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OTHER
EXAMPLES TO ILLUSTRATE THE QURAN'S
ALLUSIONS TO SCIENTIFIC FACTS AND
DEVELOPMENTS
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The
Creator, Who is not bound by the
human concept of time, informs us
that, in a general sense, the
future will be the age of
knowledge and information, as well
as an age of faith and belief:
Soon
We shall show them Our signs in
the outer world and in their own
souls, until it becomes manifest
to them that this is truth. Is it
not enough that your Lord
witnesses all things?
(41:53).
From
the very early days of Islam, Sufis have
interpreted this verse as a sign and
assurance of the spiritual wisdom for
which they strive. But if the verse is
read in the context of scientific
progress, a progress significantly
initiated and advanced by Muslims, the
mere fact of the verse will be seen to
be a miracle.
Everything
within the fold of human thinking and
research affirms the Creator’s
Oneness, as the true nature and
interrelationship of microcosm and
macrocosm come to be further disclosed
and better understood. When we see
hundreds of books on this point, we
understand that what was Divinely
revealed is near at hand. Even now we
feel that we shall soon hear and even
understand testimonies and praises to
God through thousands of nature’s
tongues:
The
seven heavens and the Earth, and
all things therein, declare His
Glory. There is not a thing but
celebrates His praise. And yet you
do not understand how they declare
His Glory. Truly He is
Oft-Forbearing, Most Forgiving.
(17:44)
We
already understand something of this
verse’s import. The smallest atoms as
well as the largest nebulae speak to
us, in the language of their being, of
their submission to the One God and so
glorify Him. However, those who can
listen to and understand this
universal praise are very few.
O
mankind! If you have a doubt about
the Resurrection, (consider) that
We created you out of dust, then
out of sperm, then out of a
leech-like cloth, then out of a
lump of flesh, partly formed and
partly unformed, in order that We
may manifest (what We will) to
you. (22:5)
In
another verse, this development is
explained in greater detail, and the
distinct phases are emphasized more
clearly:
Man
We created 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
lump (embryo); then we made out of
that lump bones and clothed the
bones with flesh. Then We
developed out of it a new
(distinct, individual) creature.
(23:12-4)
And
verily in cattle (too) will you
find an instructive sign. From
what is from their bodies,
between excretions and blood, We
produce, for your drink, milk,
pure and agreeable to those who
drink it
(16:66).
The
Qur’an narrates the process in
remarkable detail: part-digestion and
absorption of what is ingested as food,
and then a second process and refinement
in the glands. Milk is a wholesome and
agreeable source of human nourishment,
yet it is a secretion rejected by its
owner as useless.
Glory
be to God, who created in pairs
all things, of what the earth
produces, of themselves, and of
which they have no knowledge
(36:36).
Everything
that exists has counterpart, whether
opposite or complementary. The
complementarity of human, animal,
and certain plant genders has long been
known. But what about the pairs of
things of which we have no knowledge?
This may refer to a whole range of
entities, inanimate as well as animate.
In the subtle forces and principles of
nature within (and among) animate or
inanimate entities, there are many kinds
of pairs. All things, from atoms to
clouds, as our modern instruments
confirm, occur in twos.
Do
not the unbelievers see that the
heavens and the earth were joined
together (as a single mass),
before We clove them asunder? We
made from water every living
thing. Will they not then believe?
(21:30).
This
meaning of this verse is clear, and
should not be obscured with different
hypotheses as to whether the primary
material in creation is an ether or a
large cloud, a huge nebula or a mass of
hot gas, or something else. The Qur’an
states that every living thing was
created of water. Whether the water
itself was caused by gases and vapors
rising from the ground, condensing, and
then returning as rain to form seas
and prepare a suitable environment for
life, or by some other process, is
relatively unimportant.
The
verse explicitly presents the universe
as a single miracle of creation; each
thing in it is an integral part of that
miracle, and contains signs that prove
its claim. Everything is interconnected,
just like the leaves of a massive
tree-they are all different, but
resemble each other and are linked to a
common root. The verse also emphasizes
water’s vitality and significance, for
it constitutes three-fourths of the body
mass of most living creatures.
And
the sun runs its course (mustaqarr)
determined for it. That is His
decree, the Exalted in Might,
the All-Knowing
(36:38).
In
this context, mustaqarr may mean
a determined orbit, a fixed place of
rest or dwelling, a determined route
in time. We are told that the sun runs a
predetermined course toward a
particular point. The solar system, as
we now know, is heading toward the
constellation Lyra at an almost
inconceivable speed: Every second we
come ten miles closer (almost a million
miles a day). Our attention is also
drawn to the fact that when the sun
finishes its appointed task, it will
abide by a command and come to rest.
Note:
The
sun moves (in its course) to a
resting-place for it
(36:38).
Before
elucidating other meanings and
connotations, remember that earlier
peoples’ sense-derived information
led them to believe that the sun
moved around a motionless Earth.
Science and observation later showed
that the Earth spins on its own axis
and orbits the sun, which is
relatively motionless. First, since
people see the sun moving, the Qur’an
mentions it as moving. Second, the
Qur’an mentions the sun here to
illustrate the magnificent order
prevailing throughout the universe
as a sign of God’s Might and
Knowledge:
A
sign for them is the night. We strip
it of the day, and behold! they are
in darkness. And the sun moves (in
its course) to a resting-place for
it. That is the measuring and
ordaining of the All-Mighty, the
All-Knowing. And for the moon We
have appointed mansions till it
returns like an old shriveled
palm-leaf. It is not for the sun to
overtake the moon, nor does the
night outstrip the day. They float,
each in an orbit. (36:37-40)
We
understand from this context that
the sun’s function is vital. The
word mustaqarr (stability)
applies to is course and the place
in which stability is secured. So,
the statement can mean that the sun
has a central position in the
universe’s order. Second, the
preposition used here, li,
has three meanings: for, to, and in.
Therefore, the exact meaning of this
statement is: The sun moves
following a route or course to a
fixed place determined for it for
the purpose of its (system’s)
stability.
Recently,
solar astronomers have observed that
the sun is not motionless; rather it
quivers, shakes, and continually
rings like a well-hit gong. (Bartusiac,
M. (1994) ‘Sounds of the Sun’, American
Scientist, January-February,
pp.61-68) The resulting vibrations
reveal vital information about its
deep interior and hidden layers,
information that affects
calculations of the universe’s
age. Also, knowing exactly how the
sun spins internally is important in
testing Einstein’s theory of
general relativity. Like so many
other significant findings in
astronomy, this one was totally
unexpected. Some astronomers have
commented that it is as if the sun
were a symphony orchestra, with all
its instruments being played
simultaneously. At times, all the
vibrations combine to produce a net
oscillation on the solar surface
that is thousands of times stronger
than any individual vibration.
Commenting
on the Qur’anic verse: The sun
moves to a resting-place for it,
several decades before this totally
unexpected discovery, Said Nursi
wrote:
As
the word “moves” points to a
style, the phrase “in its course”
demonstrates a reality. The sun,
like a vessel built of gold, travels
and floats in the ocean of the
heavens comprising ether and defined
as a stretched and tightened wave.
Although it quivers and shakes in
its course or orbit, since people
see it running, the Qur’an uses
the word “travel” or “float.”
However, since the origin of the
force of gravity is movement, the
sun moves and quivers in its orbit.
Through this vibration, which is the
wheel of its figurative movement,
its satellites are attracted to it
and preserved from falling and
scattering. When a tree quivers, its
fruits fall. But when the sun
quivers and shakes, its fruits-its
satellites-do not fall.
Again,
wisdom requires that the sun should
move and travel on its mobile
throne-its course or
orbit-accompanied by its
soldiers-its satellites. For the
Divine Power has made everything
moving, and condemns nothing to
absolute rest or motionlessness.
Divine Mercy allows nothing to be
condemned to inertia, which is the
cousin of death. So the sun is free;
it can travel, provided it obeys the
laws of God and does not disturb
others’ freedom. So it may
actually be travelling, as its
travelling may also be figurative.
However, what is important according
to the Qur’an is the universal
order, the wheel of which is the sun
and its movement. Through the sun,
the system’s stability and
orderliness are ensured.
Such
is the richness of the Qur’an, which
explains many truths in so few words.
Here, in only four words, many vague
things were clarified at a time when
people generally believed that the sun
made a daily circuit around the Earth.
And
the firmament: We constructed it
with power and skill, and We are
spreading it (51:47-8).
The
verse reveals that the distance (space)
between celestial bodies is
increasing, which means that the
universe is expanding. In 1922, the
astronomer Hubble claimed that all
galaxies, except the five closest to
Earth, are moving further away into
space at a speed directly proportional
to their distance from the Earth.
According to him, a galaxy one million
light years distant is moving away at a
speed of 168 km/year, one two million
light years distant at twice that speed,
and so on. Le Maître, a Belgian
mathematician and priest, later proposed
and developed the theory that the
universe is expanding. No matter how we
try to express this reality, whether
through Hubble’s coefficient or a
future theory, the Revelation is
unmistakably clear on the reality
itself.
God
is He Who raised the heavens
without any pillars that you can
see (13:2).
All
celestial bodies, from individual
satellites to entire solar systems, move
in order, balance, and harmony. They are
held and supported by invisible pillars,
some of which are repulsion or
centrifugal forces: He holds back the
sky from falling on earth except by His
leave (22:65).
At
any moment, the heavens could fall upon
the Earth. That the All-Mighty does not
allow this to happen is yet another
instance of the universal obedience to
His Word; modern science explains this
as a balance of centripetal and
centrifugal forces. What is of far
greater importance, however, is that
we turn our minds to that obedience and
to the Divine Mercy that holds the
universe in its reliable motion, rather
than deciding to follow Newton’s or
Einstein’s theories about the
mechanical and mathematical terms of
that obedience.
-
Previously,
some Qur’anic commentators
thought a reference to traveling to
the moon, once considered a very
remote possibility, could be found
in:
By
the moon’s fullness! You shall
surely travel from stage to stage
(84:18-9).
Earlier
commentators took this as a figurative
reference to our spiritual life, which
they considered an ascent from one stage
to the next, and from one heaven to
another. Others interpreted it as
referring to change in general, from one
state to another. Over time, later
interpreters gave ambiguous meanings,
because the literal meaning did not
agree with their beliefs about traveling
such distances. But in fact, the more
appropriate sense of the words following
the oath “By the moon!,” given the
verse’s immediate context, is that
of really traveling to the moon, whether
literally or figuratively.
Do
they not see how We gradually
shrink the land from its outlying
borders? Is it then they who will
be victors?
(21:44).
The
reference to shrinking could relate to
the now-known fact that the Earth is
compressed at the poles, rather than to
the erosion of mountains by wind and
rain, of coastal areas by the sea, or of
the gradual desertification of
agricultural land.
-
At
a time when people generally
believed that the Earth was flat and
stationary, the Qur’an explicitly
and implicitly revealed that it is
round. More unexpectedly still, it
also says that its precise shape is
more like an ostrich egg than a
sphere:
After
that He shaped the earth like an
egg, whence He caused to spring
forth the water thereof, and the
pasture thereof
(79:30-2).
The
verb daha’ means “to shape
like an egg,” and its derived noun da’hia
is still used to mean “an egg.” As
this scientific fact may have appeared
incorrect to scientists living before
the advent of modern science, some
interpreters misunderstood the word’s
meaning. They understood it as “stretched
out,” perhaps fearing that its literal
meaning might be difficult to understand
and thus mislead people. Modern
scientific instruments recently
established that the Earth is shaped
more like an egg than a perfect
sphere, and that there is a slight
flattening around the poles as well as a
slight curving around the equator.
- A
barrier between two ‘seas’:
He
has let forth the two seas, that
meet together. Between them a
barrier, they do not overpass
(55.19-20).
The
French scientist Jacques Cousteau has
discovered that the Mediterranean and
the Atlantic Ocean differ in terms of
their chemical and biological
constitution. He conducted various
undersea investigations at the straits
of Gibraltar in order to explain this
phenomenon, concluding that unexpected
fresh water springs issue from the
southern and northern coasts of
Gibraltar. These water spouts gush
towards each other at an angle of 45°,
forming a reciprocal dam like the teeth
of a comb. Due to this fact, the
Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean
cannot intermingle. Subsequent to this
assessment, Cousteau was amazed upon
being shown the Qur’anic verse, He
has let forth the two seas, that meet
together. Between them a barrier, they
do not overpass (55.19-20). These
verses further invite our attention to
the plankton composition of the seas,
and to the flora and fish distributions
that change with variations in
temperature.
We
have made the night and the day as
two signs; the sign of the night
We have obscured, while the sign
of the day We have made to
enlighten you
(17:12).
According
to Ibn ‘Abbas, the sign of the night
refers to the moon, and the sign of the
day to the sun. Therefore, from “the
sign of the night We have obscured,”
we understand that the moon once emitted
light just as the sun does, and that for
some reason God took its light from it,
causing it to darken or become obscured.
While the verse accurately recounts
the moon’s past, it also points to the
future destiny of other heavenly bodies.
Many
other verses are related to what we
now call scientific facts. Their
existence indicates that our quest for
knowledge is a portion of Divine Mercy
graciously bestowed by our Creator.
Indeed, Divine Mercy is one of the Qur’an’s
names for itself. All the truth and
knowledge that it contains is beyond
our ability to recount or even to hold
in our mind.
We
must remember, however, that while the
Qur’an alludes to many scientific
truths, it is not a textbook of science
or scientific explanations. Rather it
is, and has always been understood by
believers to be, the book of guidance
that teaches us the way to right belief
and right action so that we may be
worthy of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness.
It is the responsibility of Muslims to
ensure that the pursuit of scientific
and other kinds of knowledge is
conducted in the light of the Qur’an,
which so encourages and supports it. We
must do this so that the resulting
knowledge will not engender arrogance
and self-pride, for such feelings lead
to mental desolation and human
degradation, not to mention the
degradation of the Earth, our temporary
home and Divinely given trust.
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