The Scientific Facts In The Holy Qur’an (With Particular .

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) Volume III, Issue XII, December 2019 ISSN 2454-6186knowledge that can be obtained from the holy Qur‟an, withparticular reference to the scientific knowledge (embryologyand astronomy).III. TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE QUR‟AN1.Knowledge of ReligionQur‟an had demonstrated its vitality by including religioussciences in its contents such as Tawhid(Unity of Allah) AlNubuwwah(Prphethood) and other metaphysics in Islam, suchas angels resurrection, paradise and hell then Sariah andIbadah.2.Social SciencesBeing a book of knowledge and being the final revelation ofAllah, the holy Qur‟an ha also discussed various issues in thefield of social sciences since 14 century. For example, theissue of economics (Usury, loan and transaction, measure andweight is already discussed by Qur‟an. Similarly, judiciaryPolitics and history (histories of nations and prophets) are alsodisclosed by the Qur‟an. Indeed, the aim of Quran is toprovide guidelines and principles and leaves it to mankind toexplore and discover the reality of the creation of Allah.3.Natural SciencesThere is no doubt that the holy Qur‟an has touched on theIssues of natural phenomena. Though it did not give details ofthese physical matters; but, it left that duty for mankind toexplore and discover those facts stated by Qur‟an by utilizingthe faculty of intellect that Allah has bestowed him. Forinstance, Qur‟an had talked about embryology, AstronomyGeology Botany Zoology etc. These facts indicate thecomprehensiveness and holistic nature of Quran. As such, theholy Qur’an is a book of guidance and mercy, it is clearly anexposition for all things (tibyÉn li kulli shay) i.e nothing is leftout or neglected, in this juncture, we will highlight variousknowledge that discussed by holy Qur‟an with particularreference to embryology and astronomy.1.Qur’an as a source of Astronomy1-Creation of the universeThe Quran was revealed 1400 years ago and yet it hasscientific information in it that could not have been known tothe Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) or the people of Arabiaat that time. With the advancement of science and technology,more facts have been revealed that were unknown before. TheQuran is proving through the knowledge of science that it istruly the Words of the Creator and nothing is hidden from HisKnowledge. For instance; in surah al- Anbiyaa, Allah says:“Do not the disbelievers see that the heavens and the earthwere a closed-up mass, then We opened them out? AndWe made of water every living thing. Will they not thenbelieve?”13The above verse clearly agrees with the present dayknowledge of the beginning of the universe. No otherscripture has this vivid description of the creation of theuniverse. It was Edwin Hubble‟s observations in 1929, whichsuggested that there was a time when the universe wasinfinitesimally small and dense. He discovered that whereverone looked, it appeared that the distant galaxies are movingrapidly away from each other14. If this was the case then itindicated that at earlier times objects would have been closertogether.2-Expanding universeExpanding universe is one of the astronomical issues that wasdiscussed by the holy Qur‟an many centuries ago. Accordingto Qur‟an:“And the heaven We built with Our own powers andindeed We go on expanding it”15.It was only as recent as the 1920s when Edwin Hubble madethe discovery that the galaxies were speeding away from eachother. The above verse, which was revealed to the HolyProphet Muhammad (SAW) some 1400 years ago, clearlyconfirms what Hubble observed. This concept of theexpanding universe is unique to the Quran and no otherscripture comes even close to describing such a phenomenon.The knowledge of the expanding universe is of vitalimportance to scientists as this helps create a betterunderstanding of the creation of the universe. Hubble‟s datasuggested that the farther a galaxy is, the faster it is movingaway! This meant that the universe could not be static as wasthought to be, but rather it is expanding. Therefore thedistance between the different galaxies is growing all the time.The discovery of the expanding universe has been the greatestlandmark in the scientific field. Newton and others shouldhave realized that a static universe would mean that it wouldsoon start to contract under the influence of gravity. If theuniverse was expanding at a slower rate, then the force ofgravity would eventually cause it to stop and the universewould start contracting. If instead, it was expanding at a rapidrate, then gravity would never be strong enough to stop it, andthus the universe would be expanding forever.3-Fitness of the universeMeanwhile the holy Quran, as amain source of scientificknowledge had similarly disclosed the fitness of the universedown the history. It was very recent or in the nineteenthcentury, that Quranic fact was obvious to scientistastronomers. According to Qur‟an in Surah Al- Rahman:“All that is on earth will pass away”16Or in another verse of Quran concerning this matter:14Muzaffar Iqbal (2007). Science & Islam. Greenwood Press.Al-ZariyÉt, 51:4816Al-RahmÉn, 55:271513Al-Anbiya‟, 21:31www.rsisinternational.orgPage 181

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) Volume III, Issue XII, December 2019 ISSN 2454-6186“The day when We shall roll up the heavens like therolling up of written scrolls by a scribe.' As We began thefirst creation, So shall We repeat it - a promise bindingupon Us; We shall certainly fulfill it”17The two verses above indicate that nothing is immortal. Oneday all things around us will perish. There will come a time inthe future when the heavens will be rolled up, as thoughrolling up a scroll. This description coincides with thescientific discovery of black holes. The verse above not onlytalks about the ending of the universe but this will be followedwith a new beginning. This wrapping and unfolding of theuniverse is a phenomenon that would be something ongoingas mentioned in the Quran.In short, scientific knowledge has always been accepted as thetest of the truth. This is because science has a means wherebyhypothesis can be tested and proven to be true or false.However, unlike Allah (SWT) who is the All-Knowing, man‟sknowledge is limited by that what Allah (SWT) allows. Mancan traverse the heavens and the earth only to where Allah(SWT) has set the limit.4-The Sun and MoonWhereas the Bible talks of the sun and the moon as two lightsdiffering only in size, the Qur‟an distinguishes between themby the use of different terms: light (noor) for the moon, andlamp (sirÉj) for the sun."Did you see how Allah created seven heavens, one abovethe other, and made in them the moon a light and the suna lamp?"18The moon is an inert body which reflects light, whereas thesun is a celestial body in a state of permanent combustionproducing both light and heat.5-Stars and PlanetsThe word „star‟ (najm) in the Qur‟an ( 86:3 ) is accompaniedby the adjective thÉqib which indicates that it burns andconsumes itself as it pierces through the shadows of the night.It was much later discovered that stars are heavenly bodiesproducing their own light like the sun.In the Qur‟an, a different word, kawkab, is used to refer to theplanets which are celestial bodies that reflect light and do notproduce their own light like the sun.“We have adorned the lowest heaven with ornaments, theplanets.”192.Qur’an as a source of Embryologywith particular reference to embryologic stages of humancreation.Stages of creation of Human Being in the Qur’an1-Man Is Created from Sulalah“Then He made his offspring from semen of worthlesswater (male and female sexual discharge)”Indeed, SulÉlah in Arabic, means quintessence or the best partof a whole20 It also means extraction from a fluid. The fluidrefers to both male and female germinal fluids containinggametes. Both ovum of female and sperm of male are gentlyextractedfrom their environments in the process offertilization.2-Man is created from NuÏfah“Was he not a Nutfah (mixed male and female dischargeof semen) poured forth”?21“He has created man from a sperm (fluid-drop) andbehold this same (man) becomes an open disputer.” (16:4).“Woe to man! What has made him reject (Allah)? Fromwhat stuff has He created him? From a nuÏfah (fluiddrop) He has created him, and then moulds him in dueproportions.” (80: 17-19).In fact, since 14 century it is already mentioned in variouschapters of the holy Qur‟an that human being is created fromnutfah, which means a minute quantity of liquid or a trickle ofliquid which remains after empting a cup.Furthermore, Qur‟an stated that, man is also created fromNutfatun Amshaaj(Mingled Liquids).According to Qur‟an: “Verily We created man from a dropof mingled sperm”.22According to Zakir, the Arabic word nuÏfatin amshaajinmeans mingled liquids.23Some commentators of the Qur‟an, mingled liquids refer tothe male or female agents or liquids after mixture of male andfemale gamete, the zygote still remains nutfah. Mingle liquidcan also refer to spermatic fluid that is formed of varioussecretions that come from various glands.Therefore, nuÏfatin amshÉj, i.e; a minute quantity of mingledfluids refers to the male and female gametes(germinal fluidsor cell) and part of the surrounding fluids.However, just recently scientists discovered that only one outof an average of three million sperms is required for fertilizingthe ovum.Similarly, the holy Qur‟an is a source of medical facts, at thisjuncture; we will examine some medical facts in the Qur‟an20Qamus al- MuÍÊÏAl-Qiyamah, 75:3722Al Iusan, 76:223Zakir Naik,Qur‟an and Modern Science Compatible or Incompatible: FaridEnterprises, Delhi, P.462117Al-Anbiya‟, 21:105Nuh, 71:15-1619Al-SÉfÉt, 37:618www.rsisinternational.orgPage 182

International Journal of Research and In

Science stated that, The final conclusion of my comparative study of Qur'an and the Bible is that the statements about scientific phenomena in the Holy Qur'an are perfectly in conformity with the modern sciences whereas the Biblical narration's on the same subjects are scientifically entirely unacceptable9.