When the Israelites refused to accept the teachings of Jeremiah, he predicted their subjection to Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar invaded the Holy Land of Jerusalem, damaged the Dome of the Rock, burned all copies of the Old Testament, and took many Israelites captive to Babylon. Young Azariah was among the captives. Daniel looked after him and coached him during the days of captivity. Azariah of the Old Testament is mentioned in the Holy Quran as Uzair.
Nebuchadnezzar wished to appoint a few wise and knowledgeable Israelites as counselors in his court and selected four persons: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He arranged for them to learn the Chaldean language, provided proper attire, and made them eat at the king’s table. However, the table had meat they could not eat. When the king learned of their refusal, he summoned them. Uzair spoke about manners and ethics, which impressed the king, and he appointed Uzair as governor of Babylon.
The valley of the Euphrates and Tigris had long been a center of great civilizations, including the Babylonian civilization. Babylon was the capital and the grandest of all Assyrian cities. The walled city covered 56 square miles; its wall was 320 feet high and 80 feet wide with 100 bronze gates. A 25-foot-thick wall ran parallel to it at a distance of 38 feet and was further reinforced by another 12-foot-thick wall. The space between the inner two walls was filled with earth and debris to create a passage for patrolling guards. A 27-foot-high guard tower stood every 165 feet along the inner wall—360 such towers in total.
A grand road ran through the center of the city from north to south. It was 73 feet wide and had thick walls on both sides, decorated with glazed red and yellow tiles against a blue background. The asphalt-reinforced brick-paved road bore limestone tablets inscribed with: “I, Nebuchadnezzar bin Biliah, the king of Babylon, have constructed this avenue with slabs of stars for the procession of our god Marduk, our lord god.”
The procession of hundreds of Marduk’s priests, along with sacrificial animals and singing bands, offered a scenic view along the avenue. This avenue also held strategic significance. It led from the city wall to the inner fort. Any invading army advancing toward the fortress had to walk through this holy avenue, but due to the high walls, they were forced to walk in files—making them easy targets for archers positioned on the walls.
The holy avenue led up to the Gate of Ashtoreth, chief goddess of Babylon. This large gate was decorated with glazed images of bulls and other animals.
Irrigation System:
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, were located near the Gate of Ashtoreth. These gardens were not actually hanging but appeared so because they were built on palace rooftops. Nebuchadnezzar built them to please his young wife. Water was lifted up to 350 feet through a remarkable system of rising canal steps from the Euphrates River to irrigate the gardens.
The Sacred Tower:
A lofty tower in Babylon, considered the city’s most sacred place, stood amidst many small temples. It was 288 feet high, with a 48-foot-high temple on top housing a great statue of Marduk and other decorations embedded with diamonds and precious stones. The temple walls were adorned with gold plates and blue-glazed tiles. When sunlight hit the peak, the entire city of Babylon lit up from the reflection.
After becoming governor, Uzair forbade idol worship. Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and asked the reason. Uzair replied, “Worthy of our worship is only God, our Lord.” This infuriated the king, and he ordered that Uzair be thrown into a blazing furnace. God helped Uzair, and the fire did not harm him. Witnessing this miracle, Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed is the God of Uzair, Who sent an angel to save him. Indeed, no god other than Him is worthy of worship.” Uzair was reinstated as governor of Babylon.
Construction of the Dome of the Rock:
Upon returning to Jerusalem, Uzair began construction of the Dome of the Rock. Cyrus bore all expenses incurred.
All copies of the Old Testament had been destroyed. After seventy years of captivity, the Israelites regained their freedom and returned to a land that had been revived into a bustling city.
“Or (take) the one who passed by a township which had fallen into utter ruin. He said, ‘How will God bring this to life after its death?’ So God caused him to die for a hundred years, then revived him. He said, ‘How long have you remained (dead)?’ The man said, ‘I have remained a day or part of a day.’ He said, ‘Rather, you have remained one hundred years. Look at your food and your drink; they show no change. And look at your donkey. And (thus) We make you a sign for the people. And look at the bones – how We raise them and then clothe them with flesh.’ So when it became clear to him, he said, ‘I know that God is over all things competent.'”
(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:259)
Point to Note:
Today, most people are familiar with deep freezers and refrigerators. We know that when things are cooled to freezing point, they do not perish. A specific gas circulating inside these appliances preserves food as long as the temperature remains below freezing.
In our time, food is preserved either by freezing, vacuum sealing, or by using chemical preservatives to extend shelf life.
Below freezing point, the movement of food molecules slows to nearly a halt. At normal temperatures, molecules move faster, increasing contact with air and accelerating decomposition—especially in organic materials containing nitrogen and carbon, like meat and vegetables. Lowering temperature slows chemical reactions. Thus, deep freezing reduces molecular speed and delays decomposition.
Time is also connected to motion. If an object’s motion slowed by a factor of 100, the passage of time for it would also slow by that factor. For example, we breathe 18 times per minute; if we reduced this to 1 breath per minute, we’d need 18 minutes to complete 18 breaths.
Uzair experienced in 100 years only as many breaths as one takes in a day. That’s why he believed he had only slept a day or less.
Sadhoos (ascetics), understanding this principle, reduce their breathing rate to prolong life. Similarly, in Uzair’s case, his food did not perish because the molecular motion slowed to a near halt. But the donkey experienced normal time and decomposed as expected over 100 years.
The same principle applies to the Companions of the Cave. Another example is slow motion on TV—a ball that reaches the batsman in one second may take five seconds in slow motion. Less speed = more time.
Time slows down in pyramids—molecular motion slows, and decay halts. Those who meditate inside pyramids do so in a spatio-temporally neutral environment, bringing them closer to their unconscious. Pyramid meditation yields powerful results.
Microwave Frequency:
In microwave ovens, frozen food is heated by increasing molecular motion through microwave energy. Food that takes ten minutes in a regular oven heats in one minute in a microwave. Faster motion = shorter time.
This illustrates:
- Uzair slept for 100 years, but felt as if it were a day.
- Uzair’s donkey decayed, but his food did not.
- All this happened in the same place under the same conditions.
Oxygen Is Not Life:
Life is not dependent solely on oxygen. For instance, in a family, if one person dies and nine survive, oxygen is still present for all. Life depends on the burning of oxygen with carbon in the body, producing energy (CO₂). Oxygen is the fuel for life, not life itself.
Every particle, according to Divine Books, has consciousness and intelligence. Everything—human, animal, tree, planet—is made of carbon. Life has many layers. Oxygen fuels carbon; carbon supports life.
In Iceland, food doesn’t rot in the open due to the cold slowing molecular movement. Freezers mimic this natural preservation method.
In daily life, someone may sleep 36 hours without knowing it. Someone in a coma for three years wakes thinking only hours passed.
Every creation is enveloped in light waves—gases included. The amount and type of light determine a gas’s nature. Life and death depend on fixed molecular quantities. When God wanted to show Uzair the secrets of life and death, He froze the molecules around him and his food—preventing decay.
Every invention first exists in thought. A scientist conceives an idea, focuses on it, and when he locks onto the light pattern of that thing, it manifests.
Quran and the Conscious & Unconscious:
According to the Quran, man alternates between Consciousness and Unconsciousness. In Consciousness, he’s bound by Time and Space. In Unconsciousness, he feels free—but is not completely so.
“Thou causest the night to gain on the day, and Thou causest the day to gain on the night. Thou bringest the living out of the dead, and Thou bringest the dead out of the living…”
(Surah Aal-E-Imran, 3:27)
“He created the heavens and the earth in true proportions: He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night.”
(Surah Az-Zumar, 39:5)
“By the Day as it shows up the Sun’s glory. By the Night as it conceals it.”
(Surah Ash-Shams, 91:3)
Every creature alternates between life and death—Night (free senses) and Day (restricted senses). Movement within space is life. Time is the duration of activity within space.
For example: when walking, one foot lifts and covers distance—this is space. The duration of the step is time.
When asleep, the body doesn’t move—life passes in time alone, not space. That’s why Uzair believed he slept only a day.
His donkey died because oxygen was not metabolized; the food didn’t decay because its molecular movement had stopped.