Science and Quran

By MANSOOR ALAM

Fourteen hundred years ago, when the world was shrouded in darkness, the Quran mentioned that the Universe is expanding – “AND IT IS We who have built the Universe with [Our creative] power; and, verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it.” (51:47).

Human beings have been given the power to control the forces of Nature:

ARE YOU NOT aware that God has made subservient to you all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and has lavished upon you His blessings, both outward and inward? And yet, among humans there is many a one that argues about God without having any knowledge [of Him], without any guidance, and without any light-giving revelation. (31:20)

Definition of knowledge

• The word “Science” is derived from the Latin word “Scientia” which means “knowledge”

• Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills, which is acquired through experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or learning [Wikipedia].

Quran describes three kinds of Knowledge

• Knowledge that is born of certainty.
• Knowledge that is visual certainty
• Knowledge that is certain truth
• It is duty for believers to acquire knowledge. God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with truth: for, behold, in this there is a message indeed for all who believe.

Some facts about the Universe and human body

• There are about 300,000 x 1018 stars within our observable universe.
• It is estimated that there are between 1078 to 1082 atoms in the known, observable universe.
• There are at least 10 x 1018 planetary systems in the known universe. Earth would be “1” of those.
• The Earth has roughly 7.5 x 1018 grains of sand.
• If you took 10 drops of water and counted the number of water molecules in those drops, you would get a number equal to all the stars in the universe.
• The surface of the earth at the equator moves at a speed of roughly 1,000 miles per hour.
• The earth is moving about our sun at 67,000 miles per hour.
• Our solar Earth and all–whirls around the center of our galaxy at 490,000 miles per hour.
• The galaxies in our neighborhood are also rushing at a speed of nearly 2.3 million miles per hour towards a structure called the Great Attractor.
• For a typical human of 70 kg, there are almost 7×1027 atoms (that’s a 7 followed by 27 zeros!) Another way of saying this is “seven billion billion billion.” Of this, almost 2/3 is hydrogen, 1/4 is oxygen, and about 1/10 is carbon. These three atoms add up to 99% of the total.

Importance of acquiring knowledge

And never concern yourself with anything of which you have no knowledge: verily, [your] hearing and sight and heart – all of them – will be called to account for it [on Judgment Day]! (17:36)

And so that they who are endowed    with knowledge might know that this [divine writ] is the truth from your Sustainer, and that they ought to believe in it, and that their hearts might humbly submit unto Him. (22:54)

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and the succession of night and day: and in the ships that speed through the sea with what is useful to humankind: and in the waters which God sends down from the sky, giving life thereby to the earth after it had, been lifeless, and causing all manner of living creatures to multiply thereon: and in the change of the winds, and the clouds that run their appointed courses between sky and earth: [in all this] there are messages indeed for people who use their reason. (2:164)

He it is who has made the sun a radiant light and the moon a reflected light, and has  determined for it phases so that you might know how to compute the years and to measure [time]. None of this has God created without truth. Clearly does He spell out these messages unto people of knowledge: for, verily, in the alternating of night and day, and in all that God has created in the heavens and on earth there are messages indeed for people who are conscious of Him [Muttaqi]! (10:5-6)

Quran’s miraculous description of Earth 1400 years ago

He it is who has made the earth a cradle for you.

Regarding earth’s motion, the Quran says in verse (31:10):

If you want to estimate His powers and the wisdom behind all His flawless planning, just have a look at the universe and observe how wonderfully He has placed huge celestial bodies in the outer space without any visible columns (by invisible gravitational pull). Furthermore, he has set huge mountains on earth, in spite of which it continues to rotate at its speed and you abide therein with comfort.

Another verse (16:15) says:

Allah has formed the earth in such a way that you may sit on it firmly while it revolves. He has also created mountains and rivers and land tracks so that you may reach your destination.

Behold, in the heavens as well as on earth there are indeed messages for all who believe. And in your own nature, and in all the animals which He scatters [over the earth] there are messages for people who are endowed with inner certainty. And in the succession of night and day, and in the means of subsistence which God sends down from the skies, giving life thereby to the earth after it had been lifeless, and in the change of the winds: [in all this] there are messages for people who use their reason. (45:3-5)

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day, there are indeed messages for all who are endowed with insight, [and] who remember God when they stand, and when they sit, and when they lie down to sleep, and [thus] reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: “O our Sustainer! Thou hast not created [aught of] this without meaning and purpose. Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! Keep us safe, then, from suffering through fire! (3:190-191)

God is sublimely exalted. The Ultimate Sovereign, the Ultimate Truth and do not approach the Qur’an in haste, ere it has been revealed unto thee in full, but say: “O my Sustainer, cause me to grow in knowledge!” (20:114)

Iqbal in his lecture “Knowledge and Religious Experience” says: The search for rational foundations in Islam may be regarded to have begun with the Prophet himself. His constant prayer was: “God! Grant me knowledge of the ultimate nature of things!”

Iqbal further says: “The spirit of the Quran sees in the humble bee a recipient of Divine inspiration and constantly calls upon the reader to observe the perpetual change of the winds, the alternation of day and night, the clouds, the starry heavens and the planets swimming through infinite space! ….. [The Quran] regards hearing and sight as the most valuable Divine gifts and declares them to be accountable to God for their activity in this world.”