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Giant reptile named
after Jim Morrison
GIANT lizard that lived 40
A million years ago at a time when
Earth was a hothouse has been
named in honour of rock singer
Jim Morrison, palaeontologists said
yesterday.
Around 1.80m (six feet) from
snout to tail and tipping the scales
at up to 27 kilos, the plant-eating
reptile is one of the biggest-known
lizards ever to have lived on land.
It competed with mammals for
food in the humid tropical forests of
Southeast Asia.
A fossil of the beast, found in
sediment in Sagaing district in
Myanmar, has been dated to the
late-middle Eocene period, when
Earth was so hot there was no ice at
its poles.
"We think the warm climate during
that period of time allowed the
evolution of a large body size and
the ability of plant-eating lizards to
successfully compete in mammal
faunas," said Jason Head of the University
of Nebraska at Lincoln who
led the analysis. he palaeontologists
have named the long-extinct species
Barbaturex morrisoni.
"Barbaturex" means "bearded
king," after the team found ridges
on the underside of the jaw that
give lizards a beard-like appearance.
"Morrisoni" is in tribute to
Doors frontman Morrison, famed
for his fascination with reptiles and
shamanism.
"I was listening to The Doors
quite a bit during research," said
Head. "Some of their musical imagery
includes reptiles and ancient
places, and Jim Morrison was of
course the Lizard King, so it kind of
came together." The study appears
in the British scientiic journal
Proceedings of the Royal Society B:
Biological Sciences. — AFP
‘Physical work leads
to sleep conditions’
PEOPLE who work in jobs that
are physically demanding
experience extremes of sleeping
habits, according to a US research.
Such workers either experience
shorter sleeping hours (fewer than
six hours a night) or longer sleeping
hours (longer than nine hours), said
the research from a study from the
Perelman School of Medicine at the
University of Pennsylvania.
Since previous research has
shown that people who report short
or long sleep are more likely to
have worse health over time, such
as weight gain, heart disease and
diabetes, the new study suggests
that people’s jobs may predispose
them to unhealthy sleep patterns
that could detrimentally affect
their health, Science Daily reports.
According to the research team,
possible explanations for the indings
include: The higher demands of
the job require longer hours, not
allowing for a full night of sleep; Jobrelated
stress is keeping people up at
night; The physical demands of the
job are causing people to stay awake.
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Miraj underlines the grandeur of daily prayers
By Hasan Kamoonpuri
hkamoonpuri@yahoo.com
THE spectacular event of Al Isra
wal Miraj (the night Journey and
the Ascension) of Prophet Muhammad
(Peace Be Upon Him) is being
celebrated as a "Grand Eid" throughout
the world of Islam.
There is scholarly consensus among
all scholars that Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) journeyed in body and soul
from Masjid al Haram in Mecca to Masjid
al Aqsa in Jerusalem al Quds.
This miraculous night-journey,
which consisted of two important
stages, assumes signiicance on several
counts. First, the Prophet travelled
from the blessed city of Mecca and
reached Jerusalem al Quds within seconds.
Second, from Jerusalem al Quds
the Prophet travelled up and out of the
universe, through the seven heavens,
and into the direct presence of Allah
the Exalted and returned back to the
Earth safely.
The most important aspect of this
event is that on the night of Miraj, Allah
the Exalted gave the order of the ive
daily prayers (Salat) as being mandatory
upon the Islamic Nation. The ive
daily prayers continue to bring the
hearts and minds of believers together,
cementing bonds of brotherhood
among them. The institution of daily
prayers also goes a long way in developing
and deepening the importance
of reform and reinement for moral
and spiritual growth of individuals and
nations.
At two places, this event is explained
in the Glorious Quran.
“Glory be to Allah, Who carried
His servant at night from Al Masjid al
Haram (in Mecca) to Masjid al Aqsa
(in Jerusalem al Quds), the precincts of
which We have blessed so that We may
show him of Our Signs. Verily He is the
All-Hearing, the All Seeing.” (Quran
(17: 1)
“Will you then argue with him
about what he saw? He certainly saw
him (Archangel Gabriel, Jibra’il) during
his other ascent to the Lote tree (in
the seven heavens) near which is Paradise.
When the tree was covered with a
covering, (Muhammad’s) eyes did not
deceive him, nor did they lead him to
falsehood. He certainly saw the greatest
(signs) of the existence of his Lord”.
(Quran 53: 12 to 18)
Scholars say it is clear that the Messenger
of Allah travelled physically
along with Archangel Gabriel (Jibra’il)
from Mecca to Jerusalem al Quds and
then towards the higher heavenly bodies.
This also explains why the city of Jerusalem
al Quds, where Masjid al Aqsa
is located, occupies a pride of place in
the hearts and minds of Muslims. Jerusalem
al Quds is Islam’s third most
holy place after Mecca and Madina.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) travelled
on Buraq (meaning a lash of
lightning). One of the horses of Paradise,
Buraq was a strange unearthly
white, winged animal with a horse-like
body, and human-like head. The Prophet
and Archangel Jibra’il mounted the
Buraq and the journey began from
Mecca. In no time he reached Jerusalem
al Quds, where in a very short period
of time he visited various places
inside Masjid al Aqsa, as well as Bait al
Laham, the birthplace of Prophet Jesus
(PBUH) near Jerusalem al Quds.
Gathered together at one place in
Masjid al Aqsa were all the prophets
from Adam to Jesus, and Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH), the leader of all
prophets and virtuous people, led them
all in prayer.
The Ascent (Miraj)
In the next stage of the journey, the
Prophet and Archangel Gabriel travelled
from Masjid al Aqsa to the heavens,
where the Prophet was witness to
the celestial bodies loating in space.
At the end of the universe, they arrived
at the boundary of the lowest
heaven, where he met and greeted
Prophet Adam (PBUH). Archangel
Gabriel then took him up to the second
heaven where he met and greeted
Prophets Jesus and Yahya (John the
Baptist); up to the third where he met
and greeted Prophet Yusuf (Joseph); up
to the fourth where he met and greeted
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Thursday
JUNE 6, 2013 | RAJAB 27, 1434 AH
Prophet Idrees (Enoch); up to the ifth
where he met and greeted Prophet
Haroon, and up to the sixth where he
met and greeted Prophet Musa (Moses).
He then went on up with Archangel
Gabriel to the seventh heaven, where
he met and greeted Prophet Abraham
(PBUH).
Subsequently, they continued on
with the journey until they arrived at
the region known as the Lote-Tree of
the Extreme Limit (Sidrat al Muntaha),
a place that was covered in grandeur
and magniicence. The Lote-Tree of
the Extreme Limit marked the spot,
beyond which even Archangel Gabriel
could not go, and Archangel Gabriel
halted at Sidrat al Muntaha (the utmost
boundary of the universe), saying
that if he took a step further his wings
would burn.
But Allah, the Exalted, permitted
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to go beyond
it and speak to Allah the Exalted
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editor@omanobserver.om
directly. It was at this point in time that
Allah made Salat (daily prayers) compulsory
ive times a day for the Prophet
and his followers.
The Prophet then mounted the
Buraq and descended with Archangel
Gabriel again to Masjid al Aqsa in Jerusalem
al Quds. From there, he returned
to his home in Mecca where he found
his bed still warm.
This explains why each year people
in the whole world of Islam celebrate
Al Isra wal Meraj as a grand Eid and
why they attach so much importance to
Masjid al Aqsa and Jerusalem al Quds,
and why all revolution in the hearts
and minds of individuals and Muslim
nations are traceable to the institution
of daily prayers.
Just as the month of Ramadhan is
holy and important because the Glorious
Quran was revealed in this month,
Al Isra wal Miraj is important because
the ive daily prayers were made obligatory
on this occasion.
Inside
This miraculous night-journey,
which consisted of two
important stages, assumes
significance on several counts.
First, the Prophet travelled
from the blessed city of Mecca
and reached Jerusalem al
Quds within seconds. Second,
from Jerusalem al Quds, the
Prophet travelled up and out
of the universe, through the
seven heavens, and into the
direct presence of Allah the
Exalted and returned back to
the Earth safely.
Signiicance of Salat
Salat (prayers for remembrance of
Allah, the Exalted) is a direct contact or
link between the worshipper and Allah
with no earthly intermediaries. Congregational
Salat is like a conference
that Muslims hold ive times per day to
praise their Lord together, to take stock
of their deeds, and to build bonds of
unity and love with one another. Salat
builds a strong defence against evils
which exist around us. We learn in the
Glorious Quran that Salat (remembrance
of Allah) keeps you “away from
indecency and evil”.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once
asked his companions “Tell me if there
was a river at your door step in which
you washed ive times a day would any
of your dirt remain?” When he received
the reply that none of it would remain
he then said, “That is like the ive times
Salah, with which Allah wipes out sin”.
Everything has a face and the face
of Islam is Salat. It is the most effective
way of spiritual migration towards Allah
and attaining the exalted position
of His nearness. The most esteemed
and favourite deed before Allah is
Salat. Salah is the last dying will of all
prophets. The Salat makes you master
of your desires rather than a slave of
the desires. Salat is a visit to Allah, the
Almighty Creator of all that exists.
On the Day of Judgement, before one
is even permitted to present the good
deeds that he/she has performed in this
world, the very irst question asked will
relate to Salat and only then will he/
she be allowed to proceed. The Prophet
(PBUH) has made this clear by saying:
“All good deeds depend on Salat, which
is the cornerstone of Islam. If Salat is
accepted then the good deeds will be
accepted. If Salat is not accepted, then
the good works will not be accepted”.