Introduction
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
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-Quraan, 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 Quraan is
believed to be for all times, it should be relevant to every
age. Does the Quraan pass this test? Here, I intend to give an
objective analysis of the Muslim belief regarding the Divine
origin of the Quraan, 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 Quraan 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 Thanks for his
editorial assistance. May Allah reward him for his efforts,
Aameen
Dr.
Zakir Naik
(Islamic Research Foundation)
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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-Quraan is
Arabic literature par excellence - that it is the best Arabic
literature on the face of the earth. The Quraan,
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-Quraan 2:23-24]
(Al-Quran 2:23-24
indicates Soorah or Chapter No. 2 and Ayaat or Verses 23 and
24.)
The
same notation is followed throughout the book. References and
translation of the Quraan are from the translation of the Quraan
by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, new revised edition, 1989,
published by Amana Corporation, Maryland, USA.
The challenge of the Quraan, is to produce a single Soorah
(chapter) like the Soorahs it contains. The same challenge
is repeated in the Quraan several times. The challenge to
produce a Soorah, which, in beauty, eloquence, depth and
meaning is at least somewhat similar to a Quraanic 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
Quraans 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 Quraan, and
analyze whether The Quraan and Modern Science are compatible or
incompatible?
The Quraan is not a book of science but a book of signs,
i.e. ayats. There are more than six thousand signs in the Quraan
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.
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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 Quraanic 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-Quraan 34:3]
(A similar message is
conveyed in the Quran in 10:61.)
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.
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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 Platos time. Even Descartes,
a great thinker of the eighteenth century, subscribed to
this view. Till the nineteenth century, Aristotles
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 Quraan 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-Quraan 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-Quraan 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-Quraan 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-Quraan 15:22]
The Arabic word used here is lawqih, 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 Quraan:
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-Quraan 30:48]
The Quraanic descriptions are absolutely accurate and agree
perfectly with modern data on hydrology. The water cycle
is described in several verses of the Glorious Quraan, including
3:9, 7:57, 13:17, 25:48- 49, 36:34, 50:9-11, 56:68-70, 67:30 and
86:11.
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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 earths 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 relief 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
earths crust and give it stability. The Quraan 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-Quraan
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. According to Dr. Press, the mountains play an
important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth.
(* Earth, Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see Earth Science,
Tarbuck and Lutgens, p. 157.)
The Quraan 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-Quraan 21:31]
The Quraanic descriptions are in perfect agreement with
modern geological data.
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
earths 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 Quraan also speaks about the strong
mountain foundations in the following verse:
And the mountains Hath He firmly fixed.
[Al-Quraan 79:32]
(*A similar message is contained in the Qur'aan in 88:19,
31:10 and 16:15)
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Oceanology
BARRIER BETWEEN SWEET AND SALT WATERS
Consider the following Quraanic verses:
He has let free the two bodies Of
flowing water, Meeting together: Between them is a Barrier Which
they do not transgress. [Al-Quraan 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 Quraan 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. 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.
(Principles of
Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.)
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 Quraan 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 Quraan mentions this
phenomenon also in the following verse:
And made a separating bar between the
two bodies Of flowing water? [Al-Quraan 27:61]
This phenomenon occurs in several places, including the divider
between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean at Gibralter.
But when the Quraan 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-Quraan
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.
This partition (zone of separation) has salinity different from
both the fresh water and the salt water.
This phenomenon occurs in several places, including Egypt, where
the river Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
(Oceanography, Gross, p. 242. Also see
Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.)
(Oceanography, Gross, p. 244 and Introductory Oceanography,
Thurman, pp. 300-301. )
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-Quraan 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 Quraan says, darkness in a
vast deep ocean. This layered darkness in a deep ocean is
the result of two causes:
-
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.
(Oceans, Elder and Pernetta, p. 27. 1 2)
-
The suns 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
un-reflected 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 Quraan 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 Quraanic 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.
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Biology
EVERY LIVING THING IS MADE OF WATER
Consider the following Quraanic 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-Quraan 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-Quraan 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-Quraan 25:54]
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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-Quraan 20:53]
FRUITS CREATED IN PAIRS, MALE AND FEMALE
And fruit Of every kind He made In
pairs, two and two. [Al-Quraan 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 Quraan. 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-Quraan 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-Quraan 36:36]
The Quraan here says that everything is created in pairs,
including things that the humans do not know at present and may
discover later.
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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-Quraan 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 Quraan 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-Quraan 16:79]
A similar message is repeated in the
Quraan 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-Quraan 67:19]
The Arabic word amsaka literally means, to put ones
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 (mens) habitations; Then to
eat of all The produce (of the earth), And find with skill the
spacious Paths of its Lord. [Al-Quraan 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 insects movements that are intended to
transmit information between worker bees have been
discovered scientifically using photography and other methods.
The Quraan 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 (fasluk and kul),
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 Shakespeares 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.
SPIDERS WEB / HOME IS FRAGILE
The Quraan mentions in Soorah Al-Ankabt,
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 Spiders house If they but knew.
[Al-Quraan 29:41]
Besides giving the physical description of the spiders web
as being very flimsy, delicate and weak, the Quraan also
stresses on the flimsiness of the relationship in the spiders
house, where the female spider many a times kills its mate,
the male spider.
LIFESTYLE AND COMMUNICATION OF ANTS
Consider the following Quraanic 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-Quraan 27:17-18]
In the past, some people would have probably mocked at the
Quraan, 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:
-
The ants bury their dead in a manner similar to the
humans.
-
They have a sophisticated system of division of labour,
whereby they have managers, supervisors, foremen, workers,
etc.
-
Once in a while they meet among themselves to have a chat.
-
They have an advanced method of communication among
themselves.
-
They hold regular markets wherein they exchange goods.
-
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.
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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 Quraan 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-Quraan 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
Quraan regarding honey, its origin and properties, was
far ahead of the time it was revealed.
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Physiology
BLOOD CIRCULATION AND THE PRODUCTION OF MILK
The Quraan 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 Quraan described the source of
the constituents of milk, in conformity with these notions.
To understand the Quraanic 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 Quraan:
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-Quraan 16:66]
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-Quraan 23:21]
(Translation of this Qur'aanic verse is from the book The
Bible, the Quran and Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille.)
The Quraanic description of the production of milk in cattle is
strikingly similar to what modern physiology has discovered.
^ Top
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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 Quraan, and followed the
instruction of the Quraan:
If ye realise this not, ask Of those
who possess the Message. [Al-Quraan 16:43 & 21:7]
All the information from the Quraan 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 Quraan concerning the
field of embryology. After carefully examining the translation
of the Quraanic verses presented to him, Dr. Moore said
that most of the information concerning embryology mentioned in
the Quraan 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-Quraan 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 Quraan. Dr. Keith
Moore answered about eighty questions dealing with
embryological data mentioned in the Quraan and Hadith.
Noting that the information contained in the Quraan 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 Quraan, 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 Quraan 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 (peace be upon him) could not have been
obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was
available at the time of the writer (7 th 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 Quraan shown centuries later to be
valid which support knowledge in the Quraan having been derived
from God.
(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-Quraan
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 Quraan 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 Quraan 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.
(The
same is also mentioned in the Qur'aan 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-Quraan 32:8]
The Arabic word sullah 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 Quraan as sullah. Sullah 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 Quraanic verse:
Verily We created Man from a drop Of
mingled sperm. [Al-Quraan 76:2]
The Arabic word nutfatin amshaajin means mingled liquids.
According to some commentators of the Quraan, 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-Quraan 53:45-46]
The Arabic word nutfah means a minute quantity of liquid
and tumn means ejaculated or planted. Therefore nutfah
specifically refers to sperm because it is ejaculated. The
Quraan 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-Quraan 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 Quraan 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-Quraan 39:6]
According to Prof. Keith Moore these three veils of darkness
in the Quraan refer to:
- anterior abdominal wall of the mother
- the uterine wall
- 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-Quraan 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 qarrin makn 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 (izm). 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 Quraan dealing with
embryology. He said that the verses of the Quraan describing the
embryological stages cannot be a coincidence. He said it was
probable that Muhammad (peace be upon him) had a powerful
microscope. On being reminded that the Quraan was revealed 1400
years ago, and microscopes were invented centuries after the
time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), 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 (peace be upon him) recited the Quraan.
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 Quraan 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-Quraan 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-Quraan 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
embryo genesis than the Quraanic 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-Quraan
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 Quraanic 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-Quraan 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-Quraan 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-Quraan 23:78]
In all these verses the sense of hearing is mentioned before
that of sight. Thus the Quraanic description matches with the
discoveries in modern embryology.
^ Top
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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-Quraan 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 Judgment.
Almighty Allah answers that He can not only assemble our
bones but can also reconstruct perfectly our very fingertips.
Why does the Quraan, 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 humans 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 Quraan
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-Quraan 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 Quraan mentioned this scientific fact 1,400
years ago. He later verified the translation of this particular
Quraanic verse. Prof. Tejasen was so impressed by the
scientific accuracy of the Quraanic verse, that at the 8th
Saudi Medical Conference held in Riyadh on the Scientific Signs
of Quraan and Sunnah he proclaimed in public: There is no God
but Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Messenger.
^ Top
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Conclusion
To attribute the presence of scientific facts in the
Quraan to coincidence would be against common sense and a true
scientific approach. The Quraan 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-Quraan
3:190]
The scientific evidences of the Quraan 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 Quraan,
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
Quraan 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 Quraan and modern science and further research in
this field is on. By the will of God, 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
Quraan. 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 Quran. Some people may require
ten signs while some may require hundred signs to be convinced
about the Divine Origin of the Quraan. Some would be
unwilling to accept the Truth even after being shown a thousand
signs. The Quraan condemns such a closed mentality in
the verse:
Deaf, dumb and blind, They will not
return (To the path). [Al-Quraan 2:18]
The Quraan contains a complete code of life for the
individual and society. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to
Allah), the Quraanic 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).