Scientific Miracles of
the QurâÄn
QurâÄnic Integrity and Scientific
Advancement
A miracle is a divine act which defies
and transcends universal laws which God grants to the Prophets in order to
convince people of the truth of their message. The QurâÄn uses the word âAyatâ
[literally meaning âsignâ] to describe this phenomenon. These Divine miracles
are designed to provide people with the capacity to perceive them as signs of
Godâs power, knowledge and will over all things in the universe. For a miracle
to have full impact it should relate to an area of knowledge in which its
intended audience are well versed; in this way can a miracle fulfill its
purpose.
Historically, every Prophet was given
miracles and these were witnessed by their respective contemporaries. The
Prophet Muhammad is unique in the chain of Prophethood, for unlike all previous
Prophets, He was sent as Godâs final Prophet and Messenger for all mankind.
Reason demands, therefore, that he should have a universal miracle that is not
bound by time or geographical considerations. Every individual at every stage
of human history, no matter where he lived in the world, is hence justified in
saying, âIf Muhammad is a Prophet for me today. I would like to behold a
miracle today.â
Unlike the tangible miracles [an
example being the splitting of the sea] of the previous Prophets, the main
miracle of the Prophet Muhammad, although he was given other miracles, was an
intellectual miracle. The effectiveness of the tangible miracles would have
their greatest impact on eye witnesses and their full impact would end with the
death of these witnesses. If we ask a Jew or Christian to show us the miracles
of the Prophet Moses or Jesus â they both would submit that it is not within
human power to demonstrate any of those miracles now. Moses cannot be asked to
split the sea again and the Prophet Jesus cannot be called to raise people from
the dead. For us today, these miracles are nothing more than historical
reports. But if a Muslim is asked about the greatest miracle of the Prophet
Muhammad, he can readily show His Book, the QurâÄn â for the QurâÄn is a
miracle which remains in our hands. It is a Book for all people to examine its
contents.
The miraculous nature of the QurâÄn
lies in the knowledge it contains and this is everlasting, renewable and a
living proof. The QurâÄn was given to mankind more than fourteen centuries ago.
Recent advancements in various sciences have revealed innumerable facts. None
of these discoveries contradict a single verse of the QurâÄn. In fact, each time the world makes a
breakthrough in unravelling the universe, we increase in certainty that the One
who created this universe is the One who revealed the QurâÄn. The QurâÄn is
filled with important facts which were revealed at a point in human history
when no man could possibly have known them. The QurâÄn speaks about the origins
of the universe, workings of celestial bodies, stages of embryonic human
development, behavioural patterns of species, historical and archaeological
truths, etc.
Non-believers will naturally seek an
explanation as to the source of knowledge of the QurâÄn. Atheists would argue
that the QurâÄn was the product of intellectual ramblings of the Prophet
Muhammad and the Jews and Christians would say that it was plagiarised from the
Old and New Testament. The fact is that such statements do not belong to the
period when the QurâÄn was revealed anÂÂd no such statements exist
in the Old and New Testament. It is obvious that no one man could possess all
the knowledge that is contained in the QurâÄn. One could conceivably be lucky
with a few guesses, but the variety and quality of accurate knowledge in the
QurâÄn shows, without doubt, these are not the words of a mere mortal. No human
being has ever written a comprehensive book with such absolute perfection and
certainty of knowledge. Every book represents the knowledge available to a
writer at a certain time and place, and human knowledge keeps advancing. As a
result, every book written by a human being becomes obsolete after some time
because the information is found to be either false or incomplete, raising the
need for books to be revised or re-written. The writings of every physicist,
scientist, biologist or philosopher have proved this to be the case.
The QurâÄn contains over 6,000 Ayat
[verses] with over 70,000 words, yet it is a fact that not a single word,
phrase, sentence or topic needs to be revised. It is also the case that a
writer usually has knowledge of a specific subject or a few related subjects.
For example, one can write about history or economics or philosophy or physics
etc. But it is not possible for a human being to write simultaneously on a
great variety of different subjects with such in-depth and accurate
information. Even a casual reader finds that the QurâÄn discusses an array of
subjects with the accuracy and precision to make them appear to be the
observations of an eye witness expert.
Finally, it must be clearly understood
that the
QurâÄn is not a book of science, philosophy, geology or history - it is a revelation
from God for the purpose of guiding Mankind. Nonetheless, if any expert from
the various fields of knowledge analysed what the QurâÄn states; they would
conclude that the QurâÄn, beyond doubt, is not authored by a man in the 7th
century. If what the QurâÄn imparted was
unfounded, science would, in time, have proved its falsehood and the whole
religion would have been destroyed. On the contrary, every scientific theory,
from the historic past, that contradicted the QurâÄn has been proven to be
unfounded and lacking empirical evidence. For each successive generation, the
QurâÄn offers new and relevant meanings, proportionate to the development of
knowledge and growth of that generationâs intellectual aptitude. In other
words, they are applicable to the constantly developing perceptions of the
human race, expanding in meaning as manâs exploration of the universe and his
search for knowledge about his life and existence increases. From this we see
that the QurâÄn was not intended solely for one people or nation, but came for
the benefit and guidance of all; a complete and comprehensive religion,
providing knowledge for all the generations. If these teachings were limited to
one century or generation, the everlasting objective of the QurâÄn would have
long since diminished. Yet the QurâÄn is constantly regenerating new meaning,
providing a continual source of guidance.
The QurâÄn on the âBig Bang Theoryâ Historic Preamble
The enormously vast universe has been
the object of curiosity since time immemorial. Greek philosophers, including
Aristotle, believed that the Universe had always existed and would continue to
do so eternally. This was also the mainstream view in scientific circles at the
beginning of the 20th century, aptly known as the âsteady state
theory.â An eternal state of the universe meant that there was no inherent need
for a Creator â for what does not have a beginning does not necessitate a need
for a cause. However, advancements in science would shatter this view and
fundamentally prove that the Universe had a beginning.
In 1922, physicist Alexander Friedmann,
produced computations showing that the structure of the universe was not static
and that even a tiny impulse might be sufficient to cause the whole structure
to expand or contract according to Einsteinâs âTheory of General Relativity.â
George Lemaitre was the first to recognise the implications of what Friedmanm
concluded. Based on these computations, Lemaitre declared that the universe
must have had a beginning and that it was expanding as a result of something
that triggered it. He also stated that the rate of radiation could be used as a
measure of the aftermath of that âsomething.â
The theoretical musings of these two scientists did not attract much
attention and probably would have gone ignored except for new observational
evidence that rocked the scientific world in 1929. That year, American
astronomer Edwin Hubble, made one of the most important discoveries in the
history of astronomy. He discovered that galaxies were moving away from us at
speeds directly relative to their distance from us and from each other.
A universe where everything constantly
moves away from everything else implied a constantly expanding universe.
Stephen Hawking writes, âThe expansion of the universe was one of the most
important intellectual discoveries of the 20th century, or of any
century.â
Since the universe is constantly
expanding, were we to rewind a film [of its history], then necessarily we would
find the entire universe was in a joint state, referred to by some as the
âPrimordial Atom.â Many scientists and philosophers resisted the idea of a
beginning to the universe because of the many questions that it raised â
primarily what or who caused it. However, with Penzias and Wilsonâs discovery
of microwave radiation emanating from all directions, possessing the same
physical characteristics - namely petrified light which came from a huge
explosion during the first seconds after the birth of the universe â left
little doubt about the fact that the universe had a beginning.
For fourteen hundred years, since the
revelation of the QurâÄn, sceptics had trouble understanding the verse, â...the heavens and the earth were a joined
entity and We separated them...â [21:30]. However, with the assistance of
scientific advancements, we can now understand these verses in a new light
which help us piece together the cosmological puzzle. The miraculous nature of
the QurâÄn lies in the knowledge it contains. Its verification of scientific
facts shows that its message is as applicable to the scientist in his
laboratory today as it was to the Bedouin in the desert.
Linguistic Analysis
âHave those who disbelieved
not considered that the heavens and the earth were a [ratq] joined entity, and We [fataqa]
separated themâŚ.Then will they not believe?â
QurâÄn 21:30
The word âratqâ translated as âsewn toâ means
âmixed in each, blendedâ in Arabic. It is used to refer to two different
substances that make up a whole. The phrase âfataqaâ is âunstitchedâ and
implies that something comes into being by tearing apart or destroying the
structure of things that are sewn to one another.
In the verse, heaven
and earth are at first subject to the status of âratq.â They are
separated [fataqa] with one coming out of the other. Intriguingly, when
we think about the first moments of the âBig Bangâ we see that the entire
matter of the universe collected at one single point. In other words,
everything including âthe heavens and earthâ which were not created yet were in
an interwoven and inseparable condition. Then, this point exploded violently,
causing its matter to disunite.
The
QurâÄn on the Origin of the Universe
The
science of modern cosmology, observational and theoretical, clearly indicates
that, at one point in time, the whole universe was nothing but a cloud of
âsmokeâ [i.e. an opaque highly dense and hot gaseous composition].
This is one of the undisputed principles of standard modern cosmology.
Scientists now can observe new stars forming out of the remnants of that
âsmokeâ
The illuminating stars
we see at night were, just as was the whole universe, in that âsmokeâ material.
God has said in the QurâÄn:
âThen He directed
Himself to the heaven while it was smoke...â
QurâÄn 41:11
Because the earth and
the heavens above (the sun, the moon, stars, planets, galaxies, etc.) have been
formed from this same âsmoke,â we conclude that the earth and the heavens were
one connected entity.
We know that our world,
the sun and the stars did not come about immediately after the primeval
explosion. For the universe was in a gaseous state before the formation of the
stars. This gaseous state was initially made of hydrogen and helium.
Condensation and compression shaped the planets, the earth, the sun and the
stars that were but products of the gaseous state. The discovery of these
phenomena has been rendered possible thanks to successive findings as a result
of observations and theoretical developments.
The knowledge of all
contemporary communities during the time of the Prophet would not suffice for
the assertion that the universe had once been in a gaseous state. The Prophet
himself did not claim to be the author of the statements in the QurâÄn as it
often reminded, declaring that he is simply a messenger of God.
âThat is from the
news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad]. You knew it not,
neither you nor your people, before this. So be patient; indeed, the [best]
outcome is for the righteous.â
QurâÄn
11:49
The QurâÄn on the Expanding Universe
âAnd the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its]
expander.â
QurâÄn
51:47
It was only after the
development of the radio telescope in 1937, that the expansion of the universe
was observed and established. While observing the sky with a telescope, Edwin
Hubble, the American astronomer, discovered that the stars and galaxies were
constantly moving away from each other. This discovery is regarded as one of
the greatest in the history of astronomy. During these observations, Hubble
established that the stars emit a light that turns redder according to their
distance.
That is because
according to the known laws of physics, light heading towards a point of
observation turns violet, and light moving away from that point assumes a more
reddish hue. During his observations, Hubble noted a tendency towards the
colour red in the light emitted by stars. In short, the stars were moving
further and further away, all the time. The stars and galaxies were not only
moving away from us, but also from each other. A universe where everything
constantly moves away from everything else implied a constantly expanding
universe. The debate now is not whether the universe is expanding but rather at
what rate. In 2011, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists
for the âdiscovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe through
observations of distant supernovae.â
The QurâÄn on the Orbital Movement of the Sun and the Moon
âAnd it is He who created the night and the day
and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an [falak] orbit are [yasbahoon]
swimming.â
QurâÄn
21:33
âIt is not allowable [i.e., possible] for the sun to
reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an [falak] orbit, is [yasbahoon] swimming.â
QurâÄn
36:40
The Arabic words used in these verses are falak and yasbahoon which can be translated as âsphere or orbitâ and âswimming.â
This concept of the movement of the sun and the moon and the other planets is
in perfect harmony with recent discovery. It is inconceivable that an Arab,
living centuries ago in the most primitive part of the world, could have
rightly used such a specific term to describe the movements of planets without
divine guidance. It should be noted that the discovery of the orbital movement
of all celestial bodies was due to the invention of telescopes.
The
QurâÄn on Duality in Creation
âExalted is He who created
all pairs - from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which
they do not know.â
QurâÄn 36:36
This QurâÄnic verse
outlines the fact that all creatures, whether living beings or solid matter,
are created in pairs. It refers to everything that was created. Amazingly, the
outstanding truth and generality of this and similar verses came to be
gradually realised, and more so recently, during 14 centuries since the QurâÄn
was first revealed in a primitive world.
Millions of animal
species discovered, classified and investigated only during the last two
centuries, were found to be invariably in âpairs,â male and female. Electron
microscopy has clarified that all living creatures, however minute, are in
pairs. The smallest microbes, viruses, and bacteria have their counterpart
antibodies.
Take
for example DNA â it is made up of thousands of different genes, and genes are
made up of base pairs. These âbase pairsâ are made of two paired up
nucleotides. In order to form a base pair, we need to pair up specific
nucleotides. Each type of nucleotide has a specific shape, so only certain
combinations fit.
The sequence,
composition, and orientation of these âpairsâ of nucleotides control the
genetic information carried by the DNA. A chromosome consists of different
types of protein bound tightly with a single DNA molecule chain.
The DNA is a large long
(up to 1 meter long) amino acid chain. It consists of a âpairâ of spiral
strands, connected with steps. Each step consists of a âpairâ of chemical
components, so-called nucleotides.
There are 4
nucleotides. Adenine, Thymine, Guanine and Cytosine represented respectively by
the letters A,T,G and C. Due to their shapes only A and T or G and C fit into
one another.
Base Pairs
[A-T, G-C] (billions of these matching pairs) ---> Genes (thousands of these) --> DNA --> Chromosomes
--> Nucleotides --> Nucleus (the âbrainâ of the cell).
All life systems
including plant, animal and human consist of different types of cells. A cell
consists of a nucleus surrounded with cytoplasm which is usually enclosed,
within a cell wall. The cell nucleus, carries the chromosomes that control all
the cell functions. All cells of a particular organism have exactly the same
number of chromosomes; the number varies widely between different species.
Proteins are formed from various combinations of amino acids. Specifically, 20 types
of amino acid are used in different combinations to form more than a million
types of protein, present in a human being. Every type of amino acid can exist
in either of a pair of structures (right-handed isomer or left-handed isomer),
with opposite polarised light rotation direction. The same applies to the
proteins formed thereof. The wide variety of
creatures including living species, solid matter, liquids and gases are
marvellous combinations of the same list of building blocks: atoms. These basic
units, were long known to consist of a âpairâ of a positively charged nucleus
surrounded by negative electrons. The nucleus consists of protons that carry
the positive charge, together with neutrons. Even the neutral neutrons have
their counterpart, the anti-neutrons. Later advances in nuclear physics has
demonstrated that each of these particles is, in effect, a complex structure of
much smaller nuclear particles. Over 200 of such elementary particles are now
known.
At the atomic level,
atoms can, literally, ionise i.e. either lose or gain electrons to form positive
cations or negative anions. âPairsâ of cations/anions combine to produce the
wide variety of chemical (inorganic) compounds. This is one of the conclusions
made by British physicist Paul Dirac, winner for Nobel Prize for Physics in
1933. His finding, known as âparity,â revealed the duality known as matter and
anti-matter.
Another example of
duality in creation is plants. Botanists only discovered that there is a gender
distinction in plants some 100 years ago. Yet, the fact that plants are created
in pairs was revealed in the verses of the QurâÄn 1,400 years ago. It was only
after the discovery of microscopes that human beings knew that plants have male
organs (stamens) and female organs (ovaries) and that the wind, together with
other factors, carries the pollen from one type to the opposite one so that
reproduction can take place.
Every animal species of
the wide animal kingdom reproduce sexually. Sexual reproduction results from
the combination of a female ovum and a male sperm. The formation of this zygote
âpairâ is the starting point in the reproduction cycle. The sperms, in turn are
of âtwoâ kinds, the first carries the hereditary male characteristics, while
the other carries the female ones.
Flowering plants, of
which more than 250,000 have been discovered so far, also reproduce sexually.
They have both female (ovaries containing eggs) and male (stamens carrying
pollens); either combined in the same flower or in different flowers. In the
latter case, fertilization occurs when pollens are transferred by wind or
insects to an adjacent flower.
Non-flowering plants,
on the other hand, amounting to 150,000 species, reproduce in a double-stage
cycle of sexual and asexual reproduction. Yet, the asexual reproduction stage
is essentially a process of breaking up the DNA âpairâ of strands into two;
followed by each of which re-forming its complementary strand. Thus, a new
âpairâ of identical DNA molecules results in the cell, just before it divides
into a âpairâ of identical cells. The same applies to the asexual reproduction
of bacteria.
Each bacterium consists
of a single cell, the smallest biological unit able to function independently.
A single bacterium reproduces the same way explained above, i.e. by splitting
into a pair of identical cells. As we have seen, cell division occurs through
the process of DNA replication, in which the two strands of the DNA molecules
are separated; and each strand resynthesizes a complementary strand to itself.
So, âasexualâ reproduction of bacteria involves the DNA âpairâ of strands
splitting and reformation into a new âpairâ of cells.
The
QurâÄn on the Origin of Life in Water
âHave those who disbelieved
not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We
separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not
believe?â
QurâÄn 21:30
The origin of life is now such a basic scientific fact that it is
accepted without hesitation. This could lessen oneâs appreciation for these
verses. Yet it must be borne in mind that the Arabian peninsula is a desert
land without a single lake or river, these verses describe something
unimaginable to those at the time of the Prophet Muhammad.
A point to note - animals in dry regions have been created with
mechanisms to protect their metabolisms from water loss and to ensure maximum
benefit from water use. If water loss takes place in the body for any reason, and if that loss is not
made good, death will result in a few days.
The
QurâÄn on Seas and Rivers
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.
For example, Mediterranean sea water is warm, saline, and less dense, compared
to Atlantic ocean water. When Mediterranean sea water enters the Atlantic
over the Gibraltar sill, it moves several hundred kilometres into the Atlantic
at a depth of about 1000 meters with its own warm, saline, and less dense
characteristics. The Mediterranean water stabilises at this depth