CHAPTER – I

DISCOVERIES IN NATURE &

EARTH
(i) Creation of the Universe
The formation of the universe is described in the
Quran in the following verse:

“He is the Originator of the heavens and

the earth.” (6:101)

The information given in the Quran is in full

agreement with the findings of modern science.
The conclusion that astrophysics has reached
today is that the entire universe was created as a
result of great explosion that occurred in no time.
This event, known as “The Big Bang” proved that
the entire universe was created from nothingness
as a result of the explosion of a single point.
Modern scientists agree that the Big Bang is the
only rational and plausible explanation of the
beginning and how the universe came into being.
Before the Big Bang, there was no such thing as
matter. So, we come to the conclusion that matter,
time, and energy were created and didn’t exist
since infinite.

“Then turned He to the heaven when it was

smoke,
and said unto it and unto the earth: Come
both
of you, willingly or not. They said: We
come,
obedient.” (The Quran, 41:11)

Didn’t the Quran say that the Heaven was smoke

before its creation? Modern science has every
reason to maintain that the universe was formed
from a gaseous mass principally composed of
hydrogen and a certain amount of helium that was
slowly rotating. We, therefore, see no contradiction
in the Quranic use of the Arabic word “dukhan”
(translated smoke) and a modern interpretation of
that word as “a gaseous mass with fine particles”
when speaking of the formation of the universe.

“Have they not who disbelieve seen that the

heavens and earth were joined together (as one
piece), then We parted them.” (21:30)

The Quran describes the phenomenon of the

creation of the universe by using two specific
words:

“rataq” translated as: mixed in each ; blended.

“fataqa” is the verb in Arabic and implies that

something comes into being by tearing apart or
destroying the structure of “rataq”.

As the earth and the heavens above (the sun, the

moon, stars, planets, galaxies, etc.) have been
formed from this same ‘smoke’, we conclude that
the earth and the heavens were once a connected
entity. Then out of this homogenous ‘smoke’, they
evolved into different forms and separated from
each other.

Hence, the verse reveals that the heavens and

earth at the beginning were joined together, and
that subsequently they were separated. Recent
advance-ments in astronomy especially the Big
Bang theory of the creation of the universe
corroborate with this statement in the Quran. The
Big Bang theory holds that about 20,000,000,000
(twenty billion) years ago the universe began with
an explosive expansion of a single extremely
condensed state of matter. This is what the Quran
states in this verse: “the heavens and earth were
joined together”. The Noble prize for Science in
1977 was awarded for this discovery.

These facts, only recently discovered by modern

science, were disclosed in the Quran 1,400 years
ago.
 *****
(ii) More than one world

The very first verse of the first chapter of the Quran

is a miracle. It says:

“Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.”

(The Quran, 1:1)

At a time when, perhaps, scientific knowledge was

not even at the nascent stage, the Quran revealed
about the presence of worlds other than the earth
and testified to the fact that, “Allah is the Lord of the
worlds”. As a matter of fact, the words, “the Lord of
the worlds”, appear in the Quran a total of 73 times.
With scientific advancement and use of
sophisticated telescopes now we know that there
are other planets and multitude of galaxies besides
earth. And all this was disclosed to us by the God
Almighty through his prophet Mohammad ( P.B.U.H
) 14 centuries ago.

*****

(iii) The expansion of the universe

According to the Holy Quran:

“And it is We who have constructed the

heaven with might, and verily, it is We who
are steadily expanding it.” (51:47)

The word “heaven”, as stated in this verse, is used

in various places with the meaning of space and
universe. Here again, the word is used with this
meaning.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian

physicist Alexander Friedmann and the Belgian
cosmologist Georges Lemaitre theoretically
calculated that the universe is in constant motion
and that it is expanding.

From the moment of the Big Bang, the universe has

been constantly expanding at a great speed.
Scientists compare the expanding universe to the
surface of a balloon that is inflated. Observing the
sky in 1929 with a telescope also proved this fact.
Edwin Hubble, the American astronomer,
discovered that the stars and galaxies were
constantly moving away from each other. These
observations tell us that when everything in the
universe moves away from each other, it is
considered to be a constantly expanding universe.
This fact was revealed in the Quran when no one
knew about the expansion of the universe 1,400
years ago. This is because the Quran is the word of
Allah, the Creator and the Ruler of the entire
universe.

*****

(iv) Sky, without any support

Due to lack of knowledge, Arab society, 1400 years

ago, had many superstitious beliefs regarding the
earth and the sky.

They thought that the earth was flat and that the
mountains were supporting the sky above. They
thought that there were high mountains at both the
ends of the world, working as pillars and those
pillars held the sky hanging above. However, all
these superstitious beliefs were eliminated with the
advent of the Quran. The Quran says:

“God is He who raised up the heavens without

any support…..” (Surah ar-rad, 2)

thereby invalidating the belief that the sky remained

suspended above because of the mountains. How
did the author of the Quran know about this fact
1400 years ago? Indeed, Quran is the book of
Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

*****

(v) Orbits

We learn from the Quran that:

“By the sky full of paths and orbits.”

(The Quran, 51:7)

The entire universe is full of paths and orbits. The

Quran also tells us that:

“(Allah is the) One who created the night , and

the day, and the sun and the moon, swim along,
each in its (own) orbit.” (21:33)

“It is not permitted to the sun to overtake the

moon, nor can the night outsrip the day, each
swims along in its (own) orbit.” (36:40)

While referring to the Sun and the Moon in the

Quran, it is emphasized that each moves in a
certain orbit. There are about 200 billion galaxies in
the universe, consisting of nearly 200 billion stars in
each. All celestial bodies including planets,
satellites of these planets, stars and even galaxies
swim along their own orbits.

It is mentioned in another verse, too, that the Sun is

not static but moves in a definite orbit.

“The sun runs on its fixed course for a

term (appointed); that is the decree of the All-
Mighty, the All-Knowing.” (Yaseen 36:38)

According to the calculations of experts on

astronomy, the Sun is travelling at an enormous
speed of 150 miles per second. It means that the
sun travels roughly 12,960,000 miles a day!

The fact that this information was present in the

Quran long before it was discovered by the
mankind is yet another testimony that Allah, the All-
Knowing, and the All-Wise is the source of this
knowledge.

*****

(vi) Different nature of the sun and

the moon
“Allah is the One who made the sun a shining
object and the moon as a light, and measured
out (their) stages, that you may know the
number of years and the count (of time), Allah
did not create this but in truth; He (thus)
explains His signs in detail, for those who
understand.” (The Quran, 10:5)

“We have built above you seven strong

(heavens) and placed therein a blazing lamp.”
(78:12-13)

“Do you not see how Allah has created the

seven heavens one above another; And made
the moon a light in their midst, and made the
sun a lamp.” (71:15-16)

“Blessed is He who made constellations in the

skies and placed therein a lamp (sun) and a
moon giving light.” (25:61)

The Quran uses two different words for the sun and
the moon. When it refers to the moon, the word is
“NOOR” (light) and when it refers to the sun, the
word is “SIRAJ” or “ZIA” (lamp). We also learn from
the second verse given above that the sun is the
only source of light for our solar system. The Quran
also tells us that the moon only reflects the sun’s
light. These facts are in perfect harmony with
discoveries made in astronomy in not very distant
past. The Quran had disclosed these facts 14
centuries ago.

*****
(vii) The proportion of Rain

The Quran, in the following verse, tells us that the

rain is sent down to earth in due measure:

“It is He who sends down water in due measure

from the sky by which He brings a dead land
back to life. That is how you too will be raised
(from the dead).” (43:11)

The modern science has discovered the measured

quantity in rain. They have estimated that in one
second, approximately 16 million tons of water
evaporates from the earth, i.e., 513 trillion tons of
water in one year. This number is equal to the
amount of rain that falls on the Earth in a year. This
means that water constantly circulates in a
balanced cycle, in a “measure”.

The rain keeps falling every year in exactly the

same quantity as revealed in the Quran. This is yet
another great miracle of the Quran and a “food for
thought” for the non-Muslims.

*****
(viii) The Mountains

Allah says in the Holy Quran:

“Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the

mountains as pegs?” (78:6-7)
Geologists tell us that mountains have underlying
roots. These roots are deeply embedded in the
ground, thus, mountains have a shape like a peg.
Geologists have proven that mountains have deep
roots under the surface of the ground and that
these roots can reach several times their elevations
above the surface of the ground. So, the most
suitable word to describe mountains on the basis of
this information is the word ‘peg’. Didn’t the Quran
use the word ‘peg’ in the verse above?

The history of science tells us that the theory of

mountains having deep roots was introduced only
in the latter of the 19th century. The modern geology
has thus confirmed the truth of the Quranic verse.

*****

(ix) The seas not mingling with one

another

“He has set free the two seas meeting

together. There is a barrier between them.
They do not transgress.” (The Quran, 55:19-20)

Modern science has discovered that at places

where two different seas meet, there is a barrier
between them. This barrier divides the two seas so
that each has its own temperature, salinity and
density.

But when the Quran speaks about the divider

between the fresh and salt water, it mentions the
existence of a “forbidding partition” with the barrier.
Allah says in the Quran:

“He is the one who set free the two kinds of

water,
one sweet and palatable, and the other salty
and
bitter. And He has made between them a
barrier
and a forbidding partition.” (25:53)
One may ask, why did the Quran mention the
partition when speaking about the divider between
sweet and salt water, but did not mention it when
speaking about the divider between the two seas??

Modern science has discovered that in estuaries

[where fresh (sweet) and salt water meet] the
situation is somewhat different from what is found
in places where two seas meet. Scientists have
discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from
salt water in estuaries is a “pycnocline zone with a
marked density discontinuity separating the two
layers.”[1] This partition (zone of separation) has a
different salinity from the fresh water and from the
salt water. This information has been discovered
only recently, using advanced equipment to
measure temperature, salinity, density, oxygen
dissolubility, etc. The human eye cannot see the
difference between the two seas that meet.
Likewise, the human eye cannot see the division of
water in estuaries[2] into three kinds: fresh water,
salt water, and the partition (zone of separation).

The interesting side to this is that during a period

when people had no knowledge of physics or
oceanography, this fact was revealed in the Quran.

*****

(x) The Miracle in the Iron

“Indeed We have sent Messengers with clear
proofs, and sent down with them the Book and
Balance, that mankind may observe justice;
And We sent down iron, in which is (material
for) mighty power, as well as many benefits for
mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will
help, unseen, Him and His Messengers, for
Allah is full of strength, exalted in might.” (The
Quran, 57:25)

The Quran tells us that the iron was sent down to

earth. Scientists have, only recently, come to
discover the relevant facts about the formation of
iron. Geologists believe that the entire energy of
our solar system is not sufficient to produce even
one atom of iron. Moreover, they state that four
times as much energy as that of our solar system
would be required to make one atom of iron on the
surface of the earth. The geologists thus conclude
that iron is an extraterrestrial material that was sent
down to earth from some other planet.

Who besides Allah could have such absolute

knowledge which excels and encompasses all
levels of human knowledge??

*****

(xi) Presence of sub-atomic

particles

Recent discoveries in Physics have shown that an

atom can be broken into smaller units. According to
the Holy Quran:

“The unbelievers say: Never to us will come the

Hour (the day of Judgment); Say: Nay! By my
Lord! It will surely come upon you by Him, who
knows the unseen, not an atom’s weight, or
less than or greater (than atom), escapes Him
in the heavens and/or in the earth, but it is in a
clear record.” (34:3)

The Arabic word used in this verse is “Zarrah”.

Abdullah Yousef Ali, Mohsin Khan, and Marmaduke
Pickthal have translated Zarrah as an atom. At the
time this verse was revealed, a Zarrah was the
smallest known particle to mankind. The Quran
testifies to the presence of particles smaller than
Zarrah or an atom. The discovery of splitting of an
atom into smaller units does not relate to a very
distant past while the Quran had acknowledged this
fact 1400 years ago.
 *****

CHAPTER – II
DISCOVERIES IN
HUMAN BEINGS
(i) The part that controls our
movements

“No indeed! If he does not stop, We will grab

him by the forelock, a lying, sinful forelock.”
(96:15-16)

Why did the Quran describe the front of the head

as being lying and sinful? Why didn’t the Quran say
that the person was lying and sinful? Is there a
relationship between the front of the head and lying
& sinfulness?

The expression “the lying, sinful forelock” in the

above verse is most interesting. Research carried
out in recent years revealed that the prefrontal
area, which is responsible for the management of
particular functions of the brain, lies in the frontal
part of the skull. What does physiology tell us about
the functions of this area? A book entitled,
“Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology”[3] says about
this area:

The motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate

movements occur in the anterior portion of the
frontal lobes, the prefrontal area. This is a region of
association cortex …………………

The book further says:

In relation to its involvement in motivation, the
prefrontal area is also thought to be the functional
center for aggression….

So, this area of the cerebrum is responsible for

planning, motivation and initiating good and sinful
behavior, and is responsible for telling lies and
speaking the truth.

It is clear that the statement, “the lying, sinful lock”

corresponds completely to the above explanations.
Allah in the Quran stated this fact, which scientists
have only discovered in the last 60 years, centuries
ago.

*****

(ii) Fingerprints

While it is stated in the Quran that it is easy for God

to bring man back to life after death, people’s
fingerprints are particularly emphasized:

“Does man think that We cannot assemble his

bones? Nay, We are able to put together in
perfect order the very tips of his fingers.” (The
Quran, 75:3-4)

This emphasis on fingerprints has a very special

meaning. It is now an established fact that each
human being has his own unique fingerprints.
Everyone who is alive or has ever lived in this
world, including identical twins, has a set of unique
fingerprints. This is why fingerprints are used as a
source of identification around the world. In other
words, people’s identities are coded at their
fingertips. This coding system may also be
compared to the barcode system that is used
today.
Before the discovery of the fingerprints people
thought of them as ordinary curves without any
meaning or importance. In the Quran, Allah points
to the fingertips and calls our attention to their
significance. This is yet another miracle of the
Quran that was only finally understood in our days.

*****

CHAPTER – III
DISCOVERIES IN
HUMAN EMBROYNIC
DEVELOPMENT
(i) Stages of embryonic growth

“We created man from an extract of clay,

We later placed him as a mixed drop in a place
of settlement, firmly fixed, later We made the
mixed drop into a leech-like structure, and
then We changed the leech-like structure
into a chewed-like substance, then out of the
chewed-like substance We made the skeleton/
bones, then we clothed the skeleton with
muscles/ flesh, later We caused him to grow
and come into as another creation, So, blessed
be Allah, the best of Creators.” (The Quran,
23:12-14)

The Quran in the above verses uses two words for

“then”. “fa” in the Arabic language refers to an
immediate action while the word “thumma”
refers to a delayed action. In the above verses,
Quran used the word thumma three times,
showing that there are three different stages of
human development in the embryo. (You may
check these 3 stages in “The three stages of the
baby in the womb” on pages 32-33 of this book.)

Embryology is the branch of science that studies

the development of the embryo in the mother’s
womb. Until very recently, embryologists assumed
that the bones and muscles in an embryo
developed at the same time. For this reason, for a
long time, some people claimed that these verses
conflicted with science. Yet, advanced microscopic
research conducted by virtue of new technological
developments has confirmed that the revelation of
the Quran is word for word correct.

Who besides Allah could have revealed such

minute and specific information 1400 years ago??

*****

(ii) Three stages of the baby in the

womb

The Quran tells us that man is created in a three-

stage process in the mother’s womb.

“He creates you stage by stage in your

mothers’ wombs in a threefold darkness. That
is God, your Lord. Sovereignty is His. There is
no god but Him. So what made you deviate?”
(The Quran, 39:6)

As we learn from this verse of the Quran that a

human being is created in three different stages in
the mother’s womb. Today, in all the embryology
text books studied in the faculties of medicine, this
subject is taken as an element of basic knowledge.
We learn from the modern biology that : “The life in
the uterus has three stages: pre-embryonic; first
two and a half weeks, embryonic; until the end of
the 8th week, and fetal; from the 8th week to labor.”
Pre-embryonic stage: In this first phase, the
zygote grows by division, and when it becomes a
cell cluster, it buries itself in the wall of the uterus.
While they continue growing, the cells organize
themselves in three layers.

Embryonic stage: The second phase lasts for five

and a half weeks during which the baby is called an
“embryo”. In this stage, the basic organs and
systems of the body start to appear from the cell
layers.

Fetal stage: From this stage on, the embryo is

called a “foetus”. This phase begins at the 8th week
of gestation and lasts until the moment of birth. The
distinctive character of this stage is that the foetus
looks just like a human being, with its face, hands
and feet. Although it is only 3 cm. long initially, all
of its organs have become apparent. This phase
lasts for about 30 weeks and development
continues until the week of delivery.

Is it not amazing that 1400 years ago when Biology

and medical science had not achieved the present
day perfection, the Quran had revealed what was
discovered by the Scientists only recently? Is it not
clear evidence that the Quran is not the word of
man, but the word of Allah?

*****

(iii) The determination of the sex of

the baby

Until fairly recently, it was thought that a baby’s sex

was determined by the mother’s cells. That was
why, in many cultures, women were blamed when
they gave birth to girls. However, this belief was
negated with the arrival of the Quran where it is
stated that masculinity or femininity is created out
of “a drop of semen which has been ejected”.
“He has created both sexes, male and female
from a drop of semen which has been ejected.”
(The Quran, 53:45-46)

With the development of genetics science and

molecular biology in the 20th century, Scientists
have validated the accuracy of this information
given by the Quran. It is now understood that the
sex is determined by the sperm cells from the male,
and that the female does not play the main role in
this process.

Chromosomes are the main elements in

determining sex. Two of the 46 chromosomes that
determine the structure of a human being are
identified as sex chromosomes. These two
chromosomes are called “XY” in males, and “XX” in
females, because the shapes of the chromosomes
resemble these letters. The Y chromosome carries
characteristics of masculinity, while the X
chromosome carries those of femininity. In the
mother’s egg, there is only the X chromosome,
which determines female characteristics. In the
semen from the father, there are sperms that
includes either X or Y chromosomes. Therefore, the
sex of the baby depends on whether the sperm
fertilizing the mother’s egg (ovum) contains an X or
Y chromosome. For example, if an X chromosome
from the female unites with a sperm that contains X
chromosomes, then the baby is a female. If it unites
with the sperm that contains a Y chromosome, the
baby is male. In other words, as stated in the verse,
the factor determining the sex of the baby is the
semen which comes from the father. This
knowledge, which could not have been known at
the time when the Quran was revealed, is evidence
to the fact that the Quran is the word of God.

*****

CHAPTER – IV
 OTHER DISCOVERIES
(i) Living-things and water
The scientists tell us that billions of years ago
primaeval matter in the sea began to generate
protoplasm[4] out of which came the amoeba; and
out that mire in the sea came all living things. In
one word ALL LIFE came from the sea, i.e.,
Water !!

When we ask them that no man of learning, no

philosopher or poet could ever have guessed your
biological discovery fourteen centuries back, could
he?? They tell us “No, never!”. Well, then, just see
what the Quran has to say:

“And we made from water every living thing;

will they (the unbelievers, the atheists, and the
agnostics) then not believe?” (The Quran,
21:30)

The above statement is further elaborated in the

Quran as:
“And Allah created every animal from water, of
them there are some that creep on their bellies,
some that walk on two legs, and some that walk
on four legs; Allah creates what He wills, for
verily Allah has power over all things.” (The
Quran, 24:45)

It is clear that this fact could not have been

scientifically known when the Quran was revealed.
This testifies to the fact that the Quran is the book
of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.

*****

(ii) A lesson in cattle

In the field of physiology, there is one verse in the
Holy Quran which appears extremely significant.
One thousand years before the discovery of the
blood circulatory system, and roughly thirteen
centuries before it was determined that the internal
organs were nourished by the process of digestive
absorption, a verse in the Quran described the
source of the constituents of milk in conformity with
scientific facts.

“Verily in cattle, there is lesson for you; We

give you to drink of what is inside their bellies
coming from a conjunction between the
contents (of the intestine) and blood, a milk,
pure and pleasant for those who drink it.” (The
Quran, 16:66)

The initial event, which sets the whole process in

motion, is the conjunction of the contents of the
intestine and blood at the level of the intestinal wall,
which produces milk. This specific knowledge was
unknown to mankind at the time when the Quran
was revealed to Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H).

*****

(iii) Opposite pairs in creation

“Glory be to Him Who created all the pairs;

from what the earth produces and from
themselves and from things unknown to them.”
(The Quran, 36:36)

Although the concept of “pair” or “couple”

commonly stands for male and female, the
statement : “from things unknown to them” has
wider implications. Today, one of the implications of
the verse has been revealed. With the advanced
technology and research, scientists have found out
that even matter is created in pairs. British
scientist, Paul Dirac, who proposed that matter is
created in pairs, was awarded the Nobel Prize for
Physics in 1933, while the Quran told us about the
pairs 1400 years ago. This discovery is called
“parite”. This fact is stated in a scientific manner as
follows:

“…every particle has its antiparticle of opposite

charge………and the uncertainty relation tells us
that pair in creation and pair annihilation happens
in the vacuum at all times, in all places."

Recent advancements in science have shown that

not only all animals, plants, and matters but
bacteria also have an opposite pair or strain. In
plants, now we know, there are male and female
seeds and male and female trees. A male date tree
looks different from a female tree.

This verse, which clearly states a fact about “pairs

of unknown” that was not known to previous
generations, and has been recently discovered,
could have only come from the All-Knowing Allah.

*****

CHAPTER—V
MIRACLE OF THE
QURAN

Protection and memorization of the

Quran

“We (Allah) without any doubt sent down the

Message (the Quran), and We will assuredly
guard againt it (from any corruption).” (The
Quran, 15:9)

“And We (Allah) have made the Quran easy to

understand and remember, then is there any
 that will receive admonition.” (The Quran,
54:17,22,32,40)

One of the ways by which Allah has assured

the protection of the Quran is the fact that He made
it easy for the true Believers to memorize His book.
As a matter of fact, the Quran is the only religious
book that is memorized by its true followers. The
one who memorizes the Quran is called a Hafiz.
They don’t only memorize the entire text of the
Quran, but also the punctuation and diatrical marks
of each and every word and verse of the Quran.
Allah promised to protect the Quran and thus gave
the power of memorization to its true followers. The
protection of the Quran from corruption and its
memorization by its true believers is an open
challenge to mankind.

*****
[1]
Gross, M. Grant. 1993. Oceanography, a View of Earth. 6th ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
p.242.
[2]
Estuary: (noun): the wide lower tidal part of a river.
[3]
Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology by Seeley Rod R., Trent D. Stephens; and Philip Tate, 1996, 2nd Ed.
St. Louis: Mosby-Year Book, Inc. p.211.
[4]
Protoplasm is the basis of all living matter, and “the vital power of protoplasm seems to