Shooting stars, Jinns, and the Quran – Happy Ramadan!
I’m waiting for a system update to complete, so seeing as I have some free time and it is the start of Ramadan I thought I’d write down something that I originally planned for a video but now find I don’t have the time to create.
Perseids
The Perseids /ˈpɜrsiːɨdz/ are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are so-called because the point from which they appear to come, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Perseus. The name derives in part from the word Perseides (Περσείδες), a term found in Greek mythology referring to the sons of Perseus….The Perseid meteor shower has been observed for about 2000 years, with the earliest information on this meteor shower coming from the Far East.Some Catholics refer to the Perseids as the “tears of St. Lawrence“, since 10 August is the date of that saint’s martyrdom.The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the peak in activity being between August 9 and 14, depending on the particular location of the stream. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches 60 or more per hour. They can be seen all across the sky, but because of the path of Swift-Tuttle’s orbit, Perseids are primarily visible in the northern hemisphere. As with all meteor showers, the rate is greatest in the pre-dawn hours, since the side of the Earth nearest to turning into the sun scoops up more meteors as the Earth moves through space
Source: WikiPedia – More information on the NASA website
Shooting stars, Jinns, and the Quran
The Quran claims the heavens are guarded by shooting stars which shoot down devils (or “Jinn”) that try to eaves drop on revelations from Allah. The successful of these eavesdropping Jinns then descend from the heavens and reveal those stolen revelations, mixed with lies, to poets.
- 15.16-18 And verily in the heaven we have set mansions of the stars, and We have beautified it for beholders. And We have guarded it from every outcast devil, Save him who stealeth the hearing, and them doth a clear flame pursue.
- 67.5 And verily We have beautified the world’s heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for the devils, and for them We have prepared the doom of flame.
- Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend? They descend on every sinful, false one. They listen eagerly, but most of them are liars.As for poets, the erring follow them.
- 37.6-10 We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars,- (For beauty) and for guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits, (So) they should not strain their ears in the direction of the Exalted Assembly but be cast away from every side, repulsed, for they are under a perpetual penalty. Except such as snatch away something by stealth, and they are pursued by a flaming fire, of piercing brightness.
- 72.1-9 Say: It has been revealed to me that a company of Jinns listened (to the Qur’an). They said, “We have really heard a wonderful Recital! … There were persons among mankind who took shelter with persons among the Jinns, but they increased them in folly … And we (The Jinns) pried into the secrets of heaven; but we found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires. We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listen now will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush.”
* Please do click the “Tafsirs” link after each verse to read the understanding of the verse from the point of view of the classical Muslim Quran commentators.
Muhammad’s prophethood
Muhammad was born in 570CE and claimed prophethood in 610CE aged approximately 40. According to Hadiths (stories from Muhammad’s life) he used to spend days meditating/contemplating in the cave of Hira, and this is where it is claimed he was first visited by the angel Gabriel and given his first revelations from god (Allah).
Take the Julian date of August 610CE and convert it using a Julian to Islamic calendar converter and we find that it falls on Ramadan. Muhammad’s first revelations would have come during a period of intense meteor showers, which was thought to be missiles attacking eavesdropping Jinns, maybe suggesting to him that something extraordinary was happening in the heavens regarding revelations from Allah.
This perhaps is the rationale behind these verses in the Quran about revelations from the heavens and shooting stars being used to shoot down Jinn who try to eaves drop.
To all cultural/practicing Mulsims and apostates, have a happy Ramadan!