[amended 19 August 2023 to include references to the Irish potato famine and two Bengal famines]
Surah Yusuf
Prophet Yusuf (عليه السلام) advised Pharoah to hoard grains during the years of plenty. I think this episode is a noteworthy one because it shows how a State can intervene in the marketplace in order to improve the welfare of the wider population.
But as we shall see below, the government intervention that Prophet Yusuf (عليه السلام) instigated favoured some sections of the population over others - it was not neutral in terms of how it spread gains and losses across the population.
https://www.al-islam.org/sites/default/files/singles/633-yusuf.pdf
While there is other material in the Qur'an that deals with transactions within the marketplace between individual participants - this story stands out in terms of its focus on state intervention. 
I'll be coming back to this issue later - but I think it informs the discussions we have about Islam and contemporary socio-economic theories. In particular, I think it illustrates that Islam does see the State as an active market participant and that in an Islamic state, the role of government is not one that is hands-off or laissez-faire.
 
What policy options did Prophet Yusuf (عليه السلام) have?
We should not take the story as presented 'for granted'. In reality, the Prophet (عليه السلام). had a range of choices open to him, and thinking those through helps us better understand the reasons for the policy he undertook and the reason why. 
No government interference
Let's start with the simplest and easiest option that Pharoah's government could have pursued once they knew that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine (as predicted by the Pharoah's dream which was interpreted by Prophet Yusuf (عليه السلام).) .
Pharoah could have left the entire issue to the 'market'. During the years of plenty, the price of food would have fallen and people would have enjoyed a higher standard of living. For example, the lower grain prices could have led to people rearing more cattle and their diets would have improved with more meat.
However, during the years of famine, grain prices would have risen and those people who had accumulated assets in the years of plenty would be able to pay the higher prices in the famine years. Those who had not had such assets would have starved.
This assumes a fairly high level of self-discipline on the part of the population, but as Milton Friedman would say, the people would have been 'free to choose'. This is not a hypothetical option. The British lack of action to the Irish potato famine has been attributed to the British government's ideological adherence to a laissez-faire approach to macro-economics:
https://kenanfellows.org/kfp-cp-sites/cp01/cp01/sites/kfp-cp-sites.localhost.com.cp01/files/LP3_BBC Irish Famine Article for Lab.pdf
 
The Bengal famine is another one where government policy was different to the one Prophet Yusuf ((عليه السلام).) prescribed to Pharoah. In this instance, it was lack of government restriction over the action of privateers:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/29/winston-churchill-policies-contributed-to-1943-bengal-famine-study
 
Going back still further, the Great Bengal Famine of 1770 has been directly attributed to British government laissez-faire economic policy.
https://worldfinancialreview.com/the-political-economy-of-famines-during-the-british-rule-in-india-a-critical-analysis/
 
Light interference - provision of information
A common policy option nowadays, where people do not want direct government intervention is to recommend improving the provision of information to the population who will then be better able to make the correct decisions for themselves. The government could have mounted an information campaign during the years of plenty and told people to hoard food themselves, hoarding when there is no shortage is allowed in Islam.
However such attempts to influence awareness about the famine to come and changing peoples' attitudes so that they saved more than they were used to, would likely have run against increased social pressures on people to do the opposite. For example typically in societies as wealth increases there is social pressure to spend more, in this case, for example, have more lavish weddings.
Also providing information would have been a practical benefit for the better off e.g. those with storage capacity, but not so good for the poor (who would not have room to store grain, for example).
The government (using a bit more intervention) could have given tax breaks to people who owned granaries, to help the poor who needed such facilities. Again this solution would be to focus on market-based interventions and simply alter the working of the market using incentives. Current economic theory holds that people discount future risks very heavily i.e. they don't perceive them as much of a threat as they should. So, for example, just telling people they should save for a pension does not work. 
So we can likely predict that the solutions described above would not have worked had they tried them.
Heavy interference
This is what they actually did.
In times of plenty, Pharoah's government did not let prices fall as would have happened under free market conditions. They kept prices higher than they otherwise would have been because the government intervened and took excess stocks of grain out of circulation.
All people (rich and poor alike) had no option but to pay the usual higher prices - effectively, the government was taxing everyone, but this was not seen as a loss by anyone because the prices were no higher than usual.
The government stored the grain centrally and then they decided to release the grain according to their own policies.
Assumptions made by Prophet Yusuf's government
If you leave people to their own devices they may not make the best decisions (whether they are rich or poor), this could be due to: People do not have the resources to cater for future shocks (mainly the poor) People do not have the discipline to address future shocks (applies to both the rich and the poor) The government can make better decisions than individuals acting in their own self-interest because: The government can have access to more and better information than individuals do The government may not be as susceptible to a lack of self-discipline  
Conclusion
Of all the policy options open to Prophet Yusuf (عليه السلام) he advised Pharoah to pursue the most interventionist one. Some people may be tempted to call this socialist or communist, but I think those terms carry a lot of excess baggage, so I won't bring them into the discussion.
What I think can be safely inferred from his choice of policy is a fundamental principle that could inform economic policy in any Islamic state.
Facing an external shock to the Egyptian economy, he went for the option that would cause the least pain to the worst off in society. Other policy options would have caused more pain for the poorest but somewhat less for the better off.
 
 

Salaam,
I had the privilege and honor of going to Umrah a few weeks ago. Having completed my hajj in 2010, it was time to pay Hijaz another visit to pay my respects to the Prophet (saw) and his progeny in Madinah and visit the House of Allah in Makkah.
Hopefully the pointers below will help anyone planning on going for Umrah.
First, if you haven't been to Saudi before, it is best to go with a registered group. It will make things easier for you because other than following instructions, there shouldn't be much to worry about..Also, if you don't speak arabic or urdu/hindi/bengali, then it would be better to go with a registered group because language can be an issue in some places.
 Anyway, I decided to go with my family instead of a group. The primary hurdle in going to Saudi is getting a visa. These are things to remember:
We had to apply to a local consulate but individual travelers cannot apply on their own. The visa application has to be submitted through an authorized travel agency. Even though the Umrah visa is free, these agencies charge between $175 - $200 per person for visa. Also, note that you can only apply within 30 days of going for umrah. You need to buy non-refundable return tickets before applying. The other mandatory requirement is to get a meningitis vaccination. CVS, Walgreens or RediClinic can do this without a prescription. Without insurance, it will cost between $150-$200. Get the vaccination record from the Pharmacy and submit it with your application. Common sense would dictate that you buy your tickets once visa approval is obtained but not in this case. Visa application usually takes about 1 week to process...might take longer during busy times. Next decision is where to fly in/out from. If you decide to go to Makkah first, you will have to fly into Jeddah. Since Jeddah is inside the meeqat***, you will have to wear your ihram from the point of origin. So we chose to fly into Madinah first.
I would recommend either Turkish Airlines or Emirates. We flew Emirates from the US. We had a 5 hour layover in Dubai so we went out of the airport and had a nice dinner. US Citizens do not need a visa for Dubai (UAE).Came back to the airport around 11p for our 105a flight to Medinah.
Day One:
We arrived in Madinah around 345a, got out of the airport by 445a. Since we were not part of a group, I made arrangements transportation arrangements with or hotel. It took about 30 minutes to get to our hotel right next to Masjid Al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Holy Prophet).
We stayed at Hotel Pullman Zamzam Madinah. Fantastic 5* hotel with great rooms and awesome breakfast. The only downside to the hotel is that it is on the opposite end of the Ladies entrance to the mosque so it took the ladies about 15 minutes to walk to the mosque. The hotel did provide a shuttle service for women at regular intervals.
After checking-in, we took a quick shower and made our way to the Mosque just in time for Fajr - individual, not jama'ah.


After every salah every day, the Saudis open Jana'at Al-Baqi for an hour or so. Much to my surprise, the Saudis were fairly relaxed in letting people get in, recite dua/ziarat albeit quietly and even take pictures.
Imam Hasan (as), Imam Sajjad (as), Imam Al-Baqar and Imam Al-Sadiq are buried here.


If I am not mistaken, I think Hz Umm-al-baneen is buried where I have drawn the red circle:

Went back to our hotel around 7am. We ate breakfast and finally went to bed after a 24 hours journey.
We woke up around 3pm and went to the Prophet's mosque for zuhrain. We prayed some other prayers so got back to the hotel around 430p. We rested a bit more and then made our way back to the mosque for maghribain around 7p. Once again, we stayed there for around 2 hours and then had dinner and then back to the hotel.
We are recommended to pray full zuhr/asr/isha in Medinah.
Day Two:
After taking an early night, we headed to the Prophet's mosque around 2am where we prayed salat-e-layl and other prayers. Returned to our hotel just after fajr. Our schedule for the rest of the day was the same as the previous day. However, there are other ziarats in Madinah one can visit:
Masjid al-Shams Masjid al-Zul Qibltayn Masjid al-Quba The Saba Saba Masjids Masjid al-Fatah Masjid Salman al-Farsi Masjid al-Ali A.S. Masjid al-Bidi Fatimah Zehra A.S. Ohud – Hazrat Hamza A.S. Day Three:
I stayed in the Prophet's mosque from 130am - fajr. I had the honor to pray salat-e-layl in Riyad-al-Jannah (Piece of heaven) - it is adjacent to the Prophet's grave. After salah, I went to Jana'at-al-Baqi for Ziarah al-wida (Farewell ziarah).
We rested for a couple of hours, had breakfast and then made preparations to head to Makkah for Umrah.
The main thing required is to perform a ghusl with the niyyah (intention) Niyyat: “I am doing Ghusl for the following for wearing Ihram for Umra al-Mufradah Sunnat Qurbatan Ilallah”. You cannot use scented soap when doing this Ghusl.
The next step is to wear the ihram. Ihram for men - consists of two pieces of white cloth and for ladies their usual daily wear is their Ihram, but it is highly recommended that it be white as it is the sign of purity.
Please not that even though one is wearing the ihram, the niyyah for Ihram is done later.
We bought our ihram in Medinah for about $20 (60-75 Saudi Rial).
We checked out of our hotel to make our way to masjid-e-Shajarah. I made transportation arrangements while in Medinah. It cost just under $200 for a personal mini-van.
We stopped at Ohud for 15-20 minutes for a quick ziarah of Hz Hamzah's grave.

Then we made our way to masjid-e-Shajarah. This is a designated point of wearing ihram per sharia. There are 6 other places as well in different parts of Saudi.


If you are already wearing ihram, you can take off the top portion and put it on again and make the niyyah (intention):
“I am wearing Ihram for Umra al-Mufradah Qurbatan Illallah”. Immediately after making the niyya, recite the talbiya (calling) in arabic:
Labbaik, Allahumma Labbaik, 
Labbaik La Sharika Laka Labbaik,
Innal Hamda WanNe’amata Laka Walmuka 
La Sharika Laka Labbaik
This is to be recited as many times as possible until you reach the vicinity of Makkah.
After wearing the ihram and reciting talbiya, proceed to the inside of the Mosque and recite 2 rakat salat with the niyyah, "Offering 2 rakat salah for wearing ihram qurbatanillah".
Once you adorn the ihram and make the niyyah, there are about 25 things that become haraam upon a person.
Once we completed our prayers, we made our way towards Makkah, reciting talbiya as much as we could.
One thing to note is that in Shia fiqh, men ar enot allowed to travel under shade during the day while in ihram.so it is advisable to plan your journey such that you arrive in Masjid-e-Shajarah around maghrib. If traveling during hte day, then there is a kafarah (penalty) of 1 sheep.
We made a couple of stops on our way to Makkah which was about a 5 hour drive (430km or 250m)
Day Three - Arrival in Makkah:
We arrived in Makkah around 5pm. Since we had already prayed zuharain en route, we decided to rest a bit in our hotel. We woke up, did ghusl made our way to the Holy Kaaba around 730p. One has to be in wudu (or ghusl) for tawaf.
We prayed maghrib and isha and then started our umrah. These are the steps for umrah:
1) Perform tawaf (circumambulation) around the Kaaba 7 times. The niyyah (intention) is:
I am going round this Ka’aba seven times for Umra al-Mufradah Qurbatan Ilallah.
Since the masjid has several floors, it is important to remember that we can do tawaf on any floor as long as your height is below the top of the kaaba.
2) Upon completion of tawag, recite 2 rakat salat-e-tawaf behind the Maqam-e-Ibrahim (place of Ibrahim) - recited just like fajr
I am offering two Rakaat Salaat for Tawaaf of Umra al-Mufradah Qurbatan Ilallah
3) Perform Sa'ae (wudu not necessary). This is where you walk from Safa'a to Marwa 7 times (about 3.5km in total). Niyyah (intention) is:
I walk between Safaa and Marwah, seven times for Umra al-Mufradah Qurbatan Ilallah
Going from Safa'a --> marwa = 1
Marwa --> Safa'a = 2
Safa'a --> marwa = 3
Marwa --> Safa'a = 4
Safa'a --> marwa = 5
Marwa --> Safa'a = 6
Safa'a --> marwa = 7
So you start at Safa'a and end at Marwa.
4) Once Sa'ae is over, the next step is taqseer (cuting part of mails of hair). Niyyah is:
I am performing Taqseer so as to be relieved of Ihram for Umra al-Mufradah QurbatanIlallah
It is best to do the 4 steps without too much of a break in between them. At this point, you can take a break and even take of your ihram.
5) Whether you take a break or not, the next step is to perform tawaf-e-Nisa. Everyone has to do this - young/old, man/woman, married/unmarried, etc.). Niyyah is:
I am doing Tawaaf-un-Nissa by going round this Ka’aba seven times for Umra al-Mufradah Qurbatan Ilallah
6) Last step is to perform salat tawaf-e-Nisa. Niyyah is:
I am offering two Rakaat Salaat for Tawaaf-un-Nissa for Umra al-Mufradah QurbatanIlallah
 

The entire umrah took about 2 - 2.5 hours to complete.
This is the completion of the umrah. 
After completing our umrah, we went back to our hotel, had dinner and went to sleep.
Day Four:
We went to the Kaaba about 2 hours before fajr to perform Sunnah tawaf (each tawaf is 7 rounds). After each tawaf, reciting salat-e-tawaf is obligatory. You can make the intention of perfomr tawaf for others alive or deceased. This day was spent between our hotel and performing salah+tawaf throughout the day. There are other ziarah to be performed in makkah:
Ka’aba Hajr al-Ismail Hajr-ul-Aswad Makaam al-Ibrahim Zam Zam Hills of Safa and Marwa Janatul-Mualla     Janab al-Khadijatul Kubra     Janab al-Abu Talib     Janab al-Abdul Mutalib     Hazrat Abdullah     Hazrat Amina Bint al-Wahab Masjid al-Jinn Cave of Thawr Cave of Hira Jabal al-Rahmah Muzdhalifa or Ma’shar Munna Masjid al-Kheef - In Munna We were able to perform the green ones above. We also had the opportunity to pray salat in the hateem which is not always open. We were able to touch the kaaba several times including rukn-e-Yemeni (corner from where Hz Fatima bint Assad went inside the kaaba to deliver Hz Ali (as).

Pic in hateem under the kaaba

Cloth of the kaaba - it is actually pieces of cloth sewn together instead of a very large piece of cloth.
Day Five:
We performed our final prayers and then checked out of our hotel to go to Jeddah airport. We flew from Jeddah --> Dubai and stayed there overnight, then flew back to the US.
Summary:
I was pleasantly surprised that the Saudis were pretty lenient this time.People were free to pray and take pictures as they wanted...for the most part. I would recommend taking salah, dua and ziarah information on your phones rather than books.
I will also try to upload the guidebook I used for most of the trip.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I tried to cover the most important aspects of umrah.
Your Personal Guide to Hajj Umrah Ziyarat .pdf
 

Summary
Using a decision theory framework, according to the Biblical account Abraham's decision-making is a direct response to a divine command, showcasing a hierarchical obedience. In contrast according to the Qur'anic version Ibrahim's decision-making involves communication and consensus, reflecting a more collaborative form of obedience.
Introduction
I was having a general chat with GPT4 about social science perspectives on the Qur'an and we ended up at a point where it seemed interesting to explore differences between Biblical and Qur'anic accounts of the same story and assess the implications using a social science framework. I am copy/pasting the prompt below, but taken out of the context of the conversation it may not make a lot of sense, but nevertheless the answer is meaningful enough.
As ever take this as an example of an output from generative AI and material that needs verification and validation.
Could you run an analysis on any story where the difference between the two versions is likely to lead to a different outcome?
One story that has distinct variations between the Qur'anic and Biblical narratives is the story of Abraham (Ibrahim in Islam) and the sacrifice of his son. This story, often referred to as the Binding of Isaac in the Jewish and Christian traditions and the Sacrifice of Ishmael in the Islamic tradition, can offer different insights when viewed through a lens of obedience, trust, and testing of faith.
1. Narrative Overview
- Biblical Narrative (Genesis 22:1-19): 
  - God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.
  - Abraham obediently takes Isaac to the place of sacrifice without hesitation.
  - Right before Abraham is about to carry out the act, an angel of the Lord stops him.
  - A ram is provided for sacrifice instead.
  
- Qur'anic Narrative (Surah As-Saffat [37:102-107]):
  - Ibrahim sees a vision of sacrificing his son (believed to be Ishmael in Islamic tradition).
  - He discusses the vision with his son, who willingly agrees to fulfill the divine vision.
  - Before the sacrifice, Allah ransoms the son with a great sacrifice (a ram).
2. Analysis Framework - Trust and Obedience
- Communication and Consensus:
  - Biblical: Abraham does not discuss the command with Isaac; the obedience is unilateral.
  - Qur'anic: Ibrahim discusses the vision with his son, reaching a mutual understanding and willingness to obey.
- Divine Intervention:
  - Biblical: Divine intervention comes externally through an angel at the climax of the narrative.
  - Qur'anic: Divine intervention is suggested through the ransom, yet the mutual understanding between Ibrahim and his son reflects an internal resolution.
- Trust:
  - Biblical: The trust is primarily between Abraham and God.
  - Qur'anic: Trust is twofold - between Ibrahim and Allah, and between Ibrahim and his son.
3. Theoretical Lens - Decision Theory
- Biblical: Abraham's decision-making is a direct response to a divine command, showcasing a hierarchical obedience.
- Qur'anic: Ibrahim's decision-making involves communication and consensus, reflecting a more collaborative form of obedience.
4. Implications and Insights
- The distinct narrative elements might lead to different discussions or insights regarding the nature of obedience, trust, and divine testing.
- The Qur'anic narrative might provide a basis for exploring collaborative decision-making and mutual trust in the face of divine testing.
- The Biblical narrative might lead to discussions around hierarchical obedience and the nature of faith in adhering to divine commands without questioning.
These variations between the two narratives could lead to different discussions and insights when analyzed through modern theoretical frameworks, thereby enriching the understanding and interpretations of these ancient texts in contemporary contexts.

The conversation started in relation to the navigation thread, and the focus here is on immanence more broadly
Thank you, I wanted to check the following. It is said that the notion of risk is immanent within the concept of trust because in order to demonstrate trust in someone you have to take a risk with them ...
Are there any other pairs of concepts within the Qur'an that are more or less explicitly immanent within each other?
 
The Qur'an frequently presents concepts in pairs or juxtapositions, where one concept is deeply intertwined with or immanent within the other. This relationship often helps in emphasizing a particular moral, spiritual, or existential lesson. Here are some pairs of concepts that demonstrate this immanence:
1. **Belief and Righteous Action**: Faith in the unseen is often paired with righteous deeds. Belief is not just a mental or emotional state but is deeply intertwined with action. Righteous actions are the manifestation of true belief.
2. **Life and Death**: The Qur'an frequently juxtaposes life and death to underscore the transient nature of worldly existence and the reality of the afterlife. The cycle of life and death is a reminder of resurrection and divine power.
3. **Gratitude and Patience**: These are two fundamental virtues in the Qur'an. Gratitude in times of ease and plenty, and patience in times of hardship, are often mentioned together, emphasizing the believer's attitude in varying circumstances.
4. **Worldly Life (Dunyā) and the Hereafter (Ākhirah)**: The temporal nature of this world is contrasted with the permanence of the hereafter. The attractions of this world are fleeting, while the hereafter is eternal.
5. **Knowledge and Humility**: The more one knows, the more one realizes the vastness of the unknown. True knowledge leads to humility before God and His creation.
6. **Mercy and Justice**: God's attributes of being the Most Merciful and Just are often mentioned together. They reflect the balance between compassion and accountability.
7. **Loss and Gain**: The Qur'an speaks of the soul that is at loss and contrasts it with those who believe and do good works. The temporal losses of this world are set against the eternal gains of the hereafter.
8. **Fear and Hope**: Believers are often encouraged to approach God with a balance of fear (of His justice) and hope (in His mercy).
9. **Creation and Command**: The Qur'an frequently mentions God's creative power and His command or decree, emphasizing both His might and authority.
10. **Signs Within and Without**: The Qur'an speaks of signs (āyāt) both in the external world and within ourselves, pointing to the divine.
These pairs demonstrate the Qur'anic method of teaching through contrasts and relationships. The interconnectedness of these concepts serves to provide a holistic understanding of existence, morality, and spirituality.

Summary
Ships are an interesting phenomenon that are referred to in the Qur'an on a number of different occasions. For the Arabs at the time of revelation they would likely have been considered as an object that people made and used. The Qur'an points out that the source of the innovation is God and that they are an example of His Mercy. My belief as a layperson is that this supports the contention that Islam is supportive of product innovation. Once we start talking about ships an associated construct - 'navigation' immediately arises. This is interesting because God explicitly refers to the tools necessary for navigation (stars) also being an example of His mercy. So not only do we have a product that He created for us, but also the knowledge and supporting resources necessary to use it. Worth noting is that these resources were created millions/billions of years and light years apart. The words used for knowledge also subsume notions of both navigation in a physical sense and also a metaphorical or spiritual sense. Finally all of this points towards our dominion over nature and the vocabulary used for this involves man needing to be grateful to God for this provision. Introduction
This originally started off as a reply to @Northwest and as I dug deeper opened up new and interesting areas of enquiry. So the first post here is the reply to Northwest and it should make sense even when taken out of the context of the thread, though I also provide some background.
The replies to the first post (below) go deeper into the issue of knowledge/epistemology and naval navigation - fascinatingly that area of enquiry yields results. 
Background
The thread in which the following material appeared was to do with technological innovation. My contention was that the Qur'an not only accepts this, but puts it in a positive light. In order to support this claim I made reference to the Qur'anic story about Prophet Daoud's (عليه السلام). chain mail. I also pointed out how the Qur'an points out the moral/ethical burden of such technological development.
But this example was considered too specific and singular to be adequate. My challenge therefore was to come up with references to technology and innovation in the Qur'an that were more widespread and hence the material that appears below.
The initial post
You've stimulated me to bring together something which I had noticed but never addressed or thought to bring together - the numerous but disparate references to ships in the Qur'an. As per my usual format of showing conversations with chatGPT, my prompts are in bold red and its answers are in regular black text.
I think it's reasonable to argue that ships per se are not the kind of innovation that Prophet's Yusuf and Nut ((عليه السلام).) brought i.e. to avert calamity and nor are they innovations for use at a specific point in time which applies to those two Prophets' innovations and that of Prophet Daoud ((عليه السلام).)
Rather the creation of ships is not tied to a specific time or situation and nor indeed is is specifically tried to human survival in an acute sense.
More than this of all the innovations we could be talking about ships are actually quite profound in terms of the social and economic impact they have e.g. in terms of migratory flows of people, encouragement of specialisation in terms of means of production and so on. Obviously they also present challenges in terms of movements of goods that have cultural baggage attached and the obvious impact of international competition and so on.
My inference here is as a layperson and not a theologian, but if there is one innovation that points to Divine encouragement of human societal sophistication and complexity, this is it.
What are all references in the Qur'an to ships?
In a material sense ships are the product of human innovation, but clearly that human inspiration is God given and as the Qur'an says it's a sign of His mercy and something which enables us to prevail over nature.
1. Surah Al-Baqarah (2:164): 
    - "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, the alternation of the night and the day, the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason."
2. Surah Ya-Sin (36:41-42):
    - "And a sign for them is that We carried their forefathers in a laden ship. And We created for them from the likes of it that which they ride."
3. Surah Az-Zukhruf (43:12-14):
    - "And who created the species, all of them, and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount. That you may settle yourselves upon their backs and then remember the favor of your Lord when you have settled upon them and say. 'Exalted is He who has subjected this to us, and we could not have [otherwise] subdued it.'"
4. Surah Al-Jathiya (45:12):
    - "Allah is the one who subjected the sea for you so that ships may sail through it by His command and that you may seek of His bounty, and perhaps you will be grateful."
5. Surah Al-Isra (17:66):
    - "Your Lord is the One who drives for you the ship in the sea so that you may seek of His bounty. He is indeed Most Merciful to you."
6. Surah An-Nahl (16:14):
    - "And it is He who subjected the sea for you to eat from it tender meat and to extract from it ornaments which you wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, and [He subjected it] that you may seek of His bounty, and perhaps you will be grateful."
7. Surah Ar-Rum (30:46):
    - "And among His Signs is this, that He sends the winds as glad tidings, giving you a taste of His Mercy, and that the ships may sail by His Command and that you may seek of His Bounty, in order that you may be thankful."
8. Surah Al-Furqan (25:53):
    - "And it is He who has released [simultaneously] the two seas, one fresh and sweet and one salty and bitter, and He placed between them a barrier and prohibiting partition."
Are there any roots that commonly appear in association with ships?
In the Qur'an, the primary root associated with ships is {ف-ل-ك} (F-L-K). The derived word "فُلْك" (fulk) specifically means "ship" or "vessel." 
Let's look at the occurrences of this root in the context of ships and check for any other roots that consistently appear in close proximity to it:
1. Surah Al-Baqarah (2:164): The verse mentions ships as "الْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ" (the ships which sail through the sea).
2. Surah Ya-Sin (36:41-42): The term "الْفُلْكِ" (the ships) is used to signify the ships that sail, carrying their passengers.
3. Surah Al-Isra (17:66): The verse mentions "الْفُلْكِ" (the ship) that sails in the sea.
4. Surah An-Nahl (16:14): Here, the ships are referred to as "الْفُلْكَ" (the ships) that move through the sea.
5. Surah Ghafir (40:79-80): The verses mention "الْفُلْكِ" (the ships) as a means of transport on both land (referring to animals) and sea.
6. Surah Ash-Shura (42:32-33): Ships, "الْفُلْكِ", are mentioned in the context of signs of God's power and mercy.
Looking at these verses and their contexts, ships (fulk) are often mentioned in relation to:
- The sea {ب-ح-ر}  - B-H-R
- Sailing or traveling {ج-ر-ي} - J-R-Y
- Signs of God's mercy and creation {آيات} - Ā-Y-T
Thus, while the primary root associated with ships is {ف-ل-ك} (F-L-K), it frequently appears in the context of the sea, travel, and divine signs.
Going back to your preceding answer, for each instance of the occurrence of f-l-k can you tabulate where a-y-t appears please?

 

Introduction
This was an interesting exercise. My initial prompts encouraged gpt4 to focus on the English word 'loss' in the initial root analysis that it did. I had to reset the analysis to focus on the relationship between Arabic words.
Summary (partial, a reply to this post will contain the second set of analysis and associated summary)
In essence, the interconnectedness of these roots F-Q-D, D-N-Y, and ‘-Q-L in the Qur'an underscores the idea that an excessive focus on the worldly life, especially without the proper use of intellect, can lead to various forms of "loss"—whether it's the loss of guidance, understanding, or eternal rewards in the Hereafter. In essence, the interplay between {T-B-'}  and {‘-Q-L}  in the Qur'an serves as a reminder of the dangers of blind following and the significance of informed, intellectual engagement in one's choices and actions. Thus, the directed graph's relationships reinforce the narrative's interconnectedness, where the soul (N-F-S) plays a pivotal role in connecting the concept of "loss" (Kh-S-R) with "truth" (H-Q-Q). The soul becomes the focal point through which the implications of one's relationship with the truth are realized, leading to either guidance and success or misguidance and loss.
 
Please do a semantic field analysis for roots related to the notion of 'loss' in the Qur'an.
The notion of "loss" in the Qur'an can be encapsulated by multiple Arabic roots that convey different shades of this concept. Let's identify the main Arabic roots related to the idea of loss and then conduct a semantic field analysis for them:
1. خ-س-ر (Kh-S-R): This root primarily means "loss" or "to be in a state of loss." The most famous occurrence of this root is in Surah Al-Asr (103:2) where Allah swears by time and states that "Indeed, mankind is in loss."
2. ض-ل-ل (Dh-L-L): This root pertains to "going astray" or "misguidance," which can be seen as a form of spiritual loss.
3. غ-ي-ر (Gh-Y-R): This root can mean "to change" or "alter," and in some contexts, it implies a negative change or deviation, leading to loss.
4. ف-ق-د (F-Q-D): This root denotes the meaning of "missing" or "losing something."
5. ت-ب-ع (T-B-' ): While it primarily means "to follow," in some contexts, it implies following misguided paths, leading to loss.
 
 
 


 
Thank you this is really helpful. Could you please talk me through the relationship between f-q-d, d-n-y and '-q-l ?
Certainly! Let's delve into the relationships between the roots {ف-ق-د (F-Q-D) د-ن-ي-ا (D-N-Y), and {ع-ق-ل (‘-Q-L)
1. **ف-ق-د (F-Q-D)**: 
   - Meaning: This root primarily conveys the idea of "missing," "losing something," or "lack."
   - Qur'anic Context: It's often used in the Qur'an to describe the absence or loss of something valuable, whether tangible (like property) or intangible (like guidance).
2. **د-ن-ي-ا (D-N-Y)**:
   - Meaning: This root refers to the worldly life, the life of this immediate world as opposed to the Hereafter.
   - Qur'anic Context: The Qur'an frequently contrasts the transient and deceptive nature of the worldly life (Dunya) with the eternal and real life of the Hereafter. The worldly life is often portrayed as fleeting, temporary, and something that can lead one to "loss" if it becomes the sole focus at the expense of the Hereafter.
3. **ع-ق-ل (‘-Q-L)**:
   - Meaning: This root is related to "intellect," "reason," or "understanding."
   - Qur'anic Context: The Qur'an emphasizes the use of intellect and reason to understand and reflect upon its signs. Those who do not use their intellect are often described as being at a loss or astray.
Relationships
- F-Q-D and D-N-Y: The relationship between these two roots can be seen in the context of humans being engrossed in the worldly life and consequently "losing" sight of the more important aspects of existence, such as spiritual growth and preparation for the Hereafter. The idea is that an excessive focus on the Dunya can lead to a "loss" in the broader, eternal scheme of things.
  
- F-Q-D and ‘-Q-L: The Qur'an emphasizes that those who do not use their intellect ('Aql) might "lose" guidance or be at a disadvantage. Not employing one's reasoning capabilities can lead to a lack of understanding, misguidance, or loss of valuable insights.
- D-N-Y and ‘-Q-L: The Qur'an encourages believers to use their intellect to reflect upon the transient nature of the worldly life and recognize the eternal reality of the Hereafter. Those who are overly attached to the Dunya, without using their intellect to understand its temporary nature, may be led astray.
 
In essence, the interconnectedness of these roots in the Qur'an underscores the idea that an excessive focus on the worldly life, especially without the proper use of intellect, can lead to various forms of "loss"—whether it's the loss of guidance, understanding, or eternal rewards in the Hereafter.
 
Certainly, taking the directed graph's relationships into account, the narrative would evolve as follows:
1. **خ-س-ر (Kh-S-R) and ن-ف-س (N-F-S)**: 
   - The direct relationship between "loss" and "self/soul" in the Qur'an emphasizes the individual responsibility and consequences one's actions have on their soul. When the Qur'an discusses loss, it often frames it in terms of the soul's well-being or detriment. An individual's deeds, beliefs, or choices in this life can lead to their soul's loss in the Hereafter. This relationship underscores the idea that the ultimate loss is not necessarily material or worldly but spiritual and eternal.
2. **ن-ف-س (N-F-S) and ح-ق-ق (H-Q-Q)**:
   - The soul's state is intrinsically tied to recognizing and adhering to the truth. When an individual aligns their soul with the truth, they achieve spiritual clarity, guidance, and success. Conversely, denying the truth or turning away from it can lead to the soul's detriment. The relationship between the soul and truth in the Qur'an suggests that one's spiritual well-being is deeply connected to their relationship with the truth.
3. **خ-س-ر (Kh-S-R) and ح-ق-ق (H-Q-Q)**:
   - Even though the direct link between "loss" and "truth" is through the "soul" in the graph, the broader narrative still stands. Those who deny or turn away from the truth are described as being at a loss. Recognizing and adhering to the truth is portrayed as a means to avoid loss, especially in the eternal sense. The soul (N-F-S) serves as the bridge or medium through which this relationship manifests, as it's the soul that experiences the consequences of recognizing or denying the truth.
Thus, the directed graph's relationships reinforce the narrative's interconnectedness, where the soul (N-F-S) plays a pivotal role in connecting the concept of "loss" (Kh-S-R) with "truth" (H-Q-Q). The soul becomes the focal point through which the implications of one's relationship with the truth are realized, leading to either guidance and success or misguidance and loss.
 
 
 
What other roots are associated with these (and the nature of their relationship with notions of loss) and which could be added to the direct graph?
 
To expand on the concept of "loss" in the Qur'an and its related Arabic roots, we can consider several other roots that convey nuances related to loss or have contextual relationships with the roots already identified. Some of these roots include:
1. ب-ع-د (B-'-D): Meaning "distance" or "to be far." In a metaphorical sense, it can refer to being far from the truth or guidance, which is a form of spiritual loss.
2. ن-س-ي (N-S-Y): Meaning "to forget." Forgetting divine guidance or obligations can be perceived as a loss.
3. ظ-ل-م (Zh-L-M): Translates to "injustice" or "wrongdoing." Committing injustices can lead to both worldly and spiritual loss.
4. س-ل-ب (S-L-B): Meaning "to deprive" or "to take away." It directly relates to the concept of loss as it indicates the act of losing something.
5. ح-ر-م (H-R-M): Meaning "to prohibit" or "to deprive." Being prohibited from blessings or guidance can be seen as a form of loss.
6. ر-ب-ح (R-B-H): Meaning "profit" or "gain." This is antithetical to loss, but understanding profit in the Qur'an often requires understanding its opposite, loss.
 
This is great, thank you. And the t-b-' root link with '-q-l please?
Certainly! Let's explore the relationship between the roots {ت-ب-ع (T-B-')}  and {ع-ق-ل (‘-Q-L)} :
 
1. ت-ب-ع (T-B-'):
   - Meaning: This root primarily conveys the idea of "following" or "pursuing." It can refer to following a path, a way of life, a leader, or even a set of beliefs or desires.
   - Qur'anic Context: It's often used in the Qur'an to describe those who follow a particular path—whether it's the path of guidance and righteousness or the path of misguidance and error. The root can also refer to following desires, whims, or societal norms without proper discernment.
 
2. ع-ق-ل (‘-Q-L):
   - Meaning: This root is related to "intellect," "reason," or "understanding."
   - Qur'anic Context: As previously mentioned, the Qur'an places significant emphasis on the use of intellect and reason to understand and reflect upon its signs and guidance. The intellect is considered a critical tool for discerning truth from falsehood.
 
Relationship between T-B-' and ‘-Q-L:
- The Qur'an frequently highlights the importance of using one's intellect ('Aql) in choosing whom or what to follow. Blindly following (T-B-') leaders, societal norms, or desires without engaging one's intellect can lead to misguidance and deviation from the right path.
- There are instances in the Qur'an where those who follow their desires or societal pressures without critical thinking are described as not using their intellect. Such individuals are admonished for "following" without proper "understanding" or discernment.
- The relationship between these roots underscores the Qur'anic emphasis on the importance of intellectual engagement in decision-making processes. Instead of blindly adhering to a path, tradition, or leader, believers are encouraged to use their reasoning capabilities to ensure they are following the truth and aligning with divine guidance.
In essence, the interplay between {T-B-'}  and {‘-Q-L}  in the Qur'an serves as a reminder of the dangers of blind following and the significance of informed, intellectual engagement in one's choices and actions.
 

[This was originally written on November 25 2017 and was updated on Sept 13 2023, to include the graphic, headings and a summary]
Summary
There is an inverse relationship between human labour for any activity and the moral and ethical issues related to it. The less we work, because we have automation, for example, often the more we need to exercise moral and other consideration related to that work. As a result automation and AI won't necessarily make people unemployed, they'll simply free us up to do more philosophising.
For people who believe in a benevolent God who seeks to perfect man, this makes eminent sense.
Introduction
There's an interesting piece about AI and robots in today's London Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/nov/25/cobot-machine-coming-job-robots-amazon-ocado#comments
It's a fair piece because it includes opinions along the lines of "we're doomed with robots doing everything" through to the other end of the spectrum where the argument runs that "no previous innovation killed us off and neither will this one".
I am in the latter camp, for what it is worth.
An atheistic concern
An atheist may well believe that an outcome where robots replace us in for every imaginable activity will make us redundant and worthless. And in a world without a benevolent God, that outcome is entirely possible. 
The theistic angle
In a more theistic perspective on this issue, I believe that human development so far has been one where we have increasingly had the capability to indulge in exercising freewill, as standards of living and technological capabilities have risen. Going hand in hand with that capability has been the ability to think about our actions and pay more attention to moral judgements. I am using the shorthand of moral judgements to refer to issues related to what is considered to be ethically right or wrong, just and equitable. included in this discussion are issues to do with sustainability and the greater awareness that the decisions we take need to take into account their future costs (e.g. on the environment) as well as current benefits (e.g. to consumers).
An inverse relations between human labour and attendant moral issues
Fewer people now work the land in the agricultural industry, as mechanisation and the use of chemicals have taken over, but there are more people being employed to investigate our impact on that environment, understand its implications and then research remedial action. Employment has not fallen, it has risen, but the tasks we perform are more cerebral and more of them involve making moral judgements.
We can even map this as an inverse relationship, this is illustrative only and there's no specific relationship implied by the curve.

 
The same process applies to the raising of farm animals and their slaughter. Affecting all of this is the entirely new industry of people making moral judgements about what is (morally) right in agriculture and what is wrong. Some of those judgements are informed by a theistic perspective, and some are not. In the latter instance we may question the validity, for example, of policy-makers in the West focusing on the last few seconds of an animal's life (as is the case in the debate about halal slaughter, as opposed to their accepting what are improvements but still cruel aspects of the husbandry of animals during the much longer period of their lives.
There are similarly eye-brow raising moral considerations such as the most humane form of capital punishment. Nevertheless, the reality is that moral judgements are being made in all aspects of our lives and more and more time and resources are being devoted to them. 
Perfecting man
For a theist then, I believe the trajectory that we are following is proof of a God who desires to perfect man. He gives us the increasing opportunity to exercise moral judgements, both in terms of the time available to us with which to do this and secondly in terms of the situations to which those analyses can be applied. The latter are becoming ever more complex and challenging.
The pastoral farmer of a few centuries ago obviously had the need to exercise moral judgements and take issues of sustainability into account when making decisions, but my point is that given smaller population sizes prevailing at the time and the more limited technologies available the nature of those judgements was necessarily more simple and straightforward than is the case, for example with the use of genetic modification.
Conclusion
As living standards continue to rise and societies become more complex, we will face an increasing number of situations of increasing complexity which will need moral solutions.
And that is something which robots can never do, they don't have a soul. They are not prone to temptation and nor do they have to deal with it.