Why Islam is the true religion of God.
Ever since the dawn of mankind, we have sought to understand nature and our=
place in it. In this quest for the purpose of life many people have turne=
d to religion. Most religions are based on books claimed by their follower=
s to be divinely inspired, without any proof. Islam is different because i=
t is based upon reason and proof.
There are clear signs that the book of Islam, the Quran, is the word of God=
and we have many reasons to support this claim:
=B7 There are scientific and historical facts found in the Quran whic=
h were unknown to the people at the time, and have only been discovered rec=
ently by contemporary science.=20
=B7 The Quran is in a unique style of language that cannot be replica=
ted, this is known as the 'Inimitability of the Quran.'
=B7 There are prophecies made in the Quran and by the Prophet Muhamma=
d, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, which have come to be pa=
ss.=20
This article lays out and explains the scientific facts that are found in t=
he Quran, centuries before they were 'discovered' in contemporary science. =
It is important to note that the Quran is not a book of science but a book=
of 'signs'. These signs are there for people to recognise God's existence=
and affirm His revelation. As we know, science sometimes takes a 'U-turn'=
where what once scientifically correct is false a few years later. In thi=
s article only established scientific facts are considered, not just theori=
es or hypothesis.
Scientific Facts in the Quran
The Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century.
Science at the time was primitive, there were no telescopes, microscopes or=
anything even close to the technology we have today. People believed that=
the sun orbited the earth and that the sky was held up by big pillars at t=
he corners of a flat earth. Within this backdrop the Quran was revealed, a=
nd it contains many scientific facts on topics ranging from astronomy to bi=
ology, geology to sociology.
Some people may claim that the Quran was changed as new scientific facts we=
re discovered but this cannot be the case because it is a historically docu=
mented fact that the Quran is preserved in its original language[1]. The Q=
uran was written down and memorised by people during the lifetime of the Pr=
ophet Muhammad. One of the copies of the Quran which was written a few yea=
rs after the death of the Prophet Muhammad is preserved in a museum in Uzbe=
kistan. This copy is over 1400 years old and is exactly the same as the Ar=
abic Quran that we have today[2].
The following are nine scientific facts found in the Quran:
1. Origin of Life
Water is essential for all living things. We all know that water is vital =
to life but the Quran makes a very unusual claim:
We made every living thing from water? Will they not believe? (Quran 21:30)
In this verse water is pointed out as the origin of all life. All living t=
hings are made of cells. We now know that cells are mostly made up of wate=
r[3]. For example, 80% of the cytoplasm (basic cell material) of a standar=
d animal cell is described as water in biology textbooks.
The fact that living things consist mostly of water was discovered only aft=
er the invention of the microscope. In the deserts of Arabia, the last thi=
ng someone would have guessed is that all life came from water.
2. Iron
Iron is not natural to the earth. It did not form on the earth but came do=
wn to earth from outer space. This may sound strange but it's true. Scien=
tists have found that billions of years ago the earth was stuck by meteorit=
es. These meteorites were carrying Iron from distant stars which had explo=
ded[4].
The Quran says the following on the origin of Iron:
"We sent down Iron with its great inherent strength and its many benefits f=
or humankind." (Quran 57:25)
God uses the words 'sent down' for Iron. It is clear from the verse that I=
ron is not an earthly material, but was sent down for the benefit of humani=
ty. The fact that Iron came down to earth from outer space is something wh=
ich could not be known by the primitive science of the 7th century.
3. Sky's Protection
The sky plays a crucial role in protecting the earth. The sky protects the=
earth from the lethal rays of the sun. If the sky did not exist then the =
sun's radiation would have killed off all life on earth. It also acts like=
a blanket wrapped around the earth, to protect it from the freezing cold o=
f space. The temperature just above the sky is approximately -270oC. If t=
his temperature was to reach earth then the planet would freeze over instan=
tly. The sky also protects life on earth by warming the surface through he=
at retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between=
day and night[5]. These are some of the many protective functions of the =
sky.
The Quran asks us to consider the sky in the following verse:
"We made the sky a protective ceiling. And yet they are turning away from =
Our signs!" (Quran 21:32)
The Quran points to the sky's protection as a sign of God. The protective =
properties of the sky were discovered by scientific research conducted in t=
he 20th century.
4. Mountains
The Quran draws our attention to a very important characteristic of mountai=
ns:
"Did We not make the earth a resting place? And the mountains as stakes?" (=
Quran 78:6-7)
The Quran indicates that mountains have deep roots by using the word stakes=
to describe them. In fact mountains do have deep roots, and the word stak=
es is an accurate description for them. A book titled 'Earth' by Geophysic=
ist Frank Press explains that mountains are like stakes, and are buried dee=
p under the surface of the earth. Mount Everest (pictured below), the heigh=
t of which is approximately 9 km above ground, has a root deeper than 125 k=
m.
The fact that mountains have deep 'stake' like roots was not known, until a=
fter the development of the theory of plate tectonics in the beginning of t=
he 20th century.[6]
5. Expansion of the Universe
At a time when the science of Astronomy was still primitive, the expansion =
of the universe was described in Quran:
"And it is We who have built the Universe with [Our creative] power and kee=
p expanding it." (Quran 51:47)
The fact that the universe is expanding was discovered in the last century.=
The physicist Stephen Hawking in his book 'A Brief History of Time' write=
s, "The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the great intel=
lectual revolutions of the 20th century.".
The Quran mentioned the expansion of the universe even before the invention=
of the telescope!
6. Sun's Orbit
In 1512 the astronomer Nicholas Copernicus put forward his theory that the =
Sun is motionless at the centre of the solar system, and that the planets r=
evolve around it. The belief that the Sun is stationary was widespread amo=
ngst astronomers until the 20th century. It is now a well-established scie=
ntific fact that the Sun is not stationary, but is moving in an orbit aroun=
d the centre of our Milky Way galaxy[7].
The Quran mentions the orbit of the Sun:
"It is He who created night and day, the Sun and the Moon, each floating in=
its orbit." (Quran 21:33)
The Quran would have been wrong according to astronomers just a couple of d=
ecades ago. But we now know that the Quranic account of the Sun's motion i=
s consistent with modern Astronomy.
7. The Ocean
The Quran uses imagery to covey its deep meanings, here it describes the st=
ate of the unbelievers as:
"Darkness out in a deep ocean which is covered by waves, above which are wa=
ves, above which are clouds, layers of darkness, one upon the other. When =
one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. Those God gives no =
light to, they have no light." (Quran 24:40)
It is commonly thought that waves only occur on the surface of the ocean. =
However oceanographers have discovered that there are internal waves that t=
ake place below the surface of the ocean. These waves are invisible to the=
human eye, and can only be detected by specialist equipment[8]. The Quran=
mentions darkness in a deep ocean above which are waves, above which are w=
aves, then clouds above that. This description is not only remarkable beca=
use it describes the internal waves in the ocean, but also because it descr=
ibes darkness deep in the ocean. A human being can dive no more than 70 me=
tres without breathing equipment. Light is present at that depth, but if w=
e go down 1000 metres it is completely dark[9]. 1400 years ago there were =
no submarines or specialist equipment to discover internal waves or the dar=
kness deep inside the oceans.
8. Lying and Movement
There was a cruel oppressive tribal leader named Abu Jahl who lived during =
the time of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon hi=
m. God revealed a verse of the Quran to warn him:
"No Indeed! If he does not stop, We will seize him by the forehead, his lyi=
ng, sinful forehead." (Quran 96:15-16)
God does not call this person a liar, but calls his forehead (the front par=
t of the brain) 'lying' and 'sinful', and warns him to stop.
This verse is significant for two reasons. The first is that the front par=
t of our brain is responsible for voluntary movement[10].This is known as t=
he frontal lobe. A book titled 'Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology' whic=
h includes the results of research on the functions of this area states: Th=
e motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate movements occur in the =
anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal area[11]. The part o=
f the brain that is responsible for movement is said to be seized if the ma=
n does not stop.
Secondly, numerous studies have shown that this same region (frontal lobe) =
is responsible for the lying function of the brain[12]. One such study at =
the University of Pennsylvania in which volunteers were asked questions dur=
ing a computerized interrogation, it was found that when the volunteers wer=
e lying there was significantly increased activity in the prefrontal and pr=
emotor cortices (frontal lobe region)[13].
The front part of the brain is responsible for movement and lying. The Qur=
an links movement and lying to this area. These functions of the frontal l=
obe were discovered with medical imaging equipment which was developed in t=
he 20th century.
9. Pain Receptors
For a long time it was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was depen=
dent on the brain. However it has been discovered that there are pain rece=
ptors present in the skin[14]. Without these pain receptors, a person woul=
d not be able to feel pain.
Consider the following verse on pain:
"We shall send those who reject Our revelations to the (Hell) Fire. When t=
heir skins have been burned away, We shall replace them with new ones so th=
at they may continue to feel the pain: God is Almighty, All-Wise." (Quran 4=
:56)
God tells the people who reject his message that when they are in Hell and =
their skins are burnt off (so they can't feel any pain), he will give them =
new skins so that they continue to feel the pain.
The Quran makes it clear that pain is dependent upon on the skin. The disc=
overy of pain receptors in the skin is a fairly recent discovery for Biolog=
y.
Conclusion
These are just some of the many scientific facts found in the Quran. It is=
important to note that the Quran is not a book of science, but that it is =
consistent with science. To claim that scientific facts in the Quran are d=
ue to coincidence would be irrational. The best explanation is that God re=
vealed this knowledge to the Prophet Muhammad.
Just like the Quran contains knowledge about the natural world, it also con=
tains information about the inner dimensions of our souls. It relates to o=
ur feelings, wants and needs. The Quran informs us that we have a purpose =
in life, and that following God's guidance will lead us to inner peace in t=
his life, and Paradise in the hereafter. And that rejection of his message=
will lead to depression in this life and Hellfire after death.
"We shall show them Our signs in the Universe and within themselves, until =
it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that you=
r Lord is the witness of all things?" (Quran 41:53)
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/5195/
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