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QURAAN AND MODERN SCIENCE
COMPATIBLE OR INCOMPATIBLE?
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
INTRODUCTION
Ever
since the dawn of human life on this planet, Man has always sought to
understand Nature, his own place in the scheme of Creation and the purpose of
Life itself. In this quest for Truth, spanning many centuries and diverse
civilizations, organized religion has shaped human life and determined to a
large extent, the course of history. While some religions have been based
on books, claimed by their adherents to be divinely inspired, others
have relied solely on human experience.
Al-Qur’aan, the main source of the
Islamic faith, is a book believed by Muslims, to be of completely
Divine origin. Muslims also believe that it contains guidance for
all mankind. Since the message of the Qur’aan is believed to be
for all times, it should be relevant to every age. Does the
Qur’aan pass this test? In this booklet, I intend to give an objective
analysis of the Muslim belief regarding the Divine origin of the Qur’aan, in
the light of established scientific discoveries.
There was a time, in the history of
world civilization, when ‘miracles’, or what was perceived to be a
miracle, took precedence over human reason and logic. But how do we define
the term ‘miracle’? A miracle is anything that takes place out of the normal
course of life and for which humankind has no explanation. However, we must
be careful before we accept something as a miracle. An article in ‘The Times
of India’ Mumbai, in 1993 reported that ‘a saint’ by the name ‘Baba
Pilot’ claimed to have stayed continuously submerged under water in
a tank for three consecutive days and nights. However, when
reporters wanted to examine the base of the tank of water where he
claimed to have performed this ‘miraculous’ feat, he refused to let them do
so. He argued by asking as to how one could examine the womb of a mother that
gives birth to a child. The ‘Baba’ was hiding something. It was a gimmick
simply to gain publicity. Surely, no modern man with even the
slightest inkling towards rational thinking would accept such a ‘miracle’. If
such false miracles are the tests of divinity, then we would have to accept
Mr. P. C. Sorcar, the world famous magician known for his
ingenious magical tricks and illusions, as the best God-man.
A book, claiming Divine origin, is in effect,
claiming to be a miracle. Such a claim should be easily verifiable in any
age, according to the standards of that age. Muslims believe, that the
Qur’aan is the last and final revelation of God, the miracle of miracles
revealed as a mercy to mankind. Let us therefore investigate the
veracity of this belief.
I would like to thank Brother Musaddique Thange
for his editorial assistance. May Allah
(swt) reward him for his efforts, Ameen.
THE CHALLENGE OF THE QUR’AAN
Literature and poetry have been instruments
of human expression and creativity, in all cultures. The world also
witnessed an age when literature and poetry occupied pride of position, similar
to that now enjoyed by science and technology.
Muslims as well as non-Muslims agree that Al-Qur’aan
is Arabic literature par excellence - that it is the best Arabic literature on
the face of the earth. The Qur’aan, challenges mankind in the following verses:
“And if ye are in doubt As to what We have
revealed From time to time to Our Servant, then produce a Soorah Like
thereunto; And call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah,
If your (doubts) are true. But if ye cannot – And of a surety you
cannot. hen fear the Fire Whose fuel is Men and Stones – Which is prepared
for those Who reject Faith.” [Al-Qur’aan
2:23-24] 1
The same notation is followed
throughout the book. References and translation of the Qur’aan are from
the translation of the Qur’aan by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, new revised edition,
1989, published by Amana Corporation, Maryland, USA.
The challenge of the Qur’aan, is to produce a
single Soorah (chapter) like the Soorahs it contains. The same
challenge is repeated in the Qur’aan several times. The challenge to
produce a Soorah, which, in beauty, eloquence, depth and meaning is
at least somewhat similar to a Qur’aanic Soorah remains unmet to
this day. A modern rational man, however, would never accept a religious
scripture, which says, in the best possible poetic language, that the world is
flat. This is because we live in an age, where human reason, logic and
science are given primacy. Not many would accept the Qur’aan’s
extraordinarily beautiful language, as proof of its Divine origin. Any scripture
claiming to be a divine revelation must also be acceptable on the strength of
its own reason and logic.
According to the famous physicist and Nobel Prize
winner, Albert Einstein, “Science without religion is lame. Religion without
science is blind.” Let us therefore study the Qur’aan, and analyze whether
The Qur’aan and Modern Science are compatible or incompatible?
The Qur’aan is not a book of science but a book
of ‘signs’, i.e. ayats. There are more than six thousand ‘signs’
in the Qur’aan of which more than a thousand deal with science. We all
know that many a times Science takes a ‘U-turn’. In this book I have considered
only established scientific facts and not mere hypotheses and theories that are
based on assumptions and are not backed by proof.
1
Al-Qur’an
2:23-24 indicates Soorah or Chapter No. 2 and Ayaat or Verses 23
and 24.I. ASTRONOMY
CREATION
OF THE UNIVERSE: ‘THE BIG BANG’
The creation of the universe is
explained by astrophysicists in a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly
known as the ‘Big Bang’. It is supported by observational and
experimental data gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists
for decades. According to the ‘Big Bang’, the whole universe was initially
one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a ‘Big Bang’ (Secondary
Separation) which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These then
divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc. The origin of the
universe was unique and the probability of it occurring by ‘chance’ is zero.
The Qur’aan contains the following verse, regarding the origin of
the universe: “Do not the Unbelievers see That the heavens and
the earth Were joined together (as one Unit of Creation), before We
clove them asunder?” [Al-Qur’aan 21:30]
The striking congruence between the Qur’aanic
verse and the ‘Big Bang’ is inescapable! How could a book, which first
appeared in the deserts of Arabia 1400 years ago, contain this profound
scientific truth?
THERE WAS AN INITIAL GASEOUS MASS BEFORE THE CREATION OF GALAXIES
Scientists say that before the galaxies in the
universe were formed, celestial matter was initially in the form of
gaseous matter. In short, huge gaseous matter or clouds were
present before the formation of the galaxies. To describe initial
celestial matter, the word ‘smoke’ is more appropriate than gas. The
following Qur’aanic verse refers to this state of the universe by the word
dhukhan which means smoke.
“Moreover, He Comprehended In His design the
sky, And it had been (as) smoke: He said to it And to the earth: ‘Come ye
together, Willingly or unwillingly.’ They said: ‘We do come
(Together), in willing obedience.’”
[Al-Qur’aan 41:11]
Again, this fact is a corollary to the ‘Big
Bang’ and was not known to the Arabs during the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
What then, could have been the source of this knowledge?
THE SPHERICAL SHAPE OF THE EARTH
In early times, people believed that the earth
is flat. For centuries, men were afraid to venture out too far, lest
they should fall off the edge. Sir Francis Drake was the first person
who proved that the earth is spherical when he sailed around it in
1597. Consider the following Qur’aanic verse regarding the alternation of day
and night: “Seest thou not that Allah merges Night into Day And He
merges Day into Night?” [Al-Qur’aan 31:29]
Merging here means that the night slowly and
gradually changes to day and vice versa. This phenomenon can only take place
if the earth is spherical. If the earth was flat, there would have been a
sudden change from night to day and from day to night.
The following verse also alludes to the
spherical shape of the earth: “He created the heavens And the
earth In true (proportions): He makes the Night Overlap the Day, and
the Day Overlap the Night.” [Al-Qur’aan 39:5]
The Arabic word used here is Kawwara
meaning ‘to overlap’ or ‘to coil’– the way a turban is wound around the head.
The overlapping or coiling of the day and night can only take place if the
earth is spherical.
The earth is not exactly round like a ball, but
geo-spherical i.e. it is flattened at the poles. The following verse contains
a description of the earth’s shape:
“And the earth, moreover, Hath He
made egg shaped.” 2
[Al-Qur’aan 79:30]
The Arabic word for egg here is dahaha,
which means an ostrich-egg. The shape of an ostrich-egg resembles the
geo-spherical shape of the earth. Thus the Qur’aan correctly describes the
shape of the earth, though the prevalent notion when the Qur’aan was revealed
was that the earth is flat.
THE LIGHT OF THE MOON IS REFLECTED LIGHT
It was believed by earlier civilizations that
the moon emanates its own light. Science now tells us that the light of the
moon is reflected light. However this fact was mentioned in the Qur’aan 1,400
years ago in the following verse:.
“Blessed is He Who made Constellations
in
the skies, And placed therein a Lamp And a Moon giving light.”
[Al-Qur’aan 25:61]
The Arabic word for the sun in the
Qur’aan, is shams. It is referred to as siraaj, which
means a ‘torch’ or as wahhaaj which means ‘a blazing lamp’ or
as diya which means ‘shining glory’. All three descriptions are
appropriate to the sun, since it generates intense heat and light by its
internal combustion. The Arabic word for the moon is qamar and it is
described in the Qur’aan as muneer, which is a body that gives
nur i.e. light. Again, the Qur’aanic description matches
perfectly with the true nature of the moon, which does not give off light
itself and is an inert body that reflects the light of the sun. Not once in
the Qur’aan, is the moon mentioned as siraaj, wahhaaj or diya
or the sun as nur or muneer. This implies that the
Qur’aan recognizes the difference between the nature of sunlight and
moonlight.
Consider the following verses related to the
nature of light from the sun and the moon: “It is He who made the sun
To be a shining glory And the moon to be a light (Of beauty).”
[Al-Qur’aan 10:5]
“See ye not How Allah has created
The seven heavens One above another, “And made the moon A light in their
midst, and made the sun As a (Glorious) Lamp?”
[Al-Qur’aan 71:15-16]
2
The Arabic word dahaha has been
translated by A. Yusuf Ali as “vast expanse”, which also is correct.
The word dahaha also means an ostrich-egg.
THE SUN ROTATES
For a long time European philosophers and
scientists believed that the earth stood still in the centre of the universe
and every other body including the sun moved around it. In the West,
this geocentric concept of the universe was prevalent right from the
time of Ptolemy in the second century B.C. In 1512, Nicholas Copernicus
put forward his Heliocentric Theory of Planetary Motion, which asserted
that the sun is motionless at the centre of the solar system with the planets
revolving around it.
In 1609, the German scientist Yohannus Keppler
published the ‘Astronomia Nova’. In this he concluded
that not only do the planets move in elliptical orbits around
the sun, they also rotate upon their axes at irregular speeds.
With this knowledge it became possible for European scientists to
explain correctly many of the mechanisms of the solar system including the
sequence of night and day.
After these discoveries, it was thought that
the Sun was stationary and did not rotate about its axis like the
Earth. I remember having studied this fallacy from Geography books
during my school days. Consider the following Qur’aanic verse: “It
is He Who created The Night and the Day, And the sun and the moon:
All (the celestial bodies) Swim along, each in its Rounded course.”
[Al-Qur’aan 21:33]
The Arabic word used in the above verse is
yasbahûn . The word yasbahûn is derived from the word sabaha.
It carries with it the idea of motion that comes from any moving body. If you
use the word for a man on the ground, it would not mean that he is rolling
but would mean he is walking or running. If you use the word for a man
in water it would not mean that he is floating but would mean that he is
swimming.
Similarly, if you use the word yasbah
for a celestial body such as the sun it would not mean that it is only flying
through space but would mean that it is also rotating as it goes
through space. Most of the school textbooks have incorporated the fact
that the sun rotates about its axis. The rotation of the sun about its own
axis can be proved with the help of an equipment that projects the image of
the sun on the table top so that one can examine the image of the sun
without being blinded. It is noticed that the sun has spots which complete a
circular motion once every 25 days i.e. the sun takes approximately 25 days
to rotate around its axis.
In fact, the sun travels through space at
roughly 150 miles per second, and takes about 200 million years to complete
one revolution around the center of our Milky Way Galaxy.
“It is not permitted To the Sun to catch up
The Moon, nor can The Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along In (its
own) orbit (According to Law).”
[Al-Qur’aan 36:40]
This verse mentions an essential fact
discovered by modern astronomy, i.e. the existence of the individual
orbits of the Sun and the Moon, and their journey through space
with their own motion. The ‘fixed place’ towards, which the sun
travels, carrying with it the solar system, has been located exactly
by modern astronomy. It has been given a name, the Solar Apex. The solar
system is indeed moving in space towards a point situated in the
constellation of Hercules (alpha Layer) whose exact location is
firmly established.
The moon rotates around its axis in the same
duration that it takes to revolve around the earth. It takes approximately
29½ days to complete one rotation. One cannot help but be amazed at the
scientific accuracy of the Qur’aanic verses. Should we not ponder over
the question: “What was the source of knowledge contained in the
Qur’aan?”
THE SUN WILL EXTINGUISH AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD
The light of the sun is due to a chemical
process on its surface that has been taking place continuously for the past
five billion years. It will come to an end at some point of time in the
future when the sun will be totally extinguished leading to extinction of all
life on earth. Regarding the impermanence of the sun’s existence the
Qur’aan says: “And the Sun Runs its course For a period
determined For it; that is The decree of (Him) The exalted in
Might, The All-Knowing.” [Al-Qur’aan 36:38] 3
The Arabic word used here is mustaqarr,
which means a place or time that is determined. Thus the Qur’aan says
that the sun runs towards a determined place, and will do so only up to a
pre-determined period of time – meaning that it will end or extinguish.
THE PRESENCE OF INTERSTELLAR MATTER
Space outside organized astronomical
systems was earlier assumed to be a vacuum . Astrophysicists later
discovered the presence of bridges of matter in this interstellar space.
These bridges of matter are called plasma, and consist of completely
ionized gas containing equal number of free electrons and positive
ions. Plasma is sometimes called the fourth state of matter (besides the
three known states viz. solid, liquid and gas). The Qur’aan mentions the
presence of this interstellar material in the following verse: “He Who
created the heavens And the earth and all That is between.” [Al-Qur’aan
25:59]
It would be ridiculous, for anybody to even
suggest that the presence of interstellar galactic material was known 1400
years ago.
3
A similar message is conveyed in the Qur’an in 13:2, 35:13, 39:5 and 39:21.
THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE
In 1925, an American astronomer by the name of
Edwin Hubble, provided observational evidence that all galaxies are receding
from one another, which implies that the universe is expanding. The expansion
of the universe is now an established scientific fact. This is what
Al-Qur’aan says regarding the nature of the universe: “With the power
and skill Did We construct The Firmament: For it is We Who create The
vastness of Space.” [Al-Qur’aan 51:47]
The Arabic word mûsi‘ûn is
correctly translated as ‘expanding it’, and it refers to the
creation of the expanding vastness of the universe. Stephen Hawking,
in his book, ‘A Brief History of Time’, says, “The discovery that the
universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the
20th century.”
The Qur’aan mentioned the expansion of the
universe, before man even learnt to build a telescope! Some may say that the
presence of astronomical facts in the Qur’aan is not surprising since the
Arabs were advanced in the field of astronomy. They are correct in
acknowledging the advancement of the Arabs in the field of astronomy. However
they fail to realize that the Qur’aan was revealed centuries before the Arabs
excelled in astronomy. Moreover many of the scientific facts mentioned above
regarding astronomy, such as the origin of the universe with a Big Bang, were
not known to the Arabs even at the peak of their scientific advancement.
The scientific facts mentioned in the Qur’aan are therefore not due
to the Arabs’ advancement in astronomy. Indeed, the reverse is
true. The Arabs advanced in astronomy, because astronomy occupies a
place in the Qur’aan.
II. PHYSICS
THE EXISTENCE OF SUBATOMIC PARTICLES
In ancient times a well-known theory by the
name of ‘Theory of Atomism’ was widely accepted. This theory was originally
proposed by the Greeks, in particular by a man called Democritus, who
lived about 23 centuries ago. Democritus and the people that came after
him, assumed that the smallest unit of matter was the atom. The Arabs used to
believe the same. The Arabic word dharrah most commonly meant an atom.
In recent times modern science has discovered that it is possible to
split even an atom. That the atom can be split further is a development
of the 20th century. Fourteen centuries ago this concept would have
appeared unusual even to an Arab. For him the dharrah was the limit
beyond which one could not go. The following Qur’aanic verse however, refuses
to acknowledge this limit: “The Unbelievers say, ‘Never to us will
come The Hour’: say, ‘Nay! But most surely, By my Lord, it will come Upon you
– by Him Who knows the unseen – From Whom is not hidden The least little atom
In the Heavens or on earth: Nor is there anything less Than that, or
greater, but Is in the Record Perspicuous.” [Al-Qur’aan 34:3] 4
This verse refers to the Omniscience of
God, His knowledge of all things, hidden or apparent. It then goes
further and says that God is aware of everything, including what is
smaller or bigger than the atom. Thus the verse clearly shows that it is
possible for something smaller than the atom to exist, a fact discovered only
recently by modern science.
4
A similar message is conveyed in the Qur’an in 10:61.
III. GEOGRAPHY
THE WATER CYCLE
In 1580, Bernard Palissy was the first man to
describe the present day concept of ‘water cycle’. He described how
water evaporates from the oceans and cools to form clouds. The clouds
move inland where they rise, condense and fall as rain. This water gathers
as lakes and streams and flows back to the ocean in a continuous cycle.
In the 7th century B.C., Thales of Miletus believed that surface
spray of the oceans was picked up by the wind and carried inland to
fall as rain. In earlier times people did not know the source of underground
water. They thought the water of the oceans, under the effect of winds, was
thrust towards the interior of the continents. They also believed that the
water returned by a secret passage, or the Great Abyss. This passage is
connected to the oceans and has been called the ‘Tartarus’, since Plato’s
time. Even Descartes, a great thinker of the eighteenth century, subscribed
to this view. Till the nineteenth century, Aristotle’s theory was
prevalent. According to this theory, water was condensed in cool mountain
caverns and formed underground lakes that fed springs. Today, we
know that the rainwater that seeps into the cracks of the ground is
responsible for this.
The water cycle is described by the Qur’aan in
the following verses: “Seest thou not that Allah Sends down rain
from The sky, and leads it Through springs in the earth? Then He
causes to grow, Therewith, produce of various Colours.” [Al-Qur’aan
39:21]
“He sends down rain From the sky And with it
gives life to The earth after it is dead: Verily in that are Signs For those
who are wise.” [Al- Qur’aan
30:24]
“And We send down water From the sky
according to (Due) measure, and We cause it To soak in the soil; And We
certainly are able To drain it off (with ease).”
[Al-Qur’aan 23:18]
No other text dating back 1400 years ago gives
such an accurate description of the water cycle.
WINDS IMPREGNATE THE CLOUDS
“And We send the fecundating winds,
Then cause the rain to descend From the sky, therewith providing You
with water (in abundance).” [Al-
Qur’aan 15:22]
The Arabic word used here is lawâqih,
which is the plural of laqih from laqaha, which means to
impregnate or fecundate. In this context, impregnate means that the
wind pushes the clouds together increasing the condensation that causes
lightning and thus rain. A similar description is found in the
Qur’aan: “It is Allah Who sends The Winds, and they raise The Clouds:
then does He Spread them in the sky As He wills, and break them Into
fragments, until thou seest Raindrops issue from the midst Thereof: then when
He has Made them reach such Of His servants as He wills, Behold, they do
rejoice!” [Al-Qur’aan 30:48]
The Qur’aanic descriptions are absolutely
accurate and agree perfectly with modern data on hydrology. The water cycle
is described in several verses of the Glorious Qur’aan, including 3:9, 7:57,
13:17, 25:48- 49, 36:34, 50:9-11, 56:68-70, 67:30 and 86:11.
IV. GEOLOGY
MOUNTAINS ARE LIKE PEGS (STAKES)
In Geology, the phenomenon of ‘folding’
is a recently discovered fact. Folding is responsible for the
formation of mountain ranges. The earth’s crust, on which we live, is
like a solid shell, while the deeper layers are hot and fluid, and thus
inhospitable to any form of life. It is also known that the stability of the
mountains is linked to the phenomenon of folding, for it was the folds that
were to provide foundations for the reliefs that constitute the mountains.
Geologists tell us that the radius of the Earth is about 3,750 miles and the
crust on which we live is very thin, ranging between 1 to 30 miles. Since the
crust is thin, it has a high possibility of shaking. Mountains act like
stakes or tent pegs that hold the earth’s crust and give it stability. The
Qur’aan contains exactly such a description in the following verse:
“Have We not made The earth as a wide Expanse, And the mountains as
pegs?” [Al- Qur’aan 78:6-7]
The word awtad means stakes or pegs
(like those used to anchor a tent); they are the deep foundations of
geological folds. A book named ‘Earth’ is considered as a basic
reference textbook on geology in many universities around the world.
One of the authors of this book is Frank Press, who was the President of the
Academy of Sciences in the USA for 12 years and was the Science Advisor to
former US President Jimmy Carter. In this book he illustrates the
mountain in a wedge-shape and the mountain itself as a small part of the
whole, whose root is deeply entrenched in the ground.5 According
to Dr. Press, the mountains play an important role in stabilizing the crust
of the earth.
The Qur’aan clearly mentions the function of
the mountains in preventing the earth from shaking: “And We have set on
the earth Mountains standing firm, Lest it should shake with them.”
[Al-Qur’aan 21:31]
The Qur’aanic descriptions are in perfect
agreement with modern geological data.
5
Earth,
Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see Earth Science, Tarbuck and Lutgens,
p. 157.
MOUNTAINS FIRMLY FIXED
The surface of the earth is broken into many
rigid plates that are about 100 km in thickness. These plates float on
a partially molten region called aesthenosphere. Mountain formations
occur at the boundary of the plates. The earth’s crust is 5 km thick
below oceans, about 35 km thick below flat continental surfaces
and almost 80 km thick below great mountain ranges. These are the
strong foundations on which mountains stand. The Qur’aan also speaks about
the strong mountain foundations in the following verse: “And the
mountains Hath He firmly fixed.” [Al-Qur’aan 79:32] 6
6
A similar message is contained in the Qur’an in 88:19, 31:10 and 16:15
V. OCEANOLOGY
BARRIER BETWEEN SWEET AND SALT WATERS
Consider the following Qur’aanic verses: “He
has let free the two bodies Of flowing water, Meeting together:
Between them is a Barrier Which they do not transgress.” [Al-Qur’aan
55:19-20]
In the Arabic text the word barzakh
means a barrier or a partition. This barrier is not a physical partition. The
Arabic word maraja literally means ‘they both meet and mix with
each other’. Early commentators of the Qur’aan were unable to explain
the two opposite meanings for the two bodies of water, i.e. they meet and
mix, and at the same time, there is a barrier between them. Modern Science
has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a
barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea
has its own temperature, salinity and density. 7
Oceanologists are now in a better position to explain this verse. There is a
slanted unseen water barrier between the two seas through which water from
one sea passes to the other.
But when the water from one sea enters the
other sea, it loses its distinctive characteristic and becomes homogenized
with the other water. In a way this barrier serves as a transitional
homogenizing area for the two waters. This scientific phenomenon
mentioned in the Qur’aan was also confirmed by Dr. William Hay who is
a well-known marine scientist and Professor of Geological
Sciences at the University of Colorado, U.S.A. The Qur’aan mentions
this phenomenon also in the following verse: “And made a
separating bar between the two bodies Of flowing water?” [Al-Qur’aan
27:61]
This phenomenon occurs in several places,
including the divider between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic
Ocean
at
Gibralter. But when the Qur’aan speaks about the divider between
fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of “a forbidding
partition” with the barrier. “It is He Who has Let free the two
bodies Of flowing water: One palatable and sweet, And the other salty and
bitter; Yet has He Made a barrier between them, And a partition that is
forbidden To be passed.” [Al-Qur’aan 25:53]
Modern science has discovered that in
estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and salt- water meet, the situation is
somewhat different from that found in places where two seas meet.
It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt
water in estuaries is a “pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity
separating the two layers.” 8 This partition (zone of separation)
has salinity different from both the fresh water and the salt water. 9
This phenomenon occurs in several places,
including Egypt, where the river Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
7
Principles of Oceanography,
Davis, pp. 92-93.
DARKNESS IN THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN
Prof. Durga Rao is an expert in the
field of Marine Geology and was a professor at King Abdul Aziz
University in Jeddah. He was asked to comment on the following verse:
“Or (the Unbelievers’ state) Is like the depths of darkness In
a vast deep ocean, Overwhelmed with billow Topped by billow, Topped
by (dark) clouds: Depths of darkness, one Above another: if a man
Stretches out his hand, He can hardly see it! For any to whom Allah Giveth
not light, there is no light!” [Al-Qur’aan 24:40]
Prof. Rao said that scientists have only now
been able to confirm, with the help of modern equipment that there is
darkness in the depths of the ocean. Humans are unable to dive unaided
underwater for more than 20 to 30 meters, and cannot survive in the deep
oceanic regions at a depth of more than 200 meters. This verse does not
refer to all seas because not every sea can be described as having
accumulated darkness layered one over another. It refers especially to a deep
sea or deep ocean, as the Qur’aan says, “darkness in a vast deep ocean”. This
layered darkness in a deep ocean is the result of two causes:
1.
A light ray is composed of seven colours. These
seven colours are Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red
(VIBGYOR). The light ray undergoes refraction when it hits water. The
upper 10 to 15 metres of water absorb the red colour. Therefore if a diver
is 25 metres under water and gets wounded, he would not be able to
see the red colour of his blood, because the red colour does not reach
this depth. Similarly orange rays are absorbed at 30 to 50 metres, yellow at
50 to 100 metres, green at 100 to 200 metres, and finally, blue beyond 200
metres and violet and indigo above 200 metres. Due to successive
disappearance of colour, one layer after another, the ocean progressively
becomes darker, i.e. darkness takes place in layers of light. Below a depth of
1000 meters there is complete darkness. 10
2.
The sun’s rays are absorbed by clouds, which in turn scatter light rays
thus causing a layer of darkness under the clouds. This is the first layer of
darkness. When light rays reach the surface of the ocean they are reflected
by the wave surface giving it a shiny appearance. Therefore it is the waves
which reflect light and cause darkness. The unreflected light penetrates into
the depths of the ocean. Therefore the ocean has two parts. The surface
characterized by light and warmth and the depth characterized by darkness.
The surface is further separated from the deep part of the ocean by waves.
The internal waves cover the deep waters of seas and oceans because the deep
waters have a higher density than the waters above them. The darkness begins
below the internal waves. Even the fish in the depths of the ocean cannot see;
their only source of light is from their own bodies.
The Qur’aan rightly mentions: “Darkness in a
vast deep ocean overwhelmed with waves topped by waves”.
In other words, above these waves there are
more types of waves, i.e. those found on the surface of the ocean. The
Qur’aanic verse continues, “topped by (dark) clouds; depths of darkness, one
above another.”
These clouds as explained are barriers one over
the other that further cause darkness by absorption of colours at different
levels.
Prof. Durga Rao concluded by saying, “1400
years ago a normal human being could not explain this phenomenon in so much
detail. Thus the information must have come from a supernatural
source”.
8
Oceanography,
Gross, p. 242. Also see Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp.
300-301.
9
Oceanography,
Gross, p. 244 and Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.
10 Oceans, Elder and Pernetta, p. 27.
VI. BIOLOGY
EVERY LIVING THING IS MADE OF WATER
Consider the following Qur’aanic verse: “Do
not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined
together (as one Unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder? We made
from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” [Al-Qur’aan
21:30]
Only after advances have been made in
science, do we now know that cytoplasm, the basic substance of the cell
is made up of 80% water. Modern research has also revealed that most
organisms consist of 50% to 90% water and that every living entity requires
water for its existence. Was it possible 14 centuries ago for any human-being
to guess that every living being was made of water? Moreover would such a
guess be conceivable by a human being in the deserts of Arabia where
there has always been scarcity of water? The following verse refers to
the creation of animals from water: “And Allah has created Every
animal from water.” [Al-Qur’aan 24:45]
The following verse refers to the creation of
human beings from water: “It is He Who has Created man from
water: Then has He established Relationships of lineage And marriage:
for thy Lord Has power (over all things).” [Al-Qur’aan 25:54]
VII. BOTANY
PLANTS CREATED IN PAIRS, MALE AND FEMALE
Previously humans did not know that plants too
have male and female gender distinctions. Botany states that every
plant has a male and female gender. Even the plants that are unisexual
have distinct elements of both male and female. “‘And has sent Down
water from the sky.’ With it have We produced Diverse pairs
of plants Each separate from the others.” [Al- Qur’aan
20:53]
FRUITS CREATED IN PAIRS, MALE AND FEMALE
“And fruit Of every kind He made In pairs,
two and two.” [Al-Qur’aan
13:3]
Fruit is the end product of reproduction
of the superior plants. The stage preceding fruit is the flower, which
has male and female organs (stamens and ovules). Once pollen has been carried
to the flower, they bear fruit, which in turn matures and frees its
seed. All fruits therefore imply the existence of male and female
organs; a fact that is mentioned in the Qur’aan.
In certain species, fruit can come from
non-fertilized flowers (parthenocarpic fruit) e.g. bananas, certain types of
pineapple, fig, orange, vine, etc. They also have definite sexual
characteristics.
EVERYTHING MADE IN PAIRS
“And of everything We have created pairs.”
[Al-Qur’aan 51:49]
This refers to things other than humans,
animals, plants and fruits. It may also be referring to a phenomenon like
electricity in which the atoms consist of negatively – and positively –
charged electrons and protons.
“Glory to Allah, Who created In pairs all
things that The earth produces, as well as Their own (human) kind And
(other) things of which They have no knowledge.”
[Al-Qur’aan 36:36]
The Qur’aan here says that everything is
created in pairs, including things that the humans do not know at present
and may discover later.
VIII. ZOOLOGY
ANIMALS AND BIRDS LIVE IN COMMUNITIES
“There is not an animal (That lives) on the
earth, Nor a being that flies On its wings, but (forms Part of)
communities like you.” [Al-Qur’aan
6:38]
Research has shown that animals and birds
live in communities, i.e. they organize, and live and work together.
THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS
Regarding the flight of birds the Qur’aan
says: “Do they not look at The birds, held poised In the midst of
(the air And) the sky? Nothing Holds them up but (the power Of) Allah. Verily
in this Are Signs for those who believe.” [Al-Qur’aan 16:79]
A similar message is repeated in the
Qur’aan in the verse: “Do they not observe The birds above
them, Spreading their wings And folding them in? None can uphold them Except
(Allah) Most Gracious: Truly it is He That watches over all things.” [Al-Qur’aan
67:19]
The Arabic word amsaka literally means,
‘to put one’s hand on, seize, hold, hold someone back,’ which expresses the
idea that Allah holds the bird up in His power. These verses stress the
extremely close dependence of the birds’ behaviour on Divine order. Modern
scientific data has shown the degree of perfection attained by certain
species of birds with regard to the programming of their movements. It is
only the existence of a migratory programme in the genetic code of the birds
that can explain the long and complicated journey that very young birds,
without any prior experience and without any guide, are able to accomplish.
They are also able to return to the departure point on a definite date.
Prof. Hamburger in his book ‘Power and
Fragility’ gives the example of ‘mutton-bird’ that lives in the Pacific
with its journey of over 15,000 miles in the shape of figure ‘8’. It makes
this journey over a period of 6 months and comes back to its departure point
with a maximum delay of one week. The highly complicated instructions for
such a journey have to be contained in the birds’ nervous cells. They are
definitely programmed. Should we not reflect on the identity of this
‘Programmer’?
THE BEE
“And thy Lord taught the Bee To build its
cells in hills, On trees, and in (men’s) habitations; Then to eat of all The
produce (of the earth), And find with skill the spacious Paths of its Lord.”
[Al-Qur’aan 16:68-69]
Von-Frisch received the Nobel Prize in
1973 for his research on the behaviour and communication of the bees.
The bee, after discovering any new garden or flower, goes back and tells its
fellow bees the exact direction and map to get there, which is known
as ‘bee dance’. The meanings of this insect’s movements that are
intended to transmit information between worker bees have been
discovered scientifically using photography and other methods. The
Qur’aan mentions in the above verse how the bee finds with skill the spacious
paths of its Lord.
The worker bee or the soldier bee is a female
bee. In Soorah Al-Nahl chapter no. 16, verses 68 and 69 the gender used for
the bee is the female gender (fa’slukî and kulî),
indicating that the bee that leaves its home for gathering food is a
female bee. In other words the soldier or worker bee is a female bee. In
fact, in Shakespeare’s play, “Henry the Fourth”, some of the
characters speak about bees and mention that the bees are soldiers and that
they have a king. That is what people thought in Shakespearean times. They
thought that the worker bees are male bees and they go home and are
answerable to a king bee. This, however, is not true. The worker bees are
females and they do not report to a king bee but to a queen bee. But it took
modern investigations in the last 300 years to discover this.
SPIDER’S WEB / HOME IS FRAGILE
The Qur’aan mentions in Soorah Al-‘Ankabût,
“The parable of those who Take protectors other than Allah Is that of
the Spider, Who builds (to itself) A house; but truly The flimsiest of houses
Is the Spider’s house – If they but knew.” [Al-Qur’aan 29:41]
Besides giving the physical description
of the spider’s web as being very flimsy, delicate and weak, the
Qur’aan also stresses on the flimsiness of the relationship in the spider’s
house, where the female spider many a times kills its mate, the male spider.
LIFESTYLE AND COMMUNICATION OF ANTS
Consider the following Qur’aanic
verse: “And before Solomon were marshaled His hosts – of
Jinns and men And birds, and they were all Kept in order and ranks. “At
length, when they came To a (lowly) valley of ants, One of the ants said: ‘O
ye ants, get into Your habitations, lest Solomon And his hosts crush you
(Under foot) without knowing it.’” [Al- Qur’aan 27:17-18]
In the past, some people would have probably
mocked at the Qur’aan, taking it to be a fairy tale book in which ants talk
to each other and communicate sophisticated messages. In recent times,
research has shown us several facts about the lifestyle of ants, which
were not known earlier to humankind. Research has shown that the animals
or insects whose lifestyle is closest in resemblance to the lifestyle of
human beings are the ants. This can be seen from the following findings
regarding ants:
(a)
The ants bury their dead
in a manner similar to the humans.
(b)
They have a sophisticated
system of division of labour, whereby they have managers, supervisors, foremen,
workers, etc.
(c)
Once in a while they meet
among themselves to have a ‘chat’.
(d)
They have an advanced
method of communication among themselves.
(e)
They hold regular markets
wherein they exchange goods.
(f)
They store grains for
long periods in winter and if the grain begins to bud, they cut the roots, as
if they understand that if they leave it to grow, it will rot. If the grains
stored by them get wet due to rains, they take these grains out into the
sunlight to dry, and once these are dry, they take them back inside as though
they know that humidity will cause development of root systems and thereafter
rotting of the grain.
IX. MEDICINE
HONEY HAS HEALING PROPERTIES
The bee assimilates juices of various
kinds of flowers and fruit and forms within its body the honey, which it
stores in its cells of wax. Only a couple of centuries ago man came to know
that honey comes from the belly of the bee. This fact was mentioned in
the Qur’aan 1,400 years ago in the following verse: “There issues
From within their bodies A drink of varying colours, Wherein is healing
for men.” [Al-Qur’aan 16:69]
We are now aware that honey has a
healing property and also a mild antiseptic property. The Russians used
honey to cover their wounds in World War II. The wound would retain
moisture and would leave very little scar tissue. Due to the density of
honey, no fungus or bacteria would grow in the wound. A person suffering from
an allergy of a particular plant may be given honey from that plant so that the
person develops resistance to that allergy. Honey is rich in fructose and
vitamin K. Thus the knowledge contained in the Qur’aan regarding honey, its
origin and properties, was far ahead of the time it was revealed.
X. PHYSIOLOGY
BLOOD CIRCULATION AND THE PRODUCTION OF MILK
The Qur’aan was revealed 600 years before the
Muslim scientist Ibn Nafees described the circulation of the blood and 1,000
years before William Harwey brought this understanding to the Western world.
Roughly thirteen centuries before it was known what happens in the intestines
to ensure that organs are nourished by the process of digestive
absorption, a verse in the Qur’aan described the source of the
constituents of milk, in conformity with these notions.
To understand the Qur’aanic verse
concerning the above concepts, it is important to know that chemical
reactions occur in the intestines and that, from there, substances
extracted from food pass into the blood stream via a complex system; sometimes
by way of the liver, depending on their chemical nature. The blood transports
them to all the organs of the body, among which are the milk-producing mammary
glands.
In simple terms, certain substances from the
contents of the intestines enter into the vessels of the intestinal wall
itself, and these substances are transported by the blood stream to the
various organs.
This concept must be fully appreciated if we wish
to understand the following verse in the Qur’aan: “And verily in cattle
there is A lesson for you. We give you to drink Of what is
inside their bodies, Coming from a conjunction Between the contents of the
Intestine and the blood, A milk pure and pleasant for Those who drink it.”
[Al-Qur’aan 16:66] 11
“And in cattle (too) ye Have an instructive
example: From within their bodies We produce (milk) for you To drink; there
are, in them, (Besides), numerous (other) Benefits for you; And of their
(meat) ye eat.” [Al-Qur’aan 23:21]
The Qur’aanic description of the production
of milk in cattle is strikingly similar to what modern physiology has
discovered.
11
Translation of this Qur’anic verse is from the
book “The Bible, the Qur’an and Science” by Dr. Maurice Bucaille.
XI. EMBRYOLOGY
MAN IS CREATED FROM "ALAQ" (A LEECH-LIKE SUBSTANCE)
A few years ago a group of Arabs
collected all information concerning embryology from the Qur’aan, and
followed the instruction of the Qur’aan:
“If ye realise this not, ask Of those
who possess the Message.” [Al-
Qur’aan 16:43 & 21:7]
All the information from the Qur’aan so gathered,
was translated into English and presented to Prof. (Dr.) Keith Moore,
who was the Professor of Embryology and Chairman of the Department of
Anatomy at the University of Toronto, in Canada. At present he is one of the
highest authorities in the field of Embryology. He was asked to give
his opinion regarding the information present in the Qur’aan concerning the
field of embryology. After carefully examining the translation of the
Qur’aanic verses presented to him, Dr. Moore said that most of
the information concerning embryology mentioned in the Qur’aan is in
perfect conformity with modern discoveries in the field of embryology and does
not conflict with them in any way. He added that there were however a few
verses, on whose scientific accuracy he could not comment. He could not
say whether the statements were true or false, since he himself was not
aware of the information contained therein.
There was also no mention of this information in
modern writings and studies on embryology. One such verse is: “Proclaim! (or
Read!) In the name Of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created – Created man,
out of A (mere) clot Of congealed blood.” [Al-Qur’aan 96:1-2]
The word alaq besides meaning a
congealed clot of blood also means something that clings, a
leech-like substance. Dr. Keith Moore had no knowledge whether an embryo
in the initial stages appears like a leech. To check this out he studied the
initial stage of the embryo under a very powerful microscope in his laboratory
and compared what he observed with a diagram of a leech and he was astonished
at the striking resemblance between the two!
In the same manner, he acquired more information
on embryology that was hitherto not known to him, from the Qur’aan.
Dr. Keith Moore answered about eighty questions dealing with
embryological data mentioned in the Qur’aan and Hadith. Noting that the
information contained in the Qur’aan and Hadith was in full agreement
with the latest discoveries in the field of embryology, Prof. Moore
said, “If I was asked these questions thirty years ago, I would not
have been able to answer half of them for lack of scientific information”
Dr. Keith Moore had earlier authored the
book, ‘The Developing Human’. After acquiring new knowledge from the Qur’aan,
he wrote, in 1982, the 3rd edition of the same book, ‘The Developing
Human’. The book was the recipient of an award for the best medical book
written by a single author. This book has been translated into several major
languages of the world and is used as a textbook of embryology in the first
year of medical studies.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in
Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Dr. Moore said, “It has been a great pleasure for me to
help clarify statements in the Qur’aan about human development. It is
clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from
God or Allah, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until
many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a
messenger of God or Allah.” 12
Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, Chairman of the
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at the Baylor College
of Medicine, Houston, U.S.A., proclaims: “...these Hadiths, sayings
of Muhammad (pbuh) could not have been obtained on the basis of the
scientific knowledge that was available at the time of the writer (7th
century). It follows that not only is there no conflict between genetics and
religion (Islam) but in fact religion (Islam) may guide science by adding
revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches… there
exist statements in the Qur’aan shown centuries later to be valid which support
knowledge in the Qur’aan having been derived from God.”
12
The reference for this statement is the video
tape titled ‘This is the Truth’. For a copy of this video tape contact
the Islamic Research Foundation.
MAN CREATED FROM A DROP EMITTED FROM BETWEEN THE BACK BONE AND
THE RIBS
“Now let man but think From what he is created!
He is created from A drop emitted – Proceeding from between The back bone and
the ribs.” [Al-Qur’aan 86:5-7]
In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of
the male and female, i.e. the testicles and the ovaries, begin their
development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh
and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the female gonads (ovaries) stop in
the pelvis while the male gonads (testicles) continue their descent before
birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal canal. Even in the adult
after the descent of the reproductive organ, these organs receive
their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal Aorta, which
is in the area between the backbone (spinal column) and the ribs.
Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same
area.
HUMAN BEINGS CREATED FROM "NUTFAH" (Minute Quantity of
Liquid)
The Glorious Qur’aan mentions no less than
eleven times that the human being is created from nutfah, which
means a minute quantity of liquid or a trickle of liquid which remains
after emptying a cup. This is mentioned in several verses of the Qur’aan
including 22:5 and 23:13. 13
Science has confirmed in recent times that only
one out of an average of three million sperms is required for fertilising the
ovum. This means that only a 1/three millionth part or 0.00003% of the quantity
of sperms that are emitted is required for fertilisation.
13
The same is also mentioned in the Qur’an in 16:4,
18:37, 35:11, 36:77, 40:67, 53:46, 75:37, 76:2 and 80:19.
HUMAN BEINGS CREATED FROM "SULALAH" (Quintessence of
liquid)
“And made his progeny From a quintessence Of the
nature of A fluid despised.” [Al-Qur’aan
32:8]
The Arabic word sulâlah means quintessence
or the best part of a whole. We have come to know now that only one single
spermatozoon that penetrates the ovum is required for fertilization, out
of the several millions produced by man. That one spermatozoon out
of several millions, is referred to in the Qur’aan as sulâlah.
Sulâlah also means gentle extraction from a fluid. The fluid refers to both
male and female germinal fluids containing gametes. Both ovum and sperm are
gently extracted from their environments in the process of fertilization.
MAN CREATED
FROM "NUTFATUN AMSHAAJ"
(Mingled liquids)
Consider the following Qur’aanic verse:
“Verily We created Man from a drop Of mingled sperm.” [Al-Qur’aan
76:2]
The Arabic word nutfatin amshaajin
means mingled liquids. According to some commentators of the Qur’aan,
mingled liquids refers to the male or female agents or liquids. After
mixture of male and female gamete, the zygote still remains nutfah.
Mingled liquids can also refer to spermatic fluid that is formed of various
secretions that come from various glands.
Therefore nutfatin amsaj, i.e. a minute
quantity of mingled fluids refers to the male and female gametes
(germinal fluids or cells) and part of the surrounding fluids.
SEX DETERMINATION
The sex of a fetus is determined by the nature of
the sperm and not the ovum. The sex of the child, whether female or male,
depends on whether the 23rd pair of chromosomes is XX or XY respectively.
Primarily sex determination occurs at fertilization and depends upon the type
of sex chromosome in the sperm that fertilizes an ovum. If it is an ‘X’ bearing
sperm that fertilizes the ovum, the fetus is a female and if it is a ‘Y’
bearing sperm then the fetus is a male. “That He did create In pairs – male
and female, From a seed when lodged (In its place).” [Al-Qur’aan
53:45-46]
The Arabic word nutfah means a minute
quantity of liquid and tumnâ means ejaculated or planted. Therefore
nutfah specifically refers to sperm because it is ejaculated. The Qur’aan
says: “Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (In lowly form)? “Then
did he become A clinging clot; Then did (Allah) make And fashion (him)
In due proportion. “And of him He made Two sexes, male And female.” [Al-Qur’aan
75:37-39]
Here again it is mentioned that a small quantity
(drop) of sperm (indicated by the word nutfatan min maniyyin) which
comes from the man is responsible for the sex of the fetus.
Mothers-in-law in the Indian subcontinent, by and
large prefer having male grandchildren and often blame their daughters-in-law
if the child is not of the desired sex. If only they knew that the determining
factor is the nature of the male sperm and not the female ovum! If they were to
blame anybody, they should blame their sons and not their daughters-in-law
since both the Qur’aan and Science hold that it is the male fluid that is
responsible for the sex of the child!
FOETUS
PROTECTED BY THREE VEILS OF DARKNESS
“He makes you, In the wombs of your
mothers, In stages, one after another, In three veils of darkness.”
[Al-Qur’aan 39:6]
According to Prof. Keith Moore these three veils
of darkness in the Qur’aan refer to:
(i)
anterior abdominal wall
of the mother
(ii)
the uterine wall
(iii)
the amnio-chorionic
membrane.
EMBRYONIC
STAGES
“Man We did create From a quintessence (of
clay); Then We placed him As (a drop of) sperm In a place of rest, firmly
fixed; Then We made the sperm Into a clot of congealed blood; Then of
that clot We made A (foetus) lump; then We Made out of that lump
Bones and clothed the bones With flesh; then We developed Out of it
another creature. So blessed be Allah, The Best to create!”
[Al-Qur’aan 23:12-14]
In this verse Allah states that man is created
from a small quantity of liquid which is placed in a place of rest, firmly
fixed (well established or lodged) for which the Arabic word qarârin makîn
is used.
The uterus is well protected from the
posterior by the spinal column supported firmly by the back muscles. The
embryo is further protected by the amniotic sac containing the amniotic
fluid. Thus the foetus has a well protected dwelling place. This small
quantity of fluid is made into alaqah, meaning something which clings.
It also means a leech-like substance. Both descriptions are scientifically
acceptable as in the very early stages the foetus clings to the wall and
also appears to resemble the leech in shape. It also behaves like a
leech (blood sucker) and acquires its blood supply from the mother through the
placenta. The third meaning of the word alaqah is a blood clot. During
this alaqah stage, which spans the third and fourth week of pregnancy,
the blood clots within closed vessels. Hence the embryo acquires the
appearance of a blood clot in addition to acquiring the appearance of a leech.
In 1677, Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe
human sperm cells (spermatozoa) using a microscope. They thought that
a sperm cell contained a miniature human being which grew in the
uterus to form a newborn. This was known as the perforation
theory. When scientists discovered that the ovum was bigger than the sperm,
it was thought by De Graf and others that the foetus existed in a miniature
form in the ovum. Later, in the 18th century Maupertuis propagated
the theory of biparental inheritance. The alaqah is
transformed into mudghah which means ‘something that is chewed
(having teeth marks)’ and also something that is tacky and small which can
be put in the mouth like gum. Both these explanations are
scientifically correct. Prof. Keith Moore took a piece of plaster seal
and made it into the size and shape of the early stage of foetus and chewed it
between the teeth to make it into a ‘Mudgha’. He compared this with the
photographs of the early stage of foetus. The teeth marks resembled the
‘somites’ which is the early formation of the spinal column.
This mudghah is transformed into bones
(izâm). The bones are clothed with intact flesh or muscles (lahm).
Then Allah makes it into another creature.
Prof. Marshall Johnson is one of the leading
scientists in US, and is the head of the Department of Anatomy and
Director of the Daniel Institute at the Thomas Jefferson University
in Philadelphia in US. He was asked to comment on the verses of the
Qur’aan dealing with embryology. He said that the verses of the Qur’aan
describing the embryological stages cannot be a coincidence. He said it
was probable that Muhammad (pbuh) had a powerful microscope. On being
reminded that the Qur’aan was revealed 1400 years ago, and
microscopes were invented centuries after the time of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh), Prof. Johnson laughed and admitted that the first microscope
invented could not magnify more than 10 times and could not show a
clear picture. Later he said: “I see nothing here in conflict with the concept
that Divine intervention was involved when Muhammad (pbuh) recited the
Qur’aan.”
According to Dr. Keith Moore, the modern
classification of embryonic development stages which is adopted
throughout the world, is not easily comprehensible, since it
identifies stages on a numerical basis i.e. stage I, stage II, etc.
The divisions revealed in the Qur’aan are based on distinct and easily
identifiable forms or shapes, which the embryo passes through. These are
based on different phases of prenatal development and provide elegant
scientific descriptions that are comprehensible and practical.
Similar embryological stages of human development
have been described in the following verses: “Was he not a drop Of
sperm emitted (In lowly form)? Then did he become a clinging clot;
Then did (Allah) make and fashion (him) In due proportion. And of him He made
Two sexes, male and female.” [Al-Qur’aan 75:37-39]
“Him Who created thee, fashioned thee in due
proportion, And gave thee a just bias; In whatever Form He wills, Does He put
thee together.” [Al- Qur’aan
82:7-8]
EMBRYO
PARTLY FORMED AND PARTLY UNFORMED
At the mugdhah stage, if an incision is
made in the embryo and the internal organ is dissected, it will be seen
that most of them are formed while the others are not yet completely
formed.
According to Prof. Johnson, if we describe the
embryo as a complete creation, then we are only describing that part which is
already created. If we describe it as an incomplete creation, then we are only
describing that part which is not yet created. So, is it a complete creation or
an incomplete creation? There is no better description of this stage of
embryogenesis than the Qur’aanic description, “partly formed and partly
unformed”, as in the following verse:
“We created you Out of dust, then out of Sperm,
then out of a leech-like Clot, then out of a morsel Of flesh, partly formed And
partly unformed.” [Al-Qur’aan 22:5]
Scientifically we know that at this early stage
of development there are some cells which are differentiated and
there are some cells that are undifferentiated – some organs are
formed and yet others unformed.
SENSE OF
HEARING AND SIGHT
The first sense to develop in a
developing human embryo is hearing. The foetus can hear sounds after the
24th week. Subsequently, the sense of sight is developed and by the 28th week,
the retina becomes sensitive to light.
Consider the following Qur’aanic verses
related to the development of the senses in the embryo: “And He
gave You (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (And
understanding).” [Al-Qur’aan 32:9]
“Verily We created Man from a drop Of mingled
sperm, In order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), Of Hearing
and Sight.” [Al-Qur’aan
76:2]
“It is He Who has created For you (the
faculties of) Hearing, sight, feeling And understanding: little thanks It is
ye give!” [Al-Qur’aan 23:78]
In all these verses the sense of hearing is
mentioned before that of sight. Thus the Qur’aanic description matches
with the discoveries in modern embryology.
XII. GENERAL SCIENCE
FINGERPRINTS
“Does man think that We Cannot assemble his
bones? Nay, We are able to put Together in perfect order The very tips of his
fingers.” [Al-Qur’aan 75:3-4]
Unbelievers argue regarding resurrection
taking place after bones of dead people have disintegrated in the
earth and how each individual would be identified on the Day of
Judgement. Almighty Allah answers that He can not only assemble our
bones but can also reconstruct perfectly our very fingertips.
Why does the Qur’aan, while speaking about
determination of the identity of the individual, speak specifically about
fingertips? In 1880, fingerprinting became the scientific method of
identification, after research done by Sir Francis Golt. No two persons in
the world can ever have exactly the same fingerprint pattern. That is the
reason why police forces worldwide use fingerprints to identify the
criminal. 1400 years ago, who could have known the uniqueness of each human’s
fingerprint? Surely it could have been none other than the Creator Himself!
PAIN
RECEPTORS PRESENT IN THE SKIN
It was thought that the sense of feeling and pain
was only dependent on the brain. Recent discoveries prove that there are
pain receptors present in the skin without which a person would not be able to
feel pain. When a doctor examines a patient suffering from burn
injuries, he verifies the degree of burns by a pinprick. If the patient
feels pain, the doctor is happy, because it indicates that the burns are
superficial and the pain receptors are intact. On the other hand if the patient
does not feel any pain, it indicates that it is a deep burn and the pain
receptors have been destroyed. The Qur’aan gives an indication of the
existence of pain receptors in the following verse: “Those who reject
Our signs, We shall soon Cast into the Fire; As often as their skins Are
roasted through, We shall change them For fresh skins, That they may taste The
Penalty: for Allah Is Exalted in Power, Wise.” [Al- Qur’aan 4:56]
Prof. Tagatat Tejasen, Chairman of the
Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, has spent a
great amount of time on research of pain receptors. Initially he could not
believe that the Qur’aan mentioned this scientific fact 1,400 years ago.
He later verified the translation of this particular Qur’aanic verse.
Prof. Tejasen was so impressed by the scientific accuracy of the Qur’aanic
verse, that at the 8th Saudi Medical Conference held in Riyadh on the
Scientific Signs of Qur’aan and Sunnah he proclaimed in public: “There is
no God but Allah and Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger.”
CONCLUSION
To attribute the presence of scientific
facts in the Qur’aan to coincidence would be against common sense and a
true scientific approach. The Qur’aan invites all humans to reflect on
the Creation of this universe in the verse:
“Behold! In the creation Of the heavens
and the earth, And the alternation Of Night and Day – There are
indeed Signs For men of understanding.”
[Al-Qur’aan 3:190]
The scientific evidences of the Qur’aan clearly
prove its Divine Origin. No human could have produced a book, fourteen hundred
years ago, that would contain profound scientific facts, to be
discovered by humankind centuries later. The Qur’aan, however, is not a book
of Science but a book of ‘Signs’. These signs invite Man to realize the purpose
of his existence on earth, and to live in harmony with Nature. The Qur’aan is
truly a message from Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
It contains the same message of the Oneness of God, that was preached by all
prophets, right from Adam, Moses, Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon them).
Several detailed tomes have been written
on the subject of Qur’aan and modern science and further research in this
field is on. Inshallah, this research will help mankind to come closer to the
Word of the Almighty. This booklet contains only a few of the scientific
facts present in the Qur’aan. I cannot claim to have done full justice
to the subject. Prof.
Tejasen accepted Islam on the strength of just
one scientific ‘sign’ mentioned in the Qu’ran. Some people may require ten
signs while some may require hundred signs to be convinced about the Divine
Origin of the Qur’aan. Some would be unwilling to accept the Truth even after
being shown a thousand signs. The Qur’aan condemns such a closed mentality
in the verse: “Deaf, dumb and blind, They will not return (To the
path).” [Al-Qur’aan 2:18]
The Qur’aan contains a complete code of life for
the individual and society. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), the Qur’aanic
way of life is far superior to the ‘isms’ that modern man has invented
out of sheer ignorance. Who can give better guidance than the Creator Himself?
I pray that this humble effort is accepted by
Allah, to whom I pray for mercy and guidance (Aameen).
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