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AUDIO from Dr. Zaghlool Al-Najjar:

Rebuttal to Shamoun's and Katz' "Sinking to Dead Sea Levels" article:

The following article is a rebuttal to http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/dead_sea.htm.

Below, the reader will clearly see how Sam Shamoun and Jochen Katz:

1-  Contradicted and refuted themselves on the topic of the Hadiths.

2-  Fabricated a desperate lie to cover up for the humiliating documentations that we've post on our web site regarding Sam Shamoun's toilet mouth - a mouth that is as low as a toilet because of all of the countless and graphic foul rubbish that it utters.

3-  They lies by fabricating a quote on my mouth which I have exposed below.

They wrote:

Osama Abdallah is really trying hard to redeem himself after his humiliating loss in our debate on the subject of whether Muhammad was a true prophet (here).

My response:

The sub-sections here are:

1-  Their own quote refutes their claim.
2-  What is their real motive for making this personal?

Osama Abdallah is not trying to redeem himself because he has destroyed your lies and absurdities at: www.answering-christianity.com/is_muhammad_true_prophet.htm.  And as to me getting humiliated in the debate, well, anyone who listens to the debate will clearly see that I have thoroughly demonstrated, through quoting ample quotes from the Bible's theologians' commentaries, that the Bible's authors are unknown and were not the original Prophets of GOD Almighty.  I also gave many Bible-verses contradicting each others - proving that the Bible is not the Pure and True Word of GOD Almighty because GOD Almighty's Holy Words can not contain contradictions in them, let alone countless contradictions and errors as we have thoroughly documented on the site.  Sam Shamoun literally remained silent to all of these devastating charges.

I also demonstrated that a person (Jesus) who ran for his life from King Herod to Egypt can not be the Creator of the Universe.  Sam Shamoun again remained silent on this charge.

I also thoroughly demonstrated that Shamoun's stories that he quoted were written 200-300 years after Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) natural death.  Therefore, whether they were good stories or bad stories (everything is relative to the person's perspective and point of view), they were nonetheless not accurate either way because of the major time-gap.

1-  Their own quote refutes their claim:

Ironically, Shamoun and Katz both agree with this in their own quote below:

"After all, appealing to secondary sources which were compiled some 100-200 years after the death of Muhammad proves that the Quran is not a complete record and to accurately understand it one needs to consult highly questionable sources; materials which were not written during the time these events allegedly took place."

So not only they're liars for saying that I lost a "humiliating loss" in the debate, but they are also dumb because their own quotes refute their own points.

Can you find something more hilarious than this?

To the reader, please visit the following link for clarification:

What Hadiths and Bible verses do I believe are closest to the Truth, and Why?

2-  What is their real motive for making this personal?

Just a few days ago, I have posted a devastating article that further embarrassed and exposed Sam Shamoun's foul mouth - this time not with actual graphic and foul quotes as we have documented countless of them, but posting Sam Shamoun's response to our documentations and further exposing how stupid (pardon my language) and low-life this foul-mouthed scum truly is.

To the reader, please visit our new article at: http://www.answering-islam.com/shamouns_ludicrous_response.htm.

Feeling deeply helpless and enraged, the two con artists found no other choice but to resort to a new lie in a hope to deceive the reader.  But their lies all stop here!

They wrote:

Just recently he has posted an article where he seeks to prove that Q. 30:2-4 is not only a genuine prophecy, but also scientifically correct, thereby vindicating Muhammad.

Here is the text in question:

The Roman Empire has been defeated - in a land close by (fee adna al-ardi): But they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious - within a few years. Y. Ali

Is it the Dead Sea?

O. Abdallah insists that the correct translation of adna al-ardi should be "lowest land on the earth," not "in a land close by." Abdallah feels that adna means lowest whereas ardi with the definite article al refers to the entire earth, not just a specific land per se.

My response:

(the definite article issue is dealt with few sections below)

So not only we're dealing with con artists here, but we're also dealing with total ignorants in the Arabic language.  There is nothing wrong with that if they both don't speak Arabic, but when they purposely ignore the Noble Verses that I provided that clearly and indisputably proved my claim, then the matter becomes quite different.  Ignorance is not an excuse that can be given to them, because the Truth was made manifest to them.  It is rather lying and deceiving the reader and twisting the meanings of the Arabic words and the Noble Quran is the more proper thing to say about them.

With this said, let us look at the evidence that I have already provided in the article with one dedicated section for it:

From http://www.answering-islam.com/lowest_land_miracle.htm:

2-  More proofs from more Noble Verses regarding the word "lowest" (ادنى):

In Arabic, when "el" is added to the noun, it makes the entire statement a generalizing one.  Similar to English, when we say THE EARTH, we are referring to the entire planet.  When Allah Almighty Said: في ادنى الارض  and added "el" to EARTH before the word  ادنى , He clearly and indisputably made the meaning of   ادنى  to be measured against the entire earth's other areas.  في ادنى الارض  LITERALLY means in the lowest spot/area on earth.

If "el" was not added to earth, then the meaning of the term would be in the lowest spot of the area.  This would limit the term only to the lands near where the battle took place.  But since Allah Almighty added "EL" to earth, making it THE EARTH in English, then this makes the term go against the entire earth and not just a limited area.

Here are more proofs that the word  ادنى  means lowest from the Noble Quran:

‏32:21 ولنذيقنهم من العذاب الادنى دون العذاب الاكبر لعلهم يرجعون

‏58:7 الم تر ان الله يعلم مافي السماوات ومافي الارض مايكون من نجوى ثلاثة الا هو رابعهم ولاخمسة الا هو سادسهم ولاادنى من ذلك ولااكثر الا هو معهم اين ماكانوا ثم ينبئهم بما عملوا يوم القيامة ان الله بكل شئ عليم

The Noble Verses translate as follows:

They wrote:

In light of these assertions Abdallah argues that this so-called prophecy is an example of the Quran’s prescience in that it correctly identifies the Dead Sea as the lowest point of the earth. Abdallah translates a passage from a book which identifies the unnamed land mentioned in the Quran as the Dead Sea and also provides several sources which affirm that this is in fact the lowest spot on the earth:

After the (scientists') geological sweeping of the planet earth, the scientists discovered that the lowest land-area on earth is the area of the dead sea, and the dead sea's water reduces approximately 380 meters.  And when the Romans were defeated IN THIS LAND, the following Noble Verses were revealed:

O. Abdallah is trying to pull a fast one over his readers since he deceptively claims that the land that the Quran is referring to is actually the Dead Sea. The fact is that the Quran never mentions the name of the land and none of the Muslim scholars that we consulted believed that it refers to the Dead Sea. Quotations from these scholars will be given later.

Moreover, even though there are certain Islamic sources that do mention Jerusalem, this doesn’t help Abdallah since, unlike the Dead Sea, it is way above sea level and is definitely not the lowest part of the earth! For instance, Abdallah cites a few sources which say that the Dead Sea is roughly 1000 (or approximately 1,373) feet below sea level. Jerusalem, however, is roughly 2500 feet ABOVE sea level (Wikipedia)!

Since Abdallah claims that the Arabic phrase, fee adna al-ardi, literally means "in the lowest land on earth" he has basically proven that Muhammad was a false prophet since he mistakenly assumed that Jerusalem was the lowest part of the earth!

In his written debate with Nadir Ahmed, the former Muslim turned agnostic Ali Sina used the same argument against a similar claim:

Mr. Ahmed claims that the word near (Adna) can also be translated as lower and hence the above could be read: The Roman Empire was defeated in the lowest land ... Then Mr. Ahmad claims that since the Black Sea is it the lowest point on earth (1300 ft bellow sea level) then Muhammad has said something that no one could have known.

This is of course wishful thinking of a deluded believer and the absurdity of that is self-evident. The Romans were not defeated in the Red Sea but in Jerusalem and Jerusalem is above sea level. If we had to take Mr. Ahmed for his word and disregard the obvious meaning of the word, this verse would have become yet another blunder of Muhammad. However all the interpreters of the Quran have translated the verse correctly. If Muhammad really wanted to impress his readers he could have easily said that the Red Sea is the lowest land on Earth. Note that the verse is mentioning land and not sea. Muhammad is talking about the Jerusalem and not about the Red Sea. (Source)

Although Sina mistakenly refers to the Black and Red Seas, his point still applies to Abdallah’s argument.

Hence, what Abdallah thought was a definite proof for Muhammad’s prophethood ends up being a strong argument against him, serving to expose him as a false prophet! Wonderful work, Mr. Abdallah, we highly encourage you to keep it up.

With the foregoing behind us, we proceed to unpack some additional problems with Abdallah’s points.

My response:

The sub-sections here are:

1-  Allah Almighty's use of "fi" (in) and not "ala" (on).
2-  Proofs that the northern part of the Middle East is the lowest spot on earth!

My quote above (in dark green) was a translation of a quote taken from Dr. Zaghlool Al-Naggar's web site - a world-wide renowned Geologist and is considered one of the world's top 7 Geologist, which stated that the lands around the dead sea are considered the lowest in terms of altitude on earth.  It is in these lands the Romans were defeated.  So when Allah Almighty Says "fee adna al-ard," and we 1500 years ago find out that the land is indeed the lowest land on earth, then we are left with no choice but to accept this great Divine Statement as a Scientific Notion as many others exist in the Noble Quran which we have documented only some of them on our web site.

So if I only prove that the area of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine is, or does contain, the lowest spot on earth, then my argument is done and your objection is refuted.

1-  Allah Almighty's use of "fi" (in) and not "ala" (on):

The fact that Allah Almighty used the word "in" and not "on," proves that He spoke about a region and not an exact precise spot.  Allah Almighty Noble Verses 30:2-3 talked about the region/area that the battle took place in as the lowest spot on earth.

The following Noble Verses clearly prove that "fi" (in) in the Noble Quran encompasses a bigger region:

1-  ‏2:29 هو الذي خلق لكم مافي الارض جميعا ثم استوى الى السماء فسواهن سبع سماوات وهو بكل شئ عليم

"It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge.  (The Noble Quran, 2:29)"

This Noble Verse is talking about everything that exists on and inside mother earth was created by Allah Almighty.  Allah Almighty used the word "fi" in reference to everything, especially the "everything" that people 1500 years ago saw with their eyes, which were above earth.

2-  ‏2:30 واذ قال ربك للملائكة اني جاعل في الارض خليفة قالوا اتجعل فيها من يفسد فيها ويسفك الدماء ونحن نسبح بحمدك ونقدس لك قال اني اعلم مالاتعلمون

"Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not."  (The Noble Quran, 2:30)"

This Noble Verse is talking about Allah Almighty creating a ruler that will rule everything on earth.  The use of "fi" in this Noble Verse clearly shows that He, the Almighty, referred to the entire earth and not just little parts of it here and there.

3-  ‏2:11 واذا قيل لهم لاتفسدوا في الارض قالوا انما نحن مصلحون

"And when it is said to them, `Create not disorder in the earth,' they say `We are only promoters of peace.'  (The Noble Quran, 2:11)"

4-  ‏2:27 الذين ينقضون عهد الله من بعد ميثاقه ويقطعون ماامر الله به ان يوصل ويفسدون في الارض اولئك هم الخاسرون

"Who breaks the covenant of ALLAH after having established it, and cut asunder what ALLAH has bidden to be joined, and create disorder in the earth; it is these that are the losers.  (The Noble Quran, 2:27)"

Earth in the Noble Quran is both singular and plural.  "fi al-ard" means in the lands.  In other words, do not go spread evil and sin to every nation and/or tribe that you run into.

And so on....

2-  Proofs that the northern part of the Middle East is the lowest spot on earth!

As I have clearly proven above, when Allah Almighty said في ادنى الارض , He Said: "in the lowest of the earth" --OR-- "in the lowest part on earth" in Noble Verses 30:2-3.

Let us now look at the geological evidence that proves that the northern part of the Middle East is indeed the lowest part on earth:

From http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/predictions_01.html:

INTRODUCTION Another miraculous aspect of the Qur'an is its prediction of future events, all of which have so far been fulfilled. This is one of the proofs that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah. In the following pages, we will dwell on some of these events. THE VICTORY OF BYZANTIUM An astonishing prediction is found in the first verses of Surat ar-Rum, which refers to the Byzantine Empire, the eastern part of the later Roman Empire: The Byzantine Empire, which had met with a great defeat, would soon gain victory. Alif, Lam, Mim. The Romans have been defeated in the lowest land, but after their defeat they will be victorious within three to nine years. The affair is Allah's from beginning to end. On that day, the believers will rejoice. (Qur'an, 30:1-4) These verses were revealed around 620, almost 7 years after the idolatrous Persians had severely defeated Christian Byzantium in 613-14. In fact, Byzantium had suffered such heavy losses that it seemed impossible for it even to survive, let alone be victorious again. Following their defeat of the Byzantines at Antioch in 613, the Persians seized control of Damascus, Cilicia, Tarsus, Armenia, and Jerusalem. The loss of Jerusalem in 614 was particularly traumatic for the Byzantines, for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was destroyed and the Persians seized the "True Cross," the symbol of Christianity.174 In addition, the Avars, Slavs, and Lombards also were posing serious threats to the Byzantine Empire. The Avars had reached as far as the walls of Constantinople. Emperor Heraclius ordered the gold and silver in churches to be melted and turned into money in order to meet the army's expenses. When this proved insufficient, bronze statues were melted down in order to mint more money. Many governors had revolted against Heraclius, and Byzantium was on the point of collapse.175 Mesopotamia, Cilicia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Armenia, which had earlier belonged to Byzantium, were invaded by the idolatrous Persians.176 The Dead Sea basin where Byzantium was defeated by Persians. Above is a satellite photograph of the region. The Lake of Lut region, which is the lowest region of the world, is 395 meter below the sea level. In short, everyone was expecting Byzantium to be destroyed. But during this time, the first verses of Surat ar-Rum were revealed, announcing that Byzantium would triumph in 3 to 9 years. This predicted victory seemed so impossible that the Arab polytheists thought it would never come true. On top a satellite photograph of the Dead Sea basin. The altitude of the Dead Sea could only be determined with modern measurement techniques. These measurements led to the discovery that this region is the "lowest region on the Earth." Like all the other predictions in the Qur'an, however, this one also came true. In 622, Heraclius gained a number of victories over the Persians and conquered Armenia.177 In December 627, the two empires fought a decisive battle at Nineveh, some 50 kilometres east of the Tigris river, near Baghdad. This time too, the Byzantine army defeated the Persians. A few months later, the Persians had to sue for peace with Byzantium, which obliged them to return the territories they had taken from it.178 The Byzantine victory was completed when Emperor Heraclius defeated the Persian ruler Khosrow II in 630, recaptured Jerusalem, and regained the "True Cross" for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.179 In the end, "the victory of the Romans" proclaimed by Allah in the Qur'an miraculously came true within the verses' stated "three to nine years" time frame. Another miracle revealed in these verses is the announcement of a geographical fact that could not have been known by anyone at that time: that the Romans had been defeated in the lowest region of Earth. This Arabic expression adna al-Ard is interpreted as "a nearby place" in many translations. However, this is not the literal meaning, but rather a figurative interpretation. The word adna, derived from the word dani (low), means “the lowest”. The word ard means “the world.” Therefore, adna al-ard means "the lowest place on Earth." Some interpreters of the Qur'an, considering the closeness of the region in question to the Arabs, prefer the "closest" meaning of the word. However, the actual meaning indicates a very important geological fact: The Dead Sea, one of the regions in which the Byzantines were defeated in 613-14, is the lowest region on Earth.180 As stated earlier, for Christian Byzantium, the loss of the True Cross was the heaviest blow in that defeat in Jerusalem, located near the shores of the Dead Sea. The Byzantines and the Persians actually fought at the Dead Sea basin, which is situated at the intersection point of the lands belonging to Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. At 399 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is the "lowest" place on Earth's surface.181 However, as only modern measuring methods and equipment can prove this fact, it would have been impossible for anyone living at that time to realise this truth. Yet, the Qur'an states clearly that this region was the "lowest land" on Earth and thereby provides further evidence that it is the Word of Allah. 174. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraclius. 175. Warren Treadgold, A History of the Byzantine State and Society (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press: 1997), 287-99. 176. Ibid. 177. http://fstav.freeservers.com/emperors/heraclius.html. 178. Treadgold, A History, 287-99. 179. http://web.genie.it/utenti/i/inanna/livello2-i/mediterraneo-1-i.htm; http://impearls.blogspot.com/2003_12_07_impearls_archive.html; and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraclius. 180. “The Lowest Part on the Face of the Earth,”www.beconvinced.com/science/QURANLOWEST.htm. 181. “Dead Sea,” World Book Encyclopedia, 2003, Contributor: Bernard Reich, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University

From http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=47513:

".....When we investigated the lowest part of the earth, we found that it was exactly the same spot that witnessed the battle in which the Romans were defeated. When we informed Professor Palmer about this, he contested saying that there were many other areas, which are lower than the one referred to in the Qur'anic verse. He gave examples and names of other areas in Europe and in the United States. We assured him that our information was verified and correct. He had with him a topographical globe that showed elevations and depressions.

He said that it would be easy with that globe to ascertain which was the lowest spot on earth. He turned the globe with his hands and focused his sign on the area near Jerusalem. To his astonishment, there was a small arrow sticking out towards that area with words: "the lowest part on the face of the earth."

Professor Palmer was quick to concede that our information was correct. He proceeded to speak, as you now see him with the globe, saying that this was actually the lowest part of the earth....."

From http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761574726/Asia.html:

Asia

Encyclopedia Article
........
The continental mainland stretches from the southern end of the Malay Peninsula to Cape Chelyuskin in Siberia. Its westernmost point is Cape Baba in northwestern Turkey, and its easternmost point is Cape Dezhnyov in northeastern Siberia. The continent’s greatest width from east to west is 8,500 km (5,300 mi). The lowest and highest points on the Earth’s surface are in Asia, namely, the SHORE of the Dead Sea (408 m/1,340 ft below sea level in 1996) and Mount Everest (8,850 m/29,035 ft above sea level).

From http://216.81.76.214/?page=topics_israel:

The Kinneret and Golan:

Lake Kinneret is so-called because it is shaped like a harp, the name Kinneret originates from the word ‘kinnor’ which means harp. The lake is also known on modern maps as Lake Galilee or Lake Tiberius. The name Galilee derives from where it is located.

The Kinneret supplies more than 30% of Israel's fresh water. It is the lowest fresh water lake in the world! It is a beautiful lake and Israel’s largest reservoir. In the hot summer you can see thousands of people enjoying themselves on the Kinneret. During the winter time, people like to try the hot springs in the town of Tiberias.

Lake Kinneret is Israel's largest fresh water lake, approximately 53 kilometers (33 miles) in circumference, about 21km (13 miles) long and 13km (8 miles) wide. At 213 meters below sea level, it is the lowest fresh water lake on Earth and the second lowest point in the world after the Dead Sea. It is not a sea by normal definition; it is called a sea due to tradition. Lake Kinneret provides approximately 50% of the drinking water and 25% of all water for , so the water quality, and hence, the water circulation, is of the utmost importance.
..............
The lowest point on earth is located on the SHORE of the Dead Sea, on the Israel-Jordan border. The altitude of this point ranges from 394 meters (1,292 ft.) to 400 meters (1,312 ft.) below sea level. Time is the reason this value has changed. With the low replenishment rate, extreme heat, and high evaporation, the level of the Dead Sea is lowering at a rate of approximately 1 meter every 10 years.

And posting Dr. Zaghlool Al-Naggar's picture with my translation of it:

From http://www.answering-christianity.com/lowest_land_miracle.htm:

1-  Dr. Zaghlool Al-Naggar's image and my translation of it:

The following image was taken from http://www.elnaggarzr.com/Test_fre/index.asp?Image=62&Prv=2&vv=2.  My translation of it is below:

The Arabic text above translates as follows:

 After the (scientists') geological sweeping of the planet earth, the scientists discovered that the lowest land-area on earth is the area of the dead sea, and the dead sea's water reduces approximately 380 meters.  And when the Romans were defeated in this land, the following Noble Verses were revealed:

ادنى :   The lowest (Reference: Lisan Al-Arab), which means the lowest area on earth.

And the Romans defeated the Persians after seven years from the time the Noble Verses were revealed.  And to GOD is all authority from before and after.

They wrote:

Exegetical Problems

The discerning reader should be able to see that Q. 30:2-4 is laden with problems which the text does not provide solutions for. In fact, this so-called prediction furnishes a great example of just how incoherent, incomplete and unintelligible the Quran truly is.

For instance, the citation raises the following issues:

• The prophecy states that the Romans have been defeated in a land close by, but doesn’t bother to identify the precise location of this land.
• The obvious question is close to what exactly? Does this mean close to the place of Muslims, i.e. near Mecca or Medina? Or does this mean near the Roman capital? Or is it supposed to be close to Persia?
• Is it supposed to be near Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, India, China, Spain etc.?
• The reference also fails to mention the name of the people or nation that supposedly defeated the Romans. Actually, the people by whom they were defeated and whom they would be victorious over don’t necessarily have to be the same. The Quran fails to state by whom they were first defeated and over which nation they will be victorious a few years later. E.g., it is certainly possible to say: The Romans who have just been defeated by the Egyptians will soon be victorious over the Persians.
• As if this weren’t bad enough the so-called prophecy doesn’t even bother mentioning either the date of composition, i.e. whether the Sura is Meccan or Medinan in origin, or the time of the Roman defeat. Such details are vitally important in determining whether the Romans were able to vanquish their foes within the allotted time period stipulated by the Quran.

In light of the foregoing, how did Abdallah know that this passage was referring to the Dead Sea when it never mentions the name of the land? How does he even know when this section was supposedly "sent down"? He doesn’t know since the Quran doesn’t answer any of these questions. Abdallah has simply read all of these assertions into the text of the Quran in order to make it agree with modern scientific discoveries.

My response:

The Noble Verse does not say "in a land close by."  The translation is wrong, and I proved this with ample Noble Verses and ample articles from Muslims above including Dr. Zaghlool Al-Naggar.

They wrote:

Textual Issues

As if the foregoing wasn’t bad enough there is also a textual issue with Q. 30:2-4 which changes the entire meaning of the so-called prophecy. The late Christian evangelist and author Carl Gottlieb Pfander quoted Muslim exegete al-Baidawi who mentioned specific variant readings which had the text say that the Romans were victorious in a land nearby and were going to lose in a few years:

But Al Baizawi shatters the whole argument of the Muslims by informing us of certain varied readings in these verses of Suratu'r Rum. He tells us that some read غَلَبَتِ instead of the usual غُلِبَتِ, and سَيُغْلَبُونَ instead of سَيَغْلُبُونَ. The rendering will then be: "The Byzantine HAVE CONQUERED in the nearest part of the land, and they SHALL BE DEFEATED in a small number of years," &c. If this be the correct reading, the whole story about Abu Bakr's bet with Ubai must be a fable,² since Ubai was dead long before the Muslims began to defeat the Byzantines, and even long before the victories which Heraclius won over the Persians. This shows how unreliable such Traditions are. The explanation which Al Baizawi gives is, that the Byzantines became the conquerors of "the well-watered land of Syria" (على ريف آلْشام), and that the passage predicted that the Muslims would soon overcome them. If this is the meaning, the Tradition which records the "descent" of the verses about six. years before the Hijrah must be wrong, and the passage must belong to A.H. 6 at earliest. It is clear that, as the vowel-points were not used when the Qur'an was first written down in Kufic letters, no one can be certain which of the two readings is right. We have seen that there is so much uncertainty about (1) the date at which the verses were "sent down", (2) the correct reading, and (3) the meaning, that it is quite impossible to show that the passage contains a prophecy which was fulfilled. Hence it cannot be considered to be a proof of Muhammad's prophetic office. (Pfander, Mizan-ul-Haqq - The Balance of Truth, revised and enlarged by W. St. Clair Tisdall [Light of Life P.O. Box 18, A-9503, Villach Austria], pp. 279-280; source; bold and capital emphasis ours)

With this in mind, we need to ask Abdallah how does he know that the text originally read that the Romans have been defeated and will soon be victorious? How can he be certain that it didn’t initially say that the Romans have won and shall soon be defeated, which would change the entire meaning since it would no longer be a reference to the Romans being defeated by the Persians but to their eventual showdown with the Muslim army not long after they had vanquished the Persians?

Moreover, this textual variant supports one of the points we raised earlier, i.e. the passage may not have the same army or nation in view since it may actually be referring to two different opponents which the Romans would face in battle.

More importantly, how can Abdallah still hold to the Quran being a miracle from Allah in light of these gross textual and exegetical problems?

My response:

Again, the Noble Verse does not say "in a land close by."  The translation is wrong, and I proved this with ample Noble Verses and ample articles from Muslims above including Dr. Zaghlool Al-Naggar.

They wrote:

Appealing to Islamic Sources for Clarification

Abdallah may claim that the answers to these questions are to be found in the Islamic literature, i.e. the Sira and hadiths. But this serves to compound the problems for Abdallah since the moment he goes outside the Quran to demonstrate his case he ends up demonstrating that this so-called prophecy is far from being clear. He will basically be proving that a plain reading of these verses do not support his case since they are so unclear and vague that they can be made to say just about anything.

After all, appealing to secondary sources which were compiled some 100-200 years after the death of Muhammad proves that the Quran is not a complete record and to accurately understand it one needs to consult highly questionable sources; materials which were not written during the time these events allegedly took place.

More importantly, appealing to the Sira and/or hadith sounds the death knell for his entire case since these very sources demonstrate that the Quran contains gross scientific errors. They show that the first Muslims understood these passages in a manner which completely contradicts modern scientific facts and discoveries.

In fact, Abdallah himself attacks and rejects much of the Islamic source materials because they contain embarrassing statements that provide additional evidence that Muhammad was a false prophet (here).

My response:

Again, the Noble Verse does not say "in a land close by."  The translation is wrong, and I proved this with ample Noble Verses and ample articles from Muslims above including Dr. Zaghlool Al-Naggar.

Also, using the Hadiths does not contradict nor falsify the Noble Quran, because:

1-  Allah Almighty clearly Commanded us to follow Prophet Muhammad's commands:

"O ye who believe! Obey God, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to God and His Apostle, if ye do believe in God and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination.  (The Noble Quran, 4:59)"

"When there comes to them some matter touching (Public) safety or fear, they divulge it. If they had only referred it to the Apostle, or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have Tested it from them (direct). Were it not for the Grace and Mercy of God unto you, all but a few of you would have fallen into the clutches of Satan.  (The Noble Quran, 4:83)"

"What Allah gave as booty (Fai) to His Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from the people of the townships, - it is for Allah, His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), the kindred (of Messenger Muhammad SAW), the orphans, AlMasakin (the poor), and the wayfarer, in order that it may not become a fortune used by the rich among you. And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it), and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment.  (The Noble Quran, 59:7)"

2-  Allah Almighty purposely made the Noble Quran to be fully concerned with Salvation and all of the things that are linked to Salvation, and left the stories and their details be covered in the Prophet's Hadiths.

As to your quote: "In fact, Abdallah himself attacks and rejects much of the Islamic source materials because they contain embarrassing statements that provide additional evidence that Muhammad was a false prophet (here)."

You are clear liars and cowards because you boldly lie right through your teeth and you have absolutely no hesitation about it.  I want to ask everyone to PLEASE click on the link and read what I wrote.  I never said that there are "embarrassing" hadiths and that is why I reject them.  As I clearly said above and similar in the link you provided:

(the following is my quote from above)

"I also thoroughly demonstrated that Shamoun's stories that he quoted were written 200-300 years after Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) natural death.  Therefore, whether they were good stories or bad stories (everything is relative to the person's perspective and point of view), they were nonetheless not accurate either way because of the major time-gap.

1-  Their own quote refutes their claim:

Ironically, Shamoun and Katz both agree with this in their own quote below:

"After all, appealing to secondary sources which were compiled some 100-200 years after the death of Muhammad proves that the Quran is not a complete record and to accurately understand it one needs to consult highly questionable sources; materials which were not written during the time these events allegedly took place."

So not only they're liars for saying that I lost a "humiliating loss" in the debate, but they are also dumb because their own quotes refute their own points.

Can you find something more hilarious than this?

To the reader, please visit the following link for clarification:

What Hadiths and Bible verses do I believe are closest to the Truth, and Why?"

They wrote:

The English Versions

It is rather intriguing that none of the most commonly read and popular English versions of the Quran translate adna as lowest or al-ardi as the earth. They uniformly render adna as close/near/nearer/nearest (or even as neighboring!) and al-ardi as land respectively:

in the nearer part of the land A.J. Arberry

in a neighboring land N.J. Dawood

In a land close by Y. Ali

In the nearer land Pickthall

in the lands close-by Muhammad Asad

in a nearby land M.A.S. Abdel Haleem

in the neighboring land, F. Malik

In a near land Shakir

In the land nearby Sher Ali

In a near land Maulana Muhammad Ali

in a nearby land Muhammad Sarwar

In a nearer land ‘Abdul Majid Daryabadi

In the nearest land Saheeh International

on the nearest front! T.B. Irving

In the nearest land Rashad Khalifa

in the nighest parts of the land Palmer

in the nearest part of the land Sale

In the neighboring lands! Dr. Munir Munshey (one of Osama Abdallah’s authors!)

Other versions identify this land as the area around Syria and Palestine:

In the nearest land (Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine) Hilali-Khan

In the land nearby (- Syria and Palestine) Amatul Rahman & ‘Abdul Mannan ‘Omar

Osama Abdallah is virtually alone in adopting the translation, in the lowest land on earth, and the reason is rather obvious; his desire to find scientific statements in the Quran leads him to manipulate the verse in order to deceive people into thinking that the Quran contains accurate scientific information.

Some semi-serious grammatical diversions – an excursus

It is rather easy to see how Abdallah manipulates the text in various ways. First, he translates "al-ardi" twice even though it is found only once in the phrase "fee adna al-ardi". He advocates that it means "in the lowest land on earth". It is true that the word "ardi" can mean land or earth, but it is found only once in the phrase and not twice. Most of the above translations say something like "in the nearest land" but not "in the nearest land on earth". So, even if Abdallah prefers "lowest" over "nearest" for adna and "earth" over "land" for ardi, then he would have to render it "in the lowest earth".

This is then clearly connected to the Quranic teaching of the existence of seven earths, one below the other, and the author of the Quran claims that the Romans had descended to the lowest one of the seven earths and had been defeated there. For more details on this aspect of Quranic geography see the article, The Seven Earths.

Moreover, Abdallah makes a big deal about the definite article al-. He claims, "In Arabic, when "el" is added to the noun, it makes the entire statement a generalizing one." That is utter nonsense, both in Arabic and English. The definite article is not a generalization, but a specification. It is narrowing down the meaning. But there is no point in discussing Arabic grammar with people who are absolutely clueless about it. But even those who know little about grammar in general should be able to see that Abdallah then places the definite article before the wrong word. He renders: "in the lowest land on earth", but shouts that "el-ardi" means THE EARTH, he should either render it as "in THE lowest EARTH" (see above), or – if we want to allow him to insert an extra land into his translation – "in a lower (land) on THE EARTH". The definite article is before ardi, not before adna. So, it makes the ardi (earth) specific but not the adna (nearer/lower).

Again, the phrase does not yield the desired meaning. If al-ardi means "the earth" as Abdallah so ardently claims, then the adjective adna cannot mean "the lowest land" because it has neither the definite article nor the word for land coming with it. If it is so important and meaningful that the definite article is before ardi, then it is just as meaningful and important to pay attention to the fact that it is NOT there before adna, i.e. adna is not specific and can only refer to an unspecified instance of several possible "lower lands".

Furthermore, the definite article by itself does not determine whether ardi has to be translated as land or as earth. With or without the definite article, that is determined by the context. The highest mountain or the richest man in the land (e.g., in Saudi Arabia) or on the earth are most probably not the same, but the definite article is there in both cases.

My response:

(the definite article issue is dealt with the next section below)

Again and again, the Noble Verse does not say "in a land close by."  The translation is wrong, and I proved this with ample Noble Verses and ample articles from Muslims above including Dr. Zaghlool Al-Naggar.

As to the "seven earths," unlike your gospel of porn, the book of women's vaginas and breasts literally taste like "wine," Allah Almighty Said in the Noble Quran that He has seven Heavens and "of the earth a similar number."  Science just recently proved that the earth does have seven inner layers and 7 atmospheric layers as well.  And I would not be surprised that if Allah Almighty created seven earths since UFOs are mentioned in the Noble Quran.

To the reader, please visit the following articles for clear proofs:

The amazing creation of earth and iron in the Noble Quran.  Contains the listing of the seven inner layers of earth and the seven atmospheric layers.

Seven Atmospheric Layers in the Noble Quran confirmed by Science!

UFOs and Space Shuttles were explicitly mentioned in the Noble Quran!  Even the communication with UFOs was prophesied in the Noble Quran.

Other related articles:

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 reduction of earth's size in both the Noble Quran and Science!

The Earth is round according to Islam.

Faults on earth in the Noble Quran and Science!

The Black Sea and Dark Waters in the Noble Quran!

They wrote:

To preserve Osama Abdallah’s nonsense from disappearing, here is one excerpt of what he wrote:

In Arabic, when "el" is added to the noun, it makes the entire statement a generalizing one.  Similar to English, when we say THE EARTH, we are referring to the entire planet. When Allah Almighty Said: في ادنى الارض and added "el" to EARTH before the word ادنى , He clearly and indisputably made the meaning of ادنى to be measured against the entire earth's other areas. في ادنى الارض LITERALLY means in the lowest spot/area on earth.

If "el" was not added to earth, then the meaning of the term would be in the lowest spot of the area. This would limit the term only to the lands near where the battle took place. But since Allah Almighty added "EL" to earth, making it THE EARTH in English, then this makes the term go against the entire earth and not just a limited area.

This is quite an accumulation of nonsense. As remarked above, adding the definite article to a noun is a specification, not a generalization; and that is true in Arabic and in English. That Abdallah is very weak in Arabic is well known, but he is obviously also very weak in English. Putting the definite article before "earth" does not necessarily refer to the whole planet. There are plenty of contexts for which this is wrong. One example should be sufficient. Imagine, you want to fill a deep hole in the ground and have two piles, one of stones/rubble and one of earth (valuable topsoil). First you fill the hole with stones, up to a certain level, and then you may say to your friend: Now bring me the earth. The meaning is clear, and unless his name is Osama Abdallah, he wouldn’t think for even a second that the whole planet is going to fit into that hole. Finally, what is wrong about O. Abdallah#146;s statement, “When Allah Almighty Said: في ادنى الارض and added "el" to EARTH before the word ادنى ”? Can you see it? The Arabic phrase is transliterated "fee adna al-ardi" and the single Arabic word is "adna". Clearly "al-ardi" (the earth) comes after and not before "adna". Arabic has to be read from right to left, but Osama Abdallah apparently reads Arabic from left to right so that from his perspective "al-ardi" comes before "adna". Although this little factoid is rather inconsequential for the truth or falsity of the argument as a whole, it reveals Abdallah’s ignorance down to the most trivial level.

My response:

It is only due to your extreme resentment and embarrassment from the countless documented foul rubbish that we documented on the low-life loser, Sam Shamoun, that is causing you get very personal with me like that and to try to desperately prove that I am weak in English grammar.

The two ignorants laughably wrote:

"Clearly "al-ardi" (the earth) comes after and not before "adna". Arabic has to be read from right to left, but Osama Abdallah apparently reads Arabic from left to right so that from his perspective "al-ardi" comes before "adna". Although this little factoid is rather inconsequential for the truth or falsity of the argument as a whole, it reveals Abdallah’s ignorance down to the most trivial level."

Here is my response:

Also, as one clearly sees from the site, I speak English fluently.  Now, because I am a computer programmer, and because I come from a technical background (I have a masters degree in computer science), the type of English that I deal with is not the type of literature and vocabularies that one deals with in the humanities and social science fields.  But nonetheless, I still write big articles with perfect English.

The generalization of the definite article:

Now I must admit that my explanation above was partial.  It wasn't intentional, but because we're dealing with low-life losers here, I have to explain myself good enough to remove the smoke-screens that these deceivers are trying to create:

1-  My explanation above is 100% correct.  The definite article "the" does indeed cause the word to be a generalized one to all of the things that belong to the noun if the noun that it was used on encompassed many things!  So do the indefinite articles "a" and "an" also.  So in our example here, when Allah Almighty said "THE EARTH," He didn't just refer to a specific land, but rather to all of the lands and continents of the earth.

2-  I should've covered the indefinite articles in my explanation and gave examples so that the whole picture would become clear.  Here are examples for them:

Furthermore on my English and Arabic-speaking and writing capabilities, whether Osama Abdallah is weak in Arabic and English or not that is really not relevant at all.  You only personalized this because you're about to blow up from envy because Osama Abdallah and his team mates had wiped the floor with you and your egos.  But in response to your laughable hatred, Osama Abdallah is neither weak in Arabic or English.  I can speak both languages very comfortably and very well.  Osama Abdallah, however, reads English much more comfortably than he does with Arabic.  The reason for this is because Arabic is a very complex and artistic language, and I say ARTISTIC in capital letters!!  It requires a lot of practice for the individual to excel in dictation and reading, and since I spend most of my time reading and writing all of my materials, whether for the site or for work or anything else in English (because most of my audiences are English speakers), my practice in reading Arabic is minimal and my experience in writing Arabic close to nil.  But again, given the facts that I come from a computer programming background, the type of English and vocabularies that I deal with are not advanced.  They are unique and isolated.  But given all of that, I think reader clearly sees from the way I construct the sentences and separate them using commas, hyphens, semicolons, periods and so on, that I know English very well and I have no problems either speaking it or writing it.

So once again, the two ludicrous losers had been exposed as nothing but hateful liars.

And just for the record:

Does the English that I just spoke thus far sound like it came from someone who can't speak and write the language?  Just because I might use regular and simpler words such as "wrath" instead of "ire," that still doesn't mean that my English is weak, because the type of English that those in humanities, social science and literature write is a more unique and advanced English to them.  The average writer wouldn't choose the word "ire."  But he would choose "wrath" and/or "anger" instead.  A technical guy like me who comes from computer programming and problem solving environment can not be expected to be super fluent in English.  This is just a simple example from the countless words out there.

My evaluation?!

Let it be known to these hateful and dirty infidels that it is not Osama Abdallah, the humble slave of Allah Almighty and a servant to all of the Almighty's true believers and a stubborn arrogant toward the hostile and hateful infidels toward Muslims, who awaits to be evaluated by two low-life losers, whom one of them had been badly caught exposed, countless times, to have a filthy and toilet-mouth!

They wrote:

Al-ardi = the entire earth?

Whatever one may think about the grammar discussions presented above, they are not even needed to expose how wrong Abdallah’s argument is.

My response:

What these two ignorants have just implicitly admitted is that my explanation was correct, but it was not the only correct one.  But nonetheless, it was correct.

They wrote:

We simply need to look into the Quran and list a number of passages that use al-ardi:

Remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! Call in remembrance the favour of God unto you, when He produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave you what He had not given to any other among the peoples. O my people! Enter the holy land (al-arda almuqaddasata) which God hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin." They said: "O Moses! In this land are a people of exceeding strength: Never shall we enter it until they leave it: if (once) they leave, then shall we enter." (But) among (their) God-fearing men were two on whom God had bestowed His grace: They said: "Assault them at the (proper) Gate: when once ye are in, victory will be yours; But on God put your trust if ye have faith." They said: "O Moses! while they remain there, never shall we be able to enter, to the end of time. Go thou, and thy Lord, and fight ye two, while we sit here (and watch)." He said: "O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother: so separate us from this rebellious people!" God said: "Therefore will the land be out of their reach for FORTY YEARS: In distraction will they wander through the land (al-ardi): But sorrow thou not over these rebellious people." S. 5:20-26 Y. Ali

And We said to the Children of Israel after him, 'Dwell in the land (al-ardi); and when the promise of the world to come comes to pass, We shall bring you a rabble.' S. 17:104 Arberry

It is obvious that al-ardi here refers to both the desert that Israel wandered through for forty years and to the Promised Land which God swore to give them. It does not refer to the entire earth.

But recite unto them with truth the tale of the two sons of Adam, how they offered each a sacrifice, and it was accepted from the one of them and it was not accepted from the other. (The one) said: I will surely kill thee. (The other) answered: Allah accepteth only from those who ward off (evil). Even if thou stretch out thy hand against me to kill me, I shall not stretch out my hand against thee to kill thee, lo! I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Lo! I would rather thou shouldst bear the punishment of the sin against me and thine own sin and become one of the owners of the fire. That is the reward of evil-doers. But (the other's) mind imposed on him the killing of his brother, so he slew him and became one of the losers. Then God sent a raven, who scratched the ground (al-ardi), to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. "Woe is me!" said he; "Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the shame of my brother?" then he became full of regrets - S. 5:27-31 Pickhtall

In the above passage, al-ardi refers to a specific part of the ground, not to the entire world, unless Abdallah wants to argue that Cain traveled the entire earth!

And to Thamud (people, We sent) their brother Salih (Saleh). He said: "O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. (La ilaha ill-Allah: none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). Indeed there has come to you a clear sign (the miracle of the coming out of a huge shecamel from the midst of a rock) from your Lord. This shecamel of Allah is a sign unto you; so you leave her to graze in Allah's earth, and touch her not with harm, lest a painful torment should seize you. "And remember when He made you successors after 'Ad (people) and gave you habitations in the land (al-ardi), you build for yourselves palaces in plains, and carve out homes in the mountains. So remember the graces (bestowed upon you) from Allah, and do not go about making mischief on the earth." S. 7:73-74 Hilali-Khan

Allah caused the people of the Thamud to inherit al-ardi of the Ad people. It is more than obvious that al-ardi can only mean a specific land in this context since Ad did not live or own the entire earth.

Said the chiefs of Pharaoh's people: "Wilt thou leave Moses and his people, to spread mischief in the land (fee al-ardi), and to abandon thee and thy gods?" He said: "Their male children will we slay; (only) their females will we save alive; and we have over them (power) irresistible." S. 7:127 Y. Ali

(Joseph) said: "Set me over the store-houses of the land (al-ardi): I will indeed guard them, as one that knows (their importance)." S. 12:55 Y. Ali

So Pharaoh sought to drive them out of the land (al-ardi); but we drowned him and all his followers. S. 17:103 Rodwell

Said Pharaoh: "Leave me to slay Moses; and let him call on his Lord! What I fear is lest he should change your religion, or lest he should cause mischief to appear in the land (fee al-ardi)!" S. 40:26 Y. Ali

Al-ardi, in the above texts, is the land of Egypt, not the entire earth.

Speaking to the Muslims during the battle of badr, Muhammad says:

And remember, when ye were few and reckoned feeble in the land (fee al-ardi), and were in fear lest men should extirpate you, how He gave you refuge, and strengthened you with His help, and made provision of good things for you, that haply ye might be thankful. S. 8:26 Pickthall

By al-ardi Muhammad meant the Arabian peninsula, specifically Mecca and Medina, since Muslims hadn’t penetrated the entire world at that time.

But We delivered him and (his nephew) Lut (and directed them) to the land (al-ardi) which We have blessed for the nations. S. 21:71 Y. Ali

Abraham and Lot were brought into al-ardi, which can only be a reference to a specific land, namely the area which they settled in at first.

The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land (fee al-ardi) will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land (mina al-ardi). Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom; S. 5:33 Pickthall

Where does Osama Abdallah suggest that those who fight against Allah should be banished to? If he is convinced that "the land" is a mistranslation for "al-ardi" with the definite article, and the expression must refer to "the Earth", will the Muslim community pay the expense to send these people to Mars? Since this would have been rather difficult during Muhammad’s time, maybe Abdallah would like to turn this verse into another scientific miracle and amazing prophecy about future space travel in order to save his misguided translation of "al-ardi" in S. 30:3?

The foregoing examples clearly show that the definite article does nothing to change the meaning of ardi from land to earth. This is simply Abdallah’s wishful thinking.

Finding only one such passage would already have been sufficient to establish the case, but the large number of such passages in the Quran once again exposes Osama Abdallah’s utter ignorance about his own book. He simply does not even know the basics of what he pretends to be an expert on.

My response:

Actually I strongly disagree, because Allah Almighty's reference to earth was as a whole and not partial.  Them existing on certain parts of the earth does not mean that when Allah Almighty talked about the evil that they caused on earth He didn't refer to the entire globe as a whole, because their evilness:

1-  Was not isolated.  It became rather known to other nations and as a result it impacted (regardless of how little or big) on them.

2-  Earth was created by Allah Almighty and is owned by Allah Almighty, and hence, it is only normal for Him to refer to it as a whole.  This is similar to us telling our children "do not mess up the house!"  "house" here is referring to the entire house, even though the children's misbehavior is only limited to a very small portion of the house.  But yet, we still use "house."

Let's assume you're right for a second:

Let us go ahead and assume that your interpretation above is correct.  This still does not refute the scientific notion that exists in Noble Verses 30:2-3 because:

1-  Earth can be interpreted both ways (my way and yours).

2-  When science today (1500 years later) tells us that the land the Romans were defeated in was proven to be the lowest area on earth, and Allah Almighty Said just that in the Noble Verses, then I am within my rights to believe that my interpretation was the correct one.

And like I said above and proved through the "do not mess up the house" example, there is no evidence that Allah Almighty did not mean to refer to the ENTIRE EARTH in any of the Noble Verses that were presented above.  And as everyone who speaks Arabic knows, "ard" means none other than "earth" in Arabic!

They wrote:

The Exegetes

The translators aren’t the only ones to disagree with Abdallah’s rendering of the Arabic; the Muslim exegetes are also against him on this point:

in the nearer [part of the] land, that is, in the Byzantine land [that lies] NEAREST TO PERSIA in Mesopotamia (al-Jazira). There the two armies met and the Persians were the ones who had begun the invasion. But they, that is the Byzantines, after their vanquishing (ghalabihim: the verbal noun [ghalab] has been annexed to the direct object [hum], in other words, ghalabatu faris iyyahum, 'the Persians' vanquishing of them') shall be the victors, over the Persians, (Tafsir al-Jalalayn; source; bold and underline emphasis ours)

(In the nearer land) CLOSE TO PERSIA and, as a consequence, the believers were aggrieved while the idolaters rejoiced, saying: "We shall defeat the believers just as the Persians defeated the Romans", but then Allah proceeded to mention their victory (and they) i.e. the Romans, (after their defeat) at the hand of the Persians (will be victorious) over the Persians. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs; source; bold and underline emphasis ours)

Being near or close to Persia can refer to a host of places such as Constantinople (modern day Turkey), which makes more sense than the Dead Sea since this area served as the capital of the eastern part of the Byzantine Empire.

These Ayat were revealed about the victory of Sabur, the king of Persia, over Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), the adjoining partisan states of the Arabian Peninsula, and the outlying regions of the land of the Romans. Heraclius, the emperor of the Romans, was forced to flee to Constantinople where he was besieged for a lengthy period. Then Heraclius regained the upper hand. Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on this Ayah… (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

… According to Hafiz Ibn Hajar, this war was fought in Syria at a place between Adhru‘at and Busra… (Mufti Shafi Uthmani, Maariful Quran, Volume 6, p. 718; source; bold and underline emphasis ours)

Again, Syria is not the Dead Sea.

The defeats and victories spoken of above relate to the last phases of the centuries-long struggle between the Byzantine and Persian Empires. During the early years of the seventh century the Persians conquered parts of Syria and Anatolia, "the lands close-by", i.e., near the heartland of the Byzantine umpire; in 613 they took Damascus and in 614, Jerusalem; Egypt fell to them in 615–16, and at the same time they laid siege to Constantinople itself. At the time of the revelation of this surah - about the seventh year before the hijrah, corresponding to 615 or 616 of the Christian era - the total destruction of the Byzantine Empire seemed imminent. The few Muslims around the Prophet were despondent on hearing the news of the utter discomfiture of the Byzantines, who were Christians and, as such, believed in the One God. The pagan Quraysh, on the other hand, sympathized with the Persians who, they thought, would vindicate their own opposition to the One-God idea. When Muhammad enunciated the above Quran-verses predicting a Byzantine victory "within a few years", this prophecy was received with derision by the Quraysh. Now the term bid (commonly rendered as "a few") denotes any number between three and ten; and, as it happened, in 622 – i.e., six or seven years after the Quranic prediction - the tide turned in favour of the Byzantines. In that year, Emperor Heraclius succeeded in defeating the Persians at Issus, south of the Taurus Mountains, and subsequently drove them out of Asia Minor. By 624, he carried the war into Persian territory and thus put the enemy on the defensive: and in the beginning of December, 626, the Persian armies were completely routed by the Byzantines.] And on that day will the believers [too, have cause to] rejoice (5) in God’s succour: [This is a prediction of the battle of Badr, which was to take place eight or nine years later, in the month of Ramadan, 2 H. (corresponding to January, 624, of the Christian era), when the Muslims decisively defeated a very much superior force of pagan Quraysh (see introductory note to surah 8). The expression "on that day" has in this context the meaning of "at the same time", for although the battle of Badr began and ended on one day, the victories of Heraclius over the Persians took some years to materialize. (Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur'an [Dar Al-Andalus Limited, 3 Library Ramp, Gibraltar; rpt. 1993], p. 617: http://www.geocities.com/masad02/021; bold and capital emphasis ours)

3a. The struggle between Persia and the Roman Empire had existed a long time. The great struggle, in which Persia was victorious, began in 602 of the Christian era, when Chosroes II of Persia began war with Rome to avenge the death of Maurice, who was murdered by Phocas. "His armies plundered Syria and Asia Minor, and in 608 advanced to Chalcedon. In 613 and 614 Damascus and Jerusalem were taken by the General Shahabaraz, and the Holy Cross was carried away in triumph…" It was in the year 615 or 616 that this revelation came to the Prophet… (Maulana Muhammad Ali, Holy Qur’an: Arabic Text with English Translation, Commentary and comprehensive Introduction; source)

Period of Revelation

The period of the revelation of this Surah is determined absolutely by the historical event that has been mentioned at the outset. It says: "The Romans have been vanquished in the neighboring land." In those days the Byzantine occupied territories adjacent to Arabia were Jordan, Syria and Palestine, and in these territories the Romans were completely overpowered by the Iranians in 615 A. D. Therefore, it can be said with absolute certainty that this Surah was sent down in the same year, and this was the year in which the migration to Habash took place...

Heraclius could not stop this storm. The very first news that he received from the East after ascending the throne was that of the Iranian occupation of Antioch. After this Damascus fell in 613 A. D. Then in 614 A.D. the Iranians occupying Jerusalem played havoc with the Christian world. Ninety thousand Christians were massacred and the Holy Sepulcher was desecrated. The Original Cross on which, according to the Christian belief, Jesus had died was seized and carried to Mada'in. The chief priest Zacharia was taken prisoner and all the important churches of the city were destroyed. How puffed up was Khusrau Parvez at this victory can be judged from the letter that he wrote to Heraclius from Jerusalem. He wrote: "From Khusrau, the greatest of all gods, the master of the whole world: To Heraclius, his most wretched and most stupid servant: ‘You say that you have trust in your Lord. Why didn't then your Lord save Jerusalem from me?’"

Within a year after this victory the Iranian armies over-ran Jordan, Palestine and the whole of the Sinai Peninsula, and reached the frontiers of Egypt. In those very days another conflict of a far greater historical consequence was going on in Makkah. The believers in One God, under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace be upon him), were fighting for their existence against the followers of shirk under the command of the chiefs of the Quraish, and the conflict had reached such a stage that in 615 A. D., a substantial number of the Muslims had to leave their homes and take refuge with the Christian kingdom of Habash, which was an ally of the Byzantine Empire. In those days the Sassanid victories against Byzantium were the talk of the town, and the pagans of Makkah were delighted and were taunting the Muslims to the effect: "Look the fire worshipers of Iran are winning victories and the Christian believers in Revelation and Prophethood are being routed everywhere. Likewise, we, the idol worshipers of Arabia, will exterminate you and your religion."

These were the conditions when this Surah of the Quran was sent down, and in it a prediction was made, saying: "The Romans have been vanquished in the neighboring land and within a few years after their defeat, they shall be victorious. And it will be the day when the believers will rejoice in the victory granted by Allah." It contained not one but two predictions: First, the Romans shall be Victorious; and second, the Muslims also shall win a victory at the same time. Apparently, there was not a remote chance of the fulfillment of the either prediction in the next few years… (Syed Abu-Ala’ Maududi’s Chapter Introductions to the Qur'an; source)

The above sources date this particular Surah sometime between 615-616 AD, around the time that the Persians had laid siege to Constantinople, providing additional support that this may in fact be the location which the Quran has in view since it is near Persia.

Finally,

… The defeat, ‘in a land close by’ must refer to Syria and Palestine. Jerusalem was lost in 614-615 A.D., shortly before this sura was revealed. (Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an, Translation and Commentary, n. 3505; bold emphasis ours)

… Bidh’un in the text means a short period - a period of from three to nine years. The period between the loss OF JERUSALEM (614-15) by the Romans and their victory at Issus (622) was seven years, and that to the penetration of Persia by Heraclius was nine years. (Ibid., n. 3507; bold and capital emphasis ours)

And:

14. Khusrau Parwiz called himself the son of the Emperor Maurice. During his refuge at Constantinople he had married a Byzantine wife. In Nizami’s romance she is known as Maryam. According to some historians she was a daughter of the Emperor Maurice, but Gibbon throws doubt on that relationship. In any case he used the resources of the Persian Empire to fight the usurper Phocas. He invaded the Byzantine Empire in 603. The war between the Persian and the Romans became a national war and continued after the fall of Phocas in 610. The Persians had sweeping victories, and conquered Aleppo, Antioch, and the chief Syrian cities, including Damascus, in 611. Jerusalem fell to their arms in 614-615, just 8 to 7 years before the sacred Hijrat. The city was burnt and pillaged, and the Christians were massacred, the churches were burnt, the burial-place of Christ was itself insulted, and many relics including the ‘true Cross’ on which the Christians believed that Christ had been crucified, were carried away to Persia. The priests of the Persian religion celebrated an exultant triumph over the priests of Christ. In this pillage and massacre the Persians were assisted by a crowd of Jews, who were discontented with the Christian domination, and the Pagan Arabs to whom any opportunity of plunder and destruction was in itself welcome. It is probably this striking event - the victory of the Persians over the Roman Empire - which is referred to Sura XXX (Rum) of the Qur’an... (Ibid., appendix X, pp 1072-1073; bold emphasis ours)

Pay careful attention that none of the above sources mention the Dead Sea as the place where the Romans suffered defeat. The closest we get is Jerusalem which, as we stated earlier, is not the same as the Dead Sea and happens to actually be above sea level. Therefore, Jerusalem IS NOT the lowest point on the earth.

General history agrees with these Muslim commentators that the Romans were defeated by the Persians on many fronts, including Syria, Constantinople, and Jerusalem, but none reports about a decisive battle having taken place at the Dead Sea. Thus, if that verse refers to defeat of the Romans by the Persians, it cannot speak about the Dead Sea.

My response:

Nothing of substance was mentioned  here because:

1-  I have provided the scientific evidence that proved that the northern part of the Middle East is indeed the lowest region on earth.

2-  I have proven that "ard" means none other than "earth" in English.

3-  As to the timing of the Prophecy, I have destroyed Sam Shamoun's absurd point and proved that the victory happened in less than 9 years, and also showed him the very same quote, "few years," used in his Bible along with "many years" also used in his Bible at: http://www.answering-christianity.com/is_muhammad_true_prophet.htm:

Conclusion:

The foul-mouthed Sam Shamoun and Jochen Katz have both miserably failed to disprove the Noble Quran's Scientific Miracle about the region where the Romans were defeated is the lowest region on earth.  I would like to invite the reader to visit The Scientific Miracles in the Noble Quran section to see many other scientific claims and notions that Allah Almighty mentioned in the Noble Quran were confirmed by science today.

All praises and glory are due to Allah Almighty alone!

Back to Science in Islam.

The Geological Miracle in Noble Verses 30:2-5 (the place where the Romans were defeated).

The Big Bang Theory and the Cosmic Crunch in the Noble Quran.  Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him predicted around the time when the Cosmic Crunch occurs, the Sun would rise from the West.

The Noble Quran on the Origin of the Universe. This article has pictures and quotes from Western scientific books that accurately confirm the astronomical claims of the Noble Quran.  The Noble Quran was the only book that claimed that the universe originated from Hot Gas or Smoke.  Science proved that this claim is true.

Comparison between Allah Almighty's claims about His Creation, and the scientific discoveries that 100% agree with Him.  Claims such as:  The universe is expanding, the existence of the sun's orbit, the protective atmosphere to the earth, Embryology and many more.

Allah Almighty said in the Noble Quran that He is "Expanding" the Universe.  Scientists already proved this claim to be true.

The "Clot" and the Creation of the Universe in the Noble Quran.

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What does the sun orbit?

Einstein's time relativity in the Noble Quran.

UFOs and Space Shuttles were explicitly mentioned in the Noble Quran!  Even the communication with UFOs was prophesied in the Noble Quran.

Aliens and UFOs in the Noble Quran.

Rebuttal to Shamoun's and Katz' "Sinking to Dead Sea Levels" article.

AUDIO from Dr. Zaghlool Al-Najjar:

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