Miracles, THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE

[Mohsin]

Asalam-u-Alaikum. May peace, blessing and guidance be upon you all.

I have come across several people who say that religion is blind and that miracles are unscientific and thus believing in them is illogical. Well, we cannot go back in time to reconfirm these miracles, but they are fundamental to religion. Since we Muslims strongly believe that Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him), was the last and final messenger and his(P.B.U.H) message is everlasting, that is the reason, the miracles given to him(P.B.U.H) by Allah(SWT) should also be everlasting and examinable by us at all the time. Though Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him), performed several miracles which are mentioned in the Hadith, that is the traditions, he(P.B.U.H) never emphasized them. Though we Muslims believe in all these miracles. We only boast of the ultimate miracle given to Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H) by Allah(SWT) that is the Holy Qur’an. Qur’an is the miracle of all times. It proved itself to be a miracle 1400 years ago. It can be reconfirmed today and forever. In short, it is the miracle of miracles.
I will like to mention some of these miracles. These miracles are accepted by everyone and are so strong that the people are embrasing Islam very quickly.

Miracle # 1: The uniqueness of Qur'an.​

It is an accepted fact that the Qur'an has been unchanged, uncurropted and preserved as it was revealed. There is not a single difference/curroption of any character of any verse. If any one has doubts about it, Qur'an has given a few falsifation tests. The test still applicable for today, the biggest one is given in Surah Baqarah, Ch. No. 2, Verse No. 23 and 24,
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And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.
But if ye cannot- and of a surety ye cannot- then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones,- which is prepared for those who reject Faith.
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Arabic was at its peak when the Qur’an was revealed. Several, several pagan Arabs, they tried but they failed miserably. Some of their works is yet present in the historical books and it makes them a laughing stock. The challenge was there 1400 years ago, it is even there today. Today, there are more than 14 million Coptic Christians, Christians who are Arab by birth. Arabic is their mother tongue. This test is even for them. Even if they want to try and prove the Qur’an wrong, only thing they have to do is produce one Surah somewhat similar. And if you analyze certain Surahs, certain chapters of the Qur’an, hardly containing a few words, but so far no one has been able to do it and no one will be able to do it in future InshaAllah.

For people who do not know Arabic, every one in the world if they want try and prove the Qur’an wrong, they can very well try their level best. The Holy Qur’an says in Surah Nisa, Ch. No. 4, Verse No. 82,
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Do not they consider the Qur’an with care? Had it been from anyone besides Allah, there would have been many discrepancies(contradictions).
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The Qur’an is saying that if you want to prove the Qur’an wrong, just point out a single contradiction. A single discrepancy, a single fault in the Qur’an and the Qur’an would be proved not to be the word of the God. It is so easy. I do know that there are hundreds of people who have pointed out mistakes and contradictions in the Qur’an. Believe me all of them 100 percent are either out of context, they are misquotations, mistranslation to deceive the people. So far no one has been able to take out a single contradiction, or a single mistake in the Qur’an. Thats the beauty of keeping the actual text i.e. Arabic language along with the translation because a translation is a word of man and not the word of Allah(SWT).

Example of Effects of this miracle.
Sheikh Estes was a Christain priest, he attempted to convert a Muslim. In return, the Muslim offered him, "If I'm ready to go to your religion if you have something better than what I have, are you ready to come to my religion if I have something better than what you have?" The challange was accepted. Later, in Sheikh Estes's house in Texas, they sat together. There was Sheikh Estes, his Christian father, his wife and a Catholic church priest. The Muslim had the Qur'an, Sheikh Estes's father had the 'King James version' of the Bible, he himself had 'Revised Standerd version'(version had a saying that King James version had several mistakes in it and they must be revised), his wife had another version with 66 books and the Catholic priest had another version which contained additional books with a total of 73 books. All the version were and are different from each other. When they asked how many versions of Qur'an the Muslims have, he said, "One". They were shocked.
This and many other points(failure to understand the concept of Trinity) really had an effect on them and they all embraced Islam. No offence to the Christians, but this is a true story. Sheikh 'Yusuf' Estes is now a very famous Muslim Chaplen and give great lectures in America and abroad. I heard one in which in the end he asked, "How many of the non-Muslims here want to embrace Islam right now?" Several people went upstage and embrased Islam publically. You can listen and know more about Sheikh Yousaf Estes from the following link http://www.lightuponlight.com/islam/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=18 . He also operates his own website by the name www.islamtomorrow.com .

 

[Mohsin]

Miracle # 2: Embryology.​

A group of Muslim Scholars, under the direction of an eminent Yemani Scholar, Sheikh Abdul Majid Azzindani, collected information concerning embryology and other sciences in the Qur'an and undisputed Hadith and translated it into English.
They then followed the Qur'anic advice:
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“If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message.” [Al-Qur’an 16:43 & 21:7]
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All the information from the Qur’an and the undisputed Hadith concerning embryology so gathered, after being translated into English and presented to Prof. (Dr.) Keith Moore, Professor of Embryology and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Toronto, in Canada. At present he is one of the highest authorities in the field of Embryology. He was asked to give his opinion regarding the material presented to him. After carefully examining it, Dr. Moore said that most of the information concerning embryology mentioned in the Qur’an and the undisputed Hadith is in perfect conformity with modern discoveries in the field of embryology and does not conflict with them in any way. He added that there were a few verses however, on whose scientific accuracy he could not comment. He could not say whether the statements were true or false, since he was himself unaware of the information contained therein. There was also no mention of this information in modern writings
and studies on embryology. One such verse is:
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“Proclaim! (or Read!) In the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created – Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood.” [Al-Qur’an 96:1-2]
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The Arabic word alaq, besides meaning a congealed clot of blood, also means something that clings, a leech-like substance. Dr. Keith Moore had no knowledge whether an embryo in the initial stages appears like a leech. To check this out he studied the initial stage of the embryo under a very powerful microscope and compared what he observed with the diagram of a leech. He was astonished at the striking resemblance between the two! In the same manner, he acquired more information on embryology, that was hitherto not known to him, from the Qur’an.
See the above test for yourself http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch1-1-a.htm
Dr. Keith Moore answered about eighty questions dealing with embryological data mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith. Noting that the information contained in the Qur’an and Hadith was in full agreement with the latest discoveries in the field of embryology, Prof. Moore said, “If I was asked these questions thirty years ago, I would not have been able to answer half of them for lack of scientific information”.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Dr. Moore said, “It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur’an about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God or Allah”. Dr. Keith Moore had earlier authored the book, ‘The Developing Human’. After acquiring new knowledge from the Qur’an, he wrote, in 1982, the 3rd edition of the same book, ‘The Developing Human’. The book was the recipient of an award for the best medical book written by a single author. This book has been translated into several major languages of the world and is used as a textbook of embryology in the first year of medical studies.
Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, U.S.A., proclaims: “...these Hadiths, sayings of Muhammad (pbuh), could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available at the time of the writer (implying in the 7th century). It follows that not only is there no conflict between genetics and religion (implying Islam) but in fact religion (Islam) may guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches . . . there exist statements in the Qur’an shown centuries later to be valid which support knowledge in the Qur’an having been derived from God.”

DROP EMITTED FROM BETWEEN THE BACK BONE AND THE RIBS
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“Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted – Proceeding from between the back bone and the ribs.” [Al-Qur’an 86:5-7]
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In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e. the testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the female gonads (ovaries) stop in the pelvis while the male gonads (testicles) continue their descent before birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal canal. Even in adulthood after the descent of the reproductive organs, these organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal Aorta, which is in the area between the backbone (spinal column) and the ribs. The lymphatic drainage and the venous return also go to the same area.

NUTFAH – MINUTE QUANTITY OF LIQUID
The Glorious Qur’an mentions no less than eleven times that the human being is created from nutfah, which means a minute quantity of liquid or a trickle of liquid that remains after emptying a cup. This is mentioned in several verses of the Qur’an including 22:5 and 23:13. Science has confirmed in recent times that only one out of an average of three million sperms is required for fertilising the ovum. This means that only 1 /3 millionth part or 0.00003% of the quantity of sperms that are emitted is required for fertilisation.

SULALAH – QUINTESSENCE OF LIQUID
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“And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised.” [Al-Qur’an 32:8]
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The Arabic word sulaalah means quintessence or the best part of a whole. We have come to know now that only one single spermatozoon that penetrates the ovum is required for fertilization, out of the several million produced by man. That one spermatozoon out of several million, is referred to in the Qur’an as sulaalah. We have also come to know now that only one ovum is fertilized out of the tens of thousand produced by the female. That one ovum out of tens of thousand is also refered to in the Qur'an as Sulaalah. This word also means gentle extraction from a fluid. The fluid refers to both male and female germinal fluids containing gametes. Both ovum and sperm are gently extracted from their environments in the process of fertilization.

NUTFATUN AMSHAAJ – MINGLED LIQUIDS
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“Verily We created man from a drop of mingled sperm.” [Al-Qur’an 76:2]
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The Arabic word nutfatin amshaajin means mingled liquids. According to some commentators of the Qur’an, mingled liquids refers to the male or female agents or liquids. After mixture of male and female gamete, the zygote still remains nutfah. Mingled liquids can also refer to spermatic fluid that is formed of various secretions that come from various glands. Therefore, nutfatin amshaaj, i.e. a minute quantity of mingled fluids refers to the male and female gametes (germinal fluids or cells) and part of the surrounding fluids.

SEX DETERMINATION

The sex of a foetus is determined by the nature of the sperm and not of the ovum. The sex of the child, whether female or male, depends on whether the 23rd pair of chromosomes is XX or XY respectively. Primarily, sex determination occurs at fertilization and depends upon the type of sex chromosome in the sperm that fertilizes an ovum. If it is an ‘X’ bearing sperm that fertilizes the ovum, the foetus is a female and if it is a ‘Y’ bearing sperm then the foetus is a male.
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“That He did create in pairs – male and female, from a seed when lodged (in its place).” [Al-Qur’an 53:45-46]
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The Arabic word nutfah means a minute quantity of liquid and tumnaa means ejaculated or planted. Therefore nutfah specifically refers to sperm because it is ejaculated. The Qur’an says:
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“Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in lowly form)? “Then did he become a clinging clot; then did (Allah) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. “And of him He made two sexes, male and female.” [Al-Qur’an 75:37-39]
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Here again it is mentioned that a small quantity (drop) of sperm (indicated by the word nutfatan min maniyyin) which comes from the man is responsible for the sex of the foetus. Mothers-in-law in the Indian subcontinent and several other backword countries, usually prefer having male grandchildren and often blame their daughters-in-law if the child is not a boy. If only they knew that the determining factor is the nature of the male sperm and not the female ovum! If they were to blame anybody, they should rather blame their sons, not their daughters-in-law, since both the Qur’an and Science hold that it is the male fluid that is responsible for the sex of the child.

FOETUS PROTECTED BY THREE VEILS OF DARKNESS
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“He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness.” [Al-Qur’an 39:6]
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According to Prof. Keith Moore, these three veils of darkness in the Qur’an refer to:
(i) anterior abdominal wall of the mother
(ii) the uterine wall
(iii) the amnio-chorionic membrane.

 

[Mohsin]

Miracle # 2: Embryology. continuation​

EMBRYOLOGICAL STAGES
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“Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature. so blessed be Allah, the Best to create!” [Al-Qur’ an 23:12-14]
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In this verse Allah states that man is created from a small quantity of liquid which is placed in a place of rest, firmly fixed (well established or lodged) for which the Arabic word qaraarin makeen is used. The uterus is well protected from the posterior by the spinal column supported firmly by the back muscles. The embryo is further protected by the amniotic sac containing the amniotic fluid. Thus the foetus has a well protected dwelling place. This small quantity of fluid is made into alaqah, meaning something which clings. It also means a leech-like substance. Both descriptions are scientifically acceptable as in the very early stages the foetus clings to the wall and also appears to resemble the leech in shape. It also behaves like a leech (blood sucker) and acquires its blood supply from the mother through the placenta. The third meaning of the word alaqah is a blood clot. During this alaqah stage, which spans the third and fourth week of pregnancy, the blood clots within closed vessels. Hence the embryo acquires the appearance of a blood clot in addition to acquiring the appearance of a leech. Compare the readily available Qur'anic knowledge with man's struggle with scientific findings:
In 1677, Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells (spermatozoa) through a microscope. They thought that a sperm cell contained a miniature human being which grew in the uterus to form a newborn. This was known as the perforation theory. When scientists discovered that the ovum was bigger than the sperm, it was thought by scientists like De Graf and others that the foetus existed in a miniature form in the ovum. Later, in the 18th century, Maupertuis propagated the theory of biparental inheritance.
The alaqah is transformed into mudghah which means ‘something that is chewed (having teeth marks)’ and also something that is tacky and small which can be put in the mouth like gum. Both these explanations are scientifically correct. Prof. Keith Moore took a piece of plaster seal and made it into the size and shape of the early stage of foetus and chewed it between the teeth to make it into a mudghah. He compared this with the photographs of the early stage of foetus. The teeth marks resembled the ‘somites’ which is the early formation of the spinal column. Again visit http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch1-1-a.htm to see this for yourself. This mudghah is transformed into bones (izâm). The bones are clothed with intact flesh or muscles (lahm). Then Allah makes it into another creature. Prof. Marshall Johnson who is one of the leading scientists in the USA, and is the head of the Department of Anatomy and Director of the Daniel Institute at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in the USA, was asked to comment on the verses of the Qur’an dealing with embryology. At first he said that the verses of the Qur’an describing the embryological stages cannot be a coincidence. It was probable that Muhammad (pbuh) had a powerful microscope. On being reminded that the Qur’an was revealed 1400 years ago, and microscopes were invented many centuries after the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Prof. Johnson laughed and admitted that the first microscope invented could not magnify more than 10 times and could not show a clear picture. Later he said: “I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that Divine intervention was involved when Muhammad (pbuh) recited the Qur’an.”
According to Dr. Keith Moore, the modern classification of embryonic development stages which is adopted throughout the world, is not easily comprehensible, since it identifies stages on a numerical basis i.e. stage 1, stage 2, etc. On the other hand, the divisions revealed in the Qur’an are based on distinct and easily identifiable forms or shapes, which the embryo passes through. These are based on different phases of pre-natal development and provide elegant scientific descriptions that are comprehensible and practical.
Embryological stages of human development have also been described in the following verses:
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“Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in lowly form)? Then did he become a clinging clot; then did (Allah) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. and of him He made two sexes, male and female.” [Al-Qur’an 75:37-39]

“Him Who created thee, fashioned thee in due proportion, and gave thee a just bias; in whatever Form He wills, does He put thee together.” [Al-Qur’an 82:7-8]
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EMBRYO PARTLY FORMED AND PARTLY UNFORMED
At the mudghah stage, if an incision is made in the embryo and the internal organ is dissected, it will be seen that most of them are formed while the remaining are not yet completely formed. According to Prof. Johnson, if we describe the embryo as a complete creation, then we are only describing that part which is already created. If we describe it as an incomplete creation, then we are only describing that part which is not yet created. So, is it a complete creation or an incomplete creation? There is no better description of this stage of embryogenesis than the Qur’anic description, “partly formed and partly unformed”, as in the following verse:
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“We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed that We may manifest (Our Power) to you.” [Al-Qur’an 22:5]
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Scientifically we know that at this early stage of development there are some cells which are differentiated and there are some cells that are undifferentiated – some organs are formed and yet others unformed.

SENSE OF HEARING AND SIGHT
The first sense to develop in a developing human embryo is hearing. The foetus can hear sounds after the 24th week. Subsequently, the sense of sight is developed and by the 28th week, the retina becomes sensitive to light. The Qur'an explains it thus:
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“And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding).” [Al-Qur’an 32:9]
“Verily We created man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: so We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight.” [Al-Qur’an 76:2]
“It is He Who has created for you (the faculties of) hearing, sight, feeling and understanding: little thanks it is ye give!” [Al-Qur’an 23:78]
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In all these verses the sense of hearing is mentioned before that of sight. Thus the Qur’anic description matches perfectly with the discoveries in modern embryology.


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The above text has been taken from the book "The Qur'an and Modren Science, Compatible or Incompatible", authored by Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik.



Examples of The Effects of This Miracle.
When these verses were brought to several scientests, they all agreed that the Qur'an is infact a Devine Revelation. Professor Tejatat Tejasen who is the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Previously, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the same university; during the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Tejasen stood up and embraced Islam.
Please visit the following links to view the comments of the scientists along with video recorded interviews.
http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch1-1-h.htm . Also, visit the following link of the same site for pictures which helps clerifing the statements of Dr. Keith Moore when he compare the quranic verses with his discoveries.
http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch1-1-a.htm

The above miracles were enough for many people and they embraced Islam. There are also few that accept that Qur'an is true and a Devine revelation, but for some reasons, do not accept Islam. This really is an odd thing. A proof in front of you and you are accepting, but still not completly. This shows that acceptance of Islam is not in the fate to everyone. Any how, the invetation is there to who so ever want to accept it.
I will wait for a few comments, then I will post another few miracles. Until then, farewell.
Allah Hafiz.

 

[samabudhi]

I don't quite see the purpose of miracles. What are they for and why are they not more obvious?

 

[iBrian]

Life is a miracle.

Surely that is miracle enough?

 

[Mohsin]

I don't quite see the purpose of miracles. What are they for and why are they not more obvious?

The perpose of miracles is to make people believe. A miracle is something that a normal person or any other person cannot perform. In all times, these miracles are by and from Allah(The Almighty God). Now, there are threads in this forum that says that believing in a religion is blind e.t.c. These miracles are a proof that Qur'an is a devine revelation and that Islam is a true religion. You must read the sections above that say 'effects of this miracle'. Visit the sites and you will really come to know the answer to your question.

 

[Mohsin]

Miracle # 3: ASTRONOMY​

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE: ‘THE BIG BANG’
The creation of the universe is explained by astrophysicists as a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly known as ‘The Big Bang’. It is supported by observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists for decades. According to ‘The Big Bang’, the whole universe was initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a ‘Big Bang’ (Secondary Separation) which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These then divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc. The origin of the universe was unique and the probability of it happening by ‘chance’ is nil. The Qur’an contains the following verse regarding the origin of the universe:
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“Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder?” [Al-Qu’ran 21:30]
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The striking similarity between the Qur’anic verse and ‘The Big Bang’ is inescapable! How could a book, which first appeared in the deserts of Arabia 1400 years ago, contain this profound scientific truth?

INITIAL GASEOUS MASS BEFORE CREATION OF GALAXIES
Scientists agree that before the galaxies in the universe were formed, celestial matter was initially in the form of gaseous matter. In short, huge gaseous matter or clouds were present before the formation of the galaxies. To describe initial celestial matter, the word ‘smoke’ is more appropriate than gas. The following Qur’anic verse refers to this state of the universe by the word dukhaan which means smoke.
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“Moreover, He Comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: ‘Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly.’They said: ‘We do come (together), in willing obedience.’” [Al-Qur’an 41:11]
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Again, this fact is a corollary to the ‘Big Bang’ and was not known to anyone before the prophetehood of Muhammad (Peace be upon him). What then, could have been the source of this knowledge?
Click here http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch1-1-c.htm to have a better disciption to this miracle and also the comments of Dr. Alfred Kroner. He is one of the world’s renowned geologists. He is Professor of Geology and the Chairman of the Department of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.

SHAPE OF THE EARTH IS SPHERICAL
In early times, people believed that the earth was flat. For centuries, men were afraid to venture out too far, for fear of falling off the edge! Sir Francis Drake was the first person who proved that the earth is spherical when he sailed around it in 1597. Consider the following Qur’anic verse regarding the alternation of day and night:
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“Seest thou not that Allah merges Night into Day and He merges Day into Night?” [Al-Qur’an 31:29]
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Merging here means that the night slowly and gradually changes to day and vice versa. This phenomenon can only take place if the earth is spherical. If the earth was flat, there would have been a sudden change from night to day and from day to night.
The following verse also alludes to the spherical shape of the earth:
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“He created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night.” [Al-Qur’an 39:5]
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The Arabic word used here is Kawwara meaning ‘to overlap’ or ‘to coil’– the way a turban is wound around the head. The overlapping or coiling of the day and night can only take place if the earth is spherical. The earth is not exactly round like a ball, but geo-spherical, i.e. it is flattened at the poles. The following verse contains a description of the earth’s shape:
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“And the earth, moreover, hath He made egg shaped.” [Al-Qur’an 79:30]
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The Arabic word for egg here is dahaahaa which means an ostrich-egg.
( The Arabic word dahaahaa has been translated by A. Yusuf Ali as “vast expanse”, which also is correct. This word also means an ostrich-egg.)

The shape of an ostrich-egg resembles the geo-spherical shape of the earth. Thus the Qur’an correctly describes the shape of the earth, though the prevalent notion when the Qur’an was revealed was that the earth was flat.

{
As shocking as it may seem, but according to the Bible, the earth is flat.
It is mentioned in the Bible, in the Gospel of Mathew, Chapter No.4, Verse No.8, it says - ‘The devil took him… that is Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth and its glory. Gospel of Luke Chapter No.4, Verse No.5…‘The devil took him to a high mountain and showed him the glory of all the kingdoms of the world.’ Now, even if you go to the tallest mountain, the highest mountain in the world… that is Mount Everest, and supposingly, you have a very good vision, and can see for thousands of miles together - Yet, you will not be able to see all the kingdoms of the world - Because today we know, the earth is spherical. You will not be able to see the kingdom, of the opposite side of the world. The only way you will be able to see, if the earth was flat. That is the description what the Bible gives…‘The earth is flat.’
Further more, this same description is repeated in the book of Daniel, Chapter No.4, Verse No.10 and 11. It says… ‘In a dream, that the tree grew up into the heaven, and there when the tree grew up into the heaven, it grew up so much, that every one from all the ends of the earth, they could see the tree. This is only possible, if the shape of the earth was flat. If a tree is very long and the shape of the earth was flat it is possible. Today it is a universal fact that the world is spherical - You will never be able to see the tree, however much long it is, from the opposite side of the spherical shape of the earth.
Further more if you read, it is mentioned in the 1st Chronicles, Chapter No.16, Verse No.30, that… ‘The earth does not move.’ The same is repeated in the book of Psalms, Chapter No.93, Verse No.1, that… ‘Almighty God has stabilized the earth.’ - That means the earth does not move. It can be pointed out that in Isaiah 40:22, it says…‘He, God, sits enthroned above the circle of the earth.’ Still, the Bible is reffering to the shape of the earth as a circle, not spherical. A flat circle.
}


MOONLIGHT IS REFLECTED LIGHT
It was believed by earlier civilizations that the moon emanates its own light. Science now tells us that the light of the moon is reflected light. However this fact was mentioned in the Qur’an 1,400 years ago in the following verse:
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“Blessed is He Who made Constellations in the skies, and placed therein a Lamp and a Moon giving light.” [Al-Qur’an 25:61]
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The Arabic word for the sun in the Qur’an, is shams. It is also referred to as siraaj which means a ‘torch’ or as wahhaaj meaning ‘a blazing lamp’ or as diya which means ‘shining glory’. All three descriptions are appropriate to the sun, since it generates intense heat and light by its internal combustion. The Arabic word for the moon is qamar and it is described in the Qur’an as muneer which is a body that gives noor i.e. reflected light. Again, the Qur’anic description matches perfectly with the true nature of the moon which does not give off light by itself and is an inactive body that reflects the light of the sun. Not once in the Qur’an, is the moon mentioned as siraaj, wahhaaj or diya nor the sun as noor or muneer. This implies that the Qur’an recognizes the difference between the nature of sunlight and moonlight.
The following verses relate to the nature of light from the sun and the moon:
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“It is He who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty).” [Al-Qur’an 10:5]

“See ye not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another, “And made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as a (Glorious) Lamp?” [Al-Qur’an 71:15-16]
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The Glorious Qur'an and modern science, are thus in perfect agreement about the differences in the nature of sunlight and moonlight.

{
Again, according to the Bible, moon has its own light. Bible says in Genesis, Ch. 1, Verses No.16, that…‘God created two lights the greater light, the Sun to rule the day, and the lesser light the Moon, to rule the night. And you will come to know better, if you read both the Verses - Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse. 16, as well as 17. Verse No.17 says…‘And Almighty God placed them in the firmament, to give light to the earth’ Thus
Indicating, that sun and the moon has its own light - which is in contradiction with established scientific knowledge that we have.
}

THE SUN ROTATES (Movement Of The Sun)
For a long time European philosophers and scientists believed that the earth stood still in the centre of the universe and every other body including the sun moved around it. In the West, this geocentric concept of the universe was prevalent right from the time of Ptolemy in the second century B.C. In 1512, Nicholas Copernicus put forward his Heliocentric Theory of Planetary Motion, which asserted that the sun is motionless at the centre of the solar system with the planets revolving around it. In 1609, the German scientist Yohannus Keppler published the ‘Astronomia Nova’. In this he concluded that not only do the planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun, they also rotate upon their axes at irregular speeds. With this knowledge it became possible for European scientists to explain correctly many of the mechanisms of the solar system, including the sequence of night and day. After these discoveries, it was thought that the Sun was stationary and did not rotate about its axis like the Earth. I remember having studied this fallacy from Geography books during my school days.
Consider the following Qur’anic verse:
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“It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: All (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course.” [Al-Qur’an 21:33]
__________________________

The Arabic word used in the above verse is yasbahoon . This word is derived from the word sabaha. It carries with it the idea of motion that comes from any moving body. If you use this word for a person on the ground, it would not mean that he is rolling but would imply that he is walking or running. If you use this word for a person in water, it would not mean that he is floating but would imply that he is swimming. Similarly, if you use the word yasbah for a celestial body such as the sun, it would not only mean that it is flying through space but would also mean that it is rotating as it goes through space. Most school textbooks have now incorporated the fact that the sun rotates about its axis. The rotation of the sun about its own axis can be proved with the help of an equipment that projects the image of the sun on the top of a table, so that one can examine the image of the sun without being blinded. It is noticed that the sun has spots which complete a circular motion once every 25 days i.e. the sun takes approximately 25 days to rotate round its axis. The sun travels through space at roughly 240 km per second, and takes about 200 million years to complete one revolution around the centre of our Milky Way Galaxy.
__________________________

“It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law).” [Al-Qur’an 36:40]
__________________________

This verse mentions an essential fact discovered only recently by modern astronomy, i.e. the existence of the individual orbits of the Sun and the Moon, and their journey through space with their own motion. The ‘fixed place’ towards which the sun travels, carrying with it the solar system, has been located preirsely by modern astronomy. It has been given a name, the Solar Apex. The solar system is indeed moving in space towards a point situated in the constellation of Hercules (alpha Lyrae) whose exact location is now firmly established. The moon rotates around its axis in the same duration that it takes to revolve around the earth. It takes approximately 29½ days to complete one rotation. One cannot help but be amazed at the scientific accuracy of the Qur’anic verses. Should we not ponder over the question: “What is the source of knowledge contained in the Qur’an?”

THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE
In 1925, American astronomer Edwin Hubble, provided observational evidence that all galaxies are moving away from one another, which implies that the universe is expanding. The expansion of the universe is now an established scientific fact.
This is what the Qur’an says regarding the nature of the universe:
__________________________

“With power and skill did We construct the Firmament: For it is We Who create the vastness of Space.” [Al-Qur’an 51:47]
__________________________

The Arabic word musioon is correctly translated as ‘expanding it’, and it refers to the creation of the expanding vastness of the universe. One of the greatest astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, in his book, ‘A Brief History of Time’, says, “The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century.” The Qur’an mentioned the expansion of the universe, before man even learnt to build a telescope! Some may say that the presence of astronomical facts in the Qur’an is not surprising since the Arabs were advanced in the field of astronomy. They are
correct in acknowledging the advancement of the Arabs in the field of astronomy. However they fail to realize that the Qur’an was revealed centuries before the Arabs excelled in astronomy. Moreover many of the scientific facts mentioned above, such as the origin of the universe with a Big Bang, were not known to the Arabs even at the peak of their scientific advancement. The scientific facts mentioned in the Qur’an are therefore not due to the Arabs’ advancement in astronomy. Indeed, the reverse is true: they advanced in astronomy, because astronomy occupies a place in the Qur’an.

 

[samabudhi]

The perpose of miracles is to make people believe. A miracle is something that a normal person or any other person cannot perform. In all times, these miracles are by and from Allah(The Almighty God). Now, there are threads in this forum that says that believing in a religion is blind e.t.c.

So your definition of a miracle is something that occurs which is not brought about be man? Then what about nature. As Brian said, life is a miracle. Life is natural, why does it have to be attributed to God?

These miracles are a proof that Qur'an is a devine revelation and that Islam is a true religion.

I'm having trouble following your logic. What miracle is proof that the Qur'an is divine? The fact that it is apparently flawless? If God made everything, then what isn't flawless?

I'm sure Brian has no problem with you posting reels of information, but for the sake of discussion, maybe you could stick to one point and then argue it?

 

[Mohsin]

I will now try to make smaller posts and wait a bit more before posting the next series of miracles.

May be you will be more interested in the defination of miracles by Dictionary.com which is "An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God. "

You tell me how was it possible to get the earlier described details about embryology to be explained 1400 years ago in such a great detail and the fact that it is 100% true. How could it be possible for someone to know the immense knowledge about astronomy at a time when there was no such thing as a telescope. I told you earlier, view the sites that I have mentioned and you will see several scientists agreeing that Qur'an really is a divine revelation. Secondly, no one can be perfect except God. Every human invention and creation has got some flaws in it.

 

[cmptechie]

What about these contradictions

Do not they consider the Qur’an with care? Had it been from anyone besides Allah, there would have been many discrepancies(contradictions).

I've been doing a lot of research about the Islam religion over the last few months and I have found many questions unanswerable. One is the fact that the Qur'an claims to be without contradiction, and yet it took only a 5 second search to find a list of over 50 contradictions in the Qur'an. Could someone explain some of them. I've looked at several of them, in context, and found several of them teach are clear contradictions. Can this be explained as a mistranslation? I'm merely searching for the truth. The site I found was http://answering-islam.org.uk/Quran/Contra/. Thank you for any help you can provide.

 

[samabudhi]

May be you will be more interested in the defination of miracles by Dictionary.com which is "An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God. "

In other words, if anything happens that we can't explain, we assume it is an act of God. There are so many things we can't explain but every day we learn a little bit more about the laws of nature. There were so many things we didn't know, and have learnt them through investigation and not simply saying, 'Oh well, it must be an act of God.'
If this was our attitude, we wouldn't learn anything.

You tell me how was it possible to get the earlier described details about embryology to be explained 1400 years ago in such a great detail and the fact that it is 100% true. How could it be possible for someone to know the immense knowledge about astronomy at a time when there was no such thing as a telescope.

Reality is not a serious of disconnected patterns where each subject has to be understood from the ground up to make any sense of it.
What I'm saying is that the universe is like a giant fractal. Once you understand the foundations, the rest fits in perfectly logically.

Just as historical events and local customs are included into religious books, so is medicine and astrology. In early writings, little was known, so just as we try to pile everything we know into an encyclopedia, the same was done with religious books.

There are plenty of opportunities for observing the state of embryos in waring lands and when the society is big on meat eating, it can be seen in animals and then correlated to humans.

It was believed by earlier civilizations that the moon emanates its own light. Science now tells us that the light of the moon is reflected light. However this fact was mentioned in the Qur’an 1,400 years ago in the following verse:
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“Blessed is He Who made Constellations in the skies, and placed therein a Lamp and a Moon giving light.” [Al-Qur’an 25:61]

Where does it say that the moon reflects light? I read 'a Moon giving light.'

“Seest thou not that Allah merges Night into Day and He merges Day into Night?” [Al-Qur’an 31:29]
__________________________

Merging here means that the night slowly and gradually changes to day and vice versa. This phenomenon can only take place if the earth is spherical. If the earth was flat, there would have been a sudden change from night to day and from day to night.
The following verse also alludes to the spherical shape of the earth:
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“He created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night.” [Al-Qur’an 39:5]
__________________________

The Arabic word used here is Kawwara meaning ‘to overlap’ or ‘to coil’– the way a turban is wound around the head. The overlapping or coiling of the day and night can only take place if the earth is spherical.

What? I could arrive at the conclusion that day merges into night and night into day without ever considering the shape of the earth. It never explicitly says that the earth is round, though I don't think this would be divine revelation if people at the time did think this.

“See ye not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another, “And made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as a (Glorious) Lamp?” [Al-Qur’an 71:15-16]

Again, the moon as a light. Maybe you could explain what the seven heavens are? Or perhaps Djinn and other such anomalies.

I told you earlier, view the sites that I have mentioned and you will see several scientists agreeing that Qur'an really is a divine revelation. Secondly, no one can be perfect except God. Every human invention and creation has got some flaws in it.

I'd rather have it out in the forum thanks.

 

[iBrian]

I have to say, although I may not be able to read or write arabic, a lot of the English justifications just seem so terribly forced.

For example:

“It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law).” [Al-Qur’an 36:40]

The most obvious reason for a "rounded course" is the fact that the Sun and Moon "appear" to move in a cyclical manner across the sky. The idea that this "rounded course" actually refers to gravitational motions seems like clutching at straws.

In fact, this whole threads has a strange motivation to it - as if the Qur'an cannot have any worth unless it is seen as miraculous - that Islam has no worth unless it is given some retroactive justification - - that every forced interpretation must be made to interpret the Quran according to contemporary ideas. A sign of someone trying to justify their own faithbecause it falls apart if they cannot?

Oh - and, indeed - let's go easy on the cut and pastes. You should be able to use your own words very well, Mohsin.

 

[samabudhi]

Whether the Qu'ran is divine or not, whether it is flawless or not, it must still be scutinised through my own experience before I submit completely and utterly to it's 'will' if you will. You'd convince a lot more people about the efficacy of the Qu'ran through showing us it's implementation rather than it's magical origin. If it doesn't work, it doesn't matter where it came from, people won't use it.

Consider the pearl. Beautiful and perfect, but completely useless.

 

[Mohsin]

Contradictions

Regards to all.
Firstly Cmptechie, could you please mention these contradictions one by one as I could not open the site, may be because it is unavailable. I would love to make an attempt to remove these contratictions. There is an organization in India by the name of IRF(Islamic Research Foundation) and it's founder, Dr. Zakir Naik gives public lectures about Islam and at the end, there is a question and answer session. Now India is a place which is a home to many diehard critics of Islam. Really devoted to undermine Islam. Many people raised several verses which according to them had several contradictions.
Alhumdullilah(praises to Allah), Zakir Naik has been successful in clerifing all these contradictions. It turns out that all these are due to misquotation, mistranslation and also due to self assumptions. There was a public debate between Dr. William Campbell and Dr. Zakir Naik in Chicago about a few years ago. Dr. William Campbell authered a book 'Qur'an in the light of science' in which he pointed out several scientific mistakes. Dr. Zakir Naik again, not only clerified these errors, but pointed out about more then twenty errors in the Bible. Believe me, I have seen this debate on video cd and have a text copy of this lecture. Dr. William Campbell accepted these as undenyable errors but could only touch two points. If Brian allows me, I am willing to mention these errors of Bible for clerification, but they might offend the Christians(and the Jews). I am more then willing to remove your doubts about the Qur'an because I believe that I will InshAllah(by the will of Allah) be able to clerify them.

 

[Mohsin]

Just as historical events and local customs are included into religious books, so is medicine and astrology. In early writings, little was known, so just as we try to pile everything we know into an encyclopedia, the same was done with religious books.

Can you point out any other religious book which shows such great compatanility with modren day science.

There are plenty of opportunities for observing the state of embryos in waring lands and when the society is big on meat eating, it can be seen in animals and then correlated to humans.

About your comments on embryology, I mentioned about some scientists with such comments. 'Prof. Marshall Johnson who is one of the leading scientists in the USA, and is the head of the Department of Anatomy and Director of the Daniel Institute at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in the USA, was asked to comment on the verses of the Qur’an dealing with embryology. At first he said that the verses of the Qur’an describing the embryological stages cannot be a coincidence. It was probable that Muhammad (pbuh) had a powerful microscope. On being reminded that the Qur’an was revealed 1400 years ago, and microscopes were invented many centuries after the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Prof. Johnson laughed and admitted that the first microscope invented could not magnify more than 10 times and could not show a clear picture. Later he said: “I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that Divine intervention was involved when Muhammad (pbuh) recited the Qur’an.”
According to Dr. Keith Moore, the modern classification of embryonic development stages which is adopted throughout the world, is not easily comprehensible, since it identifies stages on a numerical basis i.e. stage 1, stage 2, etc. On the other hand, the divisions revealed in the Qur’an are based on distinct and easily identifiable forms or shapes, which the embryo passes through. These are based on different phases of pre-natal development and provide elegant scientific descriptions that are comprehensible and practical.'

Seriously, can anyone with a naked eye be able to view the complicated stages and formations of an embryo and they turn out to be 100% correct? One cannot even do that with a normal microscope. A very good and powerful microscope is required for this purpose.

Where does it say that the moon reflects light? I read 'a Moon giving light.'

If you read the post about astronomy, the answer was there about moon as a reflecting light. The Arabic word for the sun in the Qur’an, is shams. It is also referred to as siraaj which means a ‘torch’ or as wahhaaj meaning ‘a blazing lamp’ or as diya which means ‘shining glory’. All three descriptions are appropriate to the sun, since it generates intense heat and light by its internal combustion. The Arabic word for the moon is qamar and it is described in the Qur’an as muneer which is a body that gives noor i.e. reflected light. Again, the Qur’anic description matches perfectly with the true nature of the moon which does not give off light by itself and is an inactive body that reflects the light of the sun. Not once in the Qur’an, is the moon mentioned as siraaj, wahhaaj or diya nor the sun as noor or muneer. This implies that the Qur’an recognizes the difference between the nature of sunlight and moonlight. If you think that I am playing with words, go check any Arabic copy of the Qur'an that you may find.

 

[Mohsin]

Brian, the verse about sun not able to catch up with the moon is true. I mean, there is no error in it. Concider the other verse:
“It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: All (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course.” [Al-Qur’an 21:33]
It is also mentioned in the Qur'an in the following verse:
"By the sky full of paths and orbits."[Al-Qur'an 51:7]
This clearly states that all the celestial bodies are moving, i.e revolving and rotating. The purpoce of this post was to prove to people that Islam is not just a blind religion and also that Qur'an is compatible with modren day science. Surely, we do not just believe because of these compatabilities, I mean Qur'an was revealed about 1400 years ago, but this kind of compatability has impressed many people and as a result, Islam is spreading very quickly. Qur'an is not a book of science, it is a book of signs(Ayats/verses). There are about a thousand verses regarding science, not one failing or showing incompatibility. This is true for,well, only Qur'an as no other religion has been able to pass this test.

Just tell me when you think that I should post the next series of miracles.

 

[suanni]

Isn't it true that it is classified as a miracle if it cannot be explained in scientific terms as yet? As science increases its knowledge less will be miraculous. We have yet to determine exactly what the brain does.

Agree Brian, life is a miracle and that in itself is enough

 

[arielmessenger]

7th century science in place of modern science?

Would any of us use 7th century technological knowledge to fix our computer?

Islamic idolization of the Quran doesn't do Muslims any good when they have to fix their computers. And really, all that business of "between back and ribs" reminds me of something in Jewish mythology about the soul or something coming out of the spine, I can't remember exactly. I seriously doubt Mohammad's Quran can be used as a guide to safe medical practice.

The way Muslims idolize Mohammad and the Quran as infallible also reminds of how Christian fundies try their best to find any little scrap of evidence that "proves beyond doubt" that the Bible stories are all 100%true when in fact no reputable historian or archeologist teaching in at any university level today will dare make such claims when every year more Bible myths continue to be exposed as such.

Word Idolatry is not a spiritual path. It is idolization of words written by men, fallible human beings for people afraid to think for themselves. If one needs another in order to think about God correctly what does this tell us about God? That God is not open to anyone but the special elite person or persons who alone can dictate what God is, what God wants, and how God want everyone to live. I'm sorry but this isn't my God who seems to be able to reach just about anyone under the sun or moon who seriously looks for It. We don't need to make idols of men or books in order to reach God all by ourselves. We don't idolize scientists and yet they have saved far more lives than Moses, Jesus, or Mohammad put together. This is exactly the way we should treat those who would speak for God. Put their evidence to the test instead of enshrining them in religious mystique and unquestioned authority.

 

[Mohsin]

Who is telling you to go back to the seventh century. The purpose of this thread is to tell the people that Islam is not a blind religion. It's evidances are comming up to the people the more they research the Qur'an. Do you think that it is the doctor who responsible for saving life. I mean if that was the case then people would never have died until they are infected or suffering from any disease that is unknow or uncureble. It is because of the advancement of science that we are able to know about the diseases and are curing them to improve the quality of life. You are again missing out the fact that Islam tells you do to be practical. Muslims of the 12th century also followed Islam. Just so you know, they were very good in the field of anatomy and biology. Do you know about the black plauge which was there during the dark ages of Europe. Spain was under Muslim rule back then and there were deaths in Spain due to the plauge as well. Surprisengly, not much Muslims were infected. Do you know why? It was due to wazoo, a small method by which we clean/wash ourself before prayer. The dark age Europians were not good in hygine at all and the germs were not washed off and thus death toll there reached a very high level.

 

[iBrian]

Would any of us use 7th century technological knowledge to fix our computer?

What has that question got to do with anything?

I am sat in a building composed of brick - a resource used for at least 6,000 years. Are buildings made of brick therefore of no worth now? Perhaps I should live only in a building made of concrete, glass, or steel? Ah, but the Romans learned to industrialise those processes in the 1st century AD. So are these things are also therefore of no worth now?