Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

On Cosmic Verses in The Quran

By Dr. Muhammad Jamaluddin El-Fandy

Table of Contents

The Quran and Science 3

The Quran Differentiates between Conviction and Speculation  4

Some Principles relating to the Universe 6

The Quran as the best Example of Scientific Expression  9

Timing in The Holy Quran 36

Conclusion 39

The Quran and Science

The word "science" here stands for all branches of knowledge without particularizing any of them. It includes studies connected with the universe and its allied subjects under which fall the modern sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy and geology. The Holy Quran, undoubtedly, raises the prestige of these sciences and encourages people to study them for the general good.

The most sublime reference in this respect and the most important fact in this connection is that the very first verses of the Holy Quran gave incentive to gain knowledge and to glorify it. The beginning of the Revelation was actually a signal for the dawn of knowledge and a forerunner of giving it its due dignity. The very first verse of the Holy Book reads

"Read in the name of thy Lord Who created, created man from a clot, Read and thy Lord is most Generous, Who taught by the pen, taught man what he knew not." (surat Al-Alaq: The Clot).

The Holy Quran explains later at different stages of the Revelation the meaning of science and education. which includes, on a large scale, all sciences connected with the universe, matter, energy, systems and life. These are the sciences by which Man gains in power and strength and faith and fear of God which is the Chief objective of life. Refer for example to the following verses:

"Those of His servants only who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Forgiving." (Surat Fatir: The Originator).

"Surely in the heavens and the earth are signs for believers." (Surat Al-Jathiya : The Kneeling).

"And in the earth are signs for those who are sure. (Surat Al-Zariyat : The Scatterers).

"And He it is Who has made the stars for you that you might follow the right way thereby in the darkness of the land and the sea. Indeed We have made plain the signs for a people who know." (Surat Al-Anaam: The Cattle).

"And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colors. Surely there are signs in this for the learned." (Surat Al-Rum: The Romans).

"Seest thou not that Allah sends down water from the clouds, then We bring forth therewith fruits of various hues? And in the mountains are streaks, white and red, of various hues and (others) intensely black. And of men and beasts and cattle there are various colors likewise." (Surat Fatir : The Originator).

"Say: Are those who know and those who know not alike?" (Surat Al-Zumar: The Companies).

This is apart from a number of other verses which not only speak highly of sciences and scientists, but draw our attention and direct us to pursue knowledge and discover the secrets of the universe on the line of the present divisions of modern sciences as we have already explained.

The Quran Differentiates between Conviction and Speculation

The formations of modern science have been founded on the difference between conviction and speculation. Recognition of this difference is the pillar on which rests the structure of all sound and solid cultures. While the Holy Quran addresses sound minds, scientists also do not recognize any of the branches of knowledge except those which have the support of reason and sound argument or potent experience.

It is deeply regretted that despite the fact that the Holy Quran has made vigorous appeal for this lofty ideal as regards sciences, which was actually the basis of the success achieved by the modern scientific renaissance and differentiated between conviction and speculation, Muslims, during a certain period of time, wasted time and effort in useless talk, adoption of an aimless philosophy and making studies in baseless metaphysics which encouraged the spread of myths, fancies and imageries. At that time, baseless talks and arguments, trying to explain the familiar natural phenomena, took place. They, for instance, interpreted ebb and tide as an act of a sea angel who was supposed to put his. thumb in the water to make it bubble and expand and to take it off to make it recede, causing ebb. The Holy Quran says:

"Say: Have you any knowledge so you would bring it forth to us? You only follow a conjecture and you only tell lies." (Surat Al-Anaam: The Cattle).

"And most of them follow naught but conjecture will not avail aught against the Truth." (Surat Yunus: Jonah).

It is a fact that the scientific renaissance in the West was due to correct observations and sound experiments. Scientific laws are nothing but interpretations of phenomena in the material world. Although we do not claim absolute authenticity of such laws, yet we agree that they represent the largest possible amount of authenticity and precision. These laws are gradually moving towards perfection with the advancement of sciences. With the passage of time and expansion in the horizon of knowledge, and in view of growing accuracy in observation, scientists introduce, from time to time, amendments or modifications in some of the scientific laws so as to bring them closer to fact or to make them more useful.

This means that scientists are continuously carrying on research work about the universe. They are making us in this endeavour of a variety of matters for research, the foremost of which deal with theory. Next to this are experiments in the laboratory, farms or in nature as a whole. This is exactly what the Holy Quran ordains in matters of understanding realities, as it says:

"Say: Travel in the earth then see how He makes the first creation." (Surat Al-Ankabut : The Spider).

"See they not the clouds, how they are created? And the heaven, how it is raised high?" (Surat Al Ghashiyah: The Overwhelming Event).

Do they not consider the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what things Allah has created?" (Surat Al-Aaraf: The Elevated Places).

There are several other verses with similar meanings. This shows that it is not wise for the people to have mere fantasy as the basis of their religious ideologies or scientific theories. A conclusion which has no support of experience or proof will not do. In so doing, they will be like those who deduce the characteristics of matter or the phenomena of the universe without studying the objects they are observing, or like those who inherit their beliefs without putting them to test to find out right from wrong. The Holy Quran, describing such people, says:

"And when it is said to them, Come to that which Allah has revealed and to the Messenger, they say: Sufficient for us is that wherein we found our fathers. What Even though their fathers know nothing and had no guidance." (Surat Al-Maida: The Food).

Some Principles relating to the Universe

Study of the characteristics of matter and the utilization of different energies in the universe have been the main sources of human success. Although we make use of electricity for warming up, medical treatment, lighting, automation, driving locomotives and cars, etc., yet our knowledge of the nature of electricity is incomplete. Similar is the case with light and heat. To all of them, we give a vague name, energy, which is hidden in the universe and which can change into one another, but nobody can create it from nothingness.

Normally, all scientific theories attempt to interpret the origin of the universe on the basis of certain assumptions which could not be proved, or on the basis of certain points beyond which nobody could go. The science of physics does not touch the subject of creation from a state of nothingness. It only concentrates on a study of the characteristics of the existing, whether it is matter, energies or life.

But before we proceed to discuss the greater world represented in existence as a whole, it is better to talk first about the smaller world as represented in the smallest elementary particles which go to make the material, which is the atom. Atoms are made of the smallest possible non-matter particles. One could only define the nature of each matter or element by the number of particles existing in each atom. The most simple of all atoms in construction is the hydrogen atom. It is known as the universal gas or the gas which brought the existence into being, from which all other known matters have developed. The hydrogen atom is composed of a nucleus, which is a proton of positive nature, around which revolves an electron, which is negative. [Note: This small and simple collection in the world of atoms reminds us of its counterpart in the Greater World which includes the earth around which revolves the moon .This is a proof and support to the Quran's verse: "Thou seest no incongruity in the creation of the Beneficent." (Surat Al-Mulk: The Kingdom).] The construction of atoms gets more and more complicated as we proceed to know other material elements.

It was generally believed until recently, that atoms could not be further divided into elementary particles. The methods used for splitting them were useless. But, once the methods for splitting the atom were discovered in this age, it became certain finally that huge energy was inherent in it. The basis of the energy was the same which was used originally in uniting its elementary particles, particularly the constituents of the nucleus which came into being for the first time in the stars under tremendous pressure and heat, the degree of which is beyond description and imagination.

In most elements, the nucleus is not restricted to the positive proton. Instead, there are neutrons, which are elementary particles, having no distinguishing charge. It is understood that the nucleus is the first thing which determines the atom. Helium, for example, produced by the explosion of hydrogen atoms, is composed of two neutrons and two protons. When we proceed with nuclii till we reach the heavy elements represented in uranium, for instance, we find that the nucleus of this element is composed of 92 protones with 146 neutrons. Normally, negative charges inside any atom are equal to their positive charges. This is why the electrical charge of an atom equals zero. The helium atom is composed of one nucleus and two electrons (or negative electricity) which produce electrical equilibrium. But as regards the uranium atom, ninety two nuclii revolve around it. Electrons go round nuclii in different orbits which increase with the rise in electrons, as each orbit will be saturated with a certain number of them. The nearest of orbits to the nucleus has no room but for two electrons. The following orbit has eight electrons, and so on. What is left over from the saturation of the inner stratas remains in the outer ones. This is which could be easily separated and reorganized.

It is possible that one electron or more may be separated from the atom. This will release two charges, one positive and the other negative. This process is scientifically called ionization". The most simple apparatus in which the process of ionization takes place is the electric discharge tube used in lighting or advertising in which the gas glows under very low pressure resulting from the collision of electrons with gas atoms. This collision with some particles results in adding energies which are released in the form of light, which in its turn is the source of the glow known to us; while some other atoms are ionized.

A few years ago, new discoveries had been made in the material world as regards the formation of the atoms. These discoveries were of much importance to scientists, particularly astronomers. The most important of them was the discovery of the negative proton (the opposite to the proton known to us) and  the positive electron (the opposite to the one familiar to us). This means that there are two different kinds of matter of which stars, the sun, planets and other various bodies are formed. If one of these two kinds meets the other or collides with it, atomic destruction takes place, the result of which will be the disappearance of the whole matter from existence and the release of huge energies. We, for instance, may describe the first kind of these two matters, that of positive protons and negative electrons, as "M"; the second and opposite kind, of negative protons and positive electrons, could be named as `S".

Astronomers have benefited from those discoveries in the potentialities and the different applications involved in them, which explained the mysteries of a number of this universe's phenomena. Due to these discoveries, astronomers were able to explain completely dark parts in galaxies, especially in the spiral nebulae, and were also able to know something about novas and supernovas;

There are some electrically-charged particles in the nuclii of heavy atoms. These are called masons. If a proton is transferred to a neutron, the former loses its positive charge, which will be separated with the separation of a positive mason. But if a neutron changes into a proton, the mason, in this case, will have a negative charge. When a positive proton collides with an other of a negative nature, or if a negative electron collides with a positive one, one completely destroys the other. The total energy will be released in this case.

From this we can easily realize that when one atom of matter "M" enters the orbit of matter "S", or vice versa. electrons become extinct or vanish first, then the protons.

However, we do not know, even approximately, whether the number of positive protons contained in the universe is completely equal to the negative protons of it. But a host of scientists believe that such a case should exist in a world created from nothingness. It will be the same result to be got if it happens that galaxies meet and collide with each other. This discovery may cast light on the exalted verse:

"Surely Allah upholds the heavens and the earth lest they come to naught. And if they come to naught, none can uphold them after Him. Surely He is ever Forebearing, Forgiving." (Surat Fatir : The Originator).

Anyhow, the possibility of the disappearance of heavens and the earth is a problem which science can not deny as we have already seen. This could be stated despite the fact that we are unable to confirm that positive and negative protons had come into existence as big numbers of pairs which became separated into single ones of which the total charge did not exceed zero, or that all such things had been formed as separated and single particles. It is also a fact that nobody had admitted that protons and electrons were regularly distributed among all parts of the universe. The possibility of securing electrical equilibrium, by the passage of time and at a certain place, between negative and positive charges, could be proved by witnessing it.

There are other verses which have rather the same meaning. These verses reveal the secret of the beginning and the end of this universe. Of them are the following:

"On the day when the earth will be changed into a different earth, and the heavens (as well)." (Surat Ibrahim: Abraham).

"The day when We roll up heavens like the rolling up of the scroll of writings." (Surat Al-Anbiya: The Prophets).

"And when the heaven has its covering removed.' (Surat Al-Takwir: The Folding Up).