Why Islam

Let’s talk frankly.  Almost never do non-Muslims study Islam until they have first exhausted the religions of their exposure.  Only after they have grown dissatisfied with the religions familiar to them, meaning Judaism, Christianity and all the fashionable “-isms”—Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism (and, as my young daughter once added, “tourism”)—do they consider Islam.

Perhaps other religions do not answer the big questions of life, such as “Who made us?”  and “Why are we here?”  Perhaps other religions do not reconcile the injustices of life with a fair and just Creator.  Perhaps we find hypocrisy in the clergy, untenable tenets of faith in the canon, or corruption in the scripture.  Whatever the reason, we perceive shortcomings in the religions of our exposure, and look elsewhere.  And the ultimate “elsewhere” is Islam.

Now, Muslims would not like to hear me say that Islam is the “ultimate elsewhere.”  But it is.  Despite the fact that Muslims comprise one-fourth to one-fifth of the world’s population, non-Muslim media smears Islam with such horrible slanders that few non-Muslims view the religion in a positive light.  Hence, it is normally the last religion seekers investigate.

Another problem is that by the time non-Muslims examine Islam, other religions have typically heightened their skepticism: If every “God-given” scripture we have ever seen is corrupt, how can the Islamic scripture be different?  If charlatans have manipulated religions to suit their desires, how can we imagine the same not to have happened with Islam?

The answer can be given in a few lines, but takes books to explain.  The short answer is this: There is a God.  He is fair and just, and He wants us to achieve the reward of paradise.  However, God has placed us in this worldly life as a test, to weed out the worthy from the unworthy.  And we will be lost if left to our own devices.  Why?  Because we don’t know what He wants from us.  We can’t navigate the twists and turns of this life without His guidance, and hence, He has given us guidance in the form of revelation.

Sure, previous religions have been corrupted, and that is one of the reasons why we have a chain of revelation.  Ask yourself: wouldn’t God send another revelation if the preceding scriptures were impure?  If preceding scriptures were corrupted, humans would need another revelation, to keep upon the straight path of His design.

So we should expect preceding scriptures to be corrupted, and we should expect the final revelation to be pure and unadulterated,for we cannot imagine a loving God leaving us astray.  What we can imagine is God giving us a scripture, and men corrupting it; God giving us another scripture, and men corrupting it again … and again, and again.  Until God sends a final revelation He promises to preserve until the end of time.

Muslims consider this final revelation to be the Holy Quran.  You consider it … worth looking into.  So let us return to the title of this article: Why Islam?  Why should we believe that Islam is the religion of truth, the religion that possesses the pure and final revelation?

“Oh, just trust me.”

Now, how many times have you heard that line?  A famous comedian used to joke that people of different cities cuss one another out in different ways.  In Chicago, they cuss a person out this way, in Los Angeles they cuss a person out that way, but in New York they just say, “Trust me.”

So don’t trust me—trust our Creator.  Read the Quran, read books and study good websites.  But whatever you do, get started, take it seriously, and pray for our Creator to guide you.

Your life may not depend on it, but your soul most definitely does.

The Prophecies of the Quran

The Quran contains many prophecies that have been fulfilled, but in this discussion, we will limit ourselves to only five.  The first two prophecies are noteworthy: unlike any other world scripture, the Quran prophesizes its own preservation under divine care, and we will demonstrate how it actually occurred.

The Protection of the Quran from Corruption

The Quran makes a claim no other religious text makes, that God Himself will keep its text safe from alteration.  God says:

"Behold, it is We Ourselves who have gradually revealed this reminder, and, behold, it is We who shall truly guard it [from all corruption]." (Quran 15:9)

The Ease of Memorizing the Quran

God has made the Quran easy to memorize:

"And in truth We have made the Quran easy to remember; who, then, is willing to take it to heart?" (Quran 54:17)

The ease with which Quran is memorized is inimitable.  There is not a single scripture or religious text in the world that is as easy to memorize; even non-Arabs and children commit it to memory easily.  The entire Quran is memorized by almost every Islamic scholar and hundreds of thousands of ordinary Muslims, generation after generation.  Almost every Muslim has some portion of the Quran memorized to read in his prayers.

The Twofold Prophecy

Before the rise of Islam, the Romans and the Persians were two competing superpowers.  Romans were led by Heraclius (610–641 CE), a Christian Emperor, whereas the Persians were Zoroastrians led by Khosrow Parviz (reigned 590–628 CE), under whom the empire achieved its greatest expansion.

In 614, the Persians conquered Syria and Palestine, taking Jerusalem, destroying the Holy Sepulcher and the ‘True Cross’ carried to Ctesiphon.  Then, in 619, they occupied Egypt and Libya.  Heraclius met them at Thracian Heraclea (617 or 619), but they sought to capture him, and he rode madly back to Constantinople, hotly pursued.

The Muslims were grieved by the Roman defeat as they felt spiritually closer to Christian Rome than Zoroastrian Persia, but the Meccans were naturally buoyed up by the victory of pagan Persia.  To Meccans, the Roman humiliation was a sinister omen of the defeat of the Muslims at pagan hands.  At the time God’s prophecy comforted the faithful:

"The Romans have been defeated - in a land close by; but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious- within ten years.  With God is the Decision, in the past and in the future: on that Day shall the believers rejoice with the help of God.  He helps whom He will, and He is the Mighty, the Most-Merciful." (Quran 30:2-4)

The Quran made a prophecy of two victories:

(i)   The future Roman victory within ten years over Persians, something unimaginable at the time

(ii)  The joy of the faithful on a victory over the pagans

Both of these prophecies actually occured.

In 622, Heraclius left Constantinople as prayers rose from its many sanctuaries for victory over the Persian Zoroastrians and the reconquest of Jerusalem.  He devoted the next two years to campaigns in Armenia.  In 627, he met the Persians near Nineveh.  There, he killed three Persian generals in single combat, killed the Persian commander, and scattered the Persian host.  A month later, Heraclius entered Dastagird with its stupendous treasure.  Khosrow was overthrown by his son, who made peace with Heraclius.  Returning to Constantinople in triumph, Heraclius was hailed as a hero.

Also, in the year 624 AH, Muslims defeated the Meccans in the first and decisive Battle at Badr.

In the words of an Indian scholar:

"…a single line of prophecy was related to four nations and the fate of two great empires.  All this proves the Holy Quran to be the Book of God."

The Prophecy of Pagan Defeat

The Quran predicted the defeat of unbelievers in Mecca while Prophet Muhammad and his followers were still being persecuted by them:

"Or do they (the Meccan disbelievers) say: ‘We are a great multitude, and we shall be victorious?’  Their multitude will be defeated, , and they shall turn their backs [in flight]!" (Quran 54:45)

The prophecy was revealed in Mecca, but was fulfilled at the Battle of Badr, two years after the Prophet’s migration to the city of Medina.

The Fate of Specific Individuals

Waleed ibn Mugheera was a staunch enemy who openly ridiculed the Quran:

"Then said he: "This is nothing but magic, derived from of old; this is nothing but the word of a mortal!" (Quran 74:24-25)

The Quran prophesized he will never accept Islam:

"Soon will I cast him into Hell-Fire!  And what will explain to thee what Hell-Fire is?  It leaves naught nor does it spare aught." (Quran 74:26-28)

Waleed died in a state of disbelief as prophesized by the Quran.

Also, concerning Abu Lahab, a fiery opponent of Islam, the Quran foretold he will die opposing the religion of God:

"May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and [indeed] he has perished.  His wealth and gains will not profit him.  He will be plunged in flaming Fire." (Quran 111:1-3)

Specifically, three prophecies were made about Abu Lahab:

(i)   The conspiracies of Abu Lahab against the Prophet would not succeed.

(ii)  His wealth and children would not benefit him.

(iii) He would die opposing God’s religion and enter the Fire.

Abu Lahab also died in a state of disbelief as prophesized by the Quran.  Had Waleed or Abu Lahab accepted Islam even outwardly, they would have disproved its prophecies and thus its heavenly source!

In addition, Abu Lahab had four sons, two of whom died at a young age during his lifetime.  The other two sons and a daughter embraced Islam and frustrated his hopes!  Finally, he died of a plague; people would not touch his body out of fear of contamination and dumped mud and stones on him where he died to make it his grave.

A key foundation to believing that a scripture is actually a revelation of God is internal truth, whether it be in regards to occurrences in the past, to come in the future, or in contemporary ages.  As one can see, there are many prophecies mentioned in that which is to come, some of which were fulfilled in the Prophet’s lifetime, or have been fulfilled since his death, while others are yet to appear.

An Unmet Challenge

Initially, the Meccan unbelievers said Muhammad is the author of the Quran.  God responded to them:

"Or do they say, ‘He himself has composed this [message]’?  No, but they are not willing to believe!  But then, [if they deem it the work of a mere mortal,] let them produce another discourse like it - if what they say be true!  [Or do they deny the existence of God implicitly by denying the fact of His revelation?]  Have they themselves been created without anything - or were they, perchance, their own creators?" (Quran 52:33-35)

First, God challenged them to produce ten chapters like the Quran:

"Or they may say, ‘He forged it,’ Say, ‘Bring ye then ten suras forged, like unto it, and call (to your aid) whomsoever you can, other than God! - If you speak the truth!’  If then they answer not your (call), know you that this revelation is sent down with the knowledge of God, and that there is no god but He!  Will you then submit (to Islam)?" (Quran 11:13-14)

But, when they were unable to meet the challenge of ten chapters, God reduced it to a single chapter:

"And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down on Our slave, then produce a surah thereof and call upon your witnesses other than God, if you should be truthful.  But if you do not – and you will never be able to – then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the unbelievers." (Quran 2:23-24)

Finally, God foretold their eternal failure to meet the divine challenge:

"Say: ‘If all mankind and all jinn  would come together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce its like even though they were to exert all their strength in aiding one another!’" (Quran 17:88)

The Prophet of Islam said:

"Every Prophet was given ‘signs’ because of which people believed in him.  Indeed, I have been given the Divine Revelation that God has revealed to me.  So, I hope to have the most followers of all the prophets on the Day of Resurrection." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The physical miracles performed by the prophets were time-specific, valid only for those who witnessed them, whereas the like of the continuing miracle of our Prophet, the Noble Quran, was not granted to any other prophet.  Its linguistic superiority, style, clarity of message, strength of argument, quality of rhetoric, and the human inability to match even its shortest chapter till the end of time grant it an exquisite uniqueness.  Those who witnessed the revelation and those who came after, all can drink from its fountain of wisdom.  That is why the Prophet of Mercy hoped he will have the most followers of all the prophets, and prophesized that he would at a time when Muslims were few, but then they began to embrace Islam in floods.  Thus, this prophecy came true.

Explanation of Quran’s Inimitability

State of the Prophet Muhammad

He was an ordinary human being.

He was illiterate.  He could neither read nor write.

He was more than forty years old when he received the first revelation.  Until then he was not known to be an orator, poet, or a man of letters; he was just a merchant.  He did not compose a single poem or deliver even one sermon before he was chosen to be a prophet.

He brought a book attributing it to God, and all Arabs of his time were in agreement it was inimitable.

The Challenge of the Quran

The Quran puts a challenge out to anyone who opposes the Prophet. The challenge is to produce a chapter (surah) similar to it, even if it were to be a cooperative effort.  A person may summon all the help he can from the physical and spiritual realms.

Why this Challenge?

First, Arabs were poets.  Poetry was their supreme ornament and their most representative form of discourse.  Arabic poetry was rooted in the oral; it was a voice before it acquired an alphabet.  Poets could compose intricate poems spontaneously and commit thousands of lines to memory.  Arabs had a complex system of evaluating a poet and the poetry to meet rigid standards.  Annual competition selected the ‘idols’ of poetry, and they were engraved in gold and hung inside the Kaaba, alongside their idols of worship.  The most skilled served as judges.  Poets could ignite wars and bring truce between warring tribes.  They described women, wine, and war like no one else.

Second, the opponents of the Prophet Muhammad were strongly determined to quash his mission in any way possible.  God gave them a non-violent approach to disprove Muhammad.

Inability to Meet the Challenge and its Consequences

History is a witness that the pre-Islamic Arabs could not produce a single chapter to meet the challenge of the Quran.  Instead of meeting the challenge, they chose violence and waged war against him.  They, of all people, had the ability and the motive to meet the Quranic challenge, but could not do so.  Had they done so, the Quran would have proven false, and the man who brought it would have been exposed as a false prophet.  The fact that the ancient Arabs did not and could not meet this challenge is proof of Quran’s inimitability.  Their example is of a thirsty man next to a well, the only reason he dies of thirst is if he was unable to reach the water!

Furthermore, the inability of previous Arabs to meet the challenge of the Quran implies later Arabs are less competent to meet the challenge, due to their lack the mastery of classical Arabic that the previous, ‘classical’ Arabs had.  According to linguists of the Arabic language, the Arabs before and during the time of the Prophet, in exclusion to subsequent generations, had the most complete mastery of the Arabic language, its rules, meters, and rhymes.  Later Arabs did not match the mastery of classical Arabs.

Lastly, the challenge is for Arabs and non-Arabs alike.  If the Arabs cannot meet the challenge, the non-speakers of Arabic cannot claim to meet the challenge either.  Hence, the inimitability of the Quran is established for non-Arabs as well.

What if someone were to say: ‘perhaps the challenge of the Quran was met by someone in the time of the Prophet, but the pages of history did not preserve it.’?

Since the beginning, people have reported important events to their succeeding generations, especially in that which captures attention or what people are looking out for.  The Quranic challenge was well spread and well known, and had someone met it, it would have been impossible for it not to have reached us.  If it has been lost in the annals of history, then, for the sake of argument, it is also possible that there was more than one Moses, more than one Jesus, and more than one Muhammad; perhaps many scriptures were also revealed to these imaginary prophets, and it is possible the world knows nothing about it!  Just like these suppositions are unfounded historically, it is also unreasonable to imagine that the Quranic challenge was met without it reaching us.

Second, had they met the challenge, the Arabs would have discredited the Prophet.  It would have been their biggest propaganda tool against him.  Nothing like this happened, instead, they chose war.

The fact that no effort of the non-Muslim has succeeded in ‘producing a verse’ like a verse of the Quran means that either no-one has taken the Quran seriously enough to make the effort, or that they made the effort, but were not successful.  This shows the inimitability of the Quran, a unique and everlasting message.  The uniqueness of the Quran combined with the divine message it brings to mankind is a sure indication of the truth of Islam. In the face of this, every person is faced with one of the two choices.  He either openly accepts the Quran is God’s Word .  In doing so he must also accept that Muhammad was sent by God and was His Messenger.  Or else he secretly knows the Quran is true, but he chooses in his heart to refuse it.  If the seeker is honest in his seeking, he need but explore this question of its inimitability to nurture the inner certainty that he has really found the final truth in the religion it predicates.

Ayatul Kursi / Surat Al-Baqarah 2:255

Reading the Holy Quran is a great way to overcome turmoil, anxiety and distress, and to relieve us. There is one particular Ayah in particular that Prophet Muhammad salallahu alaihi wasallam spoke of, that is said to give its reader great benefits in this life and the afterlife – Ayatul Kursi (Surat Al-Baqarah 2:255), also known as the Verse of the Throne.

The narrations (hadith) that speak of the virtues, and benefits, of Ayatul Kursi are numerous.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Prophet Muhammad salallahu alaihi wasallam ordered me to guard the Zakat revenue of Ramadan. Then somebody came to me and started stealing of the foodstuff. I caught him and said, “I will take you to Allah’s Apostle!” Then Abu Huraira described the whole narration and said: That person said (to me), “Please don’t take me to Allah’s Apostle and I will tell you a few words by which Allah will benefit you. When you go to your bed, recite Ayatul Kursi, (2.255) for then there will be a guard from Allah who will protect you all night long, and Satan will not be able to come near you till dawn.” When the Prophet heard the story he said (to me), “He (who came to you at night) told you the truth although he is a liar; and it was Satan.”
Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 61 Hadith 530

Narrated by Ayfa’ ibn Abdul Kila’i

Ayfa’ told of a man who asked Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) which surah of the Qur’an was greatest and was told that it was “Say, He is Allah, One.” He asked which verse of the Qur’an was greatest and was told that it was the Throne Verse, “Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal.” He asked Allah’s Prophet which verse he would like to bring good to him and his people and was told, “The end of Surat Al-Baqarah, for it is one of the treasures of Allah’s mercy from under His throne, which He gave to these people, and there is no good in this world and the next, which it does not include.”
Al-Tirmidhi – Hadith 2169       

Narrated by Abu Huraira

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “If anyone recites in the morning Ha-Mim al-Mu’min to ‘to Him is the final goal, and the Throne Verse, he will be guarded by them till the evening, and if anyone recites them in the evening he will be guarded by them till the morning.”
Al-Tirmidhi – Hadith 2144       

May Allah protect us and give us success. Ameen.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَىُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُ‌ۚ

لَا تَأۡخُذُهُ ۥ سِنَةٌ۬ وَلَا نَوۡمٌ۬‌ۚ لَّهُ ۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۗ

مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦ‌ۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىۡءٍ۬ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦۤ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ‌ۚ

وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ‌ۖ

وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُ ۥ حِفۡظُهُمَا‌ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِىُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ -٢٥٥

English Translation – Sahih International

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

Why Muslims are backward?

Allah says that Muslims are the best people or nation? Are we now?

Muslims are backward educationally, socially, and economically and in world power politically. Need to make a self-critical study: Nobel Prize winners, Olympic Gold Medal winners. Number of Books published, number of Articles published. Number of scientists per 100,000 population.

The Qur'an and Hadith exhort the Muslims to read and excel in education- both men and women. In this Masjid people leave free literature. How many of the worshippers pick them and read them and take action?

Look at the literacy rate in the Muslim Ummah. Muslim countries like, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, etc. Now Afghanistan is in a hopeless situation with civil wars. Sisters who constitute 50% of the population are not allowed to go pursue education. 

Rabbi Zidni Ilma, 20: 114 (Ta Ha) Oh Lord enrich me with knowledge.

Pakistan's average literacy rate is 26% for all the population-male and female. Contrast this with India's which has an average literacy rate of 52 %. Pakistan is the most advanced country in Science and Technology. It is the only Muslim Nuclear Power country. What is the GDP for Education and for Defense? How much is wasted through corruption.

The average literary rate of the whole Muslim Ummah is around 35 %. For our sisters it is about one half. In rural areas only it is only about 2 to 5 %. In United States a woman gets 12.4 years of school education. In Bangladesh she gets only 0.9 year of school education and in Yemen she gets only 0.2 years of school education.

Knowledge is power. The U.S. is the only Super Power. Why? Because it has knowledge in every field of human endeavor. Most of the Immigrant Muslims came here for higher education. Go to any developing country and ask a student where do you want to go for higher education. The answer invariably will be United States. US is a super power and power corrupts and absolutely corrupts absolutely. No doubt the US Foreign Policy is not even handed and commits wrong to some Muslim countries because of the lobbyists. Then how do Muslims correct the situation? Most of us are Immigrants and many are US Citizens. Our children and grand children are growing here. With violence we cannot correct the situation which is not Islamic when it is targeted towards the innocent civilians. I have seen many brothers call the Westerners as "Kuffar", but what I know is they are called the Ahl-e-Kitab- people of the Book. We can change the situation thro' Ilm and Aml plus Sabr. We need to be organized. First we need to be united. We can learn many lessons from other communities how they correct their situations and shortcomings.

Thousand years ago, our ancestors were masters in Astronomy, like Al-Biruni, Battani, etc. Today our knowledge of Astronomy is weak. The built astronomical observatories created calendars, astrolabes, etc. Day before yesterday (Wednesday) was the new moon. The solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the sun and the earth and when they are all in conjunction or in a straight line. It happens on the new moon day. On a new moon day the Hilal is not visible anywhere in the world. It is visible the next day. The Hilal was seen yesterday (Thursday) and hence today is the first day of Jumada ul Awwal. Some Muslim countries declared yesterday was the first day of Jumada ul Awwal. No wonder why Muslims celebrate Ids on three different days in the same town. It happened here in the United States. It is just ignorance. We do not have sound Deeni Talim nor of the Duniya. 

30 years ago man landed on the moon. Many Muslims consider moon as a sacred celestial clock. The devout Muslims refused to believe that man had landed on the moon.

1,000 years ago Muslims were in the forefront in every field of knowledge. The students from the West came to Muslim Spain, Sicily, Cairo, and Baghdad to study the sciences.

Take the example of Abu Rayhan al-Biruni. He was 26 years old, 1,000 years ago today. Sultan Mahmood of Ghazna in Afghanistan conquered his native place Khev and brought him to his capitol. Sultan Mahmood was not only a conqueror but also a scholar who gathered eminent scholars like Firdousi who is famous for Shah Nama and Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni. Sultan Mahood took Al-Biruni with him to India. In India al-Biruni stayed for 20 years studying from Pandits their sciences, mathematics, philosophy, etc. He learnt Sanskrit and translated Snakhya and Patanjali into Arabic. He measured the radius and diameter of the earth to within + or _ 20 km and 200 km respectively. He showed the earth rotates on its axis. He explained how the solar and lunar eclipses occur. He saved the life of a traveler who told the Sultan that in a land the Sun never sets. The land of the midnight sun. The Sultan decreed a death sentence to the traveler for blasphemy. However al-Biruni explained that the tilt of the earth towards the sun in the summer causes the phenomenon of the midnight sun.

Like our ancestors Muslims should take the lead in scientific study, exploration and knowledge. INTELLECTUAL REVIVAL OF MUSLIMS is the need of the hour.

The greatest pleasure for a father or mother is when their son or daughter achieves or rather excels in education, profession, power, wealth, etc. The most important is education. If I am a middle school graduate, then it is my responsibility to make my children high-school graduates or college graduates. If I am a high school graduate, then I should make my children college graduates or postgraduates. If I am a college graduate, then I should make my children obtain doctoral degrees. May Allah (SWT) give us the Tawfeek to understand His Deen and follow His Guidance.

Some of the Scientific Miracles in Brief

Ever since the dawn of mankind, we have sought to understand nature and our place in it.  In this quest for the purpose of life many people have turned to religion.  Most religions are based on books claimed by their followers to be divinely inspired, without any proof.  Islam is different because it is based upon reason and proof.

There are clear signs that the book of Islam, the Quran, is the word of God and we have many reasons to support this claim:

•  There are scientific and historical facts found in the Quran which were unknown to the people at the time, and have only been discovered recently by contemporary science.

• The Quran is in a unique style of language that cannot be replicated, this is known as the "Inimitability of the Quran."

• There are prophecies made in the Quran and by the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, which have come to be pass.

This article lays out and explains the scientific facts that are found in the Quran, centuries before they were "discovered" in contemporary science.  It is important to note that the Quran is not a book of science but a book of "signs".  These signs are there for people to recognise God"s existence and affirm His revelation.  As we know, science sometimes takes a "U-turn" where what once scientifically correct is false a few years later.  In this article only established scientific facts are considered, not just theories or hypothesis.

Scientific Facts in the Quran 

The Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century.

Science at the time was primitive, there were no telescopes, microscopes or anything even close to the technology we have today.  People believed that the sun orbited the earth and that the sky was held up by big pillars at the corners of a flat earth.  Within this backdrop the Quran was revealed, and it contains many scientific facts on topics ranging from astronomy to biology, geology to sociology.

Some people may claim that the Quran was changed as new scientific facts were discovered but this cannot be the case because it is a historically documented fact that the Quran is preserved in its original language.  The Quran was written down and memorised by people during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad.  One of the copies of the Quran which was written a few years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad is preserved in a museum in Uzbekistan.  This copy is over 1400 years old and is exactly the same as the Arabic Quran that we have today.

The following are nine scientific facts found in the Quran:

1.  Origin of Life

Water is essential for all living things.  We all know that water is vital to life but the Quran makes a very unusual claim:

We made every living thing from water? Will they not believe? (Quran 21:30)

In this verse water is pointed out as the origin of all life.  All living things are made of cells.  We now know that cells are mostly made up of water.  For example, 80% of the cytoplasm (basic cell material) of a standard animal cell is described as water in biology textbooks.

The fact that living things consist mostly of water was discovered only after the invention of the microscope.  In the deserts of Arabia, the last thing someone would have guessed is that all life came from water.

2.  Iron

Iron is not natural to the earth.  It did not form on the earth but came down to earth from outer space.  This may sound strange but it’s true.  Scientists have found that billions of years ago the earth was stuck by meteorites.  These meteorites were carrying Iron from distant stars which had exploded[4].

The Quran says the following on the origin of Iron:

“We sent down Iron with its great inherent strength and its many benefits for humankind.” (Quran 57:25)

God uses the words ‘sent down’ for Iron.  It is clear from the verse that Iron is not an earthly material, but was sent down for the benefit of humanity.  The fact that Iron came down to earth from outer space is something which could not be known by the primitive science of the 7th century.

3.  Sky’s Protection

The sky plays a crucial role in protecting the earth.  The sky protects the earth from the lethal rays of the sun.  If the sky did not exist then the sun’s radiation would have killed off all life on earth.  It also acts like a blanket wrapped around the earth, to protect it from the freezing cold of space.  The temperature just above the sky is approximately -270oC.  If this temperature was to reach earth then the planet would freeze over instantly.  The sky also protects life on earth by warming the surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night.  These are some of the many protective functions of the sky.

The Quran asks us to consider the sky in the following verse:

“We made the sky a protective ceiling.  And yet they are turning away from Our signs!”  (Quran 21:32)

The Quran points to the sky’s protection as a sign of God.  The protective properties of the sky were discovered by scientific research conducted in the 20th century.

4.  Mountains

The Quran draws our attention to a very important characteristic of mountains:

“Did We not make the earth a resting place? And the mountains as stakes?” (Quran 78:6-7)

The Quran indicates that mountains have deep roots by using the word stakes to describe them.  In fact mountains do have deep roots, and the word stakes is an accurate description for them.  A book titled ‘Earth’ by Geophysicist Frank Press explains that mountains are like stakes, and are buried deep under the surface of the earth. Mount Everest (pictured below), the height of which is approximately 9 km above ground, has a root deeper than 125 km.

The fact that mountains have deep ‘stake’ like roots was not known, until after the development of the theory of plate tectonics in the beginning of the 20th century.

5.  Expansion of the Universe

At a time when the science of Astronomy was still primitive, the expansion of the universe was described in Quran:

“And it is We who have built the Universe with [Our creative] power and keep expanding it.” (Quran 51:47)

The fact that the universe is expanding was discovered in the last century.  The physicist Stephen Hawking in his book ‘A Brief History of Time’ writes, “The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century.”.

The Quran mentioned the expansion of the universe even before the invention of the telescope!

6.  Sun’s Orbit

In 1512 the astronomer Nicholas Copernicus put forward his theory that the Sun is motionless at the centre of the solar system, and that the planets revolve around it.  The belief that the Sun is stationary was widespread amongst astronomers until the 20th century.  It is now a well-established scientific fact that the Sun is not stationary, but is moving in an orbit around the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.

The Quran mentions the orbit of the Sun:

“It is He who created night and day, the Sun and the Moon, each floating in its orbit.”      (Quran 21:33)

The Quran would have been wrong according to astronomers just a couple of decades ago.  But we now know that the Quranic account of the Sun’s motion is consistent with modern Astronomy.

7.  The Ocean

The Quran uses imagery to covey its deep meanings, here it describes the state of the unbelievers as:

“Darkness out in a deep ocean which is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds, layers of darkness, one upon the other.  When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it.  Those God gives no light to, they have no light.” (Quran 24:40)

It is commonly thought that waves only occur on the surface of the ocean.  However oceanographers have discovered that there are internal waves that take place below the surface of the ocean.  These waves are invisible to the human eye, and can only be detected by specialist equipment.  The Quran mentions darkness in a deep ocean above which are waves, above which are waves, then clouds above that.  This description is not only remarkable because it describes the internal waves in the ocean, but also because it describes darkness deep in the ocean.  A human being can dive no more than 70 metres without breathing equipment.  Light is present at that depth, but if we go down 1000 metres it is completely dark.  1400 years ago there were no submarines or specialist equipment to discover internal waves or the darkness deep inside the oceans.

8.  Lying and Movement

There was a cruel oppressive tribal leader named Abu Jahl who lived during the time of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  God revealed a verse of the Quran to warn him:

“No Indeed! If he does not stop, We will seize him by the forehead, his lying, sinful forehead.” (Quran 96:15-16)

God does not call this person a liar, but calls his forehead (the front part of the brain) ‘lying’ and ‘sinful’, and warns him to stop.

This verse is significant for two reasons.  The first is that the front part of our brain is responsible for voluntary movement.This is known as the frontal lobe.  A book titled ‘Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology’ which includes the results of research on the functions of this area states: The motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate movements occur in the anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal area.  The part of the brain that is responsible for movement is said to be seized if the man does not stop.

Secondly, numerous studies have shown that this same region (frontal lobe) is responsible for the lying function of the brain.  One such study at the University of Pennsylvania in which volunteers were asked questions during a computerized interrogation, it was found that when the volunteers were lying there was significantly increased activity in the prefrontal and premotor cortices (frontal lobe region).

The front part of the brain is responsible for movement and lying.  The Quran links movement and lying to this area.  These functions of the frontal lobe were discovered with medical imaging equipment which was developed in the 20th century.

9.  Pain Receptors

For a long time it was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was dependent on the brain.  However it has been discovered that there are pain receptors present in the skin[14].  Without these pain receptors, a person would not be able to feel pain.

Consider the following verse on pain:

“We shall send those who reject Our revelations to the (Hell) Fire.  When their skins have been burned away, We shall replace them with new ones so that they may continue to feel the pain: God is Almighty, All-Wise.” (Quran 4:56)

God tells the people who reject his message that when they are in Hell and their skins are burnt off (so they can’t feel any pain), he will give them new skins so that they continue to feel the pain.

The Quran makes it clear that pain is dependent upon on the skin.  The discovery of pain receptors in the skin is a fairly recent discovery for Biology.

Conclusion

These are just some of the many scientific facts found in the Quran.  It is important to note that the Quran is not a book of science, but that it is consistent with science.  To claim that scientific facts in the Quran are due to coincidence would be irrational.  The best explanation is that God revealed this knowledge to the Prophet Muhammad.

Just like the Quran contains knowledge about the natural world, it also contains information about the inner dimensions of our souls.  It relates to our feelings, wants and needs.  The Quran informs us that we have a purpose in life, and that following God’s guidance will lead us to inner peace in this life, and Paradise in the hereafter.  And that rejection of his message will lead to depression in this life and Hellfire after death.

“We shall show them Our signs in the Universe and within themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth.  Is it not enough that your Lord is the witness of all things?”  (Quran 41:53)