A Spiked Dinosaur and the Quran’s Beast of the Earth | Quran’s Dābbat al-Arḍ

The Spicomellus Dinosaur and the Quran’s Dābbat al-Arḍ

The finding of a “bizarre” new dinosaur with spikes makes me think of the Beast of the Earth (Dābbat al-Ar⠍), a strange and intriguing creature from Islamic mythology. One is a prehistoric animal that paleontologists study, and the other is a religious person from the end of the world, but they have some intriguing ideas in common.

Spicomellus is the oldest ankylosaur ever found, unearthed in Morocco and dating back 165 million years The discovery of its extravagant armor, including huge neck spikes, is forcing scientists to rethink how these dinosaurs evolved.

A Spiked Dinosaur and the Quran’s Beast of the Earth | Quran’s Dābbat al-Arḍ

Have a weird feature. The animal known as Spicomellus afer is referred to as the Quranic Beast (Dābbat al-Ar₍). In Morocco, fossilized remains have been found in the ground. It will come forth “from the earth” Surah An-Naml (Chapter 27), Verse 82:

“And when the word befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith].”  Other Strange Beings in the Quran.

1-Origins from the Earth   

Both animals are said to have come from the earth, which gives them a mysterious and basic beginning.

Dinosaur:  Fossils of the dinosaur were found hidden in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. They were only found after millions of years. Spicomellus lived approximately 165 million years ago during the Jurassic Period.

Quranic Beast : The Beast from the Quran is said to come “from the earth” (مِّنَ ٱلْػَرْضِ) as a sign from Allah when a certain word against people comes true (Surah An-Naml, 27:82). 

2-Bizarre and Mixed Anatomy

Both are talked about in ways that emphasize how strange, scary, and mixed-up their bodies are.

Paleontologists call the dinosaur Spicomellus afer “jaw-droppingly weird.” Its skeleton is unique because it has spikes fused straight to its bone ribs, which is something no other animal has ever done. 

From what the Hadiths say, the Beast of the Earth is a mixed-up animal with the head of a bull, the eyes of a pig, the ears of an elephant, the horns of a stag, the neck of an ostrich, the chest of a lion, the color of a tiger, the haunches of a cat, the tail of a ram, and the legs of a camel. 

3- The Protective and Identification Role of Appendages

The bodies of both animals have features that can mark or protect, but their jobs are different.

Scientists think the dinosaur’s spikes were mostly for defense against predators, but they could also have been for show. In Hadith, the Beast of the Earth is said to carry the Staff of Moses and the Seal of Solomon. It marks people with these things: it hits the nonbeliever on the nose, leaving a black spot, and it shines a light on the believer’s face, making it bright white. This makes them easy to tell apart. 

4. Connection to a major event on Earth

Both have something to do with important events in Earth’s history.

The dinosaur’s finding changes how we interpret evolutionary history, especially how armored dinosaurs (ankylosaurs) evolved and when they lived during the Jurassic period. 

The Beast of the Earth is a key sign that the Day of Judgment is near. It comes after other signs, like the sun rising in the west. Its presence means that there is no longer time to change. 

5. These creatures are dynamic and likely to initiate conversations.

Both of these creatures grab people’s imaginations and are the subject of heated debate and interpretation.

The dinosaur discovery was important enough to be written about in Nature, a leading scientific magazine, and it led to discussions about evolution and animal diversity.

Islamic scholars have dedicated hundreds of years to deciphering the meaning of the Beast of the Earth. People interpret its meaning in various ways, ranging from a literal interpretation to a more symbolic one that represents concepts such as materialism or modern technology, including computers.

Here is a table that lists the most important similarities:

Feature	Bizarre Dinosaur (Spicomellus afer)	Quranic Beast (Dābbat al-Arḍ)
Origin	Fossilized remains revealed from the earth in Morocco	Will be brought forth “from the earth” (Quran 27:82)
Physical Description	“Jaw-droppingly weird”; spikes fused directly to its bones	Composite of many animals (bull, pig, elephant, etc.)
Key Appendages	Defensive spikes and armor	Carries Staff of Moses and Seal of Solomon
Primary Function	Defense against predators; possibly display	To mark and distinguish believers from disbelievers
Significance	Reshapes understanding of dinosaur evolution	Major sign of the Day of Judgment

Have a weird feature. The animal known as Spicomellus afer is referred to as the Quranic Beast (Dābbat al-Ar₍). In Morocco, fossilized remains have been found in the ground. It will come forth “from the earth” Surah An-Naml (Chapter 27), Verse 82:

The Main Verse in the Quran

The Quran talks about the “bizarre creature” you’re talking about in Surah An-Naml (Chapter 27), Verse 82:

وَإِذَا وَقَعَ ٱلْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَآبَّةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ كَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ

“And when the word befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith].”  Other Strange Beings in the Quran.

Other Supernatural Beings in the Quran

The Quran and Islamic tradition mention other beings that might be considered strange or magical:

Jinn: Made from “smokeless fire,” Jinn are beings that have free will and can be good or evil.

Iblis (Shaitan): This is Iblis, also known as Satan. He is a jinn who refused to bow down to Adam and instead became the leader of the devils. Angels (Malā’ikah): Angels (Malā’ikah) are beings in heaven made of light who do what God says. The group includes the Kiraman Katibin, the two noble scribes who keep track of what good and bad things people do.

Conclusion

Despite being millions of years apart and from different fields of science and faith, both the spikey dinosaur and the Quranic Beast capture our interest in the strange, unknown, and beautiful things that come from the earth.

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