ALLAH'S MIRACLES IN THE QUR'AN
THE
FORMATION OF THE UNIVERSE
Until the mid-20th century, the prevalent view across
the world was that the universe was infinite, had existed forever and that it
will continue to do so for all time. According to this view, known as the
"static universe model," the universe had no end or beginning.
In maintaining that the universe is a collection of
fixed, static and unchanging substances, this view has constituted the basis of
materialist philosophy and has consequently rejected the existence of a
Creator. However, as science and technology progressed during the 20th century,
the static universe model has been completely uprooted.
We have now entered the 21st century and a new dawn is
upon us. Through numerous experiments, observations and calculation conducted
by some of the world's most prominent thinkers, modern physics has proven that
the universe did indeed have a beginning, that it came into being from nothing
in a single moment in a huge explosion. Furthermore, it has been established
that the universe is not fixed and static, as materialists still stubbornly
maintain. On the contrary, it is undergoing a constant process of movement,
change and expansion. These recently-established facts all act as nails in the
coffin of the static universe theory. Today, all these facts are universally
accepted by the scientific community.
The origin of the universe is described in the Qur'an
in the following verse:
He
created the heavens and the Earth from nothing. (Qur'an, 6:101)
This information is in full agreement with the
findings of contemporary scientists. As we stated earlier, the conclusion that
astrophysics has reached today is that the entire universe, together with the
dimensions of matter and time, came into existence as a result of a great
explosion that occurred a long time ago. This event, known as "The Big
Bang," is the catalyst for the creation of the universe from nothingness.
This explosion, all parties in the scientific community agree, emanated from a
single point some 15 billion years ago. (See Harun Yahya, The Creation of the
Universe, Al-Attique Publishers Inc., Canada, 2000)
THE
EXPANDING UNIVERSE
In the Qur'an, which was revealed fourteen centuries
ago at a time when the science of astronomy was still primitive, the expansion
of the universe was described in the following terms:
And it
is We Who have constructed the heaven with might, and verily, it is We Who are
steadily expanding it. (Qur'an, 51:47)
The word "heaven," as stated in the verse
above, is used in various places in the Qur'an. It is referring to space and
the wider universe. Here again, the word is used with this meaning, stating
that the universe "expands." The Arabic word "moosi'oona"
in the term "inna lamoosi'oona," translated into English as "it
is We Who are steadily expanding it," comes from the verb
"awsa'a," meaning "to expand." The prefix "la"
emphasises the following name or title and adds a sense of "to a great
extent." This expression therefore means "We expand the sky or the
universe to a great extent." This is the very conclusion that science has
reached today.1
Until the dawn of the 20th century, the only view
prevailing in the world of science was that "the universe has a constant
nature and it has existed since infinite time." However, modern research,
observations, and calculations carried out by means of modern technology have
revealed that the universe in fact had a beginning and that it constantly
"expands."
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian
physicist Alexander Friedmann and the Belgian cosmologist Georges Lemaître
theoretically calculated that the universe is in constant motion and that it is
expanding.
This notion was confirmed by the use of observational
data in 1929. 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 observations carried out in the following years verified that the
universe is constantly expanding.
In order to gain a clearer understanding of this, let
us imagine the universe to be the surface of a balloon being inflated. In the
same way that the more the balloon is inflated, the further away the points on
its surface move from one another, celestial bodies also move away from one
another as the universe expands. This was theoretically discovered by Albert
Einstein, regarded as one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century.
However, in order to avoid violating the "static universe model" that
was generally accepted at that time, Einstein laid that discovery aside. He
would later describe this as the greatest blunder of his life.2
This fact was explained in the Qur'an in a time when
telescopes and similar technological advancements were not even close to being
invented. This is because the Qur'an is the word of Allah: the Creator and
Ruler of the entire universe.
THE END
OF THE UNIVERSE
AND THE
BIG CRUNCH
As we have stated above, the creation of the universe
began with a huge explosion. From this point, the universe has been expanding
ever since. Scientists say that when the mass of the universe has reached a
sufficient level, this expansion will come to an end because of gravity,
causing the universe to collapse in on itself.3
It is also believed that the contracting universe will
end in a fierce heat and contraction known as the "Big Crunch." This
would lead to the end of all forms of life as we know them. Renata Kallosh and
Andrei Linde, professors of physics from Stanford University, made the
following statements on the subject:
The universe may be doomed to collapse and disappear.
Everything we see now, and at a much larger distance that we cannot see, will
collapse into a point smaller than a proton. Locally, it will be the same as if
you were inside a black hole... We have found that some of the best attempts to
describe dark energy predict that it will gradually become negative, which will
cause the universe to become unstable, then collapse... Physicists have known
that dark energy could become negative and the universe could collapse sometime
in the very distant future... but now we see that we might be, not in the
beginning, but in the middle of the life cycle of our universe.4
This is how this scientific hypothesis of the Big
Crunch is indicated in the Qur'an:
That
Day We will fold up heaven like folding up the pages of a book. As We
originated the first creation so We will regenerate it. It is a promise binding
on Us. That is what We will do. (Qur'an, 21:104)
In another verse, this state of the heavens is
described thus:
They do
not measure Allah with His true measure. The whole Earth will be a mere handful
for Him on the Day of Resurrection the heavens folded up in His right hand.
Glory be to Him! He is exalted above the partners they ascribe! (Qur'an, 39:67)
According to the Big Crunch theory, the universe will
begin to collapse slowly and will then increasingly pick up speed. At the end
of the process the universe will have infinite density and be infinitely hot
and small. This scientific theory runs parallel to the Qur'anic explanation of
this particular scientific concept. (Allah knows best)
CREATION
FROM HOT SMOKE
Scientists today are able to observe the formation of
stars from a hot gas cloud. Formation from a warm mass of gas also applies to
the creation of the universe. The creation of the universe as described in the
Qur'an confirms this scientific discovery in the following verse:
He
placed firmly embedded mountains on it, towering over it, and blessed it and
measured out its nourishment in it, laid out for those who seek it-all in four
days. Then He turned to heaven when it was smoke and said to it and to the
Earth, "Come willingly or unwillingly." They both said, "We come
willingly." (Qur'an, 41:10-11)
The Arabic word for "samaa'," translated
here as "heaven," refers to the entire universe. The word
"dukhaanun" for "smoke" describes the matter before the
universe took its shape-the hot, cosmic smoke present during the creation of
the universe, as now acknowledged by scientist.5 This word in the Qur'an, in
pinpoint fashion, describes this smoke very accurately for it is a warm body of
gas containing mobile particles connected to solid substances. Here, the Qur'an
has employed the most appropriate word from the Arabic language for describing
the appearance of this phase of the universe. Let us note that only in the 20th
century have scientists discovered that the universe emerged from a hot gas in
the form of smoke.
In addition, the word "thumma," translated
as "then" in the expression "Then He turned to heaven when it
was smoke," bears other meanings such as "at this, in addition,
furthermore, moreover, again, once more." Here, "thumma" is
employed not as an expression of time, but as an additional clarification.6
The fact that such information about the creation of
the universe is given in the Qur'an is nothing short of a miracle of the
Qur'an.
THE
SEPARATION OF THE HEAVENS
AND THE
EARTH
Another verse about the creation of the heavens is as
follows:
Do not
the unbelievers see that the heavens and the Earth were sewn together and then
We unstitched them and that We made from water every living thing? So will they
not believe? (Qur'an, 21:30)
The word "ratq" translated as "sewn
to" means "mixed in each, blended" in the Arabic vernacular. It
is used to refer to two different substances that make up a whole. The phrase
"we unstitched" is the verb "fataqa" in Arabic and implies
that something comes into being by tearing apart or destroying the structure of
things that are sewn to one another. The sprouting of a seed from the soil is
one of the actions to which this verb is applied.
Let us take a look at the verse again. In the verse,
sky and earth are at first subject to the status of "ratq." They are
separated (fataqa) with one coming out of the other. Intriguingly, when we
think about the first moments of the Big Bang, we see that the entire matter of
the universe collected at one single point. In other words,
everything-including "the heavens and earth" which were not created
yet-were in an interwoven and inseparable condition. Then, this point exploded
violently, causing its matter to disunite.
THE
CREATION OF WHAT LIES BETWEEN
THE
HEAVENS AND THE EARTH
The Qur'an contains a great many verses concerning the
creation of the Earth, the heavens and what lies between:
We did
not create the heavens and Earth and everything between them, except with
truth. The Hour is certainly coming, so turn away graciously. (Qur'an, 15:85)
Everything
in the heavens and everything on the Earth and everything in between them and
everything under the ground belongs to Him. (Qur'an, 20:6)
We did
not create heaven and Earth and everything in between them as a game. (Qur'an,
21:16)
Scientists state that first of all, a mass of hot gas
increased in density. This mass later divided into smaller parts to form
galactic matter and later still, the stars and planets. To put it another way,
the Earth along with stars around it, are all parts which separated from a
united body of gas. Some of these parts brought the suns and planets into
being, thus leading to the emergence of the many Solar Systems and galaxies. As
we have set out in earlier sections of this book, the universe was first in a
state of "ratq" (fusion: combined together, united) and then became
"fataqa" (divided into parts). The emergence of the universe is
described with the most suitable words in the Qur'an, in such a way as to
confirm the scientific accounts.7
On the occasion of every division, a few particles
remained outside the new, fundamental bodies forming in space. The scientific
name for these extra particles is "interstellar galactic material."
Interstellar matter consists of 60% of hydrogen, 38% of helium and 2% of all
other elements. Of the interstellar matter, 99% consists of interstellar gas
and 1% of interstellar dust, which probably consists of heavy elements in small
particles of 0.0001 to 0.001 mm in diameter.8 Scientists regard these
substances as very important from the point of view of astrophysical
measurements. These substances are so fine as to be capable of being regarded
as dust, smoke or gas. However, when one considers these substances as a whole,
they represent a larger mass than the total of all the galaxies in space.
Although the existence of this interstellar galactic matter was only discovered
in 1920, attention was drawn to the existence of these particles, described as
"maa baynahuma"-translated as "everything between
them"-hundreds of years ago in the Qur'an.
THE
PERFECT EQUILIBRIUM
IN THE
UNIVERSE
He Who
created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any discrepancy in the
creation of the All-Merciful. Look again-do you see any gaps? Then look again
and again. Your sight will return to you dazzled and exhausted! (Qur'an,
67:3-4)
The billions of stars and galaxies in the universe
move in perfect equilibrium in the paths set out for them. Stars, planets and
satellites rotate not only around their own axes but also together with the
systems of which they are an integral part. Sometimes, galaxies containing
200-300 billion stars move across each others' paths. Yet amazingly, no
collisions take place that might damage the great order in the universe. This
miracle is something over which all of us should reflect.
In the universe, the concept of speed assumes giant
dimensions when compared to earthly measurements. Stars, planets, galaxies and
conglomerations of galaxies-whose numerical properties can only be conceived by
mathematicians-weigh billions or trillions of tons, and move through space at
extraordinary speeds.
For example, the Earth rotates at 1,670 kmph (1,038
mph). If we consider that the fastest-moving bullet today possesses an average
speed of 1,800 kmph, we can see how fast the Earth is moving, despite its
enormous size and mass.
The speed of the Earth as it orbits the Sun is some 60
times faster than a bullet: 108,000 kmph. If we were able to construct a
vehicle capable of moving at that speed, it would be able to circumnavigate the
Earth in 22 minutes. These figures apply only to the Earth.
Those for the Solar System are even more fascinating.
The speed of that system is such as to exceed the bounds of reason: The larger
the systems in the universe, the greater their speed. The Solar System's speed
of orbit around the centre of the galaxy is 720,000 kmph. The Milky Way, with
its 200 billion or so stars, moves through space at 950,000 kmph.
There is no doubt that there is a very high risk of
collisions in such a complicated and fast-moving system. Yet nothing of the
sort actually happens and we continue with our lives in complete safety. That
is because everything in the universe functions according to the flawless
equilibrium set out by Allah. It is for this reason that, as stated in the
verse, there is no "discrepancy" in the system.
THE
FINE TUNING IN THE UNIVERSE
He Who
created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation
of the All-Merciful. Look again-do you see any gaps? Then look again and again.
Your sight will return to you dazzled and exhausted! (Qur'an, 67:3-4)
Don't
you see how He created seven heavens in layers? (Qur'an, 71:15)
He to
Whom the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs. He does not have a son
and He has no partner in the Kingdom. He created everything and determined it
most exactly. (Qur'an, 25:2)
Materialist philosophy emerged with the claim that all
the systems in nature and the universe were like machines that functioned on
their own, that the flawless order and balance within them were the work of
chance. However, today, the false nature of materialism and of Darwinism, its
so-called scientific foundation, has been scientifically demonstrated. (See
Harun Yahya, The Evolution Deceit, 8th ed., Ta-Ha Publishers, 2004 and
Darwinism Refuted, Goodword Books, 2003.)
The scientific discoveries of the 20th century that
followed swiftly, one after the other, in the fields of astrophysics and
biology have proved that life and the universe were created. As the theses of
Darwinism collapsed, the Big Bang theory has shown that the universe was
created from nothing. Discoveries have revealed that there is a great design
and fine-tuning in the material world and this has categorically demonstrated
the groundless nature of the claims of materialism.
Considering the conditions necessary for life, we see
that only the Earth meets these particular conditions. For an environment
suitable for life, there are innumerable conditions taking place simultaneously
and unceasingly all around us. There are some hundred billion galaxies, each
with-on average-a hundred billion stars. In all the galaxies, there are perhaps
as many planets as stars.9 In the face of such overpowering numbers, one can
better comprehend the significance of the formation of such an exceptional
environment on the Earth.
From the force of the Big Bang explosion to the
physical values of atoms, from the levels of the four basic forces to the
chemical processes in the stars, from the type of light emitted by the Sun to
the level of viscosity of water, from the distance of the Moon to the Earth to
the level of gases in the atmosphere, from the Earth's distance from the Sun to
its angle of tilt to its orbit, and from the speed at which the Earth revolves
around its own axis to the functions of the oceans and mountains on the Earth:
every single detail is ideally suited to our lives. Today, the world of science
describes these features by means of the concepts of the "Anthropic
Principle" and "Fine-Tuning." These concepts summarise the way
that the universe is not an aimless, uncontrolled, chance collection of matter
but that it has a purpose directed towards human life and has been designed
with the greatest precision.
Attention is drawn in the above verses to the measure
and harmony in Allah's creation. The word "taqdeer," meaning "to
design, measure, create by measuring," is employed in Qur'anic verses such
as Surat al-Furqan 2. The word "tibaaq," meaning "in
harmony," is used in Surat al-Mulk 3 and Surah Nuh 15. Furthermore, Allah
also reveals in Surat al-Mulk with the word "tafaawut," meaning
"disagreement, violation, non-conformity, disorder, opposite," that
those who seek disharmony will fail to find it.
The term "fine-tuning," which began to be
used towards the end of the 20th century, represents this truth revealed in the
verses. Over the last quarter-century or so, a great many scientists,
intellectuals and writers have shown that the universe is not a collection of
coincidences. On the contrary, it has an extraordinary design and order ideally
suited to human life in its every detail. (See Harun Yahya, The Creation of the
Universe, Al-Attique Publishers, November 2002 and A Chain of Miracles, Global
Publishing, May 2004.) Many features in the universe clearly show that the
universe has been specially designed to support life. The physicist Dr. Karl
Giberson expresses this fact thus:
In the 1960s, some physicists observed that our
universe appears to have been fine-tuned for the existence of human life.10
The British astrophysicist Professor George F. Ellis
refers to this fine-tuning in these terms:
Amazing fine tuning occurs in the laws that make this
[complexity] possible. Realization of the complexity of what is accomplished
makes it very difficult not to use the word "miraculous" without
taking a stand as to the ontological status of the word.11
The
Speed of the Big Bang Explosion:
The balances established with the Big Bang, the
instantaneous formation of the universe, are one of the proofs that the
universe did not come into being by chance. According to the well-known
Adelaide University professor of mathematical physics Paul Davies, if the rate
of expansion that took place following the Big Bang had been just one in a
billion billion parts different (1/1018), the universe could not have come into
being. 12 In his book A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking recognises this
extraordinary precision in the universe's rate of expansion:
If the rate of expansion one second after the big bang
had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million million, the
universe would have recollapsed before it ever reached its present size.13
The
Four Forces:
All physical motion in the universe comes about thanks
to the interaction and equilibrium of the four forces recognised by modern
physics: gravity, electromagnetic force, strong nuclear force and weak nuclear
force. These forces possess extraordinarily different values to one another.
Michael Denton, the famous molecular biologist, describes the extraordinary
equilibrium among these forces thus:
If, for example, the gravitational force was a
trillion times stronger, then the universe would be far smaller and its life
history far shorter. An average star would have a mass a trillion times less
than the sun and a life span of about one year. On the other hand, if gravity
had been less powerful, no stars or galaxies would have ever formed. The other
relationships and values are no less critical. If the strong force had been
just slightly weaker, the only element that would be stable would be hydrogen.
No other atoms could exist. If it had been slightly stronger in relation to
electromagnetism, then an atomic nucleus consisting of only two protons would
be a stable feature of the universe-which would mean there would be no
hydrogen, and if any stars or galaxies evolved, they would be very different
from the way they are. Clearly, if these various forces and constants did not
have precisely the values they do, there would be no stars, no supernovae, no
planets, no atoms, no life.14
The
Distances between Celestial Bodies:
The distribution of celestial bodies in space and the
enormous spaces between them are essential to the existence of life on Earth.
The distances between celestial bodies have been set out in a calculation
compatible with a great many powerful universal forces in such a way as to
support life on Earth. In his book Nature's Destiny Michael Denton describes
the distance between supernovae and stars:
The distances between supernovae and indeed between
all stars is critical for other reasons. The distance between stars in our
galaxy is about 30 million miles. If this distance was much less, planetary
orbits would be destabilized. If it was much more, then the debris thrown out
by a supernova would be so diffusely distributed that planetary systems like
our own would in all probability never form. If the cosmos is to be a home for
life, then the flickering of the supernovae must occur at a very precise rate
and the average distance between them, and indeed between all stars, must be
very close to the actual observed figure.15
Gravity:
- If gravity were stronger, excessive ammonia and
methane would collect in the Earth's atmosphere, which would have a most
damaging effect on life.
- If it were weaker, the Earth's atmosphere would lose
excessive quantities of water, making life impossible.
The
Earth's Distance from the Sun:
- If this were any greater, the planet would grow very
cold, the water cycle in the atmosphere would be affected, and the planet would
enter an ice-age.
- If the Earth were any closer to the Sun, plants
would burn up, the water cycle in the Earth's atmosphere would be irreparably
damaged, and life would become impossible.
The
Thickness of the Earth's Crust:
- If the crust were any thicker, then an excessive
amount of oxygen would be transferred to it from the atmosphere.
- If it were any thinner, the resulting amount of
volcanic activity would make life impossible.
The
Speed at which the Earth Revolves:
- If this were any slower, the temperature difference
between day and night would grow enormously.
- If it were any faster, then atmospheric winds would
reach enormous speeds, and cyclones and storms would make life impossible.
The
Earth's Magnetic Field:
- If this were any more powerful, very strong
electromagnetic storms would arise.
- If it were any weaker, then the Earth would lose its
protection against the harmful particles given off by the Sun and known as
solar winds. Both situations would make life impossible.
The
Albedo Effect (The Fraction of Light
Reflected
by the Earth):
- If this were any greater, an ice-age would rapidly
result.
- If it were any less, the greenhouse effect would
lead to excessive warming. The Earth would first be flooded with the melting of
the glaciers, and would then burn up.
The
Proportion of Oxygen and Nitrogen
in the
Atmosphere:
- If this were any greater, vital functions would be
adversely accelerated.
- If it were any less, vital functions would adversely
slow down.
The
Proportion of Carbon Dioxide and Water
in the
Atmosphere:
- If this were any greater, the atmosphere would
overheat.
- If it were any less, the temperature of the
atmosphere would fall.
The
Thickness of the Ozone Layer:
- If this were any greater, the Earth's temperature
would fall enormously.
- If it were any less, the Earth would overheat and be
defenceless against the harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the Sun.
Seismic
Activity (Earthquakes):
- If this were any greater, there would be constant
upheaval for living things.
- If it were any less, the nutrients at the sea bottom
would fail to spread into the water. This would have a damaging effect on life
in the seas and oceans and all living things on Earth.
The
Earth's Angle of Tilt:
The Earth has a 23 degree angle of inclination to its
orbit. It is this inclination that gives rise to the seasons. If this angle
were any greater or any less than it is now, the temperature difference between
the seasons would reach extreme dimensions, with unbearably hot summers and
bitterly cold winters.
The
Size of the Sun:A smaller star than the Sun would mean the Earth would
freeze and a larger star would lead to its burning up.
The
Attraction between the Earth and the Moon:
- If this were any greater, the powerful attraction of
the Moon would have extremely serious effects on atmospheric conditions, the
speed at which the Earth revolves around its own axis and on the ocean tides.
- If it were any less, this would lead to extreme
climate changes.
The
Distance between the Earth and the Moon:
- If they were just a little closer, the Moon would
crash into the Earth.
- If they were any further, the Moon would become lost
in space.
- If they were even a little closer, the Moon's effect
on the Earth's tides would reach dangerous dimensions. Ocean waves would
inundate low-lying areas. The friction emerging as a result of this would raise
the temperature of the oceans and the sensitive temperature balance essential
to life on Earth would disappear.
- If they were even a little further away, the tides
would decrease, leading the oceans to be less mobile. Immobile water would
endanger life in the seas, and the level of the oxygen we breathe would be
endangered.16
The
Temperature of the Earth
and
Carbon-Based Life:
The existence of carbon, the basis of all life,
depends on the temperature remaining within specific limits. Carbon is an
essential substance for organic molecules such as amino-acid, nucleic acid and
protein: These constitute the basis of life. For that reason, life can only be
carbon-based. Given this, the existing temperature needs to be no lower than
-20 degrees and no higher than 120 degrees Celsius (248oF). These are just the
temperature limits on Earth.
These are just a few of the exceedingly sensitive
balances which are essential for life on Earth to have emerged and to survive.
Yet even these are sufficient to definitively reveal that the Earth and the
universe could not have come into being as the result of a number of
consecutive coincidences. The concepts of "fine-tuning" and the
"anthropic principle" that began to be employed in the 20th century
are further evidence of Allah's creation. The harmony and proportion therein
were described with magnificent accuracy fourteen centuries ago in the Qur'an.
THE
STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
THE
SUN, THE MOON AND THE STARS
We
built seven firm layers above you. We installed a blazing lamp. (Qur'an,
78:12-13)
As we know, the only source of light in the Solar
System is the Sun. With advances in technology, astronomers discovered that the
Moon was not a source of light but that it merely reflects the light reaching
it from the Sun. The expression "lamp" in the above verse is a
translation of the Arabic word "siraaj," which most perfectly
describes the Sun, the source of light and heat.
In the Qur'an Allah employs different words when
referring to such celestial bodies as the Moon, the Sun and the stars. This is
how the differences between the structures of the Sun and Moon are expressed in
the Qur'an:
Don't
you see how He created seven heavens in layers, and placed the Moon as a light
in them and made the sun a blazing lamp? (Qur'an, 71:15-16)
In the above verse, the word "light" is used
for the Moon ("noor" in Arabic) and the word "lamp" for the
Sun ("siraaj" in Arabic.) The word used for the Moon refers to a
light-reflecting, bright, motionless body. The word used for the Sun refers to
a celestial body which is always burning, a constant source of heat and light.
On the other hand, the word "star" comes
from the Arabic root "najama," meaning "appearing, emerging,
visible." As in the verse below, stars are also referred to by the word
"thaaqib," which is used for that which shines and pierces the
darkness with light: self-consuming and burning:
It is
the star that pierces through darkness! (Qur'an, 86:3)
We now know that the Moon does not emit its own light
but reflects that reaching it from the Sun. We also know that the Sun and stars
do emit their own light. These facts were revealed in the Qur'an in an age when
mankind simply did not have the means to make scientific discoveries of their
own accord. It was an age when peoples' knowledge of celestial bodies was severely
restricted, to say the least. This further emphasises the miraculous nature of
the book of Islam.
ORBITS
AND THE ROTATING UNIVERSE
One of the most important reasons for the great
equilibrium in the universe is the fact that celestial bodies follow specific
paths. Stars, planets and satellites all rotate around their own axes and also
rotate together with the system of which they are a part. The universe
functions within a finely-tuned order, just like the wheels in a factory.
There are more than 100 billion galaxies in the
visible universe and each small galaxy contains approximately a billion stars.
Furthermore, each big galaxy contains more than a trillion.17 Many of these
stars have planets and many of those planets have satellites. All these celestial
bodies follow the most finely calculated paths and orbits. For millions of
years, each one has been moving in its own path in flawless harmony with all
the others. In addition to these, there are also a great many comets moving
along in their own pre-determined paths.
In addition, the paths in the universe are not
restricted to a few celestial bodies. The Solar System and even other galaxies
also exhibit considerable motion around other centres. Every year, Earth, and
the Solar System with it, move some 500 million km (310 million miles) from
where they were the previous year. It has been calculated that even the
slightest deviation from celestial bodies' paths could have drastic
consequences which might spell the end of the entire system. For example, the
consequences of the Earth's deviating from its course by a mere 3 mm have been
described in one source as follows:
While rotating around the sun, the earth follows such
an orbit that, every 18 miles, it only deviates 2.8 millimetres from a direct course.
The orbit followed by the earth never changes, because even a deviation of 3
millimetres would cause catastrophic disasters: If the deviation were 2.5 mm
instead of 2.8 mm, then the orbit would be very large, and all of us would
freeze. If the deviation were 3.1 mm, we would be scorched to death.18
Another characteristic of heavenly bodies is that they
also rotate around their own axes. The verse which reads "[I swear] by
Heaven with its cyclical systems," (Qur'an, 86:11) indicates this truth.
Naturally, at the time when the Qur'an was revealed, people had no telescopes
with which to study bodies millions of kilometres away in space, advanced
observation technology or our modern knowledge of physics and astronomy. It was
therefore impossible to establish that space had "its oscillating
orbits," (Qur'an, 51:7) as described in the verse. The Qur'an however,
revealed at that time, provided clear information concerning that fact. This is
proof that this book is indeed Allah's word.
THE
SUN'S TRAJECTORY
It is stressed in the Qur'an that the Sun and Moon
follow specific trajectories:
It is
He Who created night and day and the Sun and Moon, each one swimming in a
sphere. (Qur'an, 21:33)
The word "swim" in the above verse is
expressed in Arabic by the word "sabaha" and is used to describe the
movement of the Sun in space. The word means that the Sun does not move
randomly through space but that it rotates around its axis and follows a course
as it does so. The fact that the Sun is not fixed in position but rather
follows a specific trajectory is also stated in another verse:
And the
Sun runs to its resting place. That is the decree of the Almighty, the
All-Knowing. (Qur'an, 36:38)
These facts set out in the Qur'an were only discovered
by means of astronomical advances in our own time. According to astronomers'
calculations, the Sun moves along a path known as the Solar Apex in the path of
the star Vega at an incredible speed of 720,000 kmph (447,000 mph). In rough
terms, this shows that the Sun traverses some 17.28 million km (10.74 million
miles) a day. As well as the Sun itself, all the planets and satellites within
its gravitational field also travel the same distance.
THE
MOON'S ORBIT
And We
have decreed set phases for the Moon, until it ends up looking like an old date
branch. It is not for the Sun to overtake the Moon nor for the night to
outstrip the day; each one is swimming in a sphere. (Qur'an, 36:39-40)
The Moon does not follow a regular orbit like the
satellites of other planets. As it orbits the Earth, it sometimes moves behind
it and sometimes in front. As it also moves with the Earth around the Sun, it
actually follows a constant pattern resembling the letter "S" in
space. This route, traced by the Moon in space, is described in the Qur'an as
resembling an old date branch and does indeed resemble the twisted form of the
date tree branch. Indeed, the word "urjoon" employed in the Qur'an
refers to a thin and twisted date branch and is used to describe that part left
after the fruit has been picked. The way that this branch is described as
"old" is also most appropriate since old date branches are thinner
and more twisted.
There is no doubt that it was impossible for anyone to
have any knowledge about the orbit of the Moon 1,400 years ago. The way that
this pattern, identified by modern technology and accumulated knowledge, was
revealed in the Book is yet another scientific miracle of the Qur'an.
CALCULATING
THE LUNAR YEAR
It is
He Who appointed the Sun to give radiance, and the Moon to give light, assigning it phases so you would know the
number of years and the reckoning of time. Allah did not create these things
except with truth. We make the signs clear for people who know. (Qur'an, 10:5)
And We
have decreed set phases for the Moon, until it ends up looking like an old date branch. (Qur'an, 36:39)
In the first of the above verses, Allah has clearly
revealed that the Moon will be a means of measurement for people to calculate
the year. Furthermore, our attention is also drawn to the fact that these
calculations will be performed according to the positions of the Moon as it
revolves in its orbit. Since the angles between the Earth and Moon and the Moon
and Sun constantly change, we see the Moon in different forms at different
times. Furthermore, our ability to see the Moon is made possible by the fact
that it is illuminated by the Sun. The amount of the lighted half of the Moon
we see from Earth changes. Bearing in mind these changes, a number of
calculations can be made, making it possible for human beings to measure the
year.
In former times a month was calculated as the time
between two full moons, or the time it took the Moon to travel around the
Earth. According to this, one month was equal to 29 days, 12 hours and 44
minutes. This is known as the "lunar month." Twelve lunar months
represent one year, according to the Hijri calendar. However, there is a
difference of eleven days between the Hijri calendar and the Gregorian
calendar, in which a year is the time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun.
Indeed, attention is drawn to this difference in another verse:
They
stayed in their cave for three hundred years and added nine. (Qur'an, 18:25)
We can clarify the time referred to in the verse thus:
300 years x 11 days (the difference which forms every year) = 3,300 days.
Bearing in mind that one solar year lasts 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and
45.5 seconds, 3,300 days/365.24 days = 9 years. To put it another way, 300
years according to the Gregorian calendar is equal to 300+9 years according to
the Hijri calendar. As we can see, the verse refers to this finely calculated
difference of 9 years. (Allah knows best.) There is no doubt that the Qur'an,
which contains such pieces of information, which transcended the everyday
knowledge of the time, is a miraculous revelation.
THE
FORCE OF GRAVITY AND
ORBITAL
MOVEMENTS
No! I
swear by the planets-that recede, that ride their course [and] hide themselves.
(Qur'an, 81: 15-16)
The word "khunnas" in Surat at-Takwir 15
bears such meanings as shrinking and cowering, retracting and turning back. The
Arabic expression translated as "hide themselves" in the 16th verse
is "kunnas," the plural form of "kaanis," which refers to a
specific path: entering a nest, the home of a body in motion, or things entering
their homes and hiding there. Again in verse 16, the word "jawaar,"
the plural form of "jariyah," which means one that moves and flows,
is translated as "that ride their course." Bearing the meanings in
mind, it is very possible that these verses refer to the gravitational forces
of the planets and their movements around their orbits.
These words in the above verses fully describe orbital
movements stemming from the force of gravity. Of these, the word
"khunnas" refers to the planets' attraction towards their own centres
and also their attraction towards the Sun, which is the centre of our Solar
System. (Allah knows best.) The force of gravity already existed in the
universe-although it was only possible to reveal this attractive force with
mathematical formulae with Sir Isaac Newton, who lived in the 17th and 18th
centuries. The word "jawaar" in the following verse emphasises the
orbital movements that arise as a result of the centrifugal force that opposes
this attractive one. There is no doubt that the use of the word
"jawaar" together with "khunnas" (attraction towards the
centre, shrinkage) and "kunnas" (path, entering the nest, the home of
a body in motion) indicates an important scientific truth that nobody could
have known about 1,400 years ago. (Allah knows best.) Moreover, these verses,
one of the subjects sworn on in the Qur'an, are another indication of the
importance of the subject.
THE
SPHERICAL EARTH
He has
created the heavens and the Earth for truth. He wraps the night up in the day,
and wraps the day up in the night. (Qur'an, 39:5)
In the Qur'an, the words used for describing the
universe are quite remarkable. The Arabic word which is translated as "to
wrap" in the above verse is "yukawwir." In English, it means
"to make one thing lap over another, folded up as a garment that is laid
away." For instance, in Arabic dictionaries this word is used for the
action of wrapping one thing around another, in the way that a turban is put
on. The information given in the verse about the day and the night wrapping
each other up includes accurate information about the shape of the world. This
can be true only if the Earth is round. This means that in the Qur'an, which
was revealed in the 7th century, the roundness of the world was hinted at.
However, it should be remembered that the
understanding of astronomy of the time perceived the world differently. It was
then thought that the world was a flat plane and all scientific calculations
and explanations were based on this belief. However, the glorious Qur'an has
employed the most definitive words when it came to describing the universe.
These facts, which we could only correctly fathom in our century, have been in
the Qur'an for a vast length of time.
THE
EARTH'S DIRECTION OF ROTATION
You
will see the mountains and reckon them to be solid; but they go past like
clouds-the handiwork of Allah Who gives to everything its solidity. He is aware
of what you do. (Qur'an, 27:88)
The above verse emphasises that the Earth not only
rotates but that it also has a direction of rotation. The direction of movement
of the main cloud masses at 3,500-4,000 metres (11,500-13,000 feet) high is
always from West to East. That is why it is generally the state of the weather
in the West which is looked at in meteorological forecasts.19
The main reason why cloud masses are pulled from West
to East is the direction in which the Earth rotates. As we now know, our Earth
spins from West to East. This scientific fact, only recently established by
science, was revealed in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago, at a time when the Earth
was believed to be flat, and to be resting on the back of an elephant.
THE
EARTH'S GEOID SHAPE
After
that He smoothed out the Earth. (Qur'an, 79:30)
In the above verse, the word "dahaa" is used
in the original Arabic. It, translated as "smoothed out," comes from
the word "dahaw," meaning "to spread." Although the word
"dahaw" also means to cover or to set out, the meaning of the verb is
more than just a prosaic setting out, since it describes setting out in a circle.
The concept of roundness is also present in other
words derived from "dahaw." For example, the word "dahaw"
also refers to children dropping a ball into a hole in the ground, games
involving throwing stones into holes and games played with walnuts. Words
derived from that root are also used for an ostrich making a nest, cleaning
stones from where it is about to lie down, the place where it lays its eggs and
the egg itself.
Indeed, the Earth is round, in a manner reminiscent of
an egg. The slightly flattened spherical shape of the Earth is known as geoid.
From that point of view, the use of the word "dahaa" contains
important information about the shape that Allah has given to the Earth. For
hundreds of years, people imagined the Earth to be completely flat and only
learned the truth thanks to technology. Yet, this fact was revealed in the
Qur'an fourteen centuries ago.
THE
DIAMETERS OF THE EARTH AND SPACE
Company
of jinn and men, if you are able to pierce through the confines of the heavens
and Earth, pierce through them. You will not pierce through except with a clear
authority. (Qur'an, 55:33)
The Arabic word translated as "confines" in
the above verse is "aqtaar." This is the plural form of the word
"qutr," meaning diameter and refers to the skies and the Earth having
many diameters. It is possible in Arabic to tell from the form in which a word
is used whether it is singular, plural (more than two), or employed in a dual
form. Therefore, the form of the word used here, the plural, refers to another
piece of miraculous information.
A three-dimensional body can only be said to have a
single diameter if it is perfectly spherical. The term "diameters"
can only refer to an irregular but basically spherical shape. This word chosen
in the Qur'an-diameters-is important from the point of view of indicating the
geoid shape of the Earth. The second noteworthy subject in the verse is that
the Earth and the heavens are mentioned separately in reference to diameters.
According to Albert Einstein's General Theory of
Relativity, the universe is expanding. But this does not mean that the galaxies
and other heavenly bodies are being dispersed in space. This means that space
is expanding and that the distance between the galaxies is increasing.
The definition of the "confines of the
heavens" in Surat ar-Rahman 33 indicates the spherical structure of space.
(Allah knows best.) In the same way that the diameters of space will be
different from different points in space, so the diameters of a constantly expanding
space will also display differences. From that point of view the use of the
plural form of the word confine is full of wisdom, and is one of the
indications that the Qur'an is the revelation of our Omniscient Lord.
ATMOSPHERIC
LAYERS
One fact about the universe revealed in the verses of
the Qur'an is that the sky is made up of seven layers:
It is
He Who created everything on the Earth for you and then directed His attention
up to heaven and arranged it into seven regular heavens. He has knowledge of
all things. (Qur'an, 2:29)
Then He
turned to heaven when it was smoke. In two days He determined them as seven
heavens and revealed, in every heaven, its own mandate. (Qur'an, 41:11-12)
The word "heavens," which appears in many
verses in the Qur'an, is used to refer to the sky above the Earth, as well as
the entire universe. Given this meaning of the word, it is seen that the
Earth's sky, or the atmosphere, is made up of seven layers.
Today, it is known that the world's atmosphere
consists of different layers that lie on top of each other.20 Based on the
criteria of chemical contents or air temperature, the definitions made have
determined the atmosphere of the Earth as seven layers.21 According to the
"Limited Fine Mesh Model (LFMMII)," a model of atmosphere used to
estimate weather conditions for 48 hours, the atmosphere has also 7 layers.
According to the modern geological definitions the seven layers of atmosphere
are as follows:
1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Mesosphere
4. Thermosphere
5. Exosphere
6. Ionosphere
7. Magnetosphere
The Qur'an says, "[He] revealed, in every heaven,
its own mandate," in Surah Fussilat 12. In other words, Allah is stating
that He assigned each heaven its own duty. Truly, as will be seen in following
chapters, each one of these layers has vital duties for the benefit of human
kind and all other living things on the Earth. Each layer has a particular
function, ranging from forming rain to preventing harmful rays, from reflecting
radio waves to averting the harmful effects of meteors.
The verses below inform us about the appearance of the
seven layers of the atmosphere:
Do you
not see how He created seven heavens in layers? (Qur'an, 71:15)
He Who
created the seven heavens in layers... (Qur'an, 67:3)
The Arabic word "tibaaq" in these verses, translated into
English as "layer" means "layer, the appropriate cover or
covering for something," and thus stresses how the top layer is well
suited to the lower. The word is also used in the plural here:
"layers." The sky, described in the verse as being in layers, is
without doubt the most perfect expression of the atmosphere. It is a great
miracle that these facts, which could not possibly be discovered without the
technology of the 20th century, were explicitly stated by the Qur'an 1,400 years
ago.
THE
WELL-GUARDED SKY
In the Qur'an, Allah calls our attention to a very
important attribute of the sky:
We made
the sky a preserved and protected roof yet still they turn away from Our signs.
(Qur'an, 21:32)
This attribute of the sky has been proved by
scientific research carried out in the 20th century: The atmosphere surrounding
the Earth serves crucial functions for the continuity of life. While destroying
many meteors-big and small-as they approach the Earth, it prevents them from
falling to Earth and harming living things.
In addition, the atmosphere filters the light rays
coming from space that are harmful to living things. The most striking feature
of this function of the atmosphere is that it lets only harmless and useful
rays-visible light, near ultraviolet light and radio waves pass through. All of
this radiation is vital for life. Near ultraviolet rays, which are only
partially let in by the atmosphere, are very important for the photosynthesis
of plants and for the survival of all living things. The majority of the
intense ultraviolet rays emitted from the Sun are filtered out by the ozone
layer of the atmosphere. Only a limited and essential part of the ultraviolet
spectrum reaches the Earth.
The protective function of the atmosphere does not end
here. The atmosphere also protects the Earth from the freezing cold of the
space, which is approximately -270oC (-454oF).
It is not only the atmosphere that protects the Earth
from harmful effects. In addition to the atmosphere, the Van Allen Belt-the
layer caused by the magnetic field of the Earth-also serves as a shield against
the harmful radiation that threatens our planet. This radiation, which is
constantly emitted by the Sun and other stars, is deadly to living things. If
the Van Allen belt did not exist, the massive outbursts of energy called solar
flares that frequently occur in the Sun would destroy all life on Earth.
On the importance of the Van Allen Belt, Dr. Hugh Ross
says:
In fact, the Earth has the highest density of any of
the planets in our Solar System. This large nickel-iron core is responsible for
our large magnetic field. This magnetic field produces the Van-Allen radiation
shield, which protects the Earth from radiation bombardment. If this shield
were not present, life would not be possible on the Earth. The only other rocky
planet to have any magnetic field is Mercury-but its field strength is 100
times less than the Earth's. Even Venus, our sister planet, has no magnetic
field. The Van-Allen radiation shield is a design unique to the Earth.22
The energy transmitted in just one of these bursts
detected in recent years was calculated to be equivalent to 100 billion atomic
bombs, each akin to one dropped on Hiroshima at the end of World War II.
Fifty-eight hours after the burst, it was observed that the magnetic needles of
compasses displayed unusual movement and 250 kilometres (155 miles) above the
Earth's atmosphere, the temperature suddenly increased to 2,500oC (4,532oF).
In short, a perfect system is at work high above the
Earth. It surrounds our world and protects it against external threats.
Centuries ago, Allah informed us in the Qur'an of the world's atmosphere
functioning as a protective shield.
THE SKY
MADE A DOME
It is
He Who made the Earth a couch for you, and the sky a dome. He sends down water
from the sky and by it brings forth fruits for your provision. Do not, then,
knowingly make others equal to Allah. (Qur'an, 2:22)
Here, the sky is described as "al-samaa'
binaa'." As well as the meaning of "dome" or "ceiling,"
this also describes a kind of tent-like covering used by the Bedouin.23 By
describing the sky as a tent-like structure, the Qur'an is emphasizing that it
is a form of protection against external elements.
Even if we are generally unaware of it, a large number
of meteors fall to the Earth, as they do to the other planets. The reason why
these make enormous craters on other planets but do no harm on Earth is that
the atmosphere puts up considerable resistance to a falling meteor. The meteor
is unable to withstand this for long and loses much of its mass from combustion
due to friction. This danger, which might otherwise cause terrible disasters,
is thus prevented thanks to the atmosphere. As well as the verses regarding the
protective properties of the atmosphere cited above, attention is also drawn to
the special creation in the following verse:
Don't
you see that Allah has made everything on the Earth subservient to you and the
ships running upon the sea by His command? He holds back the heaven, preventing
it from falling to the Earth-except by His permission. Allah is
All-Compassionate to humanity, Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 22:65)
The protective property of the atmosphere we discussed
in the preceding section protects the Earth from space-in other words, from
external elements. With the word "dome," referring to the sky in the
above verse, attention is drawn to this aspect of the sky, which could not
possibly have been known at the time of our Prophet (saas). The fact that this
information was imparted 1,400 years ago in the Qur'an, when there were no
spacecraft or giant telescopes, shows that the Qur'an is the revelation of our
Lord, the Omniscient.
THE SKY
THAT RETURNS
The verse 11 of Surat at-Tariq in the Qur'an, refers
to the "returning" function of the sky.
[I
swear] by heaven which returns. (Qur'an, 86:11)
The word "raj`" interpreted as
"return" in Qur'an translations has meanings of "sending
back" or "returning." As is known, the atmosphere surrounding
the Earth consists of many layers. Each layer serves an important purpose for
the benefit of life on Earth. Research has revealed that these layers have the
function of turning the materials or rays they are exposed to back into space
or back down to the Earth. Now let us examine, employing a few fitting
examples, this "returning" function of the layers encircling the
Earth.
The troposphere, 13 to 15 kilometres (8 to 9.3 miles)
above the Earth, enables water vapour rising from the surface of the Earth to
be condensed and turned back as rain. The ozone layer, the lower layer of
stratosphere at an altitude of 25 kilometres (15.5 miles), reflects harmful
radiation and ultraviolet light coming from space and turns both back into
space.
The ionosphere reflects radio waves broadcast from the
Earth back down to different parts of the world just like a passive
communications satellite. Thus, it makes wireless communication, radio, and
television broadcasting possible over long distances. The magnetosphere layer
turns the harmful radioactive particles emitted by the Sun and other stars back
into space before they reach the Earth.
The fact that this property of the atmosphere's
layers, that was only demonstrated in the recent past was announced centuries
ago in the Qur'an, once again confirms that the Qur'an is Allah's word.
THE
LAYERS OF THE EARTH
One item of information about the Earth given in the
Qur'an is its similarity to the seven-layered sky:
It is
Allah Who created the seven heavens and of the Earth the same number, the
command descending down through all of them, so that you might know that Allah
has power over all things and that Allah encompasses all things in His
knowledge. (Qur'an, 65:12)
The information in the above verse is confirmed in
scientific sources, wherein it is explained that the Earth consists of seven
strata. These, as scientists have identified, are:
1st layer: Lithosphere (water)
2nd layer: Lithosphere (land)
3rd layer: Asthenosphere
4th layer: Upper Mantle
5th layer: Inner Mantle
6th layer: Outer Core
7th layer: Inner Core
The word lithosphere is derived from the Greek word
lithos, meaning stone, which is a hard stratum forming the Earth's top layer.
It is quite thin in comparison to the other strata. The lithosphere under the
oceans is still thinner, and is a region with volcanic activity. Its average
thickness is 80 km (49.7 miles). It is colder and harder than the other strata,
and therefore, forms the Earth's shell.
Below the lithosphere is the stratum known as the
asthenosphere, from the Greek word for "weak," asthenes. This layer
is thinner than the lithosphere and shifts. It was formed of hot, semi-solid
substances capable of melting when exposed to high temperatures and pressure
over geological time. It is thought that the hard lithosphere floats or moves
over the slowly moving asthenosphere.24 Under these layers is a
high-temperature layer some 2,900 km (1,800 miles) thick, made up of semi-solid
rock known as the mantle. This contains more iron, magnesium and calcium than
the crust, and is also hotter and denser, because temperature and density in
the Earth increase with depth.
At the centre of the Earth is the core, approximately
twice as dense as the mantle. The reason for that density is that it contains a
higher proportion of metals (iron-nickel alloy) than rock. The Earth's core
consists of two parts. One is the 2,200 km (1,370 miles) thick liquid outer
core, the other a 1,250 km (777 miles) thick solid inner core. The liquid outer
core provides the Earth's magnetic field as the planet rotates.
The truth of this similarity between the sky and the
layers of the Earth, only identified by 20th century technology, is without
doubt another of the Qur'an's scientific miracles.
THE
EARTHS DISGORGES ITS CHARGES
When
the Earth is convulsed with its quaking and the Earth then disgorges its
charges and man asks, "What is wrong with it?", on that day it will
impart all its news. (Qur'an, 99:1-4)
The word "zilzaal" in Arabic means
earthquake, or tremors, and the word "athqaalahaa" means
"charges, heavy burdens." When one considers the above verses in the
light of the first meaning, it can be seen that reference is being made to an
important scientific fact about earthquakes.
Surat az-Zilzal 2 mentions the Earth disgorging its
charges. Indeed, as a result of research in recent years, it has been realised
that there are heavy metals at the centre of the Earth, and that these appear
as a result of movements on the Earth's surface. According to geologists'
calculations, as the Earth cooled, heavy and dense substances sank to its
centre, while lighter ones rose to the surface. For that reason, the Earth's
crust consists of the least heaviest substances (basalt and granite rocks),
while heavy metals (nickel and iron) are found in the core. As a result, the
subsurface, which consists of molten metals, is made of a material that is much
heavier and denser than the surface.
During earthquakes, the heavy substances below the
surface have an opportunity to rise, and the Earth thus disgorges its charges,
as revealed in the Qur'an. Moreover, those regions where metal reserves are
most concentrated are also those with the greatest volcanic activity. These
scientific findings, which emerged only recently, and as a result of
wide-ranging research, are just some of the scientific facts indicated by Allah
in the Qur'an.
MOUNTAINS'
ROLE
The Qur'an draws attention to a very important
geological function of mountains:
We
placed firmly embedded mountains on the Earth, so it would not move under
them... (Qur'an, 21:31)
The verse states that mountains perform the function
of preventing shocks in the Earth. This fact was not known by anyone at the
time the Qur'an was revealed. It was, in fact, brought to light only recently,
as a result of the findings of modern geological research.
Formerly, it was thought that mountains were merely
protrusions rising above the surface of the Earth. However, scientists realised
that this was not actually the case, and that those parts known as the mountain
root extended down as far as 10-15 times their own height. With these features,
mountains play a similar role to a nail or peg firmly holding down a tent. For
example, Mount Everest, the summit of which stands approximately 9 km above the
surface of the Earth, has a root deeper than 125 km (77.7 miles).25
Mountains emerge as a result of the movements and
collisions of massive plates forming the Earth's crust. When two plates
collide, the stronger one slides under the other, the one on the top bends and
forms heights and mountains. The layer beneath proceeds under the ground and
makes a deep extension downward. Consequently, as stated earlier, mountains
have a portion stretching downwards, as large as their visible parts on the
Earth.
In a scientific text, the structure of mountains is
described as follows:
Where continents are thicker, as in mountain ranges,
the crust sinks deeper into the mantle.26
Professor Siaveda, a world-renowned underwater
geologist, made the following comment in reference to the way that mountains
have root-like stalks attaching them to the surface:
The fundamental difference between continental
mountains and the oceanic mountains lies in its material... But the common
denominator on both mountains are that they have roots to support the
mountains. In the case of continental mountains, light-low density material
from the mountain is extended down into the earth as a root. In the case of
oceanic mountains, there is also light material supporting the mountain as a
root... Therefore, the function of the roots are to support the mountains
according to the law of Archimedes.27
Furthermore, a book titled Earth, by Dr. Frank Press,
former president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, which is still used
as a text book in a great many universities, states that mountains are like
stakes, and are buried deep under the surface of the Earth.28
In other verses, this role of the mountains is pointed
out by a comparison with "pegs":
Haven't
We made the Earth as a bed and the mountains its pegs? (Qur'an, 78:6-7)
In
another verse it is revealed that Allah "made the mountains firm."
(Qur'an, 79:32)
The word "arsaahaa" in this verse means
"was made rooted, was fixed, was nailed to the earth." Similarly,
mountains extend to the surface layer joining lines on and below the surface,
and nail these together. By fixing the Earth's crust they prevent any sliding
over the magma layer or amongst the layers themselves. In short, mountains can
be compared to nails holding strips of wood together. The fixing effect of
mountains is known as isostasy in scientific literature. Isostasy is the state
of equilibrium between the upward force created by the mantle layer and the
downward force created by the Earth's crust. As mountains lose mass due to
erosion, soil loss or melting of glaciers, they can gain mass from the
formation of glaciers, volcanic explosions or soil formation. Therefore, as
mountains grow lighter they are pressed upwards by the raising force
implemented by the liquids. Alternatively, as they grow heavier they are
pressed into the mantle by the force of gravity. Equilibrium between these two
forces is established by isostasy. This balancing property of mountains is
described in these terms in a scientific source:
G.B Airy in 1855 suggested that the crust of the earth
could be likened to rafts of timber floating on water. Thick pieces of timber
float higher above the water surface than thin pieces and similarly thick
sections of the earth's crust will float on a liquid or plastic substratum of
greater density. Airy was suggesting that mountains have a deep root of lower
density rock which the plains lack. Four years after Airy published his work,
J.H Pratt offered an alternative hypothesis... By this hypothesis rock columns
below mountains must have a lower density, because of their greater length,
than shorter rock columns beneath plains. Both Airy and Pratt's hypothesis
imply that surface irregularities are balanced by differences in density of
rocks below the major features (mountains and plains) of the crust. This state
of BALANCE is described as the concept of ISOSTASY. 29
Today, we know that the rocky external layer of the
Earth's surface is riven by deep faults and split into plates swimming above
the molten lava. Since the Earth revolves very quickly around its own axis,
were it not for the fixing effect of the mountains, these plaques would shift.
In such an event, soil would not collect on the Earth's surface, water would
not accumulate in the soil, no plants could grow, and no roads or houses could
be built. In short, life on Earth would be impossible. Through the mercy of
Allah, however, mountains act like nails, and to a large extent, prevent
movement in the Earth's surface.
This vital role of mountains, which has been
discovered by modern geological and seismic research, was revealed in the
Qur'an centuries ago as an example of the supreme wisdom in Allah's creation.
...
[He] cast firmly embedded mountains on the Earth so that it would not move
under you... (Qur'an, 31:10)
THE
MOVING MOUNTAINS
In one verse, we are informed that mountains are not
motionless as they seem, but are in constant motion.
You see
the mountains you reckoned to be solid going past like clouds. (Qur'an, 27:88)
This motion of mountains is caused by the movement of
the Earth's crust that they are located on. The Earth's crust
"floats" over the mantle layer, which is denser. It was at the
beginning of the 20th century when, for the first time in history, a German
scientist by the name of Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents of the
Earth had been attached together when it first formed, but then drifted in
different directions, and thus separated as they moved away from each other.
Geologists understood that Wegener was right only in
the 1980s, 50 years after his death. As Wegener pointed out in an article
published in 1915, the land masses on the Earth were joined together about 500
million years ago, and this large mass, called Pangaea, was located in the
South Pole.
Approximately 180 million years ago, Pangaea divided
into two parts, which drifted in different directions. One of these giant
continents was Gondwana, which included Africa, Australia, Antarctica and
India. The second one was Laurasia, which included Europe, North America and
Asia, except for India. Over the next 150 million years following this
separation, Gondwana and Laurasia divided into smaller parts.
These continents, that emerged after the split of
Pangaea, have been constantly moving on the Earth's surface at a rate of
several centimetres per year, and in the meantime changing the sea to land
ratios of the Earth.
Discovered as a result of the geological research
carried out at the beginning of the 20th century, this movement of the Earth's
crust is explained by scientists as follows:
The crust and the uppermost part of the mantle, with a
thickness of about 100 kms, are divided into segments called plates. There are
six major plates, and several small ones. According to the theory called plate
tectonics, these plates move about on Earth, carrying continents and ocean
floor with them. Continental motion has been measured at from 1-5 cm per year.
As the plates continue to move about, this will produce a slow change in
Earth's geography. Each year, for instance, the Atlantic Ocean becomes slightly
wider.30
There is an important point that needs to be stated
here: Allah referred to the motion of mountains as drifting in a verse of the
Qur'an. Today, modern scientists also use the term "continental
drift" for this motion.31
Continental drift is something that could not have
been observed at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, and Allah clearly
indicated how it was to be understood: "You see the mountains you reckoned
to be solid." Though, He described a fact afterward, stating that the
mountains were going past like clouds. As has been indicated, attention is
clearly drawn to the movement of the layer in which the mountains are fixed.
It is without doubt a great miracle that this
scientific fact, only recently discovered by science, should have been revealed
in the 7th century, when conceptions of the nature of the universe were based
on superstition and myth. This is another very important proof that the Qur'an
is the word of Allah.
DIFFERENT
POINTS IN THE RISING
AND
SETTING OF THE SUN
No! I
swear by the Lord of the easts and wests that We have the power. (Qur'an,
70:40)
Lord of
the heavens and the Earth and everything between them; Lord of the easts.
(Qur'an, 37:5)
The
Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests. (Qur'an, 55:17)
As can be discerned, the words east and west are used
in the plural sense in the above verses. For instance, the word
"mashaariq," used in the first verse for "east," and the
word "maghaarib" used for "west," are in plural form,
indicating that there are two of each. The words "mashriqayn" and
"maghribayn" in the last verse are used for two easts and two wests.
"Mashaariq" and "maghaarib" also mean the place where the
Sun rises and sets. The above verses are therefore referring to different sites
of the dawning and closing of the day. It is also worthy of note that the vow
is taken by the Lord of "the easts and wests" in the first verse.
The axis around which the Earth revolves itself is at
an angle of 23˚ 27'. Due to that angle, and the spherical shape of the Earth,
the light rays from the Sun do not always strike it at the same angle. This
means that the Sun rises at different points in the east and sets at different
points in the west.
That the expressions regarding east and west in the
above verses indicate the Sun rising and setting at different points reveals a
great wisdom. (Allah knows best.)
LAND
LOSS AT THE EXTREMITIES
Don't
they see how We come to the land eroding it at its extremities?... (Qur'an,
13:41)
...
Don't they see how We come to the land eroding it from its extremities?...
(Qur'an, 21:44)
The Earth is bombarded by proton, electron and alpha
particles from the Sun. These solar winds are powerful enough to separate the
atmosphere from the Earth. However, it will take about five times longer than
the total life of the Sun at the Earth's present rate of matter loss (at most 3
kg [6.6 lbs] per second) for the atmosphere to be used up.32 That is because,
thanks to the powerful magnetic field formed by the magnetosphere in the
atmosphere, the Earth is to some extent protected from this powerful erosion.
The loss of ions-oxygen, helium and hydrogen-dispersed over the Earth's
ionosphere layer into the depths of space is of much smaller dimensions than
the vast layer of air surrounding the Earth. Even so, the amount leaking into
space is nevertheless of a significant size.33
Thanks to NASA spacecraft, researchers have obtained
concrete evidence that energy explosions on the Sun cause oxygen and other
gases to disperse into space from the outer layer of the Earth's atmosphere.
Scientists first observed that the Earth experiences a loss of matter from its
outer layers on September 24-25, 1998.34
However, the above verses may also be referring to the
loss of land on Earth in another regard.
At the present time, the polar ice caps are melting
and the water level in the oceans is rising. The increasing quantity of water
is covering ever more land. As coastal areas come under water, the land surface
or total amount of land is decreasing.35 The expression "eroding it from
its extremities" in the above verses may well be pointing to coastal areas
being covered by water.
A New York Times report on this subject reads:
Over the last century, the average surface temperature
of the globe has risen by about 1 degree Fahrenheit, and the rate of warming
has accelerated in the last quarter-century. That is a significant amount...
Previous studies of satellite and submarine observations have seemed to
establish a warming trend in the northern polar region and raise the
possibility of a melting icecap. Scientists at the Goddard Space Science
Institute, a NASA research center in Manhattan, compared data from submarines
in the 1950's and 1960's with 1990's observations, demonstrating that the ice
cover over the entire Arctic basin has thinned by 45 percent. Satellite images
have revealed that the extent of ice coverage has significantly shrunk in
recent years.36
The findings made towards the end of the 20th century
help us to understand the wisdom of Surat ar-Ra'd 41, and Surat al-Anbiya' 44.
This loss at the extremities, as revealed by Allah, may
be understood in light of another scientific fact revealed in the Qur'an. The
fact that the Earth, which revolves around its own axis, has a geoid shape, is
a fact that has gained acceptance in recent centuries.
Research has revealed that the equatorial diameter of
the Earth expands under the effect of the force stemming from this rotation,
and that it is compressed at its extremities, in other words the poles.
Furthermore, since the Earth is in constant rotation this change continues to
occur. Indeed, the term "nanqusu" in Surat ar-Ra'd 41, translated as
"eroding," shows that this process of erosion is an ongoing one.
It is the force of gravity that has given such
celestial bodies as the Earth their spherical form. However, that shape is not
exactly spherical; it flattens out somewhat at the poles and thickens at the
equator. According to NASA figures, the radius of the Earth is 6,378.1 km
(3,963.2 miles) at the equator but only 6,356.8 km (3,949.9 miles) from pole to
pole.37 This is a difference of some 0.3%.
This model of the shape of the Earth was suggested by
Sir Isaac Newton in 1687. This fact, revealed in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago, is
another of its scientific miracles.
THE
SPLITTING EARTH
[I
swear] by heaven which returns and the Earth which splits. (Qur'an, 86:11-12)
The Arabic word "sad`" in the above verse
means "cracking, splitting apart." Allah's swearing by the splitting
of the Earth points to an important phenomenon, as do the other scientific
miracles in the Qur'an. Scientists first descended to the depths of the seas
and oceans in order to study mineral resources in 1945-1946. One of the most
important facts to emerge from that research was the fissured structure of the
Earth. The rock layer on the external surface of the Earth was split by large
numbers of cracks (faults), tens of thousands of kilometres long, running from
north to south and east to west. Scientists also realised that there was molten
magma under the sea, at depths of 100-150 km (60-90 miles).
Due to these splits and cracks, lava flows from
volcanoes on the sea bed. Due to this fissured structure, a significant amount
of heat is also given off, and a large part of molten rocks forms the mountains
under the oceans. If the Earth did not possess this structure, which allows
large amounts of heat to escape from its crust, life on Earth would become
impossible.38
There is no doubt that such information, which
required such advanced technology to be discovered, being given 1,400 years ago
is yet another proof that the Qur'an is the word of Allah.
THE
MIRACULORS IRON
Iron is one of the elements highlighted in the Qur'an.
In Surat al-Hadid, meaning "iron," we are informed:
And We
also sent down iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for
mankind... (Qur'an, 57:25)
The word "anzalnaa," translated as "We
sent down" and used for iron in the verse, could be thought of having a
metaphorical meaning to explain that iron has been given to benefit people.
But, when we take into consideration the literal meaning of the word, which is,
"being physically sent down from the sky," as in the case of rain and
Sun rays, we realize that this verse implies a very significant scientific
miracle. Because, modern astronomical findings have disclosed that the iron found
in our world has come from giant stars in outer space.39
Not only the iron on Earth, but also the iron in the
entire Solar System, comes from outer space, since the temperature in the Sun
is inadequate for the formation of iron. The Sun has a surface temperature of
6,000 degrees Celsius (11,000oF), and a core temperature of approximately 20
million degrees (36 million degrees Fahrenheit). Iron can only be produced in
much larger stars than the Sun, where the temperature reaches a few hundred
million degrees. When the amount of iron exceeds a certain level in a star, the
star can no longer accommodate it, and it eventually explodes in what is called
a "nova" or a "supernova." These explosions make it
possible for iron to be given off into space.40
One scientific source provides the following
information on this subject:
There is also evidence for older supernova events:
Enhanced levels of iron-60 in deep-sea sediments have been interpreted as
indications that a supernova explosion occurred within 90 light-years of the
sun about 5 million years ago. Iron-60 is a radioactive isotope of iron, formed
in supernova explosions, which decays with a half life of 1.5 million years. An
enhanced presence of this isotope in a geologic layer indicates the recent
nucleosynthesis of elements nearby in space and their subsequent transport to
the earth (perhaps as part of dust grains).41
All this shows that iron did not form on the Earth,
but was carried from supernovas, and was "sent down," as stated in
the verse. It is clear that this fact could not have been known in the 7th
century, when the Qur'an was revealed. Nevertheless, this fact is related in
the Qur'an, the word of Allah, Who encompasses all things in His infinite
knowledge.
Astronomy has also revealed that other elements also
formed outside the Earth. In the expression "We also sent down iron"
in the verse, the word "also" may well be referring to that idea.
However, the fact that the verse specifically mentions iron is quite
astounding, considering that these discoveries were made at the end of the 20th
century. In his book Nature's Destiny, the well-known microbiologist Michael
Denton emphasizes the importance of iron:
Of all the metals there is none more essential to life
than iron. It is the accumulation of iron in the center of a star which
triggers a supernova explosion and the subsequent scattering of the vital atoms
of life throughout the cosmos. It was the drawing by gravity of iron atoms to
the center of the primeval earth that generated the heat which caused the initial
chemical differentiation of the earth, the outgassing of the early atmosphere,
and ultimately the formation of the hydrosphere. It is molten iron in the
center of the earth which, acting like a gigantic dynamo, generates the earth's
magnetic field, which in turn creates the Van Allen radiation belts that shield
the earth's surface from destructive high-energy-penetrating cosmic radiation
and preserve the crucial ozone layer from cosmic ray destruction...
Without the iron atom, there would be no carbon-based
life in the cosmos; no supernovae, no heating of the primitive earth, no
atmosphere or hydrosphere. There would be no protective magnetic field, no Van
Allen radiation belts, no ozone layer, no metal to make hemoglobin [in human
blood], no metal to tame the reactivity of oxygen, and no oxidative metabolism.
The intriguing and intimate relationship between life
and iron, between the red color of blood and the dying of some distant star,
not only indicates the relevance of metals to biology but also the
biocentricity of the cosmos...42
This account clearly indicates the importance of the
iron atom. The fact that particular attention is drawn to iron in the Qur'an
also emphasises the importance of the element. In addition, there is another
hidden truth in the Qur'an which draws attention to the importance of iron:
Surat al-Hadid 25, which refers to iron, contains two rather interesting
mathematical codes.
"Al- Hadid" is the 57th sura in the Qur'an.
The abjad of the word "Al-Hadid" in Arabic, when the numerological
values of its letters are added up, is also 57. (For abjad calculations see the
section on Numerological Calculations (Abjad) in the Qur'an.)
The numerological value of the word "hadid"
alone is 26. And 26 is the atomic number of iron.
Moreover, iron oxide particles were used in a cancer
treatment in recent months and positive developments were observed. A team led
by Dr. Andreas Jordan, at the world famous Charité Hospital in Germany,
succeeded in destroying cancer cells with this new technique developed for the
treatment of cancer-magnetic fluid hyperthermia (high temperature magnetic
liquid). As a result of this technique, first performed on the 26-year-old
Nikolaus H., no new cancer cells were observed in the patient in the following
three months.
This method of treatment can be summarised as follows:
1- A liquid containing iron oxide particles is
injected into the tumour by means of a special syringe. These particles spread
throughout the tumour cells. This liquid consists of thousands of millions of
particles, 1,000 times smaller than the red blood corpuscles, of iron oxide in
1 cm3 that can easily flow through all blood vessels.43
2- The patient is then placed in a machine with a
powerful magnetic field.
3- This magnetic field, applied externally, begins to
set the iron particles in the tumour in motion. During this time the
temperature in the tumour containing the iron oxide particles rises by up to 45
degrees Celsius (113oF).
4- In a few minutes the cancer cells, unable to
protect themselves from the heat, are either weakened or destroyed. The tumour
may then be completely eradicated with subsequent chemotherapy.44
In this treatment it is only the cancer cells that are
affected by the magnetic field, since only they contain the iron oxide
particles. The spread of this technique is a major development in the treatment
of this potentially lethal disease. In the treatment of such a widespread
disease as cancer, the use of the expression "iron in which there lies
great force and which has many uses for humanity" (Qur'an, 57:25) in the
Qur'an is particularly noteworthy. Indeed, in that verse, the Qur'an may be
indicating the benefits of iron for human health. (Allah knows best.)
THE
FORMATION OF PETROL
Glorify
the Name of your Lord, the Most High: He Who created and moulded; He Who
determined and guided; He Who brings forth green pasture, then makes it
blackened stubble. (Qur'an, 87:1-5)
As we know, petrol forms from the remains of plants
and animals in the sea. Once these have decayed on the sea bed after millions
of years, all that is left are oily substances. These, under layers of mud and
rock, then turn into petrol and gas. Movements in the Earth's crust sometimes
lead to the sea petrifying and to the rocks containing petrol being buried
thousands of metres deep. The petrol that forms sometimes leaks through the
pores in the rock layers from several kilometres down, and rises to the
surface, where it vaporises (turns into gas), leaving a mass of bitumen behind.
The three elements identified in the first four verses
of Surat al-A'la parallel the formation of petroleum. It is quite likely that
the term "mar`aa," meaning "pasture or meadow," refers to
the organically-based substances in the formation of petroleum. The second word
of note in the verse is "ahwaa," used to describe blackish-green,
greenish-black, dark or sooty colours. This word can be thought of as
describing the waste plant matter accumulated underground gradually turning
black, since these words are supported by a third word, "ghuthaa'."
The word "ghuthaa'" translated as "stubble," can also mean
"flood-water plants, plants brought together by waste matter being
collected and dispersed around valleys, rubbish, leaves or foam." In addition
to the connotation of "vomiting out" implied in the word, it may also
be translated as "to flood forth vomited matter," and describes the
way that the earth "vomits" forth petroleum. In fact, in the light of
the formation of petroleum, the way it emerges, its foam-like appearance and
its colour, one can better see with what wisdom were employed the words in the
verses.
As has been discussed, the plant in the verse turning
into a dark and viscous liquid bears a strong resemblance to the formation of
petroleum. The description of such a formation over many years, at a time when
the formation of petroleum was unknown, is without doubt another proof that the
Qur'an is the revelation of Allah.
THE
RELATIVITY OF TIME
Today, the relativity of time is a proven scientific
fact. This was revealed by Einstein's theory of relativity during the early
part of the 20th century. Until then, it was not known that time was relative,
nor that it could change according to the circumstances. Yet, the renowned
scientist Albert Einstein proved this fact by discovering the theory of
relativity. He showed that time is dependent on mass and velocity.
However, the Qur'an had already included information
about time's being relative! Some verses about the subject read:
... A
day with your Lord is equivalent to a thousand years in the way you count.
(Qur'an, 22:47)
He
directs the whole affair from heaven to Earth. Then it will again ascend to Him
on a day whose length is a thousand years by the way you measure. (Qur'an,
32:5)
The
angels and the spirit ascend to Him in a day whose length is fifty thousand
years. (Qur'an, 70:4)
The fact that the relativity of time is so definitely
mentioned in the Qur'an, which began to be revealed in 610, is more evidence
that it is a divine book.
CREATION
IN SIX DAYS
Your
Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the Earth in six days and then
settled Himself firmly on the Throne... (Qur'an, 7:54)
One example of the harmony between the Qur'an and
modern science is the subject of the age of the universe. Cosmologists estimate
the age of the universe as 16-17 billion years. The Qur'an states that the
entire universe was created in six days. These two time frames, which may seem
contradictory, are actually surprisingly compatible. In fact, both these
figures concerning the age of the universe are correct. In other words, the
universe was created in six days, as revealed in the Qur'an, and this period
corresponds to 16-17 billion years in the way that we experience time.
In 1915 Einstein proposed that time was relative, that
the passage of time altered according to space, the speed of the person
travelling and the force of gravity at that moment. Bearing in mind these
differences in the passage of time, the period of time in which the universe
was created as revealed in seven different verses of the Qur'an is actually
highly compatible with scientists' estimations. The six-day period revealed in
the Qur'an can be thought of as six periods. Because, taking into account the
relativity of time, a "day" refers only to a 24-hour period
experienced on Earth under current conditions. Elsewhere in the universe,
however, at another time and under other conditions, a "day" could
refer to a much longer period of time. Indeed, the word "ayyaam" in
the period of six days (sittat ayyaam) in these verses (Qur'an 32:4, 10:3,
11:7, 25:59, 57:4, 50:38, and 7:54) means not only "days," but also
"age, period, moment, term."
In the first period of the universe, the passage of
time took place much faster than that with which we are familiar today. The
reason for this is that, at the moment of the Big Bang, our universe was
compressed into a very small point. The expansion of the universe and increase
in its volume ever since the moment of that explosion has extended the borders
of the universe to millions of light years. Indeed, the stretching of space
ever since that moment has had very important ramifications for universal time.
The energy at the moment of the Big Bang slowed down
the flow of time 1012 (one million million) times. When the universe was
created the speed of universal time was higher up to a million million times,
as time is experienced today. In other words, a million million minutes on
Earth is the equivalent of just one minute in universal time.
When a six-day period of time is calculated according
to the relativity of time, it equates to six million million (six trillion)
days. That is because universal time flows a million million times faster than
time on Earth. Calculated in terms of years, 6 trillion days equates to
approximately 16.427 billion years. This is within the estimated range for the
age of the universe.
6,000,000,000,000 days/365.25 = 16.427104723 billion
years
On the other hand, each of the six days of creation
equates to very different periods, as we perceive time. The reason for this is
that the speed of the passage of time declines in proportion to the expansion
of the universe. Ever since the Big Bang, as the size of the universe doubled,
so the passage of time halved. As the universe grew, the speed at which the
universe doubled increasingly slowed down. This rate of expansion is a
scientific fact acknowledged the world over and described in the text book The
Fundamentals of Physical Cosmology. When we calculate every day of creation in
terms of Earth time, the following situation emerges:
* Looked at from the moment when time began, the first
day of creation (first phase) lasted 24 hours. This period, however, is the
equivalent of 8 billion years in Earth terms.
* The second day of creation (second phase) lasted 24
hours. This, however, lasted half as long, in our terms, as the preceding day,
in other words 4 billion years.
* The third day (third phase) lasted half as long as
the second day, in other words 2 billion years.
* The fourth day (fourth phase) lasted 1 billion
years.
* The fifth day (fifth phase) lasted 500 million
years.
* And the sixth day (sixth phase) lasted 250 million
years.
* Conclusion: When the six days of creation, in other
words the six phases, are added together in Earth terms, the resulting figure
is 15 billion 750 million years. This figure displays an enormous parallel with
modern-day estimations.
This conclusion is one of the facts revealed by 21st
century science. Science has once again confirmed a fact revealed in the Qur'an
1,400 years ago. This harmony between the Qur'an and science is one of the
miraculous proofs that the Qur'an is the revelation of Allah, the Creator, the
Omniscient.
THE
TRUTH OF DESTINY
But you
will not will unless Allah wills. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Qur'an,
76:30)
As a result of experiments he performed in 1973,
Professor Benjamin Libet, a neurophysiologist at the University of California,
revealed that all our decisions and choices are set out beforehand, and that
consciousness only comes into play half a second after everything has been
determined.45 This is interpreted by other neurophysiologists as meaning that
we actually live in the past and that our consciousness is like a monitor which
shows us everything half a second later.
Therefore, none of the experiences we perceive are in
real time, but are delayed by up to half a second from the real events
themselves. Libet carried out his research by making use of the fact that brain
surgery can be performed without the use of narcosis, in other words while the
subject is fully conscious. Libet stimulated the brains of his subjects with
small electrical currents, and when they experienced a perception that their
hands had been touched the subjects said that they had felt that
"touch" almost half a second before. As a result of his measurements,
Libet arrived at the following conclusion:
All perceptions are normally transmitted to the brain.
As these are subconsciously evaluated and interpreted, the ego is unaware of
anything. The information that appears before our minds, in other words that we
can be aware of, is transmitted to the cortex, the seat of consciousness, after
a certain delay.46
The conclusion from this may be summarised as follows:
The decision to move a muscle takes place before that decision reaches the consciousness.
There is always a delay between a neurological or perceptual process and our
becoming aware of the thought, feeling, perception or movement it represents.
To put it another way, we can only be aware of a decision after that decision
has been taken.
In Professor Libet's experiments, this delay varies
between 350 and 500 milliseconds, although the conclusion that emerges is in no
way dependent upon those figures. Because, according to Libet, whatever the
length of that delay-it makes no difference whether it is great or small,
whether it lasts an hour or a microsecond-our physical life is always in the
past. This demonstrates that every thought, emotion, perception or movement
happens before reaching our consciousness, and that proves that the future is
entirely outside our control.47
In other experiments, Professor Libet left the choice
of when the subjects would move their fingers up to them. The brains of the
subjects were monitored at the moment their fingers moved, and it was observed
that the relevant brain cells went into action before the subjects actually
took the decision. To put it another way, the command "do!" reaches
the individual, and the brain is readied to perform the action; the individual
only becomes aware of this half a second later. He or she does not take a
decision to act and then performs that action, but rather performs an action
predetermined for him or her. Yet, the brain makes an adjustment, removing any
recognition that the individual is actually living in the past. For that
reason, at the moment we refer to as "now," we are actually living
something determined in the past. As already discussed, these studies manifest
the fact that everything happens by the will of Allah, as revealed in Surat
al-Insan 30. (See Harun Yahya, Timelessness and the Reality of Fate, Goodword
Books, New Delhi, 2001)
DUALITY
IN CREATION
Glory
be to Him Who created all the pairs: from what the earth produces and from
themselves and from things unknown to them. (Qur'an, 36:36)
While "male and female" is equivalent to the
concept of "pair," "things unknown to them," as expressed
in the Qur'an, bears a broader meaning. Indeed, we encounter one of the
meanings pointed to in the verse in the present day. The British physicist Paul
Dirac, who discovered that matter was created in pairs, won the Nobel Prize for
Physics in 1933. This finding, known as "parity," revealed the
duality known as matter and anti-matter. Anti-matter bears the opposite
characteristics to matter. For instance, contrary to matter, anti-matter
electrons are positive and protons negative. This fact is expressed in a
scientific source as follows:
... every particle has its antiparticle of opposite
charge... [T]he uncertainty relation tells us that pair creation and pair
annihilation happen in the vacuum at all times, in all places.48
Another example of duality in creation is plants.
Botanists only discovered that there is a gender distinction in plants some 100
years ago.49 Yet, the fact that plants are created in pairs was revealed in the
following verses of the Qur'an 1,400 years ago:
It is
Allah Who created the heavens with no support-you can see them-and cast firmly
embedded mountains on the earth so that it would not move under you, and
scattered about in it creatures of every kind. And We send down water from the
sky and make every generous plant grow in it, in pairs. (Qur'an, 31:10)
It is
He Who made the earth a cradle for you and threaded pathways for you through it
and sent down water from the sky by which We have brought forth diverse pairs
of plants. (Qur'an, 20:53)
In the same way, fruits, are of two types: male or
female. As the Qur'an proclaims:
He
stretched out Earth and placed firmly embedded mountains and rivers in it, and
made two types [male and female] of every kind of fruit. He covers over day
with night. There are signs in that for people who reflect. (Qur'an, 13:3)
The word "zawjayni," translated as "two
types," comes from "zawj," meaning "one of a pair." As
we know, fruits are the final product produced by ripening plants. The stage
before fruit is the flower. Flowers also have male and female organs. When
pollen is carried to the flower and fertilization takes place, they begin to
bear fruit. The fruit gradually ripens and starts to release seeds. The fact
that fruits have gender-specific features is another piece of scientific
information indicated in the Qur'an.
SUB-ATOMIC
PARTICLES
Following the development of the atomic theory of the
Greek philosopher Democritus, people used to believe that matter consisted of
minute, indivisible and indestructible particles known as atoms. However,
advances in the study of atoms have refuted this notion. At the present time,
modern science has revealed that the atom, previously regarded as the smallest
particle, can actually be split. This fact only emerged in the last century,
but was revealed in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago:
... He
is the Knower of the Unseen, Whom not an atom's weight eludes, either in the
heavens or in the earth; nor is there anything smaller or larger than that
which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 34:3)
... Not
even an atom's weight eludes your Lord, either on earth or in heaven. Nor is
there anything smaller than that, or larger, which is not in a Clear Book.
(Qur'an, 10:61)
This verse refers to "atom" and smaller
particles still.
Up until 20 years ago, it was believed that the
smallest particles were the protons and neutrons which comprise the atom. Very
recently, however, even smaller particles of which these themselves consist
were discovered. A specialised branch of physics, called "particle
physics," emerged to study these "sub-particles" and their
particular behaviour. Particle physics research has revealed that the protons
and neutrons which comprise the atoms actually consist of sub-particles known
as quarks. The size of these quarks, the basic components of protons, whose
small size is beyond human conception, is astonishing: 10-18
(0.000000000000000001 of a metre).50
Another point worthy of note is that these verses draw
particular attention to the weight of the atom. The word "mithqaal,"
in the expression "mithqaalu tharratin" (an atom's weight) in the
above verses, means weight. In fact, it has been discovered that the protons,
neutrons and electrons which form the atom are also compounds which give the
atom its weight. Therefore, it is yet another scientific miracle of the Qur'an
that attention is drawn instead to the weight of the atom and not its size or
any other feature. (See Harun Yahya, The Miracle in the Atom, Ta-Ha Publishers,
UK, 2004)
BLACK
HOLES
The 20th century saw a great many new discoveries
regarding celestial phenomena in the universe. One of these entities, which has
only recently been encountered, is the Black Hole. These are formed when a star
which has consumed all its fuel collapses in on itself, eventually turning into
a black hole with infinite density and zero volume and an immensely powerful
magnetic field. We are unable to see black holes even with the most powerful
telescope, because their gravitational pull is so strong that light is unable
to escape from them. However, such a collapsed star can be perceived by means
of the effect it has on the surrounding area. In Surat al-Waqi'a, Allah draws
attention to this matter in this way, by swearing upon the position of stars:
And I
swear by the stars' positions-and that is a mighty oath if you only knew.
(Qur'an, 56:75-76)
The term "black hole" was first employed in
1969 by the American physicist John Wheeler. Previously, we imagined that we
were able to see all the stars. However, it later emerged that there were stars
in space whose light we were unable to perceive. Because, the light of these
collapsed stars disappears. Light cannot escape from a black hole because it is
such a high concentration of mass in a small space. The enormous gravitation
captures even the fastest particles, i.e. the photons. For example, the final
stage of a typical star, three times the mass of the Sun, ends after its
burning out and its implosion as a black hole of only
20 kilometres (12.5 miles) in diameter! Black holes
are "black," i.e. veiled from direct observation. They nevertheless
reveal themselves indirectly, by the tremendous suction which their
gravitational force exerts on other heavenly bodies. As well as depictions of the
Day of Judgement, the verse below may also be pointing to this scientific
discovery about black holes:
When
the stars are extinguished. (Qur'an, 77:8)
Moreover, stars of great mass also cause warps to be
perceived in space. Black holes, however, do not just cause warps in space but
also tear holes in it. That is why these collapsed stars are known as black
holes. This fact may be referred to in the verse about stars, and this is
another important item of information demonstrating that the Qur'an is the word
of Allah:
[I
swear] by Heaven and the Tariq! And what will convey to you what the Tariq is?
The Star Piercing [the darkness]! (Qur'an, 86:1-3)
PULSARS:
PULSATING STARS
[I swear] by Heaven and the Tariq! And what
will convey to you what the Tariq is? The Star Piercing [the darkness]!
(Qur'an, 86:1-3)
The word "Tariq," name of the Sura 86, comes
from the root "tarq," whose basic meaning is that of striking hard
enough to produce a sound, or hitting. Bearing in mind the word's possible
meaning as "beating," "striking hard," our attention may be
being drawn in this sura to an important scientific fact. Before analysing this
information, let us look at the other words employed in the verse to describe
these stars. The term "al-taariqi" in the above verse means a star
that pierces the night, that pierces the darkness, born at night, piercing and
moving on, beating, striking, or sharp star. Furthermore, the term
"wa" draws attention to the things being sworn on-the heaven and the
Tariq.
Through research carried out by Jocelyn Bell Burnell,
at Cambridge University in 1967, a regular radio signal was identified. Until
that time, however, it was not known that that there was a heavenly body that
could be the source of regular pulse or beating rather like that of the heart.
In 1967, however, astronomers stated that, as matter grows denser in the core
as it revolves around its own axis, the star's magnetic field also grows
stronger, and thus gives rise to a magnetic field at its poles 1 trillion times
stronger than that of Earth. They realised that a body revolving so fast and
with such a powerful magnetic field emits rays consisting of very powerful
radio waves in a conic form at every revolution. Shortly afterwards, it was
also realised that the source of these signals is the rapid revolution of
neutron stars. These newly discovered neutron stars are known as
"pulsars." These stars, which turn into pulsars through supernova
explosions, are of the greatest mass, and are the brightest and fastest moving
bodies in the universe. Some pulsars revolve 600 times a second.51
The word "pulsar" comes from the verb to
pulse. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word means to
pulsate, to beat. Encarta Dictionary defines it as to beat rhythmically, to
move or throb with a strong regular rhythm. Again, according to the Encarta
Dictionary, the word "pulsate," which comes from the same root, means
to expand and contract with a strong regular beat.
Following that discovery, it was realised that the
phenomenon described in the Qur'an as "tariq," beating, bore a great
similarity to the neutron stars known as pulsars.
Neutron stars form as the nuclei of super giant stars
collapse. The highly compressed and dense matter, in the form of a rapidly
revolving sphere, entraps and squeezes most of the star's weight and magnetic
field. The powerful magnetic field created by these rapidly revolving neutron
stars has been shown to cause the emission of powerful radio waves observable
on Earth.
In the third verse of Surat at-Tariq the term
"al-najmu al-thaaqibu," meaning piercing, moving on, or opening
holes, indicates that Tariq is a bright star that pierces a hole in the
darkness and moves on. The concept of the term "adraaka" in the
expression "And what will convey to you what the Tariq is?" refers to
comprehension. Pulsars, formed through the compression of stars several times
the size of the Sun, are among those celestial bodies that are hard to
comprehend. The question in the verse emphasizes how hard it is to comprehend
this beating star. (Allah knows best.)
As discussed, the stars described as Tariq in the
Qur'an bear a close similarity to the pulsars described in the 20th century,
and may reveal to us another scientific miracle of the Qur'an.
THE
STAR SIRIUS
When certain concepts mentioned in the Qur'an are
studied in the light of 21st century scientific discoveries we find ourselves
imparted with yet more miracles of the Qur'an. One of these is the star Sirius,
mentioned in Surat an-Najm 49:
... it
is He Who is the Lord of Sirius. (Qur'an, 53: 49)
The fact that the Arabic word "shi'raa," the
equivalent of the star Sirius, appears only in Surat an-Najm, meaning only
"star," 49 is particularly striking. Because, considering the
irregularity in the movement of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, as
their starting point, scientists discovered that it was actually a double star.
Sirius is actually a set of two stars, known as Sirius A and Sirius B. The
larger of these is Sirius A, which is also the closer to the Earth and the
brightest star that can be seen with the naked eye. Sirius B, however, cannot
be seen without a telescope.
The Sirius double stars orbit in ellipses about one
another. The orbital period of Sirius A & B about their common centre of
gravity is 49.9 years. This scientific data is today accepted with one accord
by the departments of astronomy at Harvard, Ottawa and Leicester
Universities.52 This information is reported as follows in various sources:
Sirius, the brightest star, is actually a twin star...
Its orbit lasts 49.9 years.53
As is known, the stars Sirius-A and Sirius-B orbit
each other in a double bow every 49.9 years.54
The point requiring attention here is the double,
bow-shaped orbit of the two stars around one another.
However, this scientific fact, the accuracy of which
was only realised in the late 20th century, was miraculously indicated in the
Qur'an 1,400 years ago. When verses 49 and 9 of Surat an-Najm are read
together, this miracle becomes apparent:
It is
He Who is the Lord of Sirius. (Qur'an, 53: 49)
He was
two bow-lengths away or even closer. (Qur'an, 53:9)
The description in Surat an-Najm 9 may also describe
how these two stars approach one another in their orbits. (Allah knows best.)
This scientific fact, that nobody could have known at the time of the
revelation of the Qur'an, once again proves that the Qur'an is the word of
Almighty Allah.
LIGHT
AND DARK
Praise
belongs to Allah Who created the heavens and the Earth and appointed darkness
and light... (Qur'an, 6:1)
We all know that without light a person cannot see his
surroundings with the naked eye. However, the light that we can see is only a
very small part of all light-emitting energy. There are other kinds of
light-emitting energy that human beings cannot perceive, such as infra-red,
ultra-violet, x-rays and radio waves. Human beings are effectively blind to
such light waves.
It is interesting, therefore, that the word for
"darkness" in the Qur'an is always in the plural. The Arabic word,
"thulumaat," is used in the plural in 23 verses of the Qur'an, and
never used in the singular. The use of the word "darkness" in the
Qur'an indicates that in addition to those light waves we can see, there may
also be other kinds.
Only recently did scientists discover why the plural
may have been used here. Wave lengths vary in a form of energy known as
electromagnetic radiation. All the different forms of electromagnetic radiation
behave as energy waves in space. This can be compared to the waves which form
when a stone is thrown into a pond. As the waves on a pond can be of different
sizes, so electromagnetic radiation has different-sized waves.
Stars and other sources of light do not all give off
the same kind of emissions. These different rays are classified according to
their wavelengths. The spectrum of wavelengths is quite wide. There is a 1025
difference between gamma rays, with the smallest size wavelength, and radio
waves, which are the largest. Nearly all the rays emitted by the Sun are
squeezed into just one part of this 1025 spectrum.
In order to better understand the colossal dimensions
of this figure, it will be useful to make a comparison. If we wanted to count
to 1025, and if we counted day and night without pause, it would
take us 100 million times the age of the Earth to finish. The different
wavelengths in the universe are distributed within a spectrum of just such a
size. 70% of the different wavelengths emitted by the Sun are limited to a very
narrow spectrum between 0.3 microns and 1.5 microns. There are three kinds of
light within that band: visible light, infra-red light and ultraviolet light.
Despite occupying a band less than 1 in 1025, the rays known as
visible light represent 41% of all the Sun's rays.
As has been discussed, electromagnetic waves
perceivable to the human eye are responsible for only a very small part of the
light spectrum. The other regions represent only darkness for human beings, who
are blind to wavelengths outside that band.55
COMBUSTION
WITHOUT FIRE
Allah
is the light of the heavens and the Earth. The metaphor of His Light is that of
a niche in which is a lamp, the lamp inside a glass, the glass like a brilliant
star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west,
its oil all but giving off light even if no fire touches it. Light upon light.
Allah guides to His Light whoever He wills and Allah makes metaphors for
mankind and Allah has knowledge of all things. (Qur'an, 24:35)
This verse refers to something that emits light. This
light-emitting entity is compared to a star. The fact that the fuel used by
this star-like, light-emitting body belongs to neither East nor West may be an
indication that the body has no physical dimensions. If one assumes that the
fuel source is in an energy dimension, then it is very likely that the fuel in
the verse refers to electrical energy, and the light-emitting body to a light
bulb.
A bulb is a body which shines like a star and emits
light, inside glass, and that is in full conformity with the description in the
verse. Unlike oil lamps and gas lamps, light bulbs do not burn oil, and, in
line with the description supplied in the verse, combustion without fire takes
place inside it. As a result of the vibration among the atoms of the
heat-resistant tungsten wire, the temperature inside the bulb rises to over
2,000 degrees Celsius (3,630oF). This temperature, which would melt other
metals, is so high that it gives rise to a powerful, visible light. Despite
that heat, however, no combustion takes place, again in line with the verse,
since the bulb contains no oxygen. In addition, the filament inside the bulb
closely resembles a bright star.
If we bear in mind the fact that electricity is one of
the greatest discoveries in the history of the world, and that it lights just
about the entire world by means of bulbs, then we may well assume that the
verse may be pointing to this major discovery. (Allah knows best.)
Another explanation could be that the light is emitted
as a result of the nuclear reaction in stars. Stars are bright, hot, rotating masses
of gas which emit large quantities of light and heat as a result of nuclear
reactions. Most newly-forming large stars begin to collapse under the weight of
their own gravitational pull. That means that their centres are hotter and
denser. When the matter in the centre of the star is sufficiently heated-when
it reaches at least 10 million degrees Celsius (18 million degrees
Fahrenheit)-nuclear reactions begin.56 What happens inside a star is that with
enormous energy (fusion), hydrogen turns into helium. Nuclear fusion takes the
particles that make up hydrogen and sticks them together to make helium (1
helium atom is made from 4 hydrogen atoms). In order to make the protons and
neutrons in the helium stick together, the atom gives off tremendous energy.
The energy released in the process is radiated from the surface of the star as
light and heat. When the hydrogen is consumed, the star then begins to burn
with helium, in exactly the same way, and heavier elements are formed. These
reactions continue until the mass of the star has been consumed.
However, since oxygen is not used in these reactions
inside stars, the result is not ordinary combustion, such as that takes place
when burning a piece of wood. The combustion seen as giant flames in stars does
not actually derive from fire. Indeed, burning of just this kind is described
in the verse. If one also thinks that the verse refers to a star, its fuel and
combustion without fire, then one can also think that it is referring to the
emission of light and mode of combustion in stars. (Allah knows best.)
THE
WEIGHT OF CLOUDS
The weight of clouds can reach quite astonishing
proportions. For example, a cumulonimbus cloud, commonly known as the thunder
cloud, can contain up to 300,000 tons of water.
The fact that a mass of 300,000 tons of water can
remain aloft is truly amazing. Attention is drawn to the weight of clouds in
other verses of the Qur'an:
It is
He Who sends out the winds, bringing advance news of His mercy, so that when
they have lifted up the heavy clouds, We dispatch them to a dead land and send
down water to it, by means of which We bring forth all kinds of fruit...
(Qur'an, 7:57)
It is
He Who shows you the lightning, striking fear and bringing hope; it is He Who
heaps up the heavy clouds. (Qur'an, 13:12)
At the time when the Qur'an was revealed, of course,
it was quite impossible to have any information about the weight of clouds.
This information, revealed in the Qur'an, but discovered only recently, is yet
another proof that the Qur'an is the word of Allah.
RAIN IN
MEASURED AMOUNTS
Another item of information provided in the Qur'an
about rain is that it is sent down to Earth in "due measure." This is
mentioned in Surat az-Zukhruf as follows:
It is
He Who sends down water in measured amounts from the sky by which We bring a
dead land back to life. That is how you too will be raised [from the dead].
(Qur'an, 43:11)
This measured quantity in rain has again been
discovered by modern research. It is estimated that in one second,
approximately 16 million tons of water evaporates from the Earth. This figure
amounts to 513 trillion tons of water in one year. This number is equal to the
amount of rain that falls on the Earth in a year. Therefore, water continuously
circulates in a balanced cycle, according to a "measure." Life on
Earth depends on this water cycle. Even if all the available technology in the
world were to be employed for this purpose, this cycle could not be reproduced
artificially.
Even a minor deviation in this equilibrium would soon
give rise to a major ecological imbalance that would bring about the end of
life on Earth. Yet, it never happens, and rain continues to fall every year in
exactly the same measure, just as revealed in the Qur'an.
The proportion of rain does not merely apply to its
quantity, but also to the speed of the falling raindrops. The speed of
raindrops, regardless of their size, does not exceed a certain limit.
Philipp Lenard, a German physicist who received the
Nobel Prize in physics in 1905, found that the fall speed increased with drop
diameter until a size of 4.5 mm (0.18 inch). For larger drops, however, the
fall speed did not increase beyond 8 metres per second (26 ft/sec).57 He
attributed this to the changes in drop shape caused by the air flow as the drop
size increased. The change in shape thus increased the air resistance of the
drop and slowed its fall rate.
As can be seen, the Qur'an may also be drawing our
attention to the subtle adjustment in rain which could not have been known
1,400 years ago.
HOW
RAIN FORMS
How rain was formed remained a great mystery for quite
some time. Only after the weather radar was invented was it possible to
discover the stages by which rain is formed.
According to this discovery, the formation of rain
takes place in three stages. First, the "raw material" of rain rises
up into the air with the wind. Later, clouds are formed, and finally raindrops
appear.
The Qur'an's account of the formation of rain refers
exactly to this process. In one verse, this formation is described in this way:
It is
Allah Who sends the winds which stir up clouds which He spreads about the sky
however He wills. He forms them into dark clumps and you see the rain come
pouring out from the middle of them. When He makes it fall on those of His
servants He wills, they rejoice. (Qur'an, 30:48)
Now, let us examine these three stages outlined in the
verse in more detail.
FIRST STAGE: "It is Allah Who sends the
winds..."
Countless air bubbles formed by the foaming of the
oceans continuously burst and cause water particles to be ejected towards the
sky. These particles, which are rich in salt, are then carried away by winds
and rise upward in the atmosphere. These particles, which are called aerosols,
function as water traps, and form cloud drops by collecting around the water
vapour themselves, which rises from the seas as tiny droplets.
SECOND STAGE: ".... which stir up clouds which He
spreads about the sky however He wills. He forms them into dark clumps..."
The clouds are formed from water vapour that condenses
around the salt crystals or dust particles in the air. Because the water
droplets in these clouds are very small (with a diameter between 0.01 and 0.02
mm [0,0004 and 0,0008 inch]), the clouds are suspended in the air, and spread
across the sky. Thus, the sky is covered in clouds.
THIRD STAGE: "...and you see the rain come
pouring out from the middle of them"
The water particles that surround salt crystals and
dust particles thicken and form raindrops, so, drops that become heavier than
the air leave the clouds and start to fall to the ground as rain.
As already discussed, every stage in the formation of
rain is related in the verses of the Qur'an. Furthermore, these stages are
explained in exactly the right sequence. Just as with many other natural
phenomena on the Earth, Allah gave the most correct explanation of this
phenomenon, and made it known in the Qur'an centuries before it was discovered.
In another verse, the following information is given
about the formation of rain:
Haven't
you seen how Allah drives along the clouds, then joins them together, then
makes them into a stack, and then you see the rain come out of it? And He sends
down from the sky mountain masses [of clouds] with cold hail in them, striking
with it anyone He wills and averting it from anyone He wills. The brightness of
His lightning almost blinds the sight. (Qur'an, 24:43)
Scientists studying cloud types came across surprising
results with regards to the formation of rain clouds. Rain clouds are formed
and shaped according to definite systems and stages. The stages of formation of
one kind of rain cloud, cumulonimbus, are these:
1. STAGE, Being driven along: Clouds are carried
along, that is, they are driven along, by the wind.
2. STAGE, Joining: Then, small clouds (cumulonimbus
clouds) driven along by the wind join together, forming a larger cloud.58
3. STAGE, Stacking: When the small clouds join
together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase. The updrafts near the
centre of the cloud are stronger than those near the edges. These updrafts
cause the cloud body to grow vertically, so the cloud is stacked up. This
vertical growth causes the cloud body to stretch into cooler regions of the
atmosphere, where drops of water and hail formulate and begin to grow larger
and larger. When these drops of water and hail become too heavy for the
updrafts to support them, they begin to fall from the cloud as rain, hail,
etc.59
We must remember that meteorologists have only
recently come to know these details about cloud formation, structure and
function, by using advanced equipment like planes, satellites, computers etc.
It is evident that Allah has provided us information that could not have been
known 1,400 years ago.
THE
QUIVERING AND SWELLING OF THE EARTH
And you
see the earth dead and barren. Then, when We send down water onto it, it
quivers and swells and sprouts with luxuriant plants of every kind. (Qur'an,
22:5)
The Arabic word for "quivers" is
"ihtazzat," meaning "to set in motion, come alive, quiver, move,
stir; the movement and stretching of a plant." The word "rabat,"
translated as "swells," bears the meanings "to increase, grow in
number, swell, grow, develop, rise (of a plant), provision, fill with
air." These words describe in the most appropriate manner the changes that
occur in the molecular structure of soil during rain.
The motion described in the verse is different from
the movement of Earth's crust, such as when a portion of it moves to produce an
earthquake, for it is only the soil particles that are moving. These particles
are composed of layers, each of which is on top of the other. When water
penetrates the layers, it causes the swelling of mud particles. The stages
referred to in the verse can be scientifically explained as follows:
1. Quivering of the soil: The electrostatic charge on
the particle surface that appears after the water falls on the soil in
sufficient amount would cause its instability and quivering movements. This
movement is stabilized only after this charge has been neutralized with an opposing
one. The soil particle's moving and quivering is also due to its collision with
water particles. Since the water particles move in no specific direction, the
soil particles move as they are struck from all sides. Robert Brown, a Scottish
botanist, discovered in 1827 that when raindrops fall on the soil, they cause a
kind of shaking and vibration in the soil molecules. He described this movement
of microscopic particles, which today is known as the "Brownian
motion."60
2. Swelling of the soil: When it rains, those
raindrops hitting the soil cause its particles to swell and increase in volume.
This is because when there is abundant water, the space between soil particles,
which allows water particles and dissolved ions to enter, increases. When water
and the nourishing elements dissolved in it diffuse between the layers, the
size of the soil particles increases. Consequently, these particles serve as
water deposits that bring the soil to life. It is due to Allah's infinite grace
upon humanity that this water is stored in this manner without seeping downward
due to the action of gravity. If the soil could not hold water and these
mineral deposits could not be laid down in the soil, the water would soak into
Earth's deepest parts and, because of its resulting absence, all plants would
soon die. However, our Lord has created the soil in such a way that various
products can emerge from it.
3. Sprouting of the earth: When there is enough water
in the soil, the seeds become active and absorb simple nutritious material.
Growing plants meet their water requirements for 2 to 3 months from these
deposits.
The above verse describes, in three stages, what
happens when rain falls onto dry ground: the soil particles quiver, and the
soil swells and then brings forth various products. These stages, which the
Qur'an revealed 1,400 years ago, are strikingly parallel to the scientific
descriptions. Another verse reveals this about plants:
A sign
for them is the dead land that We bring to life and from which We bring forth
grain, of which they eat. (Qur'an, 36:33)
RAINS
WHICH BRING A DEAD LAND BACK TO LIFE
The rain's function of "bringing a dead land back
to life" is indicated in several verses of the Qur'an:
... We
send down from heaven pure water so that by it We can bring a dead land to life
and give drink to many of the animals and people We created. (Qur'an, 25:48-49)
As well as bringing water, an essential requirement
for living things, to the earth, the rain also has a fertilising property.
Drops of rain which evaporate from the sea and reach the clouds contain certain
substances which "revitalise" dead soil. These raindrops with such
"revitalising" properties are called "surface tension
droplets." These form from the top layer of the surface of the sea, called
the micro-layer by biologists; in this surface layer, less than one-tenth of a
millimetre thick, are found large quantities of organic waste formed from the
decomposition of microscopic algae and zooplanktons. Some of these wastes
collect and absorb elements such as phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, which
are rarely found in sea water, as well as heavy metals such as copper, zinc,
cobalt and lead. Seeds and plants on the surface of the Earth receive large
quantities of the mineral salts and elements they need to grow from these
raindrops. The Qur'an refers to this in these terms:
And We
sent down blessed water from the sky and made gardens grow by it and grain for
harvesting. (Qur'an, 50:9)
These salts which descend with the rain are examples
in miniature of fertilisers traditionally used to enhance productivity
(calcium, magnesium, potassium etc.). Heavy metals of the kind found in
aerosols create elements which increase productivity during growth and
production of plants. In short, rain is an important fertiliser. With the
fertiliser provided by rain alone, within a hundred years, a soil of poor
quality can obtain all the elements necessary for plants. Forests also grow and
are nourished with help from these chemicals which originate from the sea.
In this way, every year some 150 million tons of
particles of fertiliser fall to earth. Were it not for this fertilising
function, there would have been far fewer plants on the Earth and the balance
of life would have been disturbed. The information about the revitalisation of
plants in the verse is just one of the countless miraculous properties of the
Qur'an.
THE
FORMATION OF HAIL,
THUNDER
AND LIGHTNING
... He
sends down mountains from the sky with hail inside them, striking with it
anyone He wills and averting it from anyone He wills. The brightness of His
lightning almost blinds the sight. (Qur'an, 24:43)
The above verse refers to hail and lightning. When the
formation of hail and lightning are examined, it can be seen that an important
meteorological truth is being indicated in this verse. About the formation of
lightning and hail, the book Meteorology Today says that a cloud becomes
electrified as hail falls through a region in the cloud of supercooled droplets
and ice crystals. Liquid droplets freeze and release latent heat as they
collide with a hailstone. This keeps the surface of the hailstone warmer than
that of the surrounding ice crystals. An important phenomenon occurs when the
hailstone comes in contact with an ice crystal: Electrons flow from the colder
object toward the warmer one. In this way, the hailstone becomes negatively
charged. This effect also occurs when supercooled droplets come in contact with
a hailstone and small pieces of positively charged ice break off. These
particles, which are lighter and positively charged, are carried to the upper
part of the cloud by currents of air. The hail has a negative charge now, and
falls towards the bottom of the cloud, thus the lower part of the cloud becomes
negatively charged. These negative charges are then discharged as lightning. It
may be concluded from this that hail is the main factor in the formation of
lightning.61
In the following verse, however, attention is drawn to
the link between rain clouds and lightning, and to the order of formation, information
that parallels that discovered by science:
Or
[their likeness is] that of a storm-cloud in the sky, full of darkness, thunder
and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps,
fearful of death... (Qur'an, 2:19)
Rain clouds are tremendous masses covering 20 to 260
square metres (10 to 100 square miles) and reaching great vertical heights of
9,000 to 12,000 metres (30,000 to 40,000 ft.). Due to these extraordinary
dimensions, the lower part of these clouds are dark. It is impossible for the
Sun's rays to pass through them, because of the large quantities of water and
ice particles they contain. Very little solar energy therefore reaches the
Earth through the clouds, which is why the clouds appear dark to someone looking
up at them.62
The stages of the formation of thunder and lightning
after that darkness, mentioned in the verse, are as follows: An electrical
charge forms inside the rain cloud. This comes about as a result of such
processes as freezing, the division of raindrops and charge formation during
contact. The accumulation of such electrical charges, when the air between
becomes unable to insulate them, leads to a great spark, a discharge between
the positive and negative fields. The voltage between two oppositely charged
areas can reach 1 billion volts. The spark can also form within the cloud, can
cross between two clouds, from a positively charged area to a negative one, or
be discharged from the cloud to the ground. These sparks form dazzling
lightning strikes. This sudden increase in the electrical charge along the line
of lightning causes intense heat (10,000 degrees Celsius [18,030 degrees
Fahrenheit]). As a result, there is a sudden expansion of the air, which in
turn causes the loud noise associated with thunder.63
As has been discussed, dark layers, followed by the
electrically charged sparks known as lightning, and then the loud noise called
thunder, form within a rain cloud. Everything modern science has established
about clouds, and has to say about the causes of thunder and lightning, is in
complete accord with the descriptions in the Qur'an.
WINDS
THAT FECUNDATE
In one verse of the Qur'an, the
"fecundating" characteristic of the winds, and the resulting
formation of rain are mentioned.
And We
send the fecundating winds, then cause water to descend from the sky, therewith
providing you with water in abundance. (Qur'an, 15:22)
This verse points out that the first stage in the
formation of rain is wind. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the only
relationship known between the wind and the rain was that it was the wind that
drove the clouds. However, modern meteorological findings have demonstrated the
"fecundating" role of the wind in the formation of rain.
As explained earlier, this fecundating function of the
wind works in the following way:
On the surface of oceans and seas, a large number of
air bubbles form because of the water's foaming action. The moment these
bubbles burst, thousands of tiny particles, with a diameter of just one hundredth
of a millimetre, are thrown up into the air. These particles, known as
"aerosols," mix with dust carried from the land by the wind, and are
carried to the upper layers of the atmosphere. These particles carried to
higher altitudes by winds come into contact with water vapour up there. Water
vapour condenses around these particles and turns into water droplets. These
water droplets first come together and form clouds, and then fall to the Earth
in the form of rain. As mentioned, winds "fecundate" the water vapour
floating in the air with the particles they carry from the sea, and eventually
help the formation of rain clouds.
If winds did not possess this property, water droplets
in the upper atmosphere would never form, and there would be no rain.
The most important point to be recognized here is that
this critical role of the wind in the formation of rain was stated centuries
ago in the Qur'an, at a time when very little was known about natural
phenomena...
Further information provided in the verse about the
fertilising quality of the wind is its role in the pollination of flowers. Many
plants on Earth disperse their pollen by means of the wind in order to ensure
the survival of their species. Several open-seeded plants, pine trees, palm and
similar trees, seeded plants that produce flowers, and grass-like plants are
entirely pollinated by the wind. The wind carries the pollen from the plants to
others of the species, thus fertilising them.
Until recently, the way that the wind was able to
fertilise plants was unknown. When it was realised, however, that plants are
divided into males and females, the fertilising role of the wind was also
discovered. This truth was already indicated in the Qur'an: "... [He] sent down water from the sky
by which We have brought forth various different types of plants in
pairs." (Qur'an, 20:53)
THE
STAGES OF WIND FORMATION
... and
[in His] directing of the winds, there are signs for people who use their
intellect. (Qur'an, 45:5)
Wind is a movement of air which forms between two
different temperature centres. Due to the different pressures caused by
different temperatures in the atmosphere, air constantly flows from areas of
high pressure to areas of low pressure. If differences between pressure
centres, in other words, temperatures in the atmosphere, are large, the flow of
air, in other words, the wind, is very strong, so strong in fact that tornadoes
which can inflict terrible damage can be formed.
What is astonishing here is that, despite there being
belts of very different temperatures and pressures, such as the equator and the
poles, thanks to the order in Allah's creation, our Earth is not exposed to
disastrously fierce winds. Were the force of the winds that would otherwise
blow between the poles and the equator not tempered, the Earth would become a
dead planet constantly buffeted by tornadoes.
In the Arabic expression "tasreefi
al-riyaah," in the above verse, the word "tasreef" means
"turning over many times, directing, shaping something, managing,
distributing." The choice of this word for the wind fully describes the
way it blows in an ordered manner. It is also a clear expression of the fact
that the wind does not blow by chance, of its own accord. It is Allah Who
directs the winds in such a way as to make human life possible.
HOW THE
PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
BEGINS
IN THE MORNING
And [I
swear] by the night when it draws in, and by the dawn when it breathes in.
(Qur'an, 81:17-18)
When plants undergo photosynthesis, they take in
carbon dioxide, a harmful gas that human beings cannot consume, from the air,
and give off oxygen instead. Oxygen, which we breathe and which is our basic
source of life, is the main product of photosynthesis. Some 30% of the oxygen
in the atmosphere is produced by plants on land, the remaining 70% being
produced by plants and single-celled living things in the seas and oceans.
Photosynthesis is a complex process, and one which
scientists have still not yet fully understood. This process cannot be observed
with the naked eye, because the mechanism employs atoms and molecules. However,
we can see the results of photosynthesis in the oxygen which enables us to
breathe, and in the foodstuffs that keep us alive. Photosynthesis is a system
which involves complicated chemical formulae and units of weight, and on very
small scale, and consisting of the most sensitive equilibriums. There are
trillions of chemical laboratories that carry out this process in all the green
plants around us. Furthermore, plants have been meeting our oxygen, food and
energy needs non-stop for millions of years.
The productivity of photosynthesis is measured by the
level of oxygen output. The greatest point is in the morning, when the Sun's
rays are most concentrated. At dawn, the leaves begin to sweat, and
photosynthesis increases accordingly. In the afternoon, however, the opposite
applies; in other words photosynthesis slows down, and respiration increases
because as the temperature rises perspiration also increases. At night, as the
temperature falls, perspiration declines and the plant rests.
The term "itha tanaffasa" in Surat
at-Takwir, in reference to the morning hours, in other words, "when it
breathes in," is a metaphorical reference to breathing, respiration, or
breathing deeply. This term particularly emphasises the way that the production
of oxygen begins in the morning, and that the greatest levels of oxygen,
essential for respiration, are given off at that time. The importance of the
phenomena is also emphasised by the way that Allah swears upon it. The way that
Allah indicates the action of photosynthesis, among the most important
discoveries of the 20th century, in this verse, is another of the scientific
miracles of the Qur'an.
THE
SEPARATES SEAS
One of the properties of seas that has only recently
been discovered is related in a verse of the Qur'an as follows:
He has
let loose the two seas, converging together, with a barrier between them they
do not break through. (Qur'an, 55:19-20)
This property of the seas, that is, that they meet and
yet do not intermix, has only very recently been discovered by oceanographers.
Because of the physical force called "surface tension," the waters of
neighbouring seas do not mix. Caused by the difference in the density of their
waters, surface tension prevents them from mingling with one another, just as
if a thin wall were between them.64
It is interesting that, during a period when there was
little knowledge of physics, and of surface tension, or oceanography, this
truth was revealed in the Qur'an.
THE
DARK DEPTHS OF THE SEAS
AND
INTERNAL WAVES
Or [the
unbelievers' state] are like the darkness of a fathomless sea which is covered
by waves above which are waves above which are clouds, layers of darkness, one
upon the other. If he puts out his hand, he can scarcely see it. Those Allah
gives no light to, they have no light. (Qur'an, 24:40)
In deep seas and oceans, the darkness is found at a
depth of 200 meters (660 feet) and deeper. At this depth, there is almost no
light, and below a depth of 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) there is no light at
all.65
Today, we know about the general formation of the sea,
the characteristics of the living things in it, its salinity, as well as the
amount of water it contains, and its surface area and depth. Submarines and
special equipment, developed with modern technology, have enabled scientists to
obtain such information.
Human beings are not able to dive to a depth of more
than 70 meters (230 feet) without the aid of special equipment. They cannot
survive unaided in the dark depths of the oceans, such as at a depth of 200
meters (660 feet). For these reasons, scientists have only recently been able
to discover detailed information about the seas. However, that the depth of the
sea is dark was revealed in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago. It is certainly one of
the miracles of the Qur'an that such information was given at a time where no
equipment to enable man to dive into the depths of the oceans was available.
In addition, the statement in Surat an-Nur 40
"...like the darkness of a fathomless sea which is covered by waves above
which are waves above which are clouds..." draws our attention to another
miracle of the Qur'an.
Scientists have only recently discovered that there
are sub-surface waves, which "occur on density interfaces between layers
of different densities." These internal waves cover the deep waters of
seas and oceans because deep water has a higher density than the water above
it. Internal waves act like surface waves. They can break, just like surface
waves. Internal waves cannot be discerned by the human eye, but they can be
detected by studying temperature or salinity changes at a given location.66
The statements in the Qur'an run parallel precisely
the above explanation. Certainly, this fact, which scientists has discovered
very recently, shows once again that the Qur'an is the word of Allah.
THE
REGION RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR MOVEMENTS
No
indeed! If he does not stop, We will grab him by the forelock, a lying, sinful
forelock. (Qur'an, 96:15-16)
The expression "the lying, sinful forelock"
in the above verse is most interesting. Research carried out in recent years
has revealed that the prefrontal area, which is responsible for the management
of particular functions of the brain, lies in the frontal part of the skull.
Scientists only discovered the functions of this area, which the Qur'an pointed
out 1,400 years ago, in the last 60 years. If we look inside to the brain at
the front of the head, we will find the frontal area of the cerebrum. A book
entitled Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology, which includes the results of
the latest research on the functions of this area, says:
The motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate
movements occur in the anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal
area. This is a region of association cortex... 67
The book also says:
In relation to its involvement in motivation, the
prefrontal area is also thought to be the functional center for aggression...68
So, this area of the cerebrum is responsible for
planning, motivation, and initiating good and sinful behaviour, and is
responsible for telling lies and the truth.
It is clear that the statement "the lying, sinful
forelock" corresponds completely to the above explanations. Again, this
fact which scientists have only discovered in the last 60 years, was stated by
Allah in the Qur'an centuries ago.
HEARTS
FIND PEACE
IN THE
REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH
According to research by David B. Larson, of the
American National Health Research Center, and his team, comparisons of devout
and non-religious Americans have given very surprising results. For instance,
religious people suffer 60% less heart disease than those with little or no
religious belief, the suicide rate among them is 100% lower, they suffer far
lower levels of high blood pressure, and this ratio is 7:1 among smokers.69
It was reported in one study published in the
International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, an important scientific source
in the world of medicine, that people who describe themselves as having no
religious beliefs become ill more frequently and have shorter life spans.
According to the results of the research, those with no beliefs are twice as
likely to suffer stomach-intestine diseases than believers, and their mortality
rate from respiratory diseases is 66% times higher than that of believers.
Secular psychologists tend to refer to similar figures
as "psychological effects." This means that belief raises peoples'
spirits, and this contributes to health. This explanation may indeed be
reasonable, but a more striking conclusion emerges when the subject is
examined. Belief in Allah is much stronger than any other psychological
influence. The wide-ranging research into the connection between religious
belief and physical health carried out by Dr. Herbert Benson of the Harvard
Medical Faculty has produced surprising conclusions in this area. Despite not
being a believer himself, Dr. Benson has concluded that worship and belief in
Allah have a more positive effect on human health than that observed in
anything else. Benson states that he has concluded that no belief provides as
much mental peace as belief in Allah.70
What is the reason for this connection between belief
and the human soul and body? The conclusion reached by the secular researcher
Benson is, in his own words, that the human body and mind are regulated to
believe in Allah.71
This fact, which the world of medicine has slowly
begun to appreciate, is a secret revealed in the Qur'an in these words:
"... Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace." (Qur'an,
13:28) The reason why those who believe in Allah, who pray to and trust in Him,
are psychologically and physically healthier is that they behave in accordance
with the purpose of their creation. Philosophies and systems which contradict
human creation always lead to pain and unhappiness.
Modern medicine is now tending towards the realization
of this truth. As Patrick Glynn put it: "[S]cientific research in
psychology over the past twenty-five years has demonstrated that,... religious
belief is one of the most consistent correlates of overall mental health and
happiness."72
FORGIVENESS
ACCORDING TO THE MORALS
OF
ISLAM AND ITS BENEFITS ON HEALTH
One of the moral traits recommended in the Qur'an is
forgiveness:
Hold to
forgiveness, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant. (Qur'an,
7: 199)
In
another verse Allah commands: "... They should rather pardon and overlook.
Wouldn't you love Allah to forgive you? Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most
Merciful." (Qur'an, 24:22)
Those who do not abide by the moral values of the
Qur'an find it very difficult to forgive others. Because, they are easily
angered by any error committed. However, Allah has advised the faithful that
forgiveness is more proper:
The
repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But if someone pardons and
puts things right, his reward is with Allah... (Qur'an, 42:40)
....
But if you pardon and exonerate and forgive, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most
Merciful. (Qur'an, 64: 14)
It has
also been revealed in the Qur'an that forgiveness is a superior moral trait:
"But if someone is steadfast and forgives, that is the most resolute
course to follow." (Qur'an, 42:43) For that reason, believers are
forgiving, compassionate and tolerant people who, as revealed in the Qur'an,
"control their rage and pardon other people." (Qur'an, 3:134)
Believers' notion of forgiveness is very different to
that of those who do not live by the morals of the Qur'an. Even though many
people may say they have forgiven someone who has offended them, it nevertheless
takes a long time to free themselves of the hatred and anger in their hearts.
Their behaviour tends to betray that anger. On the other hand, the forgiveness
of believers is sincere. Because believers know that human beings are tried in
this world, and learn by their mistakes, they are tolerant and compassionate.
Moreover, believers are also capable of forgiveness even when they are in the
right, and the other in the wrong. When forgiving, they make no distinction
between large errors and small ones. Someone may cause severe losses to them by
mistake. However, believers know that everything takes place under the command
of Allah, and according to a specific destiny, and therefore, they surrender
themselves to these developments, never acquiescing to anger.
According to recent research, American scientists
established that those capable of forgiveness are healthier in both mind and
body. Dr. Frederic Luskin, who holds a Ph.D. in Counselling and Health
Psychology from Stanford University, and his team, studied 259 people living in
the city of San Francisco. The scientists invited the subjects to attend six
one-and-a-half-hour sessions, and aimed to instruct the subjects in forgiveness
during their conversations.
The subjects of the experiments stated that they
suffered less after forgiving people who had wronged them. The research showed
that people who learned to forgive feel much better, not only emotionally but
also physically. For example, it was established that after the experiment
psychological and physical symptoms such as stress-related backache, insomnia
and stomachaches were significantly reduced in these individuals.
In his book, Forgive for Good, Dr. Frederic Luskin
describes forgiveness as a proven recipe for health and happiness. The book
describes how forgiveness promotes such positive states of mind as hope,
patience and self-confidence by reducing anger, suffering, depression and
stress. According to Dr. Luskin, harboured anger causes observable physical
effects in the individual. He goes on to say that:
The thing about long-term or unresolved anger, is
we've seen it resets the internal thermostat. When you get used to a low level
of anger all the time, you don't recognize what's normal. It creates a kind of
adrenaline rush that people get used to. It burns out the body and makes it
difficult to think clearly-making the situation worse.73
In addition, Dr. Luskin says, when the body releases
certain enzymes during anger and stress, cholesterol and blood pressure levels
go up-not a good long-term disposition to maintain the body in.74
An article called "Forgiveness," published
in the September-October 1996 edition of Healing Currents Magazine, stated that
anger towards an individual or an event led to negative emotions in people, and
harmed their emotional balance and even their physical health.75 The article
also states that people realise after a while that the anger is a nuisance to
them, and wish to repair the damage to the relationship. So, they take steps to
forgive. It is also stated that, despite all they endure, people do not want to
waste the precious moments of their life in anger and anxiety, and prefer to
forgive themselves and others.76
In another study involving 1,500 people depression,
stress and mental illness were observed to be less frequent in religious
people. Dr. Herbert Benson, who conducted the research, linked this to the way
religions encourage "forgiveness," and went on to say:
There's a physiology of forgiveness... When you do not
forgive, it will chew you up.77
According to an article titled, "Anger Is Hostile
to Your Heart," published in the Harvard Gazette, anger is extremely
harmful to the heart. Ichiro Kawachi, an assistant professor of medicine, and
his team scientifically demonstrated this with various tests and measurements.
As a result of their research, they established that grumpy old men had three
times the risk of heart disease than their more tempered peers. "The
tripling of risk," Kawachi says, "involves high levels of anger,
explosive anger that includes smashing things and wanting to hurt someone in a
fight."78
Researchers believe that release of stress hormones,
increased oxygen demand by the heart's muscle cells, and added stickiness of
blood platelets, which leads to clots explain how anger increases the chance of
a heart attack.79 Furthermore, at times of anger, the pulse rises above its
normal level, and leads to increased blood pressure in the arteries, and thus
to a greater risk of heart attack.
According to researchers, anger and hostility can also
trigger the production of proteins linked to inflammation in the blood. The
journal Psychosomatic Medicine suggested that the emotion triggers the
production of inflammatory proteins, which may in turn be causing the hardening
of the arteries, causing heart disease and stroke.80 According to Associate
Professor Edward Suarez of the Duke University Medical Centre in North
Carolina, the protein interleukin 6 (or IL-6) is much higher in men who are
angry and depressed. High blood levels of IL-6 lead to atherosclerosis, the
build-up of fatty deposits in the lining of the walls of arteries.81 According
to Suarez, as well as factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and
high cholesterol, heart disease is also linked to psychological states such as
depression, anger and hostility.82
Another article, titled "Anger Raises Risk of
Heart Attack," published in The Times, stated that a short temper might be
a short cut to a heart attack, and that young men who reacted to stress by
becoming angry were three times more likely to develop premature heart disease,
and were five times more likely to have an early heart attack.83 Scientists at
John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, found that quick-tempered men
are at risk of heart attack even if there is no family history of heart
disease.84
All the available research shows that anger is a state
of mind that seriously damages human health. Forgiveness, on the other hand,
even if it comes hard to people, is pleasing, an aspect of superior morals, that
eliminates all the harmful effects of anger, and helps the individual to enjoy
a healthy life, both psychologically and physically. Forgiveness, of course, is
one of a form of behaviour by which a person can stay healthy, and a positive
virtue everyone should live by. However, the true aim of forgiveness-as in all
else-must be to please Allah. The fact that the features of this sort of
morality, and that the benefits of which have been scientifically identified,
have been revealed in many verses of the Qur'an, is just one of the many
sources of wisdom it contains.
HOW
PRAYER ACCELERATES
THE
TREATMENT OF THE SICK
Your
Lord says, "Call on Me and I will answer you. Those who are too proud to
worship Me will enter Hell abject." (Qur'an, 40:60)
According to the Qur'an, prayer, meaning
"calling, giving expression, requesting, seeking help," is a person's
turning sincerely to Allah, and seeking help from Him, the Almighty, the
Compassionate and Merciful, in the knowledge that he is a dependent being.
Illness is one of those instances when a person feels this dependence most and
draws closer to Allah. Furthermore, sickness is a test, devised in His Wisdom,
that takes place by His will, and is a warning to remind people of the
transience and imperfection of this life, and is also a source of recompense in
the Hereafter for the patient and submissive.
Those without faith, on the other hand, imagine that
the way to recovery is through doctors, medicines or the advanced technological
capabilities of modern science. They never pause to think that it is Allah Who
causes their physical system to function when they are in good health, or Who
creates the healing medicines and doctors when they are ill. Many turn only to
Allah when they arrive at the opinion that doctors and medicines are
inadequate. People in such situations seek help only from Allah, realising that
only He can free them from their difficulty. Allah has revealed this mindset in
a verse:
When
harm touches man, he calls on Us, lying on his side or sitting down or standing
up. Then when We remove the harm from him he carries on as if he had never
called on Us when the harm first touched him. In that way We make what they
have done appear good to the profligate. (Qur'an, 10:12)
The fact is, however, that even in good health, or
without tribulations or other difficulties, a person must pray and give thanks
to Allah for the comforts, good health and all the other blessings He has
imparted.
One very important aspect of prayer is this: In
addition to praying out loud, it is also important for a person to make every
effort to pray through his or her deeds. Prayer by action means doing
everything possible to attain a certain wish. For example, in addition to
praying, a sick person may also have to visit an expert doctor, use medicines
that will be of benefit, and receive hospital treatment if necessary, or some
other form of special care. Because, Allah has linked everything that happens
in this world to specific causes. Everything in the world and in the universe
happens in accordance with these causes. Therefore, the individual must take
the requisite measures in accordance with these causes, and yet await the
outcome from Allah, with humility, submission and patience, in the knowledge
that it is He Who brings about their results.
The positive effect of faith and prayer on the sick
and the way these accelerate treatment is a matter that has attracted the
attention of and is recommended by doctors. Under the heading "God and
Health: Is Religion Good Medicine? Why Science Is Starting to Believe,"
the 10 November, 2003, edition of the famous magazine Newsweek took the
curative effect of religion as its cover story. It reported that faith in Allah
raised people's morale and helped them recover more easily, and that science
had also begun to believe that people with religious faith recover more easily
and quickly. According to a Newsweek survey, 72% of Americans say they believe
that praying can cure someone and that prayer facilitates recovery. Research in
Great Britain and the USA has also concluded that prayer reduces patients'
symptoms and accelerates the recovery process.
According to research conducted at Michigan
University, depression and stress are observed to lesser extent in the devout.
And, according to findings at Rush University in Chicago, the early death rate
among people who worship and pray regularly is some 25% lower than in those
with no religious convictions. Another study conducted at Duke University on
750 people, who underwent angiocardiography, proved scientifically the
"curative power of prayer." It was established that the death rate
among heart patients who prayed decreased by 30% within a year after their
operations.
Examples of the prayers mentioned in the Qur'an are:
And
Ayyub when he called out to his Lord, "Great harm has afflicted me and You
are the Most Merciful of the merciful," We responded to him and removed
from him the harm which was afflicting him and restored his family to him, and
the same again with them, as a mercy direct from Us and a Reminder to all
worshippers. (Qur'an, 21:83-84)
And
Dhu'n-Nun [Yunus] when he left in anger and thought We would not punish him. He
called out in the pitch darkness: "There is no deity but You! Glory be to
You! Truly I have been one of the wrongdoers." We responded to him and
rescued him from his grief. That is how We rescue the believers. (Qur'an,
21:87-88)
And
Zakariyya when he called out to his Lord, "My Lord, do not leave me on my
own, though You are the Best of Inheritors." We responded to him and gave
him Yahya, restoring for him his wife's fertility. They outdid one another in
good actions, calling out to Us in yearning and in awe, and humbling themselves
to Us. (Qur'an, 21:89-90)
Nuh
called out to Us and what an excellent Responder We are! (Qur'an, 37:75)
As has already been stated, prayer must not only be
for alleviation of sickness, or other mundane problems. A sincere believer must
always pray to Allah and accept whatever comes from Him. The fact that the
benefits of prayer revealed in many verses of the Qur'an are now being
recognised scientifically, once again reveals the miraculous nature of the
Qur'an.
If My
servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he
calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that
hopefully they will be rightly guided. (Qur'an, 2:186)
STRESS
AND DEPRESSION THE RESULTS
OF NOT
ABIDING BY THE RELIGION
"But
if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow
one..." (Qur'an, 20:124)
When
Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam. When He desires
to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he were
climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no faith.
(Qur'an, 6:125)
The failure of irreligious people in submitting
themselves to Allah causes them to be in a constant state of ill-ease, anxiety
and stress. As a consequence, they are afflicted by various psychological
illnesses which reveal themselves in their physical selves. Their bodies wear
down more quickly, and they age rapidly and degenerate.
However, since believers are psychologically healthy,
they do not fall prey to stress, or despondence, and their bodies are ever fit
and healthy. The positive effects of their submitting to Allah, their trust in
Him and fortitude, looking for the good in all things, and accepting what
happens with the hope of His promise, are reflected in their physical selves.
This, of course, applies only to those who live by the moral values of the
Qur'an, and who truly comprehend the religion. Of course, they may fall ill and
eventually grow old, but this natural process does not involve the
psychological breakdown it does in others.
Stress and depression, regarded as the diseases of our
time, not only cause psychological harm, but also manifests themselves in
various physical defects. The common stress and depression-related problems are
some forms of mental illness, drug addiction, insomnia, skin, stomach and blood
pressure disorders, colds, migraines, a number of bone diseases, kidney
imbalances, respiratory difficulties, allergies, heart attacks, and brain
swelling. Of course, stress and depression are not the only causes of these,
but it has been scientifically proven that the origins of problems such as
these are usually psychological.
Stress, which afflicts so many, is a state of mental
anxiety caused by such feelings as fear, insecurity, overexcitement, worry and
other pressures, that damages the body's equilibrium. When people become
victims of stress, their bodies react and sound the alarm, and various
biochemical reactions in the body are initiated: The level of adrenaline in the
bloodstream rises; energy consumption and bodily reactions reach their maximum
levels; sugar, cholesterol and fatty acids are deposited into the bloodstream;
blood pressure rises and the pulse accelerates. When glucose is sent to the
brain, cholesterol levels rise, and that all spells trouble for the body.
Because chronic stress, in particular, alters the
normal functions of the body, it can cause serious harm. Due to stress,
adrenalin and cortisol levels in the body rise to abnormal levels. Long-term
increases in cortisol levels lead to the premature appearance of disorders such
as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, ulcers, respiratory
diseases, eczema and psoriasis. The effects of high cortisol levels may even
include the killing off of brain cells. The disorders caused by stress are
described as follows in one source:
There is an important relationship between stress and
the tension and pain it gives rise to. The tension caused by stress leads to
narrowing of the arteries, disruption of the flow of blood to certain regions
of the head and a reduction in the amount of blood flowing to that region. If a
tissue is deprived of blood this leads directly to pain, because a tense tissue
on one side probably requiring greater amounts of blood and on the other side
already having insufficient blood supply stimulates special pain receptors. At the
same time substances such as adrenaline and norepinephrine, which affect the
nervous system during stress, are secreted. These directly or indirectly
increase and accelerate the tension in the muscles. Thus pain leads to tension,
tension to anxiety, and anxiety intensifies pain.85
However, one of the most detrimental effects of stress
is heart attacks. Research shows that aggressive, nervous, anxious, impatient,
competitive, hostile and irritable people have a much higher incidence of heart
attacks than people less inclined to these traits.86
The reason for this is that extreme stimulation of the
sympathetic nervous system, initiated by the hypothalamus, also causes
excessive secretion of insulin, and therefore the accumulation of insulin in
the blood. This is a matter of vital importance. Because, none of the
conditions that lead to coronary heart disease play such a definitive and
harmful role as excess insulin in the blood.87
Scientists have recognized that the higher the level
of stress, the more the positive effects of the red cells in the blood are
weakened. According to an experiment developed by Linda Naylor, head of the
Oxford University's technology transfer company, the negative effect of stress
levels on the immune system can now be measured.
There is a close relationship between stress and the
immune system. Physiological stress has an important effect on the immune
system and results in its deterioration. When under stress, the brain increases
production of the cortisol hormone in the body, which weakens the immune
system. To put it another way, there is a direct relationship between the
brain, the immune system and hormones. Experts in the field state:
Studies on psychological or physical stress have
revealed that at times of intense stress there is a fall in immunity response
linked to the hormonal balance. It is known that the emergence and strength of
many illnesses including cancer is linked to stress.88
In short, stress harms a human being's natural
equilibrium. Constant exposure to this abnormal condition impairs the body's
health, and leads to a wide variety of disorders. Experts classify the negative
effects of stress on the human body under the following basic categories:
Anxiety and Panic: A feeling that events are
spiralling out of control
Constantly increasing perspiration
Voice changes: Stammering, trembling speech
Hyperactivity: Sudden explosions of energy, weak
diabetic control
Sleeping difficulty: Nightmares
Skin diseases: Spots, acne, fever, psoriasis and
eczema
Gastrointestinal indications: Indigestion, nausea,
ulcers
Muscular tension: Grinding or locking teeth, aches in
the jaw, back, neck and shoulders
Low intensity infections: Colds etc.
Migraine
Palpitations, chest pain, high blood pressure
Kidney imbalances, holding water
Respiratory disorders, shortness of breath
Allergies
Joint pains
Dry mouth and throat
Heart attack
Weakening of the immune system
Shrinkage in the brain region
Feelings of guilt and lack of self-confidence
Confusion, inability to analyse correctly, poor thinking
ability, weak memory
Extreme pessimism, believing that everything is going
badly
Difficulty in moving or staying still, constant rhythm
beating
Inability to concentrate or difficulty in so doing
Irritability, extreme sensitivity
Irrationality
Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
Loss of or increased appetite
The fact that those who fail to abide by religious
moral values experience "stress" is revealed by Allah in the Qur'an:
"But
if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow
one..." (Qur'an, 20:124)
In
another verse, Allah has revealed that "... the Earth became narrow for
them, for all its great breadth, and their own selves became constricted for
them and they realised that there was no refuge from Allah except in
Him..." (Qur'an, 9:118)
This "dark and narrow" life, or stress, to
give it the current name, is the outcome of non-believers' failure to abide by
the moral values imparted by faith. Today, doctors maintain that a calm and
self-assured composure are essential for protection from the effects of stress.
A calm and peaceful disposition is only possible by living according to the
Qur'an. Indeed, it has been revealed in many verses of the Qur'an that Allah
imparts "serenity" upon the believers. (Qur'an, 2:248, 9:26, 40,
48:4, 18) Our Lord's promise to the faithful has been revealed as follows:
Anyone
who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good
life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did.
(Qur'an, 16:97)
A HUMAN
BEING’S CREATION
Many diverse subjects are mentioned in the Qur'an
while also inviting people to believe. Sometimes the heavens, sometimes
animals, and sometimes plants are mentioned as evidence of Allah's existence.
In many of these verses, people are called upon to consider their own creation.
They are often reminded how man came into the world, which stages he has passed
through, and what his essence is:
It is
We Who have created you. Why, then, don't you accept the truth? Have you ever
considered that [seed] which you emit? Is it you who create it? Or are We the
Creator? (Qur'an, 56:57-59)
The miracle of man's creation is emphasised in many
verses. Some of the information within these verses is so detailed that it was
impossible for anyone living in the 7th century to have known it. Examples of
these are as follows:
1. Man is not created from the entire semen, but only
a very small portion of it (sperm).
2. It is the male that determines the sex of the baby.
3. The human embryo adheres to the mother's uterus
like a leech.
4. The embryo develops in three dark regions in the
uterus.
The items of information just quoted were far above
the level of learning of the people living at that time. The discovery of these
facts could only become possible by the technology attained in the 20th
century.
Now, let us examine these items one at a time.
A Drop
of Semen
Sperm undertake a journey into the mother's body until
they reach the ovum. Only a thousand out of 250 million sperm succeed in
reaching the ovum. At the end of this five-minute race, the ovum, half the size
of a grain of salt, will let only one of the sperms in. That is, the substance
of man is not the whole semen, but only a small part of it. This is explained
in the Surat al-Qiyama as follows:
Does
man reckon he will be left uncontrolled [without purpose]? Was he not once a
drop of ejected semen? (Qur'an, 75:36-37)
As we have seen, the Qur'an informs us that man is
made not from the entire semen, but only a small part of it. That the particular
emphasis in this verse announces a fact only discovered by modern science is
evidence that the Qur'an is the word of Allah.
The
Mixture in the Semen
The fluid referred to as semen, which contains the
sperm, does not consist of sperm alone. On the contrary, it is made up of a
mixture of different fluids. Seminal fluid is a collection of substances
secreted from the testicles, the seminal vesicles, the prostate gland and
glands linked to the urinary tract. A detailed analysis of this fluid shows
that it consists of a great many separate substances, such as citric acid,
prostaglandin, flavin, ascorbic acid, ergothioneine, cholesterol,
phospholipids, fibrinolysin, zinc, phosphatase acid, phosphase, hyaluronidase
and sperm. These fluids exercise different functions, such as containing the
sugar necessary for providing energy for the sperm, neutralizing the acids at
the entrance of the uterus, and providing a slippery substance for the easy
movement of the sperm.
When semen is mentioned in the Qur'an, this fact,
which was discovered by modern science, is also referred to, and semen is
defined as a mixed fluid:
We
created man from a mingled drop to test him, and We made him hearing and
seeing. (Qur'an, 76:2)
In other verses, semen is again referred to as a mixture,
and it is stressed that man is created from the "extract" of this
mixture:
He Who
has created all things in the best possible way. He commenced the creation of
man from clay; then He made his progeny from an extract of discarded fluid.
(Qur'an, 32:7-8)
The Arabic word "sulaalah," translated as
"extract," means the essential or best part of something. By either
meaning, it refers to "part of a whole." This shows that the Qur'an
is the word of Allah, Who knows the creation of man to its minute details.
The Sex
of the Child
Until fairly recently, it was thought that a baby's
sex was determined by the mother's cells. Or at least, it was believed that the
sex was determined by the male and female cells together. But, we are given
different information in the Qur'an, where it is stated that masculinity or
femininity is created out of "a drop of sperm which has been
ejected."
He has
created both sexes, male and female from a drop of semen which has been
ejected. (Qur'an, 53:45-46)
Wasn't
he a drop of ejaculated sperm, then an embryo which He created and shaped,
making from it both sexes, male and female? (Qur'an, 75:37-39)
The developing disciplines of genetics and molecular
biology have scientifically validated the accuracy of this information given by
the Qur'an. It is now understood that sex is determined by the sperm cells from
the male, and that the female has no role in this process.
Chromosomes are the main elements in determining sex.
Two of the 46 chromosomes that determine the structure of a human being are
identified as the sex chromosomes. These two chromosomes are called
"XY" in males, and "XX" in females, because the shapes of
the chromosomes resemble these letters. The Y chromosome carries the genes that
code for masculinity, while the X chromosome carries the genes that code for
femininity.
The formation of a new human being begins with the
cross combination of one of these chromosomes, which exist in males and females
in pairs. In females, both components of the sex cell, which divides into two
during ovulation, carry X chromosomes. The sex cell of a male, on the other
hand, produces two different kinds of sperm, one that contains X chromosomes
and the other Y chromosomes. If an X chromosome from the female unites with a
sperm that contains an X chromosome, then the baby is female. If it unites with
the sperm that contains a Y chromosome, the baby is male.
In other words, a baby's sex is determined by which
chromosome from the male unites with the female's ovum.
None of this was known until the discovery of genes in
the 20th century. Indeed, in many cultures, it was believed that a baby's sex
was determined by the female. That was why women were blamed when they gave
birth to girls.
Fourteen centuries before human genes were discovered,
however, the Qur'an revealed information that denies this superstition, and
referred to the origin of sex lying not with women, but with the semen deriving
from men.
The
Alaq Clinging to the Uterus
If we continue to examine the facts announced to us in
the Qur'an, about the formation of human beings, we again encounter some very
important scientific truth.
When the sperm of the male unites with the ovum of the
female, the essence of the baby to be born is formed. This single cell, known
as a "zygote" in biology, will instantly begin reproducing by
dividing, and eventually become a "piece of flesh," called an embryo.
This, of course, can only be seen by human beings with the aid of a microscope.
The embryo, however, does not spend its developmental
period in a void. It clings to the uterus, with something like roots that is
firmly fixed to the earth by its tendrils. Through this bond, the embryo can
obtain the substances essential to its development from the mother's body.89
Here, an important miracle of the Qur'an is revealed.
While referring to the embryo developing in the mother's womb, Allah uses the
word "alaq" in the Qur'an:
Recite:
In the name of your Lord Who created man from alaq. Recite: And your Lord is
the Most Generous. (Qur'an, 96:1-3)
The meaning of the word "alaq" in Arabic is
"a thing that clings to some place." The word is literally used to
describe leeches that cling to a body to suck blood.
Certainly, the use of such a specific word for the
embryo developing in the mother's womb, proves once again that the Qur'an is
the word of Allah, the Lord of all the Worlds.
The
Wrapping of Muscles over the Bones
Another important item of information provided in the
verses of the Qur'an is the developmental stages of a human being in the
mother's womb. It is stated in these verses that in the mother's womb, the
bones develop first, and then the muscles form which wrap around them.
[We]
then formed the drop into an embryo and formed the embryo into a lump and
formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh; and then brought him
into being as another creature. Blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!
(Qur'an, 23:14)
Embryology is the branch of science that studies the
development of the embryo in the mother's womb. Until very recently,
embryologists assumed that the bones and muscles in an embryo developed at the
same time. Yet, advanced microscopic research conducted by virtue of new
technological developments has revealed that the revelation of the Qur'an is
word for word correct.
These observations at the microscopic level showed
that the development inside the mother's womb takes place in just the way it is
described in these verses. First, the cartilage tissue of the embryo ossifies.
Then, muscular cells that are selected from amongst the tissue around the bones
come together and wrap around the bones.
This event is described in a scientific publication
titled Developing Human in the following words:
... [T]he shape of the skeleton determines the general
appearance of the embryo in the bones stage during the 7th week; muscles do not
develop at the same time but their development follows soon after. The muscles
take their positions around the bones throughout the body and therefore clothe
the bones. Thus, the muscles take their well known forms and structures... The
stage of clothing with muscle occurs during the 8th week...90
In short, developmental stages of man, as described in
the Qur'an, are in perfect harmony with the findings of modern embryology.
Three
Dark Stages of the Baby in the Womb
In the Qur'an, it is related that man is created
through a three-stage process in the mother's womb.
... He
creates you stage by stage in your mothers' wombs in threefold darkness. That
is Allah, your Lord. Sovereignty is His. There is no deity but Him. So what has
made you deviate? (Qur'an, 39:6)
The expression "fee thulumaatin thalaathin,"
translated into English as "a threefold darkness," indicates three
dark regions involved during the development of the embryo. These are:
a) The darkness of the abdomen
b) The darkness of the womb
c) The darkness of the placenta
As we have seen, modern biology has revealed that the
embryological development of the baby takes place in the manner revealed in the
verse, in three dark regions. Moreover, advances in the science of embryology
show that these regions consist of three layers each.
The lateral abdominal wall comprises three layers: the
external oblique, the internal oblique, and transverses abdominis muscles.91
Similarly, the wall of the womb also consists of three
layers: the epimetrium, the myometrium and the endometrium.92
Similarly again, the placenta surrounding the embryo
also consists of three layers: the amnion (the internal membrane around the
foetus), the chorion (the middle amnion layer) and the decidua (outer amnion
layer.)93
It is also pointed out in this verse that a human
being is created in the mother's womb in three distinct stages.
Indeed, modern biology has also revealed that the
baby's embryological development takes place in three distinct regions in the
mother's womb. Today, in all the embryology textbooks studied in departments of
medicine, this subject is taken as an element of basic knowledge. For instance,
in Basic Human Embryology, a fundamental reference text in the field of embryology,
this fact is stated as follows:
The life in the uterus has three stages:
pre-embryonic; first two and a half weeks, embryonic; until the end of the
eight week, and fetal; from the eight week to labor.94
These phases refer to the different developmental
stages of a baby. In brief, the main characteristics of these developmental
stages are as follows:
-
Pre-embryonic Stage
In this first phase, the zygote grows by division, and
when it becomes a cell cluster, it buries itself in the wall of the uterus.
While they continue growing, the cells organize themselves in three layers.
-
Embryonic Stage
The second phase lasts for five and a half weeks,
during which the baby is referred to as an "embryo." During this
stage, the basic organs and systems of the body start to appear from the cell
layers.
-
Foetal Stage
From this stage onward, the embryo is called a
"foetus." This phase begins at the eighth week of gestation, and
lasts until the moment of birth. The distinctive characteristic of this stage
is that the foetus looks much like a human being, with its face, hands and
feet. Although it is only 3 cm (1.18 inch) long initially, all of its organs
have become apparent. This phase lasts for about 30 weeks, and development
continues until the week of delivery.
Information on the development in the mother's womb
became available only after observations with modern devices. Yet, just like
many other scientific facts, in a miraculous way, Allah draws our attention to
these items of information in the verses of the Qur'an. The fact that such
detailed and accurate information was given in the Qur'an at a time when people
had scarce information on medical matters is clear evidence that the Qur'an is
the word of Allah. (See Harun Yahya, The Miracle of Human Creation, Goodword
Books, New Delhi, 2003)
THE
CREATION OF HUMAN BEINGS FROM WATER
Allah
created every [living] creature from water. Some of them go on their bellies,
some of them on two legs, and some on four. Allah creates whatever He wills.
Allah has power over all things. (Qur'an, 24:45)
Do
those who disbelieve not see that the heavens and the Earth were sewn together
and then We unstitched them and that We made from water every living thing? So
won't they believe? (Qur'an, 21:30)
And it
is He Who created human beings from water and then gave them relations by blood
and marriage. Your Lord is All-Powerful. (Qur'an, 25:54)
When we look at the verses concerned with the creation
of human beings and living things, we clearly see evidence of a miracle. One
such miracle is of the creation of living things from water. It was only
possible for people to come by that information, clearly expressed in those
verses, hundreds of years afterwards with the invention of the microscope.
The words "Water is the main component of organic
matter. 50-90% of the weight of living things consists of water" appear
regularly in encyclopaedias. Furthermore, 80% of the cytoplasm (basic cell
material) of a standard animal cell is described as water in biology textbooks.
The analysis of cytoplasm and its appearance in textbooks took place hundreds
of years after the revelation of the Qur'an. It is therefore impossible for
this fact, now accepted by the scientific community, to have been known at the
time the Qur'an was revealed. Yet, attention was drawn to it in the Qur'an
1,400 years before its discovery.
CREATION
FROM CLAY
In the Qur'an, Allah reveals that the creation of the
human is a miracle. The first human being was created by Allah shaping clay
into human form and breathing a soul into it:
Your Lord said to the angels, "I am going to create a human being out of
clay. When I have formed him and breathed My Spirit into him, fall down in
prostration to him!" (Qur'an, 38:71-72)
Then inquire of them: Is it they who are stronger in
structure or other things We have created? We
created them from sticky clay. (Qur'an, 37:11)
When the human body is examined today, it may be
discovered that many elements present on the earth are also to be found in the
body. Living tissues contain 95% carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus
and sulphur, with a total of 26 different elements.95 In another verse of the Qur'an we are told:
We created man from an extract of clay. (Qur'an,
23:12)
The Arabic word "sulaalah," translated as "extract" in the verse,
means "representative example, essence." As we have seen, the
information revealed in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago confirms what modern science
tells us-the fact that the same elements are employed in human creation as
those found in the soil.
THE
PROGRAMMING IN GENES
From what thing did He create him? From a drop of sperm He created him and
proportioned him. Then He eases the way for him. (Qur'an, 80:18-20)
The word "qaddara,"
translated as "proportioned"
in the above verse, comes from the Arabic verb "qadara." It translates as "arranging, setting out,
planning, programming, seeing the future, the writing of everything in destiny
(by Allah)."
When the father's sperm cell fertilises the mother's
egg, the parents' genes combine to determine all of the baby's physical
characteristics. Each one of these thousands of genes has a specific function.
It is the genes which determine the colour of the eyes and hair, height, facial
features, skeletal shape and the countless details in the internal organs, brain,
nerves and muscles. In addition to all the physical characteristics, thousands
of different processes taking place in the cells and body-and indeed the
control of the whole system-are recorded in the genes. For example, whether a
person's blood pressure is generally high, low or normal depends on the
information in his or her genes.
The first cell which forms when the sperm and the egg
are joined also forms the first copy of the DNA molecule which will carry the
code in every cell of the person's body, right up until death. DNA is a
molecule of considerable size. It is carefully protected within the nucleus of
the cell and this molecule is an information bank of the human body as it
contains the genes we mentioned above. The first cell, the fertilised egg, then
divides and multiplies in the light of the program recorded in the DNA. The
tissues and organs begin to form: This is the beginning of a human being. The
coordination of this complex structuring is brought about by the DNA molecule.
This is a molecule consisting of atoms such as carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen,
hydrogen and oxygen.
The information capacity recorded in DNA is of a size
which astonishes scientists. There is enough information in a single human DNA
molecule to fill a million encyclopaedia pages or 1,000 volumes. To put it
another way, the nucleus of a cell contains information, equivalent to that in
a 1 million-page encyclopaedia. It serves to control all the functions of the
human body. To make a comparison, the 23-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, one of the largest encyclopaedias in the
world, contains a total of 25,000 pages. Yet a single molecule in the nucleus
of a cell, and which is so much smaller than that cell, contains a store of
information 40 times larger than the world's largest encyclopaedias. That means
that what we have here is a 1,000-volume encyclopaedia, the like of which
exists nowhere else on Earth. This is a miracle of design and creation within
our very own bodies, for which evolutionists and materialists have no answer.
Bearing in mind that the structure of DNA was
unravelled by Francis Crick in 1953, it is truly amazing that the Qur'an
pointed to the concept of "genetic planning" in an age when, as we
have mentioned previously, mankind's knowledge was very limited. Geneticists
were unable to discuss until the end of the 19th century and these remarkable
facts act again as proofs that the Qur'an is the word of Allah. (See Harun
Yahya, The Miracle of Creation in DNA,
Goodword Books, New Delhi, 2002)
THE
MENSTRUAL PERIOD
The menstrual period is when the unfertilised egg is
expelled from the body. Since fertilisation has not taken place, the walls of
the previously readied womb contract and the egg is expelled with the breaking
of tiny blood vessels. Following that, the body will then begin preparations to
repeat the whole process all over again.
All of these stages are repeated in all women over a
specific period. Every month, new egg cells form, the same hormones are
secreted-again and again at the same times. Thus the female body is prepared as
if it will be fertilised. However, in the final stage, the absence or presence
of the sperm changes the nature of the preparations in the body.
During the period in question, the changes in the
empty space in the womb can only be identified by an anatomical or
gynaecological examination. Yet these changes, only recently identified by
scientists, are miraculously indicated in Surat ar-Ra‘d:
Allah knows what every female bears and every shrinking of the womb and every
swelling. Everything has its measure with Him. (Qur'an, 13:8)
At the beginning of the menstrual period, the mucous
on the walls of the womb (the endometrium layer) is 0.5 mm (0.02 inch)thick.
Under the effect of hormones secreted by the egg, this layer grows and reaches
a thickness of 5-6 mm (0.2 inch). This layer is then discarded in the absence
of fertilisation. As we see from the above verse, this monthly increase and
reduction in the walls of the womb is indicated in the Qur'an.
PREGNANCY
AND BIRTH
Curse man for his ingratitude! From what thing did He
create him? From a drop of sperm He created him and proportioned him. Then He eases the way for him. (Qur'an,
80:17-20)
The foetus is fully formed at the end of the sixth
month. The womb then enters the incubation period. All the baby's bodily organs
and systems develop fully during that time, and the womb accelerates this
growth by providing nourishment for the foetus. This period continues until the
baby emerges from the mother's womb.
The birth canal is normally very narrow and it is
difficult for the foetus to pass through it. During birth, however, a number of
physiological changes take place in the mother's body. These changes allow the
foetus to move easily through the birth canal. Some of these changes include:
the expansion of the joints in the pelvic bones in order to widen the birth
canal, the relaxation of the muscles to further widen the canal and the
lubrication of the canal with amniotic fluid.96 These pre-birth changes are described in one
scientific source in these terms:
As birth approaches, the amniotic fluid embarks on
those activities that will be necessary to facilitate that birth. This fluid
comprises sacs, which will enlarge the mouth of the womb, thus allowing the
womb to assume the dimensions to allow the baby to pass. These sacs also
prevent the foetus from being crushed in the womb during birth. Furthermore,
when the sacs burst and release their fluid at the commencement of birth, the
path to be taken by the foetus is both lubricated and sterilised. In this way,
birth takes place easier and in a manner naturally free of germs.97
This series of occurrences is openly indicated in the
verse of the Qur'an, "Then He eases
the way for him." (Qur'an, 80:20) However, it has been possible today
to determine these physiological changes-which Allah informed us of 1,400 years
ago-only with the use of a number of technological devices.
THE SEQUENCE IN DEVELOPMENT
OF HUMAN ORGANS
It is He Who has
created hearing, sight and minds for you. What little thanks you show!
(Qur'an, 23:78)
Allah brought you out of your mothers' wombs knowing
nothing at all, and gave you hearing,
sight and minds so that perhaps you would show thanks. (Qur'an, 16:78)
Say: "What do you think? If Allah took away your hearing and your sight and sealed up your
hearts, what deity is there, other than Allah, who could give them back to
you?"… (Qur'an, 6:46)
We created man from a mingled drop to test him, and We made him hearing and seeing. (Qur'an,
76:2)
The above verses refer to a number of senses given to
human beings by Allah. These are always referred in a specific order in the
Qur'an: hearing, sight, feeling and understanding.
In a paper published in the Journal of the Islamic Medical Association, Dr. Keith Moore states
that during the development of the foetus, the eye begins to form after the
inner ear has assumed its first form. He says the brain, the centre of feeling
and understanding, begins its development after the ear and the eye.98
The foetus' ears begin to develop as early as the
twenty-second day of pregnancy and become fully functional in the fourth month.
After that, the foetus can hear sounds in its mother's womb. For that reason,
the sense of hearing forms before the other vital functions for a new-born
baby. The order set out in the Qur'an is striking from that point of view. (See
Harun Yahya, The Miracle of Human
Creation, Goodword Books, New Delhi, 2003)
THE FORMATION OF MILK
There is instruction for you in cattle. From the
contents of their bellies, from between the dung and blood, We give you pure
milk to drink, easy for drinkers to swallow. (Qur'an, 16:66)
The basic materials which allow the nourishment of the
body come about as a result of chemical changes in the digestive system. These
digested substances then pass through the wall of the intestine into the blood
stream. Due to the circulation of the blood, the nutriments reach the relevant
organs.
Like the other bodily tissues, the milk glands are
nourished by nutriments brought to them by the blood. The blood therefore plays
a most important role in the collection of nutriments from foodstuffs. Milk is
secreted by the milk glands after all these stages and its nutritional values
are particularly high.
Human beings are unable to directly consume either the
half-digested food in an animal's stomach or an animal's blood. Furthermore,
the direct consumption of these or any of their compounds can lead to severe
illness, and even death. Thanks to the exceedingly complex biological systems
He has created, Allah provides clean and healthy food for human beings from
these fluids.
This is because it forms as a result of digested food
being carried by the blood. High-nutrition milk is thus produced from blood,
which cannot be consumed directly, and semi-digested food.
The formation of milk is by itself an enormous miracle
of creation. And it is another miracle altogether that such detailed
information about that formation should be contained in the Qur'an.
As we have seen, the information about the biological
formation of milk in Surat an-Nahl 66, is in great accordance with the facts
established by modern science. It is quite clear that such information,
requiring detailed knowledge of mammals' digestive systems, could not have been
known at the time when the Qur'an was revealed.
THE MIRACULOUS MIXTURE:
A MOTHER’S MILK
And We have enjoined upon man goodness towards his
parents: His mother bore him by bearing strain upon strain, and his weaning was in two years:
"[Hence, O man,] be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the
eventual coming." (Qur'an, 31:14)
Mother's milk is a matchless compound created by Allah
to meet the baby's nutritional needs and protect it against possible
infections. The balance of the nutriments in mother's milk is at ideal levels
and the milk is in the ideal form for the baby's immature body. At the same
time, the mother's milk is also very rich in nutrients which accelerate the
growth of brain cells and the development of the nervous system.99 Artificial baby foods prepared with present-day
technology cannot replace this miraculous food.
The list of advantages to the baby provided by
mother's milk is being added to every day. Research has shown that babies who
are fed mother's milk are particularly protected against infections concerning
the respiratory and digestive systems. That is because the antibodies in
mother's milk provide a direct defence against infection. Other anti-infection
properties of mother's milk are that it provides a hospitable environment for
"good" bacteria called "normal flora" thus constituting a
barrier to harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites. Furthermore, it has also
been established that there are factors in mother's milk which arrange the
immune system against infectious diseases and allow it to function properly.100
Since the mother's milk has been specially designed,
it is the most easily digestible food for babies. Despite being nutritionally
very rich, it is easily digested by the baby's sensitive digestive system.
Since the baby thus expends less energy on digestion, it is able to use that
energy for other bodily functions, growth and organ development.
The milk of mothers who have had premature babies
contains higher levels of fat, protein, sodium, chloride and iron to meet the
baby's needs. Indeed, it has been established that the functions of the eye
develop better in premature babies fed on mother's milk and that they perform
better in intelligence tests. In addition, they also have a great many other
advantages.
One of the ways in which mother's milk is important to
the development of the new-born baby is the fact that it contains omega-3 oil
alpha linoleic acids. As well as being an important compound for the human
brain and retina, it is also of great importance from the point of view of
new-born babies. Omega-3 is of particular importance throughout pregnancy and
the early stages of babyhood if the brain and nerves are to develop normally.
Scientists particularly emphasise the importance of mother's milk as a natural
and perfect store of omega-3.101
Furthermore, research by Bristol University scientists
revealed that among the long-term benefits of mother's milk are its positive
effect on blood pressure, thanks to which the risk of heart attack is reduced.
The research team concluded that the protective nature of mother's milk stems
from its nutritional content. According to the results of the research,
published in the medical journal Circulation,
babies fed on mother's milk are less likely to develop heart disease. It has
been revealed that the presence in mother's milk of long-chain polyunsaturated
fatty acids-these prevent hardening of the arteries-along with the fact that
babies fed on mother's milk consume less sodium-this is closely linked to blood
pressure-and do not, as a result, gain excessive amounts of weight are among
the ways that mother's milk benefits the heart.102
In addition, a team led by Dr. Lisa Martin, of the
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre in the USA, found high levels of
the protein hormone known as adiponectin in mother's milk.103 High blood levels of adiponectin are
associated with a reduced risk of heart attack. Low levels of adiponectin are
found in people who are obese and who are at increased risk of a heart attack.
It was therefore established that the risk of obesity in babies fed on mother's
milk declined in relation to this hormone. Furthermore, they also discovered
the presence of another hormone called leptin in the mother's milk which has a
central role in fat metabolism. Leptin is believed to be a signal to the brain
that there is fat on the body. According to Dr. Martin's announcement,
therefore, these hormones absorbed in babyhood through mother's milk reduce the
risk of such illnesses as obesity, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, and
coronary artery disease.104
Facts
about "The Freshest Food"
The facts about the mother's milk are not restricted
to these. The contribution it makes to the baby's health alters according to
the phases the baby undergoes and whichever foodstuff is required at a
particular stage, the contents of the milk change to meet those very specific
needs. Mother's milk, ready at all times and at the ideal temperature, plays a
major role in brain development because of the sugar and fat it contains. In
addition, elements such as calcium in it play a large role in the development
of the baby's bones.
Although it is called milk, this miraculous compound
actually consists mostly of water. This is a most important feature because in
addition to food, babies also need liquid in the form of water. Full hygiene
may not be established in water or foodstuffs other than mother's milk. Yet
mother's milk-90% water no less-meets the baby's water needs in the most
hygienic manner.
Mother's
Milk and Intelligence
Scientific research shows that the cognitive
development in breast-fed babies is greater than that in other babies. A
comparative analysis of breast-fed babies and formula-fed babies by James W.
Anderson-an expert from the University of Kentucky-established that the IQs of
babies fed on mother's milk were 5 points higher than those of other babies. As
a result of this study, it was determined that intelligence is benefited by
mother's milk for up to 6 months and that children who are breast-fed for less
than 8 weeks show no IQ benefit.105
Does
Mother's Milk Combat Cancer?
As a result of all the research performed, it is
proven that mother's milk, on which hundreds of papers have been published,
protects babies against cancer. This, despite the fact that the mechanism is
not yet fully understood. When a protein from the mother's milk killed off
tumour cells which had been grown in laboratories without damaging any healthy
cells, researchers stated that a great potential has emerged. Catharina
Svanborg, professor of clinical immunology at Lund University in Sweden, headed
the research team that discovered these miraculous secrets of mother's milk.106 This team
at Lund University have described the way that mother's milk provides
protection against many forms of cancer as a miraculous discovery.
Initially, researchers treated intestinal mucous cells
taken from new-born babies with mother's milk. They observed that the disorder
caused by the bacterium Pneumococcus
and known as pneumonia was efficiently halted by mother's milk. What is more,
babies fed on mother's milk encounter far fewer hearing difficulties than those
fed on formula and suffer far fewer respiratory infections. After a series of
studies, it was shown that mother's milk also provides protection against
cancer. After showing that the incidence of the lymph cancer observed in
childhood was nine times greater in formula-fed children, they realised that
the same results applied to other forms of cancer. According to the results,
mother's milk accurately locates the cancer cells and later destroys them. It
is a substance called alpha-lac (alphalactalbumin), present in large quantities
in mother's milk, that locates and kills the cancer cells. Alpha-lac is
produced by a protein that assists in the manufacture of the sugar lactose in
the milk.107
This
Matchless Blessing Is A Gift from Allah
Another miraculous feature of mother's milk is the
fact that it is exceedingly beneficial for the baby to be fed with it for two
years.108 This important information, only recently
discovered by science, was revealed by Allah fourteen centuries ago in the
verse: "Mothers should nurse their
children for two full years-those who wish to complete the full term of
nursing…" (Qur'an, 2:233)
In the same way that the mother does not decide to
produce milk, the most ideal source of nourishment for the helpless baby in
need of feeding in her body, neither does she decide on the various nutritional
levels within it. It is Almighty Allah, Who knows the needs of and displays
mercy to every living thing, Who creates mother's milk for the baby in the
mother's body.
THE IDENTITY HIDDEN IN THE FINGERPRINT
While it is stated in the Qur'an that it is easy for
Allah to bring man back to life after death, peoples' fingerprints are
particularly emphasized:
Yes, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers. (Qur'an,
75:4)
The emphasis on fingerprints has a very special
meaning. This is because shapes and details on everyone's fingerprint are
unique to each individual. Every person who is alive or who has ever lived in
this world has a set of unique fingerprints. Furthermore, even identical twins
having the very same DNA sequence have their own set of fingerprints.109
Fingerprints attain their final shape before birth and
remain the same for a lifetime unless a permanent scar appears. That is why
fingerprints are accepted as a very important proof of identity, exclusive to
their owner. The science of fingerprints has been used as a non-erring identity
determination method.
However, what is important is that this feature of
fingerprints was only discovered in the late 19th century. Before then, people
regarded fingerprints as ordinary curves without any specific importance or
meaning. However in the Qur'an, Allah points to the fingertips, which did not
attract anyone's attention at that time, and calls our attention to their
importance. This importance has only been fully understood in our day.
THE
FEMALE HONEY BEE
Your Lord revealed to the bees: "Build dwellings in the mountains and the
trees, and also in the structures which men erect. Then eat from every kind of fruit and travel the paths of your Lord, which have been made easy for you to
follow." From inside them comes a drink of varying colours, containing
healing for humanity. There is certainly a sign in that for people who reflect.
(Qur'an, 16:68-69)
In the honey bee colonies where each of the many bees
is assigned a specific task, the only exception is the male honey bee. The
males do not contribute to the defence of the hive or its cleaning, to
gathering food, or making of the honeycomb and honey. The only function of the
male bees in the hive is to inseminate the queen bee.110 Apart from reproductive organs, the males
possess almost none of the features possessed by the other bees and it is
therefore impossible for them to do anything but fertilise the queen.
The worker bees carry the entire load of the colony.
Although they are females like the queen, their ovaries have no maturity. This
renders them sterile. They have several duties: cleaning the hive, maintaining
the larvae and the young, feeding the queen bee and the males, producing honey,
constructing the honeycomb and repairing it, ventilating the hive and
safeguarding it, gathering supplies like nectar, pollen, water and resin, and
storing these in the hive.
In Arabic, there are two different usages of verbs. By
means of the usage, it is possible to determine whether the subject is a female
or a male. As a matter of fact, the verbs (italic words) used for the honey bee
in the verses are used in the format of the verb for females. Through this, the
Qur'an indicates that the honey bees that work in the making of the honey are
females.111
We should not forget that it is impossible for this
fact to have been known about the honey bees in the time of the Prophet
Muhammad (saas). Yet, Allah has pointed at this fact and shown us yet another
miracle of the Qur'an.
THE
MIRACLE OF HONEY
Your Lord revealed to the bees: "Build dwellings
in the mountains and the trees, and also in the structures which men erect.
Then eat from every kind of fruit and travel the paths of your Lord, which have
been made easy for you to follow."
From inside them comes a drink of varying colours, containing healing for
humanity. There is certainly a sign in that for people who reflect.
(Qur'an, 16:68-69)
Honey is a "healing for men" as stated in
the verses above. Nowadays, apiculture and bee products have opened a new
branch of research in scientifically advanced parts of the world. Other
benefits of honey may be described as below:
Easily digested: Because sugar molecules in honey can convert into other sugars (e.g.
fructose to glucose), honey is easily digested by the most sensitive stomachs,
despite its high acid content. It helps kidneys and intestines to function
better.
Rapidly diffuses through the blood; is a quick energy
source: When accompanied by mild water, honey diffuses into
the bloodstream in seven minutes. Its free sugar molecules make the brain
function better since the brain is the largest consumer of sugar. Honey is a
natural composition of sugars like glucose and fructose. According to recent
research, this unique mixture of sugars is the most effective means to remove
fatigue and increase athletic performance.
Supports blood formation: Honey provides an important part of the energy needed
by the body for blood formation. In addition, it helps in cleansing the blood.
It has some positive effects in regulating and facilitating blood circulation.
It also functions as a protection against capillary problems and
arteriosclerosis.
Does not accommodate bacteria: This bactericide (bacteria-killing) property of honey
is named "the inhibition effect." There are various reasons of this
anti-microbial property of the honey. Some examples are: the high sugar content
that limit the amount of water microorganisms need for growth, its high acidity
(low pH) and composition which deprive bacteria from nitrogen necessary for
reproduction. The existence of hydrogen peroxide as well as antioxidants in the
honey prevents bacteria growth.
Antioxidant: Everyone who
wants to live a healthier life should consume antioxidants. Those are the
components in cells that get rid of harmful byproducts of normal metabolic
functions. These elements inhibit destructive chemical reactions that cause
spoilage of food and many chronic illnesses. Researchers believe food products
rich in antioxidants may prevent heart problems and cancer. Strong antioxidants
are present in honey content: Pinocembrin,
pinobaxin, chrisin and galagin. Pinocembrin is an antioxidant that
merely exists in the honey.112
Vitamin and mineral depot: Honey is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose
and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron
and phosphate. It contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of which
change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Besides the above,
copper, iodine, and zinc are also present, albeit in small quantities.
Honey is used in healing wounds:
- When used in treatment of wounds, thanks to its
ability to absorb moisture from the air, honey facilitates healing process and
prevents scarring. This is because honey stimulates the growth of epithelial
cells that form the new skin cover over a healed wound. In this way, even in case
of large wounds, honey may eliminate the need for tissue transplantation.
- Honey stimulates the regrowth of tissue involved in
the healing process. It stimulates the formation of new blood capillaries and
the growth of fibroblasts that replace the connective tissue of the deeper
layer of the skin and produce the collagen fibres that give strength to the
repair.
- Honey has an anti-inflammatory action, which reduces
the swelling around a wound. This improves circulation and thus hastens the
healing process. It also reduces pain.
- Honey does not stick to the underlying wound
tissues, so there is no tearing away of newly formed tissue, and no pain, when
dressings are changed.
- It is used with great success as a dressing on
patients with wounds or ulcers resulting from radiation therapy.113
- Thanks to its aforementioned antimicrobial property,
honey provides a protective barrier to prevent wounds becoming infected. It
also rapidly clears any existing infection from wounds. It is fully effective,
even with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Unlike antiseptics and
antibiotics, there is no impairment of the healing process through adverse
effects on wound tissues.114
It can easily be seen from this information that honey
has great "healing" properties. This is undoubtedly one of the
miracles of the Qur'an Allah, Who is Exalted in Power, has revealed. An
analysis of the nutritional value of honey can be seen in the table to the
side:
THE
DATE AND ITS USES AS
DESCRIBED
IN THE QUR’AN
In a number of Qur'anic verses, the humble date is
honoured as one of the blessings of Paradise. (Qur'an, 55:68) When this fruit
is examined, it can be seen to have a great many important features. One of the
oldest known species of plant, the date is today a food of preference not only
for its delicious taste but also for its nutritious properties. New benefits
imparted by the date are being discovered every day and has come to be used as
a medicine as well as a food. These features of the date are noted in Surah
Maryam:
The pains of
labour drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She [Maryam] said, "Oh if only I had died before this time and was
something discarded and forgotten!" A voice called out to her from under
her, "Do not grieve! Your Lord has placed a small stream at your feet. Shake the trunk of the palm towards you and
fresh, ripe dates will drop down onto you. Eat and drink and delight your eyes…"
(Qur'an, 19:23-26)
There is considerable wisdom in the way that Allah
recommends Maryam to eat this fruit. The date is an excellent choice of food
for the pregnant women and for those who have just given birth. This is a
widely accepted scientific fact. Maryam was inspired to understand this point,
in order to make her own labour easier. The date has one of the highest sugar
levels, 60-65%, of all fruits. Doctors recommend that pregnant women be given
foods containing fruit sugar on the day they give birth. The aim behind this is
to energise and revitalise the mother's weakened body and at the same time to
stimulate the milk hormones and increase the levels of mother's milk essential
to the new-born baby.
In addition, loss of blood during birth leads to a
fall in body sugar levels. Dates are important from the point of view of
enabling sugar to enter the body and prevent blood pressure from dropping.
Their high calorific value strengthens people weakened by illness or suffering
from extreme fatigue.
These facts reveal the wisdom in the way that Allah
recommended Maryam to eat dates, designed to energise and invigorate the woman
and ensure the emergence of milk, the only food for a baby. For example, the
date contains more than ten elements of vital importance if the body is to
remain healthy and energetic. Modern-day scientists state that human beings can
actually live for years on nothing more than dates and water.115 V. H. W. Dowson, a recognised expert in this
field, says that one grain of date and a glass of milk are enough to meet all
of a person's daily nutritional requirements.116
The substance oxytocin, which is present in the date,
is used in modern medicine to facilitate birth. In fact, oxytocin means
"rapid birth." It is also known to increase levels of mother's milk
after birth.117
Oxytocin is actually a hormone released by the
pituitary gland which stimulates contractions of the womb during childbirth.
All the pre-birth preparations in the body take place thanks to this hormone.
The effects of the hormone can be seen in the muscles that form the mother's
womb and in cells in the muscular structure that enables the secretion of
mother's milk. The effective contraction of the womb is essential if birth is
to take place. Oxytocin enables the muscles that comprise the womb to contract
in a very powerful manner. Moreover, oxytocin also initiates the secretion of
mother's milk. This feature of the date alone-the way it contains oxytocin-is
important evidence that the Qur'an is the revelation of Allah. The medical
identification of the benefits of the date only became possible in recent
times. Yet it was set out fourteen centuries ago in the Qur'an that Allah
revealed to Maryam that she should eat dates.
Dates also contain a form of sugar that gives the body
high levels of mobility and heat energy and which can be easily broken down in
the body. Furthermore, this sugar is not glucose, which rapidly raises the
level of blood sugar but the fruit sugar fructose. A rapid rise in blood sugar
levels in diabetics in particular has a damaging effect on a great many organs
and systems, especially the eyes, kidneys, heart and circulatory system and
nervous system. High blood sugar is one of the main causes of disorders as
serious as loss of sight, heart attacks and kidney insufficiency.
Dates contain a great many vitamins and minerals. They
are very rich in fibre, fat and proteins. They also contain sodium, potassium,
calcium, magnesium, iron, sulphur, phosphorus and chlorine, as well as vitamins
A, beta-carotene, B1, B2, B3 and B6. Some of the benefits of the vitamins and
minerals in dates to the normal human body and especially during pregnancy can
be summarised as follows:
- The nutritional value of dates stems from the
appropriate mineral balance within them. The date also contains folic acid, a B
vitamin of great importance to pregnant women. Folic acid (B9) is a vitamin which serves important functions in
the construction of new blood cells and of amino acids, the body's building
blocks, and in cell renewal. The need for folic acid thus rises significantly
during pregnancy and the daily requirement doubles. When folic acid levels are
insufficient, red blood cells that are larger than normal but with lower
functionality emerge, along with the symptoms of anaemia, appear. Folic acid
plays a particularly important role in cell division and in the formation of
the genetic structure of the cell and is the only substance daily requirements
of which double during pregnancy. The date is exceedingly rich in folic acid.
- On the other hand, the long-term nausea and physical
reactions that appear during pregnancy do so because of a lack of potassium. Levels therefore need to be
reinforced. In the same way that the large quantities of potassium in dates are
of great importance in this regard, they are also important in regulating the
water balance in the body. Moreover, by helping oxygen to reach the brain
potassium enables one to think clearly. In addition, it provides the
appropriate alkaloidal features for body fluids and stimulates the kidneys to
expel toxic bodily wastes. It helps bring down high blood pressure and the
formation of healthy skin.118
- The iron
contained in dates controls the synthesis of haemoglobin in the red blood cells
and ensures an appropriate level of red cells in the blood. This is of vital
importance in preventing anaemia during pregnancy and the development of the baby.
Red blood cells play a role in keeping cells alive by carrying oxygen and
carbon dioxide in the blood. Due to dates' high iron levels, a human being can
meet his or her iron requirements by eating just 15 dates a day and will thus
be protected from disorders arising from iron deficiency.
- The calcium
and phosphate in dates are important
elements for skeletal growth and balancing the body's bone structure. The high
levels of phosphorus and calcium in dates protect the body
against bone weakness and help reduce such disorders.
- Scientists also emphasise the way in which dates
reduce stress and tension. Research by Berkeley University experts has revealed
that dates contain high levels of vitamin
B6, which strengthens the nerves, and magnesium,
which is very important for the kidneys. A person can meet his magnesium
requirement by eating just 2-3 grains of date a day.119
- The vitamin
B1 in dates facilitates the health of the nervous system, assists the
transformation of the carbohydrates in the body into energy and the use of
protein and fats to meet the body's needs. Vitamin
B2 assists in the burning of protein, carbohydrates and fats for the
provision of bodily energy and cell renewal.
- The body's vitamin
A requirement rises during pregnancy. Thanks to the vitamin A it contains,
the date improves vision and bodily resistance and strengthens the teeth and
bones. Dates are also especially rich in beta-carotene.120 Beta-carotene helps prevent cancer by
controlling molecules that attack the cells.
- In addition, unlike dates, other fruits are
generally lacking in protein.121 Thanks to this feature, dates enable the body
to protect itself against illness and infection, to renew cells and ensure
fluid balance. Meat is also a useful foodstuff but maybe not as much as the
date, which is a fresh fruit, especially at such a time. Indeed, excessive
consumption of meat during pregnancy can actually lead to toxicity in the body.
It is much better for pregnant women to choose fruit and vegetables, which are
light and easily digested.
All these facts about dates reveal Allah's infinite
knowledge and compassion for human beings. As we have seen, the benefits of the
date, especially during pregnancy and only recently established by modern
medical science, were indicated in the Qur'an many years ago.
THE FIG A FRUIT WHOSE PERFECTION
HAS ONLY RECENTLY BEEN REVEALED
[I swear] by the fig and the olive. (Qur'an, 95:1)
The reference to the fig in the first verse of Surat
at-Tin is a most wise one in terms of the benefits imparted by this fruit.
The
Benefits of the Fig for Human Beings
Figs have a higher fibre level than any other fruit or
vegetable. One single dried fig provides two grams (0.07 ounce)of fibre: 20% of
the daily recommended intake. Research over the last fifteen years or so has
revealed that the fibre in plant foods is very important for the regular
functioning of the digestive system. It is known that fibre in foods assists
the digestive system and also helps reduce the risk of some forms of cancer.
Nutritionists describe eating figs, which are rich in fibre, as an ideal way of increasing one's fibre intake.
Fibrous foodstuffs are divided into two types: soluble
and insoluble. Foods rich in insoluble fibre facilitate the passage of
substances to be expelled from the body through the intestine by adding water
to them. They thus accelerate the digestive system and ensure its regular
functioning. It has also been established that foods containing insoluble fibre
have a protective effect against colon cancer. Foods rich in soluble fibre, on
the other hand, have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood by
more than 20%. These are therefore of the greatest importance in reducing the
risk of heart attack. Excessive levels of cholesterol in the blood collect in
the arteries, hardening and narrowing them. Depending on which organ's blood
vessels the cholesterol accumulates in, disorders connected to that organ
arise. For example, if cholesterol accumulates in the arteries that feed the
heart, problems such as heart attacks result. Accumulations of cholesterol in
the kidney veins can lead to high blood pressure and kidney deficiency.
Furthermore, the intake of soluble fibre is important in terms of regulating
blood sugar by emptying the stomach because sudden changes in blood sugar can
lead to life-threatening disorders. Indeed, societies with fibre-rich diets
have been shown to have far lower incidences of illnesses such as cancer and
heart disease.122
It is also another major health advantage for soluble
and insoluble fibres to be present at one and the same time. It has been shown
that when both forms are present together, they are much more effective in
preventing cancer than when they are on their own. The presence of both forms
of fibre, soluble and insoluble, in the fig makes it a most important foodstuff
in this regard.123
Dr. Oliver Alabaster, Director of the Institute for
Disease Prevention at the George Washington University Medical Centre, refers
to figs in these terms:
… [H]ere is an opportunity to add a really healthy,
high fiber food to your diet. Choosing figs and other high fiber foods more
frequently means that you'll naturally choose potentially harmful foods less
frequently-and this is great for your lifelong health.124
According to the California Fig Advisory Board, it is
believed that the antioxidants in
fruit and vegetables protect against a number of diseases. Antioxidants
neutralise harmful substances (free radicals) that arise as a result of
chemical reactions in the body or else are taken in from the outside and thus
prevent the destruction of cells. In one study performed by the University of
Scranton, it was determined that dried figs had a much higher level of the
phenol makeup, which is rich in antioxidants, than other fruits. Phenol is used
as an antiseptic to kill micro-organisms. The level of phenol in figs is much
higher than that in other fruits and vegetables.125
Another study, by Rutgers University in New Jersey,
revealed that due to the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 and phytosterol contained in dried figs,
they can play a considerable part in reducing cholesterol.126 It is known that omega-3 and omega-6 cannot be
manufactured in the body and need to be absorbed with food. Furthermore, these
fatty acids are indispensable to the proper functioning of the heart, brain and
nervous system. Phytosterol permits the cholesterol in animal products, which
has the potential to harden the heart's arteries, to be expelled from the body
without entering the blood stream.
Despite being one of the oldest fruits known to man,
the fig-described as "nature's most nearly perfect fruit" by the
California Fig Advisory Board127 -has
been rediscovered by food producers. The nutritional value of this fruit and
its health benefits have led to its acquiring a whole new importance.
The fig can constitute a part of just about any
special diet. Since figs do not naturally contain fat, sodium or cholesterol
but have high levels of fibre, they are an ideal food for those trying to lose
weight. At the same time, figs have higher mineral contents than any other
known fruit. Forty grams (1.4 oz)of figs contains 244 mg (0.008 oz)of potassium
(7% of the daily requirement), 53 mg (0.002 oz)of calcium (6% of the daily
requirement) and 1.2 mg (0.00004 oz)of iron (6% of the daily requirement).128 The calcium
level in figs is very high: The fig ranks second after the orange in terms of
calcium content. A crate of dried figs provides the same level of calcium as a
crate of milk.
Figs are also thought of as a medicine which gives
strength and energy to long-term patients as they seek to recover. They
eliminate physical and mental difficulties and give the body strength and
energy. The most important nutritional component of figs is sugar, which
comprises 51-74% of all fruits. The sugar level in figs is one of the highest.
Figs are also recommended in the treatment of asthma, coughs and chills.
The benefits we have restricted ourselves to
mentioning here are an indication of the compassion Allah feels for human beings.
Our Lord provides the substances required by human beings in this fruit, which
is so pleasant to eat, already packaged and at the ideal levels for human
health. The way that this special blessing from Allah is mentioned in the
Qur'an may indicate the importance of the fig for human beings. (Allah knows
best.) From the point of view of human health, the nutritional value of the fig
was only established with the advance of medicine and technology. This is
another indication that the Qur'an is indisputably the word of Allah, the
Omniscient.
FISH A
VALUABLE SOURCE OF NUTRATION
Anything you catch in the sea is lawful for you, and
all food from it, for your enjoyment and that of travellers… (Qur'an, 5:96)
The fact the average age of people developing and
dying from heart disease is constantly decreasing has considerably increased
the importance attached to coronary health. Although a great many advances have
been registered in the treatment of heart disease, experts in the field
basically recommend that careful precautions be taken before such diseases ever
arise. Experts also recommend one important foodstuff for the healthy
functioning of the heart and the prevention of disease: fish.
The reason why fish is such an important source of
nutrition is that it both provides substances necessary for the human body and
also reduces the risk of various diseases. For example, it has been revealed
that when fish-which acts as a shield in terms of health with the omega-3 acid
it contains-is consumed on a regular basis, it reduces the risk of heart
disease and strengthens the immune system.
The fact that fish, the health benefits of which have
only newly been scientifically registered, is an important nutritional source
is revealed in the Qur'an. Almighty Allah makes the following references to
seafood in the Qur'an: "It is He
Who made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh flesh from
it..." (Qur'an, 16:14), "Anything
you catch in the sea is lawful for you, and all food from it, for your
enjoyment and that of travellers…" (Qur'an, 5:96) Furthermore,
particular attention is drawn to fish in Surat al-Kahf, in which it is revealed
that the Prophet Musa (as) set out on a long journey with his servant and that
they took fish along with them to eat:
But when they reached their meeting-place, they forgot
their fish which quickly burrowed its way into the sea. When they had gone a
distance further on, he said to his servant, "Bring us our morning meal. Truly this journey of ours has made us
tired." He said, "Do you see what has happened? When we went to
find shelter at the rock, I forgot the fish…" (Qur'an, 18:61-63)
It is noteworthy that in Surat al-Kahf fish should be
specially chosen as a foodstuff after a long, tiring journey. Therefore, one of
the pieces of wisdom in this tale may well be an indication of the nutritional
benefits of fish. (Allah knows best.)
In fact, when we examine the nutritional properties of
fish, we encounter some very striking facts. Fish, given to us as a blessing by
our Lord, are a perfect food, particularly in terms of protein, vitamin D and
trace elements (certain elements found in minimal quantities in the body but
which are still of great importance to it). Due to the minerals they
contain-such as phosphorus, sulphur and vanadium-fish encourages growth and
enables tissues to recover. Fish meat also assists in the formation of healthy
teeth and gums, benefits the complexion, makes the hair healthier and
contributes to the fight against bacterial infection. It also plays an important
role in the prevention of heart attacks as it beautifully regulates the level
of cholesterol in the blood. It helps the body to break down and use starch and
fats, making it stronger and more energetic. On the other hand, it also
influences the functioning of mental activities. In the event that the vitamin
D and other minerals contained in fish are not consumed in sufficient
quantities, disorders such as rickets (bone weakness), gum disease, goitre and
hyperthyroid may all arise.129
In addition, modern science has also discovered that
the omega-3 fatty acids in fish also occupy an important place in human health.
These fats have even been described as essential fatty acids.
The
Benefits of Omega-3 in Fish Oil
There are two kinds of unsaturated fatty acid in fish
oil which are particularly important for our health: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). EPA and DHA are known as
polyunsaturated fats and contain the important omega-3 fatty acids. Since the
fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 are not manufactured in the human body, they
need to be taken in from the outside.
There is a large body of evidence relating to the
benefits to human health of fish oil, the actual benefit stemming from its
omega-3 fatty acid content. Despite being present in vegetable oils, these
omega-3 fatty acids are less effective in relation to human health. However,
marine plankton is very effective at turning omega-3 into EPA and DHA. When
fish eat plankton, their constitution becomes much richer in EPA and DHA. That,
in turn, makes fish one of the richest sources of these vitally important fatty
acids.130
Vital
Benefits of the Fatty Acids Found in Fish
One of the main features of the fatty acids in fish is
the contribution they make to the body's energy production. These fatty acids
carry out electron transfers by attaching themselves to oxygen in the body and
permit energy to be produced for various chemical processes within it. There is
therefore considerable evidence that a diet rich in fish oil helps combat
fatigue and increases mental and physical capacity. Omega-3 increases the
individual's powers of concentration as much as it does his or her energy
levels. There is a scientific foundation to the old saying "fish is good
for the brain": The main compound in brain fat is DHA, which contains
omega-3 fatty acids.131
The
Importance of Fish for a Healthy Heart and Arteries
The omega-3 fatty acid in fish is acknowledged to
protect against cardiovascular disease by reducing blood pressure and the
cholesterol and triglyceride in the blood.132 Triglyceride is a form of fat and resembles
LDL (bad cholesterol) which is high in fat and low in protein content. A raised
triglyceride level, especially together with high cholesterol, increases the
risk of heart disease. In addition, fish oils reduce life-threatening
post-heart attack abnormal heart rhythms.
In one study by the American Medical Association, it
was observed that heart attack levels in women eating five portions of fish a
week fell by one-third. This is thought to stem from the omega-3 fatty acids in
fish oil causing less blood clotting. The normal speed of blood in our veins is
60 kmph (37.3 mph) and it is of vital importance for the blood to be of the
right viscosity and for the density, quantity and speed to be at normal levels.
The worst danger for our blood-apart from normal conditions of bleeding-is for
it to clot and lose the ability to flow properly. Fish oils are also effective
in reducing blood clotting by preventing the thrombocytes in the blood (blood
platelets that concentrate the blood in the event of bleeding) from adhering to
one another. Otherwise, blood thickening can lead to narrowing of the arteries.
In turn, this can lead to many organs in the body-especially the heart, brain,
eyes and kidneys-receiving an inadequate blood supply, function deceleration
and eventually, loss of function. For example, when an artery is totally
blocked on account of clotting this can lead to heart attack, paralysis or
other disorders, depending on the location of the artery.
Omega-3 fatty acids also play an important role in the
production of the molecule haemoglobin, that carries oxygen in the red blood
cells, and in controlling the nutrients passing through the cell membrane. They
also prevent the damaging effects of fats harmful to the body. Research reveals
that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish reduce the risk of heart attack.133
Importance
for the Development of New Born Babies
Being an important component of the brain and eye,
omega-3 fatty acids have been the subject of research, especially over the last
10 years, in connection with the needs of new born babies. There is a
considerable body of evidence relating to the importance of omega-3 to the
development of the foetus in the mother's womb and of the new-born baby.
Omega-3 is of the greatest importance for the proper development of the brain
and nerves throughout pregnancy and in early babyhood. Scientists emphasise the
importance of mother's milk since it is a natural and perfect store of omega-3.134
Benefits
for Joint Health
The major risk in rheumatoid arthritis (a painful
joint condition linked to rheumatism) is that of wearing of the joints, leading
to irreparable damage. It has been proven that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty
acids prevents arthritis and reduces discomfort in swollen and sensitive
joints.135
Benefits
Regarding the Healthy Functioning of the
Brain
and Nervous System
A large number of studies have revealed the effects of
omega-3 fatty acids on the healthy functioning of the brain and nerves. In
addition, it has been shown that fish oil reinforcement can reduce symptoms of
depression and schizophrenia and prevent Alzheimer's disease (a brain disease
which causes loss of memory and hinders day-to-day activities). For example,
reductions in such problems as anxiety, stress and sleeping difficulties have
been observed in individuals suffering from depression who took 1 gram (0.035
oz) of omega-3 fatty acid over a period of 12 weeks.136
Benefits
against Inflammatory Disorders
and
Strengthening of the Immune System
At the same time, omega-3 fatty acids have an
anti-inflammatory (infection preventing) function. Omega-3 can therefore be
employed in the following diseases:137
- Rheumatoid arthritis (joint infection linked to
rheumatism),
- Osteoarthritis (a form of arthritis gradually
degenerating the functions of joints)
- Ulcerative colitis (ulcers linked to the
inflammation of the colon), and
- Lupus (a disease which causes patches on the skin).
It also protects myelin (the material surrounding
nerve cells). It is therefore used in the treatment of
- Glaucoma (an eye disorder marked by abnormally high
pressure within the eyeball that may even lead to blindness)
- Multiple sclerosis (a serious progressive disease
resulting from tissue hardening in the brain and spinal cord),
- Osteoporosis (a disease leading to structural
weakening in the bone structure)
- Diabetes patients.
In addition, it is also reported to be useful in the
treatment of
- Migraine patients,
- Anorexia (a possibly fatal eating disorder)
- Burns
- Problems concerning skin health.
There is also wide-ranging evidence that societies
such as the Greenland Eskimos and Japanese, who eat a lot of fish, rich in
omega-3 fatty acid, have a much lower incidence of heart and artery disease,
asthma and psoriasis. Fish is therefore recommended as a form of treatment and
is particularly recommended by nutritionists on account of its proven benefits
for coronary health.
Additional benefits to those outlined above are
emerging every day. Moreover, it has only been possible to reveal the health
benefits of fish by a great many scientists working in well-equipped research
laboratories. The fact that such a valuable source of nutrition is indicated in
the Qur'an, and especially that it is described as a fatigue eliminator in
Surat al-Kahf, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. All the benefits provided by
fish are a great blessing given us by our Lord. As with all foods, it is Allah,
the Lord of the Worlds, Who has created the superior structure in fish for our
benefit.
PORK
AND ITS HARMFUL EFFECTS ON HEALTH
He has only forbidden you carrion, blood and pork and
what has been consecrated to other than Allah. But anyone who is forced to eat
it-without desiring it or going to excess in it-commits no crime. Allah is
Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 2:173)
Eating pork is harmful to health in a great many
regards. This harm still persists today, despite all the precautions that are
taken. First and foremost, no matter how clean the farms and environments on
which it is raised may be, the pig is not by nature a clean-living animal. It
often plays in, and even eats, its own excrement. Due to this and its
biological structure, the pig produces much higher levels of antibodies in its
body than other animals. In addition, far higher levels of growth hormone are
produced in the pig compared to those in other animals and human beings.
Naturally, these high levels of antibodies and growth hormone pass across to
and collect in the pig's muscle tissue. Pork meat also contains high levels of
cholesterol and lipids. It has been scientifically proven that these
significant amounts of antibodies, hormones, cholesterol and lipids in pork represent
a serious threat to human health.
The existence of above-average numbers of obese
individuals in the populations of countries such as the USA and Germany, in
which large quantities of pork are consumed, is now well-known. When exposed to
excessive quantities of growth hormone as a result of a pork-based diet, the
human body first puts on excessive weight and then suffers physical
deformations.
Another harmful substance in pork is the
"trichina" worm. This is frequently found in pork and when it enters
the human body, it settles directly in the muscles of the heart and represents
a possibly fatal threat. Even though it is now technically possible to identify
pigs that are infected with trichina, no such methods were known in earlier
centuries. That means that everyone who ate pork risked infection by trichina
and possible death.
All these reasons are just a part of the wisdom in our
Lord's prohibition on the consumption of pork. Moreover, this commandment of
our Lord's provides complete protection from the harmful effects of pork under
any conditions.
Until the 20th century, it was impossible to be aware
of the danger posed to human health by pork. The fact that the Qur'an, revealed
fourteen centuries ago, warns against this harm which has been incontrovertibly
revealed with modern medical equipment and biological tests, is one of the
miracles demonstrating that the Qur'an is the revelation of Allah, the
Omniscient. Despite all the precautionary measures and inspections that take
place in modern-day pig rearing, the fact that pork is physiologically
incompatible with the human body and is a variety of meat harmful to human
health has not altered.
THE
OLIVE A HEALTH GIVING PLANT
One of the foods to which attention is drawn in the
Qur'an is the olive. Research in recent years has revealed that the olive is
not just a delicious food but also represents an important source of good
health. In addition to the olive itself, olive oil is also an important source
of nutrition. Attention is drawn to the oil of the olive tree in these terms in
the Qur'an:
Allah is the light of the heavens and the Earth. The
metaphor of His light is that of a niche in which is a lamp, the lamp inside a
glass, the glass like a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, its oil all but giving off light even if
no fire touches it. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whoever He
wills and Allah makes metaphors for humanity and Allah has knowledge of all
things. (Qur'an, 24:35)
The expression "mubaarakatin zaytoonatin" in the above verse describes the
olive as being "plentiful, sacred, auspicious, providing countless
blessings." Olive oil, referred to in the term "zaytuhaa," is known as one of the most highly recommended
types of oil by all experts, especially for coronary and arterial health. Its
health benefits may be summarised as follows:
- Benefits
for Coronary and Arterial Health:
Most of the fatty acids in olives and olive oil are
mono-unsaturated. Mono-unsaturated fatty acids do not contain cholesterol.
Therefore, olive oil does not raise cholesterol levels but instead keeps them
under control. Olive oil also contains omega-6 linoleic acid (EFA: essential
fatty acid), which is essential for the human body. Due to this feature,
health-related bodies (such as The World Health Organization) recommend that at
least 30% of the fatty acid consumed in societies in which hardened artery and
diabetes levels are high should consist of omega-6. This increases the
importance of the olive still further.138
Studies in this area have revealed much lower LDL (bad
cholesterol) and higher antioxidant levels in people who consume 25 millilitres
(about two dessertspoonfuls) of natural olive oil a day for one week.139 Antioxidants are important as they neutralise
the harmful substances in the body known as free radicals and prevent cell
damage. It has also been established in a great many studies that the
consumption of olive oil reduces cholesterol levels and prevents heart disease.140
Olive oil is also recommended for patients with heart
and artery disease since it reduces the level of harmful cholesterol (LDL) in
the bloodstream and raises that of useful cholesterol (HDL).141 In countries with high occurrences of heart
and artery diseases, saturated fats with high cholesterol content are generally
consumed.
In addition, olive oil does not disrupt the proportion
of omega-6 to that of omega-3. It is very important that omega-3 and omega-6 be
present in the body at specific levels because any imbalance in these
proportions can lead to progression in many diseases, especially those of the
heart and immune system and cancer.142 For all
these reasons, many people enjoy good health thanks to olive oil. The American
Heart Association suggests that in order to reduce the risk of heart disease
high mono-unsaturated fats can be an alternative to a 30% reduced fat diet.143
Cancer
Prevention
One study, published by The Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that women who consume
high levels of mono-unsaturated fat have a lower risk of developing breast
cancer.144 Another study by scientists at the University
at Buffalo, The State University of New York demonstrated that b-sitosterol, a
fat found in vegetable oils such as olive oil, helps prevent the formation of
prostate cancer cells. The researchers concluded that b-sitosterol strengthens
the internal communication system of the cell that issues the command for the
cells to divide and that cancer can thus be prevented before cell division
reaches an uncontrollable level.
A recent study by doctors at the University of Oxford
has shown that olive oil has a protective effect against intestinal cancer. The
doctors discovered that olive oil enters into a reaction with stomach acid in
order to prevent intestinal cancer from beginning. At the same time, the
University of Oxford researchers also established that olive oil reduces the
level of bile and raises that of DAO (the enzyme diamine oxidase), thus
protecting against abnormal cell growth and cancer.145
- Prevention
of Arthritis
According to researchers' reports, people who consume
large quantities of olive oil and cooked vegetables can have a reduced risk of
rheumatic arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints.
- Olive
Oil Assists Bone Development
The vitamins E, A, D and K contained in olive oil are
particularly important from the point of view of assisting bone development in
adults and children, and in strengthening the bones by fixing calcium. It is
also recommended for the elderly as it is easily digested and through its
minerals, it assists with the use of vitamins in the body. It also prevents
calcium loss by stimulating bone mineralisation.146 Bones are the organism's mineral structure
storehouses and an absence of mineral accumulation in the bones can lead to
serious complications such as bone softening. Olive oil has a most beneficial
effect on the skeleton in this regard.
- Prevention
of Aging
Since the vitamins contained in olive oil have a cell
renewing effect they are also employed in the treatment of the elderly, as well
as nourishing and protecting the skin. As foodstuffs are transformed into
energy in our bodies, certain substances known as oxidants are formed. With the
high levels of anti-oxidants it contains, olive oil prevents damage by harmful
substances, renews our cells and delays aging in the tissues and organs. Olive
oil is also rich in vitamin E, which suppresses the free radicals that destroy
the cells in our bodies and cause aging.
- Contribution
to Child Development
Due to the linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acid)
contained in olives and olive oil, these are a most healthy food for newborn
babies and growing children. A deficiency in linoleic acid leads to the
emergence of a retardation of development in babyhood and various skin
disorders.147
Olive oil contains anti-oxidant elements that prevent
the destructive effects of harmful substances in our bodies, and fatty acids of
great importance to human health. These support the hormones and assist in cell
membrane formation.
Olive oil possesses a balanced polyunsaturated
compound at a similar level to that in human milk. Olive oil is a sufficient
source of these fatty acids, which cannot be obtained from the human body but
which are of the most essential importance to it. These factors make olive oil
very important for new-born babies.
Since it contributes to the natural development of the
baby's brain and nervous system before and after birth, olive oil is the only
oil recommended for mothers by experts. As well as containing similar levels of
linoleic acid to those of mother's milk, when olive oil is added to fatless
cow's milk, it becomes as natural a food source as mother's milk itself.148
- Blood
Pressure Reduction
One study published in the 27 March 2000 edition of Archives of Internal Medicine once more
stressed the beneficial effect of olive oil on high blood pressure. Medicines
to reduce high blood pressure are also made from olive leaves.
- Benefits
for the Internal Organs
Whether consumed hot or cold, olive oil protects the
stomach against diseases such as gastritis and ulcers by reducing gastric acid
levels.149 In addition to this, by activating the bile,
it makes it perfect. It regulates the discharge of the gall bladder and reduces
the risk of bile stone formation.150 Moreover, thanks to the chloride it contains,
it also assists the functioning of the liver and thus helps the body eliminate
waste products. In addition, it also has a beneficial effect on the brain
arteries.151
On account of all these properties, olive oil has
attracted considerable expert attention in recent years.152 Some of the comments made by experts are as
follows:
Jean Carper, a prominent authority in the field of
health and nutrition, the CNN award-winning correspondent, columnist and author
of The Food Pharmacy and Food-Your Miracle Medicine:
New Italian research finds olive oil contains
antioxidants... that combat disease processes, including LDL cholesterol's
ability to clog arteries.
Pat Baird, a dietician and nutrition consultant:
I love the whole idea of olive oil's versatility...
the more we know about it, the more we learn about its great contribution to
good health.
Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, chairman of the Department
of Epidemiology, Harvard University School of Public Health:
American women might actually experience as much as a
fifty percent (50%) reduction in breast cancer risk if they consumed more olive
oil in place of saturated fats.
Olive oil has a protective effect against some types
of malignant tumors: prostate, breast, colon, squamous cell, and oesophageal.
D. Peck of the School of Medicine, University of
Miami:
Olive oil has been shown to strengthen the immune
system in mice...
Bruno Berra of the Institute of General Physiology and
Biological Chemistry, University of Milan:
… [T]he minor polar components of extra virgin olive
oil increase significantly the resistance of LDL to oxidation.
A.A. Rivellese, G. Riccardi and M. Mancini of the Institute
of Internal Medicine and Metabolic Diseases at Federico II University, Naples:
Olive oil prevents insulin resistance and ensures
better control of the glucose in the blood.
Patrizia Galletti of the Second University of Naples,
Faculty of Medicine and Surgery:
Dietary intake of olive oil polyphenols may lower the
risk of reactive oxygen metabolite-mediated diseases such as some
gastrointestinal diseases and atherosclerosis. Olive oil hydroxytyrosol
protects human erythrocytes against oxidative damage.
Frank Sacks of the Harvard School of Public Health:
An olive-oil-rich diet is more effective than a
low-fat diet in controlling and treating obesity. Moreover, it leads to
longer-lasting weight loss and it is easier to keep to…
As we have seen, a great many scientists today think
that an olive oil-based diet constitutes the ideal nutritional model. It is
stated that on account of these properties, olives and olive oil should be the
fundamental constituents of every meal in one's daily nutrition programme. The
benefits of the olive plant, emphasised by Allah in many verses of the Qur'an,
have been discovered in parallel to the advances made by medical science.
It is He Who sends down water from the sky. From it
you drink and from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds. And by
it He makes crops grow for you and olives and dates and grapes and fruit of
every kind. There is certainly a Sign in that for people who reflect. (Qur'an,
16:10-11)
CORONARY
BY-PASS SURGERY
Didn't We open
up and expand your breast for you and remove your load from you which
weighed down your back? Did We not raise your renown high? For truly with
hardship comes ease; truly with hardship comes ease. (Qur'an, 94:1-6)
In order for it to survive and function, every organ
needs to be nourished by means of the blood. Blood flows to the heart through
the coronary artery. In cases of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis),
narrowing and blockages can arise in these arteries. When the condition
progresses, the passage of the blood is obstructed and the heart receives
insufficient supply. This leads to chest pains, which show that the heart is
unable to function properly and also to heart attacks.
The expression "A lam nashrah laka sadraka" in the above verse-translated as
"Didn't we open up and expand your
breast for you…"-may be a sign of heart disorders of this kind and
present-day coronary by-pass surgery. (Allah knows best.) That is because the
first meaning of the term "lam
nashrah" expresses the verb "to cut open flesh and similar
substances." Indeed, in such operations, the heart is accessed by
splitting the breastbone into two. As a result of the operation, the blood is
enabled to flow again and chest pain is eliminated. The term "expand"
in the above verse may be a sign of the removal of such congestion of the
arteries.
Furthermore, it is most wise that immediately after this Sura Allah
should swear by the olive, which is so beneficial to the heart. (Qur'an, 95:1)
HEALTH
BENEFITS OF MOVEMENT,
WASHING
AND DRINKING WATER
One of the forms of behaviour noted in the Qur'an is
concealed in a revelation vouchsafed to the Prophet Ayyub (as):
Remember Our servant Ayyub when he called on his Lord:
"Satan has afflicted me with exhaustion and suffering." "Stamp
your foot! Here is a cool bath and water to drink." (Qur'an, 38:41-42)
One of the pieces of advice given to Prophet Ayyub
(as) by Allah in the face of the exhaustion and suffering inflicted by Satan is
"stamping the foot." This expression in the verse may be indicating
the benefits of movement or sport.
During sport, blood flow is accelerated, particularly
by the movement of long muscles such as those in the legs (isometric movements)
and the level of oxygen reaching the cells increases. As a result, the
individual's fatigue is eliminated and he or she is energised as toxic
substances are expelled from the body.153 At the same time, the body acquires increased
resistance to microbes. People who take regular exercise possess broad, clean
arteries and this has the effect of preventing them from clogging and thus of
preventing heart disease.154 In addition, regular
exercise plays a role in the prevention of diabetes by regularising the blood
sugar balance. The beneficial effects of sport on the liver raise the levels of
good cholesterol.155
What is more, walking barefoot is a very effective
method of releasing the static electricity accumulated by the body. It serves
as a kind of earthing of the body.
As emphasised in the verse, washing is also known to
be the most effective method of discharging the static electricity in the body.
In addition to providing physical cleanliness, washing also reduces stress and
tension. Washing therefore has a curative effect on many physical and
psychological disorders, especially stress and fevers.
In the verse, in addition to washing, drinking water
is also recommended. The beneficial effects of water on all organs of the body
cannot be ignored. The health of many organs-such as the sweat glands, the
stomach, the intestines, the kidneys and the skin-is directly related to the
presence of adequate amounts of water in the body. The treatment of all such
disorders, as may arise in this field, is possible by means of providing extra
water. The answer to fatigue, tiredness and drowsiness is again to increase the
level of water in the body and thus to cleanse it of impurities.
Implementing each of these recommendations, of vital
importance to our physical and mental health, will bring about the ideal
results. Each of these recommendations is also a manifestation of the verse
"We send down in the Qur'an that
which is a healing and a mercy to the believers…" (Qur'an, 17:82)
THE
EXISTENCE OF MICROSCOPIC LIFE
Glory be to Him Who created all the pairs: from what
the earth produces and from themselves and from
things unknown to them. (Qur'an, 36:36)
… And He creates
other things you do not know. (Qur'an, 16:8)
The above verses indicate the existence of life forms
unknown to people at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an. Indeed, with the
discovery of the microscope, new living things too small to be seen with the
naked eye have also been discovered by man. People have therefore begun to
learn about the existence of these life forms, indicated in the Qur'an. Other
verses which point to the existence of micro-organisms, which are invisible to
the naked eye and generally consist of a single cell, read:
… He is the Knower of the Unseen, Whom not even the weight of the smallest particle
eludes, either in the heavens or in the earth; nor is there anything smaller or larger than that
which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 34:3)
… Not even the
smallest speck eludes your Lord, either on earth or in heaven. Nor is there
anything smaller than that, or larger, which
is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 10:61)
There are 20 times more members of this secret world,
which is spread all over the planet, micro-organisms in other words, than there
are animals on Earth. These micro-organisms, invisible to the naked eye,
comprise bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae and Acarina (mites and ticks). They
also constitute an important element in the balance of life on Earth. For
example, the nitrogen cycle, one of the fundamental components of the formation
of life on Earth, is made possible by bacteria. Root fungi are the most important
element in plants being able to take up minerals from the soil. The bacteria on
our tongues prevent us being poisoned by food containing nitrates, such as
salad stuffs and meat. At the same time, certain bacteria and algae possess the
ability to make photosynthesis, the fundamental element in life on Earth, and
share that task with plants. Some members of the Acarina family decompose
organic substances and turn them into foodstuffs suitable for plants. As we
have seen, these tiny life forms, about which we have only learned with modern
technological equipment, are essential to human life.
Fourteen centuries ago, the Qur'an indicated the
existence of living things beyond those which can be seen with the naked eye.
This is another spectacular miracle contained within the verses of the Qur'an.
(See Harun Yahya, The Miracle of the
Microworld)
THE EXISTENCE OF ANIMAL SOCIETIES
There is no
creature crawling on the Earth or flying creature, flying on its wings, who are
not communities just like yourselves… (Qur'an, 6:38)
As a result of modern-day animal and bird ecology
study, we know that all animals and birds live in the form of separate
societies. Lengthy and wide-ranging studies have shown that there is a rather
systematic social order among animals.
Honey bees, for example, whose social life amazes
scientists, build their nests in colonies in tree hollows or other covered
areas. A bee colony consists of a queen, a few hundred males and 10-80,000
workers. As we have already mentioned, there is only one queen in every colony
and her fundamental task is that of laying eggs. In addition, she secretes
important substances which maintain the unity of the colony and allow the
system within the hive to function. The males' only function is to fertilise
the queen. All other functions-such as building honey combs in the hive,
gathering food, creating royal jelly, regulating the temperature of the hive,
cleanliness and defence-are carried out by the workers. There is order in every
phase of life in the hive. All duties, from caring for the larvae to provision
of the general needs of the hive, are performed without fail.
Despite having the greatest numbers in the world, ants
also exhibit an order which can serve as an example to human beings in many
areas: technology, collective labour, military strategy, an advanced
communications network, a hierarchical order, discipline and flawless town
planning. Ants live in societies known as colonies and in such order amongst
themselves that one could even say that they have a civilisation similar to
that of human beings.
As ants produce and store their food, they also watch
over their young, defend the colony and wage war against their enemies. There
are even colonies which engage in "sewing," "agriculture"
and "animal rearing." These animals have a very powerful
communications network amongst themselves. Their social organisation and
expertise are far superior to any other living thing. (See Harun Yahya, The Miracle in the Ant, Goodword Books,
2002)
Communal animals with ordered lives also operate
together in the face of danger. For instance, when birds of prey such as hawks
or owls enter the area, smaller birds surround these birds en masse. They then
produce a special sound to draw other birds to the area. The aggressive behaviour
displayed by small birds en masse generally drives birds of prey away.156
A flock of birds flying together protects all its
members in the same way. For instance, a flock of starlings flying together
leave a wide distance between one another. When they see a hawk, however, they
close the distance between them. They thus make it harder for the hawk to dive
in amidst the flock. Even if the hawk does so, it will be acting to its own
detriment. Its wings will be damaged and it will be unable to hunt.157 Mammals also act in consort when there is an
attack on the group. For example, zebras take their young into the middle of
the herd when they flee from enemies. Dolphins also swim in groups and fight
off their greatest enemy, sharks, as a group.158
There are countless examples of and a great many
details concerning the social lives of animals. These facts acquired about
animals are the result of long years of research. As we have seen, the
information about animals given in the Qur'an-as in all areas-shows that the
book of Islam is indeed the word of Allah.
BIOMIMETICS: DRAWING INSPIRATION
FROM THE DESIGN IN LIVING THINGS
There is
instruction for you in cattle. From the
contents of their bellies, from between the dung and blood, We give you pure
milk to drink, easy for drinkers to swallow. (Qur'an, 16:66)
And there is
certainly a lesson for you in your livestock. We give you to drink from what is in their bellies and there are many
ways in which you benefit from them, and some of them you eat; and you are
conveyed on them and on ships as well. (Qur'an, 23:21-22)
Before scientists and research and development experts
embark on new projects, they usually look for models in living things and
imitate their systems and designs. In other words, they see and study the
designs created in nature by Allah and, inspired by these, go on to develop
their own new technologies.
This approach has given birth to biometrics, a new
branch of science that seeks to imitate living things. In recent times, this
branch of science has come to be widely applied in the world of technology. The
use of the word "ibrah,"
(to learn from, advice, importance, important thing, or model) in the above
verses is most wise in this regard.
Biomimetics refers to all of the substances, equipment,
mechanisms, and systems that people produce in order to imitate the systems
present in nature. The scientific community currently feels a great need for
the use of such equipment, particularly in the fields of nanotechnology, robot
technology, artificial intelligence, medicine, and the military.
Biomimicry was first put forward by Janine M. Benyus,
a writer and scientific observer from Montana. This concept was later analysed
by many other people and began to find applications. Some of the comments made
regarding biomimicry are as follows:
The theme of "biomimicry" is that we have
much to learn from the natural world, as model, measure, and mentor. What these
researchers have in common is a reverence for natural designs, and the
inspiration to use them to solve human problems.159
David Oakey, product strategist for Interface Inc., a
company that uses nature to increasing product quality and productivity, says:
Nature is my mentor for business and design, a model
for the way of life. Nature's system has worked for millions of years …
Biomimicry is a way of learning from nature.160
Scientists who began to favour this rapidly spreading
idea accelerated their studies by using nature's incomparable and flawless
designs as models. These designs represent models for technological research,
for they provide the maximum productivity for the least amount of materials and
energy, and are self-maintaining, environmentally friendly, silent,
aesthetically attractive, resistant, and long-lasting. The High Country News described
biomimetics as "a scientific movement" and made the following
comment:
By using natural systems as models, we can create
technologies that are more sustainable than those in use today.161
Janine M. Benyus, who believed that models in nature
should be imitated, gave the following examples in her book, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature
(Perennial: 2002):
- Hummingbirds cross the Gulf of Mexico on less than
3 grams (one tenth of an ounce) of fuel,
- Dragonflies outmanoeuvre our best helicopters,
- Heating and air-conditioning systems in termite
mounds are superior in terms of equipment and energy consumption to those made
by human beings,
- A bat's high-frequency transmitter is more
efficient and sensitive than our own radar systems,
- Light-emitting algae combine various chemicals to
illuminate their bodies,
- Arctic fish and frogs freeze solid and then spring
to life, having protected their organs from ice damage,
- Chameleons and cuttlefish change the pattern of
their skin to blend instantly with their surroundings,
- Bees, turtles, and birds navigate without maps, and
- Whales and penguins dive without scuba gear.
These astonishing mechanisms and designs in nature, of
which we have cited only a few, have the potential to enrich technology in a
wide range of fields. This potential is becoming ever more obvious as our
accumulated knowledge and technological means increase.
All animals possess many features that amaze human
beings. Some have the ideal hydrodynamic shape that allows them to move through
water, and others employ senses that appear very foreign to us. Most of these
are features that researchers have encountered for the first time, or, rather,
that they have only recently discovered. On occasion, it is necessary to bring
together prominent scientists from such fields as computer technology,
mechanical engineering, electronics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and
biology in order to imitate just one feature of a living thing.
Scientists are amazed when confronted with the
incomparable structures and systems they are discovering with every passing
day, and use that amazement to inspire themselves to produce new technologies
for humanity's benefit. Realising that the existing perfect systems and
extraordinary techniques applied in nature are far superior to their own
knowledge and intellect, they became aware of these matchless solutions to existing
problems and are now resorting to the designs in nature to resolve problems
that have eluded them for years. As a result, they will perhaps achieve success
in a very short time. Moreover, by imitating nature, scientists are making very
important gains with regard to time and labour and also to the targeted use of
material resources.
Today we see the developing technology gradually
discovering the miracles of creation and using the extraordinary designs in
living things, as in the case of biomimetics, in the service of humanity.
Benyus has stated that "‘Doing it nature's way' has the potential to
change the way we grow food, make materials, harness energy, heal ourselves,
store information, and conduct business."162 The following are just a few of the many
scientific papers to have considered such subjects:
"Science is Imitating Nature,"163
"Life's Lessons in Design,"164
"Biomimicry: Secrets Hiding in Plain Sight,"165
"Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature,"166
"Biomimicry: Genius That Surrounds Us,"167
"Biomimetics: Creating Materials from Nature's
Blueprints,"168 and
"Engineers Ask Nature for Design Advice."169
In the nineteenth century, nature was imitated only in
aesthetic terms. Artists and architects of that time were influenced by nature
and used examples of the structures' external appearances in their works. Yet
the realisation of nature's extraordinary designs and that these could be used
to benefit human beings only began in the twentieth century with the study of
natural mechanisms at the molecular level. Scientists today are learning from
living things, as revealed in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago. (See Harun Yahya, Biomimetics: Technology Imitates Nature)
LOCUSTS
MOVING IN SWARMS
They will emerge from their graves with downcast eyes,
like swarming locusts. (Qur'an, 54:7)
This verse describes all people's situation in the
Hereafter as one resembling swarming locusts. There is great wisdom in this
simile.
A great deal of information was obtained about locusts
in the twentieth century by conducting wide-ranging studies using
micro-cameras. Locust swarms contain huge numbers of individual locusts that
behave as a single body. Coming together in swarms that are kilometres long and
wide, they look just like a dark cloud. It has been established, for instance,
that a single swarm of desert locusts can cover 1,200 square kilometres (460
square miles) and contain between 40 and 80 million locusts per square
kilometre.170
In addition, they deposit their eggs in sandy soils
like seeds and, after the larvae have remained underground for a long period of
time, they all emerge together. After digging a 10-15 cm (4-6 inch) long tunnel
in the ground, a female locust lays 95-158 eggs at once. Females can lay eggs
at least three times in their lifetime. When the larvae have matured after
10-65 days, depending on the air temperature, they emerge in a large group. Up
to 1,000 egg pods have been found in one square metre. Locust swarms are large
enough to cover several hundred square kilometres, with the number of adult
locusts per square kilometre varying from between 40 to 80 million.171 Their long underground existence and sudden
emergence in vast numbers all at the same time may resemble the resurrection of
human beings on the Day of Judgement. (Allah knows best.)
Today, locusts are being studied by special units,
which employ remote control imaging systems. Even NASA satellite data are used
to identify areas in Africa where desert locust colonies have developed.
Thanks to satellite data, it is possible to carry out
wide-ranging research on land and in space over an 18 million square kilometre
area.
As we have seen, the fact that the Qur'an made such a
comparison at a time when these technologies did not exist is one of the proofs
that it is the revelation of the Omniscient Allah.
ANT
COMMUNICATION
The Qur'an indicates, when recounting Prophet
Sulayman's (as) life, that ants have a communication system:
Then, when they reached the Valley of the Ants, an ant
said: "Ants! Enter your dwellings, so that Sulayman and his troops do not
crush you unwittingly." (Qur'an, 27: 18)
Scientific research into ants has revealed that these
tiny animals have very organised social lives and that, as a requirement of
that organisation, they also have a very complex communication network. For
example, National Geographic reports
that:
Huge and tiny, an ant carries in her head multiple
sensory organs to pick up chemical and visual signals vital to colonies that
may contain a million or more workers, all of which are female. The brain
contains half a million nerve cells; eyes are compound; antennae act as nose
and fingertips. Projections below the mouth sense taste; hairs respond to
touch.172
Even if we are not aware of it, ants use a variety of
methods to communicate, thanks to their very sensitive sensory organs. They use
these organs at all times, from finding prey to following one another, and from
building their nests to waging war. With 500,000 nerve cells squeezed into
their 2-3 mm bodies, they possess a communications system that astonishes human
beings.
The reactions in their communications have been
divided into several specific categories: alarm, recruitment, grooming,
exchange of oral and anal liquid, group effect, recognition, caste
determination…173 Ants, which establish an ordered society by
means of these reactions, live a life based on the mutual exchange of
information. To bring about this exchange, they sometimes exhibit more flawless
communication in areas that human beings often cannot resolve through speech,
such as coming together, sharing, cleaning, and defence.
Ants mainly communicate on the chemical level. These
semiochemicals, known as pheromones, are chemical compounds that are perceived
by smell and secreted by internal glands. In addition, they play the most
important role in organising ant societies. When an ant secretes a pheromone,
the other ants receive it by means of smell or taste and duly respond. Research
into ant pheromones has revealed that all signals are emitted according to the
needs of the colony. Moreover, the intensity of the pheromone emitted also
varies according to the urgency of the situation at hand.174
As we have seen, ants require a profound knowledge of
chemistry to do what they do. The fact that the Qur'an emphasized this fact
1,400 years ago, a time when there was no such knowledge about ants, is another
one of its scientific miracles. (See Harun Yahya, The Miracle in the Ant, Goodword Books, New Delhi, 2002)
THE FOOD CYCLE
Allah splits
the seed and kernel. He brings forth the living from the dead, and produces the
dead out of the living. That is
Allah, so how are you misguided? (Qur'an, 6:95)
In the above verse, our attention is drawn to a food
cycle of which people at the time of the Qur'an's revelation could have known
nothing.
When a living thing dies, micro-organisms quickly
cause it to decompose. The dead body is thus divided up into organic molecules
that mix with the soil and form the basic source of food for plants, animals,
and, ultimately, humanity. Were it not for this nutritional cycle, life would
not be possible.
Bacteria are responsible for meeting all living
things' mineral and food needs. Plants and some animals, which remain almost
dead (hibernation) throughout the winter, revive in the summer and meet all of
their mineral and food requirements through the activities of bacteria during
the winter. Throughout the winter, bacteria separate organic wastes (i.e., dead
plants and animals) and turn them into minerals.175 Thus, when living things reawaken in spring,
they find food ready and waiting for them. Thanks to bacteria, a "spring
cleaning" has been carried out in their environment and the necessary
amount of food has been prepared for nature as it returns to life in the
spring.
As we have seen, dead creatures play a vital role in
the emergence of new ones. This transition, indicated in the Qur'an as "He brings forth the living from the dead,
and produces the dead out of the living," is carried out in the most
perfect manner. This is one of the proofs that the Qur'an is the word of Allah.
THE EARS ARE ACTIVE DURING SLEEP
So We sealed
their ears [with sleep]
in the cave for a number of years. (Qur'an, 18:11)
The original Arabic of the phrase "We sealed their ears" in the
Qur'an is the verb daraba. This bears
the metaphorical meaning of "We have made them sleep." Used in
reference to the ears, daraba means
"preventing the ears from hearing." The fact that only the sense of
hearing is mentioned here is very significant.
According to recent scientific discoveries, the ear is
the only sensory organ active while a person is sleeping. This is why we need
an alarm clock to wake up.176 The wisdom of the
phrase "We sealed their ears"
is, in all probability, that Allah closed the hearing of the young people in
question, for which reason they remained asleep for many years.
THE
IMPORTANCE OF MOVEMENT IN SLEEP
You would have supposed them to be awake, whereas in
fact they were asleep. We moved them to
the right and to the left, and, at the entrance, their dog stretched out
its paws. If you had looked down and seen them, you would have turned from them
and run, and have been filled with terror at the sight of them. (Qur'an, 18:18)
The above verse refers to the Companions of the Cave,
who remained asleep for hundreds of years. In addition, Allah also reveals that
He moved their bodies to the left and right. The wisdom of this was only
discovered in recent times.
People who remain lying down in the same position for
long period of time encounter serious health problems, such as circulation
difficulties, sores, and blood clotting in that part of the body in contact
with the surface on which they lie.177
The resulting sores are known as "bed sores"
or "pressure sores." Due to the constant pressure on one part of the
body when one is not moving for a long period of time, the blood vessels become
constricted and can close altogether. As a result, the oxygen and other
nutrients carried by the blood fail to reach the skin, and the skin begins to
die. This leads to the appearance of sores on the body. Unless these sores are
treated, fat and muscles can also die.178
These sores, which form under the skin or tissue, can
assume serious dimensions unless treated. If they become infected, they can
even lead to death. The healthiest thing to do, therefore, is to change the
position of the body every 15 minutes in order to reduce this pressure.
Patients who cannot move themselves therefore receive special care and are
moved every 2 hours by other people.179 The fact
that these medical facts, only discovered in the last century, are referred to
in the Qur'an is yet another of its miracles.
REDUCED
MOVEMENT AT NIGHT
He splits the sky at dawn, and appoints the night as a time of stillness and the Sun and Moon as a
means of reckoning... (Qur'an, 6:96)
The Arabic word sakan,
which appears in the original of the above verse, means "repose, rest,
time to withdraw to rest, time for a break." As indicated by Allah, night
is the time when human beings rest. The hormone melatonin, secreted at night,
prepares the body for sleep by slowing down peoples' physical movements, making
them sleepy and tired, and functioning as a natural tranquilliser that eases
their minds.180 During sleep, heartbeat and respiration
rhythms slow down and blood pressure falls. In the morning, the production of
the hormones stops and the body is stimulated to awaken.181
At the same time, sleep allows the body's muscles and
tissues to repair themselves and the body to replace old or dead cells. Since
energy expenditure is reduced during sleep, the body stores energy throughout
the night. Several chemicals vital for the immune system and growth hormones
are also secreted during sleep.182
In the event that people fail to get enough sleep,
therefore, the immune system is immediately affected and the body becomes more
susceptible to sickness. If people are unable to sleep for two nights, they
will find it harder to concentrate and their error levels will rise. If they
are deprived of sleep for three nights, they will begin to hallucinate and be
unable to think logically.183
Night is as much a time for rest for other living
things as it is for human beings. This situation, referred to by Allah in the
verse "the night as a time of
stillness," indicates a fact that cannot be observed by the naked eye:
Many activities that take place during the day slow down and rest during the
night. In plants, for instance, perspiration in leaves and photosynthesis begin
to rise when the Sun rises. In the afternoon, the situation is reversed. In other
words, photosynthesis slows down and respiration increases since perspiration
is accelerated as the temperature rises. At night time, as the temperature
falls, perspiration slows down and the plant rests. Most plants would die if
just one night failed to take place. From that point of view, night means rest
and reinvigoration for plants, just as it does for human beings.184
Movement at the molecular level also declines at
night. The radiation emitted by the Sun during the day activates the atoms and
molecules in Earth's atmosphere and causes them to achieve higher energy
levels. As darkness falls, the atoms and molecules fall to lower energy levels
and start to give off radiation.185
These facts are, in all probability, indicated in
Surat al-An‘am 96 and reveal yet another of the Qur'an's countless miracles.
(Allah knows best.)
CHEST CONTRACTION WITH INCREASING
HEIGHT
Human beings need oxygen and air pressure in order to
live. Breathing is made possible by the oxygen in the atmosphere reaching the
air sacs in our lungs. As elevation rises, however, atmospheric pressure goes
down as the atmosphere becomes thinner. Therefore, the amount of oxygen
entering the blood stream declines and it becomes harder to breathe. As the air
sacs grow narrow and contract, we feel as if we cannot breathe.
If the amount of oxygen in the blood is less than the
body needs, several symptoms emerge: extreme fatigue, headaches, dizziness,
nausea, and loss of judgement. When a certain height is reached, it finally
becomes impossible for a human being to breathe at all.186 This is why we need oxygen bottles and special
clothing in order to survive at such elevations.
Someone at 5,000-7,500 metres (16,500-24,500 feet)
above sea-level may faint and go into a coma because of breathing difficulties.
That explains the presence of oxygen equipment in airplanes. There are also
special systems that regulate air pressure when planes fly at 9,000-10,000
metres (29,500-33,000 feet) above sea-level.
Anoxia occurs when oxygen fails to reach the tissues.
This oxygen deficiency occurs at heights of 3,000-4,500 metres (10,000-15,000
feet). Some people even lose consciousness at such elevations, but can be saved
by immediate oxygen treatment.
In the comparison made in the verse below, this
physical truth, the changes that take place in the chest with increasing
height, is indicated in these terms:
When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his
breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he were climbing up
into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no faith. (Qur'an,
6:125)