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'''The Islamic whale''' (in Arabic الحوت الإسلامي, ''al-hoot al-islami''), is a mythological creature described in Islamic texts that carries the Earth on its back. It is also called Nun (نون), which is also the name of the Arabic letter "n" ن. Two alternative names of the whale are Liwash and Lutiaya.<ref> | '''The Islamic whale''' (in Arabic الحوت الإسلامي, ''al-hoot al-islami''), is a mythological creature described in Islamic texts that carries the Earth on its back. It is also called Nun (نون), which is also the name of the Arabic letter "n" ن. Two alternative names of the whale are Liwash and Lutiaya.<ref> | ||
Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs: "And from his narration on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said regarding the interpretation of Allah's saying (Nun): '(Nun) He says: Allah swears by the Nun, which is the whale that carries the earths on its back while in Water, and beneath which is the Bull and under the Bull is the Rock and under the Rock is the Dust and none knows what is under the Dust save Allah. '''The name of the whale is Liwash, and it is said its name is Lutiaya''''; the name of the bull is Bahamut, and some say its name is Talhut or Liyona. The whale is in a sea called 'Adwad, and it is like a small bull in a huge sea. The sea is in a hollowed rock whereby there is 4,000 cracks, and from each crack water springs out to the earth. It is also said that Nun is one of the names of the Lord; it stands for the letter Nun in Allah's name al-Rahman (the Beneficent); and it is also said that a Nun is an inkwell. (By the pen) Allah swore by the pen. This pen is made of light and its height is equal to the distance between Heaven and earth. It is with this pen that the Wise Remembrance, i.e. the Guarded Tablet, was written. It is also said that the pen is one of the angels by whom Allah has sworn, (and that which they write (therewith)) and Allah also swore by what the angels write down of the works of the children of Adam" | Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs: "And from his narration on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said regarding the interpretation of Allah's saying (Nun): '(Nun) He says: Allah swears by the Nun, which is the whale that carries the earths on its back while in Water, and beneath which is the Bull and under the Bull is the Rock and under the Rock is the Dust and none knows what is under the Dust save Allah. '''The name of the whale is Liwash, and it is said its name is Lutiaya''''; the name of the bull is Bahamut, and some say its name is Talhut or Liyona. The whale is in a sea called 'Adwad, and it is like a small bull in a huge sea. The sea is in a hollowed rock whereby there is 4,000 cracks, and from each crack water springs out to the earth. It is also said that Nun is one of the names of the Lord; it stands for the letter Nun in Allah's name al-Rahman (the Beneficent); and it is also said that a Nun is an inkwell. (By the pen) Allah swore by the pen. This pen is made of light and its height is equal to the distance between Heaven and earth. It is with this pen that the Wise Remembrance, i.e. the Guarded Tablet, was written. It is also said that the pen is one of the angels by whom Allah has sworn, (and that which they write (therewith)) and Allah also swore by what the angels write down of the works of the children of Adam" | ||
http://altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=68&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2</ref> The details behind the mentioning of this creature are unclear. The name Nun is derived from one of the mysterious letters which appear before the start of certain surahs in the Quran. However, | http://altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=68&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2</ref> The details behind the mentioning of this creature are unclear. The name Nun is derived from one of the [[Huruf Muqatta'at (Disjointed Letters in the Qur'an)|mysterious letters]] which appear before the start of certain surahs in the Quran. However, the whale does feature in [[Hadith]] and [[Tafseer|Tafsir]] explanations of verses. The concept appears to be of Jewish origin.<ref>See the section "The possible origins of the Whale" towards the end of the article [https://theislamissue.wordpress.com/2023/01/18/the-nun-whale-and-its-origins-in-early-islam/ The Nun whale and it’s origins in early Islam]</ref> | ||
From all of the earliest Sunni and Shi'a sources today available to us, it does appear that the earliest Muslims believed the letter "nun" in the Qur'an surah 68:1 refers to a giant whale upon whose back the entire earth rests. This belief is attributed by numerous Islamic scholars of high repute to "tarjumaan al-qur'an", Ibn Abbas, and was mentioned thereafter by many trusted Islamic scholars all the way up until the 19th century - though they mention it alongside other different interpretations. According to this cosmography, the earth is (actually the 7 earths are) attached to the back of the whale by means of the mountains, which are pegs to balance the earth upon the Nun's back. This cosmography fits in with a widespread ancient belief that the world was balanced upon the back of giant animals, and the even more primordial belief that the world is surrounded by a giant, unending body of water. | From all of the earliest Sunni and Shi'a sources today available to us, it does appear that the earliest Muslims believed the letter "nun" in the Qur'an surah 68:1 refers to a giant whale upon whose back the entire earth rests. This belief is attributed by numerous Islamic scholars of high repute to "tarjumaan al-qur'an", Ibn Abbas, and was mentioned thereafter by many trusted Islamic scholars all the way up until the 19th century - though they mention it alongside other different interpretations. According to this cosmography, the earth is (actually the 7 earths are) attached to the back of the whale by means of the mountains, which are pegs to balance the earth upon the Nun's back. This cosmography fits in with a widespread ancient belief that the world was balanced upon the back of giant animals, and the even more primordial belief that the world is surrounded by a giant, unending body of water. | ||
==Nun in the Qur'an== | ==Nun in the Qur'an== | ||
The letter nun appears in the verse 68:1<ref>نٓ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe {{Quran|68|1}}</ref> as one of the mysterious letters (muqattaʿat) which appear before the start of 29 surahs in the Quran (for example alif lam mim before Surah al-Baqarah). | The letter nun appears in the verse 68:1<ref>نٓ وَٱلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe {{Quran|68|1}}</ref> as one of the [[Huruf Muqatta'at (Disjointed Letters in the Qur'an)|mysterious letters (muqattaʿat)]] which appear before the start of 29 surahs in the Quran (for example alif lam mim before Surah al-Baqarah). One popular theory to explain these letters was proposed by Theodor Nöldeke, that they were simply an indication of the scribes or owners of the sheets for those surahs when the Quran was first compiled. | ||
Most respected scholars of Islam (Ibn Kathir, At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and others including Al-Jalalayn) reported the belief that Nun refers to a whale that carries the Earth on its back:<ref>Al-Jalalayn on 21:87 | Most respected scholars of Islam (Ibn Kathir, At-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi and others including Al-Jalalayn) reported the belief that Nun refers to a whale that carries the Earth on its back:<ref>Al-Jalalayn on 21:87 | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran-range|2|168|169}}| O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know.}}A position that entails Ibn Abbas did both of the above things would appear to collide with the Islamic doctrine regarding the unerring reliability of Muhammad's [[companions]] as narrators. | {{Quote|{{Quran-range|2|168|169}}| O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know.}}A position that entails Ibn Abbas did both of the above things would appear to collide with the Islamic doctrine regarding the unerring reliability of Muhammad's [[companions]] as narrators. | ||
==See | ==See Also== | ||
[[Cosmology of the Quran]] | |||
==External Links== | |||
*The Masked Arab - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVhsVjXJzKM Islam & the whale that carries the Earth on its back] (video) | *The Masked Arab - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVhsVjXJzKM Islam & the whale that carries the Earth on its back] (video) | ||
*Islamwhattheydonttellyou164 - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj0qIqrvmmU Part 34: Islamic Creation Myth: The Honest Truth] (video) | *Islamwhattheydonttellyou164 - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj0qIqrvmmU Part 34: Islamic Creation Myth: The Honest Truth] (video) | ||
*The Islam Issue - [https://theislamissue.wordpress.com/2023/01/18/the-nun-whale-and-its-origins-in-early-islam/ The Nun whale and it’s origins in early Islam] (blog) | *The Islam Issue - [https://theislamissue.wordpress.com/2023/01/18/the-nun-whale-and-its-origins-in-early-islam/ The Nun whale and it’s origins in early Islam] (blog) | ||
{{Translation-links-english|[[Islámská velryba|Czech]]}} | {{Translation-links-english|[[Islámská velryba|Czech]]}} | ||