The Scientific Miracles in the Quran

[Holly3278]

Hi everyone. I was browsing the web and came across this online book. Well, part of the book talks about supposed scientific miracles in the Quran. I was just wondering what you all thought about this?

islam-guide.com/frm-ch1-1.htm

How does one refute this supposed scientific evidence?

 

[xixxvmcm85]

I laugh, to the same extent that I laugh even when I see fellow Christians trying to validate their beliefs by very cryptically interpolating in the Bible to such an extent that it nearly diminishes its meaning.

Religious texts are not science books.

If God was trying to teach us over a thousand years ago about embryology in the Qur’an, he would have specifically spelled it out, and wouldn’t use symbolic language that could be twisted to mean anything. Conversely, if God was trying to teach us over a thousand years ago about the geology of our planet, he wouldn’t do so by short, inaccurate (if taken literally), cryptic messages as found in Genesis.

 

[Holly3278]

I laugh, to the same extent that I laugh even when I see fellow Christians trying to validate their beliefs by very cryptically interpolating in the Bible to such an extent that it nearly diminishes its meaning.

Religious texts are not science books.

If God was trying to teach us over a thousand years ago about embryology in the Qur’an, he would have specifically spelled it out, and wouldn’t use symbolic language that could be twisted to mean anything. Conversely, if God was trying to teach us over a thousand years ago about the geology of our planet, he wouldn’t do so by short, inaccurate (if taken literally), cryptic messages as found in Genesis.

You have a point but isn’t it still possible that the Quran is really talking about real scientific stuff here that wasn’t discovered until modern times?

 

[Holly3278]

You know, I was just thinking and when I thought about it, I realized that the Arab civilizations were at least somewhat advanced so it is possible that they knew this stuff before the Quran was written down and therefore it is not a “scientific miracle” for this stuff to be in the Quran. Besides that, we know that some ancient civilizations knew how to do things that we don’t know how to do today and had knowledge that we don’t have today. An example of this is the building of the pyramids. There is not a way yet known to build the pyramids using the tools that the ancient Egyptians had. At least I don’t believe so. I could be wrong though. And then there was the Library of Alexandria. It contained an immense amount of information that was lost during a fire sometime during the ancient world (I’m not sure when but I think it was after the time of Christ’s death). So yeah, it is entirely possible that the Arabs already knew this information before the first Muslims wrote it down in the Quran.

 

[ralphinal]

Some of the issues that you see are not at all scientific. One of the favorite ones pointed out have to do with embryology. Just because some Canadian dude thought that the terms looked good, it becomes a “miracle.” The Greeks were farther along than any other group of their day. The Library at Alexandria was in a Greek Colony. They traded with the Egyptions and Arabs (some). The idea that it was Greek information that entered into the Qur’an is not that stange.

The Qur’an has issues in its science as well. The actual order of the growth of the body is wrong, and if you look up where sperm comes from, you will be surprised. Mathmatically, Mecca cannot be the center of the universe, unless the entire universe moves at exactly the same speed and distance to make up for the motion of the earth.

There are more.

 

[SteveLohr]

Some of the issues that you see are not at all scientific. One of the favorite ones pointed out have to do with embryology. Just because some Canadian dude thought that the terms looked good, it becomes a “miracle.” The Greeks were farther along than any other group of their day. The Library at Alexandria was in a Greek Colony. They traded with the Egyptions and Arabs (some). The idea that it was Greek information that entered into the Qur’an is not that stange.

The Qur’an has issues in its science as well. The actual order of the growth of the body is wrong, and if you look up where sperm comes from, you will be surprised. Mathmatically, Mecca cannot be the center of the universe, unless the entire universe moves at exactly the same speed and distance to make up for the motion of the earth.

There are more.

Holly-I’m going to echo what Ralphinal says here. The alleged “Scientific miracles” in the Quran are extremely doubtful. Further, there are many areas the Quran is simply flat-out wrong. However, we would have to discuss specifics. Precisely what scientific claims do you see the Quran making that you believe might be accurate?

Regards

 

[Cluny]

Hi everyone. I was browsing the web and came across this online book. Well, part of the book talks about supposed scientific miracles in the Quran. I was just wondering what you all thought about this?

islam-guide.com/frm-ch1-1.htm

How does one refute this supposed scientific evidence?

First off, if it’s scientific, it’s not a miracle. If it’s a miracle, it’s not scientific.

Every scientific thing the Muslims had they got from the Byzantines and other cultures.

One of the big mistakes in the Coran is saying that sperm and semen originate in a man’s spine. This is simply not so.

 

[Muslim_Woman]

In the name of Allah , Most Gracious, Most Merciful

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

… part of the book talks about supposed scientific miracles in the Quran.

islam-guide.com/frm-ch1-1.htm

Watch scientists comments on the scientific miracles in the Quran

Prof. Gerald G. Goeringer "…this description antedates by many centuries the recording of … traditional scientific literature

Prof. William W. Hey “I would think it must be [from] the divine being.”

Prof. T. V. N. Persaud “…this is a divine inspiration or revelation…”

Prof. E. Marshall Johnson - 1 “I see nothing in conflict that …divine intervention was involved.”

Prof. E. Marshall Johnson - 2 “Quran describes … major events recognized by contemporary science.”

Prof. Alfred Kroner 1 “It is impossible [Muhammad] could have known about the common origin of the universe, scientists only found this out in the last few years using complicated and advanced techology”

Prof. Alfred Kroner 2 “Someone 1400 years ago could not know the heavens and the earth had the same origin…”

Prof. Keith Moore 1 “It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah…”

islamyesterday.com/science/

 

[cathopologist]

How Did The Issue of Scientific Miracles Come Up?

[

A Historical Background

The Arab Nationalism/ The Decline of Islam

The Arab world passed through a brief period of renaissance during the last century. The Arabs revolted against the Ottoman Empire to the painful fact that they were well behind the west in science and technology. The Europeans were seen by the Arabs as their national enemy and as the occupying forces of the Arabs. At the same time they also realized they (the Arabs) had a great deal to learn from the Europeans. Arab counties were struggling to gain their independence, which they eventually achieved. The future seemed to be bright but there was hard work to be done to catch up with the west.

This period was marked with some decline in the interest in religion among the Muslim Arabs. Muslim clerics were unable to provide answers to questions of modern life and were often seen as obstacles to development. Consequently, Muslim clerics lost some of their influence on the rest of the population, and were often portrayed negatively in Arabic culture. The Muslim brotherhood movement was banned and the general public looked at its members with some suspicion.

In the Arabian Peninsula things were moving in another direction. The Saudi family just got hold of the country, thanks to their alliance with the members of the newly formed wahabi religious sect renowned for applying Islam in its most strict form. This coincided with the discovery of oil in the country, which led to wealth on a scale never known to the Arabs before. To spoil the party for the Saudis, this also coincided with the appearance in Egypt of President Nasser with his nationalist agenda. Nasser’s influence quickly covered the entire Arab world. Saudi Arabia acquired the image of a backward country and had little influence in the political stage. That was the age of Arab nationalism, which ended by the death of its hero, Nasser, in 1970 only three years after the Arab’s defeat in 1967 war.

The Role of Saudi Arabia

The vacuum left was immediately filled by Saudi Arabia who aggressively promoted its brand of Islam (Wahhabism) to the rest of the Arab and Islamic worlds. Saudi Arabia was well placed to do that, thanks to its financial muscle. Saudi Arabia had millions of foreign employees, who although were largely Muslims, had little interest in religion. The system in Saudi Arabia is that all Muslims must practice their religion, in other words, all male Muslims must pray in mosques, a small inconvenience for the good money to earn. All mosques in the country are run by Saudi imams and strictly preach only wahabbi Islam with no tolerance for the other sects of Islam. Even though Saudi Arabia recruited many scholars from many Arab and Islamic countries to teach in its various institutes, these scholars were converted and were allowed to teach Islam only the wahabbi way. To their liking, this system resulted in a whole generation that has been brainwashed. The process was made easier by the fact that most of those millions of employees had only minimal knowledge in Islam, and therefore, were unwilling and incapable to dispute the new teachings.

Saudi Arabia applied those measures from the early days of its creation but they were largely ineffective during the 50s and 60s. It was because the Arabs were busy rallying behind Nasser in his push for Arab nationalism. To make things even worse to the Saudis, Nasser managed to make Egypt as the most influential Islamic country due to the presence in Egypt of Al Azhar University, which was considered for hundreds of years as the highest Islamic authority. In other words, Saudi Arabia was effectively sidelined by Nasser, whose name will remain as one of the most hated names to both the Saudis and Islamists.

](http://islam-watch.org/MuminSalih/myth_of_scientific_miracles.htm)Cont’d below

 

[cathopologist]

[

Saudi Arabia established a generously financed government organization whose purpose is not just solving the incompatibilities between the Quran and science but to go even further and claim that the Quran has many scientific miracles. They recruited Muslim scholars and scientists from around the world and targeted western scientists. This strategy apparently brought much successes.

To this point, I must say that I never met a friend or a colleague who carefully had read Maurice Bucaille book, although they all know about it. But that does not matter. What matters is the fact that a western Christian has admitted that the Quran is scientifically accurate. If a Muslim wrote such a book it would not make such an impact, as the material contained is not the issue, the author is. Speaking of myself I read the book during the height of my religious interest and was never really convinced of the arguments in it, but who cares? What matters is that there is an admission from a western Christian intellectual that the Quran is correct, scientifically. If such an admission comes from the enemy camp why should I question it? I believed all the claims made in the book not because they convinced me but because they happened to suit me.

One cannot help wondering if Maurice Bucaille really believed what he claimed about the divine origin of the Quran? He must have read the Quran carefully and came across with the many verses in which Allah makes it clear that the unbelievers will be burnt in hell fire for eternity. For this fear alone, at the least, Maurice Bucaille should have pronounced the shahada to save his soul. Some Muslims claim that he had lately converted to Islam, a claim that does not make any difference to this argument. He certainly didn’t know that he is going to live long enough to re-think and convert to Islam, if it is true that he did.

Maurice Bucaille’s position reminds us with another famous personality who knew Allah but decided to be in opposition. No I did not mean Prof. Keith Moore, I meant Iblis (the Satan) himself! The Satan’s attitude in opposing Allah remains a mystery to us all. He knew everything about Allah’s punishments and knew the consequences of his disobedience still he did it - oppose Allah.

All these changed after Nasser’s death in 1970. Egypt stepped being a leading force in the Arab and Islamic world, Al Azhar lost its status to Saudi institutions, and many of its scholars were recruited by Saudi Arabia and converted to preach their brand of Islam. The once-banned radical Muslim brotherhood movement was resurrected.

These were the perfect settings for the Islamic movements to make a comeback with a vengeance. They promoted Islam aggressively - their message to people was that all the problems in the Islamic world, including the defeat of the Arabs in 1967, are due to the non-adherence to the strict teachings of Islam. In this sense it is only fair to say that the Islamic movements emerged as clear winners after 1967. They used the defeat to support their argument in attacking nationalism and advocating Islamic fundamentalism as an alternative.

Maurice Bucaille

***Islamic movements were aware that Islam and science do not mix well, which is hardly a problem to any true Muslim, who always see Islam to be right and science to be wrong. ***However, if they want to make the religion more acceptable to others, whether Muslims or non-Muslims there are many questions to be answered. The rescue came from Maurice Bucaille, a French doctor who worked for the Saudi king and wrote a book in the 1970s about the Bible, the Quran and modern science. Oil money seems to have paid well. To the Islamists this is like winning the jackpot.](Islam Watch - "The Myth of Scientific Miracles in the Quran" by Mumin Salih)Click on the quoted text to read more on the subject

 

[Holly3278]

Some of the issues that you see are not at all scientific. One of the favorite ones pointed out have to do with embryology. Just because some Canadian dude thought that the terms looked good, it becomes a “miracle.” The Greeks were farther along than any other group of their day. The Library at Alexandria was in a Greek Colony. They traded with the Egyptions and Arabs (some). The idea that it was Greek information that entered into the Qur’an is not that stange.

The Qur’an has issues in its science as well. The actual order of the growth of the body is wrong, and if you look up where sperm comes from, you will be surprised. Mathmatically, Mecca cannot be the center of the universe, unless the entire universe moves at exactly the same speed and distance to make up for the motion of the earth.

There are more.

Holly-I’m going to echo what Ralphinal says here. The alleged “Scientific miracles” in the Quran are extremely doubtful. Further, there are many areas the Quran is simply flat-out wrong. However, we would have to discuss specifics. Precisely what scientific claims do you see the Quran making that you believe might be accurate?

Regards

First off, if it’s scientific, it’s not a miracle. If it’s a miracle, it’s not scientific.

Every scientific thing the Muslims had they got from the Byzantines and other cultures.

One of the big mistakes in the Coran is saying that sperm and semen originate in a man’s spine. This is simply not so.

Hmmm, ok. I did not know these things. Thank you all for informing me. My doubts about Catholicism have gone away now. Thanks again!

 

[cathopologist]

Further evidence why the Qu’ran is not a “scientific holy book” - Click on this link. Do not doubt the rationality of the Catholic mind.

 

[rk9414]

One of the big mistakes in the Coran is saying that sperm and semen originate in a man’s spine. This is simply not so.

There are some serious problems with this translation and the assumptions made therein.

To begin with, these verses say nothing whatsoever about the creation of sperm or the creation of anything else. Consequently, they do not inform us of where the creation of sperm takes place. They merely say that the substances under discussion come out form the places being described. The word being used is “yakhruj” meaning “to exit, leave, come out, emerge”. It in no way implies anything related to creation or origination.

Secondly, the phrase “mâ’ dâfiq” (emitted fluid) is not restricted in meaning to sperm but is used in Arabic for both the sperm and the egg. Ibn Kathîr, in his commentary on this verse, writes: “It emanates from the man and the woman, and with Allah’s permission, the child comes forth as a product of both.”

Thirdly, the words translated as “backbone” (sulb) and “ribs” (tarâ’ib) are not understood in Arabic to belong to the same person. Arabs understand the “sulb” to refer to a part of the male body and the “tarâ’ib” to a part of the female. Ibn Kathîr states: “It refers to the ?sulb’ of the man and the ?tarâ’ib’ of the woman, which is the area of her chest.” He then quotes this interpretation on the authority of the Prophet’s companion Ibn `Abbâs. This same understanding is given in all the major classical works of Qur’anic commentary.

Moreover, the word “sulb” should not necessarily be translated as “backbone”. This word has many possible meanings and backbone is only one of them. It is also quite commonly used to mean the loins of a man. This is how it is used elsewhere in the Qur’ân. Allah says: “Prohibited to you (for marriage) are.wives of your sons proceeding from your loins (aslâb, the plural of sulb).” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 23] There can be no problem with sperm coming out from the area of a man’s loins.

Likewise, when we look at the word being translated as “ribs” (tarâ’ib, the plural of tarîbah) we find that it is used linguistically for the general are of the chest and the abdomen. In al-Qâmûs, the famous classical dictionary of al-Fayrûzabâdî it is defined as a number of things: “the bones of the chest or what comes after the two collarbones or what comes between the collarbones and the chest or the four ribs to the right of the chest or the four ribs to the left of the chest or the hands, eyes and feet or the collarbones.” Some Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and some Successors had also provided many possible meanings, like the lower ribs and al-Dahhâk’s statement that it is the area between the breasts and feet and the eyes (a mere indication of centrality).

This word clearly has a very broad and diverse definition. It is so ambiguous a word that the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) could not give it a precise definition. Scholars of Qur’ânic commentary have consistently admitted to there being at least three different possible meanings for this word as it is used in the verse. This is an admission that they do not know for certain what the tarâ’ib are, except that they generally agree it refers to an area of the woman’s body. It can apply to any region nearing the ribcage. Therefore, the area of the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, or the uterus can easily fit into the general area that is being indicated by these verses.

What we are dealing with here is a gross error in translation and not a scientific error at all.

 

[rk9414]

Man is created from a spurting fluid, then he emerges from between the backbone and the breastbone.

The second section refers to the PERSON, not the fluid and obviously denotes the positioning of the fœtus in the mother’s womb (between back and breastbone).

The rest of the verse goes on to describe how, just as he emerges from the womb, man will emerge from the grave on Allah’s command.

 

[Jay53]

This is an admission that they do not know for certain what the tarâ’ib are, except that they generally agree it refers to an area of the woman’s body. It can apply to any region nearing the ribcage. Therefore, the area of the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, or the uterus can easily fit into the general area that is being indicated by these verses.

What we are dealing with here is a gross error in translation and not a scientific error at all.

That is a bit of a stretch seeing as how the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the uterus are not protected by the ribcage at all. That would be taking in a very “general area”.

The second section refers to the PERSON, not the fluid and obviously denotes the positioning of the fœtus in the mother’s womb (between back and breastbone).

This is also a stretch. I can guarantee you that when I was pregnant my babies were not located between my back and my breastbone. The uterus is located below the breastbone. In fact, by the time I delivered, my pregnant belly stretched wayyyyy beyond my breastbone!!

 

[ralphinal]

There are some serious problems with this translation and the assumptions made therein.

To begin with, these verses say nothing whatsoever about the creation of sperm or the creation of anything else. Consequently, they do not inform us of where the creation of sperm takes place. They merely say that the substances under discussion come out form the places being described. The word being used is “yakhruj” meaning “to exit, leave, come out, emerge”. It in no way implies anything related to creation or origination.

Secondly, the phrase “mâ’ dâfiq” (emitted fluid) is not restricted in meaning to sperm but is used in Arabic for both the sperm and the egg. Ibn Kathîr, in his commentary on this verse, writes: “It emanates from the man and the woman, and with Allah’s permission, the child comes forth as a product of both.”

Thirdly, the words translated as “backbone” (sulb) and “ribs” (tarâ’ib) are not understood in Arabic to belong to the same person. Arabs understand the “sulb” to refer to a part of the male body and the “tarâ’ib” to a part of the female. Ibn Kathîr states: “It refers to the ?sulb’ of the man and the ?tarâ’ib’ of the woman, which is the area of her chest.” He then quotes this interpretation on the authority of the Prophet’s companion Ibn `Abbâs. This same understanding is given in all the major classical works of Qur’anic commentary.

Moreover, the word “sulb” should not necessarily be translated as “backbone”. This word has many possible meanings and backbone is only one of them. It is also quite commonly used to mean the loins of a man. This is how it is used elsewhere in the Qur’ân. Allah says: “Prohibited to you (for marriage) are.wives of your sons proceeding from your loins (aslâb, the plural of sulb).” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 23] There can be no problem with sperm coming out from the area of a man’s loins.

Likewise, when we look at the word being translated as “ribs” (tarâ’ib, the plural of tarîbah) we find that it is used linguistically for the general are of the chest and the abdomen. In al-Qâmûs, the famous classical dictionary of al-Fayrûzabâdî it is defined as a number of things: “the bones of the chest or what comes after the two collarbones or what comes between the collarbones and the chest or the four ribs to the right of the chest or the four ribs to the left of the chest or the hands, eyes and feet or the collarbones.” Some Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and some Successors had also provided many possible meanings, like the lower ribs and al-Dahhâk’s statement that it is the area between the breasts and feet and the eyes (a mere indication of centrality).

This word clearly has a very broad and diverse definition. It is so ambiguous a word that the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) could not give it a precise definition. Scholars of Qur’ânic commentary have consistently admitted to there being at least three different possible meanings for this word as it is used in the verse. This is an admission that they do not know for certain what the tarâ’ib are, except that they generally agree it refers to an area of the woman’s body. It can apply to any region nearing the ribcage. Therefore, the area of the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, or the uterus can easily fit into the general area that is being indicated by these verses.

What we are dealing with here is a gross error in translation and not a scientific error at all.

In other words, it comes from a place between the top of the head and the bottom of the feet.

Thanks for nothing.

It is like saying that the United States is found somewhere in the Milky Way

 

[Cluny]

The only thing that rk9414 is proving here is that the Coran is utterly untrustworthy in matters of human physiology.

 

[Saintlucy]

I don’t know a great deal about the Bedouin way of life. I’m sure it did not involve opening a woman’s belly when pregnant. However, they knew their herds and knew how conception worked. They saw the development of the animals in their mothers’ wombs from conception until birth. If a cow, for instance, miscarried, they would know at what stage. We are mammals and we develope simarlarly. Any veterinary surgeon would say the same. So, any farmer could say that an embryo looked like a leech etc.

Look to the bible to tell us why certain foods are dangerous. Shellfish for instance. Did you know that you should never eat meat and drink milk? The milk interupts the absorsion of iron from the meat. Our God let us know but I found it out by accident on TV. It was an Open University programme about nutrition. It intrigued me as I have always suffered from iron deficieny anaemia. Can you find this in the quran?

 

[Muslim_Woman]

In the name of Allah , Most Gracious, Most Merciful

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

…man will emerge from the grave on Allah’s command.

Welcome to the forum

**

some related links : Miracles of the Prophet

Jack : Jesus Christ raised the dead and healed the sick when he was on this earth. What miracles did Muhammad perform while on earth?

ans: Ahmad Kutty

…A Muslim cannot be a Muslim without accepting the mission of Jesus (may God shower His peace and blessings on him and on all prophets and messengers of God).

If Jesus revived the dead, or restored eyesight to the blind, such miracles were witnessed only by his contemporaries; and insofar as we believe in them, we do so only because of the testimony and narration of revelation.

The great miracle of Muhammad, however, is different: It exists even today just as it was revealed to him, without even the slightest alteration in letter or spirit.

Therefore, the challenge of the Qur’an still remains intact for all to experience. This challenge is thus expressed:

And if you are in doubt concerning that which We have bestowed upon Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of similar merit, and call your witnesses other than Allah, if you are truthful.

But if you cannot do it — and most certainly you cannot do it — then be conscious of the fire whose fuel is human beings and stones which awaits all who deny the truth! (Al-Baqarah 2:23-24)

Allah Almighty knows best.

islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1154235125535

http://www.islamicmedicine.org/medmiraclesofquran/AnimatedQ.gif

Reflections on the Medical Miracles of the Holy Quran

Dr. Sharif Kaf Al Ghazal

The sensation of skin pain

The Quran states ; “Those who reject our signs, We shall cast into the fire; as often as their skins are roasted through. We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the punishment; for Allah is Exalted in power; Wise.” ( 4:56)

What about intestines …?

What is the reason behind advancing hearing over sight in the Holy Quran ?

Breast feed your baby even if with your eye-drops … !

Miracle of Honey
Carrion … blood … flesh of swine
Medical benefits of fasting Ramadan

islamicmedicine.org/medmiraclesofquran/medmiracleseng.htm

islamonline.net/english/science/topic02-b.shtml

 

[R_not]

Here is the miracle of the koran - that over a billion people believe in it.