Dog Days Of Summer

...or Sirius Poetry

53 Al Najm (The Star/Revelation)

53:49 وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَى

53:49 He is the Lord of Sirius (the 'Shining One')


What is it about the brightest star, Sirius, that makes people wax poetic? Even Edgar Allan Poe was not immune to its charm.

EVENING STAR
by Edgar Allan Poe
1827

'Twas noontide of summer,

And mid-time of night;

And stars, in their orbits,

Shone pale, thro' the light

Of the brighter, cold moon,

'Mid planets her slaves,

Herself in the Heavens,

Her beam on the waves.

I gazed awhile On her cold smile;

Too cold–too cold for me-

There pass'd, as a shroud,

A fleecy cloud,

And I turned away to thee,

Proud Evening Star,

In thy glory afar,

And dearer thy beam shall be;

For joy to my heart

Is the proud part

Thou bearest in Heaven at night,

And more I admire

Thy distant fire,

Than that colder, lowly light.

26 Ash-Shu'ara (The Poets)

وَالشُّعَرَاء يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُونَ 26:224

26:224 And the 'errant' follow the poets. (This is the classical interpretation; the primary meaning of مغو is not 'errant' but any one of the following: inductor/seducer/seductive/inticing/incidious/tempting)

A more accurate translation appears to be:
26:225 And the Poets are followed by the Seductive/Seducers...

16 An-Nahl (The Bee)

وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالْنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالْنُّجُومُ مُسَخَّرَاتٌ بِأَمْرِهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ 16:12

16:12 And He has made the night and the day of service/benefit to you, and the sun and the moon and the stars are subservient to His command; in this there are messages for people who use their reason.

86 At-Tariq (The Tariq)

86:1 وَالسَّمَاء وَالطَّارِقِ
86:2 وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ
86:3 النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِبُ

86:1 By The Heavens And The Tariq
86:2 And Do You Know (Who Has Tought You) What Is The Tariq?
86:3 A Piercing Star! (A Light/Revelation That Pierces The Darkness)

For homework; what may seem like a disparate collection of poetry and Signs really comes together for the field astronomer who happens to like Egyption mythology and dabbles in linguistics. Connect 'The Dog Star' to the idiomatic expression 'Dog Days of Summer' and the Arabic name of Sirius (Ash-Shi'ra) which if mispronounced can be misconstrued for the Arabic word for Poets (Ash-Shu'ra) to Osiris and then see how that relates to Judaism and Christianity and other World Religions. A special gold star to anyone who can tell me why, in this given instance, the train can and did jump the tracks before my next post. Bonus points if you can relate Poe's 8,8,6 verses to music.

PS I quite enjoyed Sunday's Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle. Thanks.

History 101

...or 'Captain Procrastinator'™

There is an interesting entry in Wikipedia regarding Thierville, France with respect to War casualties:

"In France, where the human cost of War was higher than in Britain, Thierville was remarkable as the only village in all of France with no men lost from World War I, nor any memorials constructed in the subsequent period. Amazingly, Thierville also suffered no losses in the Franco-Prussian War and World War II, France’s other bloody war of the modern era."

Time and again, it seems the promise of the Hereafter, is God's MO for how Justice is meted out and what is percieved to be a time lag in realizing such Justice is nothing other than to allow for a way to Respond Mercifully rather than React Viscerally in settling a score.

That is why it is best to stick to 'You Shall Not Kill' and 'Vengeance is Mine! Says the Lord.'

12 Yusuf (Joseph)
12:109 وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ
فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَدَارُ الآخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ

12:109 And We never sent before you any but men, from among the people of their own communities, bearing our Revelation. Do they never journey about the Earth and see what happened to those who lived before them?-And haven’t they learned that to those who are conscious of God the life in the Hereafter is indeed better? Will you not reason?

10 Yunus (Jonah)
10:98 فَلَوْلاَ كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلاَّ قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ آمَنُواْ
كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ

10:98 There has never been any community that attained to faith and (in so doing) benefited by its faith, except the people of Jonah. When they came to believe, We removed from them the suffering of disgrace in the life of this world, and allowed them ease (pleasure) for their term.

84 Inshiqaaq (Splitting)
لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَن طَبَقٍ 84:19

84:19 you will (surely) travel from stage to stage (level to level, plane to plane)

Wine,Women, And Song

Hmmmmmmmm, a caning in Malaysia?

Here we go again, thinking our ofds!

Is the unfortunate Malaysian woman's crime that she drinks in public or that she tipples at all?
Honestly, You say 'Land! Land!' and yet I am better off at Sea because I don't know what's making News around the 'landed gentry'--certainly not anything on the basis of any Book I've ever read. Bunch of ILLiterates!

FranklyI, myself, find nothing relieves joint pain better than a long cool sip of Rum-n-Coke Cola; and in a pinch rum-soaked-raisins will do just fine.

So, once more from the top:

There shall be no compulsion in religion.

2 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

2:256 لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللّهِ
فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىَ لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

2:256 Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And God Listens [and is] Omniscient.

There is some benefit to drinking and gambling but best to eskew it. (While sinful its not like Murder!)

2 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

2:219 يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَآ أَكْبَرُ مِن
نَّفْعِهِمَا وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ كَذَلِكَ يُبيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

2:219 They ask you about wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." They ask you how much they are to spend; Say: "What is beyond your needs."God Expounds to you His Signs: In order that you may reflect-

If you judge be sure to temper your judgment with Mercy since that's how you expect to be Judged.

35 Fatir (The Originator of Creation)

35:45 وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ
وَلَكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاء أَجَلُهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ بَصِيرًا

35:45 Now if God were to take men to task for what they do, He would not leave a single living creature upon its surface [the face of the Earth]. But He grants them respite for a set term: when their term expires- they [come to know that] God is Vigilant (of His) servants.

Wine happens to be the drink of choice once you make it past the 'Gate. '

83 Al-Mutaffifin (Those Who Deal in Fraud)

يُسْقَوْنَ مِن رَّحِيقٍ مَّخْتُومٍ 83:25
خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ وَفِي ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ 83:26

83:25 They [the ones who make it to Heaven] will drink a nectar bearing a seal [stamp]
83:26 pouring out with a fragrance of musk. To that [nectar, or 'wine of paradise'], let them aspire...

PS Please don't have your 'researchers' ruin my lunch again; the food would have gone down better without the 'comments from the galley' about how many courses the meal was or how simply doing the crossword puzzle somehow turns into a fact-finding mission. (And since when does an eggroll count as a third course?) There seems to be a lot of money flying around for mundane stuff like this inane pursuit, so please do as promised and divert it all to my bank account so I can put as much distance between me and what's leftover of them as practicable on ALL Levels.

CNN August 20, 2009 'Malaysian Model, Mom To Be Caned For Drinking In Public'

Swine Flu, What Next?

The question is H_G_T?

Well, for that you might want to ask the 'House' keeper if he ever figured out how that 'bird' got in that day? I wouldn;t know fo_sho.

Distance RA

53 Najm (Star, Revelation)
وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَى 53:1

53:1 And If the Star Falls Down (When Revelation is Handed Down)

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَى 53:2

53:2 Your Companion is Neither Crazy Nor Deluded

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى 53:3

53:3 And Does Not Speak Of his Own Accord

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى 53:4

53:4 He is Revealing What is Revealed

عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَى 53:5

53:5 Someone Mightier Has Taught him

ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَى 53:6

53:6 Who in Time Assumed His True (Stately) Form

وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلَى 53:7

53:7 As He Was At A Higher Level (In the Highest Part of the Horizon)

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّى 53:8

53:8 Then He Drew Nearer And Alighted

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى 53:9

53:9 Until He Was (The Distance) Very Near Two Bows’-Lengths at Minimum

فَأَوْحَى إِلَى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَى 53:10

53:10 And He Revealed Unto His Servant What He Revealed

Dance Of The Seven Veils

Now that I have posted the closest thing I ever got to a love letter, this post should serve as the closest I'll get to dancing.

7 Al-A'raf (The Heights)
7:46 وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ وَعَلَى الأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلاًّ بِسِيمَاهُمْ
وَنَادَوْاْ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ

7:46 Between them shall be a veil, and on the heights will be men who would know every one in particular (ie, by their name or by their mark): they will call out to the Companions of the Garden, 'Peace!'; they will not have entered, but they will have an assurance.

17 Al-Isra (The Concealed/Secret Journey or The Journey While Captured)(17:45) وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرآنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا

17:45 When you recite the Quran, We put, between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter, an invisible veil

19 Maryam (Mary)(19:17) فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا

(19:17) She screened (veiled) herself from them; then We sent her Our Angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects... (except ,based on my careful observation, he was well-spoken, didn't have any B.O. and was very polite--that's how I knew he wasn't from around here)
38 Suad ص

(38:32) فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ الْخَيْرِ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّي حَتَّى تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِ

(38:32) And (Solomon) He said, "Truly do I love the love of good, in remembrance of my Sustainer,"- even as (he was) hidden behind the veil

...Some time in May or June 2012 I discovered why only a Prophet like Solomon can say such a thing, once having Pierced the Veil. He had enough Wisdom and Compassion not to 'kill them all' having learned just how much Power He wielded that was shielded from Him on the Earthly Plane--quite the achievement, since I've seen how He gets when He Sees Red!


BTW when we pray "Assalumu 3lika ayuha al.naby" and seeing how We do not make a distinction or differentiate between the Prophets, the salutation address whomever happens to be the Prophet(s) present at the moment and not necessarily Muhammed pbuh every time. Did You know that?




41 Fussilat (The Criterion)
(41:5) وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا فِي أَكِنَّةٍ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ وَفِي آذَانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَمِن بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ فَاعْمَلْ إِنَّنَا عَامِلُونَ

(41:5) They say: "Our hearts are veiled from that to which you invite us, and in our ears is a deafness, and between us and you is a veil: so do (as you do); for us, we shall do (as we do)"

42 Ash-Shu'ra (The Poets)
(42:51) وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَاء حِجَابٍ
أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاء إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ

42:51 It is not fitting for a man that God should speak to him except by inspiration, or as from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal with His permission, what God wills: for He is The Highest, Most Wise.

83 Al-Mutaffifin (Those Who Give Short Measure)(83:15) كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ

(83:15) Verily, from their Lord, on that Day, will they be veiled.

And that is no way a veiled threat. We've seen this type of thing before and took the trouble to make a note of it some 1400++ years ago-- by your reckoning.

Surah 48 Al-Fat.h (فتح, The Opening, Conquest, Victory, Unsealing, Unfolding)
إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا (48:1 

:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي كَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُم بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِن بَعْدِ أَنْ أَظْفَرَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرًا (48:24 


48: 1 Truly, We Have Availed You of a Clear (Obvious) Victory

:

48:24 And He Is The One Who Kept their hands from You and Your hands off them in the midst (narrow, straight, gorge, umbilic, valley) of Makka, after He made You Victorious over them, and God Sees All that You do.

Al-A'raf [7:46]
وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ وَعَلَى الأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلاًّ بِسِيمَاهُمْ وَنَادَوْاْ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ

7:46 Between them shall be a veil, and on the heights will be men who would know every one by his marks: they will call out to the Companions of the Garden, "peace on you": they will not have entered, but they will have an assurance (thereof).


Al-Isra [17:45]
وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرآنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا

17:45 When thou dost recite the Qur'an, We put, between thee and those who believe not in the Hereafter, a veil invisible:

Maryam [19:17]
فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا

19:17 She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.

[38:32]
فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ الْخَيْرِ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّي حَتَّى تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِ

38:32 And he said, "Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the glory of my Lord,"- until (the sun) was hidden in the veil (of night):

Fussilat [41:5]
وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا فِي أَكِنَّةٍ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ وَفِي آذَانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَمِن بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ فَاعْمَلْ إِنَّنَا عَامِلُونَ

41:5 They say: "Our hearts are under veils, (concealed) from that to which thou dost invite us, and in our ears in a deafness, and between us and thee is a screen: so do thou (what thou wilt); for us, we shall do (what we will!)"

Ash-Shura [42:51]
وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَاء حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاء إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ

42:51 It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise.

Al-Mutaffifin [83:15]
كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ

83:15 Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled.