Re: Giant goats in space - Hadith scientific error refuted

The hadeeth in question:

Narrated Al-Abbas ibn AbdulMuttalib: ..... The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) counted seven heavens. “Then above the seventh heaven there is a river, between whose top and bottom is a distance like that between one heaven and another. Then above that there are eight (angels in the form of) mountain goats. The distance between their hooves and their knees is like the distance between one heaven and the next. Then on their backs is the Throne, and the distance between the top and the bottom of the Throne is like the distance between one heaven and another. Then Allaah is above that, may He be blessed and exalted.”

عَدَّ سَبْعَ سَمَوَاتٍ ‏"‏ ثُمَّ فَوْقَ السَّابِعَةِ بَحْرٌ بَيْنَ أَسْفَلِهِ وَأَعْلاَهُ مِثْلُ مَا بَيْنَ سَمَاءٍ إِلَى سَمَاءٍ ثُمَّ فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ ثَمَانِيَةُ أَوْعَالٍ بَيْنَ أَظْلاَفِهِمْ وَرُكَبِهِمْ مِثْلُ مَا بَيْنَ سَمَاءٍ إِلَى سَمَاءٍ ثُمَّ عَلَى ظُهُورِهِمُ الْعَرْشُ بَيْنَ أَسْفَلِهِ وَأَعْلاَهُ مِثْلُ مَا بَيْنَ سَمَاءٍ إِلَى سَمَاءٍ ثُمَّ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Grade

: Da'if (Al-Albani)

ضعيف   (الألباني)

حكم     :

http://sunnah.com/abudawud/42/128

“..some of the scholars criticized him for some strange matters in his hadeeth(1). Hence he was classed as da’eef (weak) by Shu’bah and Ibn al-Mubaarak(2), and Ibn Abi Khaythamah said: I heard Ibn Ma’een being asked: What is his fault? He said: He narrated ahaadeeth which no one else narrated(3), but he is thiqah. Ibn ‘Ammaar said: They say that he used to make mistakes(4), and they differed concerning his hadeeth(5). Al-Thawri regarded him as somewhat da’eef(6) but no one rejected him. Al-Nasaa’i said: Sometimes he repeats everything he hears, therefore when he narrates a hadeeth which no one else narrated(7), that cannot be regarded as sound. Ibn Hibbaan said in al-Thiqaat: he makes many mistakes(8). 

See his biography in Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (4/204) 

Note from Mahir: Just to keep it clean and simple, the man in question was criticized for:

1.   strange matters in his hadith (As the one above)

2.   he was classed as weak

3.   he narrated things NO ONE heard before him

4.   he used to make mistakes

5.   they differed among his hadith

6.   some said he was somewhat weak

7.   he repeats everything he hears even if it’s from a bad source, thus it makes him a weak reporter

8.  He made MANY mistakes!

Continuing with the fatwa:

As for ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umayrah: we do not know anything about his biography except that he narrated from al-Ahnaf ibn Qays, and no one is known to have narrated from him except Simaak ibn Harb. None of the scholars stated whether he was thiqah or da’eef except Ibn Hibbaan who mentioned him in al-Thiqaat. Ibn Hajar said in Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (5/301): al-Bukhaari said: It is not known whether he heard from al-Ahnaf. He was mentioned by Ibn Hibbaan in al-Thiqaat, and al-Tirmidhi classed his hadeeth as hasan. I (Ibn Hajar) say: Abu Na’eem said in Ma’rifat al-Sahaabah: He lived during the Jaahiliyyah and he was the guide of al-A’sha, but it is not proven that he accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or saw him. Muslim said in al-Wuhdaan: Simaak alone narrated from him. Ibraaheem al-Harbi said: I do not know him. End quote. 

Because Simaak’s report is not to be accepted when he is the only one narrating it, and because we find that there are some doubts about ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umayrah, the scholars differed as to whether the hadeeth should be classed as saheeh or da’eef. 

Al-Tirmidhi said concerning the hadeeth: it is hasan ghareeb. It was classed as saheeh by Ibn Khuzaymah in his report in his book al-Tawheed where he stipulated some conditions for its soundness. Al-Haakim said in al-Mustadrak: it is saheeh according to the conditions of Muslim although they (al-Bukhaari and Muslim) did not narrate it.

Among the later scholars, Ibn Taymiyah in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (3/192) and Ibn al-Qayyim in Mukhtasar al-Sawaa’iq (433) said its isnaad is jayyid. 

With regard to the scholars who classed it as da’eef: 

This is what is understood from the words of al-Bazaar in his Musnad (4/115), where he says: We do not know of these words being narrated except with this isnaad from al-‘Abbaas from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We do not know of anyone who narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umayrah except Simaak ibn Harb. End quote. 

Ibn ‘Adiyy said in al-Kaamil (9/27): it is not known. 

Al-Mazzi indicated that it is da’eef in Tahdheeb al-Kamaal (10/391). 

Al-Dhahabi said in al-‘Uluw (1/60): It was narrated only by Simaak from ‘Abd-Allaah, and ‘Abd-Allaah is somewhat unknown. End quote. But al-Dhahabi classed the hadeeth as hasan in al-‘Arsh (24). 

Another of the later scholars who classed it as da’eef was al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (1247). 

What seems most likely – and Allaah knows best – is that the hadeeth is da’eef. As Simaak ibn Harb was the only one who narrated this hadeeth which has to do with matters of the unseen, this means that it is not acceptable. The fact that little is known about ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umayrah further damages the soundness of the hadeeth. Then there is the interruption (in the isnaad) between him and al-Ahnaf ibn Qays. 

If anyone wants to quote this hadeeth as evidence that Allaah is above His creation and that He is above the mighty Throne, the Qur’aan and saheeh Sunnah are full of such evidence and there is no need to quote this hadeeth as evidence. There are a thousand pieces of evidence which Imam al-Dhahabi compiled in his book al-‘Uluw, for those who want to know more.

http://islamqa.info/en/88746

We see that this hadith is NO PROOF at all that there is an error in Islam regarding cosmology, the infidels are just too desperate to find a mistake, and all they do is look for weak hadiths to “Debunk” Islam.

http://www.answering-christianity.com/mahir/goats_7_heavens_rebuttal.htm

Re: Sky Guards the Earth -quran 21:32 error refuted

Sahih International

And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away.

http://quran.com/21/32

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

And We made the heaven a roof, for the earth, [functioning] like the roof of a house, preserved, from collapsing; and yet of the signs thereof, namely, [the signs of this heaven such as] the sun, the moon and the stars, they are disregardful, failing to reflect on them and thus realise that the Creator of such [things] can have no partner.

“And We have set up the sky as a well-secured canopy.”  (Verse 32) In Arabic, the sky refers to everything that is above us. We see above us something like a ceiling. The Qur’ān states that the sky is a well-secured canopy. It is secure from any defect or  contamination, since it symbolizes the  height from which God’s revelations are bestowed. But “they stubbornly turn away from all its signs.” (Verse 32) 

In the Qur'an, God calls our attention to a very interesting attribute of the sky;
This attribute of the sky has been proved by scientific research carried out in the 20th century.
The atmosphere surrounding the earth serves crucial functions for the continuity of life. While destroying many meteors big and small as they approach the earth, it prevents them from falling to earth and harming living things.
In addition, the atmosphere filters the light rays coming from space that are harmful to living things. Interestingly, the atmosphere lets only harmless and useful rays- visible light, near ultraviolet light, and radio waves pass through. All of this radiation is vital for life. Near ultraviolet rays, which are only partially let in by the atmosphere, are very important for the photosynthesis of plants and for the survival of all living beings. The majority of the intense ultraviolet rays emitted from the sun are filtered out by the ozone layer of the atmosphere and only a limited-and essential-part of the ultraviolet spectrum reaches the Earth.
The protective function of the atmosphere does not end here. The atmosphere also protects the earth from the freezing cold of the space, which is about minus 270° C.

This illustration shows meteors that are about to crash into the earth. The celestial bodies wandering in space could pose a serious threat to the Earth. Yet, God, He Who creates most perfectly, has made the atmosphere a protective roof. Thanks to this special protection, most meteoroids do not harm the Earth, as they fall to pieces in the atmosphere.

Most people looking at the sky do not think about the protective aspect of the atmosphere. They almost never think what kind of a place the world would be like if this structure did not exist. The above photo belongs to a giant crater caused by a meteor that fell in Arizona, in the USA. If the atmosphere did not exist, millions of meteoroids would fall to the Earth and the Earth would become an inhabitable place. Yet, the protective aspect of the atmosphere allows living things to survive in safety. This is certainly God's protection of people, and a miracle proclaimed in the Qur'an.

The energy released in a Sun burst is so powerful that the human mind would hardly comprehend it: A single burst is equivalent to 100 billion atomic bombs similar to the one dropped on Hiroshima. The world is protected from the destructive effects of this energy by the atmosphere and the Van Allen Belts.	As we move from the Earth, which is perfectly fitted for human life, beyond the atmosphere into the space, we come across a freezing cold. The world is protected from the freezing cold of space, which is around -270 degrees, by the help of the atmosphere.

The magnetosphere layer, formed by the magnetic field of the Earth, serves as a shield protecting the earth from celestial bodies, harmful cosmic rays and particles. In the above picture, this magnetosphere layer, which is also named Van Allen Belts, is seen. These belts at thousands of kilometres above the earth protect the living things on the Earth from the fatal energy that would otherwise reach it from space. All these scientific findings prove that the world is protected in a very particular way. The important thing is that this protection was made known in the Qur'an in the verse "We made the sky a preserved and protected roof" 1,400 years ago.

It is not only the atmosphere that protects the Earth from harmful effects. In addition to the atmosphere, the Van Allen Belt, a layer caused by the magnetic field of the Earth, also serves as a shield against the harmful radiation that threatens our planet. This radiation, which is constantly emitted by the Sun and other stars, is deadly to living things. If the Van Allen belt did not exist, the massive outbursts of energy called solar flares that frequently occur in the Sun would destroy all life on Earth.
Dr. Hugh Ross has this to say on the importance of Van Allen Belts to our lives:

In fact, the Earth has the highest density of any of the planets in our Solar System. This large nickel-iron core is responsible for our large magnetic field. This magnetic field produces the Van-Allen radiation shield, which protects the Earth from radiation bombardment. If this shield were not present, life would not be possible on the Earth. The only other rocky planet to have any magnetic field is Mercury - but its field strength is 100 times less than the Earth's. Even Venus, our sister planet, has no magnetic field. The Van-Allen radiation shield is a design unique to the Earth.

The energy transmitted in just one of these bursts detected in recent years was calculated to be equivalent to 100 billion atomic bombs similar to the one dropped on Hiroshima. Fifty-eight hours after the burst, it was observed that the magnetic needles of compasses displayed unusual movement and 250 kilometers above the earth's atmosphere, the temperature suddenly increased to 2,500° C.
In short, a perfect system is at work high above the Earth. It surrounds our world and protects it against external threats. 

Re: Setting and Rising Place of the Sun. Where does the sun rise? 18:90 Quran error refuted

 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 against the sun.
Qur'an 18:90

What we said about the setting of the sun is also true of its rising . What is meant here is the point where  it rises in the east as we look up beyond the horizon.
Again the Qur’ān does not define the place. It simply describes it and the situation of the people Dhu’l-Qarnayn found there: “When he came to the rising of the sun, he found that it was rising on a people for whom We had provided no coverings against it.” (Verse 90)
This suggests that the land was open, unscreened from the sun by any hills or trees. Thus when the sun rose, the  people were directly exposed to it. This description applies to deserts and vast plateaus. It does not specify a particular location.

Another probability is that the description, ‘for whom We had provided no covering against it,’ means that those people were always in the nude and did not employ clothing. Hence, they were not screened from the sun.

It is important, however, to reflect very  briefly here on an artistic touch in the image provided. The scene portrayed for us is open and clear: a blazing sun which is in no way screened from the people.
Similarly, Dhu’l-Qarnayn’s conscience and intentions are open, known ‘ fully to God Almighty. This provides harmony  between the natural scene and man’s conscience in the inimitable style of the Qur’ān.