Posted on 10/28/2003 12:23:40 PM PST by Sabertooth
Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, a few of us Freepers became aware that Ramadan 2003 had special prophetic significance to certain Islamic sects.
They are awaiting a spiritual avatar known as the Twelfth Mahdi, who will lead Muslims to great victories in war over the infidels.
It's believed that this Mahdi will appear during a Ramadan with both a Solar and a Lunar Eclipse. This double Ramadan eclipse will occur this year, for the first time since 1786, and won't occur again until 2155.
For those Muslims who place any credence in this prophecy, this year's Ramadan is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Therefore, acts of mega-terrorism might be more likely during this time. The Lunar Eclipse of November 9th and the Solar Eclipse of November 23rd may indicate days where particular vigilance is warranted.
Below is a table of Ramadan double eclipses compiled by David McNaughton. I'll also provide some links to articles archived at Free Republic with more information on the Mahdi (link to FR keyword).
Eclipses during Ramadan
by David L. McNaughton
In "Hamdard Islamicus" (Karachi, Pakistan), vol. XIX no. 1 (Spring 1996): pp. 81-86.Double Eclipses during Ramadan
Sometimes a Ramadan will contain a solar and a lunar eclipse. That inevitably provokes comment, because of traditions that such a "double-eclipse" is a portent for some unusual event. Ithna'asheri Shi'ites, for example, believe that their Twelfth Imam will reappear after a Ramadan double-eclipse (although those two phenomena will supposedly take place in reverse order, with the solar one occurring in mid-month (5); that will require the moon to suddenly double its speed of movement after the onset of the Holy Month!)
In March/April 1894 (Ramadan 1311), Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (founder of the Ahmadiyya or Qadiani movement in Pakistan) interpreted a double-eclipse as a sign that he was a genuine modern-day prophet (6). The lunar eclipse during that particular month was only partial, although the solar one two weeks later was total in a few places in eastern Asia (7). However, there was nothing at all extraordinary about those two eclipses: every 22 or 23 Islamic years there is at least one Ramadan featuring a pair of eclipses two weeks apart (8) - one of which is usually partial; see Table 1.
Very much rarer is a Ramadan containing two total eclipses.
Table 2 lists all such occasions since AH 1, as well as during the next 200 years (9); (its solar eclipses are all central, with annular ones also included).
It will be interesting to see whether the two total eclipses scheduled to occur during Ramadan 1424 (AD November 2003) - are cited to support a claim similar to that made by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, or as proof of thesignificance of some extraordinary event.
< -snip- >
Table 2
Ramadans with two central eclipses
LUNAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOLAR
AH . . AD . . . . . . . . . . Date . . . Where visible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date . . .Where visible
.283 . .896 . . . . . . . ..29 Oct . . .Pacific & adjacent . . . . . . . . . . 12 Nov . Canada; Alaska;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(25 Oct) . . landmasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(8 Nov) . NE Pacific.305 . .918 . . . . . . . . .5 Mar . . Eurasia; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Mar . .Antarctic; south
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (28 Feb) .NE Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (15 Mar) . .Indian Ocean.462 . 1070 . . . . . . . . .2 Jul . . .Pacific & adjacent . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Jul . . .Arctic; Siberia
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(26 Jun) . .landmasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(10 Jul).529 . 1135 . . . . . . . . . 4 Jul . . .America; Pacific; . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Jul . . .Antarctic; far
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (27 Jun) . New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(12 Jul) . . .south Pacific.596 . 1200 . . . . . . . . . 5 Jul . . . Pacific & adjacent . . . . . . . . . . *19 Jul . Siberia; Arctic;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (28 Jun) . .landmasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (12 Jul) . . NW Atlantic1200 . 1786 . . . . . . . . .11 Jul . . . Pacific & adjacent . . . . . . . . . . 25 Jul . . South Africa &
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . landmasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . adjacent oceans1424 .2003. . . . . . . . .9 Nov. . .Europe; SW Asia; . . . . . . . . . .23 Nov . Antarctic; south
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Africa; America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indian Ocean1580 . 2155 . . . . . . . . .9 Mar . . Europe; Africa; . . . . . . . . . . . . .*2 Apr . .China; Russia;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kashmir; Mongolia;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .AfghanistanNotes for Table 2
Central lunar eclipses are always total.
*The central solar eclipses listed above are total unless asterisked - in which case they are annular.
Dates apply to the instant of maximum eclipse.
Extrapolated Gregorian dates are given even on occasions when the old Julian calendar was in operation;
the corresponding Julian date is then shown below in brackets.
A Google search on ramadan mahdi eclipse yielded 243 results.
A Google search on ramadan mehdi eclipse (alternate "mahdi" spelling) yielded 83 results.
Islam in the U.S. | 13 November 2000 |
U.S. Postal Stamp Issued in Observance of EidBy William B. Reinckens, Washington File Correspondent Washington -- Most U.S. postal stamps bear the pictures of late presidents, statesmen, sports figures, wildlife scenes, inventors and one even bears the word, LOVE. In Washington, on November 13, a beautifully simple stamp done in calligraphy recognizes Eid, celebrated by millions of Muslim Americans annually. In announcing the "Eid Mubarak" stamp, the U.S. Postal Service noted that the 33-cent stamp commemorates the two most important festivals or eids in the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Adha marks the end of the hajj, the annual period designated for Muslims to make their pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of the Ramadan fast. The stamp, which is gracefully executed in gold against a blue background, is reminiscent of many great works of Islamic calligraphy. Designed by calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya, the Eid stamp features the Arabic phrase "Eid mubarak" which translates as "blessed festival," and can be paraphrased, "May your religious holiday be blessed." This year, the U.S. Postal Service honored three U.S. holidays with stamps -- Eid, Thanksgiving and Christmas. "U.S. postage stamps are a reflection of the American experience," said Postmaster General William Henderson, and "inspiring subjects and designs continue to bring history to life." In November 1999, Representatives Dana Rohrabacher, California, and Thomas M. Davis, Virginia, introduced legislation that a U.S. postage stamp should be issued recognizing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The resolution noted that there are more than "five million practicing Muslims in the United States, who represent one of the fastest growing segments of American society." The proposed legislation noted that "those who follow the Islamic faith are a diverse community comprised of all races, colors, and political opinions, who make important and valuable contributions to American society and culture." The lawmakers noted that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the three monotheistic religions of the world and that Jewish and Christian holidays have been recognized on U.S. postage stamps but "no Islamic observance is similarly commemorated." |
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PROOF:
The State Dept. never saw 9/11 coming.
Are they still blind?
I appreciate your work, 'tooth. Please put me on your Middle East, and Illegal Aliens lists. Thank you.
The anti-Christ? Interesting find, heads up in November then.
Showtime!
Revelation 12
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