Islam:
A Scientific View of God's Message to Humanity
By Hassan Ali El-Najjar
1445 / 2023
***
in English with Arabic Texts of Verses and
‘Hadeeths
Copyright Information
Islam: A Scientific View of God's Message to
Humanity, in English with Arabic Texts
Copyright © 2023 by Hassan Ali El-Najjar. All
rights reserved.
Published in the United States of America by
the author.
In addition to this English version of the
book, which includes the Arabic texts of verses and ‘Hadiths, there’s another
English-only version. A third version of the book is in Arabic, which is titled
as:
الإسْلامُ:
رُؤْيَةٌ
عِلْمِيَةٌ
لِرِسَالَةِ
اللهِ لِلْبَشَرِيَّةِ
The book can be ordered by email at: sales@ccun.org
Or by mail at:
P.O. Box 724, Dalton, GA 30722-0724
ISBN: 978-1-7923-4537-1
Library
of Congress Control Number (LCCN): 2020913981
Cataloging-in-Publication
Data (Keywords):
Islam, Iman, Ihsan, guidance to humanity,
Quran, Hadith, Quran scientific evidence, creation and evolution, God’s
caliphs, Adam and angels, free worshipper, soul, spirit, spiritual-physical
relationship, heart-mind relationship, proclamation of faith, prayer, zakat
(charity), fasting Ramadhan, pilgrimage (Haj), Allah, angels, Last Day,
God’s precise measurement and just decrees, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus,
Muhammed and his Night Journey (Al-Isra Wal Mi’raj).
About the author:
The
author of this book was born in Ghazza (Gaza), Palestine, in in 1369
Hijriya (1950 AD). He received the first eleven years of education in Gaza
Strip and his high school diploma from Raghadan School, in Amman,
Jordan, in 1968. He had his Bachelor’s degree in English Education from Ain
Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, in 1972. He worked as a teacher in Libya and
the United Arab Emirates before immigrating with his family to the United States,
in 1986. He had his Master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology, from the
University of Georgia, in 1988, and his Ph.D. in Sociology also from the
University of Georgia, in 1993. From 1991 until the
publication of this book, in 2020, he was a teacher at Dalton State College.
The
author’s full name is Hassan Ali Hassan Ahmed Muhammed Abdul Hadi (El-Najjar)
Muhammed Joudah Al-Harooni. His greatest grandfather, Joudah, emigrated from
the town of Arab Wadi Fatima, near Makkah (now in Saudi Arabia), in the
seventeenth century and settled in Isdood (Ashdod), Palestine. The author’s
fourth grandfather (Abdul Hadi) was also known as El-Najjar (The Carpenter),
which became his descendants’ last name.
Atalanta,
Georgia, 8th Day of Rabee’ Al-Thani, 1445, October 23, 2023.
The Author’s Related Books
About Islam
***
أَعُوذُ
بِاللهِ مِنَ
الشَّيْطَانِ
الرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ
اللهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ
الرَّحِيمِ
ادْعُ
إِلَىٰ
سَبِيلِ
رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ
وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ
الْحَسَنَةِ
ۖ وَجَادِلْهُم
بِالَّتِي
هِيَ
أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ
رَبَّكَ هُوَ
أَعْلَمُ
بِمَن ضَلَّ
عَن
سَبِيلِهِ ۖ
وَهُوَ
أَعْلَمُ
بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
(النَّحْلُ
، 26: 125).
وَمَنْ
أَحْسَنُ
قَوْلًا
مِّمَّن دَعَا
إِلَى
اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ
صَالِحًا
وَقَالَ
إِنَّنِي
مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
(فُصِّلَتْ ، 41:
33).
وقالَ
رسولُ اللهِ ،
صَلَّى اللهُ
عليهِ
وسَلَّمَ : "بَلِّغُوا
عَنِّي ولو
آيَةً" (التِّرْمِذِيُّ:
2669 ، الْبُخَاَرِيُّ: 3461).
***
I seek refuge with God from the Stoned Shaytan (Satan)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Invite to the way of your Lord with
wisdom and good instruction and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed,
your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most
knowing of who is (rightly) guided (Al-Na’hl, 16: 125).
And who is better in speech than one
who invites to Allah, and does righteousness, and says, "Indeed, I am of
the Muslims" (Fussilat, 41: 33).
The Messenger of Allah, pbbuh, said:
“Teach on my behalf, even one verse (of the Holy Quran) (Al-Tirmidthi:
2669, Al-Bukhari: 3461).
***
This book is a scientific view of
Islam, introducing it to average readers, researchers, and policy makers. In
addition to providing basic information about this religion, it attempts to
answer some of the fundamental questions about the human existence and its
purpose. Moreover, it is intended to be a main source of knowledge about this
great religion, which is followed by about 1.7 billion people worldwide.
Verses from the Holy Quran are the
main source of information for the topics discussed in this book, and other
books written by this author about Islam, followed by ‘Hadeeths (sayings) of the
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him (pbbuh). Then,
interpretations of the Quran verses by the most renowned Muslim scholars, ,
particularly Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi, and Ibn Katheer, are used as
a background for understanding the meanings of verses.. Their interpretations
are valued for including ‘Hadeeths of the Prophet, pbbuh, as well as opinions
and applications of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them (mAbpwt). Finally, verses of the Holy Quran, mentioned
in the discussed topics, are explained in relation to our contemporary
knowledge from the social and natural sciences, particularly anthropology,
sociology, biology, and cosmology. The objective is to show that the Holy Quran
is the Word of Allah (the God), praise to Him, as it contains so many
scientific facts, which have been discovered only in the past few centuries. Consequently,
it is an assurance to believers and an invitation to others, to believe in the
Lord of the Worlds, and His Message to humanity.
This author has divided his work
about Islam into seven related books (parts). The first book (Islam:
A Scientific View of God’s Message to Humanity) includes ten chapters. It
starts with a brief introduction about the Holy Quran, the Sunna, and Islamic
research, as the main sources of knowledge about Islam. Then, there is an
introduction to the three levels of faith: Islam (performing the five duties),
Ieman (faith), and I’hsan (righteousness). This is followed by a discussion
about of the scientific evidence for God’s existence and for the Holy Quran as
His message to humanity. An exploration is conducted, after that, about the
issue of creation and evolution, from an Islamic perspective, including how
life started on Earth, how it evolved, and the divine intervention. God’s
decision to honor humans as worthy of ruling over Earth is also addressed, with
particular attention to Adam’s winning of the contest with the angels and
getting out of Paradise. Then, there is an investigation of the issue of
whether humans are free in their choice to believe in God or not. This is
followed by an examination of some relationships of special importance in
explaining the tenets of Islam. The first is the relationship between the
spiritual and physical aspects of Islamic teachings. The second is the
relationship between the concepts of the mind, self, soul, spirit, and
happiness. The third is the relationship between the heart and the mind. With
God’s will, this book has been completed and published on amazon.com, to enable readers to get it as a paper copy.
In addition, it is available to readers for free reading and downloading on the
author’s two websites: ccun.org and
aljazeerah.info.
The second book (The Five Pillars of Islam: A
Scientific View of the Two Proclamations of Faith, Prayer, Charity, Fasting,
and Pilgrimage) includes five chapters, providing basic information
about the first level of faith (Islam), as manifested in the five pillars of
the faith structure. These are the Islamic proclamation of faith, performing
prayers, giving Zakat (charity), fasting the month of Ramadhan, and making the
Haj (pilgrimage) to the House of Allah in Makkah, once in a person’s lifetime,
if possible. Each one of these mandated ways of worship is explained in terms
of rationale, rules, and practices, directly from the verses of the Holy Quran,
‘Hadeeths explaining them, and interpretations of Islamic scholars. In
addition, contemporary scientific research is used to show the benefits of
performing them, to the individual and to society. This book has also been
completed and published, together with the first book, in one volume, on amazon.com, to enable readers to get it as a paper copy.
In addition, it is available to readers for free reading and downloading on the
author’s two websites, mentioned above.
The following three remaining books
address the second level of faith (Ieman), namely, the belief in Allah (the God)
and in His angels, messengers, messages, the Last Day, as well as in His
precise measurement and His just decrees. Thus, the third book (Allah,
His Good Names: Who Is He? What Does He Want for Humans?) aims at knowing about
Allah, praise to Him, through His names and His adjectives, which He mentioned
in the Holy Quran. It also contains His rationale for the creation of humans on
the Earth. This book has also been completed and published on amazon.com, to enable readers to get it as a paper copy.
In addition, it is available to readers for free reading and downloading on the
author’s two websites, mentioned above.
The fourth book (Messengers
of Allah to His Intelligent Creations) contains seven chapters, about the
Messengers of Allah, praise to Him, to humans and jinn. It starts with a
chapter about angels, who are the honored worshippers and messengers of Allah
to His creations. Then, there are five chapters about the five human
messengers, known for their determination and for the miracles they were
provided with. These are Noo’h, Ibraheem, Moosa, ‘Eisa, and Mu’hammed (Noah,
Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mu’hammed), peace and blessings of Allah be upon
them. The seventh chapter is about the Night Journey and Ascent to heavens
(Al-Isra Wal Mi’raj), which was a miracle, honoring the final Prophet of Allah.
It was also a glad tiding to humans, that they can fly over the regions of the
Earth, and through space to heavens, with permission of Allah. This book has
not been published as a paper copy yet. However, its English version is
available to readers for free reading and downloading on the author’s two
websites, mentioned above.
The fifth book (God’s Precise
Measurement, His Just Decrees, and the Last Day) addresses the remaining
articles of the second level of faith (Ieman). It contains three chapters,
about signs of the Hour, the Last Day, as well as God’s Precise Measurement and
His Just Decrees (Al-Qadar wal Qadha). This book has not been published
as a paper copy yet. However, the English versions of its second and third
chapters are available to readers for free reading and downloading on the
author’s two websites, mentioned above.
Concerning the third level of faith
(I’hsan), it will be addressed, God willing, in two books. The sixth book
(An Introduction to Islamic Shari’a: Commands of Prohibition and Admonition in
the Holy Quran”) is available, as an initial draft version, to readers for free
reading and downloading on the author’s two websites, mentioned above. The seventh
book is a continuation of the “Introduction to Islamic Shari’a,” but it
contains “God’s Commands of Justice and Righteousness.” It has not been
completed yet.
***
Islam: A Scientific View of God’s Message to Humanity
Chapter 1 Islam, A Brief Introduction
Chapter 2 Three Levels of Faith, Islam, Iman, and I'hsan
Chapter 3 The Scientific Evidence That God Exists
Chapter 4 Creation and
Evolution in the Holy Quran
Chapter 5 Humans, As God's
Caliphs on Earth
Chapter 6 Adam's Contest with
the Angels, and Getting Out of Paradise
Chapter 7 Worshippers by Choice, Or Forced Slaves?
Chapter 8 The Relationship
Between the Spiritual and Physical Aspects of Islamic Teachings
Chapter 9 Spirit, Soul, Mind, Self, and Happiness, from an Islamic
Perspective
Chapter 10 Heart-Mind
Relationship in the Holy Quran
The Five Pillars of Islam: A Scientific View of the Two
Proclamations of Faith, Prayer, Charity, Fasting, and Pilgrimage
Chapter 11 Islamic Proclamation of Faith
Chapter 12 Performing Islamic Prayers
Chapter 13 Giving Charity, Zakat, the Third Islamic Duty
Chapter 14 Fasting and Ramadhan, Great Gifts from Allah to Muslims
Chapter 15 Pilgrimage, ‘Haj, to the First House of God on Earth
***
الإسْلَامُ:
نُبْذَةٌ
مُخْتَصَرَةٌ
***
أَعُوذُ
بِاللهِ مِنَ
الشَّيْطَانِ
الرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ
اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ
الرَّحِيمِ
I seek refuge with God
from the Stoned Shaytan (Satan)
In the Name of Allah,
the Beneficent, the Merciful
***
The word "Islam" means
believing in Allah (The God) [1] to the extent of submitting your will to Him.
In this sense, the Messengers of Allah such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus
Christ (Nooh, Ibrahim, Moussa, and 'Eissa), peace and blessings of Allah be
upon them, pbbut all, as well as their righteous followers, are also considered
Muslims. It is one religion, revealed to humans on Earth for thousands of
years to guide them in this life and to reward them in the Hereafter. Muhammed,
pbbuh, was the last of these Muslim Prophets and Messengers of Allah. [2]
The Arabic verb root of the word
"Islam" is /salima/, meaning kept safe. The word "Muslim"
is one of its derivatives. Prophet Muhammed, pbbuh, said, "The Muslim is
the person from whose tongue and hand Muslims are kept safe." In other
words, a Muslim does not harm people with his/her tongue or hand. Other
derivatives of the verb include /aslama/, which means to submit, from which
came the noun "Muslim," as in verse 2: 112. Moreover, one of its
derivatives is the word noun /silm/, which means peace. Thus, Islam means
“peace,” as mentioned in verse 2: 208. [3]
Finally, Islam is the first level of faith,
the attainment of which is required to gain the mercy and contentment of Allah,
in order for a person to live happily in this life and to enter Paradise in the
hereafter. A higher level is Iman (faith or belief in the unseen), as we learn
from verse 49: 14, and the highest is I'hsan (righteousness). These three
levels of faith are presented in the second Chapter of this book, as the major
components of a well-known ‘Hadith, on the basis of which this book has been
divided into three parts: an introduction, Islam, and Iman. Concerning I’hsan,
it will be a separate book, insha Allah (God willing), because it is very much
larger in size, containing the Commands of Allah, as revealed in the Holy
Quran.[4]
Sources of the Islamic teachings:
1. The Holy Quran
The Holy Quran (pronounced as two separate
syllables Qur - an) is referred to, by some authors, as “Koran” but this is an
inaccurate translation, as the letter Q is closer to the Arabic sound than the
letter K. The Holy Quran is the first source of the Islamic teachings. It is
the Book of God and His Message to humanity. It was revealed to Prophet
Muhammed, pbbuh, in 23 years, starting from 610 AD, as mentioned in verse 53:
4-5. [5]
The Holy Quran was written by the scribes
during the life of the Messenger of Allah, pbbuh, as he received its verses, by
inspiration through the Angel, Jibril (Gabriel), peace be to him. He would
speak and they would write down the revelations. Then, they would read that which they wrote to him, and he would approve of it. He
would also tell them about the order of Chapters and where to place the
revealed verses.
By the death of the Prophet, pbbuh, some of
the Holy Quran Chapters were in his house and others were in the houses of his
Companions. The first Caliph, Abu Bakr, mAbpwh, collected all Chapters in one Book. However, it was the third
Caliph, ‘Uthman, mAbpwh, who kept the Quraysh version of the Holy Quran and
burned out all other versions, which were written in different dialects. The
‘Uthman’s version of the Holy Quran is the only one which Muslims have today.
It has been guarded and kept safe from any changes or distortions, by the will
of Allah, who stated that promise in verse 15: 9. [6]
The Holy Quran includes God’s teachings to
humanity, including His commands and His prohibitions, the core of which were
also revealed through His former Messengers. It also includes clarifications
about the disputes between Jews and Christians, such as over the nature of
Jesus and his Message to the Israelites.
The first Arabic word uttered by the Angel
Jibril, peace be to him, to Prophet Muhammed, pbbuh, was the command verb
/iqra'/, which means "Read." This means that Allah, the Knowledgeable,
wants His beloved human creation to be as knowledgeable as they can be, through
reading, writing, and the accumulation of knowledge.
The Holy Quran in its Arabic original
version, and its translations into other languages, can be found in many
libraries and internet sites, such as www.tanzil.net, which has 18 different English translations, in
addition to translations to other languages, and an Arabic search function. It
also carries Quran recitations by 26 renowned reciters, so people can hear
verses recited while looking at the written text.
Another important site is http://quran.ksu.edu.sa/ which carries the Quran Arabic text and its
translations to various languages. It also posts the nine books of Sunna, which
explain and authenticate ‘Hadith. In addition, it has a research function,
which allows access to the major interpretations of the Holy Quran by early
Islamic scholars, including Bin Katheer, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Tabari.
[7]
2. The Sunna
The Sunna represents the second source of
Islamic teachings, after the Holy Quran. It includes sayings (‘Hadiths) and actions
of the Prophet, pbbuh, as well as his approval of people’s sayings and actions.
It also includes his explanation of the Quran verses in more details. In
addition, the Sunna contains his teachings and his lifestyle, which were
examples for Muslims to follow in various aspects of life.
The Prophet, pbbuh, generally prohibited his
Companions from writing down anything he said, except the Holy Quran, to avoid
any possibility of mixing his sayings with God’s revelations. However, he allowed it later.
Thus, some of the Sunna was recorded during his lifetime but the majority of it
was collected and recorded a long time after his death. Actually, Muslim
scholars have developed an independent discipline for that purpose, known as
‘Hadith Science, which specializes in the collection, recording, scrutiny,
authentication, and discussion of the ‘Hadith. [8]
An example of how the Messenger of Allah,
pbbuh, explained and summarized the Holy Quran, to God’s worshippers, is the
‘Hadith narrated by Companion Abdullah Bin (Son of) ‘Omar, mAbpwt both. He said
that he heard the Messenger of Allah, pbbuh, saying: “
"Islam has been built on five (pillars): The
proclamation that there is no other god than Allah and that Muhammed is the
Messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying charity (Zakat), making the
pilgrimage to the House (of Allah in Makkah), and fasting (during the month of)
Ramadhan.” [9]
Thus, the Messenger of Allah, pbbuh,
summarized the five Islamic ways of worship (‘ibadat), in one ‘Hadith, to make
it easy on people. All of these ways of worship are mentioned in various
chapters of the Holy Quran but the ‘Hadith puts them together, emphasizing them
as the five major and manifest Islamic obligations. For example, the
proclamation of faith was mentioned in verse 3: 18 and verse 40: 33, prayers
and charity (Zakat) in verse 2: 110, fasting in verse 2: 183, and Haj in verse
3: 97. [10]
3. Research
by Islamic Scholars
Research by Islamic scholars has become the
third source of Islamic teachings. Most of these scholars are graduates of Islamic universities, who
hold the highest degrees in Islamic studies. Thus, they are experts on the
first two sources. They provide current interpretations of the Holy Quran,
explain to the people the basic principles of their religion, and give rulings
(fatwas) about new innovations, such as those which may happen in social,
economic, financial, and medical aspects of life. For example, recreational
addictive and harmful drugs were not mentioned in the Holy Quran. So, Islamic
scholars pointed that there is more harm from using them than the sought
benefits. As a result, such drugs should be treated the same way of treating
alcoholic beverages. Allah, praise to Him, commanded Muslims to avoid them, in
verse 5: 190, which was explained by the Prophet, pbbuh, as prohibition. [11]
Since
the last few decades of the 20th Century, a category of Muslim
social and natural scientists has emerged, tasking itself of demonstrating that
the Holy Quran is full of scientific evidence, which shows that it is the Word
of God, and that nobody else could have produced it. Thus, they have
contributed to deepening the faith and increasing the understanding of Muslims
of their religion, on the basis of science and reasoning. This is of great
importance, particularly because of the internet age, which has enabled
anti-religion forces to spread their falsehoods easily. In addition, it is a
creative way to call for Allah among non-Muslims, particularly those who are
highly educated, and those who have left their religions because of the
contradiction with reasoning and basic scientific facts. This book aims at
achieving that goal, as demonstrated in its various chapters, particularly the
third and fourth Chapters.
***
مُسْتَوَيَاتُ
العَقِيدَةِ
الثَّلَاثِ:
الإسْلَامُ
وَالإيمَانُ
وَالإحْسَانُ
***
أَعُوذُ
بِاللهِ مِنَ
الشَّيْطَانِ
الرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ
اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ
الرَّحِيمِ
I seek refuge with God
from the Stoned Shaytan (Satan)
In the Name of Allah,
the Beneficent, the Merciful
***
Introduction
One
day, the Angel Jibril (Gabriel), peace be to him, appeared as a man to the
Messenger of Allah, Muhammed, peace and blessings be upon him (pbbuh), and his
companions in the Medina mosque. The encounter became a very well-known 'Hadith
(saying), narrated by the Second Caliph, Omar, may Allah be pleased with him.
Jibril
asked the Messenger of Allah five questions about the meaning of Islam, Iman,
I'hsan, the Hour, and the Hour signs. As he answered each question, Jibril
complimented him saying that he told the truth. When Jibril left, the Messenger
of Allah told his companion, who did not know the man, that he was Jibril who
came to teach them their religion.
This
'Hadith not only summarized the major principles of God’s message of guidance
to humanity, but it also attracted our attention to the three levels of faith:
Islam, Iman, and I'hsan, which are the focus of this Chapter and the basis for
organizing this book into its main parts.
Text of the Prophet's 'Hadith:
On
the authority of Omar, who said: One day, while we were sitting with the
Messenger of Allah, there appeared before us a man whose clothes were
exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black. No signs of journeying
were to be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by
the Prophet, resting his knees against his (the Prophet's) and placing the
palms of his hands on his thighs, he said:
O
Muhammed, tell me about Islam?
The
Messenger of Allah said: Islam is to proclaim that there is no other god than
Allah and Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay
the Zakat (charity), to fast (during the month of) Ramadhan, and to make
the pilgrimage to the House (of God) if you are capable to do so.
He
said: You have spoken rightly, and we were amazed at him asking him (the
Prophet) and saying that he had spoken rightly (told the truth).
He
said: Then, tell me about Iman?
He
(the Prophet) said: It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His
messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in God's
precise measurement and His just decrees on everything, including (what may be perceived as) good or
bad.
He
said: You have spoken rightly (told the truth).
(Jibril)
said: Then, tell me about I'hsan?
He
(the Prophet) said: It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing him, and while
you do not see Him, He truly sees you.
He
said: Then, tell me about the Hour?
He
(the Prophet) said: The one questioned about it does not know more than the
questioner.
He
said: Then, tell me about its Signs?
He
(the Prophet) said: That the slave-woman will give birth to her mistress and
that you will see the barefooted, naked, destitute sheep herdsmen constructing
the highest buildings.
Then,
(Jibril) left and I stayed for some time. Then he (the Prophet) said: “O Omar,
do you know who the questioner was? I said: Allah and His Messenger know
better. He said: He was Jibril (Gabriel), who came to teach you your religion. [12]
Islam:
Thus,
according to the above-mentioned ‘Hadith, there are three levels of the faith
structure, a person can reach. The first level is Islam,
which was explained by Prophet Muhammed (pbbuh) as observing
the five major ways of worship ('Ibadat).
It
follows that to be a Muslim, a person
has to proclaim that there is no other god but Allah (praise to Him) and that
Muhammed (pbbuh) is His Messenger. The importance of this proclamation of
faith is that a person acknowledges the existence of Allah (God), praise to
Him, as the Creator of the Universe, and that Muhammed (pbbuh) is the Messenger
of God. This means that a person accepts the message of God revealed to
humanity through him, as expressed in the Word of God (the Holy Quran) and the
Sunna (his sayings, actions, and what he approved of).
Once
a person pronounces the Islamic proclamation, then he/she proceeds to observe
the Islamic obligations, namely to perform the five daily prayers, pay the
annual Zakat (charity), fast during the month of Ramadhan, and make the
pilgrimage to the House of Allah in Makkah, if he/she is capable to do so
physically and financially (These ways of worship were introduced in Chapter 1,
“Islam: A Brief Introduction” but addressed
in more details in the second part of this book).
It
is important to note that these are ways of worshipping Allah ('Ibadat), as He
wanted and commanded Muslims to do. He promised to reward those who worship Him
and to punish those who don't do that on purpose.
In
analyzing these Islamic ways of worshipping God, one discovers that all of them
benefit the worshipper directly and his/her society in this life, then they are
rewarded with Paradise in the hereafter (Such benefits are discussed in more
details in Chapter 8, “The Relationship between the Spiritual and the Physical
Aspects of Islamic Teachings” and in the second part of this book).
Before
performing each one of the five prayers, a Muslim has to clean
himself/herself through wudhu', by washing the mouth, nose, face
hands, arms, ears, hair, and feet. Muslims also should take showers after
sexual intercourse and keep their clothes clean. [13]
By
praying five times a day at specific times, Muslims live in orderly fashion,
budgeting their time, and literally exercising five times a day, doing certain
movements that range between standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting down on
the floor. These unique movements function as an exercise for various body
organs, by stretching muscles, tendons, and backbone. For example, bowing and
prostrating push more blood to certain areas of the body, like the brain.
By
paying the Zakat (charity) a Muslim assists the needy and contributes to
the well-being of society. It is, at least, 2.5 percent of a person’s wealth.
When properly given, the poor and the needy will not be left alone and behind
in society. It is a systematic expression of compassion and social solidarity.
The Zakat does not replace government taxes. However, it contributes to the
welfare and well-being of society in areas not covered by government-funded
projects.
Fasting during the month of Ramadhan, by
abstaining from food, drinks, and sexual activity from dawn to the sunset, has
tremendous benefits for the body and the soul of a worshipper. Fasting
strengthens the control of the self over the body desires. It allows the rich
to feel the suffering of the hungry poor and prompts them to share food with
them when they break the fast at the sunset. By eating moderately then, many
people lose weight, get rid of some of the accumulated fats throughout the
year. In addition, fasting gives a break to the digestive system, after eleven
months of continuous hard work.
Finally,
pilgrimage (‘Haj) to the House of Allah in Makkah, is the climax
of being a Muslim. It is a personal journey for God first, but it also gives
great satisfaction to the pilgrim (‘Haaj), as he/she leaves
everything in this life behind. Moreover, the pilgrimage to Makkah is a
worldwide conference of millions of Muslims, where they meet there representing
all nations, racial groups, and ethnic divisions (49: 13), for just few days.
Therefore, Allah, praise to Him, instructed them to be loving, caring, and
tolerant of each other. They are also instructed to avoid arguments and instead
to praise Him for His countless benefits and bounties they have been enjoying
(2: 197). [14]
Iman:
By
being a Muslim, as explained above, a person is promised God's rewards in this lower life and in the
hereafter. Properly practiced, the Islamic ways of worship (‘ibadat)
are beneficial to Muslims as individuals and as communities. However, for those
who are more ambitious to be closer to God, to gain a higher level of his
rewards, and to enjoy more intellectual happiness, they need to reach a higher
level of faith than Islam, which is Iman, as we are told by verse 49: 14 of the
Holy Quran, which states:
قَالَتِ
الْأَعْرَابُ
آمَنَّا قُل
لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا
وَلَـٰكِن
قُولُوا
أَسْلَمْنَا
وَلَمَّا
يَدْخُلِ
الْإِيمَانُ
فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ (الحجرات
، 49: 14).
The
A'arab (desert dwellers) said, "We have believed." Say: "You
have not believed,” but say 'We have submitted,” for faith has not yet entered
your hearts (Al-'Hujurat, 49: 14).
In
this Verse, the A'arab (desert dwellers) said, "We have believed."
They meant to say: "We have reached the level of Iman." But Allah,
praise to Him, told His Messenger to tell them that they still have not
believed. That's why they instead should say: 'We have submitted (to Allah by
becoming Muslims) because the second level of faith (Iman) has not yet entered
their hearts.
So,
what is that second level of faith (Iman)?
Iman is to believe
in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, as we read
in verse 4: 136 of the Holy Quran:
يَا
أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا آمِنُوا
بِاللَّـهِ
وَرَسُولِهِ
وَالْكِتَابِ
الَّذِي
نَزَّلَ
عَلَىٰ
رَسُولِهِ
وَالْكِتَابِ
الَّذِي
أَنزَلَ مِن
قَبْلُ وَمَن
يَكْفُرْ
بِاللَّـهِ
وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ
وَكُتُبِهِ
وَرُسُلِهِ
وَالْيَوْمِ
الْآخِرِ فَقَدْ
ضَلَّ
ضَلَالًا
بَعِيدًا (النساء
، 4: 136).
O
You who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger, (in)
the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger
and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah,
His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far
astray (Al-Nissa, 4: 136).
Iman is also the belief in God's precise measurement and His
just decrees on everything, as we learn from the 'Hadith of the Messenger of
Allah, pbbuh, which has been mentioned.
This
means that the second level of faith (Iman) is more of an intellectual nature
than the first level (Islam), where a person is saved by worshipping Allah
(God) through actions, that is, through performing the five obligations
mentioned above. So, Iman comes by thinking about that which Allah told us
about in the Holy Quran, including the many scientific statements, which were
unknown at the time of revelation and until the 19th Century. Such thinking
provides ample evidence that the Holy Quran is the Word of Allah, and that no
human being can produce a book like it, or even a chapter, like any of its
chapters. [15]
In
other words, reaching the second level of faith (Iman), requires higher and
deeper degrees of knowledge and acknowledgement. This includes a belief in the
existence of Allah (God) and His angels, as well as in His Books, Messengers,
the Last Day, and in His precise measurement and just decrees. So, Iman can be attained through the
realization of the unseen, such as the existence of God, through the pieces of
evidence He provided us with, such as the Holy Quran. However, many people
believe in God, as unseen, without the need for physical or intellectual
evidence, that is by intuition. Moreover, philosophers can reach the second
level of faith by logic. They postulate that the existence of the creation must
be the evidence for the existence of the Creator, Allah, praise to Him. [16]
Thus,
a person reaching Iman (a Mumin: a believer)
believes that not only Allah (God) exists but He, praise to Him, can do
anything He wants. A Mumen believes in everything God told in the Holy Quran.
He or she also believes that there are other intelligent creations of God than
human beings, particularly angels. Among these are Jibril (Gabriel, the medium
between God and His human Messengers), Mika-il (Michael, the angel of
sustenance), Ezra-il (angel of death), Israfil (angel of the Trumpet), Radhwan
(custodian of Paradise), and Malik (custodian of the Hellfire). In addition,
there are many other categories of angels who perform tasks related to humans.
Among these are Raqeeb and 'Ateed (the angels who keep records for our good
deeds and bad deeds), Naakir, and Nakeer (the angels who question a human being
briefly after death), and Sa-iq and Shaheed (the angels who organize people in
groups and lead them during the events of the Last Day). A Mumen is a person
who believes that these angels exist, and that we are affected by them. [17]
A
Mumen also believes that God revealed His guidance to humanity in other Books,
before the Holy Quran. These included the Su’huf (Papers) of Ibrahim
(Abraham), the Torah (in the Old Testament), which was revealed to Moussa
(Moses), the Zaboor (the Psalms), which was revealed to Prophet Dawood (David),
and the Engel (the New Testament), the teachings of the Messiah, ‘Eissa Bin
Mariam (Jesus Christ, the son of Mary), peace and blessings of Allah be upon
all of them. These Books included the same message of guidance to humanity
summarized in the Holy Quran. A Mumen, further, has the same and equal respect
and love for all messengers of God, and does not consider one of them as better
than the others.
A
Mumen believes that this life is a test, in which all our deeds and activities
are recorded by angels. We will be held accountable for the entire test when we
meet our Creator on the Day of Reckoning. So, the belief in the Last Day is an
acknowledgement of the inevitability of accountability and reckoning. It is an
incentive for people to do good in this life in order to be rewarded by an
everlasting life in Paradise, and a warning against doing bad in order to avoid
punishment in the Hellfire. For more discussion about the four main events of
the Last Day, see Chapter 24 of this book.
Further,
a Mumen believes in God’s precise measurement and His just decrees (Al-Qadar
wal Qadha). People are free in what they say and do, in the matters
which they control or have authority over. However, there are other matters,
which may not be understood by people, because these are beyond their control.
Some of these matters are perceived as good, such as unexpected successes or
fortunes. A Mumin’s response in this case is thanking Allah for receiving them.
Other matters may be perceived as bad, despite the fact that these may turn to be good results later on, such as the actions of Al-Khadr’s
actions, Moussa (Moses) perceived as evil, before knowing the rationale behind
doing them (See verses18: 65-82).
Sometimes,
some matters may result in outright bad consequences, such as death and
destruction during war as well as natural and environmental disasters. In these
cases, the bad consequences are the result of decisions made by people, whether
by going to war to settle differences, or not taking the appropriate measures
to avoid natural and environmental disasters. Allah, praise to Him, warned
humanity to avoid such possible consequences, as both innocent people and their
oppressors will be affected alike (8: 25).
Finally,
believers (Muminoon) thank Allah in all circumstances but they are also
expected to use their time, knowledge, wealth, and energy with the best way
possible, during their first life on Earth, because they are going to be
questioned about all these qualities in the hereafter. This means that believers
(Muminoon) should not surrender to the upheavals, natural or environmental
disasters, diseases, or any difficulties facing them. They should do their best
to avoid them. Thus doing, they practice their free will, which does not
contradict with God’s circumventing foreknowledge of their choices, as
discussed in Chapter 25 of this book. [18]
I'hsan:
I'hsan is the highest
of the three levels of faith and the closest to pleasing God. It is to worship Allah as if
you see Him. While you do not really see Him, He truly sees you. Then, I'hsan
means that a Mu'hsin (a person who
practices I’hsan) is sure that Allah is seeing him/her in everything he/she
says or does. Therefore, a Mu'hsin does his/her best to say and do only that
which pleases Allah and conforms to His commands. This is the level of
righteousness, perfection, as well as doing and saying the ultimate good for
the sake of goodness, to the person’s best knowledge and ability.
The
noun "I'hsan" in Arabic is a derivative of the verb
"a’hsana," which means doing things better. Thus, the literal
linguistic meaning of I'hsan is saying the best, as expressed in verse 41: 33
of the Holy Quran. It is also doing the best, which is observing God’s commands
(For more information about God's commands, see the first Chapter of the fourth
part of this book, “Islamic Law, Shari'a: Prohibition, Don't Do, and Do Commands).
The noble meanings of I’hsan are expressed in
many verses of the Holy Quran. Throughout His Book, Allah, praise to Him,
commands believers to practice I’hsan in words and actions and in the treatment
of parents. He announces His love for Mu’hsins, assures them that they should
have neither fear nor sadness, and promises them with the best rewards in the
hereafter. [19]
Conclusion
The
objective of mentioning the three levels of faith is to motivate the human self
to pursue the course of elevation from one level to the other. As humans struggle
to be better in their words and actions, they not only gain the best physical
and spiritual benefits in this life but they also get the contentment and mercy
of their Creator, who promised them an everlasting life in His Paradise, in the
hereafter.
and the Holy Quran Is His Message to
Humanity
***
الدَلِيلُ
العِلْمِيُ عَلَى
وِجُودِ
اللهِ
سُبْحَانَهُ
وَتَعَالَى
وَعَلَى
أنَّ القُرْآنَ
الْكَرِيمَ هُوَ
رِسَالَتُهُ
لِلْبَشَرِيَّةِ
***
أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ
مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ
الرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ
اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ
الرَّحِيمِ
I seek refuge with God from the Stoned Shaytan
(Satan)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the
Merciful
***
Introduction *
At the beginning of the 21st
Century, many people in the world no longer believe in God. Even some of those
who profess such belief are not sure. Others have a distorted belief, which
makes them behave in misguided and dangerous ways. In brief, there is a lot of
ignorance on this Planet, at this time, about the Creator of life and about His
message to humanity, which has been told in the religious Holy Books.
But before addressing the problem of misguided
believers, it is more essential to address the question of atheism, or the
belief that God does not exist in the first place. This belief has developed as
a result of lack of scientific evidence in teaching about God. Many world
religions involve illogical myths and weird rituals that belittle the human
mind, leading to the disbelief that these myths and rituals are from a Supreme
Being, who is supposed to be more intelligent than the human beings He has created,
and as a result is worthy of being worshipped by them.
Another important reason for atheism is that
leaders of many religions, including the major ones, put themselves in a
collision course with science. This has alienated the most educated and most
intelligent people and made them susceptible to atheism, indifference, or at
least not taking religion seriously.
So, how can this problem of God’s existence be
resolved?
To convince the most intelligent beings on this
Planet that God does exist, scientific evidence supporting this fact has to be
brought to the discussion.
The Holy Quran (pronounced in two separate
syllables Qur - an) is full of such evidence. Actually, the Islamic Holy Book
can be broadly divided into two parts, in terms of content. The first involves
the scientific evidence that its ultimate author is the Creator of life
Himself, in order to convince humans that He exists and that the Holy Quran is
His message to humanity. The second part
involves His teachings, the Shari'a, which if followed by humans will lead them
to happiness in this life and in the everlasting hereafter.
The story of life on Planet Earth, including
human life, is told in the Holy Quran in a way that would light up the eyes of
scientists if they read it. It’s almost the same story, which is told to
students of biology. It leaves no doubt about the fact that life started in a
very simple way a long time ago and kept evolving ever since (See Chapter 4, “Creation and Evolution in
the Holy Quran”).
The scientific story of creation of life is
just one example of how the Holy Quran convinces its readers that no human on
this Planet could have authored this Book. Many of the scientific facts
revealed became known only in the last century or so. The Messenger of God,
Prophet Muhammed (pbbuh) was
an illiterate man. It was impossible for him or for any other human being more
than 1400 years ago to know about such facts.
This Chapter is divided into three parts. The
first includes examples of verses, containing facts just explained or
discovered recently by scientists, about the creation of the heavens and the
Earth, as well as the existence of intelligent beings, other than humans. The
second part includes examples of verses, mentioning facts just explained or
discovered recently by scientists, about life on Earth, in relation to the
darkness of ocean waters, formation of clouds, plant pairs, and sex of insects.
The third part of this Chapter provides information about the numerical miracle
in the design of the Holy Quran. This is an emerging research area, which
demonstrates, through so many examples, that the letters, words, and chapters
of the Holy Quran are designed and arranged according to numerical
relationships. As a result, this Book could not have been authored by any human
being. It’s the Word of God and His Message to humanity.
First,
examples of verses, containing facts just explained or discovered recently by
scientists, about the creation of the heavens and the Earth, as well as the
existence of intelligent beings, other than humans:
1. Allah, praise
to Him, tells us that His Throne had been on water
before He created the heavens and the Earth.
وَهُوَ
الَّذِي
خَلَقَ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضَ
فِي سِتَّةِ
أَيَّامٍ
وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ
عَلَى
الْمَاءِ (هود
، 11: 7).
And it is He who created the heavens and the
Earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon water (Hood, 11: 7).
This means that water preceded other elements,
and consequently the formation of our solar system, as scientists concluded in
their most recent research, in 2014. They found that some of the water we have
is older than the Earth age, which is estimated at about 4.6 billion years. It
is even older than the Sun. This is a confirmation to this verse, and
consequently a piece of evidence that the Holy Quran is the Word of God.
In interpreting this verse, Al-Tabari
mentioned a 'Hadith in which the “illiterate”
Messenger of Allah was asked, "Where had our Lord been before He created
the heavens and the Earth. He said that "He was in clouds, and there was
air above and below Him. Then, He created His Throne on Water." The three
renowned interpreters of the Holy Quran (Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi,
and Ibn Katheer), also mentioned an explanation by Ibn 'Abbas, who said,
"The water was over the wind." [20]
2. Verse 21: 30
tells us that the heavens and the Earth were a
joined entity. Then, Allah splintered them (causing them to scatter
in space). The verse also tells us that Allah created every living thing (in
them) out of water, which was already there.
أَوَلَمْ
يَرَ
الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُوا
أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضَ
كَانَتَا
رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا
مِنَ الْمَاءِ
كُلَّ شَيْءٍ
حَيٍّ أَفَلَا
يُؤْمِنُونَ
(الأنبياء
، 21: 30).
Have those who disbelieved not considered that
the heavens and the Earth were a joined entity, and We splintered (separated)
them and made from water every living thing? Then, will they not believe?
(Al-Anbiya, 21: 30).
At the beginning of the 20th Century, some
astrophysicists estimated the age of the universe between 10 and 20 billion
years. However, more recent estimates date it back to about 13.8 billion years.
This is according to the Big Bang theory, which is agreed upon by most
contemporary astrophysicists. Though the theory described the beginning of the
universe as a result of a big bang, astrophysicists now agree that it was an
event, not necessarily a bang.
This is evidence about the accuracy of the verb
"fataqa" used in the verse, which refers to
splintering a substance (like ice), causing it to scatter into smaller pieces.
Astrophysicists tried to explain how the event
happened, as a result of the interaction between elements, energy, and time,
without mentioning the logical existence of God, who caused the event to
happen. The evidence that He did, is that He told us about it in this verse,
with this accuracy of the description, many centuries before the existence of
astrophysics. He is the First, the Originator, the Creator of the Heavens and
Earth, the Great, and Most High (See Chapter 11, "Allah, as He described Himself
in the Holy Quran”). [21]
3. Verse 51: 47
tells us that Allah built the heaven, which is
continuously expanding.
وَٱلسَّمَآءَ
بَنَيۡنَـٰهَا
بِأَيۡيْدٍ۬
وَإِنَّا
لَمُوسِعُون
(الذاريات
، 51: 47).
We built the heaven with (Our) hands, and We
are expanding (it) (Al-Dhariyat, 51: 47).
In this verse, Allah (God) is telling us that
He built heaven, using the past tense of the verb (built), which means that the
act of building was completed in the past. Then, He tells us that He is
expanding it, using the present continuous tense of the verb, to indicate that
the expansion of heaven is continuously happening.
While the three renowned Islamic scholars
pointed to the vastness of heaven, astrophysicists of the 20th Century were
very specific about this scientific fact, describing it as "the expanding
universe," which is precisely described as such in the Holy Quran. [22]
4. Verse 67: 3
tells us that Allah created seven heavens, as
straight layers, one over the other, without a faulty difference
between them, whether you look at them once or more than once.
الَّذِي
خَلَقَ
سَبْعَ
سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا
مَّا تَرَىٰ
فِي خَلْقِ
الرَّحْمَـٰنِ
مِن تَفَاوُتٍ
فَارْجِعِ
الْبَصَرَ
هَلْ تَرَىٰ مِن
فُطُورٍ (الملك ،
67: 3).
(It is Allah) Who created seven heavens, as
layers (strata). You do not see in the creation of the Beneficent any
inconsistency. So, return (your) vision (to the sky), do you see any breaks?
(Al-Mulk, 67: 3).
The scientific fact mentioned in this verse,
about heavens as parallel layers, has been confirmed by many astrophysicists,
who argue that there are several parallel universes. The only difference is
that they use the word "universe" instead of the word
"heaven" mentioned in this verse. [23]
5. Verse 84: 19
is related in meaning to the above-mentioned verse 67: 3, particularly in
describing heavens as parallel layers,
one over the other, but it adds a prophecy about the human space travel, from
one layer of heavens to another.
لَتَرْكَبُنَّ
طَبَقًا عَن
طَبَقٍ (الإنشقاق
، 84: 19).
You will surely ride (travel) from one layer
(of heavens) to another layer (Al-Inshiqaq, 84: 19).
The three renowned Islamic interpreters of the
Holy Quran agreed with this meaning, by mentioning the interpretations of Ibn
'Abbas and Al-Shi'bi, who limited space travel from
one heaven to another to the Messenger of Allah. Al-Qurtubi added a question,
wondering if the Verse was a prophecy about the Prophet's Night ـJourney (Al-Issra Wal Mi'raj).
In answering Al-Qurtubi's question, it's
clear that Surat Al-Inshiqaq (Chapter 84 of the Holy
Quran), including verse 19, was a Makkan Chapter, and it was revealed after the
Night Journey, which was also described in Surat Al-Najm (Chapter 53). If the
Prophet alone was the one intended by this Verse, then the verb used would be
in the past tense. However, the verb used in this Verse is in the present
tense, which also conveys the future. This means that it is a prophecy about
human space travel, in general, from one planet to another, from one solar
system to another, and from one galaxy to another. [24]
6. Verse 55: 33
is related to the above-mentioned verse (84: 19), as it contains an invitation, which amounts to a prophecy, for humans and Jinn to attempt space travel.
يَا
مَعْشَرَ
الْجِنِّ
وَالْإِنسِ
إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
أَن
تَنفُذُوا
مِنْ
أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ
فَانفُذُوا ۚ لَا
تَنفُذُونَ
إِلَّا
بِسُلْطَانٍ (الرحمن
، 55: 33).
O company of Jinn and humans, if you are able
to penetrate (pass) through the zones of the heavens and the Earth, then
penetrate. You will not penetrate except by power (of science) (Al-Ra'hman, 55:
33).
This prophecy was fulfilled for the Jinn first,
as we are told by verse 72: 8, that the Jinn have reached heaven, but its
powerful guards repelled them with burning flames. We take this information
from the Holy Quran as a given because we are not qualified yet, as humans at
this stage of our knowledge, to investigate it.
وَأَنَّا
لَمَسْنَا
السَّمَاءَ
فَوَجَدْنَاهَا
مُلِئَتْ
حَرَسًا
شَدِيدًا
وَشُهُبًا (الجن ، 72: 8).
And we (Jinn) have touched the heaven but found
it filled with powerful guards and burning flames (Al-Jin, 72: 8).
Then, this prophecy started to be fulfilled for
humans during the second half of the 20th Century (14th Century of Hijra,
Islamic Calendar), when the Soviets and Americans started their space travels,
followed by Europeans, then Asians afterwards.
For centuries, readers of the Holy Quran,
including the three renowned interpreters, could not interpret this Verse as a
future possibility of human space travel between heavenly bodies. However, this
issue has become a normal bit of news in the media nowadays, as space travels
occur almost monthly, not only for orbiting Earth and docking to the
international space station, but also for the exploration of outer space, other
planets, and even going beyond our solar system. [25]
7.
Verse 65: 12 tells us that Allah created seven heavens and seven Earth-like planets.
اللَّـهُ
الَّذِي
خَلَقَ
سَبْعَ
سَمَاوَاتٍ
وَمِنَ
الْأَرْضِ
مِثْلَهُنَّ
يَتَنَزَّلُ
الْأَمْرُ
بَيْنَهُنَّ
لِتَعْلَمُوا
أَنَّ
اللَّـهَ
عَلَىٰ كُلِّ
شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
وَأَنَّ
اللَّـهَ
قَدْ أَحَاطَ
بِكُلِّ
شَيْءٍ
عِلْمًا
(الطلاق
، 65: 12).
It is Allah who has created seven heavens and
of the Earth like of them (seven planets like Earth). (His) command descends
among them so you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that
Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge (Al-Talaq, 65: 12).
This Verse means that there are seven heavens
inhabited by angels, and that God's commands descend among them. Likewise,
there are seven planets like Earth, inhabited by others of God's creatures, and
that God's commands also descend among them.
The three renowned Islamic interpreters agreed
that there are seven Earth-like planets. Al-Tabari interpreted the
Verse, saying: "There is no disagreement about that the heavens are seven,
layered one over the other, as evidenced from the 'Hadith of Al-Issra Wal
Mi'raj (the Prophet's Night Journey), and other 'Hadiths."
Then, Al-Tabari added that "there
are also seven Earth-like planets. The majority of scholars agree that these
planets are also layered, one over the other, and that the distance between one
Earth-like planet and anther is like the distance between one heaven and
another, and that there are God's creatures inhabiting each one of them."
Thus, this Verse is an invitation for
researchers to look for these Earth-like planets, discover them, and their
intelligent inhabitants. It's thrilling that we are living at a time in which
space scientists are actively searching for evidence about the existence of
life on other planets, in our solar system, as well as in other solar systems
in our galaxy, and even in other galaxies. The most important piece of evidence
for life they look for is whether water exists on a planet or not, which is in
total agreement with the Holy Quran Verse 21: 30 mentioned above.
On February 22, 2017, NASA published a report
about the discovery of a solar system, which scientists called Trappist-1. It
is located in the in the constellation Aquarius, which is about 39.6 light
years (about 235 trillion miles) away from our Earth. The report mentioned that
there are seven planets the size of our Earth, all orbiting their sun, with a
possibility of water on all of them, and the possibility of life on three of
them, at least. Though the report is not giving absolute evidence of water or life
on these planets, it opens the door for the possibility of discovering that in
the future, whether in this group of planets or in others. Thus, this NASA
discovery supports the scientific facts mentioned in this Verse. [26]
8. Verse 14: 19
tells us that Allah created the heavens and the Earth with the right proportions.
أَلَمْ
تَرَ أَنَّ
اللّهَ
خَلَقَ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضَ
بِالْحقِّ
إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ
وَيَأْتِ
بِخَلْقٍ
جَدِيدٍ (إبراهيم
، 14: 19).
Have you not seen that Allah created the
heavens and the Earth with the right proportions? If He wills, He can do away
with you and bring a new creation (Ibrahim, 14: 19).
Allah used the Arabic word "’haq" to
describe how He created the heavens and the Earth. In Arabic dictionaries,
"’haq" means right, truth, justice, and balance. It is also the
opposite of wrong and falsehood. Thus, the meaning of the Verse is that Allah
created the heavens and the Earth with the right proportions. This refers to
the precision and perfect balance in the relationships between components of
the Universe.
In its orbit around the Sun, the Earth occupies
an ideal location, which has enabled life to start, continue, and flourish on
it. The wonderful diversity of the fauna and flora on this planet is the result
of its optimal and balanced relationship with the Sun, the Moon, and other
planets of the solar system. In particular, life on Earth flourished as a
result of turning around itself, which creates the 24-hour cycle of day and
night. It is also a result of its annual orbit around the Sun, which leads to
the seasonal changes. Moreover, the different geographical regions have been
created in reaction to the differences in the sunlight reaching these regions.
Water constitutes 70% of Earth and the human
body as well, which is another example of balance and precision between the
Earth and its inhabitants. There is also a balance in the relationship between
oxygen and carbon dioxide, both of which are necessary for plants and animals
on the planet. Further, there is a balance between the ozone layer and other
gases, particularly those resulting from the industrial pollution. If this
balance is disturbed, the ozone layer may lose its capability to protect the Earth
from the harmful cosmic radiations.
Thus, all these examples refer to the precision
and balance in the components of the Universe, and among them, as expressed by
the word "haq" (right
proportions) mentioned in this Verse. [27]
9. Verse 79: 30 tells us that the Earth is egg-shaped (not flat, as some humans
believed, or even a perfect circular globe), which is a scientific fact, just
recently discovered.
وَالْأَرْضَ
بَعْدَ
ذَٰلِكَ
دَحَاهَا
(النازعات
، 79: 30).
And the Earth, after that, He made it
egg-shaped (Al-Nazi'at, 79: 30).
The scientific fact included in this Verse is
specifically mentioned in the verb (da'haha, دَحَٮٰهَآ). Many translators incorrectly
translated it as "extended it." The correct translation is that
He made it egg-shaped. The evidence for this meaning of the verb is that the
noun "da'hya" is used by North African Arabs in reference to an
"egg." The author of this book heard it by himself, during his stay
in Libya, from 1972 to 1976.
Allah wanted to describe to humans how the
Earth looks like, using something they were familiar with at that time, which
is the egg of a chicken or a bird. For the later generations of humans, the egg
shape is the most accurate description of how the Earth looks like, as it has
been discovered recently that the Earth is less than a perfect circular globe.
Today, we have wonderful photos of our beautiful blue planet, showing it in a
circular shape, taken by astronauts, satellites, space telescopes, and the international
space station.
This scientific fact was not known to Arabs
before Islam, but many Islamic scholars of natural sciences mentioned it in
their writings. It's interesting that the three renowned interpreters did not
know about the meaning of da'hya as an egg. Otherwise, they would have
mentioned that meaning in their interpretations, which usually include as many
meanings as possible. [28]
10. The following
verses tell us that the heavens are inhabited by
intelligent beings (the angels), who submit to their Lord, Allah,
and worship him as do many people on Earth.
وَمِنْ
آيَاتِهِ
خَلْقُ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ
وَمَا بَثَّ
فِيهِمَا مِن
دَابَّةٍ وَهُوَ
عَلَىٰ
جَمْعِهِمْ
إِذَا يَشَاءُ
قَدِيرٌ (الشورى ، 42: 29).
And of His signs is the creation of the heavens
and the Earth, and what He has dispersed throughout them of creatures. And He,
for gathering them when He wills, is competent (Al-Shoora,
42: 29).
وَلَهُ ۥ
مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ
وَٱلأرۡضِۖ
ڪُلٌّ۬
لَّهُ ۥ قَـٰنِتُونَ (الروم
، 30: 26).
And to Him belongs whoever is in
the heavens and the Earth. All are to Him devoutly obedient (Al-Roo, 30: 26).
أفَغَيۡرَ دِينِ
ٱللَّهِ يَبۡغُونَ
وَلَهُ ۥۤ أَسۡلَمَ
مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ
وَٱلأرۡضِ
طَوۡعً۬ا
وَڪَرۡهً۬ا
وَإِلَيۡهِ
يُرۡجَعُونَ (آل
عمران ، 3: 83).
So, is it other than the religion of Allah they
desire, while to Him have submitted (all) those within the heavens and the
Earth, willingly or by compulsion, and to Him they will be returned?
(Al-'Imran, 3: 83).
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ
ٱللَّهَ
يُسَبِّحُ
لَهُ ۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ
وَٱلأًرۡضِ
وَٱلطَّيۡرُ
صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٍ۬
كُلٌّ۬ قَدۡ
عَلِمَ
صلاتَهُ ۥ وَتَسۡبِيحَهُ وَٱللَّهُ
عَلِيمُۢ
بِمَا يَفۡعَلُونَ (النور
، 24: 41).
Do you not see that Allah is exalted by whoever
is within the heavens and the Earth and (by) the birds with wings spread (in
flight)? Each (of them) has known his prayer and (his) exalting (of Allah), and
Allah is Knower (Knowledgeable) of what they do (Al-Noor, 24: 41).
***
The following verses also tell us that there
are other intelligent beings, who inhabit what is in
between the heavens and the Earth, (the Jinn). Some of these also
submit to their Lord, Allah, and worship Him, as many humans do on Earth.
قَالَ
فِرْعَوْنُ
وَمَا رَبُّ
الْعَالَمِينَ
﴿٢٣﴾ قَالَ
رَبُّ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ
وَمَا
بَيْنَهُمَا إِن
كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ
﴿٢٤﴾ (الشورى
، 26: 23-24).
(The) Pharaoh said, "And what is the Lord
of the worlds?" (23) (Moussa, Moses) said, "The Lord of the
heavens and the Earth and what is in between them, if you should be
convinced" (24) (Al-Shoora, 26: 23-24).
قُلْ
أُوحِيَ
إِلَيَّ
أَنَّهُ
اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ
مِّنَ
الْجِنِّ
فَقَالُوا
إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا
قُرْآنًا
عَجَبًا (الجن
، 72: 1).
Say, (O Muhammed), "It has been revealed
to me that a group of the Jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an
amazing Quran” (Al-Jin, 72: 1).
وَأَنَّا
لَمَسْنَا
السَّمَاءَ
فَوَجَدْنَاهَا
مُلِئَتْ
حَرَسًا
شَدِيدًا
وَشُهُبًا (الجن ، 72: 8).
And we (Jinn) have touched (reached) the heaven
but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames (Al-Jin, 72: 8).
وَأَنَّا
مِنَّا الْمُسْلِمُونَ
وَمِنَّا
الْقَاسِطُونَ فَمَنْ
أَسْلَمَ
فَأُولَـٰئِكَ
تَحَرَّوْا
رَشَدًا (الجن
، 72: 14).
And among us (Jinn) are Muslims (who submit to
Allah), and among us are the unjust. And whoever have become Muslims - those
have sought out the right course (Al-Jin, 72: 14).
The above verses tell us that there are
intelligent beings in heavens (the angels), who believe in Allah (God) and
worship Him. The verses also tell us that there are other intelligent beings,
who live in between the heavens and the Earth (the Jinn). Some of them believe
in Allah and worship Him but others do not. Thus, these verses attract our
attention to the possibility of communication and interaction between us and
them in the future, as did happen in the past with Prophet Sulayman (Solomon).
وَحُشِرَ
لِسُلَيْمَانَ
جُنُودُهُ
مِنَ الْجِنِّ
وَالْإِنسِ
وَالطَّيْرِ
فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ
(النمل ، 27:
17).
And gathered for Sulayman (Solomon) were his
soldiers of the Jinn, humans, and birds, and they were (marching) in rows
(Al-Naml, 27: 17).
The possibility of communication and
interaction with aliens from other solar systems has increased recently with
the advances in human space discovery endeavors, such as the various kinds of
telescopes on Earth and in space, and the various devices sent to outer space.
There is also a possibility that such intelligent beings may reach us first
before we reach them, whether in communication or in actual arrival of their
astronauts to our planet. When this happens, it should not be a surprise to
people on Earth, particularly to the believers, who know about this issue from
God's Book, the Holy Quran. Their arrival should not be a shock, which shakes
people's faith. To the contrary, if these intelligent beings are believers, we
should rejoice the event, which may lead to benefiting humanity. However, if
they are not believers, then we need to be careful about dealing with them, as
they may cause us harm. [29]
***
Second,
examples of verses, including facts just explained or discovered recently by
scientists, about life on Earth, in relation to the darkness of ocean waters,
formation of clouds, plant pairs, and sex of insects:
11. Verse 24: 40, provides us with an accurate description of deep-water levels of darkness in the ocean.
أَوْ
كَظُلُمَاتٍ
فِي بَحْرٍ
لُّجِّيٍّ يَغْشَاهُ
مَوْجٌ مِّن
فَوْقِهِ
مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ
سَحَابٌ ۚ
ظُلُمَاتٌ
بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ
بَعْضٍ إِذَا
أَخْرَجَ
يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ
يَرَاهَا ۗ
وَمَن لَّمْ
يَجْعَلِ اللَّـهُ
لَهُ نُورًا
فَمَا لَهُ
مِن نُّورٍ (النور
، 24: 40).
Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like
layers of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with waves topped by
waves, topped by clouds: Layers of darkness, one above another, if a person
stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! For anyone to whom Allah does not
make light, he has no light (Al-Noor, 24: 40).
This scientific fact was discovered
only few decades ago. Nobody could dive deep enough in the ocean, more than
1400 years ago, and come back to tell about what
he/she saw there. Only in the 20th Century, humans were capable of
seeing that after using their military submarines. For the general public, this
happened in the 1980s, when the French oceanographer Philippe Causteau and his
crew showed us some videos about the upper parts of the ocean depth, in their
TV series.
Now, we know that there are three levels of
light and darkness in ocean waters. The first level extends from the water
surface to about 600 feet down, where the sunlight can penetrate enough to
enable us to see. The second level extends from 600 feet to about 3,000 feet
under the sea surface, which allows only a small degree of the sunlight and
consequently a very small vision capability. The third level starts below 3,000
feet, which represents 90% of the ocean waters. This is the level of complete
darkness, where a person may not be able to see his hand, as accurately
described in this Verse. [30]
12. Verses 30: 48 and 24: 43 provide an accurate description of the water cycle, from winds to clouds, then to rain.
اللَّـهُ
الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ
الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ
سَحَابًا فَيَبْسُطُهُ
فِي السَّمَاءِ
كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ
وَيَجْعَلُهُ
كِسَفًا فَتَرَى
الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ
مِنْ خِلَالِهِ
ۖ فَإِذَا أَصَابَ
بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ
مِنْ عِبَادِهِ
إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ (الروم ، 30:
48).
It is Allah Who sends the Winds,
and they raise the Clouds. Then, He spreads them in the sky as He wills, and
breaks them into fragments, until you see raindrops coming out from the midst
of it. When He makes them reach whoever He wills of his servants, then they
rejoice! (Al-Room, 30: 48).
أَلَمْ
تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّـهَ
يُزْجِي سَحَابًا
ثُمَّ يُؤَلِّفُ
بَيْنَهُ ثُمَّ
يَجْعَلُهُ رُكَامًا
فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ
يَخْرُجُ مِنْ
خِلَالِهِ وَيُنَزِّلُ
مِنَ السَّمَاءِ
مِن جِبَالٍ فِيهَا
مِن بَرَدٍ فَيُصِيبُ
بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ
وَيَصْرِفُهُ
عَن مَّن يَشَاءُ
ۖ يَكَادُ سَنَا
بَرْقِهِ يَذْهَبُ
بِالْأَبْصَارِ
(النور ، 24:
43).
Do not you
see that Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then
makes them into a heap? Then, you will see rain coming out of it. And He sends
down hail from the sky mountains (of clouds). He strikes whom He wills with it,
and He turns it away from whom He wills. The vivid flash of its lightning is
close to blinding the sights (of people) (Al-Noor, 24:
43).
These two verses accurately describe the water
cycle, which starts with the evaporation of water from oceans, seas, rivers,
and lakes, as a result of the sun heat. The wind helps water vapor molecules to
become more condensed, as clouds. Then, winds carry clouds to other places, and
up to the colder and higher layers of air, where water molecules become more
condensed. At that point, water molecules become too heavy for the wind to
carry, and drop down, in what we call as rain. Concerning hail, it forms as a
result of more condensation of water molecules, when these are carried by wind
to higher and consequently colder layers of the atmosphere. There, water
molecules freeze as icy balls, which drop down as hail because clouds cannot
carry them anymore. [31]
13. Verse 36:
36
mentions that Allah, praise to Him, has created pairs
for reproduction purposes, including
human and plant pairs, as well as others unknown to us.
سُبْحَانَ
الَّذِي
خَلَقَ
الْأَزْوَاجَ
كُلَّهَا
مِمَّا
تُنبِتُ
الْأَرْضُ
وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ
وَمِمَّا لَا
يَعْلَمُونَ
(يس ، 36: 36).
Exalted is He who created all pairs - from what
the earth grows, and from themselves and from that which they do not know (Ya
Seen, 36: 36).
In
addition to this verse, which mentions the word “pairs,” there are other
verses, which also mention it as singular (pair) and plural (pairs). These
words refer to the male and female elements, which are necessary for the sexual
reproduction in humans as well as in plants.
The word "pairs" mentioned in the
above verses refers to the sexual reproduction in plants through the
interaction between the male and female elements. This pairing can be found in
two separate plants producing the same fruit (such as date-palm trees), or in
two different flowers in the same plant (such as cucumbers), or in the same
flower containing male and female organs (pistils and stamens), such as
tomatoes. Insects and winds play a major role in carrying the male pollens to
fertilize the female organs of various kinds of plants. These facts became
accurately known recently, after the establishment of
modern sciences and the invention of the telescope. [32]
14. The following verses mention eight kinds of insects.
The first four verses mention bees, ants, mosquitos, and spiders, as singular female nouns.
The other four verses mention flies, butterflies, locusts, and lice are
mentioned in the plural form. This difference, in referring to these insects,
represents scientific facts, which were discovered more than 13 centuries after
revelation, when microscopes were invented, allowing scientists to distinguish
male and female insects from each other. [33]
The first four kinds of insects were accurately
mentioned in the singular female noun because only females are the active
workers. It is the female bee, which works outside the nest and produces honey.
Likewise, it is the female ant, which works outside the colony. Moreover, it is
the female mosquito, which attacks humans and animals to suck their blood.
Finally, it is the female spider, which builds its web-house to hunt other
insects. Concerning the male bees, ants, and spiders, they are either killed or
die after mating. For the male mosquito, it does not have the sucking needle
that the female has. Consequently, it does not bite humans and animals to suck
their blood as the female mosquito does.
In Verses 16: 68-69, there are three words that
refer to the bee in the singular female form, as expressed in the three
commands "ittakhidthi," (اتَّخِذِي) "Kuli," (كُلِي) and "fasluki" (فَاسْلُكِي) (take, eat, and follow). Verse 27: 18
refers to the female ant with the singular female noun "namlaton."
Likewise, Verse 2: 26 refers to the female mosquito with the singular female
noun "ba'oudhatan." Verse 29: 41 refers to the spider in the
singular female form, as expressed in past tense of the verb ""ittakhadthat
(she took).
In Verses 16: 68-69, we are told
that it is the female bee that makes honey, a very recent bit of knowledge for humans. We know now that male
bees die after mating with the queen and live only for about 90 days. Only
female bees survive to be the workers, which gather nectar and make honey. This
bit of knowledge could never be known to humans before the invention and use of
microscopes.
وَأَوْحَىٰ
رَبُّكَ
إِلَى
النَّحْلِ
أَنِ اتَّخِذِي
مِنَ
الْجِبَالِ
بُيُوتًا
وَمِنَ
الشَّجَرِ
وَمِمَّا
يَعْرِشُونَ
﴿٦٨﴾ ثُمَّ
كُلِي مِن
كُلِّ
الثَّمَرَاتِ
فَاسْلُكِي
سُبُلَ
رَبِّكِ
ذُلُلًا يَخْرُجُ
مِن
بُطُونِهَا
شَرَابٌ
مُّخْتَلِفٌ
أَلْوَانُهُ
فِيهِ
شِفَاءٌ
لِّلنَّاسِ إِنَّ
فِي ذَٰلِكَ
لَآيَةً
لِّقَوْمٍ
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
﴿٦٩﴾ (النحل ، 16:
68-69).
And your Lord inspired the (female)
bees to take (build) its houses (hives) on mountains, trees, and in (people's)
gardens (68)
Then (you female bee) eat from all the fruits
and (you female bee) follow the ways of your Lord laid down (for you). There
emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is
healing (cure) for people. In that, (there) is a sign for a people who give
thought (Al-Na'hl, 16: 68-69).
In Verse 27: 18, there is a
reference to a female ant speaking to other ants, which is also a recent bit of
knowledge. We know now that male ants die after mating with the queen, and only female ants survive to be the workers, just like the case with bees mentioned above. This bit of
knowledge could have never been known to humans before the invention and use of
microscopes and the advanced studies in biology.
قَالَتْ
نَمْلَةٌ يَا
أَيُّهَا
النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا
مَسَاكِنَكُمْ
ۡ (النمل
، 27: 18).
" ... a female ant said: "O you ants
enter your dwellings" (Al-Nahl, 27: 18).
Verse 2: 26 refers to the mosquito with the
singular female noun "ba'oudhatan."
إِنَّ
اللَّـهَ لَا
يَسْتَحْيِي
أَن يَضْرِبَ
مَثَلًا مَّا
بَعُوضَةً
فَمَا
فَوْقَهَا (البقرة
، 2: 26).
Indeed, Allah is not timid to present an
example - that of a female mosquito or what is bigger than it (Al-Baqara, 2:
26).
This reference to the mosquito in the female
noun form distinguishes it from male mosquitos, for its different
characteristics. Female mosquitos live twice the
life of males. It is the one which sucks
human and animal blood, which is necessary for production of its
eggs. It is capable of doing that because it has a sucking needle that males do
not have. That's why males feed on plant food.
Verse 29: 41 refers to the spider in the
singular female form, as expressed in the past tense of the verb
""ittakhadthat (she took), because it is the female spider, which builds its web-house to hunt
other insects. Males do not participate in building the house or are allowed to
live in it. That's why the Verse refers to the house as the female spider
house.
Moreover, the Verse tells us that spider house
is the weakest of houses, in a reference to the familial
relationship between the female spider and her male mate. We know
now that female spiders eat their male mates after the sexual intercourse. In
some kinds of spiders, females lure males for mating in order to eat them.
These scientific facts could not be known until the invention of microscopes
and the establishment of the modern biology science.
مَثَلُ
الَّذِينَ
اتَّخَذُوا
مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ
أَوْلِيَاءَ
كَمَثَلِ
الْعَنكَبُوتِ
اتَّخَذَتْ
بَيْتًا وَإِنَّ
أَوْهَنَ
الْبُيُوتِ
لَبَيْتُ
الْعَنكَبُوتِ لَوْ
كَانُوا
يَعْلَمُونَ (العنكبوت
، 29: 41).
The example of those who take allies other than
Allah is like that of the (female) spider, who takes a home. And indeed, the
weakest of homes is the home of the (female)spider, if they only knew
(Al-'Ankaboot, 29: 41).
***
The other four kinds of insects, which are
mentioned in the Holy Quran, are referred to in the
plural noun form, applying to both males and females, reflecting
scientific facts about them, which were discovered only lately after the
invention of the microscope and the establishment of the modern biology
science. In these four kinds of insects, both males and females work, and
females do not kill males, as in the cases of the four species mentioned above.
Verse 22: 73 mentions
flies twice, in the plural form, reflecting a scientific fact.
Biologist discovered that the fly life span is about
35 days, for both males and females. That is why the Verse referred
to both of them in plural, without distinguishing one of them from the other.
يَا
أَيُّهَا
النَّاسُ
ضُرِبَ
مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا
لَهُ إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
تَدْعُونَ
مِن دُونِ
اللَّـهِ لَن
يَخْلُقُوا
ذُبَابًا
وَلَوِ
اجْتَمَعُوا
لَهُ وَإِن
يَسْلُبْهُمُ
الذُّبَابُ
شَيْئًا لَّا
يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ
مِنْهُ ضَعُفَ
الطَّالِبُ
وَالْمَطْلُوبُ (الحج
، 22: 73).
O people, an example is presented, so listen to
it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create flies, even if
they gathered together for that purpose. And if the flies should steal away
from them a (tiny) thing, they could not recover it from (the flies). Weak are
the pursuer and pursued (Al-'Haj, 22: 73).
Verse 101: 4 describes how people will look
like when they year the first blow of the Trumpet,
ushering the beginning of the Hour, and starting the Last Day. At that moment,
people will be disoriented and dispersed on Earth like the butterflies.
يَوْمَ
يَكُونُ
النَّاسُ
كَالْفَرَاشِ
الْمَبْثُوثِ (القارعة
، 101: 4).
It is the Day when people will be like the
butterflies, dispersed (Al-Qari'a, 101: 4).
The Verse mentions the butterflies in the plural noun form, reflecting a scientific fact. There is no difference between male and female butterflies in
their life span or work. Females are not distinguished from males in
any important characteristic. Therefore, the plural noun form was used in the
Verse.
Finally, in Verse 7: 133, locusts and lice are also mentioned in the plural
noun form for each one of them, reflecting a scientific fact. There is no
difference between males and females, in these two species, in their life span
or stages of development.
فَأَرْسَلْنَا
عَلَيْهِمُ
الطُّوفَانَ
وَالْجَرَادَ
وَالْقُمَّلَ
وَالضَّفَادِعَ
وَالدَّمَ
آيَاتٍ
مُّفَصَّلَاتٍ
فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا
وَكَانُوا
قَوْمًا
مُّجْرِمِينَ (الأعراف
، 7: 133).
So, We sent upon them the flood, locusts, lice,
frogs, and blood, as distinct signs, but they were arrogant and were a criminal
people (Al-A'araf, 7: 133).
Locusts are also mentioned in another verse of
the Holy Quran (54: 7), which describes people's condition after the second
blow of the Trumpet, after they rise up from under the earth to its surface.
They will be like the spreading locusts.
خُشَّعًا
أَبْصَارُهُمْ
يَخْرُجُونَ
مِنَ
الْأَجْدَاثِ
كَأَنَّهُمْ
جَرَادٌ مُّنتَشِرٌ (القمر ، 54: 7).
Their eyes humbled, they will emerge from the
graves as if they were locusts spreading (Al-Qamar, 54: 7).
Scientists estimate the size of spreading
locusts about 10 billion in each swarm. This is the
closest image that we can imagine about the number of people who will come out
of earth for Judgment, in the Last day. They will come out in waves, as Verse
78: 20 tells us:
يَوْمَ
يُنفَخُ فِي
الصُّورِ
فَتَأْتُونَ أَفْوَاجًا (النبأ ، 78: 18).
The Day the Trumpet is blown, you will come
forth in waves (Al-Naba, 78: 18).
The world population now is more than 7 billion
people, which is only one wave. Only God knows how many waves of humans will be
there.
***
15.
The topic of the scientific facts in the Holy Quran has been addressed in many
books, book chapters, and articles, which can be considered supplemental to
this Chapter. These include various chapters of this book, particularly the
fourth Chapter, “Creation and Evolution in the Holy Quran.” Examples of other works, which address this topic, are those authored by
Zaghloul El-Naggar, Maurice Bucaille, Ibrahim and
others, Shah Alam,
Ebrahim Azarpour, Yahiya Emerick, and Mohammad
Humayoun Khan. [34]
16. Since the last few decades of the 14th
Hijri Century (20th Christian Century), a new category of Muslim
researchers has emerged with a focus on the numerical miracles of the Holy
Quran. However, their works are still at the early stages, incremental,
selective, and without agreed upon methods of research. However, their findings
showed that the letters, words, verses, and chapters of the Holy Quran are
mentioned in calculated numbers and in a tight numerical system. Thus, their
works demonstrate that it is the Book of God, which could have never been
authored by anyone else, except Him, as stated in verse 17: 88.
قُل
لَّئِنِ
اجْتَمَعَتِ
الْإِنسُ
وَالْجِنُّ
عَلَىٰ أَن
يَأْتُوا
بِمِثْلِ
هَـٰذَا
الْقُرْآنِ
لَا
يَأْتُونَ
بِمِثْلِهِ
وَلَوْ كَانَ
بَعْضُهُمْ
لِبَعْضٍ
ظَهِيرًا" (الإسراء ، 17: 88).
Say, "If humans and the jinn gathered in
order to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like of it,
even if they backed up each other (with help and support)" (Al-Issra, 17:
88).
Moreover, their research findings provide
evidence that such tight numerical system of the Holy Quran represents a
guarantee that the Book of God will stay intact, without any changes,
alterations, additions, or omissions. If any changes happen, then the numerical
balance in the relationships of letters, words, verses, and chapters would have
been affected, which would be discovered by researchers. Thus, Allah, praise to
Him, has guarded His Book by making it self-preserving, as stated in verse 15:
9.
إِنَّا
نَحْنُ
نَزَّلْنَا
الذِّكْرَ
وَإِنَّا
لَهُ
لَحَافِظُونَ
(الحجر ، 15:
9).
Indeed, We sent down the
Quran and We will be its guardian (Al-‘Hijr, 15: 9).
Examples of Research on the Numerical Miracles of
the Holy Quran
There have been hundreds of
researchers, who focus on the numerical miracles of the Holy Quran. Here are
brief introductions about five of them, just as examples, without any
implication that other researchers are less important in their work or
findings.
Rashad Khalifa (1973, 1981) was the first researcher in this category
to discover the importance of number 19, as evidence for the tight numerical
system in the Holy Quran. He started with the first verse of the Book of God,
Al-Basmala. He found that it is composed of 19 letters. He also found that each
of its words is repeated in the Holy Quran with a number, which is a perfect
multiplier of the number 19.
Further, he found that the separate letters, at the start of 29 chapters
(Suras) of the Holy Quran, have specific numerical indications. For example,
the separate letters (muqatta’at): Alif, Lam, Meem (A L M), at the start of
Chapters 2, 3, 29, 30, 31, and 32, are repeated in the Holy Quran 9,899 times,
which is a multiplier of number 19. The findings of his research encouraged many researchers
to follow his path, in their attempts to find more letter and word counts,
which are multiples of number 19, and number 7 later on. However, despite his
pioneering work, which triggered research in this area, Rashad Khalifa
started to focus more on supporting his theory by any means than accepting his
research findings. This led him to twist the data, to the extent that he
suggested the exclusion of two verses, which did not suit his calculations. [35]
Bassam Jarrar
(2003) addressed the topic of number 19, showing its importance for the
numerical miracle of the Holy Quran. He also used the gematrical (Jummal)
calculation method, in assigning specific numerical values to the researched
letters and verses. For example, he demonstrated that there is a numerical
resemblance between the words “Adam” and “Eissa” (Jesus), both of which are
mentioned in verse 3: 59, as follows:
إِنَّ
مَثَلَ
عِيسَىٰ
عِندَ
اللَّـهِ
كَمَثَلِ
آدَمَ ۖ
خَلَقَهُ مِن
تُرَابٍ
ثُمَّ قَالَ
لَهُ كُن
فَيَكُونُ" (آل عمران ، 3: 59).
Indeed, the example of ‘Eissa (Jesus) to Allah
is like that of Adam. He created him of the earth matter (dirt or soil); then
He said to him, "Be," and he was (Al-‘Imran, 3: 59).
He observed that the name of “‘Eissa” (Jesus),
peace be upon him, is repeated in the Holy Quran 25 times. So does the name of
“Adam,” peace be upon him, which is also repeated 25 times. Counting the word
“’Eissa” from the beginning of the Holy Quran until verse 3: 59, he found that
it is repeated 7 times, so does the word “Adam,” which is also repeated 7
times.
He also looked for another resemblance, in
another chapter, which he found in Surat Maryam (Chapter 19). It’s known that
Maryam was the daughter of ‘Imran, and the first resemblance was in Surat
Al-‘Imran (Chapter 3), where the first moment of the creation of ‘Eissa (the
inception) was mentioned. However, more details about his creation came in
Chapter 19.
The word ‘Eissa (Jesus) was mentioned in Surat
Maryam (Chapter 19) only once, in verse 34, and that was the 19th
time, counting from the beginning of the Holy Quran text. That was also the
case for the word “Adam,” which was mentioned once, in verse 58 of the same
Chapter, and that was also the 19th time, counting from the
beginning of the Holy Quran text.
Thus, in Chapter 19, the words “’Eissa” was
mentioned in the Holy Quran for the 19th time, so was the word
“Adam.” Moreover, if we count starting from verse 34, which mentions ‘Eissa,
peace be to him, we find that verse 58 (which mentions Adam, peace be upon him)
is the 25th verse. This is one more confirmation about the
similarity between them.
In addition to his valuable efforts in showing
the numerical miracles in the Book of God, Bassam Jarrar is one of the
contemporary interpreters of the Holy Quran. His interpretations are
characterized by a linguistic depth and by using evidence from social life and
facts of science, which gave his videos much following on the internet. [36]
‘Adnan Al-Rifa-‘i
(2009) was also interested in number 19. He reorganized the Arabic alphabet in
a certain way, giving each letter a different numerical value. Then, he applied his gematrical system to
the first verse of the Holy Quran, Al-Basmala, which he described as the key to
understand the numerical miracle of the Book of God, as it is composed of 19
letters.
He also mentioned verse 30 of Surat Al-Muddathir
(Chapter 74), “عَلَيْهَا
تِسْعَةَ
عَشَرَ”, as the only verse in the Holy Quran, which
mentions number 19. It states that “over (the hellfire), there are 19” (angels
in charge). He found that the total gematrical value of its letters is 114,
which is the total number of the Holy Quran chapters, and it is a multiple of
number 19.
He added that if we exclude the repeated
separate letters (muqatta’at), the
total gematrical value of the remaining letters will be 361, which is a
multiple of number 19. Further, he pointed that the total gematrical value of
verses 30-37 of Surat Al-Muddathir (Chapter 74) is 2,185, which is a multiple
of number 19. In addition, he provided many examples of verses and verse parts,
the gematrical values of which are multiples of number 19.
All in all, ‘Adnan Al-Rifa-‘I’s contributions
and hard work deserve to be recognized, despite his selectivity in only giving examples of the cases which
apply to his arguments, while not mentioning others which do not apply. Thus
doing, his research method has the basic selectivity problem, which is facing
the numerical miracle research in general. [37]
Abdul Da-im Al-Ka’heel
(2006) has become one of the famous researchers in the topic of the numerical
miracle of the Holy Quran, particularly because of the spread of his videos
about that in the internet. He criticized the selectivity of other researchers,
particularly Rashad Khalifah, who gave himself the liberty to delete the
letters and words which did not fit his argument about number 19.
He pointed that there are other miraculous
numbers in the Holy Quran, in addition to number 19, such as number 7, which he
considered as the base for the numerical system of all words, verses, and
chapters of the Holy Quran.
He found that number 11 is present in the
letters of verses, which mention the Oneness of God. He also found number 13 as
representing the number of years of the Prophet’s mission in Makkah, number 23
as representing the number of years in which the Prophet, pbbuh, received
revelation, and number 29 as representing the number of chapters which start
with separate letters (muqatta’at). He also provided many numerical facts in
the Holy Quran, including its first verse and first chapter, showing the numerical
harmony (consistency) of number 7 in Surat Al-Ikhlas
(Chapter 112) of the holy Quran.
Al-Ka’heel criticized other researchers who
used gematrical systems, such as ‘Hisab Al-Jummal, to give numerical values for
the letters, words, and chapter numbers of the Holy Quran. He mentioned that
such a method is scientifically baseless and whatever findings researchers
found were the result of using selected examples. Further, he warned
researchers to stay away from predicting dates of future events, because these
are part of the unknown, which is the sphere of Allah alone.
He also observed that the current numerical
miracle research is limited to the use of Al-Mus’haf Al-Imam text of the
Holy Quran, which is based on the reading of ‘Hafs from ‘Asim.
Moreover, he called on researchers to come to an agreement on consistent
research methods and on the used data, which should be from the Holy Quran text.
He argued that if the methods and the data are correct, then the findings will
be correct, which should represent a true miracle, not just a coincidence.
Actually, he took the initiative (2012) to
address the problem of inaccuracy among some researchers, in counting the
letters and words of the Holy Quran. He formed and chaired a Committee of experts from various
Arab countries, which worked for about seven years, for that purpose. The main
established standard the Committee came up with was counting a letter if it is
physically written, not how it is pronounced. The Committee also developed a
digitized copy of the Holy Quran, with search functions, and launched it to be
used by researchers and the general public (2018). [38]
Khalid Al-Faqih (2017) wanted to
avoid the selectivity problem, which was experienced by other researchers.
Therefore, he embarked on a research endeavor, which applies to the whole text
of the Holy Quran, using the gematrical system of ‘Hisab Al-Jummal. He observed
the rules and guidelines established by Abdul Da-im Al-Ka’heel (2012) and his
Committee, in order to be as accurate as possible in counting the letters and
words of the Holy Quran. In particular, a letter is counted if it is physically written, not how it is
pronounced. This means that the stressed letters are counted once, not
twice as some researchers did.
He started with the calculation the Holy Quran Constant
(HQC), by dividing its gematrical value (23,506,544) by the cumulative
sum of verse numbers (333,667). The result was that the HQC is: 70.44911244,
which resembles the way the Quran was mathematically
designed, structured and configured. He argued that it must have the keys to
unlock the secrets of the Quran, such as unleashing the Quran statistics
(words, verses and chapters) and revealing its numerical connection with the
golden ratio of living and non-things (Ф).
He calculated the Holy Quran Golden Ratio (HQGR), to compare
it with the golden ratio, by dividing the
number of the Holy Quran chapters (114) by the HQC (70.44911244).
Thus, he found that the HQGR is: 1.618189304, which resembles the golden ratio
of things (1.6180339887), with 99.99% accuracy. He considered that finding a
clear piece of evidence that the Holy Quran is the Book of Allah, who designed
His Book to match His other designs, in His dominium. [39]
Creation and Evolution in the Holy
Quran
***
الخَلْقُ
وَالتَّطَوُّرُ
فِي القُرْآنِ
الكَرِيمِ
***
أَعُوذُ
بِاللهِ مِنَ
الشَّيْطَانِ
الرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ
اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ
الرَّحِيمِ
I seek refuge with God
from the Stoned Shaytan (Satan)
In the Name of Allah,
the Beneficent, the Merciful
***
Introduction
Through
the meanings of the first ten Quran verses addressed in Chapter 3 of this book,
we saw how Allah (God) started the creation of the universe, including the
seven heavens and the seven earth-like planets, as well as the intelligent
beings living in them. This Chapter focuses on the themes of creation and
evolution, by addressing how Allah started the creation of life on Earth and
how He left it to evolve as a result of learning from adaptation to the various
environments, with His intervention to improve His creation.
In
particular, the creation and evolution of human beings will be addressed
through the discussion of the following 43 verses, which
the author identified in the Holy Quran and presented in a suggested order of
creation and evolution.
Meanings
of these verses are explained by consulting with the three renowned
interpreters of the Holy Quran (Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi, and Ibn
Katheer). Then, the meanings are compared with the scientific evidence,
particularly from anthropology, biology, and cosmology. The objective is to
tell the story of God's creation of life and how it evolved on Planet Earth,
not only by using the linguistic meanings of the verses but also by using the
relevant scientific facts.
From
the meanings of these verses, researchers can find support for the evolutionary
theory, which dominates all natural sciences. Moreover, the scientific facts
included in these verses represent further pieces of evidence that the author
of the Holy Quran is Allah, the All Knowledgeable, as humans did not know these
facts until the establishment of modern sciences, during the second half of the
19th Century.
The 43 Verses, Which Tell the Story of Creation and Evolution in the
Holy Quran
1-2. Verses 29:
19-20 include God's command to us to
travel through the Earth, to study how He began
His creation, in order to explain to us how He repeated it before
(after the extinction of the human species), and how He can repeat it again in
the Hereafter.
أَوَلَمْ
يَرَوْا
كَيْفَ
يُبْدِئُ
اللَّـهُ
الْخَلْقَ
ثُمَّ
يُعِيدُهُ إِنَّ
ذَٰلِكَ
عَلَى
اللَّـهِ
يَسِيرٌ ﴿العنكبوت
، 29: 19﴾.
قُلْ
سِيرُوا فِي
الْأَرْضِ
فَانظُرُوا
كَيْفَ
بَدَأَ
الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ
اللَّـهُ يُنشِئُ
النَّشْأَةَ
الْآخِرَةَ إِنَّ
اللَّـهَ
عَلَىٰ كُلِّ
شَيْءٍ
قَدِيرٌ ﴿العنكبوت
، 29: 20﴾.
Do
they not see how Allah begins the
Creation, then repeats it? That is easy for Allah (to do) (Al-'Ankaboot, 29:
19).
Say:
"Travel through the Earth and see how He began the Creation. Then, Allah
makes the latter Creation. Allah is capable of (doing) everything"
(Al-'Ankaboot, 29: 20).
Thus,
the emergence of modern sciences,
which investigate how the Universe, including our solar system, started, as
well as how life began and how it has continued on our planet, represents an
implementation of this divine command. This included the establishment of
anthropology with its four sub-disciplines (archaeological, biological,
linguistic, and cultural), biology, physics, chemistry, astrophysics, and
geography, to name some of them.
3. Verse 50: 15
confirms what was mentioned in Verse 29: 19 above, that there was a first creation of life on Earth.
أفَعَيِينَا
بِٱلۡخَلۡقِ
ٱلۡأَوَّلِۚ
بَلۡ هُمۡ
فِى لَبۡسٍ۬
مِّنۡ خَلۡقٍ۬
جَدِيد (قاف ، 50: 15).
Were We then tired with the first
creation? (No), they (nonbelievers) are in confusion
about a new creation (Qaf, 50: 15).
4. Verse 21: 30 tells us that the heavens and the
Earth were joined together as one entity before they were splintered, and that every living thing was made out of water.
أَوَلَمْ
يَرَ
الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُوا
أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضَ
كَانَتَا
رَتْقاً
فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا
وَجَعَلْنَا
مِنَ الْمَاء
كُلَّ شَيْءٍ
حَيٍّ أَفَلا
يُؤْمِنُونَ (الأنبياء
، 21:
30).
Have
not those who disbelieve seen (known) that the heavens and the Earth were of
one connected entity, then We splintered (separated) them, and We made every
living thing out of water? Will they not then believe? (Al-Anbiya', 21: 30).
This
verse is a source of support for scientists who have reached the
established biological fact that water is necessary for any life form. For
decades, space programs have had a major goal of investigating whether there is
water on other planets or not, in order to begin the exploration of whether
there is life on those planets or not. This Verse and several other verses in
the Holy Quran have stated clearly that every living being has been created
from water.
Water
covers about seventy percent of the surface of the Earth, which has provided it
with the essential requirement of life. We know now
the components of cells in primitive unicellular organisms. However, scientists
do not know how life started in the first cell, and they have never been able
to create life in a cell.
This
Verse tells us that it is God, Who created living beings out of water. As we
learn from the verses addressed below, He did that by blowing of His Spirit
into the first cell, creating life in it, which became the primary software or
DNA of living things.
5. Verse 20: 30
tells us that the first creation of life on Earth was out of earth matter (dirt or
soil), in addition to water, as mentioned in Verse 21: 30 above.
وَمِنْ
آيَاتِهِ
أَنْ
خَلَقَكُم
مِّن تُرَابٍ
ثُمَّ إِذَا
أَنتُم
بَشَرٌ
تَنتَشِرُونَ"
(الروم ، 30:
20).
And
of His signs is that He created you from the earth matter (dirt or soil).Then,
you became humans spreading (throughout the Earth) (Al-Room, 30: 20).
Water
is the first condition for life to exist but this Verse tells us that the earth
matter was the other condition for the human life to exist. The most relevant
word in this verse is "turab,"
which is the earth matter that can be translated into dirt or soil. The same word is also mentioned in
five other verses in relation to the first creation of life on Earth. [40]
6. Verse 32: 7
tells us that the first creation of life was in clay,
which is a combination of water and earth matter (dust or soil).
الَّذِي
أَحْسَنَ
كُلَّ شَيْءٍ
خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ
خَلْقَ
الإنْسَانِ
مِنْ طِينٍ (السَّجْدَةُ
، 32: 7).
(Allah
is He) who has made everything He created better, and He began the creation of
the human (being) out of clay (Al-Sajda, 32: 7).
In
this verse, we are told that the first creation of human beings was out of
clay, but that was the beginning. The most relevant word in this verse is
"began" (bada-a), which tells
us clearly that the creation happened in a process that had a beginning. It did
not happen at once.
Water
is the basic condition for life to exist, as we know from Verse 21: 30,
mentioned above, but in Verse 30: 20, the earth matter (dust or soil) is added
as a second condition. In this Verse (32: 7), we learn that the first creation
of life was in clay, which is a confirmation for the previously mentioned two verses, as clay is the
combination of water and earth matter (dust or soil). This is also what we know
from the scientific evidence available to us today, as there is a wide
agreement among scientists that the beginning of life was in clay, which is
basically composed of water and earth matter (dust or soil). [41]
7. Verse 37:
11 describes the clay, in which life started, as sticky
clay:
فَاسْتَفْتِهِمْ
أَهُمْ
أَشَدُّ
خَلْقًا أَم
مَّنْ
خَلَقْنَا ۚ
إِنَّا
خَلَقْنَاهُم
مِّن طِينٍ
لَّازِبٍ (الصافات
، 37: 11).
Then, (O Muhammad) inquire of them (the
Makkan nonbelievers), "Are they a stronger creation (than others) We have
created?" Indeed, We created them from sticky clay (Al-Saffat,
3711).
The
three renowned interpreters of the Holy Quran agreed on the meaning of the word
"lazib," in the verse, as sticky. Thus, the first creation of life
began in sticky clay. Its molecules were sticky to each-other and it would stick to
anything that touched it.
8. Verse 15: 26
provides another description of the clay used
in the first creation of life, mentioning
that it was dry
clay with a stinking smell.
وَلَقَدْ
خَلَقْنَا
الإِنسَانَ
مِن صَلْصَالٍ
مِّنْ حَمَإٍ
مَّسْنُونٍ (الحجر ، 15:
26).
We
created the human being from dry clay, molded of blackened (and) stinking mud
(Al-'Hijr, 15: 26).
This
verse gives a very specific description of the environment where life started.
It refers to places where water was combined with the earth matter (dust or
soil), creating stinking clay. This description is the same as the one used by
biologists, who mention that life on Earth started in clay, where water is
mixed with the earth matter (dust or soil). This includes various primary
elements, some of which have stinking smell, such as hydrogen sulfides, thus
making the clay stinking, precisely as mentioned in this Verse. [42]
9. Verse 55: 14
confirms that the clay of the first
creation was dry, like pottery.
خَلَقَ
الإِنسَانَ
مِن
صَلْصَالٍ
كَالْفَخَّارِ (ألرحمن
، 55:
14).
He
created the human (being) of a hard clay, like pottery (Al-Ra'hman, 55: 14).
This
Verse (55: 14) tells us that the clay, which was used for the first creation of
life, was dry, like pottery, confirming what was mentioned in Verse 15: 26
above. However, when such dry clay was moistened with water, it became suitable
for the start of life in it, as water is the first condition for life to exist
(21: 30).
10. Verse 71: 14
tells us that the creation of humans happened in
stages, not at once, as was also mentioned in Verse 32: 7, by the
use of the verb "began" (bada-a).Thus, the creation of humans from
clay was the first stage of the first creation, which was followed by other
stages, as we learn from other verses below.
وَقَدۡ خَلَقَكُمۡ
أَطۡوَارًا (نوح ، 71: 14).
He has created you in diverse (and successive) stages (Noo'h, 71:
14).
From
the following verses, we learn that there are two creations. The first one was
in nature, which included five stages. These are starting life in the cell,
fashioning humans in the right proportions, walking on two legs, imaging, and
blowing of God's Spirit. The second creation is in the womb, which also
includes five stages. These are the fertilized egg (zygote), leech, lump (like
a chewed substance), bones, and muscles, as will be discussed later in Verse
23: 14 below.
11. Verse 6: 2
tells us that after Allah had created life in clay, He
willed to leave His creation on its own, for a certain time He determined.
هُوَ
الَّذِي
خَلَقَكُم
مِّن طِينٍ
ثُمَّ قَضَى
أَجَلاً
وَأَجَلٌ
مُّسمًّى
عِندَهُ ثُمَّ
أَنتُمْ
تَمْتَرُونَ (الأنعام
، 6: 2).
He
is Who created you from clay, then He spent a term of
time (away from you), and (it is) a specific term He determined. Yet,
you doubt (His ability)! (Al-An'am, 6: 2).
Scientists
generally, and biologists and anthropologists in particular, can have support
from this Verse, as well as from the following verses, for their evolutionary
explanation of how different species evolved on Earth, on their own, in
specific periods of time, when Allah, praise to Him, determined to spend some
time away from His creation.
Thus,
this Verse summarizes the two concepts of creation and evolution. While
creation refers to God's intervention, making changes and improvements on His
creation, evolution refers to the changes which happen to organisms as a result
of their interaction and adaptation to their physical and social environment.
This is also the essence of the evolutionary theory, which dominates the natural
sciences.
12. Verse 4: 1
tells us that at the start of the first creation, there
was only one living self (unicellular organism). Then, another self (cell) came
out of it, to become its mate. The Verse also tells us that these
two primary cells were the origins of the second creation of men and women (in
the womb).
يَا
أَيُّهَا
النَّاسُ
اتَّقُواْ
رَبَّكُمُ
الَّذِي
خَلَقَكُم
مِّن نَّفْسٍ
وَاحِدَةٍ
وَخَلَقَ
مِنْهَا
زَوْجَهَا
وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا
رِجَالاً
كَثِيراً
وَنِسَاء (النساء
، 4:
1).
O Humans! Be pious (careful of your duty) to your Lord, Who created you from a
single self (living cell), and from it He created its mate, and from them He
has spread a multitude of men and women (Al-Nissa, 4: 1).
Biological
science tells us that the earliest form of life was represented by single cell
organisms found in water, then these multiplied by splitting themselves. With
the course of time, reproduction evolved to become as a result of pair-mating,
instead of the archaic forms of splitting or dividing. (See Appendix 1 about the "Origins of Life on Earth," as agreed upon by
natural scientists).
13. Verse 82: 7
mentions the first three stages of the first
creation. These are starting life
in the first cell, fashioning with the
right proportions, and walking upright on two
legs.
الَّذِي
خَلَقَكَ
فَسَوَّاكَ
فَعَدَلَكَ (الإنفطار
، 82:
7).
It
is He Who created you, fashioned you with the right
proportions, and straightened you up (Al-Infitar, 82: 7).
The
first stage was the creation of life in the first cell (unicellular
prokaryote), as expressed in the Arabic verb khalaqa (created). The
second stage was fashioning with the right proportions, as expressed in the
Arabic verb sawwa, in which the unicellular prokaryote organisms evolved to the
multicellular eukaryote organisms, including animals. While humans share the first
two stages with other organism, the third stage represented the human departure
from the animal kingdom. This is expressed by the Arabic verb 'adala, which
means that God straightened up humans, enabling them to walk in an upright way,
on two legs. These three stages are recognized now as scientific facts, taught
in biology textbooks. [43]
In
their interpretation of the verb 'adalak in Verse 82: 7, the three interpreters
explained it as "straightened you up," but
Ibn Katheer elaborated more about the meaning. He mentioned a 'Hadith from the
Prophet, pbbuh, that Allah, praise to Him, created humans in the best image and
the right proportions and made them walk in a balanced way, in an upright
position, which allowed them to walk between the two cold times of the day
(before the sunrise and before the sunset).
This
could be a reference to the homo erectus, which marked a major departure of
humans from their closest kin in the primate family. The Prophet's mention of
walking between the two cold times maybe a reference to the fact that walking
on two legs, instead of all four as animals do, has allowed humans to earn
their living, explore, migrate, and ultimately live in all regions of the
earth. We learn this from the word "bardayn" in the ‘Hadith, which
may refer to the two coolest times of the day, from dawn until before the
sunset. [44]
14. Verse 64: 3
refers to a fourth main stage of the first creation
of life on Earth, which is the stage of making humans in the best of images.
خَلَقَ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضَ
بِالْحَقِّ
وَصَوَّرَكُمْ
فَأَحْسَنَ
صُوَرَكُمْ وَإِلَيْهِ
الْمَصِيرُ (التغابن
، 64: 3).
He
created the heavens and the Earth in truth and imaged you in the best of
images, and to Him is the (final) destination (Al-Taghabun, 64: 3).
In
this fourth stage, the Creator made humans in the best of images, that is in
beauty, grace, and the right proportions of features, as expressed in the
Arabic verb a'hsana sowarakum (made you in the best of
images). It's amazing that many people do not appreciate this divine honor
for them, as they inject harmful substances to their bodies, or eat too much
without hard work or exercise, which may result in diseases and pain, as well
as in tarnishing the divine beauty God bestowed on them!
15. Verse 82: 8
tells us that the genetic structure of the human
child represents that which is shared with humanity and before.
فِي
أَيِّ
صُورَةٍ مَّا
شَاء
رَكَّبَكَ (الانفطار
، 82:
8).
In
whatever image (form) He willed, He assembled you (Al-Infitar, 82: 8).
In
explaining this verse, Al-Tabari and Ibn Katheer mentioned the Prophet's
'Hadith, in which he said, "When the fertilized egg settles in the womb,
Allah connects it genetically to Adam." Al-Qurtubi agreed with
them, in that the human fetus may reflect characteristics and features of
relatives and non-relatives, and even features of animals.
So,
despite the fact that people may differ in their external features, such as
their height, weight, skin color, and facial feature, yet they carry the same
genetic heritage they share with other humans, since the first creation, all
the way to Adam, and their parents. Most likely, people may look like their
parents and close relativesو but it is possible that they may differ
from them. Some people may even have some features of animals, such as in the
shape of their ears, noses, mouths, chins, necks, and eyes.
16. Verse 15: 29
refers to a fifth main stage in the first creation
of life on Earth, which was blowing part of God's
Spirit in humans.
فَإِذَا
سَوَّيْتُهُ
وَنَفَخْتُ
فِيهِ مِن
رُّوحِي
فَقَعُوا
لَهُ
سَاجِدِينَ (الحجر
، 15: 29).
And
when I have proportioned him and blown into him of My Spirit, then fall down to
him in prostration (Al-'Hijr, 15: 29 ; Sad, 38: 72).
This
Verse, which was also repeated in 38: 72, shows that blowing God's Spirit was
the fifth stage of the first creation, which preceded God's command for angels
to prostate to Adam. The evidence for this conclusion is the use of the
conjunctive letter f (fa), which refers to direct temporal sequence of events,
without delay. In comparison with Verse 7: 11, the command of prostration came
with the use of the conjunctive word "thumma," which means then and
refers to a delayed temporal sequence of events.
Concerning
God's Spirit, which was blown into humans, we know little about that, as Verse
17: 85 tells us. However, there is a slight discussion about God's Spirit in
Chapter 9 of this book, "Mind, Self, Spirit, Soul, and Happiness."
Blowing
God's Spirit in humans, in the fifth stage of the first creation, distinguished
them from animals and honored them, by giving them the noble human
characteristics, such as choice, acquisition of knowledge, and construction,
which are discussed in Chapter 5, "Humans, as God's Caliphs on
Earth."
But
it can be said that the blowing of God's Spirit in humans was a way to honor
them and to elevate their status among other creatures. It added to the human
DNA a number of noble characteristics, such as the ability to distinguish
choose between right and wrong, logic, the ability to abstain from doing harm
to the self and others, planning, expression, acquisition of knowledge, and
construction, as will be discussion in Chapter 5, "Humans, as God's
Caliphs on Earth."
17-20. Verse 7: 11
refers to God's command to angels, to prostrate to
Adam, as a sign to honor humans and in recognition to their
intellectual capabilities.
وَلَقَدْ
خَلَقْنَاكُمْ
ثُمَّ
صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ
ثُمَّ
قُلْنَا
لِلْمَلآئِكَةِ
اسْجُدُواْ
لآدَمَ
فَسَجَدُواْ
إِلاَّ
إِبْلِيسَ
لَمْ يَكُن
مِّنَ
السَّاجِدِينَ (الأعراف
، 7:
11).
And
We created you (humans, in plural form), then imaged you (also addressing
humans in plural form), then said to the angels: Prostrate to Adam! And they
prostrated, all except Iblis (Satan), who was not of those who made prostration
(Al-A'raf, 7: 11).
This
Verse refers to the greatest event in the history of
humanity, which was also mentioned in Verse 15: 29 above. In
comparison with other species on Earth, humans reached a high level of
intellect and morality, which qualified them for the honor of receiving
communication from their Creator, who decided to make them His caliphs
(deputies) on Earth.
The
high level of intellect was reflected in the human capability to invent various
ways of communication, including language, which facilitated the exchange of
information and ideas. This, in turn, helped humans to adapt to their various
environments, utilizing available resources, and consequently achieving more
prosperity.
If
we compare the human mental and communication capabilities with those of their
closest relatives in the animal kingdom, the chimpanzees, we find that humans
have excelled as a result of having numerous physiological advantages. A major
difference between humans and other animals is that humans are much more
intelligent than any animal species on the planet, as measured by the EQ
comparisons. Humans also have very much larger brain processing and memory
centers, which contributes to advanced communication capabilities. In addition,
the human pharynx is shaped as a right angle, which enables the production of
precise sounds, by the tight control of air, passing through the vocal cords.
These precise sounds became the basic units of human languages. With these
communication and mental capacities, humans became capable of advanced
thinking, complex processing of information, communication with others, and
receiving communication from their Creator, through inspiration. [45]
Humans
also have achieved the capability to be moral beings, which they gained from
their Creator's blowing of His Spirit into their DNA. So, they became inclined
to do good, capable of distinguishing between right and wrong, and in
possession of the will to choose their decisions and deeds. Therefore, they
became accountable to such decisions and deeds. Physiologically speaking, the
front lobe of the human brain, which processes intellectual, moral, and ethical
issues, is much larger and more developed in the human brain than in brains of
any other species on Earth. [46]
Verses
11: 56 and 96: 15-16 mention the forehead, the front lobe of the brain, as the
part in which intellectual, moral, and ethical processes take place.
Consequently, front lobe will be held responsible for the committed lies and
sins.
إِنِّي
تَوَكَّلْتُ
عَلَى
اللَّـهِ
رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُم
مَّا مِن
دَابَّةٍ
إِلَّا هُوَ
آخِذٌ
بِنَاصِيَتِهَا
إِنَّ رَبِّي
عَلَىٰ
صِرَاطٍ
مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
(هود
، 11: 56).
Indeed,
I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that
He holds its forehead. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path (Hood, 11:
56).
كَلَّا
لَئِن لَّمْ
يَنتَهِ
لَنَسْفَعًا
بِالنَّاصِيَةِ
﴿١٥﴾
نَاصِيَةٍ
كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ
﴿١٦﴾
(العلق
، 96: 15: 16).
Does
he not know that Allah sees? (14) No! If he does not desist, We will surely
strike (his) forehead - (15) A lying, sinning forehead. (16) (Al-'Alaq, 96: 14-16).
In
Arabic dictionaries, the word nasiya, mentioned in the Verse, means the
forehead. In his interpretation of Verse 11: 56, Al-Qurtubi also
mentioned clearly that the Arabic word nasiya, mentioned in the Verse,
means the forehead, which may become a lying and sinning forehead. [47]
In
recognition of these human advanced intellectual and moral capabilities and
achievements, Allah decided to make humans His caliphs (deputies) on Earth. The
angels were surprised because they saw some humans shedding blood and
committing acts of corruption. So, Allah chose Adam to represent humanity (3:
33), in a contest between him and the angels, to show them that he is worthy of
God's trust and honor, as He created him with His own hands (38: 75). When Adam
won the contest, Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to him, in recognition
of his winning. All angels obeyed and prostrated, except Iblis (Satan), who
refused, arguing that he was better than humans, and saying that he was created
of fire while Adam was created originally of clay. Further, he asked Allah to
delay his punishment, to prove his point that humans are not worthy of God's
trust in them. Allah accepted the challenge because of His knowledge that many
humans are going to be good and thankful to Him. He warned Satan, his
offspring, and their followers among the Jinn and humans that all will be
punished in the hellfire (7: 12-18, 11: 119), as will be discussed in Chapter
6, "Adam's Contest with the Angels and Getting Out of Paradise."
Humans
have demonstrated that they are worthy of God's trust in them, as they have
continued to worship Him by choice (90: 10), while angels worship Him as a
result of their obedient nature (66: 6). Moreover, humans are capable of the
acquisition of knowledge (2: 31), and they like to make things and construct
(11: 61), as will be discussed in Chapter 5 of this book. This God's trust in
at least some humans to be wise, as rulers of His Earth, was also recognized by
anthropologists, who have called the current human species as homo sapien
sapiens (the wise human). [48]
21. In Verse 14:
19, we read a threat that Allah, Who created heavens and Earth with the right
proportions, may cause humans to disappear if He wills:
أَلَمْ
تَرَ أَنَّ
اللّهَ
خَلَقَ
السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالأَرْضَ
بِالْحقِّ
إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ
وَيَأْتِ
بِخَلْقٍ
جَدِيدٍ (إبراهيم
، 14:
19).
Have
you not seen that Allah has created the heavens and the earth with the right
proportions? If He wills, He can remove you and bring ( in your place ) a new
creation (Ibrahim, 14: 19).
There
are two meanings relevant to the subject of this Chapter in the above verse.
First, Allah, praise to Him, has created heavens and Earth with the right
proportions, which is a reference to the perfect system of interrelationships
between components of the universe.
The
Earth is placed in a perfect position and distance from the sun in order for
life to flourish and continue on it. Proximity and distance from the closest
point to the sun on Earth (the equatorial region) has led to the variation of
environments and climates, leading to the wonderful variation in the fauna and
flora in the biosphere. The proportion of water in the planet (70%) is equal to
the proportion of water in the human body. The balance between oxygen and
carbon dioxide and the formation of the ozone, which protects Earth from the
harmful ultraviolet cosmic radiation, all are examples of the right proportions
of creation mentioned in the above verse.
The
second meaning is related to God's threat that He can cause humans to disappear
if they disobey Him and bring a new creation, which is better. Natural
scientists may find support from the meaning of this verse to their theories
about the many now-extinct species, which once dominated Earth, like dinosaurs.
22. Verse 76: 11
tells us that there was a time in which humans went extinct, without a trace on
Earth.
هَلْ
أَتَىٰ عَلَى
الْإِنسَانِ
حِينٌ مِّنَ
الدَّهْرِ
لَمْ يَكُن
شَيْئًا
مَّذْكُورًا (الإنسان
، 76: 1).
Has
there (not) come upon the human (being) a period of time when he was not a
mentioned thing? (Al-Insan, 76: 1).
Biologists
and anthropologists, in particular, may find support in Verse 76: 1 for their
hypotheses about disappearances of some early human species, such as Homo
Erectus and Neanderthals (Appendix 2),
as the Verse states that there was a time in which humans disappeared (were not
a mentioned thing). This Verse also refers to God's ability to bring the
extinct species back to life, and consequently to His ability to resurrect
humans for reckoning and judgment, as mentioned in Verses 29: 19-20 above.
23. Verse 32: 8
tells us about the second creation of life, in the womb. As males and females,
later, paired to reproduce, taking other life forms in the sea and on land.
Reproduction has become in the form of uniting the watery genetic materials of
males and females.
ثُمَّ
جَعَلَ
نَسْلَهُ
مِنْ
سُلالَةٍ
مِنْ مَاءٍ
مَهِينٍ (السجدة ، 32: 8).
Then
He made his offspring from a quintessence of
(parents') despised water (Al-Sajda, 32: 8).
24. Verse
32: 9 mentions two stages of the first creation, which are shaping in due
proportions and blowing God's Spirit in humans. It also mentions the
development of the fetus in the second creation, in the womb.
ثُمَّ
سَوَّاهُ
وَنَفَخَ
فِيهِ مِنْ
رُوحِهِ
وَجَعَلَ
لَكُمُ
السَّمْعَ
وَالأبْصَارَ
وَالأفْئِدَةَ
قَلِيلاً مَا
تَشْكُرُونَ (السجدة
، 32:
9).
Then
He shaped him (in due proportions), and blew in him of His Spirit, and made for
you hearing, sight, and hearts; (however) little thanks you give (Al-Sajda, 32:
9).
Thus,
Allah, praise to Him, has bestowed life on His creation, including humans, by
providing them with a software that enables them to be living, through the
automatic functioning of their organs. However, He honored humans by blowing
part of His Spirit in them, as another software which allows them to
distinguish good from evil and consequently enables them to choose their
actions (For more about blowing some of God’s spirit in humans, see Chapter 9,
“Mind, Self, Soul, Spirit, and Happiness from an Islamic Perspective.”
25. In Verse 71: 17, Allah, praise to Him, teaches us
about the story of the human life by giving an analogy between humans and
plants, as both came out of the earth.
وَٱللَّهُ أَنۢبَتَكُم
مِّنَ ٱلأرۡضِ
نَبَاتً۬ا (نوح ، 71: 17).
And
Allah has caused you to grow out of the earth like plants (Noo'h, 71: 17).
This
means that, originally, organisms started in the earth, inside the stinking
clay. Then, they left to the sea and to the surface of the earth, like plants
which grow out of the earth to appear on its surface.
A
related meaning is that Allah has (originally) planted humans and other
organisms in earth and caused them to grow out of it like plants, which pass
through different and successive metamorphosing stages, from seeds to
growing plants, then to the flowering stage, and ultimately to the death
of the grown plants. However, life restarts, as the dying plants produce seeds,
which repeat the cycle of life again. The analogy also indicates that
humans will be resurrected for reckoning in the Last Day, just like plants are
resurrected after their death, through the seeds, as discussed in Chapter 24.
26. Verse 18: 37
details the meaning mentioned in Verse 71: 14 above (He
has created you in diverse (and successive) stages), by mentioning the first
creation and some stages of the second creation (in the womb), as follows:
قَالَ
لَهُ
صَاحِبُهُ
وَهُوَ
يُحَاوِرُهُ أَكَفَرْتَ
بِالَّذِي
خَلَقَكَ مِن
تُرَابٍ
ثُمَّ مِن
نُّطْفَةٍ
ثُمَّ
سَوَّاكَ رَجُلاً (الكهف
، 18: 37).
His
companion said to him, while arguing with him: Have you disbelieved in Him Who
created you of the earth matter (dirt or soil), then of a nutfah (union
of a father’s sperm and a mother’s egg), then fashioned you into a man? (Al-Kahf,
18: 37).
While
mentioning earth matter (dust or soil), in this Verse, is a reference to the
first creation, mentioning nutfah (union of a father’s sperm and a mother’s
egg) is a reference to the first stage of the second creation, in the womb,
which is followed by four other stages, as explained in Verse 23: 14,
later.
Mentioning
the sex of the fetus (then fashioned you into a man) is a reference to the
scientific fact that the external sexual organs start to appear about six weeks
after the egg fertilization. However, distinguishing males from females is
possible starting from the ninth week after fertilization. [49]
27. Verse 35: 11
confirms the meanings mentioned in Verse 18: 37 and adds another meaning
related to reproduction by pairing:
وَاللَّهُ
خَلَقَكُمْ
مِنْ تُرَابٍ
ثُمَّ مِنْ
نُطْفَةٍ
ثُمَّ
جَعَلَكُمْ
أَزْوَاجًا (فاطر
، 35: 11).
Allah
created you from the earth soil, then from a nutfah (union of a father’s sperm
and a mother’s egg), then He made you pairs (or mates: males and females) (Fatir,
35: 11).
28. Verse 40: 67 adds the second stage of the
second creation, in the womb, (the 'alaqa: leech):
هُوَ
الَّذِي
خَلَقَكُم
مِّن تُرَابٍ
ثُمَّ مِن
نُّطْفَةٍ
ثُمَّ مِنْ
عَلَقَةٍ
ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ
طِفْلاً (غافر
، 40: 67).
He
is Who created you from the earth soil, then from a nutfah (union of a father’s
sperm and a mother’s egg), then from a leech (a fertilized egg sticking to the
womb sucking nutrients from it like a leach), then He brings you out (of the
womb) as a child (Ghafir, 40: 67).
Thus,
the first stage of the second creation is the nutfah, which is the Arabic word
for a fertilized egg, a zygote, or the union of a father’s sperm and a mother’s
egg. The second stage is described in this Verse as an 'alaqa, which is the
Arabic word for a leech. In this case, it refers to a fertilized egg sticking
to the womb, sucking nutrients from it, like a leech which sticks to the animal
or human body, sucking blood from it.
29-31. Verses 23:
12-14 mention the first creation from clay, then list the five successive
stages of the second creation in the womb:
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا
ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ
مِن سُلَـٰلَةٍ۬
مِّن طِينٍ۬ (١٢)
ثُمَّ
جَعَلۡنَـٰهُ
نُطۡفَةً۬
فِى
قَرَارٍ۬
مَّكِينٍ۬ (١٣)
ثُمَّ
خَلَقۡنَا
ٱلنُّطۡفَةَ
عَلَقَةً۬ فَخَلَقۡنَا
ٱلۡعَلَقَةَ
مُضۡغَةً۬
فَخَلَقۡنَا
ٱلۡمُضۡغَةَ
عِظَـٰمً۬ا
فَكَسَوۡنَا
ٱلۡعِظَـٰمَ
لَحۡمً۬ا
ثُمَّ أَنشَأۡنَـٰهُ
خَلۡقًا ءَاخَرَۚ
فَتَبَارَكَ
ٱللَّهُ أَحۡسَنُ ٱلۡخَـٰلِقِينَ
(١٤)
(ألمؤمنون
، 23: 12-14).
We created the human being from a product of wet earth; (12)
Then, We placed it as a nutfah (fertilized egg) in a safe (deep)
lodging; (13)
Then, We created the nutfah into an alaqa (leech).
Then, We created the alaqa into mudh-ghah (a little
lump, like a chewed substance).
Then, We created the mudh-ghah into bones.
Then, We clothed the bones with muscle.
Then, We produced it (the human being) as another creation.
So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators! (14). (Al-Mu'-minoon, 23: 12-14).
Only
recently in human history, biological and medical researchers could reach such
accurate knowledge about the five major stages of the fetus development,
as described in the verses above.
The
first stage is the nutfah (the fertilized egg), which lasts about
a week after fertilization, during which its cells multiply by division. Then,
it develops into 'alaqa (leech) during the second and third weeks, which
is the second stage of the fetus development. It looks like a leech in
its appearance and in its characteristics, as it sticks to the womb wall, from
which it sucks blood, exactly like a leech which sticks to the body of an
animal or a human to suck blood from it.
During
the fourth week, and more specifically on the twenty-second day, the heart
starts beating, and the fetus develops to the third stage of the second
creation in the womb, which is the mudh-ghah (a chewed
piece of food), as it accurately looks like, without any observed organs first.
Then, organs start to appear, during the fourth and fifth weeks.
A
little before the end of the sixth week, specifically during days 38-40 after
fertilization, the fourth stage stage of the
second creation in the womb starts. The cartridge skeleton starts to form at
the beginning of the seventh week, leading to the bone formation, and
the appearance of the head and limbs.
Finally,
the fifth stage starts at the end of the seventh week and continues
during the eighth week, bones are coated with flesh (muscle), and the
formation of the internal and internal organs is completed, but these continue
to grow in size after that. [50]
32. While the
above-mentioned verses told us about the various stages of the first and second
creations of life on this planet, the following verses attract our attention to
some natural and cosmic phenomena around us, to encourage us to think about
them. Some of these verses are about how the resurrection will happen in the
Last Day. Other verses invite us to search for the reasons behind the
differences in people's skin colors and languages, in the nature of Earth, and
in the relationship between the Earth and each of the Moon and the Sun, in
order to increase our faith in the Creator and to benefit from this
information.
In
Verse 10: 92, we read about an archaeological event, in which the mummy of the
Egyptian Pharaoh is promised to be found, to be a sign for people to believe
and a piece of evidence about the authenticity of the Exodus story, including
the split of the sea and the drowning of the Pharaoh.
فَالْيَوْمَ
نُنَجِّيكَ
بِبَدَنِكَ
لِتَكُونَ
لِمَنْ
خَلْفَكَ
آيَةً
وَإِنَّ كَثِيراً
مِّنَ
النَّاسِ
عَنْ
آيَاتِنَا
لَغَافِلُونَ (يونس
، 10:
92).
Today,
We save you (Pharaoh of Egypt) through saving your body so that you may be a
sign for those after you. Lo! Most people are heedless of Our signs (Younus,
10: 92).
The
Verse is related to the divine command for humans to travel on Earth to know
how God started creation of life on the planet. This command has been fulfilled
by the establishment of the modern sciences, including archaeology, which led
to the discovery of the mummies of kings of ancient Egypt (the pharaohs).
Bin
Katheer (Volume 2: 203-205) mentioned that when Moussa (Moses, pbuh) hit the
sea with his stick, it split like a huge cliff on each side, creating twelve
paths for the twelve Israelite tribes, each one separated from the other by a
glass window. When the Pharaoh and his army arrived and saw the awesome view,
they were afraid to proceed but the senior angel, Jibril (Gabriel), encouraged
them to continue by marching in front of them. When all of them were in the
middle of the path, God ordered the sea waters to merge again, drowning them
all.
Bin
Katheer added that despite what they saw by their eyes, the Israelites asked
Moussa to show them the body of the Pharaoh to make sure that he died. God gave
them what they wanted by throwing the body of the Pharaoh to the shore, so they
can see it, as a sign of God's punishment for those who oppress believers.
This
author sees a different interpretation for the Arabic words liman khalfaka
(to those after you). The Israelites of Moussa (pbuh) lived at the time of the Pharaoh,
not after his time. Therefore, the sign was intended to be to those who would
come after that time, simply because the Israelites saw the miracle and lived
it, themselves.
A
closer interpretation to the meanings of the verse is that the Children of
Israel crossed the Gulf of Suez, at a narrow area, about 12 miles wide, close
to its northern tip. After the Pharaoh and his soldiers drowned, the sea waves
threw his body on the western coast of the Gulf, not the eastern coast, where
the Israelites were. Then, the Egyptians took the body back to their capital,
where it was mummified, following their custom of mummifying their kings and
notables. Consequently, his body was hidden until the discovery of the Egyptian
mummies, in 1898, which are now displayed in the Royal Mummies Room of the
Egyptian Museum, in Cairo.
There
is no agreement among historians and biblical scholars about the Pharaohs
involved in the story or the time frame they lived in. Ancient Egyptian
records, the Bible, and the Holy Quran did neither mention the name of the
Pharaoh, nor his time. However, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, the
oppressive Pharaoh was Ramses II (1279-1212 BC) and the Exodus pharaoh was his
son, Mernepta’h (1212-1202 BC). This opinion is supported by the biblical
scholar by Joshua Mark, who denies that Ramses II was the drowned Pharaoh.
This
opinion was also supported by Maurice Bucaille, who argued that Ramses II
oppressed the Israelites, but he died while Moussa (Moses) was in Mayan. This
means that his son, Mernepta’h (1212-1202 BC) was the one who drowned while
chasing the Israelites. His mummy was discovered in the Valley of Kings, in
Thabes, in 1898, together with other mummies of the Egyptian pharaohs. In 1975,
Bucaille participated with a group of medical doctors in examining Mernepta’h’s
mummified body and they found that he died of drowning. This specific
discovery, and other scientific facts in the Holy Quran, influenced him to
accept Islam, as he mentioned in his books, articles, and interviews. [51]
33-35. Verses 17:
49-51 tell us about some archaeological prophecies, which happened, and other
prophecies, which have not happened yet, mentioning God's response to human
doubts about Resurrection, in the hereafter:
وَقَالُوا
أَإِذَا
كُنَّا عِظَامًا
وَرُفَاتًا
أَإِنَّا
لَمَبْعُوثُونَ
خَلْقًا
جَدِيدًا
﴿٤٩﴾
قُلْ
كُونُوا
حِجَارَةً
أَوْ
حَدِيدًا ﴿٥٠﴾
أَوْ
خَلْقًا
مِّمَّا
يَكْبُرُ فِي
صُدُورِكُمْ ...
﴿٥١﴾ (الإسراء ، 17: 51).
And
they say: When we are bones and dust, are we going to be resurrected as a new
creation? (Al-Issra, 17: 49).
Say:
(Yes, you will be resurrected even if) you are stones or iron (Al-Issra, 17:
50).
Or a created matter, which is greater (or stronger than iron) in
your minds (Al-Issra, 17: 51)
In
their interpretations of these three verses, the three renowned interpreters of
the Holy Quran, Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi, and Ibn Katheer, mentioned that the
Quraysh pagans asked the Messenger of God, Muhammed (pbuh), a rhetorical
question, casting doubt about God's ability to resurrect people for reckoning,
in the Last Day. They asked him about how Allah is going to be able to
resurrect people after their death, which turns them into bones and dust.
In
response, Allah inspired His Messenger to answer them, saying that He is not
only capable to resurrect them after becoming bones and dust but also if they
become rocks, or iron, or stronger than iron. The three interpreters did not
explain how human beings may become rocks, iron, or stronger than iron because
the knowledge of their time did not allow them to know these possible changes,
which may happen to humans. However, for us, these verses refer to some
scientific facts and prophecies, which have already happened, and others which
are continuously happening.
Verse 17: 49 mentions a fact known for a long time, which is the change of the dead body into bones and dust. However, Verse 17: 50 represents a prophecy wh