In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. “…some of God’s SIGNS(Ayah)” [17:1] Presented by: S. Adam

2. Introduction: • By decree, in the Quran, we are one eternal family: • [49:10] “The believers are members of one family; you shall keep the peace within your family and reverence God, that you may attain mercy. • [61:4] “God ‘LOVES’ those who strive in His cause united in one column like bricks in a wall”. • It feels good to belong in a family the Creator himself says he loves and describes as intelligent, thinkers, and knowledgeable [3:190; 13:3; 35:28]. This is why we meet annually, since 1985, to update our information on God’s sunnah from the Quran alone, to catch up with one another’s progress, to unify all our “shirk-free-rituals” which were passed down to us from our founding father Abraham that we may attain this special divine love and approval. • My greeting of peace to you all (Salam Alaykum).

3. The reflections: • The most powerful tools God gave us as humans are our hearings, the eyesight, and the brain [16:78; 17:36]. Equipped with these senses, we explore the universe around us and call the adventure “Science”. However, God call them “SIGNS”. Thus, the Quran is a book of signs (Ayah); which was revealed to prophet Muhammad on the 27th night of Ramadan 13 BH (before hijrah). The prophet was one of the human kind who was summoned to the highest universe and the entire book of “SIGNS” (the Quran), was placed into his “real being” and Subsequently, the Quran was gradually released into his memory back here on earth with the assistance of angel Gabriel, in accordance with God's plan over a period of 23 years [17:1; 53:1-18] • [17:1] “Most glorified is the one who summoned His servant (Muhammad) during the night, from the Sacred Mosque (of Mecca) to the farthest place of prostration, whose surroundings we have blessed, in order to show him “SOME OF OUR SIGNS” He is the Hearer, the Seer.”

4. Quest: • The exact distance and location of this highest place of prostration (masjid Aqsah) where we once live and where the prophet was summoned, for the revelation of the Quran is off limit our human imagination. Driven by our natural curiosity and some the of verses in the Quran, we want to try to push the limit of our collective human intelligence and understanding by making an imaginary trip from our solar system to this location [17:1] Lets see how far we can go. • We will be traveling at the orbital speed of light which is estimated at 186,000 mi/s = 669,600,000 mi/h (300,000 km/s =1,080,000,000 km/h). Our space travel must be in hyperbolic style from our home star. Our pilot would be informing us about the position of our spaceship in the outer space and how much time has lapsed since we left our home star system:

6. Welcome back: We only managed to reach to the edge of the innermost 7th universe which our planet is buried deep inside. Imagine if we were to proceed to the 6th universe from our own little 7th universe; and to the next 5th universe, the 4th, the 3rd, the 2nd, and the 1st, universe where the masjidAqsah is located. We do not have the comprehensible numerals to estimate the light years of travel to this location thus, the Quran: [15:16-18] “We placed galaxies in the sky, and adorned it for the beholders; And we guarded it against every rejected devil; If any of them sneaks around to listen, a mighty projectile will chase him back”. The jinns themselves have these to say:[72:8-11]“We touched the heaven and found it filled with formidable guards and projectiles; “We used to sit there in order to spy. Anyone who listens is pursued by a powerful projectile; “We have no idea if something bad is intended for the inhabitants of the earth, or if their Lord wills to redeem them;“Some of us are righteous, and some are less than righteous; we follow various paths”.

7. While on earth-spaceship: • [5:19]As for the earth, we constructed it, and placed on it stabilizers (mountains), and we grew on it a perfect balance of everything”. • Does anyone know how much we are paying to be on bode this amazing spaceship? All that is required of us is to recognize our rightful God and to show appreciation. • [14:7] Your Lord has decreed: "The more you thank Me, the more I give you." But if you turn unappreciative, then My retribution is severe.

8. The space travelers: • There are already hundreds of willing and able future space travelers awaiting the British billionaire, Richard Branson and Robert Bigelow, to complete their spaceships for the travels and tourism into the outer space in quest for viewing the wonders of the universe starting at $200,000 per trip. For the vast majority of these future space travelers, it would be a life time achievement to have a chance to step off the planet and back. However, in reality all of us on board this planet-ship are already space travelers; traveling at the speed of 66,000 mi/h (66gv = Allah) God be glorified! • The orbital environment in which our spaceship-earth spins and travels in such an amazing speed is a vacuum which can destroy an unprotected human body in just a few seconds by an ‘explosive decompression. The merciful God has set up the earth's atmosphere as a protective shield to protect us from the harmful cosmic radiation, sun flares, meteors and dangerous space debris/junks, most of which burn up before they can strike the surface of our spaceship-earth. • [21:32] “And we rendered the sky a guarded ceiling. Yet, they are totally oblivious to all the portents therein”.

9. We now know that the guarded ceiling here is the atmosphere, which is precisely19 miles thick and consists of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, with smaller amounts of argon, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases; to shield the surface of our spaceship from ultraviolet and other forms of radiation harmful to our lives; thus, we are not expose to see the black sky: [14:34] And He gives you all kinds of things that you implore Him for. If you count GOD's blessings, you can never encompass them. Indeed, the human being is transgressing, unappreciative. We already noted also that the orbital velocity of our planet around the sun is several thousand times faster than any artificial speediest human vehicle (66,000 m/h) and it is at the same time spinning at more than 1000 m/h or better than the speed of a fast bullet; yet, without any of us wearing seat belt. [22:74] “They do not value God as He should be valued ,God is the Most powerful, the Almighty”.

10. When we reflect on our selves abode this amazing spaceship we can appreciate the repeated examples from Dr. RashadKhalifa's translation of the Quran and his footnote that: “When we send astronauts into space, we provide them with precisely measured quantities of food, water, and oxygen. God created the spaceship earth with billions of astronauts who work and reproduce; He supplied them with a self-supporting system that generates oxygen, fresh water, and a great variety of delicious foods and drinks.” [2:164-165] “In the creation of the heavens and the earth, the alternation of night and day, the ships that roam the ocean for the benefit of the people, the water that God sends down from the sky to revive dead land and to spread in it all kinds of creatures, the manipulation of the winds, and the clouds that are placed between the sky and the earth, there are sufficient proofs for people who understand. Yet, some people set up idols to rival GOD, and love them as if they are GOD. Those who believe love GOD the most. If only the transgressors could see themselves when they see the retribution! They will realize then that all power belongs to GOD alone, and that GOD's retribution is awesome”.

11. Our 'spaceship earth' carrying on board about 7 billion humans and billions more of other creatures, is mainly water which cover about 71% of its surface and 29% land, while its atmosphere scatter sunlight: [14:33] He has committed the sun and the moon in your service, continuously. He has committed the night and the day to serve you” We saw from our imaginary trip that the sun and nearly all of the stars in the sky form part of the Milky Way Galaxy and that our galaxy contains about 300 billion stars that form a nearly flat disk with a bulge in its center. The constellations and the stars used by us as navigation (57 of them). [56:75-80]“I swear by the positions of the stars; this is an Oath, if you only knew, that is awesome; this is an honorable Quran; in a protected book; none can grasp it except the sincere; A revelation from the Lord of the universe”.

12. Our star (the sun) is one of 100 billions stars in our milky way galaxy and is orbiting the center of the galaxy at a speed of about 155 mi/s = 558,000 mi/hr. At this speed, it takes the Sun 250 million years to complete its own orbit around the milky way galaxy: [36:38-40] “And the sun floats in a specific orbit such is the design of the Almighty, the Omniscient. The moon we designed to appear in stages, until it becomes like an old curved sheath. The sun never catches up with the moon, nor does the night prematurely overtake the day. Each floats in its own orbit” Our understanding of some of the creations also help us reflect on how terrible hell will be, with no provision of any kind: [2:126]. An eighth universe deeper than our present seventh universe like a black hole [25:13] will be created to house the transgressors: [69:17] “The angels will be all around, and Your Lord's dominion will then encompass eight (universes)”.

13. God tells us about his creations so we can reflect and to worship him alone. He always swear in negative by some of his creations in order to draw our attention to such creations and to reflect on his greatness since our tendencies is to pass by his signs heedlessly: [12:105] So many proofs in the heavens and the earth are given to them, but they pass by them, heedlessly! [39:67] They can never fathom the greatness of GOD. The whole earth is within His fist on the Day of Resurrection. In fact, the universes are folded within His right hand.* Be He glorified; He is much too high above needing any partners. And the footnote by the messenger of the covenant illustrate this verse better: “Our universe, with its billion galaxies, a billion trillion stars, uncountable decillions of heavenly bodies, spanning many billions of light-years, is the smallest and innermost of seven universes. This incomprehensible vastness of the seven universes is within God's hand. Such is the greatness of God”.

14. Going back to why we are on this planet earth. We sided with Satan for his infatuation over his God given knowledge. Remember our imaginary trip at the speed of light. It will take us 15 billions years or more to climb to the edge of the smallest and innermost of the seven universes. However, Satan as a former ranking angel was given the angel code and ability and could dive from the high universe to anywhere at the speed of an angel [70:4] without regards to time, space or matter. With that kind of power and the ability to do things others could not do, he was then ordered to serve the creature alien to him called a human being (Adam). Thus, his mighty ego provoked him and he defied the command of his Lord and became a jinn or Satan [18:50]. It is easy to tell if any of us was an active supporter of Satan [38:69] by the way we treat others based on our God given wisdom and knowledge or material possession of this world.

15. Money can also adversely affect people. This is to say that whenever some people are provided with a lot of money, especially, enough to be considered rich, it is easy for them to acquire a distorted notion of their own importance. All the attention and adulation can affect them in a negative way that they become infatuated with false image of themselves. They begin to think that they really are important, may be even indispensable to other people around them and that no one can possibly match all the things they can do. Thus, their ego flares and they may become arrogant: [28:76] “Qaroon (the slave driver) was one of Moses' people who betrayed them and oppressed them. We gave him so many treasures that the keys thereof were almost too heavy for the strongest band. His people said to him, “Do not be so arrogant; God does not love those who are arrogant.”.

16. Therefore, by reflecting on God name [50:40] and his creation we can learn to be humble. This is due to the fact that the more we know the more we don’t know:[12:76] “…We exalt whomever we choose to higher ranks. Above every knowledgeable one, there is one who is even more knowledgeable”. In human terms, the greatness of a person is one who is granted power but chose to be meek and humble. God repeatedly remind us of the fact that no body owns anything here on earth or in the heavens he created everything and owned them. Yet, he uses simple names such as “Al-rahman” (the most Gracious) “Al-rahim” (the most merciful) to be among his favorite names [1:1] [6:12] Say, "To whom belongs everything in the heavens and the earth?" Say, "To GOD." He has decreed that mercy is His attribute. He will surely summon you all on the Day of Resurrection, which is inevitable. The ones who lose their souls are those who DISBELIEVE.

17. [2:28-38] “How can you disbelieve in GOD when you were dead and He gave you life, then He puts you to death, then He brings you back to life, then to Him you ultimately return?; He is the One who created for you everything on earth, then turned to the sky and perfected seven universestherein*, and He is fully aware of all things; Recall that your Lord said to the angels, "I am placing a representative (a temporary god) on Earth. “They said, "Will You place therein one who will spread evil therein and shed blood, while we sing Your praises, glorify You, and uphold Your absolute authority?" He said, "I know what you do not know; He taught Adam all the names* then presented them to the angels, saying, "Give me the names of these, if you are right; they said, "Be You glorified, we have no knowledge, except that which You have taught us. You are the Omniscient, Most Wise;

18. He said, "O Adam, tell them their names." When he told them their names, He said, "Did I not tell you that I know the secretsof the heavens and the earth? I know what you declare, and what you conceal; When we said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam," they fell prostrate, except Satan; he refused, was too arrogant, and a disbeliever; We said, "O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise, and eat there-from generously, as you please, but do not approach this tree, lest you sin; But the devil duped them, and caused their eviction there-from. We said, "Go down as enemies of one another. On Earth shall be your habitation and provision for awhile; Then, Adam received from his Lord words, whereby He redeemed him. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful; We said, "Go down there-from, all of you. When guidance comes to you from Me, those who follow My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve”.

19. "Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe."