Note;
I believed strongly that we constantly need reminders like this.
SAND and only sand for thousands of kilometers
extending over four nations, Rub al-Khali or the Empty Quarter is the world’s
largest sand desert. Uninhabited one may think but the Bedu tribes have
survived on the edge since before recorded time.
Sand
dunes reach as high as 250 meters, while billions of glittering stars light up
its night sky – a feat hikers and campers, locals and expats, don’t like to
miss. Formidable conditions – extremely high temperature and dry as a bone –
have kept travelers and settlers far away.
To
say this place was once luscious green, with lakes and ponds and springs,
chirping birds, grazing deer, sleeping water buffaloes, and of course devouring
humans would be an unaccepted blasphemy, a madman’s dream, and a creative myth.
Yet it’s all true – facts are stranger than fiction.
Much
has been written about this Quarter by experts (references at the bottom).
Archeologists and geologists have found remains of thousands of lakes (in two
periods: between 37,000 and 17,000 years ago and between 10,000 and 5,000 years
ago), fossils of cattle and hippos, and of flint tools including knives,
scrapers, borers and arrowheads. The mission, the hard work, and the use of
technology by scientists to uncover details have all been documented in
chronology.
This
piece is about the people who inhabited a part of the area. Who were they and
what happened to them?
National
Geographic reports: “In 1932 Bertram Thomas recorded Bedouin tales of a fabled
trading city that disappeared beneath the sands of the Empty Quarter, beginning
a love affair between Western explorers and the ancient city of Ubar. According
to myth, Ubar was a sumptuously rich city, grown fat from the frankincense
trade. Said to have been destroyed as punishment for its inhabitants’ impiety,
the city remained elusive for centuries.”[1]
How
much of a myth are these stories of Muslim Bedus?
Did you not see how your Lord dealt with Aad?
Iram (the city) of the pillars, The like of which were not created in the land?
(Qur’an, 89:6-8)
The
people of Aad lived in an area between Yemen and Oman.[2] Iram “refers to the
House of the kingdom of Aad” as mentioned by early scholars like Qatadah and
As-Suddi. [3]
The
Qur’an additionally says “of the pillars” because they lived in trellised
houses that were raised with firm pillars.[4]
“Do you build high palaces on every high
place, while you do not live in them? And do you get for yourselves palaces
(fine buildings) as if you will live therein forever?” (Qur’an, 26:128-129)
The
National Geographic article continues: “It wasn’t until 1992, after decades of
fruitless exploration, that scientists finally made headway. Using space-based
radar imagery, they detected ancient caravan tracks that converged near
modern-day Shisr in southwest Oman. Their excavations uncovered a large octagonal fortress
with thick walls standing ten feet (three meters) high, along with eight towers at its corners.
Greek, Roman, and Syrian pottery shards discovered in the ruins – the oldest
dating from 4,000 years ago – suggested the site was indeed animportant trading center.
The fact that the city seemed to have met with a rather cataclysmic end – much of it
fell into a sinkhole created by the collapse of an underground
limestone cavern – was compelling evidence to suggest that this was indeed the
fabled city of Ubar.” [5]
The
myth busted! The Qur’an is the most truthful and protected book known to
mankind.
More
evidence of Iram is found in the December 1978 edition of National Geographic
magazine. In 1973, the city of Ebla was excavated in Syria. The city was
discovered to be 4,300 years old. Researchers found in the library of Ebla a
record of all of the cities with which Ebla had business ties. On the list was
the specific name of the city of “Iram.” The people of Ebla had apparently
conducted business with the people of “Iram.”
These
fascinating details hint at yet another (among the infinite) proof of the
divinity of the Qur’an. Presenting such historic, precise details of a people
who lived thousands of years before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) during a time void of academic research and technological advancement
is not humanly possible.
Leaving
aside these intriguing details, let’s come back to our original question: Who
were these people? We must know that the Qur’an is not a book of history or
science. It does have many signs for people to believe in it – historic,
scientific, literary, etc – but its primary purpose is to guide humanity.
The
story of Aad is one for our guidance. Aad were the strongest people of their
time in their physical stature, and were the mightiest in power. But they were
rebellious, arrogant, and disobedient tyrants. They worshiped false gods
besides Allah. They abused the blessings and power they had, and they spread
corruption on earth.
As for Aad, they were arrogant in the land
without right, and they said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?” See they
not that Allah Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they
used to deny Our verses! (Qur’an, 41:15)
As
with every disbelieving nation in the past, Allah first sent a prophet to the
people to remind them and call them back towards righteousness.
Aad denied the Messengers. When their brother
Hud said to them: “Will you not fear Allâh and obey Him? Verily, I am a
trustworthy Messenger to you. So fear Allâh, keep your duty to Him, and obey
me. No reward do I ask of you for it; my reward is only from the Lord of the
Universe. “Do you build high palaces on every high place, while you do not live
in them? And do you get for yourselves palaces (fine buildings) as if you will
live therein forever? “And when you seize (somebody), seize you (him) as
tyrants? “So fear Allâh, keep your duty to Him, and obey me. And keep your duty
to Him, fear Him Who has aided you with all (good things) that you know. He has
aided you with cattle and children. And gardens and springs. Verily, I fear for
you the torment of a Great Day.” They said: “It is the same to us whether you
preach or be not of those who preach. This is no other than the false tales and
religion of the ancients. And we are not going to be punished.” So they denied
him, and We destroyed them. Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them
are not believers. (Qur’an, 26:123-139)
How
were they destroyed?
And as for Aad, – they were destroyed by a
furious violent wind! Which Allâh imposed on them for seven nights and eight
days in succession, so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed), as
if they were hollow trunks of date palms! Do you see any remnants of them?
(Qur’an, 69:6-8)
For
seven nights and eight days continuously they were battered with a cold,
violent wind. Was it a massive cyclone or a turbulent wind carrying tons of
sand? We don’t know. Its magnitude and nature may not be known to us, but we
know it was severe and it rooted out these people. Only Prophet Hud and the
people of Aad who believed in him were saved. They migrated to Hadramout in
Yemen and settled there.
The
last verse is quite interesting: “Do you see any remnants of them?” Which
means, as Ibn Kathir said, “Do you find any one of them left or anyone who even
attributes himself to being from them?” This is the obvious meaning.
However,
there’s one remarkable fact. Retired Aramco geologist Hal McClure, who in his
1984 doctoral thesis at London University reported in detail on the lakes, says
there are no fossil remains of humans there. “Absolutely none” have been found
at the lake, he said, though explorers have found flint tools, including
knives, scrapers, borers and arrowheads.[6]
“Do
you see any remnants of them?” The verse is absolutely right even if there were
fossils because there are no people of Aad living today. But could it also mean
they were destroyed without a trace left behind?
So
next time when we’re out in the Empty Quarter, enjoying the sand dunes and the
glittering night sky, let’s remember how it was once a trading center, with
gardens and gushing springs, inhabited by a powerful and rich civilization, but
who made life hell on earth and rebelled against God.
Let’s
remember how an entire city lies buried beneath the sand we’re camping upon.
Article originally taken from : here.
assalamualaikum Sham ... lame tak singgah ... missed many cerite ...
ReplyDelete... but this one is a reminder of our temporary occupancy licence (TOL) and of how in keseronokan kehidupan we can forget that we are not the champions ...
... Allahu Akbar :)
Alaikum salam wbt..
ReplyDeleteKita sememangnya mudah leka.
Oleh sebab itu, rasanya tidak keterlaluan "peringatan" sebegini diberikan dari masa ke semasa..
Sham:
ReplyDelete:-)
Ni cam andalusia gak eh?
MP,
ReplyDeleteSure dolu2 u terer subject Sejarah kan.
Andalusia is about tamadun yg hilang atas sebab kerajaan yg digulingkan(bukan "permata yg hilang ye"). At least masih ada kesan sejarah.
Whereas kawasan ni which is known as Riyadh, Lost city only covered by sand.
p.s I visit u regularly, kalau tak tinggalkan komen.
ReplyDeleteTengok Sham tak balas lagik pun,MP dah masuk balik. LOL.
lauk pe nih hari. UP la kalau berani satu entry. :P
Permata yang hilang tu buku yang nyorok nyorok dalam selimut baca. Sampai kekoyak sebab duk pass around...buku eh??
ReplyDeleteMak Piah tererl mengarut ngarut jek, Sham.
Kejap...nak hasut Sham jam...tengok REAL>>marah dia...dia yang lama tak singgah...MP selalu. Bluwerksss REAL!!!!
ReplyDelete* gelak jahat macam gelak Evil Stepmother*
MP,
ReplyDeleteAri ni Sham x masak..
Sorang mkn Great Steak, sorang mkn Subway lagi sorang mkn nasi dgn telur goreng je. Nnt Cik Asben balik keja baru pikir apa nak masak utk dner.
Reason : Ibu tgh hanyut layan novel baru. Best gilos.
Dulu masa muda remaja siap take turn nak baca buku tu. Buku tu kan kira sgt "taboo" mmg kena baca nyorok2 la.
Darling.. you bkn Evil Stepmother tp "The Devil Wears Prada".
bukan...the devil that wear the uniform, kata budak budak harabs.:P
ReplyDeleteLing..
ReplyDeleteUniform u kaler ape?
Kebaya ijau ke?
Vest biru, seluar biru. Shirt kuning/ atau satu kaler lagik biru/hijau.
ReplyDeleteDearest,
ReplyDeleteThe most I can think of is Jazeera Airways. Ada betul ka??