Scientists and the Qur'an

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Iron

Iron is not natural to the earth. It did not form on the earth but came down to earth from outer space. This may sound strange but it’s true. Scientists have found that billions of years ago the earth was stuck by meteorites. These meteorites were carrying Iron from distant stars which had exploded[4].

The Quran says the following on the origin of Iron:

“We sent down Iron with its great inherent strength and its many benefits for humankind.” (Quran 57:25)

God uses the words ‘sent down’ for Iron. It is clear from the verse that Iron is not an earthly material, but was sent down for the benefit of humanity. The fact that Iron came down to earth from outer space is something which could not be known by the primitive science of the 7th century.

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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 things are made of cells. We now know that cells are mostly made up of water[3]. For example, 80% of the cytoplasm (basic cell material) of a standard animal cell is described as water in biology textbooks.

The fact that living things consist mostly of water was discovered only after the invention of the microscope. In the deserts of Arabia, the last thing someone would have guessed is that all life came from water.

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The Sun and Moon.

Whereas the Bible talks of the sun and the moon as two lights differing only in size, the Qur’an distinguishes between them by the use of different terms: light (noor) for the moon, and lamp (siraaj) for the sun.

“Did you see how Allah created seven heavens, one above the other, and made in them the moon a light and the sun a lamp?” Qur’an, 78:12-13

The moon is an inert body which reflects light, whereas the sun is a celestial body in a state of permanent combustion producing both light and heat.
Stars and Planets

The word ‘star’ (najm) in the Qur’an ( 86:3 ) is accompanied by the adjective thaaqib which indicates that it burns and consumes itself as it pierces through the shadows of the night. It was much later discovered that stars are heavenly bodies producing their own light like the sun.

In the Qur’an, a different word, kawkab, is used to refer to the planets which are celestial bodies that reflect light and do not produce their own light like the sun.

“We have adorned the lowest heaven with ornaments, the planets.” Qur’an, 37:6

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The Day and Night
The Qur’anic description of the sequence of day and night would, in itself, be rather commonplace were it not for the fact that it is expressed in terms that are today highly appropriate. The Qur’an uses the verb kawwara in chapter az-Zumar to describe the way the night ‘winds’ or ‘coils’ itself around the day and the day around the night.
“He coils the night upon the day and the day upon the night.” Qur’an, 39:5
The original meaning of the verb kis to coil a turban around the head. This is a totally valid comparison; yet at the time the Qur’an was revealed, the astronomical data necessary to make this comparison were unknown. It is not until man landed on the moon and observed the earth spinning on its axis, that the dark half of the globe appeared to wind itself around the light and the light half appeared to wind itself around the dark.

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The Solar
The notion of a settled place for the sun is vividly described in chapter Yaa Seen of the Qur’an:
“The sun runs its coarse to a settled place That is the decree of the Almighty, the All Knowing.” Qur’an, 36:38
“Settled place” is the translation of the word mustaqarr which indicates an exact appointed place and time. Modern astronomy confirms that the solar system is indeed moving in space at a rate of 12 miles per second towards a point situated in the constellation of Hercules ( alpha lyrae ) whose exact location has been precisely calculated. Astronomers have even give it a name, the solar apex.

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Now


More than 2 million people surround me. We all have one common goal, one purpose for being here together. I do not stand out from anyone else. There are no signs of wealth or greatness upon me. No Rolex watch or Nike shoes to mark me as a rich person. I am one person alone, in a sea of humanity. I am black or white, yellow or brown, the colour of my skin is not important. I am from Europe or Asia or South America, my homeland is any corner of this wide earth. The people around me are young and old, male and female, rich and poor. We represent humankind in our diversity, yet we are united. We are unity in diversity.
I am at Hajj

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims declare that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger; they pray, they fast, they pay obligatory charity, and they go to Hajj. Hajj is a pilgrimage to the city of Makah in Saudi Arabia. At the mosque and in the surrounding area, Muslims perform prayers and rituals. Hajj is an obligatory act performed once in a lifetime by all mentally, physically, and financially able Muslims.

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makah) to the House (Kaba) is a duty that mankind owes to God, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence) ; and whoever disbelieves then God stands not in need of any of mankind, jinn and all that exists” (Quran 3:97)
Muslims from all over the world will gather to worship God. They arrive in Saudi Arabia, by plane, bus, car, etc. Some endure great hardship, others merely buy a first class ticket, but they come as equals. People make this journey prepared to stand at the House of God (or Kaba) and affirm their love for God and His religion of Islam.

“And proclaim to humankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj)” (Quran 22:27)

The Hajj is several days of total devotion to the One God. Muslims come together to celebrate His praises, ask for His forgiveness and demonstrate unity for His sake alone.

Throughout the Muslim world, Hajj has come to symbolise unity. Although Muslims may be disunited due to many outside influences, such as money, politics, border disputes or other worldly concerns. Hajj is the great leveller. At Hajj, all Muslims are equal; nothing about the rituals they perform makes one person better than another.

More than 2 million Muslims stand in one place, wearing the same simple clothing, following the same rituals and saying the same words. They are united in their devotion to God. The black man stands next to the white man and they call on God with one voice. The king stands beside the pauper and they declare their submission to the will of God using the same words.

Muslims from every corner of the globe are united in their submission to the will of God. They cry out as if with one voice, “Here I am O God, here I am at your service, and You have no partner. Here I am. All praise, grace, and dominion belong to You. You have no partner”. This supplication is said repeatedly by the pilgrims. It is their answer to God’s call for the Muslims to perform Hajj.

These words are repeated with joy and reverence by all, regardless of status or class. Some people are so overcome with emotion that they weep, others feel elated and happier then they have ever felt before. Every person there feels that he is one person, alone among millions answering God’s call and God hears his supplication and sees his arrival. The pilgrims feel amazed that they are the guest of the most Merciful God. He or she attends this gathering by the invitation of God, not at the invitation of a government or an organisation, nor at the request of a family member or friend.

Hajj is performed because God has invited the believers to congregate together. Regardless of place of birth, nationality, ethnicity, gender, or status, all are welcome, and all are equal in the sight of God. The Muslims gather to meet one another and demonstrate to each other, and the world that they are united. Unity in diversity. They are united by their worship of One God.

“O humankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with God is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa (piety, God consciousness). Verily, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Quran 39:13)

Islam is the religion of unity. Repeatedly throughout the Quran God reminds the believers that they must remain united and seek strength through unity. Hajj epitomises this unity. People from every race and colour come together in submission to the will of God. Muslims are one brotherhood and they come together with a sense of purpose and a desire for peace.

“The believers are nothing else but brothers (in Islam). So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear God, that you may receive mercy.” (Quran 39:10)

“And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of God (this Quran), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember God’s Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islam), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus God makes His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided.” (Quran 3:103)

Hajj is the largest annual gathering of Muslims; it is the largest gathering of people united by the peacefulness and serenity that is Islam. Anything that disturbs the peacefulness of Hajj is prohibited. No matter what is happening in the material world at Hajj, peace prevails.

Muslims gather together and their diversity is a wonder to behold. The old stand with the young, the rich stand with the poor, people of all colours and nationalities stand shoulder to shoulder in prayer, and perform rituals side by side. Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said, “In their love, kindness, and compassion for each other, the believers are like a human body.[1] Muslims at Hajj are one people, they are a soothing sea of humanity, gathered together to worship One God. Muslims turn their faces in one direction and submit to the will of God. They are united by their love of God, and united in their diversity.

Pilgrimage (Hajj) in Makkah with TheDeenShow


An American In Mecca


22 Born American who converted to Islam and went to Hajj

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The twelfth month of the Islamic calendar is called Dhul Hijjah. It is the month that contains one of the greatest pillars of Islam – Hajj or the major pilgrimage. It also contains one of only two Islamic reoccurring festivals, Eid ul Adha. These two special occasions, the Hajj and Eid ul Adha, are inextricably linked by one special man, Prophet Ibrahim, known in Jewish and Christian traditions as Prophet Abraham.

Making the pilgrimage is often called following in the footsteps of Ibrahim. This is due to the fact that the rituals involved in the pilgrimage replicate many of the events in Prophet Ibrahim’s life. Eid ul Adha commemorates a specific trial in the life of Ibrahim. He was commanded by God to sacrifice, his son Ishmael. Eid ul Adha occurs on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the day on which most of the Hajj rites have been preformed and the pilgrims slaughter an animal to honour Prophet Ibrahim’s obedience to God.

“Surely Ibrahim was an example, obedient to God, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous.” (Quran 16:120-121)

In a divinely inspired dream, Ibrahim saw himself sacrificing his son Ishmael. All members of Ibrahim’s family demonstrated complete trust in God, therefore Ibrahim revealed the dream to Ishmael. He readily agreed that his father must carry out the command of God. Together they went to the place of sacrifice and offered Ishmael’s life to God. Ibrahim prepared to sacrifice his beloved son. At this point the shaytaan (satan) tempted Ibrahim trying to make him disobey God, but Ibrahim resisted and drove the shaytaan away. Ibrahim looked down at his son for what he believed was the last time but as the blade came close to Ishmael’s neck God stayed his hand and revealed that there was no need for Ibrahim to continue. His sacrifice had already been fulfilled.

Giving up something big for the sake of God, such as the life of your child, must seem like a huge and unimaginable sacrifice. Today even going without something small, such as a cup of coffee, to donate the money to charity seems like a large sacrifice. Try to imagine how Ibrahim must have felt as he held the blade above his child’s neck. In the last moment he was relieved of his duty to follow God’s commands. Having complete trust in God, knowing with certainty that God knows and wants what is best for us is often difficult, but it should not be.

“…And whosoever fears God and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine….” (Quran 65:2-3)

God replaced Ishmael with a sheep and it is for this reason that Muslims sacrifice an animal on the celebration of Eid ul Adha; however it is more than a celebration, it is a reminder. We are reminded of our own submission to the will of God. Those Muslim’s who are not making the pilgrimage and who can afford it sacrifice an animal in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s test.

“Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you….” (Quran 22:37)

The act of animal sacrifice is often misunderstood. God has no need for the blood or the meat; in fact God has no need for any of our acts of worship. However for our own benefit God commands us to turn to Him and obey Him. God looks for our piety, our goodness and our charity. The animal sacrificed is usually a sheep, a goat or a cow.

Distributing the meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha strengthens many of our efforts to please God with our piety. Usually, a portion is eaten by the immediate family and relatives, a portion is given away to friends and neighbours and a portion is donated to the poor. The act symbolizes our willingness to give up our bounties to strengthen ties of kinship and friendship and our enthusiasm to give up things that are of benefit to us in order to help those who are in need. In the sacrifice we recognize that all blessings come from God.

Eid ul Adha commences on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah. For those who are not at the pilgrimage, it begins with an extra early morning prayer performed in congregation, called the Eid prayer. It is a time of celebration, a time to visit family and friends and thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. It demands contact with relatives, kindness to family and neighbours, and empathy and compassion for the poor. Above all Eid ul Adha reminds us that God is great and that He is the source of all bounties. Through the good times and the trying times God is the source of all comfort and all peace, and submission to Him brings the greatest benefits of all.

IAMC Eid ul Adha 2013 Khutbah:: Nouman Ali Khan: The Sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim

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Among the achievements of modern science is the “conquest” of space which has resulted in mans journey to the moon. The prediction of this event surely springs to mind when we read the chapter ar-Rahmaan in the Qur’an:
“O assembly of Jinns and men, if you can penetrate the regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate them except with authority.”
Qur’an,55:33
Authority to travel in space can only come from the Creator of the laws which govern movement and space. The whole of this Qur’anic chapter invites humankind to recognize God’s beneficence.

At this point, we must ask ourselves the following question: How could an uneducated man in the middle of the desert accurately tackle so many and such varied subjects at a time when mythology and superstition reigned supreme? How could he so skillfully avoid every belief that was proven to be totally inaccurate many centuries later?


THE SEAL OF ALL THE PROPHETS MUHAMMAD PBUH - Muhammad Abdul Jabbar | ALQADRMEDIA

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the water cycle in nature. This is a topic which is well known today. Consequently, the verses in the Qur’an that refer to the water cycle seem to express ideas that are now totally self-evident. But if we consider the ideas prevalent at that time, they appear to be based more on myth and philosophical speculation than on observed fact, even though useful practical knowledge on soil irrigation was current at that period.

Let us examine, for example, the following verse in chapter az-Zumar:
“Have you not seen that Allah sent rain down from the sky and caused it to penetrate the ground and come forth as springs, then He caused crops of different colors to grow…” Qur’an,39:21

Such notions seem quite natural to us today, but we should not forget that, not so long ago, they were not prevalent. It was not until the sixteenth century, with Bernard Palissy, that we gained the first coherent description of the water cycle. Prior to this, people believed that the waters of the oceans, under the effect of winds, were thrust towards the interior of the continents.

They then returned to the oceans via the great abyss, which, since Plato’s time was called the Tartarus .In the seventeenth century, great thinkers such as Descartes still believed in this myth. Even in the nineteenth century there were still those who believed in Aristotle’s theory that water was condensed in cool mountain caverns and formed underground lakes that fed

springs. Today, we know that it is the infiltration of rain water into the ground that is responsible for this. If one compares the facts of modern hydrology with the data found in numerous verses of the Qur’an on this subject, one cannot fail to notice the remarkable degree of agreement between the two.

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[RoobleAlWaliid]

JazakAllahu Khayran Ennin

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RoobleAlWaliid
Jazana waeak
thank you

botany at the time of Muhammad (S) was not advanced enough in any country for scientists to know that plants have both male and female parts.

but
in the Qur’an
“(God is the One who) sent down rain from the sky and with it brought forth a variety of plants in pairs.” Qur’an, 20:53
Today we know that fruit comes from plants that have sexual characteristics even when they come from unfertilized flowers, like bananas. In the chapter ar-Ra‘d we read the following:
“… and of all fruits (God) placed (on the earth) two pairs.” Qur’an, 13:3



In the field of physiology, there is one verse which appears extremely significant to me. One thousand years before the discovery of the blood circulatory system, and roughly thirteen centuries before it was determined that the internal organs were nourished by the process of digestive , a verse in the Qur’an described the source of the constituents of milk, in conformity with scientific facts.

To understand this verse, it must first be known that chemical reactions occur between food and enzymes in the mouth, the stomach and the intestines releasing nutrients in molecular form which are then absorbed into the circulatory system through countless microscopic projections of the intestinal wall called villi. Blood in the circulatory system then transports the nutrients to all the organs of the body, among which are the milk-producing mammary glands.


This biological process must be basically understood, if we are to understand a verse in the Qur’an which has for many centuries given rise to commentaries that were totally incomprehensible.

Today it is not difficult to see why! This verse is taken from the chapter an-Nahl:
“Verily, in cattle there is a lesson for yon. I give you drink from their insides, coming from a conjunction between the digested contents ( of the intestines ) and the blood, milk pure and pleasant for those who drink it.” Qur’an, 16:66
The constituents of milk are secreted by the mammary glands which are nourished by the product of food digestion brought to them by the bloodstream.

The initial event which sets the whole process in motion is the conjunction of the contents of the intestine and blood at the level of the intestinal wall itself.
This very precise concept is the result of the discoveries made in the chemistry and physiology of the digestive system over one thousand years after the time of Prophet Muhammad (S).

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the complexity of the semen and the fact that an infinitely small quantity is required to ensure fertilization. In chapter al-Insaan the Qur’an states:
“Verily, I created humankind from a small quantity of mingled fluids.” Qur’an, 76:2

The Arabic word nutfah has been translated as “small quantity”. It comes from the verb meaning ‘to dribble, to trickle’ and is used to describe what remains in the bottom of a bucket which has been emptied. The verse correctly implies that fertilization is performed by only a very small volume of liquid.
On the other hand, mingled fluids ( amshaaj ) has been understood by early commentators to refer to the mixture of male and female discharges. Modern authors have corrected this view and note that the sperm is made up of various components.

When the Qur’an talks of a fertilizing fluid composed of different components, it also informs us that human progeny will be formed from something extracted from this liquid. This is the meaning of the following verse in chapter as-Sajdah:
“Then He made [ man's ] offspring from the essence of a despised fluid.”
Qur’an, 32:8
The Arabic word translated by the term ‘essence’ is sulaalah which means ‘something extracted, the best part of a thing’. In whatever way it is translated, it refers to part of a whole. Under normal conditions, only one single cell, spermatozoon, out of over 50 million ejaculated by a man during sexual intercourse will actually penetrate the ovule.

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Once the egg has been fertilized in the fallopian tube, it descends to lodge itself inside the uterus. This process is called the ‘implantation of the egg’. Implantation is a result of the development of villosities, which, like roots in the soil, draw nourishment from the wall of the uterus and make the egg literally cling to the womb. The process of implantation is appropriately described in several verses by the word ‘alaq, which is also the title of the chapter in which one of the verses appears:
“God fashioned humans from a clinging entity.” Qur’an, 96:2


The evolution of the embryo inside the maternal uterus is only briefly described, but the description is accurate, because the simple words referring to it correspond exactly to fundamental stages in its growth. This is what we read in a verse from the chapter al-Mu’minoon:
“I fashioned the clinging entity into a chewed lump of flesh and I fashioned the chewed flesh into bones and I clothed the bones with intact flesh.” Qur’an, 23:14
The term ‘chewed flesh’ (mudghah) corresponds exactly to the appearance of the embryo at a certain stage in its development.
It is known that the bones develop inside this mass and that they are then covered with muscle. This is the meaning of the term ‘intact flesh’ (lahm).


The embryo passes through a stage where some parts are in proportion and others out of proportion with what is later to become the individual. This is the obvious meaning of a verse in the chapter al-Hajj, which reads as follows:
“I fashioned (humans) a clinging entity, then into a lump of flesh in proportion and out of proportion.” Qur’an, 22:5.
Next, we have a reference to the appearance of the senses and internal organs in the chapter as-Sajdah:
“… and (God) gave you ears, eyes and hearts.” Qur’an, 32:9
Nothing here contradicts today’s data and, furthermore, none of the mistaken ideas of the time have crept into the Qur’an. Throughout the Middle Ages there were a variety of beliefs about human development based on myths and speculations which continued for several centuries after the period.


The most fundamental stage in the history of embryology came in 1651 with Harvey’s statement that “all life initially comes from an egg”. At that time, when science had benefited greatly from the invention of the microscope, people were still arguing about the respective roles of the egg and spermatozoon. Buffon, the great naturalist, was one of those in favor of the egg theory.Bonnet, on the other hand, supported the theory of ‘the ovaries of Eve’, which stated that Eve, the mother of the human race, was-supposed to have had inside her the seeds of all human beings packed together one inside the other.