Dr. Shawqi Abu Khalil
Language: English | Format: PDF | Pages: 391 | Size: 13 MB
An Authentic Collection of the Qur’anic Information with Maps, Tables and Pictures
This Atlas is new in its subject, a
subject that has not been touched before. It helps whoever recites the
Qur’an or studies it to specify the locations mentioned by the Noble
Verses, and to mark those places of ancient people mentioned in the
Qur’an. This is besides locating areas where the incidents of the
prophetic Seerah occurred. Eventually the diligent reader will easily
recognize those places, learn about them, and take heed of them while
reciting.
Eventually the diligent reader will
easily recognize those places, learn about them, and take heed of them
while reciting. The Atlas has also revealed obscure places we used to
pass through inattentively, like the site where Nuh’s Ark settled, the
site of the curved Sand-hills {Al Ahqah}, the cave of the young faithful
men, the houses of median, the site of Sodom and other places
determined by the Atlas depending on reliable sources.
Thus the Atlas eliminates all the
guessing and the fantasies we used to encounter when reciting the Noble
Quran, and takes us to the specific place.
Publisher’s Note:
The Noble Qur’an is the last Divine Book
which has been revealed by Allah for the guidance of mankind up to the
Day of Resurrection. One of the bright sides of this Book is that it is
read and recited much more than any other book of the world. In a real
sense this very Book has encircled into it the ever shining pearls of
all the visible and invisible knowledge and the wisdom, the world needs
for survival and eternal success. Hence the reading of the Qur’an,
understanding of its meanings and interpretations is important and
obligatory on all the followers of Islam.
Muslim Community should be proud for
having the last Divine Book in a well-preserved form. This blessed
opportunity has not been provided to any other heavenly religion. Before
the revelation of the Qur’an, hundred of Scriptures including the three
former heavenly Books as well have been annihilated. Whatever they have
at hand as they disclose are nothing but only the Collections of
narratives and sayings of spiritual guides. On the other hand, today the
Noble Qur’an has its originality as it was, in the hearts of thousands
of the memorizers (Huffaz) of the Qur’an. As regards to its manuscripts
written from time to time in various periods, their samples are
available even today and found in museums, government under-taken
libraries as well as many of the private libraries and various
publication institutes at large scales. After revelation of the Qur’an,
various artifice skills developed. Besides its modulation forms, some of
them pertained to its literal terms – explanatory points, religious
decrees, themes, topic and issue discussions etc. But along with these
skills, other techniques and arts such as calligraphy, designing,
printing, binding, etc., also developed.
Later on the reference of the Qur’anic
geography, descriptions of the Prophets, the Qur’anic habitations, the
Qur’anic landmarks etc., were described in scores of the books, by the
end of 20th century. But in the third millennium of the world
civilization, these descriptions appeared on surface in the form of a
new way of ‘understanding the Qur’an’. For the first time an effort has
been made to bring out the places, the same time, I decided, considering
it a valuable presentation, that our institution, Darussalam, would
certainly bring out its Urdu and English editions.
So, a contact was made with Dar Al-Fikr,
Damascus – the publisher of Atlas of the Qur’an, but they refused. Then
some common friends were asked to do something in this regard, and the
publisher was addressed through a letter also, but nothing could be
finalized. Last year, Mr. Hasan Salim, the son of Mr. Muhammad Adnan
Salim, owner of Dar Al-Fikr, came to Riyadh. He visited the offices of
Darussalam and was very much impressed after knowing about the aims and
objects of Darussalam and its efforts for the spread of Islamic
knowledge, he promised to have a talk with his father regarding the
publication of the Atlas of the Qur’an.
In the beginning of the year 2003, 1
specially went to Damascus, which is like a second home to me. In the
past ten or twelve years, I must have gone there at least 30 or 35
times. In Damascus, the second name of Darussalam is Darul Fika’. Its
owner, Mr. Muhammad Yasir Tabba’ is dear to me like a younger brother.
After reaching Damascus, I informed my hosts that the only purpose of my
visit is to have a conversation with Dar Al-Fikr regarding the books
Atlas of the Qur’an and the Atlas on the Prophet’s Biography. The next
day we were at the offices of Dar Al-Fikr. Mr. Hasan Salim greeted me
heartily. I started talking him about the books again. He proposed to
have a talk with his father who was a very busy person. I asked for a
few minutes talk with him. His secretary agreed to allow us time for a
short talk reminding about the appointments previously assigned.
The meeting that was scheduled to be of a
short duration, exceeded one hour and a half until the secretary of Mr.
Muhammad Adnan Salim interrupted to remind about the visitors that were
waiting.
Dar Al-Fikr was established 50 years ago.
Mr. Muhammad Adnan Salim has passed 70 years of life, having a very
good health by the grace of Allah and running the organization with full
enthusiasm. He told me about the visit of Maulana Maudoodi to Damascus
in 1960 and that the Maulana paid a visit to his house for a social
call. Mr. Muhammad Adnan Salim had arranged a dinner for his reception
and invited prominent scholars and writers in it. We were engrossed in
the past memories. He has a wide experience of publishing books and is
personalities and nations etc., as indicated in the Qur’an, in the form
of a unique presentation comprising maps, photographs and tables. This
great endeavor is Atlas of the Qur’an by a prominent research scholar of
geography and an Arabian renowned figure, Dr Shawqi Abu Khalil. For the
interpretation and explanation of the religious books, the ancient and
modern orientalists have done a notable work, and whatever work they
did, it is of course a landmark for other research scholars. The
habitations and personalities mentioned in Torah, or the land marks,
places and personalities mentioned in four books of New Testament are
available (in a beautiful manner) in more than a dozen geographical
books with maps, known as atlas. But in various chapters of the Qur’an,
the descriptions replete with the events of the Hijaz, Arab nations,
places, personalities, oceans, rivers, gulfs, lakes, mountains, forests,
caves, cities etc., are available and hundreds of the writers, scholars
and authors have also gone through their details, and many of the
research books have also been compiled on these topics, but on the other
hand, all this fruitful information has yet not been presented in the
form of a book (atlas) consisting of maps, photographs and tables. These
concerned contents or literary compositions containing the Qur’anic
maps and tables were not before me so that a reciter of the Qur’an may
think of the details of the indications found in the Qur’an while
reciting it.
Since the dawn of the establishment of
Darussalam, the multilingual institution for the publication of the
Qur’an and the Qur’anic sciences and ideologies, we have been on the
line of our objectives, i.e., the circulation & publication of the
Qur’an in various languages with its ideologies in scientific manner. In
this regard, we keeping in view the modern opportunities, are applying
all kinds of modern scientific means and techniques in the teaching
& the publication of the Qur’an. Being an ordinary student of the
Qur’an, it has been my sincere effort to bring out the books (published
in Arabic language) on teaching of the Qur’an, teaching of Hadith,
biography of the Messenger into the Urdu, English and other languages.
Then after two and half years ago, when I went through the great work:
(Atlas of the Qur’an: Places, Nations, Landmarks) by the distinguished
author of Arabic language, Dr Shawqi Abu Khalil, I found it adorned with
colored maps besides the Qur’anic topics and Verses. I was happily
surprised and impressed after looking through its pages, and then at
well known in the Islamic world. He provided me valuable guidance as
regards the publishing field.
However, this meeting ended upon the
permission to print both of the books. It was decided that Darussalam
will pay regular royalty on them and some money will be paid as advance.
Thanks are to Allah that after some weeks when he visited Riyadh to
participate in a conference of writers, an agreement was signed between
us, and so I was able to fulfill the wish I was most eager of. I am
thankful to Mr. Muhammad Adrian Salim for his cooperation and permission
to publish the translations of the books.
It may be perceived that the compilation
of the Qur’anic Atlas consisting of personalities, nations, events and
landmarks, places etc., as mentioned in the Qur’an, was not an easier
task. Certainly the author might have made a journey toward the passed
period, and imaginarily perceived the pictures of the events mentioned
in the Noble Qur’an. It seems in the journey to the past, other heavenly
books, history, narratives and the modern archaeological studies were
also proved helpful to this great writer. Certainly this journey in the
back direction consisting of several periods would have been a typical
and unique experience of his life, but this experience itself is one of
the best rewards of the struggles the author did. Having a dip in the
ocean of this beautiful experience, the writer has compiled both of his
atlases. I am sure that both of them would open for the readers the
channel of intelligence and spiritual journey which the author found.
Now the work on the other valuable
presentation: Atlas on the Prophet’s Biography is under process, and
Insha Allah with high standards of printing and designing, it will soon
be in the hands of the readers.
The readers are humbly requested to
accept from us this unique presentation, and pray to Allah for us to be
more active in the struggle towards the multilingual publications of
much needed books, treatises etc., based on Islam.
May Allah bless us with splendid success.
Abdul-Malik Mujahid,
General Manager Darussalam, Riyadh
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