Messages

peace Wakas,

I agree that night starts when the sun disc is completely below horizon.

another reasonable thought,

"The only two examples of fasting that I have discerned are the fast of Mariam, the mother of Isa and the fast of Zakharia, both which consisted of  NOT talking! As has been mentioned in the Qur'an, fasting has been prescribed for us as it was prescribed for those before us, then it only makes sense to observe the fast as described in the Qur'an by those before us!"
https://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9610670.msg425212#new

[after]

2 read the context, 9:81 is happening in one of the four sacred months.

How did you confirm that?


When there is no compulsion in religion(2:256), WHY God commands to kill/fight the polytheists after the sacred full moons/months have passed?

9:5
"So when the sacred full moons/months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them, and take them, and surround them, and stand against them at every point..."

[unjust (to) themselves]

peace,

For those (e.g. those in polar regions) who find it difficult to fast(or for doing any other forms of worship), these verses may have the answer,

[4:97-100]
That those the angels/malaa'eka make them die, unjust (to) themselves, they said: "In what you were/have been? "They said: "We were weakened in the Earth/land." They said: "Was not God's Earth/land wide/spacious so you emigrate in it?" So those, their shelter/refuge (is) Hell, and it was a bad/evil end/destination.
   
Except the weakened from the men, and the women, and the children, they are not able (of a) solution (means) and nor they be guided a way/path.

So those, may be God that He forgives/pardons on them, and God is often forgiving, (a) forgiver.

And who emigrates in God's sake, he finds in the earth an escape, and a wealth/an abundance, and who gets out from his house emigrating to God and His messenger, then the death overtakes him, so his reward had fallen/been placed on God, and God is a forgiver, merciful.

For example, suppose one born in an atheist family, as he attains maturity, realizing the truth and comes to the truth. Will he then continue what he followed before(what his atheist parents taught him)?

The verse seems to denote that the whole month of Ramadan should be fasted

Do you have evidence from the Qur'an that Ramadan is the name of a month/lunar cycle? Why Qur'an didn't mention other 'months' of traditional Islamic calendar?(atleast the 4 inviolable 'months'?)
What is wrong with shahr = full moon?
quote
"Classical Arabic Dictionaries deal extensively with the etymology of the word "shahr". For instance in the discussion of "shahr", it gives "ash-harat", a derivative of "shahr", as meaning a pregnant woman whose belly is round. It also gives the meaning of "shahira(t)" as a big wide woman. It also gives the meaning of "ash-har" as the bright white color of flowers. The primary meaning of the word "shahr" is "something obvious", "something public", "something wide", and "something bright". Hence, all the etymology of the Arabic word "shahr" indisputably and clearly points to it being the obvious, wide, round, and bright full-moon and not the thin, unobvious, and dim new crescent moon."
http://islam-and-muslims.com/timing.html

If shahr =the whole lunar cycle, then it already have number of days in it, i.e. ~29.5 days.
But the Qur'an says fast 'ayyamn ma'doodat'(2:184), and according to Qur'an the term 'ayyamn ma'doodat' is used for '10 days' (in 2:203, Qur'an mentions 'ayyamn ma'doodat' for Hajj days, and from 2:189 & 196 Hajj days are 10).
So, fast for 'ayyamn ma'doodat' = fast for 10 days.

[Thus, 24:32, 4:25, 2:221 etc. suggests marry only believers.]

Thus, 24:32, 4:25, 2:221 etc. suggests marry only believers.

["Our Lord, we believe,]

5:82
You will find the people with the greatest animosity towards those who believe are the Jews and those who are polytheists; and you will find the closest in affection to those who believe are those who said: "We are Nazarenes/Christians;" that is because among them are Priests and Monks, and they are not arrogant.

5:83
And if they hear what was sent down to the messenger you see their eyes flooding with tears, for what they have known as the truth, they say: "Our Lord, we believe, so record us with the witnesses."

So as they believed in the Qur'an, they will have Swalat, Fasting, Hajj etc. right? i.e. they are no more Nazarenes/Christians.

5:84
"And why should we not believe in God and what has come to us of the truth? And we yearn that our Lord admits us with the righteous people."

[and the chaste women from among those who have been given the Book before you; when you have given them their bridal due]

peace brother Joseph,

You say
"Marriage between Muslim men and women from the Book is clearly sanctioned by the Quran with clear provisos."
http://quransmessage.com/articles/marriage%20with%20people%20of%20the%20book%20FM3.htm

but I think this is only applicable for that time i.e. for marriages that are fixed(given the bridal due) before the revelation of Qur'an.

here's the translation of 5:5 as I understand the verse,
"This day (all) the good things are made lawful for you; and the food of those who have been given the Book is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them; and the chaste women from among the believers and the chaste women from among those who have been given the Book before you; when you have given them their bridal due, marrying not fornicating nor taking them for secret concubines; and whoever denies faith, his work indeed is of no account, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers"

And the Qur'an says,
"O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Nazarenes/Christians as allies, for they are allies to one another; and whoever takes them as such from among you is one of them. God does not guide the wicked people." [5:51]

[night]

peace,

Chickens raised for flesh

naturally, birds have daytime and night, but poultry bird's are 24 hrs in light. Imagine, how it will be if you are in such an environment...

quote
Chickens are inquisitive, interesting animals who are as intelligent as mammals such as cats, dogs, and even some primates. They are very social and like to spend their days together, scratching for food, taking dust baths, roosting in trees, and lying in the sun.

But chickens raised on factory farms each year in the U.S. never have the chance to do anything that's natural or important to them. A baby chick on a factory farm will never be allowed contact with his or her parents, let alone be raised by them. These chickens are deprived of the chance to take dust baths, feel the warmth of the sun on their backs, breathe fresh air, roost in trees, and build nests.
https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/factory-farming/chickens/

[لَّاتُصِيبَنَّ]

peace brother Joseph,

You may find this helpful,

وَاتَّقُوا فِتْنَةً لَّاتُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنكُمْ خَاصَّةً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ 8:25

لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لَّاتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَٰكِن 9:42

In 9:42 the term لَّاتَّبَعُوكَ not giving negative meaning.

When do you think the four sacred months are?

Probably in-between winter and summer solstice. because in this time most of the wild animals carries infant embryo in their bellies, restriction on hunting is needed in this time since humans cannot identify them(especially in the initial stages of the embryo development) from animals which are not pregnant. It illogical to think that a true believer will hunt/kill an animal that is with babies i.e. no restriction needed after giving birth to the young (summer).

What kind of calendar do you uphold, a luni or lunisolar one?

Solar (17:12), Ramadan, Hajj are also based on seasons as I understood. Full moon/s and moon phases are to mark the start/end (to count the days) of Ramadan, Hajj etc.

Ramadan is in July when there is a scorching heat, and the 3 other holy months follow after Ramadan?

peace,

in my understanding, Ramadan will not occur in Al Shahr Al Haram, because

1) According to 9:3, the 4 full moons are for Hajj, and since there is already sawm in Hajj,(for those who cannot find an offering -2:196) Ramadan(sawm) cannot occur in Hajj (Qur'an does not mentions such a condition of interpose). For example 2:184&185 says special cases/situations(illness, travel) for postponing the sawm in Ramadan,but it does not mentions Hajj/sawm in Hajj as a condition/situation.

2) Summer can't be a restricted period since 9:81 speaks about going for fighting in the heat, (there is no fighting in Al Shahr Al Haram -2:217, exception -2:194,179).

https://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9610670.0

peace,

Quote from the article,
"It is quite possible from the above verses that an 'insaan' is only complete once the spirit of God is blown into him. This is what would separate Adam (as a man and 'insaan') from his state as a 'bashar' or any physiological state that resembles a 'bashar'."

but,
18:110 says prophet Muhammad as bashar
19:17-18 angel took the shape of bashar seems Maryam was also bashar (or female pair of bashar), which confirms in 19:20
In 23:23-24 Qur'an mentions prophet Nooh as bashar

Yes, slaughter by remembering God's name /God's mercy on us and doing the process accordingly (e.g. preparing the animal for slaughter without harm)

[remembrance/bear in mind]

Shalom / peace.... how did you get to that conclusion? Do you have any evidence please? .....

peace Duster,

I don't know what this term exactly refers to, so I consider it in this way

Also what do you think of these articles?

Slaughtering of animals - Correct method of sacrifice.....

http://quransmessage.com/articles/slaughtering%20of%20animals%20-%20the%20correct%20method%20of%20sacrifice%20FM3.htm

Thakaytum ...

http://quransmessage.com/articles/thakaytum%20FM3.htm

quote

Do you think halal certification (if animals are treated in a good manner i.e. no cruelty) =approved by God?
Most of the halal certified slaughter houses will have traditional Muslims for doing the process. But in a traditional Muslim view, meat will become halal by just pronouncing/uttering the name of God while slaughtering (many traditional Qur'an translators translated 6: 118, 119 & 121 incorrectly). Qur'an used the root dh-k-r in 6: 118, 119 & 121 which basically means remembrance/bear in mind, not just uttering. The word used for the Swalat in Qur'an also has the same root (e.g. 20:14). I believe that no any such certification can assure the state of one's mind. And the person doing this job will be slitting hundreds of animals/birds within few hours (i.e. continuously, for long time they are doing only this cutting job!). Will they be able to slaughter each animal/bird properly?.
And this is applicable to any food with animal based (slaughtered) ingredients like gelatin (e.g. foods like marshmallows, jams, jellies,cakes, ice creams etc.

source https://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9610499.0

[Diary]

The verses 6:118,119 &121 does not mention slaughtering specifically, so

'on which God's name has been remembered' may also mean Fair Treatment throughout farming as well as during slaughtering. [God's name-The Merciful, so 'remembering Gods name' may refer to kind treatment to animals?]

Diary
Artificial Insemination -Cow will not get the approach of its male partner,
no male-female mating communication no natural mating, instead human hand/special devices deposit the sperm
after delivery in the growing stages, usually calf will not get enough approach of its mother as in natural systems, no proper care from mother and no proper time for mother-child communication/ love- may be for the whole life time of the dairy cows!

Egg
Genetic Manipulation & selective breeding -Hens (Living beings) into Heavy Duty egg producing units -almost for the whole life time of these creatures.

-trespasses against Natural systems.