My Ramadan Diary…

The Qu’ran is a miracle and remains the same even after fourteen thousand years ago. The glorious Qu’ran is the literal word of God, revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by Angel Jibreal (Archangel Gabriel) and continued for twenty three lunar years intermittently from the month of Ramadan - July six-hundred and nine C.E when the Prophet was fourty years old whilst he was meditating in the Cave of Hira in a mountain of Makkah (now named Jabel al Noor) until a few months before his death. The Qu’ran is not arranged in chronological order, the ayas, meaning verses and chapters , meaning surahs, were arranged when the Prophet was directed by Angel Jibreal as ordained by Allah (swt), “swt” this translates in Arabic to “Subhanahu wa ta'ala” meaning as "Glory to Him, the Exalted". More than half of the Qu’ran was revealed in Makkah during the first thirteen years and the rest was revealed in Medina in the last ten years of the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

[NB: I am just learning here and I think the Islamic force is something we should allow to permeate our hearts, souls and every fibre of our beings and lives and we should allow it to transform us and grow us and hold us. I think Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the most powerful messenger of the word of God and we should make every effort to emulate. I don’t expect anyone outside of myself to save me. I don’t have idols. I don’t need a hero. So I don’t put my faith in man. God can work through man but I think we’re told not to make idols of men for a reason. I’m especially not sitting around waiting things while I carry on being a sh*ty person asking for forgiveness until God comes scoops my sorry self. How lazy would that be? How simple? Nor do I want to deny or reject my humanity, my realness, my flaws and my mistakes and instead clutch at my pearls in horror at all the things people around me are going that I would do but I’m too much of a coward. Every moment needs to be understood as a holy moment and a sacrament with the divine and held in reverence as such. All of it. It’s all the greatest learning experience, if you approach it uncompromisingly honestly and earnestly. Puritanial ways have no place in God’s inner circle.]

One simple way to connect with God during Ramadan is by knowing and acknowledging what we are praying. Reading the “Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship”, a compilation of Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali's work has been an eye opener for me and I thank my best friend for recommending this book she is the sweetest. In that book I learnt that there are three grades of fasting: ordinary, special and extra-special:
· Ordinary fasting means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction.
· Special fasting means keeping one’s ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet and all other organs free from sin. This includes backbiting, gossiping and watching useless programmes.
· Extra-special fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but Allah (swt).

Special fasting and extra-special fasting makes sense because they increase your vibration so you reap the full benefits of praying. 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Fasting is a shield; so when one of you is fasting he should not use foul or foolish talk. If someone attacks him or insults him, let him say: “I am fasting, I am fasting!”. 

Surah Al-Fatiha:

In whatever situation an individual may be, be it a difficulty, an illness or a state of suffering or any other problems he finds himself in, he needs to recite the “Surah Al-Fatiha”. Centuries after centuries, there shall be many more divinely sent reformers (Mujaddid) and caliphs of Allah (Khalifatullah). According to wiki, “Mujaddid refers to a person who appears at the turn of every century of the Islamic Calendar to revive Islam, cleansing it of extraneous elements and restoring it to its pristine purity”. In contemporary times, a mujaddid is looked upon as the greatest Muslim of a century. So the word “Fatiha” comes from the verb “Fataha”, which means “to open”. Fatiha is feminine here because it refers to the word “Surah” which is also feminine in Arabic. 

Surah al-Fatiha translated:

Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem
Al-hamdu lillahi Rabb il-'alamin
Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem
Maliki yawmi-d-Din
Iyya-ka na'budu wa iyya-ka nasta'in
Ihdina-sirat al-mustaqim
Sirat al-ladhina an'amta 'alai-him
Ghair il-Maghdubi 'alai-him wa la-d-dallin

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds:
The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful:
Owner of the Day of Judgement.
Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) was ask for help.
Show us the straight path:
The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.

The meaning of Surah Al-Fatiha:

“Al-Hamdu” means: Praise. Praise is greater than thanks. Saying thanks to Allah is good but “Praise be to Allah” is better. Praising and thanking are two different definitions. 

“Lillaahi” means: To Allah. To Allah only, because Allah is the Creator of everything.

“Rabbil” means: Lord (of). The Lord who creates, Who gives life, Who feeds, Who gives death, Who gives life after death, Who judges His creatures and who rewards or punishment.

“Aalameen” means the worlds. “Al-Aalameen” is derived from the word “Al-Alamoune” which is the plural of the word Al-Alam which means “the worlds”. So “Al-Aalameen” means the worlds and “Rabbil-Aalamine” means Lord of the worlds; the worlds of humans, the angels, and the jinn. And (also) the animal, vegetable, and mineral worlds. Allah is the Lord of all creation, in any place and any time. All creation has no lord other than Allah. He is the Lord of the living and the dead. He has power over all things.

“Ar-Rahman-Ir-Rahim” means: The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. Almighty Allah is forgiving and merciful. But we must also remember that Allah is also keen to take accounts and is severe in inflicting punishment.

“Malik” means: Master.

“Yawmid-Deen” means the Day of Judgement. Allah (swt) is the Master of the Day of Judgement. He forgives whom He wills. He rewards whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. His rank is higher than that of a judge; He can forgive a sinner, but however the condition only applies if the sinner did not commit Shirk (i.e. did not associate with false gods with Allah in worship, did not worship anything/anybody else but Allah). The Day of Judgement is the day when we will have to appear before God to answer for everything we have done on earth.

“Iyaakanabudu Wa Iyyaka Nasta’ine” means: You (Allah) alone we worship and from You (Allah) alone we ask for help. Allah, in His infinite wisdom has sent many prophets throughout the ages. There are some with whom He sent books such as: Prophet Ibrahim - Abraham (AS) who came with the Suhuf, Prophet Dawud - David (AS) who received the Psalms, Prophet Musa - Moses (AS) who received the Torah. Much later, Prophet Isa - Jesus son of Mary (AS) came with the Injeel, and finally Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who received the Quran.

The most often used name is “Rahman”. This name comes from the root verb, R-H-M and it means womb, this ofcourse is a uniquely feminine quality. The Qu’ran refers to Allah (swt) using the Arabic pronoun, huwa (which translates as “he”), never hiya (translating as “she”). I used to think that Fatiha meant to raise both hands but it doesn’t. The Surah Al-Fatiha has several other names such as “The Mother of the Quran”. To be a mother is literally an honor. When someone goes out everyday, works to put a roof over your head and food on the table and then gives you the most beautiful blessing in the world , a beautiful child, it’s literally a pleasure. The Surah Al-Fatiha has seven ayahs and is known for it’s ability to heal any ailment, perhaps because it covers all seven chakras. Further, since hell has seven gates, Surah Fatiha has seven ayahs and each one of its ayahs thus provides a means of security against one’s approach to hell.

Surah Al-Baqara:

After Surah Al-Fatiha, follows the Surah Al-Baqara (The Cow). This Surah mainly deals with a number of issues related to creed, history, law and virtue. There are three types of people discussed in this Surah, they are the believers, non believers and hypocrites. It hasn’t been used as a title to indicate the subject of the Surah, because this would show that the Surah dealt with the subject of “the cow” only. This Surah is particulary long and I will be able to write about it once I gain a full understanding.

During pre-Islamic times polytheism was the majority, they used to worship the cow. There was an incident when they built the golden calf and worshipped it. Allah (swt) is demonstrating that their reverence and respect is only for Him (swt) and not for any animal. The lesson that we can take from this Surah is to realise that when Allah (swt) gives us a clear and simple command then we should carry it out.

Historical background:

At Makkah (which is now called Mecca located in Saudi Arabia) the Qu’ran generally addressed the mushrik (an individual who rejects Islamic tawhid) Quraish who were ignorant of Islam, but at Al-Madinah (a city in western Saudi Arabia translating to the term “the luminous city”) it was populated with Jews who famililiarised with the faith of the Unity of Allah (swt), Prophethood, revelation and the angels. They also understood to believe in the law which was revealed by Allah (swt) to their Prophet, Moses (AS) their principles was the same as Islam and was being taught by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). But they had strayed away from it after years of degeneration and as a result had adopted many un-Islamic values. They had tampered with the Torah by inserting their own interpretation distorting the word of God taking out of it the real meaning of true religion. They had adopted their own religion and had no intention of changing it so they became envious with the believers at the time. Even though they were originally Muslims, they had swerved from Islam and had forgotten Allah (swt). Even Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) travelled to Al-Madinah and invited the Jews to the true religion to show them the way. This is why this Surah addresses more than a third to the children of Israel and the stories told in the Qu’ran, Torah and Bible are generally comparable.

Evolution of the alphabet:

One must keep in mind that when Arabic was spoken, it was an informal language. There were more than one phonecian symbol to represent a letter and there was the mutli alphabet which included, north semitic, south semitic, safatic, aramaic and thamudic. So words were built on tri-consonantal “roots”. Similarly, today, in colloquial electronic communication, several words are shortened in order to get the point across with as little typing as possible. We have different phones displaying different emoji’s from Android, Iphone and even Nokia devices. It’s also thought of as being creative in an informal way. For example, many people shorten “Are you okay?” to “R U OK?” or “K?” to “I M OK” to even👍?

This began, naturally enough, as picture writing (pictographs representing words or ideas) like emojis, some five thousand years ago, towards the end of the fourth millennium B.C.E. The pictographs, usually inscribed on clay, soon moved beyond this stage in two ways: they became stylised clusters of wedge-shaped marks, and, by the rebus proposition, they became syllable signs, so that dug “pot” was also used for the syllable dug, and so on. This system was complicated, having hundreds of signs, but its effacacy was that vowels were represented in its syllabic characters.

During seventh century Arabia the alphabet used then originated in the Egyptian hieroglyphs and its prototype was only discovered recently in the 1960's in the Sinai Peninsula (a region between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea). So Arabic and Hebrew came from Aramaic. The films, “The Passion of the Christ”, “The Vatican Tapes” or “Stigmata” all have characters speaking Aramaic. There is a hadith substantiating this view by Ibn Abbas who mentioned that “Nuun” was the old Arabic word for fish. This is true because it is in fact a protosemitic word found in Syriac and Akkadian (both now extinct). The Phoenicians could not attribute to the zodiac because it was not not originated as yet. Zodiac’s were first used as a device for measuring time. The first known “personal horoscope” was drawn up in 410BC. 

Zodiacs:

So all this zodiac stuff has been insanely confused by globe earth nonsense like the “precession of the equinox”. Everyone googles the typical traits of someones sign eg. Venus in Sagittarius, but also know that this is incorrect as you age your sign changes, I crave intimacy like a Venus in Scorpio and don’t like to be “free”all the time, yes it helps and I’ve had to be “free” to survive not because I choose to. Regardless of signs, all females want to be wanted. No actually everyone wants to be wanted. To be loved. And needed. I know someone who kept reading “how to attract your crush using their Venus sign” which turned out to be further than the truth infact she REPELLED him the more she read these so called ways to attract. I had a lengthy conversation with her about why and suggested that she should opt her faith in God instead. The ancient Mesopotamians, ancient Sumerians, ancient Egyptians and those who built Stone Henge and other astrological structures calculated astrology. It’s the original zodiac. And as we now know, the amount of nonsense and profound misinformation that’s come from heliocentrism has meant that this knowledge of the sky has been lost. The sky ain’t changing. Neither are the signs. Nor are the signs connected to the stars/constellations. Never have been, never will be. The solar year starts on the Vernal Equinox and each solar day is one degree of the sun's motion and each solar month is 30 degrees of the sun's motion. However, in ancient days its very likely that the solar year started a month earlier—when they used the Aditya Zodiac, as the first Aditya rules the 30 degrees before the vernal equinox. This coincides with how the Chinese calculate the lunar new year a month before the Hindu's currently calculate the lunar new year. Sidereal and tropical are both incorrect. Making us one sign forward. So astrologers have built entire careers off the back of what I am now suggesting may be incorrect techniques. Entirely wrong approaches. Completely faulty foundations, many people who have invested insanely great amounts of time and energy and resources into books, websites, videos, entire treatises… on something my controversial ass is about to step in and suggest may not be right after all. Back then it was used to indicate the seasons to navigate through the desserts reserved exclusively for the religious people who advised rulers not how it is used today. It was used at night because it was cooler for the people to travel at this time. It was used very differently ie. in poems and a way to navigate. Astral nagivation was important for those who worked at sea. So it is not surprising that the pagan Arabs were star worshippers. And neither can we fault them either. The Qu’ran mentions plainly that not every man could read the sky any more than a book and knowledge was required.

“Alif, Laam, Meem”

The first ayah starts off with “Alif, Laam, Meem” and the same words appear in Surah Al Imran (chapter 3), Surah Al ‘Ankabut (chapter 29), Surah Al Rum (chapter 30), Surah Luqman (chapter 31) and Surah As Sajdah (chapter 32). I have been wondering what these words mean I read that they were the alphabet, but why would Allah (swt) write them to the start some chapters and not the others?

Well I realised that these are called “Haruf Muqatta’at” I don’t know why but Hakuna Mattata seems to come into mind every time I read that, essentially meaning that it has a unique letter combination appearing at the beginning of some surahs. I have been told that they mean nothing, but it allowed me to read the Qu’ran in a complete new perspective. 

I thought surely Allah (swt) wouldn’t leave these words just for us to be curious? The Qu’ran is cleverly written, there are no mistakes. Also many scholars are most likely not going to vocalise the below due to leading people down the wrong path. There is a reason why Alif Laam Meem has been written at the beginning of some Surahs. Well this is just my interpretation. This may be incorrect but it kind of makes sense. 

Alif:

The “AL” part of “Alef” has a pictograph of an ox and represents the concept of rank, authority, order and priority. Alif means ox or cow. The origin of Aleph which means auroch/ox implies that the alphabet (Aleph-Bet) was directly related to the zodiac Mazzaroth (meaning constellations in Hebrew). The alphabet starts with Aleph (A), the ox, Taurus. An ox is there to lead, be led by to be put in the front, it is strong and has the ability to yoke heavy heavy things. To pull things together. It’s numerical value is also number one hence why I reckon the Surah starts with this.

Taurus is also fixed to the vernal equinox at the start of spring season. Taurus is, at least symbolically, co-ruled by the Earth, in addition to its traditional and well-known ruler Venus. Taurus rules the neck and by leading the way you are also preaching the right way using your throat chakra. It is debatable whether Alif is associated with Aries but unlikely that this chapter started with Aries energy which is ruled by Mars because its is forceful and aggressive in nature. The only link with Aries here is to a ram which is also strong but that would equate to fire energy which is what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was being faced by when interacting with the non believers whilst the Qu’ran was being revealed to him. But on the other hand the zodiac signs wouldn't follow consecutively and instead Alif Laam Meem would equate to Aries (fire), Taurus (earth), Gemini (air). But nothing can be built with these elements. Water is needed to grow anything, to survive.

Laam

“Laam” means to “goad” and comes from the term “Lamedh” which means two arms. It is also a cain or a stick used to guide the ox. It also has a pictograph of a shepherd and their job is to guide the sheep. When you are guiding, you’re pointing in the right direction. Gemini, which comes after Taurus rules the arms, hands and shoulders and these are the body parts used when physically showing someone the right direction.

Meem

“Meem” is a Hebrew letter and stands for “mayim” which means the “waters” and the shape of “mem” is represented by an open or closed womb (depending on which form of the letter mem it is). It translates to water because the letter “M'' originates from the phoenician “Mem”, Semitic Mem originally had a pictograph of water and the people then used a hieroglyph for water, which was used for an alveolar nasal. This same symbol became used for “M” in Semitic, because their word for water began with that sound. The Surah Baqrah is followed by Surah Fatiha (The mother of the Qu’ran) thereby giving birth to a new path/guide to show the light. Cancer comes after Gemini and rules the chest and breast which are key body parts needed to produce and feed a child after its out of the womb.

In gematria “mem” equals to forty. Whats interesting is that Prophet Musa (AS) also known as Moses initially fasted for thirty days and then Allah (swt) gave him an additional ten days, in that he perfected, he completed the forty nights with Allah (swt). So it’s compelling to note that it is this chapter where Ramadan is introduced intertwining with the Ayat Al Kursi. Also during the first forty days of gestation, all the body parts and organs are completely formed in a womb!

In Surah Al Imran it starts with inviting the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) to the truth of Islam and goes on to warn the Muslims to pay attention of the religious degeneration that afflicted the two earlier communities.

Surah Al Rum in ayah 30-32 describes how individuals have added their own beliefs to religion and created separate sects making that religion, particularly Islam has become unoriginal and so keeping the teachings the same throughout history is vital.

In Surah Al ‘Ankabut the people are being exhorted to migrate. Habash (modern day Ethiopia) was under the domination of the Christians which was the only place of safety. In ayah 46, the Muslims are being instructed as to how they should argue and discuss matters concerning religion with the People of the Book.

Surah Luqman points out the only case that you’re not allowed to obey your parents is if they ask you to worship other gods but you should be good to them otherwise. (Sounds close to home)

Surah As Sajdah main theme is to remove doubts those who had concerns about the hereafter, the Prophethood inviting them to all these three realities.

Essentially all whittling down and translating Alif Laam Meem to something along the lines of “the perfect tools are here to guide you, to plough through life (world) sow your seeds (deeds) and earn the harvest (heaven)”. Important Surahs starts off with these words because they are giving birth to an idea and ensuring that this idea grows, corroborating the Ummah to grow, including the Muslims (obviously), Jews and Christians. Subhanallah!

And that is what the Qu’ran is, it is a guide for all those who wish to journey through life in true honor and security. Life is found in the dark places of growth and often life comes through trials of adversity. Which is why we eat at night during Ramadan because it is between these hours that we transform, quite literally under the stars. So we open the Qu’ran because it is the word of God showing us the light, guiding us the way. We only transform in darkness which is why Layla Al Qadr is so mighty. There is a greater finding behind this night which is connected to the moon, ruling our emotions which I am exciting to write abou.

The same zodiac signs Taurus, Gemini and Cancer are mentioned in that order in the Bible, Genesis 1:18. It is divided into three books of four chapters (or signs) each, this particular chapter is called “Third Book. The Redeemer (His Second Coming)”. Here, the Bible describes Taurus as describing the prophecy of coming judgment, Gemini, the Redeemer's reign in glory and Cancer the Redeemer's possession safe. Describing what will happen when at the return of Christ, the glory of His second appearing and the power to take possession of that which He redeemed... even if it means taking it by force. Bestowing “Haruf Muqatta’at” in similar light for the Christians. Jesus is called Prophet Isa (AS) in the Qu’ran and it’s interesting to note that he spoke at fourty days old when he was reunited with his mother, Maryam or Mary, going back to the numerical value of “mem”.

Taurus (2nd house), Gemini (3rd house) and Cancer (4th house) are all mentioned in order. Houses and the signs are interconnected.

The Jew’s perspective and interpretation denied rather than confirmed his prophethood putting him down, trying to refute the truth of the Qu’ran. They started a chapter with an insult to curse the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) because the Hebrew term “ʾillēm,” (alif, laam, meem amalgamated) means “mute” ,this vocalises the enigmatic opening letters of Surah Baqarah (alif, lam, meem), and the ascription of this term to Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) associating him with a biblical verse that translates to the false prophets as “mute dogs that cannot bark” (Psalms 119). So the Jew’s perspective and interpretation of the Muslims started off by mocking them and this is reflected in the constant division between the two religions which goes on even today i.e look at the state of Palestine.

Kaaf Ha Ya ‘Ain Saad:

The concept of K H Y 'A tS is based on the context of chapter nineteen which is Surah Maryam, (birth of Yohanan the Baptist and ‘Eshu the Messiah) using Phoenician symbols.

K H Y 'A tS starts the chapter before starting the ayah.

Kaaf (Virgo or 6th house heavy) is the eleventh letter of Hebrew alphabet and equals twenty in gematria. Virgo rules the hands and the literal Hebrew meaning of the word means hands. Kaf means “spoon” and the root of the word “spoon” is kafaf which means to bend, infact the the letter “kaf” is bent. It represents the aspect of submitting oneself to a greater power here being Allah (swt) in Surah Maryam Hazrat Maryam (AS) submitted to Allah (swt) when giving birth to a child without a father. In Judaism they would associate bowing down to Jesus, further Virgo is the symbol of a virgin who is portrayed by Mary. The second pillar of Islam is Salah (prayer) where you use your hands to pray.

Haa (Libra or 7th house heavy) has the phoenician symbol of a window, Libras are the judge represented by the scales, balancing  things. Confirming even though Maryam was portrayed in an unjust fashion, eg. she experienced an unprecedented pregnancy in isolation, Allah (swt) named an entire chapter in the Qu’ran after her and received justice eventually. As mentioned Libra is represented by the scales and ensures things are balanced. Zakāt consists of spending a portion of one's wealth for the benefit of the poor, balancing the scales representing the third pillar of Islam of charity, treating everyone fairly.

Yaa - (Scorpio or 8th house heavy) - Extending or going extreme. Scorpio energy is either black or white associated with death and rebirth - not always the physical kind of death more so of a transformative one. In Surah Maryam she quotes “Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight” . She bore such a great burden of anxiety that she wished that she had died. She became pregnant without being married and she knew that people would accuse her and not believe her when she came to them with a new born, especially because she came from a very religious household. Also after she gave birth she says “I have vowed to the Lord of Mercy to fast (ṣawm) from conversation, and I will not talk to anyone today”. Fasting at that time would be to also fast from speaking to people but the fast of Islam now only refrains from food and drink. Clearly showing extreme of that “all or nothing” approach, also this is clearly depicted when Prophet Ibrahim (AS) had destroyed all of the idols that the non believers worshipped except for the largest one in this chapter. Just like the all or nothing approach we can adopt the strict idea of not eating or drinking anything during the daylight hours, thus representing the fourth pillar of islam of fasting.

'Aeen -(Sagittarius or 9th house heavy) is represented by vision due to the phonecian symbol of the eye. The root letter of the word “ayeen” had the shape of a circle or oval and it's interesting to note that we walk in a circular motion around the Kabba. Surah Al Hajj talks about going on a pilgrimage, and quotes one of my favorites “For surely it is not the eyes that are blind but the hearts”. It’s profound that Maryam is the only female who is mentioned in the Torah, Bible and the Qu’ran as a pious woman. This distinguishes from the other women that have been mentioned, which does not mean to say that they are any less relevant! Sagittarius energy is understading of different religions and cultures. Despite her painful labour, she still remained optimistic. Also Prophet Ismail (AS) known as Ishmael (Abrahams first son) became a hunter, archer, and warrior is also known in the Torah and the Bible. When Abraham came home and asked his wife where Prophet Ismail (AS) was, she replied that he was hunting. In fact Prophet Ismail (AS) was born in Palestine, left by the Kabba whilst his mother was running from mount Safa and Marwa. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam spiritually cleansing, experiencing endurance, patience etc. Always learning about oneself.

Saad -(Capricorn or 10th house heavy) - Phoenician symbol is a papyrus plant meaning truth but later the symbol appeared as a fish. The word “Capricorn” is dervied from the word “papyrus”. Allah (swt) tested Maryam with a very great test, the test which no woman in the entire world could bear. She faced the dark night of the soul many times and remained strong during her downfall. She is an inspiration not to just females but males too.  Surah Al Muminun also shows how a true believer’s attributes and characteristics should be highlighting how Allah (swt) created humans, Prophet Nuh (AS) (Noah) and the flood, the story of the Prophet Hud (AS) showing that Allah (swt) won’t put a human to a test that he can’t bear. Capricorn energy is persistent just like Maryam and both Prophets (AS) can be depicted to convey the first pillar of Islam- Shahada (declaration of faith).

Alif Laam Ra

At the start of Surah Yunus, Hud, Yusuf, Ibrahim, al-Hijr. Ra (Leo or 5th house) is represented by the phonecian symbol of the sun and also in the Egyptian language Ra means sun. In Surah Yunus the sun is mentioned quite a few times. “It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases – that you may know the number of years and account [of time]. Allah has not created this except in truth. He details the signs for a people who know”. Again in Surah Hud “And if you were to ask them: “Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon” They will surely reply: “Allah”. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) did not raise the possibility of the star, the moon and the sun being gods as a fact; it was raised only as a part of his method of disproving such a possibility. 

In Arabic, “Nuun” shown as ن also represents the inkpot, represented by the Phoenician symbol of a fish (symbolised by the sign Pisces) it’s symbolised by the whale (which is not a fish but the idea is that it lives in water) in Surah Al Qalam (chapter 68). Here Prophet Yunus (AS), or Jonah as named in the Bible, is also called “Dhu’n-Nun” and it is this Surah where he is swallowed by a whale. The key teaching of this Surah is to teach us that one should never lose hope and always seek help from Allah (swt) because He saves believers miraculously. Allah (swt) also forgives if one truly repents. Since the pen is mentioned, the inkpot is a logical choice for the interpretation, it makes sense from the Phoenician symbol point of view. The Quran mentions Yunus (AS) as “the companion of the fish”. Hence, Nun.

Qaaf - ق

In Phoenician, Qaaf or Qop is represented by the “Eye of a needle” and the openings connected with the womb (navel and birth-canal). Hence, using “Qaaf” to start Surah Qaaf (chapter 50) it may need some elaboration to make sense. Qaaf in Arabic implies to “Stop and Think!” and the whole Surah is about theme of the Hereafter, telling us that this life is a test and it’s been created for the worship of Allah (swt) only. The result of this test will be made known in the Day of Judgement when Allah (swt) will judge people according to the deeds done in this world. The life of this world is temporary whereas the life of the Hereafter is permanent. Whether one sins is not the issue, but whether one repents after is key to determining whether you enter jannah (heaven) or jahannam (hell). Hence why we need to Stop and Think! In ayah 33 it quotes, “Man khashiyar Rahmaana bilghaibi wa jaaa'a biqalbim muneeb, translating to “everyone who feared the Merciful One though He is beyond the reach of perception, to everyone who has come with a heart ever wont to turn (to Him). The word “munib” derives from the term “inabat”, which means to turn to one direction and to turn to the same again, just like the needle of the compass that magnetically points north persistently, but one may try to turn it away from that direction. Compass used then were made out of a simple needle.  Therefore, “qalb-i-munib” denotes a heart as has turned away from every other direction and turned towards Allah (swt) only and kept on turning towards Him again and again throughout life. The same sense has been conveyed by the devoted heart. This shows that in the sight of Allah (swt) the man of real worth is he who remains attached and devoted to Allah alone not merely verbally but also truly and sincerely…just like the “eye of a needle” which is also quoted in the Bible.

The Phoenician symbolic representation can be used to augment the above rendition, giving it a completely new dimension. However, once combined, these two concepts present an extremely powerful message.

Ta Seen 

For chapters beginning with with Taa Seen like Surah sh-Shu'ara (Chapter 26), Surah Al Naml (Chapter 27) and Surah Al-Qasas (Chapter 28), it is observed that when read as a word, the meaning of the ayahs becomes convincingly clear. The word “dTas” appears as a lexigram as “delve/sink deep into something”. In addition, the two letters when read separately, remind us of Mount Sinai (dToor-e-Sinin). Reminding us of what really happened, finding the truth. It was at this mountain where Prophet Musa (AS) (Moses) was summoned to stay thirty nights but staying on the mountain provided him an opportunity to worship Allah (swt) in seclusion instead.

In order to discover the astrological symbol you have to rotate the Phoenician letters to get the shape of their respective constellations. Applying this here, Ta and Seen appear in the SAME phonecian symbol, Seen appears like this: Σ and Ta appears like this: X. When together Σ + X shape depicts Capricorn exactly and Capricorn starts at the winter solstice. The origin of the alphabet was developed by using symbols and the different symbols here begin with the letter “S” Saad (mentioned earlier) originally was pronounced as “sade” and Seen as “shin”. 

It should be noted here that the meaning of Seen, means tooth and applying this in the same context here, it would appear that Ta Seen literally meaning “Good Tooth”. Possibly meaning a “a sharp tooth that sinks deep into what is bitten”. And by way of background it talks about the trials of Prophet Musa (AS) (Moses), Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon), Prophet Salih (AS) and Prophet Lut (Lot). Surah Al Naml addresses Prophet Sulaiman (AS) speaking with various creatures such as jinns, birds and insects like ants. And Surah Al-Qasas describes the doubts and objections that the Prophets faced.

The opposite of Capricorn is Cancer which starts in the summer when everyone is usually happy. Capricorn season, on the other hand, is when when sun is positioned from its lowest point on the horizon and ascends upward as the days get longer. It is dark during the winter and darkness was associated with evil forces. Other constellations within Capricorn are Aquila the Eagle and Sagitta the Arrow.

Surah Ash-Shu'ara and Surah Al-Qasas start off with Ta Seen but Meem is only introduced in these two Surahs, here to remind us of Prophet Musa (AS) here is the main protagonist. In Surah Ash-Shu'ara, Prophet Musa (AS) was faced with many obstacles, for example he was threatened by the Pharoah if he did not worship him. In Surah Al-Qasas, Prophet Musa’s (AS) mother placed her full faith in Allah (swt) by surrendering herself because she was worried that her son was going to be killed by the Egyptian Pharaoh because he demanded that all male newborns to be killed. So Prophet Musa’s (AS) mother put him in a basket and floated him down the Nile. He was later found by the Pharaoh’s daughter and raised to adulthood. In this surah we see the selfless act of faith she demonstrated to protect her son as a mother, serving as an inspiration to others reminding mothers to have faith, love and sacrafice.

Prophet Sulaiman (AS)/King Soloman:

Prophet Sulaiman, known as King Soloman was seen as a central figure. Queen of Sheba known as Bilqiys in the Qu’ran was a mysterious, wise, intelligent, dark skinned figure only mentioned in two passages in the Bible and travels from her country to meet King Solomon in Jerusalem. There’s nothing in the biblical passages to condemn that the Queen of Sheba married Solomon and the Qu’ran has not mentioned anything about the kind of presents that the Queen of Sheba sent for Solomon after he passed all her “tests”. But what we do know is that there is a verse in the Bible called “Song of Soloman” 1:6 which describes Solomon in awe that his love has a full set of teeth, that are brushed and flossed regularly: Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing. Each has its twin, not one of them is alone. Perhaps thanking Allah (swt) for bringing this woman to him. Quite literally applying the term “good tooth” here! Soloman also went through other tests even as a King with his acquired great wealth. He used to love horses so much that it made him forget to pray and so he immediately repented.

Prophet Salih (AS)

Prophet Salih (AS) was chosen by Allah (swt) as a Messenger and sent to preach against the selfishness of the wealthy and to condemn the practice of shirk.

Prophet Lut (Lot)

The story of the Prophet Lut (Lot) in the Qur’an should be sufficient for us to understand his struggles. Lut’s people were addicted to this shameless depravity, abandoning natural, lawful relations with women in the pursuit of unnatural and illicit practice. It’s difficult enough to express your opinion anywhere about LGBTQ+ today so imagine the struggles he went through.

Ya Seen

Surah Yaseen (chapter 36) begins with Ya Seen so one could ask is it even a “muqatta’at” here. Some have quoted this surah as the “heart of the Qu’ran” and it makes sense if this is true since the heart gives you life, allowing you submit to Allah (swt). This surah is recited when someone passes away to facilitate the removal of the soul from the body. As mentioned earlier, Ya is associated with Scorpio energy of the physical and spiritual form of death. The central theme of this surah is to talk about jannah (heaven) and jahanam (hell). Life after death is sure our good and bad deeds are accounted for. What we reap we will sow as our moral and spiritual responsibility is therefore much wider than the physical. It’s interesting to note why this surah did not start with Alif Laam Meem as during this time all three main religions were facing political, moral and social issues. This Surah is significantly important over other surahs because it contains all pillars of Islam. And this Surah is specifically the teachings about Islam and the Christians and the Jews did not have the same viewpoint. Some did which is why towards the end of the surah some Christians were so overwhelmed that they reverted to Islam. In ayah 83 it quotes “And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger you see that their eyes overflow with tears because of the Truth that they recognize and they say: ‘Our Lord! We do believe; write us down, therefore, with those who bear witness (to the Truth).

So the interpretation behind K H Y 'A tS means that each zodiac is followed in chronological order, in house order, simultaneously following each surah, “Al Haf, Maryam, Ta-Ha, Al-Anbiya, Al-Hajj & Al Mu’minun” or can be interpreted using Surah Maryam alone and fascinatingly accentuating the five pillars of Islam! Particularly its following the natural house order because Aries natural house is the first house, Taurus second house. Gemini third house, and so on, until we we arrive at Pisces in the twelfth house. I think I am only able to grasp this because my houses are in the complete opposite order chronological (if using tropical astrology) eg. my first house is Libra, second is scorpio etc) making the Qu’ran the perfect guide for me, no lesser than anyone else!

In Surah Al-Nahl it quotes “He created the night and the day for your benefit; the sun, the moon and the stars all follow His command. In that are signs for those who understand”. As long as the believer worships Allah (swt) and believes that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the last prophet then I think the above seems to fit the pieces to the puzzle. What is certain is that these acronyms invite the human intellect to be used at its fullest and to illustrate an extremely beautiful and artistic impression and the characteristic of the Quran. I believe the primary reason for the initials is to prove the Quran’s divinity also through mathematical code too (19) but someone has already explained this in depth so cross referencing the two has really had my mind blown: https://submission.org/App1.html.

So since establishing that there is a connection between the constellations and although I have researched this topic and formulated a hypothesis that can be backed by evidence, this is analysis and opinion is my own. I am only human and am prone to mistakes in judgement. So I would be glad if someone corrects me if I have made a mistake. During ramadan I have been trying to understand what I have been reciting and for some reason I do not know how but after what I had written about Haruf Muqatta’at, I was reading a few Surah’s, in English ofcourse and something clicked. I think what really drew my attention was that the star Sirius was referenced. So I continued to read on and was so amazed that everything that I knew was written, but I have no one to share this with which is the most hardest part! Surah Al Najm navigates through all twelve signs enveloping the teachings of Islam…

Spiritual meaning of fasting:

Fasting can be experienced as a mystical death. By the physical act of fasting, we let go of our attachment to the body – just as by the act of meditating, we let go in order to dissolve the mind. In the act of fasting, we have the unique opportunity to become timeless as we let go of past conditioned programs and projected future anxieties, hopes and fears. The mind cannot exist without the concept of time. It is time and the mind that keep us stuck in the past or future. During a fast, as we dissolve the mind, we can take advantage of this moment to move into the eternal presence, beyond the limitation of time. By quieting the mind, using the fast and meditation, we pass through the experiential doorway of the present to the eternal presence, which then takes us beyond the mind to the timeless ecstatic peaceful self and truth of who we are. This rebirth into a new life is the foundation and secret of fasting. This process of rebirth allows new meaning to enter our lives. Spiritual willpower can often be depleted because of how most people eat and live in the world. At times I did get frustrated as I had to walk home from my train station and cook as I had not prepped, but then I decieded to eat the most basic food and the easiest to satisfy my hunger…Khichidi. I also have found drinking marshmellow tea helps tremendously because it coats the gut lining for those with a leaky gut but reduces the symptoms of a dry mouth. Fasting re-births and regenerates our willpower by filling our inner knowing with the direct experience of new physical, emotional and spiritual strength.

The willingness to allow ones rebirth, in joy, is a primary key to the total healing process. During fasting the accumulated physical and mental toxins are released from the body and mind in such a way that our body mind’s armor melts away. As we allow our defenses to drop we begin to heal on every level and our natural healing forces begin to take over. It makes you think twice about what you say and decide whether it’s even necessary. In this process of fasting, as the blockages are removed, we are naturally able to make a stronger connection with our light body, which is a powerful doorway to our cosmic body. In this way, we have much easier access to the living experience of our highest eternal presence. When the blockages are removed, the divine more easily manifests through our light body and then through our physical body. In this way, fasting is not a denial of the body, but a special doorway to enhance our experience of our own divinity. We are not just fasting from food but abstaining from anything that can distract the mind and I know I would be distracted by music, food or memes.

One difficulty about fasts is to keep the focus truly on God and not to get puffed up with pride about fasting as in a lot of things we do for God. It's always easy the first few days to keep my mind on God, but then usually day four or so I start thinking, “I am cool I can fast...”…”Wow look at how flat my stomach is…” which is obviously counterproductive and usually by day five I become repentant about my self-seeking interests and break the fast. Well I can get proud since fasting at home is tough anyway but I’ve learnt not to be so hard on myself. That’s important though I think... if we are attempting to do a fast for God and it ever becomes extremely distorted and totally off the focus of God I think it should be broken because it is not honoring to God in any way whatsoever.... it sickens His heart actually. So, the number one thing about a fast is keeping it religious and that is indeed a tricky thing to do. I think what helps is watching your thoughts and to aid that listening to the Qu’ran at home or reading ayahs really help ease any uncomfortable thoughts. I have tried listening to the Qu’ran or even the Adhaan in the car but this has become dangerous since I always start crying when I listen to the Qu’ran preventing me from seeing clearly.

Surah Al Fatiha is in truth a manifestation of Divine Light. So trust God. Be grateful but suspicious of one’s ego and it’s motivations and it’s ability to be so powerful and convincing that it feels like it’s God’s plan but if it is, you’ll know. You just know. God never disappoints.

Living…

I’ve only recently revised the topic of death recently since my uncle suddenly died from a heart attack at the beginning of Ramadan. Life is just too short. What Ramadan is already teaching me is to be more expressive in telling people I love them, to continue in being compassionate and kind whilst using my own discernment. But I am working on not being so naive which my best friend picked up on. I wasn’t very close with my uncle but seeing the impact it has on my father has impacted me more. This was the first time that my father cried and walked out the door without taking his cigerettes. My father looked up to him. I thought if only he was muslim he would fly straight to Jannah. It is said that if it is not your time to die, then you’re invincible. And if it’s your time to die, nothing can prevent it. When those certain alignments that allow for physical death are in place then it’s almost as if a window or a door is open than can allow you to transition out. And I know now, it is a choice. Listen to people who have near death experiences. They so often are offered the choice to stay in the spirit world or return to the physical realm. And I get it. Many people on some higher level choose to stay in peace. To return to God. To be at one with everything and everyone and no longer separated by this dense form and heavy material energy. Everything is written so it’s not “accidental”. Although what is an accident really?

You know when synchronicities happen to me, they’re most powerful and profound when they just HAPPEN. As soon as I start looking for them, it’s a whole different experience. Like this information that I was not even looking for, in fact Alif Laam Meem crept up to me when I was scrolling through Pinterest and saw a post about an ox, then I was lead to the word Alef which I recognised linking everything. The magic of synchronicities is that you just so HAPPEN to look in that direction or in that particular way when it occurs. That’s the magic of it. Also if we try to logically tear these experience apart, we’re losing the magic of it. The mystery of it. These signs I’m sure could be intellectually deducted and analysed and torn to pieces but is this not the work of ScIeNcE? To take the divine and force it into a mundane square hole to make sense to our left logical brains. For example, I can be THINKING of something and without even searching anything or telling anyone about it I will be plastered with the same things that I was thinking about either on Google, on a poster, on a friends page etc. And not one part of me believes my phone was listening to my brain waves. We can’t discount or dismiss the phones, they’re an extension of conciousness and mind too. Everything in this realm is. What so the Divine is like “noo I don’t use phones to communicate because what?” Because some humans misuse them? Ofcourse not, they’re as valid as anything else. We just have to be discerning about when and how and where I suppose. This life is beautiful. And this technology we having is nothing short of miraculous. The feeling of being watched is part of this experience Gods always watching us. I’ve been a conspiracy theorist since I was a kid. I know about all the theories of surveillance from the phones to the flippin’ clouds. So far, it doesn’t matter.

In fact it mentions in the Qu’ran that even being suspicious is a sin “O you who believe, avoid excessive suspicion. Indeed, some suspicion is a sin.” -Surah Al-Hajurat. And the reason for this is because suspicion causes anxiety and anxiety causes you to react badly in any situation even going towards reading about astrology! And it doesn’t seem to be too real beyond literally advertising data collection I also don’t feel like my life is being weaponised against me. Even when I feel as though this month of Ramadan has been excrutiating painful. I had to attend a funeral with non believers and live with non believers who happen to be my family. I tried to explain my these Islamic findings to my love but he was busy. I am yet to understand why Allah (swt) keeps bringing me all strong signs towards to him more unquestionably during Ramadan, the number of dreams and signs I have been seeing about him is unreal, even last Ramadan. It’s confusing but all I can do is pray, and seek answers. Eating alone doesn’t really bother me as much if I have the internet. Then I remembered, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was abandoned when he turned into the right direction.

Further I discovered after being asked to send a text from my parents phone a few truth bombs that changed my life, including how my sibling is the golden child even to the point of them even saying “Love you”. Love you? I have never in my entire existance seen or heard those words come out my parents mouth, confirming that I am the scapegoat. These words are very rarely used in asian cultures are shown in other ways which I understand. But having family members who don’t believe in Islam, who mock everything that you do, speak about Muslims in a derogatory way and purposely making fasting extra difficult. Further having a sibling who I cannot even describe in one word. This is far beyond sibling rivalry. But hey ho, that feels a little victim-minded. I know people can see one bit of information about something, anything a patent, theory a convincing infographyis and suddenly its true. It’s at the very least planted into our minds for us to be on watch for in our lives. Then if we see another bit of “proof” or evidence it’s real or possible, our imagination picks it up and carries it away and suddenly it’s true or a real threat and it in reality was nothing more than an idea. But this is not the case in my situation, and I know, Allah (swt) knows. I have too much confirmation to know that the family dynamics are more pernicious than I thought.

When you parents are full on blown narcissist’s I have very much suffered because of them throughout my life. But one thing I’ve realised about narcissists is that they’re like vampires and can very much “bite” those who they can influence if enough time is spent around them. If I’m being honest, this whole thing has helped me be completely honest about my next steps. But because of family and my soft spot and how sweetly they present themselves when they want something… I’ve ignored it. But I can’t ignore it now I’m a full grown adult. And I’m not angry, I did it before and moved to Birmingham during lockdown, it’s pretty cut and dry and it’s just not for me. I really think it’s as simple as that. This has been a really big thing for me and it’s been a big step seeking help and I don’t regret it. I didn’t want to get my private business out but this felt necessary to get support. My cousin who I barely speak to even disclosed a few personal things to me which directed her saying that I needed to move out. The worst part is that no-one believes it unless they see it, infact my best friends at uni witnessed the conversations on the phone to see a glimpse of what I was facing. In fact the more I read the Qu’ran the more I have been reassured, that I making the right decision. At a time feeling the most unlovable. Wanting to see another person in pain for the projected, perceived pain they may have caused another person. It’s puritanical thinking. It’s based on desire for vengeance and punishment. And usually it’s projection, which I do not deserve.

Many people begin preparing for their death subconsciously and this is only recognised in retrospect. But it was definitely happening. Preparation was clearly taking place. And that is so profound and can’t be ignored. It’s such a mighty journey that is so misunderstood and overlooked for the most part. I’ve had it brought to my attention just now so I think death is a phenomenon that deserves to be looked at and understood a little deeper. Who can really say they know what death is?

The story I was told regarding being invincible if it’s not your time to die was about a guy who jumped out of a plane on a skydiving jump and his parachute failed to open (ugh. flippin’ imagine.) anyway, it wasn’t this guys time to die and so he was invincible. He fell into a nest of red ants who basically stung him so severely that his body went into some sort of adrenaline hyper drive and kept him alive and his heart beating and he was saved and survived. If it’s not your time to die, God will literally bend around you to keep you going and “superhuman” feats of strength or supernaturally unusual or unlikely events will occur to keep you in this realm. If your life is not complete and spent, you’re sticking around baby. I also think that means if you still have work to do or your soul still has a mission that this Earth needs to be played out, you will and it will be. So fascinating. The mechanics of life and death are so intricate and complex and yet beautiful and mysterious.

My whole world just changed. Are we the ones destroying the world? Everyone goes on about changing the world and reposting wordly events to appear morally “good” but overlook and dismiss their own circle of close ones. Where are our intentions? Are we the ones making it crumble? By hating the left?

I’m leaving soon take care of your imaan - Ramadan

By focusing on Ramadan, I’ve had to isolate myself and take some time offline to process it all. I’ve never felt so alone physically and mentally, Even the thought of opening Whatsapp made me feel like “what’s the point?” . I’m still sifting through the scorched, super fertile remains. It’s time to refine what’s important, cutting out the superfluous and the vague. After my agnonising realisation during Ramadan, and after many nights I cried (happy and sad tears), I realised that no one cares, no one apart from Allah (swt) the best thing I can do for myself is to leave this house asap. So that I can get some mental clarity for my well being and practice. Maybe then I will be more at peace and things will fall into place. Maybe I’ll have more peace with my non believer parents. This is not a time for half measures. This is not a time to waste time. If we’re not self-actualising and making the most out of this “dunya” (temporary world), what are we even doing? If we’re not using our abilities to the very best they can be used, what are we doing instead that’s more important? We spend a lot of time doing a lot of nothing in this world. And lamenting later when we’ve lost these precious gifts that are given to us so temporarily. If you want to use your talents how are you putting yourself out there so your talents can be recognised as you deserve? If you want a family what are you actually doing to find a suitable partner and make yourself suitable? If you want to figure out your purpose how much experimenting with all different kinds of things are you doing to find what you love most? I cut my screen time down to 1 hour 32 minutes during Ramadan. But then again I used my laptop LOL. More living and more time to understand what the Qu’ran means. I have never had so many realisations but it answered so so many questions. I’m not the best, may slip up but I’m glad I don’t fall into victimhood and I sure know that God has my back always. I hope many of you can feel inspired to do the same to some degree. And I hope I can keep striving to be the best version of myself. What a wonderful thought it is that the best days of my life havn’t even occured yet. Inshallah one day I will be a wife and a mother. More balance. Until next Ramadan! PEACEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE