orbit (falak).  He Said the same about the sun:

"It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up (tudrik) the Moon, nor can the Night
outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (falak) (according to Law).
(The Noble Quran, 36:40)"

"It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun
and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course
(falak).
(The Noble Quran, 21:33)"

The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked if the sun and
the moon would ever collide while they are rising and setting above the
earth.  Allah Almighty responded to them by Saying that neither the sun
will ever catch up with the moon, nor will the moon ever catch up with the
sun.  On the contrary, each one of them is swimming in its own
orbit (falak)!  They are not on the same orbit (falak).

Of course, on Judgement Day, things will be different,
and all of the stars and the planets will explode and collide with each others
as Allah Almighty Said:

"The Day that We roll up the heavens like a
scroll rolled up for books (completed),- even as We produced the
first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise We have undertaken:
truly shall We fulfil it.  (The Noble Quran,
21:104)"

"Nay! When the earth is pounded
to powder,  (The Noble Quran, 89:21)"

"And the earth is moved, and its mountains, and they are
crushed to powder at one stroke, -  (The Noble Quran, 69:14)"

It is predicted in the Noble Quran that the earth will be pounded with
asteroids (a nuclear attack from outer space) before Judgement Day and its
mountains will be leveled to a flat crushed sand.

4-   If Allah Almighty
truly Said that the sun sets on earth in Noble Verses
18:86 and 18:90, then this means that the
MOON TOO SETS ON EARTH!

Show me
where in the Noble Quran did Allah Almighty declare that the moon sets on
earth!

On the contrarary regarding the moon, Allah Almighty Said that the moon's orbit is S-shaped around the earth, which is
what science today confirmed.

4-  The Prophecies of the Iron Gates did come true, and the Iron Gates
were found!

To further support my proofs above, it is important to know that the Iron
Gates were found, and the description that the Noble Quran Gave perfectly
matched their geographic location.  I have detailed explanations and proofs
about this in the following article:

The
story of Gog and Magog and the Iron Gates in the Noble
Quran.

5-  The
Miracles and Prophecies of the Noble Quran which prove its
Divinity:

Visit: www.answering-christianity.com/sci_quran.htm.

6-
Conclusion:

Given the fact that the Noble Verses in question could have both
possibilities of a literal and figurative speech (see examples of Noble Verses)
interpretations, and given the fact that the Prophecies in the Noble Verses were
fulfilled, and the Iron Gates that were only mentioned in the Noble Quran and
not in any other book such as the Bible were found, we can only conclude that
the Divine Speech was indeed Figurative and not Literal.

Otherwise, the critics would have to explain to us why the sun, that
supposedly literally set inside the murky spring, never rose back up
again from the west?   How come the sun never bounced back and
forth between the west and the east in its risings and settings?

And what about the moon?  How come it never set in any murky
water in the Noble Quran?  On the contrary, Allah Almighty Said that the moon's orbit is S-shaped around the earth, which is
what science today confirmed.

And why should we
accept only the Literal Speech interpretation, when the Noble Quran is FILLED
with ample Figurative Speech in it?  (click here)

Why can't the above
Noble Verses be another set of Figurative Noble
Verses??

7-
Articles on other web sites explaining Noble Verses 18:86 and
18:90:

http://bismikaallahuma.org/Quran/Commentary/q18-86.htm

http://www.geocities.com/noorullahwebsite/zul-qarnain.html

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1123996016622&pagename=IslamOnline-
English-AAbout_Islam/AskAboutIslamE/AskAboutIslamE

An article by brother Kasem Suleiman.  An Arabic
article in PDF format.

The
sun's rising and setting POINTS on earth, mentioned in the Noble Quran
and confirmed by science.

Back to the Science Miracles in the Noble Quran and
Islam.

Does the
Hadith really contain scientific errors regarding the sun's rising and
setting? *****

The
sun's rising and setting POINTS on earth, mentioned in the Noble Quran
and confirmed by science.

The moon's
orbit around earth is S-shaped - mentioned in the Noble Quran and
confirmed by Science.

The Motion of Earth in the Noble Quran.

The Noble Quran confirms that the earth is rotating around its
axle.

Allah Almighty said that the earth is
"egg-shaped".

The Earth is round
according to Islam.

The Noble Quran confirms that the earth is rotating around
itself.

Rebuttals, and
exposing the lies of the Answering Islam team section.

Rebuttals to Avijit Roy articles.

The story of Gog and
Magog and the Iron Gates in the Noble Quran.

Send your
comments.

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Page.