VERSE NO. 97

      This verse reminds us of another gift of God to mankind; and that's the star, by the light of which a sailor or a traveller, may find his way on, in the dark of the night, in the land and sea.

      Before the invention of compass, for determining the direction, mariners and navigators, in the wild of ocean, made use of the night stars for direction finding, and this method continued for thousands of years until the compass came to their aid.

      We should also not forget that, the sun too, is nothing more than a star - and there are also stars of million times brighter and stronger in radiation than the sun in our solar system. Therefore the word, `STAR' also includes our sun, the rays and radiations of which split and pierce through the darkness to show us our way on. We make various and wide use of the radiations, rays, gravity, and magnetic fields, of millions of stars that swim in our milky way and other galaxies!

      Some traditions received from our sinless Imams imply that the companions of our prophet too were as the stars, who guided the misled people to the straight path of truth, and so are the Divine Leaders and the pious men of knowledge and wisdom, who convey the message of God to His servants. They are all the heavenly stars.