Rebuttal To Claims of Quaranic Science

www.SikhingTruth.
com
Rebuttal to Claims of
Science in the Quaran
www.SikhingTruth.com
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1 Contents Page
1 Contents Page.............................................................................................................. 2
2 Introduction................................................................................................................. 3
3 The Quaran and Science ............................................................................................. 3
4 Did the Quaran predict the 7 Layers of the Atmosphere ............................................ 4
5 The Truth About 7 Layers of Heaven ......................................................................... 5
6 What does Quaran say about the Earth? ................................................................... 10
7 Does Quaran talk about a big bang? ......................................................................... 13
8 What does the Quaran say about Thunder? .............................................................. 13
9 What does the Quaran say about shooting stars?...................................................... 14
10 Embryology in the Quaran? .................................................................................. 15
11 The origins of life according to the Qur'an ........................................................... 16
12 The drop of fluid or semen.................................................................................... 17
13 Embryological development in the Qur'an ........................................................... 19
13.1 Some possible explanations .............................................................................. 21
13.2 Stages of Development - A Modern Idea?........................................................ 23
13.3 More examples of borrowing from ancient Greek writers................................ 24
13.4 But how could Muhammad have known these things? .................................... 26
14 The Quaran and the Cerebrum.............................................................................. 30
15 The Quaran and Geology ...................................................................................... 33
16 The Quaran and Mountains................................................................................... 35
17 The Quaran and Seas and Oceans ......................................................................... 37
18 The Quaran – Deep Seas and Oceans ................................................................... 39
19 The Quaran – Facts about Astronomy .................................................................. 40
20 The Quaran – on Clouds ....................................................................................... 43
21 The Quaran and Astrological ideas....................................................................... 44
22 Concluding remarks about The Quaran and Science ............................................ 47
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2 Introduction
Sikhism respects all religions and supports the concept of "Sarbat da Bhalla" which
means "Good for All". Sikhs do not have any ill will towards any community, as all
human beings are sons and daughters of one God.
“See the brotherhood of all mankind as the highest order of Yogis; conquer your own
mind, and conquer the world.” (Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Page 6)
Our aim with publishing this document is only to highlight the truth and as Sikhs we
respect all Muslims who choose to follow an Islamic lifestyle without the hatred,
judgement and superiority complex.
3 The Quaran and Science

"It is the Truth" is a visually attractive site that is full of colorful pictures and
illustrations. It is based on the work of Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani and the
Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah, an institution that once
enjoyed the support of Osama bin Laden. The goal of this webpage is to convince us that
the Qur'an contains scientific facts, many of which were discovered recently, in order to
prove that the Qur'an is of divine origin. The "science" of the Qur'an presented here is, in
most cases, constructed from extreme extrapolations of a word, or phrase, taken from the
Qur'an or Hadith.
The authors also cite many "authorities" who believe (although most do not publish these
beliefs, especially in the west) that the Qur'an is factually correct. Some of these experts
are well known, but this can hardly imply that their opinions are beyond question. Many
of the better-known scientists claim that the website "It is the Truth" mis-represents their
opinions, including Dr. Simpson, Professor Palmer, Dr. Goeringer, and Dr. Hay.
For some others their status as "experts" seems to be overrated since their names cannot
be found in any major institution and no academic papers have been published under their
names. In any event, let us scientifically evaluate if "It is Truth".
Note: The original website is no longer available. An Islamic site in Hongkong has
mirrored the original state here. Newer versions of the site are now at www.what-
islam.com and www.thisistruth.org. At the latter locations, the structure has changed
somewhat since we have written our responses. Nevertheless, the interested reader should
be able to match the Muslim claims and our answers without too much effort in order to
compare and evaluate.
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4 Did the Quaran predict the 7 Layers of the

Atmosphere
One fact about the universe revealed in the verses of the Qur'an is that the sky is
made up of seven layers.
"It is He Who created everything on the earth for you and then directed His attention
up to heaven and arranged it into seven regular heavens. He has knowledge of all
things."
(The Qur'an, 2:29)
"Then He turned to heaven when it was smoke. In two days He determined them as
seven heavens and revealed, in every heaven, its own mandate."
(The Qur'an, 41:12)
The word "heavens", which appears in many verses in the Qur'an, is used to refer to
the sky above the Earth, as well as the entire universe. Given this meaning of the
word, it is seen that the Earth's sky, or the atmosphere, is made up of seven layers.
The Earth has all the

attributes that are needed
for life. One of them is the
atmosphere, which serves
as a shield protecting living
things. Today, it is an
established fact that the
atmosphere is made up of
different layers lying on
top of one another. Just as
it is described in the
Qur'an, the atmosphere is
made up of exactly seven
layers. This is certainly one
of the miracles of the
Qur'an.
Indeed, today it is known that the world's atmosphere consists of different layers that
lie on top of each other. Furthermore, it consists, just as is described in the Qur'an, of
exactly seven layers. In a scientific source, the subject is described as follows:
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14 centuries ago, when the sky was believed to

be one unified body, the Qur'an miraculously
stated that it consisted of layers, and what is
more, "seven" layers. Modern science, on the
other hand, discovered the fact that the
atmosphere surrounding the Earth is made up
of "seven" basic layers only very recently.
5 The Truth About 7 Layers of Heaven

The pre Copernican concept of the universe was geocentric, i.e. they thought that the
Earth was flat and was located at the center of the universe. They believed that the
Sun and the Moon along with Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury that made the
seven known objects of the heaven were deities. These were the only objects people
could observe with their naked eyes moving in the sky while the stars appeared to be
fix.
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They believed that these planets or “gods” each had its own sphere. These layers are not
the same as the orbits that we know. The planets did not orbit the Sun but they all
revolved around the flat Earth in this order:
Moon Mercury Venus Sun Mars Jupiter Saturn
The closest to the Earth was the Moon and the farthest, was the Saturn. Therefore
the concept of the 7 layers of heaven is based on ancient astronomy, where each
celestial body occupied a crystal sphere one placed on top of the other like layers of
an onion. .
Both Judaism and Christianity make reference to these layers of heaven. For example
Dante in his Divina Comedia refers to it and Paul the apostle, in 2 Corinthians 12:2
says: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third
heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know–God knows.”
The heaven was the physical world above. The concept of a spiritual heaven is a new
concept. In the mind of the ancient man the distinction between physical heaven (sky)
and spiritual heaven was fuzzy. For example “cielo” in Spanish still means both sky and
heaven.
Not only the Heaven had seven layers, the Earth also had seven layers and it represented
the underworld or the Hell.
The number seven was so engrained in the mind of the ancient man that you can find it
everywhere.
Seven planets or gods had been identified and the phases of the moon changed every
seven days. The Bible states that God rested on the seventh day after he completed his
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Creation. And every seventh year was sabbatical and that the seven times seventh year
ushered in the Jubilee year.
The Pagans divided their weeks in seven days each day representing a deity.
1. Saturday which was the first day of the week (as it still is in Islamic countries) was
dedicated to Saturn (Dies Saturni),
2. Sunday to Sun (Dies Solis),
3. Monday to Moon (Dies Lunae),
4. Tuesday to Mars (Dies Martis),
5. Wednesday to Mercury (Dies Mercurii),
6. Thursday to Jupiter (Dies Jovis), and
7. Friday to Venus (Dies Veneris).
Out of this order come the familiar seven Archangels which include Michael, Gabriel,
Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and the fallen Lucifer.
The pagan concept of the seven layer of Heaven crept into Judaism and the number seven
can be found in Judaism more than anywhere else. Why? Because Midrash teaches, there
are seven layers of Heaven, obviously an influence of Paganism in Judaism.
“When Adam sinned, the Shechinah departed to the First Heaven. The sin of Kayin
forced it to the Second Heaven; the Generation of Enosh to the Third; the generation
of the Flood to the Fourth; The generation of the Dispersion to the Fifth; Sodomites,
to the Sixth; Egypt of Avraham's day, to the Seventh ... (Bereishis Rabbah 19:7)”
According to Judaic scriptures, creation took 7 days; Naaman had to wash 7 times in
the Jordan to be cleansed from leprosy; the Israelites had to march around Jericho 7
days and 7 times on the 7th day; they had to set aside one day in 7 for rest and
worship. There was a 7-armed lampstand in the temple, etc. In the last book,
Revelation, we find mentioned 7 spirits, 7 lampstands, 7 churches, 7 stars, 7 seals, 7
trumpets, 7 vials, 7 thunders, 7 plagues, 7 mountains and 7 kings. The tribulation
period is to be 7 years being the last "week of years" of Daniel's 70 weeks (Dan 9:24
ff).
Muhammad did not invent the concept of the seven layers of Heaven. He merely parroted
it without understanding the Pagan origin of this idea. He wrote:
“So He ordained them seven heavens in two periods, and revealed in every heaven its
affair; and We adorned the lower heaven with brilliant stars… “(Fussilat 41: 12)
This verse has nothing to do with layers of the atmospheres as claimed by Muslims. It has
to do with the geocentric concept of the universe that was prevalent at the time of
Muhammad. Note also that according to Muhammad, stars are lamps that are affixed to
the ceiling of the lower layer of the Heaven for adornment purposes. The lower level is
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the sphere of the Moon. Obviously stars are not in the same layer where Moon is and
neither the Moon nor the stars are in the lower atmosphere of the Earth.
In fact the concept of the layers of heaven as mentioned in the Quran is so unrelated to
the layers of the atmosphere that the Islamic site www.understanding-islam.com tries to
give a completely mystical significance to that verse and claims that it talks about the
"spiritual heavens" which the soul will encounter after the death.
“The reference to the fact that God has created seven heavens has generally been
given in the Qur’an, in reply to the skepticism shown by the disbelievers regarding
the possibility of life after death. … it refers to the vastness of His creation. It says
that God has not just created one sky -- i.e., one universe, but seven such skies -- or
seven universes.
It seems that the huge universe that we live in, the one whose boundaries are not yet
known to man, is just one of these heavens (universes) there are seven others, of
which we -- with all our scientific developments -- do not know anything about.
Certain verses of the Qur’an clearly indicate that the whole huge mass of space
around us is just one of these universes...”
The Islamic site www.pakistanlink.com quotes Maududi, the renowned Muslim scholar
and the interpreter of the Quran who says:
“It is difficult to explain precisely what is meant by the ‘seven heavens’. In all ages man
has tried, with the help of observation and speculation to conceptualize the ‘heavens’, i.e.
that which lies beyond and above the earth. As we know the concepts that have thus
developed have constantly changed. Hence it would be improper to tie the meaning of
these words of the Qur’an to any one of these numerous concepts. What might be broadly
inferred from this statement is that either Allah has divided the universe beyond earth
into seven distinct spheres, or that this earth is located in that part of the universe which
consists of seven different spheres."
From the Ahadith (especially the Hadith of Mi’raj) we learn that the first heaven is the
one that is closest to the earth. So the order begins from the earth and the highest heaven
is the seventh heaven.
As one can see the real scholars of Islam are unable to explain the meaning of the seven
heavens mentioned in the Quran and try to give esoteric significance to it. If we had to
believe that the seven heavens is an allusion to the seven layers of the atmosphere then
we have to assume that stars must be no more than eleven kilometers above the Earth,
because as the verse 41:12 says the lower heaven is adorned with brilliant stars. The
Troposphere ends at about eleven kilometers above the surface of the Earth.
Not only did Muhammad, like other men of his time, believe that the sky had seven
layers, he also thought that the Earth was made of seven layers too.
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“Allah is He Who created seven Firmaments and of the earth a similar number…”
[Quran 65.12]
In this verse the number of the earths is not in question. It assumes that everyone agrees
that there are seven earths. The emphasis is on the claim that Allah is the creator of these
seven earths. The reason is because just like the seven heavens, the ancient people had
agreed that there were also seven layers of earth. Muhammad was simply stating what
seemed to be obvious to the people of his time but of course he was dead wrong
according to the modern science.
What are these seven earths that Muhammad was talking about? If there were seven
continents on Earth, the Muslim apologists would not waste time to claim this verse is a
miracle. But we do not have seven continents. Muhammad is talking about the seven
layers of Earth. He is talking about the same layers that were described by Dante in his
Inferno. Several hadith make this clear. Here is one:
Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever usurps the land of somebody unjustly, his neck will be
encircled with it down the seven earths (on the Day of Resurrection). "
The detailed description of these seven earths is given by Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-
Kisa'i:
“... There are seven earths. The first is called Ramaka, beneath which is the Barren
Wind, which can be bridled by no fewer than seventy thousand angels. With this wind
God destroyed the people of Ad. The inhabitants of Ramaka are a nation called
Muwashshim, upon whom is everlasting torment and divine retribution. The second
earth is called Khalada, wherein are the implements of torture for the inhabitants of Hell.
There dwells a nation called Tamis, whose food is their own flesh and whose drink is
their own blood. The third earth is called Arqa, wherein dwell mulelike eagles with
spearlike tails. On each tail are three hundred and sixty poisonous quills. Were even one
quill placed on the face of the earth, the entire universe would pass away. The
inhabitants thereof are a nation called Qays, who eat dirt and drink mothers' milk. The
fourth earth is called Haraba, wherein dwell the snakes of Hell, which are as large as
mountains. Each snake has fangs like tall palm trees, and if they were to strike the hugest
mountain with their fangs it would be leveled to the ground. The inhabitants of this earth
are a nation called Jilla, and they have no eyes, hands or feet but have wings like bats
and die only of old age. The fifth earth is called Maltham, wherein stones of sulphur
hang around the necks of infidels. When the fire is kindled the fuel is placed on their
breasts, and the flames leap up onto their faces, as He hath said: The fire whose fuel is
men and stones (2:24), and Fire shall cover their faces (14:50). The inhabitants are a
nation called Hajla, who are numerous and who eat each other. The sixth earth is called
Sijjin. Here are the registers of the people of Hell, and their works are vile, as He hath
said: Verily the register of the actions of the wicked is surely Sijjin (83:7). Herein dwells
a nation called Qatat, who are shaped like birds and worship God truly. The seventh
earth is called Ajiba and is the habitation of Iblis. There dwells a nation called Khasum,
who are BLACK and short, with claws like lions. It is they who will be given dominion
over Gog and Magog, who will be destroyed by them…
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In summary the Quaran did not talk about 7 layers of heave when it describes the 7 layers
of heaven.
6 What does Quaran say about the Earth?

Dr Maurice Bucaille and Dr Keith Moore are 2 non Muslims who claim to have
discovered the ‘Big-Bang’, ‘expansion of the universe’, ‘theory of evolution of human
species’, science of ‘atoms and molecules’, ‘milky-way, ‘constellation’, ‘white dwarf’,
‘black-holes, ‘embryology’ etc in the Quaran.
We will have a look at some of these claims below:
“Hast thou not seen how Allah causeth the night to pass into the day and causeth the day
to pass into the night, and hath subdued the sun and the moon (to do their work), each
running unto an appointed term; and that Allah is Informed of what ye do?”
In this verse Allah clearly says that he is the one who converts the day into night and vice
versa; subjected the sun and the moon to follow a fixed orbit. We find many similar
verses elsewhere in the Qur’an as well. Here are a few samples: Sura Ya-Sin (36:38),
Sura Az-Zumar (39:5), Sura Al-Rad (13:2), Sura Al-Anbiya (21:33), Sura Al-Baqara
(2:258), Sura Al-Kahf (18:86), Sura Ta-Ha (20:130), just to name a few. However, even a
thorough, painstaking search of the entire Qur’an does not show a single verse anywhere
in it that supports the scientific reality of the rotation of earth. According to Allah, the
earth is motionless, completely static. Period.
In Sura An-Naml (27:61) it is stated clearly:
Is not He (best) Who made the earth a fixed abode, and placed rivers in the folds thereof,
and placed firm hills therein, and hath set a barrier between the two seas? Is there any
Allah beside Allah? Nay, but most of them know not!
In the same vein, Sura Al-Rum (30:25), Sura Fatir (35:41), Sura Luqman (31:10), Sura
Al-Baqara (2:22), Sura An-Nahl (16:15) exhorts the Allah’s decree that the earth is
completely immovable.
There is not a single verse, in the Qur’an that states that the earth moves round the sun; or
that the earth rotates on its own axis, at the least. The Arabic word for earth is ‘Ard’ and
the Arabic word for rotation is ‘Falak’.
In fact people during Muhammad’s time did not know where the sun went at night. They
thought that the sun proceeds to a far-off place to take rest - this was their knowledge of
the setting sun. This understanding can be seen from the following Sura in the Quaran:
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(18:86): “Till, when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in a
muddy spring, and found a people thereabout. We said: O Dhu'l-Qarneyn! Either punish
or show them kindness.”
With such unscientific ideas, it would be inappropriate to consider the Quaran a book of
science.
Many readers may not be aware that the 'Muslim World' considers Muhammad to be the
greatest scientist, thinker and philosopher that Allah ever created. Now, think about the
answer, that this ‘greatest’ creator of science gave when people questioned him: Where
does the sun go at night? In a conversation with one of his companions (Abu Dhar),
Muhammad claimed that the sun ‘prostrates’ under the throne of Allah for the entire night
and seeks His permission to go to its usual work in the morning! Let us read this hadis
Volume 6, Book 60, Number 326: Narrated Abu Dharr:
“Once I was with the Prophet in the mosque at the time of sunset. The Prophet said, "O
Abu Dharr! Do you know where the sun sets?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know
best." He said, "It goes and prostrates underneath (Allah's) Throne; and that is Allah's
Statement:--
'And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (decreed). And that is the decree of All-
Mighty, the All-Knowing....' (36.38)
The Quaran also talks of a FLAT Earth at the following verses:
“And the earth have We spread out, and placed therein firm hills, and caused each
seemly thing to grow therein…” (Sura Al-Hijr 15:19)
“Who hath appointed the earth as a bed and hath threaded roads for you therein and
hath sent down water from the sky and thereby We have brought forth divers kinds of
vegetation,…” (Sura Ta Ha 20:53)
“Who made the earth a resting-place for you, and placed roads for you therein, that
haply ye may find your way;…”(Sura Az-Zukhruf 43:10)
“And the earth have We spread out, and have flung firm hills therein, and have caused of
every lovely kind to grow thereon, …” (Sura Qaf 50:7)
“And Allah hath made the earth a wide expanse for you…” (Sura Nooh 71:19)
We can definitely deduce from the fixed prayer times that the ancient people were quite
accustomed to the notion of a flat earth. Aroj Ali Matubbar, the peasant-philosopher of
Bengal has further elaborated on this idea of flat earth in his book ‘The Quest for Truth’
Let us take this opportunity to examine his elaboration.
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In Islam, it is compulsory to offer prayers five times a day. Preset times are appointed for
these prayers. Offering of prayers apart from these set times are forbidden. For example,
a Muslim cannot pray at sunrise, at sunset or at midday. We know from the diurnal
rotation of earth that, at any fixed time, the sun is seen at any position on earth and as
such, a prayer can be offered at any site on the earth. What does this mean? Consider the
following fact. When the sun is rising at Barisal (a district in Bangladesh), it has still not
risen at Calcutta (in West Bengal, India). However, in Chittagong (another port city in
Bangladeh), the sun is already up. So, when offering prayer at Barisal is haram
(forbidden), it is not haram at Calcutta or at Chittagong. Thus, can we find any
justification for imposing a ban on offering of prayers at some other times apart from the
set times of prayers? Aroj Ali Matbor, the rationalist, in his book mentioned before has
posed a very interesting question: Suppose, a Muslim, after offering the Zuhr prayer at
1:30 PM, leaves for Mecca. Arriving in Mecca, he will be surprised to note that it is yet
not noon there. So, shall he offer another Zuhr prayer at Mecca too? The answer to this
enigma is actually contained in the question itself. Aroj Ali, himself has answered this
question in a rational way. According to him, there was a time when the concept of earth
as stationary and flat was very much in vogue. From this perception, the idea of fixed
times for prayers emerged—he opines. Nonetheless, this old concept is now dead;
instead, the modern science has proved that the earth is round and in motion. That is why
complications have arisen while trying to fit the modern day life-style with age-old
religious doctrines. These complications will definitely keep increasing in future, no
doubt. Here is a very compelling illustration: if an astronaut or an aircraft pilot flies at a
speed of 1041.67 miles an hour from the west, he will find the sun to be motionless, still.
This means that, for the air-passengers there will be no such time as morning, noon or
evening—as if the sun is standstill at one position only! What would happen to prayer
and fasting—come to think of it? If in future, human habitation is established in the North
Pole, there will be more problems. There is approximately six month of days and six
months of nights at this forlorn place. Will it be possible to strictly follow the rules of
fasting as well the dictums of five prayers a day between sunrise and sunset there? Please
ponder closely on this issue and you will surely discover that the root cause of this
problem is the erroneous idea of a flat and motionless earth.
Let us search history. A famous Arabic scientist of the twelfth century did think that the
earth is not really flat but round. As soon as his idea became known, all his works were
declared as blasphemous, his books confiscated and burnt. Just a few years ago, the
supreme religious authority of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdel Aziz ibn Baaz issued a fatwa
(Islamic edict) in this fashion:
‘The earth is indeed flat. Those who do not accept this are atheist—they deserve to be
punished.’ In his book ‘The Demon-Haunted World’, Karl Sagan has enunciated this
fatwa in detail.
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7 Does Quaran talk about a big bang?

It is quite astonishing that the so-called science experts discover ‘Big-Bang’ in this verse!
Is ‘Big-Bang’ or explosion mentioned in this verse?
“21:30 Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one
piece, then We parted them, and we made every living thing of water? Will they not then
believe?”
“21:31 And We have placed in the earth firm hills lest it quake with them, and We have
placed therein ravines as roads that haply they may find their way.”
Furthermore, in Physics, the ‘Big-Bang’ is related with space-time singularity, not with
matter per se. The earth did not even exist when the ‘Big-Bang’ took place—the earth
having been born billion years after the ‘Big-Bang’! The above verses are clearly
referring to earth and sky being "joined" (which doesn't even have a common sense or
scientific meaning) together and then being split apart (again meaningless as per science),
and that is all.
Therefore, simply using a few jargons and playing with words in the above verse (21:30),
in no way expresses scientifically, the ‘Big-Bang’ incidence. We learn from Quantum
Physics that, just after the ‘Great’ explosion, the four forces of nature, the strong nuclear
force, the weak nuclear force, electro-magnetic force and the gravitational force existed
as a unified ‘super force.’ Where in the above verse one can find this scientific truth?
8 What does the Quaran say about Thunder?

It is common knowledge, as scientists teach, that thunder is a sound caused by the impact
between electrical charges found in the clouds. Yet Muhammad, the prophet of Muslims,
has a different opinion in this matter. He claims that the thunder and the lightning are two
of God’s angels—exactly like Gabriel!
In the Qur’an there is a chapter under the title of "Thunder" in which it is recorded that
the thunder praises God. We might think that it does not mean that literally because
thunder is not a living being—although, spiritually speaking, all of nature glorifies God.
The expounders of the Qur’an and its chief scholars, however, insist that Muhammad said
that the thunder is an angel exactly like the angel Gabriel. In his commentary (p. 329), the
Baydawi comments on verse 13 of chapter of the Thunder,
"Ibn ’Abbas asked the apostle of God about the thunder. He told him, ‘It is an angel who
is in charge of the cloud, who (carries) with him swindles of fire by which he drives the
clouds."’
In the commentary of the Jalalan (p. 206), we read about this verse:
"The thunder is an angel in charge of the clouds to drive them."
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Not only ibn ’Abbas asked Muhammad about the essence of the thunder, but the Jews did
too. In the book, "al-Itqan" by Suyuti (part 4, p. 230), we read the following dialogue:
"On the authority of Ibn ’Abbas, he said the Jews came to the prophet (peace be upon
him) and said, ‘Tell us about the thunder. What is it?’ He told them:
‘It is one of God’s angels in charge of the clouds. He carries in his hand a swindle of fire
by which he pricks the clouds to drive them to where God has ordered them.’ They said
to him, ‘What is this sound that we hear?’ He said: ‘(It is) his voice (The angel’s voice)."’
The same incident—the question of the Jews and Muhammad’s answer are mentioned by
most scholars. Refer, for instance, to al-Sahih al-Musnad Min Asbab Nuzul al-Ayat
(stories related to the verses of Qur’an, p. 11) and al-Kash-shaf by the Imam al-
Kamakhshari (part 2, pp. 518, 519). He reiterates the same story and the same words of
Muhammad. Thus, the incident is in vogue among all Muslim scholars, and the story and
the dialogue between Muhammad and the Jews is well-known.
We have mentioned what the Baydawi, Jalalan, Zamakhshari, Suyuti, and ibn ’Abbas
have said. We do not know (among the ancient scholars) any who are more famous than
these. Concerning lighting, Muhammad affirms that it is an angel like the thunder and
like Gabriel and Michael. On page 230 of the above references, Suyuti alludes to it. Also
on page 68 of part 4 of the "Itqan", the Suyuti records for us the names of the angels,
which are: "Gabriel, Michael, Harut, Marut, the Thunder and the Lightning (He said) that
the lightning has four faces."
The Suyuti listed all these under the sub-title, "The names of God’s Angels". He also
indicated that Muhammad said that the lightning is the tail end of an angel whose name is
Rafael (refer to part 4, p. 230 of the Itqan).
9 What does the Quaran say about shooting stars?

Muhammad had a strange belief in shadowy beings and ghosts that he called Jinn. These
Jinns were made of fire and would stand on top of each other’s shoulders all the way to
heaven to eavesdrop to what was being discussed. The prophet also believed that the
shooting stars and the meteors are the missiles thrown at the eavesdropping Jinns.
Q. 72: 8
“And (the Jinn who had listened to the Qur'an said): We had sought the heaven but had
found it filled with strong warders and meteors.
9.
And we used to sit on places (high) therein to listen. But he who listeneth now findeth a
flame in wait for him;"
He repeated the same idea again.
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Q. 37: 6/10
”We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars, (For beauty) and for
guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits, (So) they should not strain their ears in
the direction of the Exalted Assembly but be cast away from every side, Repulsed, for
they are under a perpetual penalty, Except such as snatch away something by stealth, and
they are pursued by a flaming fire, of piercing brightness.
And
Q. 67: 5
“And we have, (from of old), adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps, and We have made
such (Lamps) (as) missiles to drive away the Evil Ones, and have prepared for them the
Penalty of the Blazing Fire.”
The universe as was envisioned by Muhammad, obviously belongs to the realm of fairy
tales. The Earth for him was flat were the sun rises from one end and sets in the muddy
waters on the other. In Arabic the word “sama” stands for both heaven and sky. And for
Muhammad, just like his primitive contemporaries there was no distinction between the
two. He described the heaven (sky) made of seven layers and placed the stars in the
lowest layer, lower than the Moon. Then he envisioned the mythical Jinns as if they were
real beings, standing on each other’s shoulders all the way to heaven to eavesdrop to the
discussion of the “Exalted Assembly”. He assumed that the stars are just lamps to adorn
the lower heaven that are also used as missiles to shoot the intruding Jinns. Can any
reasonable person today accept these fables of those primitive people as true?
The shooting stars, despite their names are not stars but meteorites that glow when enter
the atmosphere of the Earth. But Muhammad, could not see the difference; to him the
shooting stars were stars.
There is also a Hadith that confirms the above story.
Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 432
Narrated 'Aisha:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The angels descend, the clouds and mention this or that
matter decreed in the Heaven. The devils listen stealthily to such a matter, come down to
inspire the soothsayers with it, and the latter would add to it one-hundred lies of their
own."
10 Embryology in the Quaran?

In the early 1980s, Prof. Keith Moore, formerly an anatomist at the University of
Toronto, Canada produced a special edition of his embryology textbook, the standard
version of which has been widely used in medical schools around the world. Apparently
when he first read what the Qur'an had to say about the development of the human
embryo he was "astonished by the accuracy of the statements that were recorded in the
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7th century AD, before the science of embryology was established”. Much has
subsequently been written by Muslims in an attempt to demonstrate that the Qur'an,
which is claimed to be God's ultimate revelation contains statements about how humans
develop inside the womb which could not possibly have been known at the time that it
was revealed to Muhammed. Indeed, a recent book confirms the extent to which this has
been happening:
Dubai's medical school recently introduced a compulsory course for all students: Islamic
Medicine. The program seeks to link all modern medicine, including genetics, to the
Koran. Such courses have their genesis in orthodox Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have spent
considerable sums on medical conferences at which leading Western scientists are asked
to confirm that Koranic verses, which seem vague to the layperson, are in fact specific
predictors of modern science. Videos and pamphlets from the conferences have been
circulated throughout the Muslim world by the Saudis.
If it is indeed true that certain verses accurately foretell modern scientific ideas which
could not be tested in the seventh century, then it implies that the Qur'an must have had a
divine author. It is the intention of this paper to examine what exactly was known about
the human embryo at the time of Muhammed in order to see whether any of the theories
expressed in the Qur'an were true or indeed well known before this time.
11 The origins of life according to the Qur'an

There are at least 60 verses which deal explicitly with human reproduction and
development, but these are scattered throughout the Qur'an and many of the themes are
repeated over and over again, as is common to much of the book. A useful place to begin
would be the material out of which we are created. One would expect the Qur'an to be
unambiguous about such an elementary matter, but the verses listed show just how much
uncertainty there appears to be in our origins. Note that except where indicated the
translation used is the translation of Yusuf Ali (Saudi Revised Edition).
Could it be from earth?
11:61 It is He Who hath produced you from the earth
Or dry clay (Arabic Salsaal)?
15:26,28,33 We created man from sounding clay

17:61 ... Thou didst create from clay
32:7 He began the creation of man from clay
Did we come from nothing?
19:67 We created him before out of nothing
No, we did not!
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52:35 Were they created of nothing?
Did we come from mud?
23:12 We created man from a product of wet earth (loam) (Pickthall)

23:12 Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay)
38:71 I am about to create a mortal out of mire
Or water?
25:54 It is He Who has created man from water (see also 21:30, 24:45)
Could it be dust?
3:59 He created (Jesus) out of dust

30:20 He created you from dust
35:11 Allah did create you from dust ....
Perhaps we arose from the dead or from one person?
30:19 It is He who brings out the living from the dead

39:6 He created you from a single Person (see also 4:1)
To resolve the considerable ambiguity about what exactly we are made of, it has been
suggested that all of the above are complimentary accounts, in the same way that a loaf of
bread could be said to be made of dough, flour, carbohydrate or molecules. This evades
the issue however. The metaphorical description of God making man out of the dust of
the earth is ancient and predates the Qur'an by thousands of years; it is found in the Bible
in Genesis 2:7. If this was literal it would be in direct scientific conflict with evolutionists
who maintain that life was created out of the oceans, but Muslims maintain that we were
created both from the oceans and from earth.
12 The drop of fluid or semen

In a number of places we are informed that man is created from a drop of fluid (semen,
seed or sperm):
16:4 He created man from a drop of fluid (Pickthall)

16:4 He has created man from a sperm-drop
32:8 He made his seed from a quintessence of despised fluid
35:11 ... then from a little fluid (Pickthall)
53:46 (he created) from a drop of seed when it is poured forth (Pickthall)
53:46 From a sperm-drop when lodged (in its place)
56:58 Have ye seen that which ye emit (Pickthall)
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56:58 Do you then see? The (human Seed) that ye emit

75:37 Was he not a drop of fluid which gushed forth (Pickthall)
75:37 Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in lowly form)?
76:2 We create man from a drop of thickened fluid (Pickthall)
76:2 We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm
80:19 From a sperm-drop He hath created him
86:6-7 He is created from a drop emitted - proceeding from between the backbone and
the ribs.
Could any of this have been known to sixth-century Muslims at the time of Muhammed?
Surely that procreation involves the emission of a drop of fluid has been well known
from the earliest days of civilization. In Genesis 38:9 the Bible tells us that Onan "spilled
his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother". The verses
which describe the origin of life as a drop of emitted fluid are therefore no more than a
direct observation as to what is released during the act of sexual intercourse. We hardly
need to rely upon divine inspiration to inform us of this fact.
In the verses listed above nutfah is used when describing the fluid which gushes out
during sexual intercourse and clearly this can only refer to semen. However, Prof. Moore
is keen to translate nutfah in sura 76:2 as "mingled fluid" and explains that this Arabic
term refers to the male and female fluids which contain the gametes (male sperm and
female egg). While it is true that the ancient Greeks would not have been able to see
individual sperm or eggs, these only being visible through the microscope, the Qur'an
emphatically does not mention sperm or eggs; it simply says nutfah. This can reasonably
be translated semen, or at a push, germinal fluid - which was a term used as early as
Hippocrates who spoke of male and female reproductive fluids (but obviously could not
have been aware of the cells contained in the fluids). If Moore wishes to translate nutfah
as germinal fluid, he inadvertently reinforces that the Qur'an is borrowing this term from
the Greeks.
Sura 86:6 is interesting since it claims that during the act of sexual intercourse before
which a man is created, the "gushing fluid" or semen issues from between the loins and
ribs. Semen is apparently coming out of the area around the kidneys and back, which is a
real problem for we know that the testicles are the sites of sperm production (although the
ancient Greeks were not so convinced. Aristotle for example amusingly believed that
they functioned as weights to keep the seminal passages open during sexual intercourse).
The explanation offered by Muslims for the strange statement in this sura relates to the
fact that the testicles originally develop from tissue in the area of the kidneys, when the
man from whom sperm is gushing forth was himself an embryo. In other words, in a very
convoluted fashion the sperm originates from the area between the loins and ribs because
that is where the testicles which are producing the sperm originally form.
There is a rather less complicated explanation for this verse however. The Greek
physician Hippocrates and his followers taught in the fifth century BC that semen comes
from all the fluid in the body, diffusing from the brain into the spinal marrow, before
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passing through the kidneys and via the testicles into the penis. Clearly according to this
view sperm originates from the region of the kidneys, and although there is obviously no
substance to this teaching today, it was well-known in Muhammed's day, and shows how
the Qur'an could contain such an erroneous statement.
Of course it could be argued against all this that the reference to coming from the loins is
merely a metaphorical figure of speech. We can find examples of this in sura 7:172
"when thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their
descendants" or 4:23 "prohibited to you (for marriage) are ... wives of your sons
proceeding from your loins". But if so then it has to be accepted that this is a common
usage for Middle Eastern cultures [8]; in the Torah God promises Jacob that "kings shall
come out of your loins (chalatzecha)" (Gen 35:11). Later in the Bible a promise is made
to David's "son that shall come forth out of your loins" (I Kings 8:19) and in the New
Testament Peter refers to the same person as "one from the fruit of his loins" (Greek
osphus). However, these are examples of a metaphorical use of the word "loins" (Arabic
sulb). Sura 86:6 is clearly talking about the physical act of intercourse; gushing fluid and
ribs (tar a'ib) are both very physical and in the context of this verse they clearly refer to
the site of semen production as wrongly taught by Hippocrates. So we have found the
first example of an incorrect ancient Greek idea re-emerging in the Qur'an.
13 Embryological development in the Qur'an

Sura 22:5 says "We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like
clot, then from a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed ... and We cause
whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as
babes." Sura 23:13-14 repeats this idea by saying God "placed him as (a drop of) sperm
(nutfah) in a place of rest, firmly fixed; then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed
blood (alaqa); then out of that clot We made a (foetus) lump (mudghah), then We made
out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it
another creature." 75:38 also says man becomes an alaqa and 96:2 says we came from
alaq.
Moore however goes further and incredibly he claims in a later edition of his textbook
that the Qur'an "states that the resulting organism settles in the womb like a seed, 6 days
after its beginning". This really would be amazing if it was true. Actually the Qur'an says
nothing of the sort.
We have to ask what the precise meaning of these words is in order to know whether the
verses contain important scientific statements that have only recently been discovered, as
Moore and others claim. In comparison with the meaning of nutfah, it is rather more
difficult to understand what alaqa means. Many different suggestions have been made:
clot (Pickthall, Maulana Muhammed Ali, Muhammed Zafrulla Khan, Hamidullah), small
lump of blood (Kasimirski), leech-like clot (Yusuf Ali), and "leech, suspended thing or
blood clot" (Moore, op. cit.). Moore suggests that the appearance of an embryo of 24
days' gestation resembles a leech, though this is rather debatable. In side view the
developing umbilicus (genetically part of the embryo) is almost as big as the "leech-
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shaped" part into which a human is formed and the developing placenta (which also
consists of tissue that is genetically from the embryo) is much larger than the embryo. It
is claimed that the ancient sages would not have been able to see an embryo about 3mm
long and describe it as leech-like, but Aristotle correctly described the function of the
umbilical cord, by which the embryo "clings" to the uterus wall in the fourth century B.C.
It is impossible to believe the suggestion of Bachir Torki that alaq in 96:2 means links,
referring to the gene code of DNA, as this makes a nonsense out of other verses where
the word is used, such as 22:5 ("we made you from a drop of sperm, then from that a
gene code, then from that a little lump of flesh....").
To establish a definition for alaqa we might take a look at the Qamus al-Muheet, one of
the most important Arabic dictionaries ever compiled, by Muhammed Ibn-Yaqub al-
Firuzabadi (AD 1329-1415) . He says that alaqa has the same meaning as a clot of blood.
In 96:2 the word alaq is used, which is both a collective plural and a verbal noun. The
latter form conveys the sense of man being created from clinging material or possibly
clay, which is consistent with the creation of Adam in the Bible from the dust of the
ground (Genesis 2:7) and some of the other Qur'anic verses listed above. However, the
translators of the Qur'an have all translated alaq as "clot" as opposed to "clinging" in 96:2
because the use of the singular alaqa elsewhere forces them to use "clot" here too, despite
the attraction for the meaning "clinging" or leech-like which is perhaps more
scientifically accurate.
Another source of information are the early Muslim commentators. Ibn Kathir wrote that
when the drop of water (nutfah) settled in the womb it stayed there for forty days and
then became a red clot (alaqa), staying there for another forty days before turning to
mudghah, a piece of flesh without shape or form. Finally it began to take on a shape and
form. Both ar-Razi and as-Suyuti claimed that the dust referred both to Adam's creation
and to the man's discharge; nutfah referred to the water from the male and alaqa was a
solidified piece of blood clot. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died about AD 1350) wrote that
"the foetus is a living or dead babe animal which is sometimes found in the womb of a
slaughtered animal, and its blood is congested". Another great physician, Ibn al-Quff
wrote some 13 out of 60 chapters from "On Health Preservation" about embryology and
pregnancy. He included a further stage of development one week after conception, the
foam stage or raghwah. Up to 16 days the embryo was alaqa (clot) and after 27 to 30 days
the clot turns into a lump of meat, mudghah. These dates must be regarded as very
approximate but are nevertheless a major improvement on what one of the most reliable
Hadiths says about foetal development, as we shall see later.
A 26/27 day embryo, said to resemble a mouthful of flesh, but only 3 mm long
Moving onto the next stage of development, Razi described the mudghah as being a little
piece of meat the size of what a man can chew. The idea that mudghah means chewed
flesh is a later, and less accurate translation of the word, but the idea has persisted
because it is claimed that the somites from which the backbone and other trunk structures
develop bear a passing resemblance to teeth marks implanted in plastercine. It must be
said that not only is this an imaginative interpretation however, but besides, Moore
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cannot claim that the mudghah should occur at 26-27 days since at that point the embryo
is a mere 4mm long. One would have to wait around 8 weeks before the embryo was the
size of chewed flesh (if a mouthful is defined as being 20-30mm wide), which is what
mudghah really means. And in the following Hadith, transmitted by Bukhari and Muslim,
Muhammed claims that the mudghah stage occurs between days 80 and 120. Yet by this
time the foetus is considerably larger than a lump of flesh the size of which a man can
chew, and looks very human-like and totally unlike meat.
"Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported that Allah's Messenger ... said: "Verily your creation is on
this wise. The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother's
womb in the form of blood [sperm?], after which it becomes a clot of blood in another
period of forty days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh and forty days later Allah sends his
angel to it ..."
Thus according to Muhammed, the drop of sperm remains in the womb for 40 days, then
becomes a clot for a further 40 days, then a lump of flesh for 40 days. It has been shown
that human sperm can only survive inside a woman's reproductive tract for a maximum of
7 days; at 80 days the embryo has very definitely acquired the shape of a human being
and looks nothing like either a clot or a mouthful of flesh.
An eleven week foetus, real size 7.5 cm, but according to Muhammed still at the alaqa
stage, a clot of blood
The final stage of human development which the Qur'an describes is the creation of
bones, and the clothing of bones with flesh. However, according to modern
embryologists including Prof. Moore, the tissue from which bone originates, known as
mesoderm, is the same tissue as that from which muscle ("flesh") develops. Thus bone
and muscles begin to develop simultaneously, rather than sequentially. Whereas however
most of the muscle tissue that we have is laid down before birth, bones continue to
develop and calcify (strengthen with calcium) right into one's teenage years. So far from
bones being clothed with flesh, it would be more accurate if the Qur'an had said that
muscles started to develop at the same time as bones, but completed their development
earlier. The idea that bones are clothed with flesh is not only scientifically completely
false, but is directly copied from the ancient Greek doctor Galen, as we shall see shortly.
13.1 Some possible explanations

Aristotle believed that humans originated from the action of male semen upon female
menstrual blood [18] which leaves us with something of a dilemma. If we translate alaqa
as "clot" it means that the Qur'an is completely wrong about human development, since
there is absolutely no stage during which the embryo consists of a clot. The only situation
in which an embryo might appear like a clot is during a miscarriage, in which case the
clotted blood which is seen to emerge (much of which comes from the mother
incidentally) is solidified and by definition no longer alive. So if ever an embryo
appeared to look like a clot it would never develop any further into a human; it would be
a dead mass of bloody miscarrying flesh. Since Muhammed had several wives it is
entirely likely that he would be very familiar with miscarriages. Alternatively it could be
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hinting at Aristotle's incorrect belief that the embryo originated from the combination of
male sperm and female menstrual blood.
Moore avoids this problem by translating alaqa as a leech, since he is well aware that
there is no stage in development when the embryo is a clot. As we have seen however,
this is only to justify his interpretation that an embryo of 24-25 days is a clinging leech-
like alaqa and one at 26-27 days is a mudghah with teeth-marks. A further problem with
this view is that if the alaqa is translated "leech" because it appears to be clinging to the
uterus wall, does this mean that the foetus only clings to the uterus wall for a few days?
Obviously it remains attached for the entire nine months of gestation.
There are other problems with Moore's interpretation too. Not least is the claim of
Muhammed that the dates of the alaqa and mudghah were 40-80 days and 80-120 days of
gestation respectively, rather than 24-25 days and 26-27 days. It also begs the question as
to why, if the Qur'an really is giving us a highly precise scientific account of human
development, it only mentions four stages, nutfah, alaqa, mudghah, plus the clothing of
bones with flesh. Between fertilization and day 28 for example Moore lists no fewer than
13 stages in his textbook. Why does the Qur'an say nothing about any of these other
stages? The reality is that the more ambiguous the meaning of the Arabic terms, and the
more meanings that can be attached to certain words, the less convincingly can they be
said to be highly precise scientific terms.
However, the most convincing explanation, and the most worrying for those who
maintain that the Qur'an is God's eternal Word, untampered with and free from any
human interference, is that the Qur'an is merely repeating the teaching of the enormously
influential Greek physician Galen. If this is the case, not only is the Qur'an wrong, but it
also plagiarises ancient Greek literature!
The account of the different stages in embryology as described by the Qur'an, ar-Razi and
al-Quff is identical to that taught by Galen, writing in around AD 150 in Pergamum
(Bergama in modern Turkey). Galen taught that the embryo developed in four stages as
detailed below.
Galen: De Semine in Greek

English translation:
But let us take the account back again to the first conformation of the animal, and in order
to make our account orderly and clear, let us divide the creation of the foetus overall into
four periods of time. The first is that in which. as is seen both in abortions and in
dissection, the form of the semen prevails (Arabic nutfah). At this time, Hippocrates too,
the all-marvelous, does not yet call the conformation of the animal a foetus; as we heard
just now in the case of semen voided in the sixth day, he still calls it semen. But when it
has been filled with blood (Arabic alaqa), and heart, brain and liver are still unarticulated
and unshaped yet have by now a certain solidarity and considerable size, this is the
second period; the substance of the foetus has the form of flesh and no longer the form of
semen. Accordingly you would find that Hippocrates too no longer calls such a form
semen but, as was said, foetus. The third period follows on this, when, as was said, it is
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possible to see the three ruling parts clearly and a kind of outline, a silhouette, as it were,
of all the other parts (Arabic mudghah). You will see the conformation of the three ruling
parts more clearly, that of the parts of the stomach more dimly, and much more still, that
of the limbs. Later on they form "twigs", as Hippocrates expressed it, indicating by the
term their similarity to branches. The fourth and final period is at the stage when all the
parts in the limbs have been differentiated; and at this part Hippocrates the marvelous no
longer calls the foetus an embryo only, but already a child, too when he says that it jerks
and moves as an animal now fully formed (Arabic ‘a new creation’) ...
... The time has come for nature to articulate the organs precisely and to bring all the parts
to completion. Thus it caused flesh to grow on and around all the bones, and at the same
time ... it made at the ends of the bones ligaments that bind them to each other, and along
their entire length it placed around them on all sides thin membranes, called periosteal, on
which it caused flesh to grow.
Qur'an: Sura 23:13-14 in Arabic for comparison

English translation:
Thereafter We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah (mixed drops of the male
and female sexual discharge and lodged it) in a safe lodging (womb of the woman). Then
We made the Nutfah into a clot (Alaqa, a piece of thick coagulated blood), then We made
the clot into a little lump of flesh (Mudghah), then We made out of that little lump of
flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as
another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!
The first stage, geniture, corresponds to [nutfah], the drop of semen; the second stage, a
bloody vascularised foetus with unshaped brain, liver and heart ("when it has been filled
with blood") corresponds to [alaqa], the blood clot; the third stage "has the form of flesh"
and corresponds to [mudghah], the morsel of chewed flesh. The fourth and final stage,
puer, was when all the organs were well formed, joints were freely moveable, and the
foetus began to move. If the reader is in any doubt about the clear link being described
here between the Galenic and the Qur'anic stages, it may be pointed out that it was early
Muslim doctors, including Ibn-Qayyim, who first spotted the similarity. Basim
Musallam, Director of the Centre of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of
Cambridge concludes
"The stages of development which the Qur'an and Hadith established for believers agreed
perfectly with Galen's scientific account ... There is no doubt that medieval thought
appreciated this agreement between the Qur'an and Galen, for Arabic science employed
the same Qur'anic terms to describe the Galenic stages".
13.2 Stages of Development - A Modern Idea?

It has been said that the idea of the embryo developing through stages is a modern one,
and that the Qur'an is anticipating modern embryology by depicting differing stages.
However many ancient writers besides Galen taught that humans developed in different
stages. For example in the Jewish Talmud we learn that the embryo has six stages of
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development. Samuel ha-Yehudi was a 2nd century Jewish physician, and one of many
with an interest in embryology [22]. The embryo was called peri habbetten (fruit of the
body) and develops as
golem (formless, rolled-up thing);

shefir meruqqam (embroidered foetus - shefir means amniotic sac);
'ubbar (something carried);
v'alad (child);
v'alad shel qayama (noble or viable child) and
ben she-kallu chadashav (child whose months have been completed).
Yet with the benefit of modern science we now know that the formation of a human
being is a seamless continuation from conception to birth, hence the reason why there is
so much contemporary confusion about abortion and embryo research. For if we develop
as a continuous process it is impossible to draw hard-and-fast boundaries about when life
starts. This makes a nonsense of the Qur'anic verse which says (71:14) "When He created
you by (divers) stages".
13.3 More examples of borrowing from ancient Greek writers

If we look at what the ancient Greeks taught we can clearly see that all the other
references to embryology in the Qur'an and Hadith can also be traced directly back to
them. For example there is a Hadith in which Muhammed is questioned about why a
group of red camels have a grey camel among them, and it is due to a hidden trait. But
Aristotle noticed that babies who were born that looked unlike either of their parents
would often take on the appearance of their grandparents, so that the characteristic
skipped a generation, being what we now know as recessive. He also tells us of a woman
from Elis who took a black husband and although their daughter was not black, their
daughter's daughter was black, demonstrating a gene which skipped a generation in
exactly the same way as Muhammed described.
Another Hadith says "If a male's fluid prevails upon the female's substance, the child will
be a male by Allah's decree, and when the substance of the female prevails upon the
substance contributed by the male, a female child is formed". Surely this is not referring
to dominant and recessive genes at all, as certain Muslims have claimed, but is simply
repeating the incorrect belief of Hippocrates that both men and women produce both
male and female sperm. The sex of the resulting child is determined by which sperm
overwhelms the other in strength or quantity:
"... both partners alike contain both male and female sperm (the male being stronger than
the female must originate from a stronger sperm). Here is a further point: if (a) both
partners produce a stronger sperm then a male is the result, whereas if (b) they produce a
weak form, then a female is the result. But if (c) one partner produces one kind of sperm,
and the other another then the resultant sex is determined by whichever sperm prevails in
quantity. For suppose that the weak sperm is much greater in quantity than the stronger
sperm: then the stronger sperm is overwhelmed and, being mixed with weak, results in a
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female. If on the contrary the strong sperm is greater in quantity than the weak, and the
weak is overwhelmed, it results in a male".
Earlier in the Hadith, Muhammed says that the reproductive substance of men is white
and that of women is yellow. This sounds very much like the content, white and yellow,
that is found inside developing chick-eggs, and which Aristotle was known to dissect.
Later in the same Hadith an angel is apparently sent by Allah to shape the embryo and
ask what sex it is going to be. Notwithstanding that sex is actually determined at the
moment of conception according to whether the fertilised egg has two X chromosomes
(female) or an X and Y chromosome (male), and that there is some ambiguity about the
age of the embryo when the angel appears (Hudhaifa b. Usaid reported that Muhammed
said 40 or perhaps 50 days, not 42, and Abu Tufail maintains that Muhammed said to
Hudhaifa b. Usaid that sperm resided in the womb for 40 days), Hippocrates taught that it
took 30 days for the male genitals to form and 42 for the female embryo. No wonder the
angel has to wait for forty-two days before it learns the child's sex. In reality, prior to 7
weeks of gestation the ovaries and testes appear identical and the external genitalia only
start to diverge around 9 weeks.
Sura 39:6 says that God made us in stages in threefold darkness. There have been many
interpretations of this verse, including that of as-Suyuti who said that there were three
membranes surrounding the foetus, one to carry nutrients to it, another to absorb its urine,
and the third to absorb other waste products. Elsewhere it has been suggested that they
are the abdominal wall, the uterine wall and the amniotic sac in which the foetus sits.
This is entirely observable to the naked eye, as Hippocrates described dissecting pregnant
dogs to find puppies sitting in the amniotic sac inside the uterus. A rather macabre
practice of Queen Cleopatra was to rip open the wombs of her pregnant slave-girls in
order to see their foetuses, according both to Rabbinic traditions and Plinius.
Furthermore, the Romans introduced the custom of opening the womb of a pregnant
woman if she died before she had delivered her baby; the woman and her baby would be
buried side-by-side, thus giving rise to the term "Caesarean section".
It is said by Muslims that sura 80:20 describes how easy Allah has made it for delivery of
the infant, but this contradicts sura 46:15 ("his mother beareth him with reluctance and
bringeth him forth with reluctance"). In fact 80:19 is talking about man's origins from a
drop of sperm, and 80:21 about his death and burial, so it is entirely logical that 80:20
refers not to the process of parturition (giving birth) but to the whole of man's life being
made easy for him by God. In the context this makes a lot more sense, does not contradict
46:15 and does not go against the weight of obstetrical evidence that makes giving birth
one of the most dangerous things a woman can do in her life. (In Mozambique, childbirth
is the seventh most common cause of death in women, and worldwide a woman dies in
labour every 53 seconds.) The Biblical teaching that women give birth with much pain
(Genesis 3:16) is far more realistic.
Sura 46:15 also says, "The duration of pregnancy and separation [weaning] is thirty
months" and sura 31:14 informs us that "his separation is at the end of two years". This
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implies that the duration of a normal pregnancy is six months. Nowadays with advanced
neonatal facilities it is just possible for a small proportion of babies born at 24 weeks'
gestation to survive, albeit with severe disabilities in many cases. In Muhammed's day no
babies could have survived at so premature an age, and the Qur'an is wildly inaccurate
about the duration of a normal pregnancy.
Sura 33:4 says that Allah has not put two hearts into any man. Yet duplication of the
heart has been admitted, albeit with reluctance by Geoffrey-Saint-Hilaire and celebrated
anatomists including Littre, Meckel, Colomb, Panum, Behr, Paullini, Rhodius, Winslow
and Zacutus Lusitanus.
In other places the Qur'an contains commands which have been claimed to be
fantastically advanced and sensible, when in fact they were known and followed by far
more ancient civilizations. In sura 2:222, Allah tells Muhammed that menstruation is an
illness and men must not have sexual intercourse with their wives until they are cleansed
from their periods. Yet 2000 years earlier Moses received the command not to have
sexual intercourse during a woman's period (Torah: Leviticus 18:19) but this was very
definitely not for health reasons, but for religious, ceremonial reasons. Having sex during
one's period is hardly likely to cause male infertility, endometriosis and fallopian tube
damage, as has been claimed by some Muslims with no scientific evidence, even if it
might be unpleasant for the couple. But perhaps more importantly menstruation is not an
illness; indeed the shedding of the endometrial layer of the uterus helps to prevent uterine
cancer. Progesterone has to be included in hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) in post-
menopausal women to induce an artificial menstruation every month to prevent a build-
up of endometrium which could become cancerous!
13.4 But how could Muhammad have known these things?

It is one thing to find the Qur'an repeating the same embryological ideas as those
described originally by the ancient Greeks, but is there any way in which we can be sure
that the material was familiar to the Arabs of Muhammed's day? Given that so much of
what the Qur'an says is based upon Galen's beliefs, it is particularly significant that some
26 books of his work were translated into Syriac as early as the sixth century AD by
Sergius of Resh' Aina (Ra's al-Ain). Sergius was a Christian priest who studied medicine
in Alexandria and worked in Mesopotania, dying in Constantinople in about AD 532. He
was one of a number of Nestorian (Syriac) Christians who translated the Greek medical
corpus into Syriac; others included Bishop Gregorius, al-Rahawy, al-Taybuti, the
Patriarch Theodorus and al-Sabakti.
The Nestorians experienced persecution from the mainstream church and fled to Persia,
where they brought their completed translations of the Greek doctors' works and founded
many schools of learning. The most famous of these by far was the great medical school
of Jundishapur in what is now south-east Iran, founded in AD 555 by the Persian King
Chosroes the Great (also known as Anusharwan or Nushirvan), whose long reign lasted
from AD 531 to around 579.
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The major link between Islamic and Greek medicine must be sought in late Sasanian
medicine, especially in the School of Jundishapur rather than that of Alexandria. At the
time of the rise of Islam Jundishapur was at its prime. It was the most important medical
centre of its time, combining the Greek, Indian and Iranian medical traditions in a
cosmopolitan atmosphere which prepared the ground for Islamic medicine. The
combining of different schools of medicine foreshadowed the synthesis that was to be
achieved in later Islamic medicine.
Arab medicine, to deal with only one side of this question, borrowed from many sources.
The biggest debt was to the Greeks ... The medicine of Jundi Shapur was also mainly
Greek. There must have been Syriac translations in the library of the hospital there long
before the Arabs came to Persia ... According to Ibn Abi Usaybi'a the first to translate
Greek works into Syriac was Sergius of Ra's-al-Àyn [sic], who translated both medical
and philosophical works. It was probably he who worked for Chosroes the Great and it
was his translations in all probability which were used in Jundi Shapur.
According to Muslim historians, especially Ibn Abi Usaybia and al-Qifti, the most
celebrated early graduate of Jundishapur was a doctor named al Harith Ibn Kalada, who
was an older contemporary of Muhammed. "He was born probably about the middle of
the sixth century, at Ta'if, in the tribe of Banu Thaqif. He traveled through Yemen and
then Persia where he received his education in the medical sciences at the great medical
school of Jundi-Shapur and thus was intimately acquainted with the medical teachings of
Aristotle, Hippocrates and Galen."
He became famous partly as a result of a consultation with King Chosroes. Later he

became a companion of the Prophet Muhammed himself, and according to the Muslim
medical traditions Muhammed actually sought medical advice from him. He may even
have been a relative of the Prophet and his "teachings undoubtedly influenced the latter"
[i.e., Muhammed]. "Such medical knowledge as Muhammed possessed, he may well
have acquired from Haris bin Kalda [sic], an Arab, who is said to have left the desert for
a while and gone to Jundi Shapur to study medicine...On his return Haris settled in Mecca
and became the foremost physician of the Arabs of the desert. Whether he ever embraced
Islam is uncertain, but this did not prevent the Prophet from sending his sick friends to
consult him."
Harith Ibn Kalada was unable to father any children, and it is said that he adopted Harith
al-Nasar (Nadr), who was apparently a cousin of Muhammed, and also a doctor by
profession. Interestingly Nadr mocked Muhammed, saying that the stories in the Qur'an
were far less entertaining and instructive than the old Persian legends he had grown up
with. Perhaps he recognised that the Qur'an had human sources for some of its stories?
As a result of this Muhammed became his sworn enemy, and the Prophet put him to
death following his capture in the Battle of Badr in 624.
So we have just the link we need to show how "The translations (into Syriac) of Sergius
Ras el Ain, penetrated to Jandi-Shapur. During the first years of the 7th century [more
likely the end of the sixth century], Harith ben Kalada studied medicine there and
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Muhammad owed to Harith a part of his medical knowledge. Thus, with the one as well
as the other, we easily recognize the traces of Greek (medicine)." To summarise: Sergius
died about the time that Chosroes the Great began his reign, and may even have been
employed by Chosroes to translate Galen from Greek into Syriac. Halfway through his
reign Chosroes founded Jundishapur, where Galen's manuscripts must surely have been
kept in translation. Towards the end of his reign he had an audience with Harith Ibn
Kalada, who later became associated with Muhammed.
We also know that according to Muslim traditions part of at least one verse in the Qur'an
that relates to the developing human came originally from human lips. While Muhammed
was dictating verse 23:14 to Àbdullah Ibn Abi Sarh, the latter got carried away by the
beauty of what he heard about the creation of man, and when Muhammed reached the
words "another creature" his companion uttered the exclamation "Blessed be God, the
best of creators!" Muhammed accepted these words as though they were the continuation
of his revelation and told Ibn Abi Sarh to write them down, even though they were quite
clearly his companion's words, not Muhammed's or Allah's words.
This really does beg the question: since we know that at least one verse of the Qur'an
contains the added words of a mere human being, how can we possibly be sure that this
did not happen anywhere else in the Qur'an?
After the fall of Alexandria in AD 642 knowledge of Greek medicine spread even more
rapidly throughout the Arab world. In the 9th century Hunain Ibn Ishaq (AD 809-873)
made perhaps the definitive Arabic translation of Hippocrates and Galen and al-Kindi
wrote over twenty medical treatises, including one specifically on Hippocrates.
Indeed, the writers of the Arabic medical literature acknowledge as their sources the
major Greek and Indian medical traditions. For example, one of the earliest Arabic
compendiums of medicine is Ali at-Tabari's "Paradise of Wisdom", written by a Christian
convert to Islam in about 850 at Samarra in Mesopotamia. In it he said that he was
following the rules set down by Hippocrates and Aristotle regarding how to write his
treatise. It contains 360 chapters, and the fourth Discourse, beginning at chapter 325 is
entitled "From the Summaries of Indian Books". Chapter 330, from Sushrata, "The
Genesis of the Embryo and of the Members" claims that the embryo results from mixing
of sperm and menstrual blood (vis-a-vis Aristotle!) and describes various constituents of
the embryo. The medical historian Arthur Meyer summed up the whole of the Arabic
embryological tradition when he said that at-Tabari "depended largely upon Greek
sources, which would seem to imply that he could obtain little from the Arabs. Moreover,
since Aristotelian and Galenical teaching survived side by side for over a thousand years
without a known Arabic counterpart, it is doubtful if the latter existed".
An extraordinary passage from the writings of the medieval philosopher Ibn Qayyim al-
Jawziyya shows how heavily the later Arabic writers depended upon the Greek doctors;
in one continuous discourse the words of Hippocrates explain the Qur'an and Hadith, and
the latter are used to explain Hippocrates. For example:
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"Hippocrates said ... 'some membranes are formed at the beginning, others after the
second month, and others in the third month ...' That is why God says, 'He creates you in
the wombs of your mothers, by one formation after another in three darknesses'. Since
each of these membranes has its own darkness, when God mentioned the stages of
creation and transformation from one state to another, He also mentioned the darknesses
of the membranes. Most commentators explain: 'it is the darkness of the belly, and the
darkness of the womb, and the darkness of the placenta' ... Hippocrates said, 'The ears are
opened, and the eyes, which are filled with a clear liquid.' The Prophet used to say, 'I
worship Him Who made my face and formed it, and opened my hearing and eyesight' etc.
etc".
Here is someone writing a medical account who includes Hippocrates (bold type), the
Qur'an and Hadith (bold italics), commentaries on them (italics) and his own thoughts
(normal type) in one and the same paragraph. Of course the intelligentsia of Muhammed's
time would have been familiar with both Greek and Indian medicine.
Other embryologists were known but added nothing new to Galen, for example Abu Ali
al-Hasan Ibn 'Abdallah Ibn Sina (AD 980-1037) who wrote a Canon Medicinae. Clement
of Alexandria included familiar information and believed that the embryo was formed
through the combination of semen and menstrual blood. Lactantius of Nicomedia in AD
325 opened eggs at varying stages of development.
It seems that not even Prof. Moore is sufficiently convinced by the scientific "facts" in
the Qur'an to risk his reputation as a highly respected professor of anatomy in the medical
establishment. The Islamic edition of his textbook is not available even in the British
Library or the US Library of Congress, let alone other medical libraries in Western
countries, presumably because he is aware that not only do the Islamic contributions in it
contradict known science, but they also contradict what he has written in the standard
version of his textbook. And ironically in the bibliography for the first chapter, "A history
of embryology", in both the standard and Islamic versions he refers to Needham's
important work on the history of embryology. Needham however is unimpressed with the
Arabic claims of embryology and after writing almost 60 pages about ancient Greek,
Indian and Egyptian embryology he dismisses the entire Arabic tradition in less than one
page, concluding that "Arabic science, so justly famed for its successes in certain fields
such as optics and astronomy, was not of great help to embryology". After listing some of
the verses in the Qur'an about embryology he dismisses them as merely "a seventh-
century echo of Aristotle and the Ayer-veda", in other words a mixture of Greek and
ancient Indian teachings. In the most recent (1998) edition of The Developing Human,
Moore also directs his readers to a book which contains another essay by Basim
Musallam, which again points out how similar the Qur'anic science of embryology was to
that of Galen, and how this close association was never questioned by the ancient Muslim
scholars.
In conclusion then there is not a single statement contained in the Qur'an relating to
modern embryology that was not well known through direct observation by the ancient
Greek and Indian physicians many centuries before the Qur'an was written. Morever,
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much of what the Qur'an actually does say about embryology is scientifically inaccurate.
The ancient physicians' works were translated into Syriac in the century preceeding
Muhammed, and were therefore accessible to non-Greek speakers. We know that one of
the Companions of the Prophet was a doctor who trained at the very same medical school
that the Greek translations were kept and taught at. We even know that at least one of the
verses which describes embryology, sura 23:14 contains the words of another of
Muhammed's companions. We are forced to conclude that, far from proving the alleged
divine credentials of the Qur'an, its embryological statements actually provide further
convincing evidence for its human origins.
14 The Quaran and the Cerebrum

Sura 96:15-16
"Let him beware! If he desist not, We will drag him by the forelock,- A lying, sinful
forelock!" (Yusuf Ali)
It is important to note that Yusuf Ali, Sarwar, Khalifa, Al-Hilali & Khan, and Pickthall
use the term "forelock" (or the hair on the forehead) while only Shakir uses the word
"forehead".
Why did the Qur'an describe the front of the head as being lying and sinful? Why didn't
the Qur'an say that the person was lying and sinful? Is there a relationship between the
front of the head and lying and sinfulness?
We need to look at the historical and literary context of this passage before we make
generalizations concerning anatomy! What was the significance of the "forelock" in
Muhammad's time and how did this term fit into the events described in this passage?
The man with the "lying sinful forelock" was none other than Abu Jahl, a major enemy
and source of problems for Muhammad. Abu Jahl was a rather disgusting fellow. On one
occasion, he dumped a camel's intestine on Muhammad's back while he was praying at
the Kaa'bah. (see Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 4, Number 241)
The incident recorded in Sura 96:15-16 is recounted in Sahih Muslim, Book 38, Number
6718:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah:

AbuJahl asked (people) whether Muhammad placed his face (on the ground) in the
presence. It was said to him: Yes. He said: By Lat and Uzza, if I were to see him do that, I
should trample his neck, or I should besmear his face with dust.
He came to Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) as he was engaged in prayer and
thought of trampling his neck. (The people say) that he came near him but turned upon
his heels and tried to repulse something with his hands. It was said to him: What is the
matter with you? He said: There is between me and him a ditch of fire and terror and
wings. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: If he had come near me
the angels would have torn him to pieces.
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Then Allah, the Exalted and glorious, revealed this verse--(the narrator) said: We do not
know whether it is the hadith transmitted to AbuHurayrah or something conveyed to him
from another source: "Nay, man is surely inordinate, because he looks upon himself as
self-sufficient. Surely to thy Lord is the return. Hast thou seen him who forbids a servant
when he prays? Seest thou if he is on the right way, or enjoins observance of piety? Seest
thou if he (AbuJahl) denies and turns away? Knowest he not that Allah sees? Nay, if he
desists not, We shall seize him by the forelock--a lying, sinful forelock. Then let him
summon his council. We shall summon the guards of the Hell. Nay! Obey not thou him"
(lcvi.6-19). (Rather prostrate thyself.)
Ubaydullah made this addition: It was after this that (prostration) was made obligatory,
and Ibn AbdulAla' made this addition that by Nadia he meant his people.
Our claimants continue:

If we look into the skull at the front of the head, we will find the prefontal area of the
cerebrum. What does physiology tell us about the function of this area? A book entitled,
Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, says about this area: The motivation and the
foresight to plan and initiate movements occur in the anterior portion of the frontal lobes,
the prefontal area (see Figure 9.1). This is a region of the association cortex... The book
also says: In relation to its involvement in motivation, the prefrontal area is also thought
to be the functional center for aggression...
Yes, but the question is: what is the meaning and significance of "forelock" in the Qur'an
and Hadith? In Muhammad's day, horses were often pulled by the forelock. Wives and
slave girls could also be pulled by the forelock:
Malik's Muwatta, Book 28, Number 28.22.52:

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you marry a woman or buy a slave-
girl, take her by the forelock and ask for baraka. When you buy a camel, take the top of
its hump, and seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan."
Even Satan can grab us by the forelock:
Malik's Muwatta, Book 3, Number 3.15.61:

Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Amr ibn AIqama from Malik ibn
Abdullah as-Sadi that Abu Hurayra said, "The one who raises his head and lowers it
before the imam - his forelock is in the hand of a shaytan."......
Last, but certainly not least, God can lead us by the forelock, Sahih Muslim, Book 34,
Number 6551:
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
AbuSalih used to command us (in these words): When any one of you intends to go to
sleep, he should lie in bed on his right side and then say: "O Allah, the Lord of the
Heaven, the Lord of the Earth and the Lord of the Magnificent Throne; our Lord, and the
Lord of everything: the Splitter of the grain of corn and the date-stone (or fruit kernel),
the Revealer of the Torah, Injil (Bible) and the Criterion (the Holy Qur'an), I seek refuge
Page 31 of 47
in Thee from the evil of everything Thou art to seize by the forelock (thou hast perfect
control over it).
The Qur'an tells us (Sura 11:56):

Yusuf Ali : "I put my trust in Allah, My Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving
creature, but He hath grasp of its fore-lock. Verily, it is my Lord that is on a straight
Path.
Pickthall: Lo! I have put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Not an animal but He
doth grasp it by the forelock! Lo! my Lord is on a straight path.
Shakir: Surely I rely on Allah, my Lord and your Lord; there is no living creature but He
holds it by its forelock; surely my Lord is on the right path.
It is interesting to note that Shakir translated nassiyyah as "forelock" in this Sura while he
translated it as "forehead" in Sura 96:15.
So, this area of the cerebrum is responsible for planning, motivating, and initiating good
and sinful behavior, and is responsible for telling lies and speaking the truth. Thus, it is
proper to describe the front of the head as lying and sinful when someone lies or commits
a sin, as the Qur'an said: ...a lying, sinful naasiyyah (front of the head)! Scientists have
only discovered these functions of the prefrontal area in the last sixty years, according to
Professor Keith Moore.

But that is not what the Qur'an says! If we read Sura 96:15, paying special attention to the
denotative meaning of "forelock" (nassiyyah) used in the Qur'an and the Hadith, a very
different interpretation emerges. Sura 96:15 warns Abu Jahl that God will grab him by
the "forelock", or the hair on the front of his head, if he does not behave himself. As I
mentioned earlier, the Hadith tells us that animals as well as humans can be grabbed by
the "forelock" and, according to the Qur'an, God holds all living things by the "forelock".
The lying sinful part is probably a bit of hyperbole that Muhammad threw in for good
measure.
The Qur'an DOES NOT claim, nor does it imply, that man's thoughts or sins originate in
the "forelock". Where do these thoughts and sins originate according to the Qur'an?
Sura 11:5
Lo! now they fold up their breasts that they may hide (their thoughts) from Him. At the
very moment when they cover themselves with their clothing, Allah knoweth that which
they keep hidden and that which they proclaim. Lo! He is Aware of what is in the breasts
(of men).
and
Sura 3:119
Lo! ye are those who love them though they love you not, and ye believe in all the
Scripture. When they fall in with you they say: We believe; but when they go apart they
bite their finger-tips at you, for rage. Say: Perish in your rage! Lo! Allah is Aware of
what is hidden in (your) breasts.
So, according to the literal interpretation of the Qur'an, our thoughts, lies, and sins are in
our breasts, not in our "forelock"!
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15 The Quaran and Geology

Professor Alfred Kroner, Professor of Geology and the Chairman of the Department of
Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenburg University, Mainz,
Germany is our next expert..
The Qur'an tells us:
Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together [ratqan],
before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing... [Sura 21:30]
The meaning of ratqan in this verse, as Ibn Abbas, Mujaahid, and others said, may Allah
be pleased with all of them, is that the heavens and the earth were stuck together or
blended together, and that they were later separated from each other. Professor Kroner
used this as an example to prove that no human being during the time of Prophet
Muhammad (sallallahu àlaihi wa sallam), could have known this.
There are several problems with this argument:
Problem 1: "Other sacred texts" contain similar stories. For example, the Rig Veda tells
us that the universe was created when the cosmic "egg" was split.
Problem 2: In an earlier chapter, you said that:
Then He turned to the heaven, which was only smoke at that time. He said to the heaven
and the earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly." (Sura 41:11).
So, was the earth and universe original one substance, which was split, or was the
universe first split and then called together? Another small problem with Sura 21:30 is
that: were there any "unbelievers" alive (at this time) to witness the fact that the heavens
and earth were joined together and then split?
Problem 3: This Sura claims that every living thing is made from water. I thought, as
mentioned in several earlier chapters, that we were created from a blood clot! Which is it,
water or a blood clot?
Professor Kroner, so it seemed to us, has a special talent of being evasive. For example,
we asked him to describe the geological conditions of Arabia. `Was Arabia full of
orchards and rivers?' He said: During the Snow Age. And it is further known that the
North Polar icebergs are slowly moving southwards. When those polar icebergs become
relatively close to the Arabian Peninsula, the weather will change and Arabia will
become one of the greenest and wettest parts of the world. We asked him: `Will Arabia
become the land of orchards and rivers?' He said: Yes, it is a scientific fact.
First of all, there was no such thing as the "snow age". There was, however, an "ice age"
(Pleistocene). The fact there are large oil deposits in Arabia is proof that the region once
had lush vegetation. However, these deposits were not formed during the relatively recent
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Pleistocene Epoch, they were formed during the Carboniferous Period which was much
earlier than the Pleistocene Epoch.
The second question is the issue of North Polar icebergs moving "relatively closer" to the
Arabian Peninsula. What route would these icebergs take to get there? Would they go
around the African continent and then turn north towards Arabia, or would they go
through the Mediterranean and then through the Suez? In either case, even the largest
iceberg would melt far from Arabia.
The third issue is the question of Arabia becoming a land of lush vegetation. The earth is
becoming warmer, there is very little debate about that. Will global warming make
Arabia greener and wetter according to the climate change models? The answer,
according to NASA and Environmental Protection Agency scientists is no.
Most of the earth's deserts are found at latitudes between 20 and 32 degrees. Soils are
extremely dry at these latitudes because the potential for evaporation and transpiration is
generally greater than the average rainfall. If global temperatures were to rise by a mere
4°C, the potential evapotranspiration would increase 30-40 percent. However,
precipitation would only increase 10-15 percent. As a result, the area with a deficiency of
precipitation, in this case Arabia, would expand poleward and toward the equator. In
other words, the Arabian desert, as well as most of the world's other deserts, will expand,
not shrink. In fact, scientists at NASA (David Rind et al. 1990) have suggested that in the
long run, there will be a worldwide expansion of deserts.
This astonished us, and we wondered how he could state this as a scientific fact while it
was related to the future and we asked: `Why?' He said: Because the new Snow Age has
actually started. And we can see the snow crawling once again from the North Pole
southwards. In fact, the polar snow is now on the way to get closer to the Arabian
Peninsula. We can see the signs of this in the snow blizzards striking the northern parts of
Europe and America every winter. Scientists have other signs and information proving
the actual beginning of another Snow Age. It is a scientific fact.
This statement also astonished me. "Polar snow" is not moving towards Arabia, in fact
the polar ice caps are shrinking. Have you heard of GLOBAL WARMING? The earth's
climate is becoming warmer, not colder. Oh well, I guess the Qur'an missed that one!
So we said to him: `What you have just mentioned has only been known to scientists after
a long series of discoveries and with the help of specialized instruments. But we have
already found this mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu àlaihi wa sallam)
1400 years ago. He said in a hadith transmitted in Saheeh Muslim:
The Last Hour will not come upon us until the lands of the Arabs are once again pasture
lands and filled with rivers.
Once again, I searched the USC-MSA Hadith Data Base site and COULD NOT find this
hadith. Please give us a reference and/or quote the entire text. In any event, the trend of
global warming makes the possibility of Arabia having "pasture lands and filled with
rivers" highly unlikely.
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16 The Quaran and Mountains

Today, now introduce a unique scholar. He differs from other scholars but at the
same time, he is a representative of a group of scholars. His name is Professor
Siaveda, one of the best known marine geologists from Japan. He is also one of
the most famous scientists in the world.
Honestly, I have never heard of him. I will take the author's word that Professor Siaveda
exists, however, I have not been able to locate any books or papers written by him, which
is rather odd considering the claim made on this site that he is "one of the most famous
scientists in the world". I also find it odd that this site, which holds him in such high
esteem, has two variant spellings of his name: Siaveda and Sieveda.
He replied and said: The fundamental difference between continental mountains

and the oceanic mountains lies in its material. Continental mountains are made
essentially by sediments, whereas the oceanic mountains are made of volcanic
rocks. Continental mountains were formed by compressional forces, whereas the
oceanic mountains were formed by extensional forces.
Wrong. There are many volcanic mountains that are on land, both extrusive and intrusive.
But the common denominator on both mountains are that they have roots to
support the mountains. In the case of continental mountains, light-low density
material from the mountain is extended down into the earth as a root.
What is your definition of "light-low density material"? If the mountain and its "root" are
composed of the same type of rock, the compressional forces would make the "root" rock
denser than the rock at the top of the mountain. Think about it for a moment! In the case
of mountains which are formed by block faults, as well as cinder cone volcanos, there is
little , or no, portion of the mountain that extends deep below the surface of the earth.
In the case of oceanic mountains, there is also light material supporting the
mountain as a root, but in the case of oceanic mountain this material is not light
because the composition is light, but it is hot, therefore expanded somewhat. But
from the viewpoint of densities, they are doing the same job of supporting the
mountains. Therefore, the function of the roots are to support the mountains
according to the law of Archimedes.
Once again, this is not correct because compressional forces would make the "root" rock
denser than the rock at the top of the mountain. In any event, is this what the Qur'an tells
us?
Professor Siaveda described the shape of all mountains whether they are on land
or in the sea as being in the shape of a wedge. Could anyone during the time of
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu àlaihi wa sallam) have known of the shape of
these mountains?
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That would be a logical deduction, however, where did Muhammad describe this? Is this
in the Qur'an or the Hadith? In any case, the shape of a mountain is something that can be
observed.
Could anyone imagine that the solid massive mountain that he sees before him
actually extends deep into the earth and has a root as scientists assure.
The depends on you definition of a mountain's "root". In the case of some igneous
(volcanic) mountains, molten rock "intrudes" into the "throat" of a volcano's opening and
cools, forming a relatively dense intrusion which extends below the surface of the earth.
The material surrounding this intrusion is then eroded away leaving a volcanic "spine" or
"neck". Ship Rock, in New Mexico, is an example. These features can have the
appearance of "pegs" and, perhaps, the portion below the surface could be called a "root"
- although the Qur'an does not say this! The term "root" is not in any of the passages in
this section.
Incidentally, not all mountains have these "roots". For example, block faulted mountains
and cinder cone volcanos have very different geological and geomorphological
characteristics than the aforementioned intrusions.
A large number of geography books when discussing mountains, only describe

that part which is on the surface of the earth. This is because they are not written
by specialists in geology, but modern science informs us about it and Allah says
in the Qur'an: And the mountains as pegs. (Qur'an 78:7).
Are you saying the Geography and Geology textbooks ARE NOT written by geologists
and geographers? Who writes these texts, Economists?
We asked Professor Sievada whether the mountains have a function in

establishing the crust of the earth. He said that this has not yet been discovered
and established by scientists.
Wow, that statement speaks volumes! Are you attempting to establish a statement as fact
without any evidence? That is not the methodology of science.
Now we get to the "science" of the Qur'an:
Allah said: And the mountains Has He firmly fixed. (Qur'an 79:32).
Really? Why are earthquakes so very common in mountainous areas? Some Muslims say
that this passage tells us that mountains do not change from day-to-day. Mountains are
not exactly the same from day-to-day, even though we perceive them as static. Erosion,
as well as mass wasting, glaciation, and vulcanism are processes which occur frequently,
often on a daily basis, but we cannot perceive many of these changes without monitoring
instruments. In this case, this ayah seems to be a mere human observation - that
mountains are static.
Page 36 of 47
And He said: And the mountains as pegs. (Qur'an 78:7).
"Pegs" for what? Also, Pickthall translates this term as "bulwarks" while Shakir translates
it as "projections". In any case, what scientific fact can be derived from this passage?
And He also said: And he has set up on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it
should shake with you. (Qur'an 16:15).
This is the most incorrect and absurd statement in this chapter! If you do not believe me
(I am a geologist), please check the University of Edinburgh's Global Earthquake Map.
Notice that nearly ALL of the recent seismic activity is in mountainous areas. If the
mountains are are "firmly fixed" and are supposed to prevent the earth from shaking, then
I suggest that they are doing a very poor job!
17 The Quaran and Seas and Oceans

Our expert in this chapter is Dr. William W. Hay, Professor of Geological Sciences at the
University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. After the usual hand waving, the authors
present a self annihilating theory from the Qur'an.
We asked him many questions about the marine surface, the divider between the upper
and the lower sea, and about ocean floor and marine geology. We also asked Professor
Hay about the mixed-water partitions between the different seas and fresh water rivers.
He was kind enough to answer all of our questions in great detail. With regard to the
partitions between the different seas, he explained that these bodies of water are not one
homogeneous sea as it appears to us. Rather they are different seas, distinguished by
varying degrees of salinity, temperature and density. In this slide, here the white lines
represent partitions between two different seas.
Each partition divides two seas that differ in temperature, salinity, density, marine
biology and oxygen dissolubility. Scientists first had this picture, as you see it, in 1942
after hundreds of marine research stations were set up. Here we see the divider between
the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.
All right, so far so good. But, what does the Qur'an tell us?
Allah has informed us in the Qur'an that: He has let free (maraja) the two seas meeting
together: Between them is a barrier which they do not transgress. (Qur'an 55:19-20).
Sura 55:19-20
Yusuf Ali: He has let free the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together: Between
them is a Barrier which they do not transgress:
Page 37 of 47
Pickthall: He hath loosed the two seas. They meet. There is a barrier between them. They
encroach not (one upon the other).
Shakir: He has made the two seas to flow freely (so that) they meet together: Between
them is a barrier which they cannot pass.
Now we are presented with the author's self defeating argument:
Traditionally, there have been two major interpretations of this verse. One opinion states
that according to the literal meaning of the term maraja seas do meet and mix with each
other. But the fact the Qur'an goes on to state that there is barrier between them, means
that this barrier will simply prevent the seas from encroaching upon each other or
flooding over each other.
All right.
Proponents of the second opinion ask how can there be a barrier between the seas so that
they do not encroach upon each other, while the verse indicates that the seas meet
together? They concluded that the seas do not meet and sought another meaning for the
term maraja, but now modern science provides us with enough information to settle this
issue. The seas do meet together, as we have seen, for example, in the picture of the
Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean. Even though there is a slanted water barrier between
them, we now know that through this barrier the water from each sea passes to the other.
But when we the water from one sea enters the other sea, it looses its distinctive
characteristics and becomes homogenized with the other water. In a way, this barrier
serves as a transitional homogenizing area for the two waters.
There are two problems here:
Problem 1: The "slanted water barrier" between two different bodies of water is
something that humans can, and did, observe. When a river flows into the sea, we can see
a gradient, moving out to sea, of sediment which is deposited in a delta as the velocity of
river water decreases as it enters the sea. The relatively heaviest particles of the
suspended load are deposited progressively as the water velocity decrease (away from the
mouth of the river). Herodotus noted this long before the time of Muhammad. Another
"gradient", which was common knowledge long before Muhammad and the Qur'an, is the
increase in the buoyancy of a boat as it sails from a fresh water body into saltier (denser)
water.
Problem 2: You tell us that when the water of one sea enters another "it looses its
distinctive characteristics and becomes homogenized with the other water".. Those are
YOUR words. HOWEVER, the Qur'an says (in no uncertain terms):
Between them is a barrier which they cannot pass
Page 38 of 47
But you are telling us that they become "homogenized with the other water". In other
words, they have "passed" between the barrier which the Qur'an tells us, it cannot pass!
You have now contradicted the Qur'an and have, by your original premise that the Qur'an
is scientifically accurate, destroyed your original argument; OR, you have proved that the
Qur'an is not telling us the truth about scientific phenomena - even those phenomena
which are observable and were common knowledge long before Muhammad!
Problem 3: According to an article in the Wall Street Journal (by Daniel Golden, January
23rd, 2002):
Marine scientist William Hay, then at the University of Colorado, was assigned a
passage likening the minds of unbelievers to "the darkness in a deep sea ...
covered by waves, above which are waves." As the videotape rolled, Mr. Zindani
pressed Prof. Hay to admit that Muhammad couldn't have known about internal
waves caused by varying densities in ocean depths. When Prof. Hay suggested
Muhammad could have learned about the phenomenon from sailors, Mr. Zindani
insisted that the prophet never visited a seaport.
Prof. Hay, a Methodist, says he then raised other hypotheses that Mr. Zindani also
dismissed. Finally, Prof. Hay conceded that the inspiration for the reference to
internal waves "must be the divine being," a statement now trumpeted on Islamic
Web sites.
"I fell into that trap and then warned other people to watch out for it," says Prof.
Hay, now at a German marine institute.
This is an excellent example of Islamic modern scientific research.
I agree! Islamic modern scientific research is in a lot of trouble!
Modern techniques can thus be used to prove the inimitability of the Qur'an.
Not in this case!
18 The Quaran – Deep Seas and Oceans

We present to you Professor Dorja Rao, he is a specialist in Marine Geology and he is
currently teaching at King Abdul-Aziz University in Jeddah.
Or (the unbelievers state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean,
overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: Depths of darkness,
one above another: If a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! For any to whom
Allah does not give light, there is no light. (Qur'an 24:40).
Page 39 of 47
The Qur'an goes on to say: When a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! For
any to whom Allah gives not light, there is no light. (Qur'an 24:40)
To make a long story short, the "miracle" in this chapter is that light disappears as we go
deeper into the ocean.
Professor Rao replied: It is difficult to imagine that this type of knowledge was existing
at the time around 1400 years back. Maybe some of the things they have simple ideas
about such, but to describe those things in great detail is very difficult. So, this is
definitely not a simple human knowledge. A normal human being cannot explain this
phenomenon in that much detail. So I thought the information must have come from a
supernatural source.
Is the Qur'an telling us anything new? There are many poetic references to the darkness
of the depths of the seas that were written many centuries before Muhammad received
this "revelation". For example:
"..when in your ship you have now crossed the stream of Oceanus, where is a level shore
and the groves of Persephone...beach your boat there by Ocean's swirling streams and
march on into Hades' dark house." [Circe to Odysseus]
"Child, lying in the cradle, make haste and tell me of my cattle, or we two will soon fall
out angrily. For I will take and cast you into dusky Tartarus [River] and awful hopeless
darkness, and neither your mother nor your father shall free you." [Apollo to Hermes]
So, in this case only Allah, Circe, and Apollo knew this! Honestly, this is something that
is easily observable and has been common knowledge since ancient times.
19 The Quaran – Facts about Astronomy

This chapter begins with the usual round of applause for the Qur'an. We are then given
this verse:
Sura 57.25
Yusuf Ali: We sent aforetime our messengers with Clear Signs and sent down with them
the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice; and
We sent down Iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, 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 (and able to enforce His Will).
Pickthall: We verily sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the
Scripture and the Balance, that mankind may observe right measure; and He revealed
Page 40 of 47
iron, wherein is mighty power and (many) uses for mankind, and that Allah may know
him who helpeth Him and His messengers, though unseen. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty.
Shakir: Certainly We sent Our messengers with clear arguments, and sent down with
them the Book and the balance that men may conduct themselves with equity; and We
have made the iron, wherein is great violence and advantages to men, and that Allah may
know who helps Him and His messengers in the secret; surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.
Professor Armstrong works at NASA, otherwise known as the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration, where he is a well-known scientist there.
We met him and asked a number of questions about Qur'anic verses dealing with
the expertise in Astronomy. We asked him about iron and how it was formed. He
explained how all the elements in the earth were formed. He stated that the
scientists have come only recently to discover the relevant facts about that
formation process. He said that the energy of the early solar system was not
sufficient enough to produce elemental iron.
Then, if all of the energy in the early solar system could not form elemental iron, how did
this element originate and why is iron so common?
In calculating the energy required to form one atom of iron, it was found to be
about four times as much as the energy of the entire solar system. In other words,
the entire energy of the earth or the moon or the planet Mars or any other planet is
not sufficient to form one new atom of iron, even the energy of the entire solar
system is not sufficient for that. That is why Professor Armstrong said that the
scientists believe that iron is an extraterrestrial that was sent to earth and not
formed therein.
I must repeat my previous question: how, and from where, did elemental iron originate?
Iron is the 4th most common element on planet earth, accounting for 5% of the earth's
weight and .5% of the earth's volume. If we are to believe that the energy needed to form
one atom of iron is equal to "about four times as much as the energy of the entire solar
system", then this hypothesis fails to explain the fact that the earth, the other planets, and
the stars contain a very large amount of this element. Any model that does not explain
and predict natural phenomena is unscientific and worthless.
Another problem is the chronology of events. According to the ayah presented to us: first,
the messengers came to earth (with clear arguments/signs/proofs); second, the Book and
balance (which I assume was not made of iron) arrived; and, then iron came to earth last,
right? That is very interesting! How do you explain the fact that the core of the earth is
composed of iron? How did all that iron sneak under us, assuming that the earth did not
originally have any elemental iron? In fact, the Earth's core formed relatively early as
heavier molten iron sank towards the center of the planet. An additional problem for this
"chronology" is the fact that iron is a very important element in the human body - we
would die without it!
Page 41 of 47
Then we asked him about the sky and whether it had any gaps or rifts in it. He
disproved this and replied that what we are talking about is a branch of astronomy
called the "Integrated Cosmos" which we scientists have only come to know
recently.
I have never heard of the "Integrated Cosmos" hypothesis. I searched the Bulletin of the
American Astronomical Society and found that there were no papers which mentioned
this idea.
For example, if you have a body in outer space which travels a certain distance in
any direction and then travel the same distance in a different direction, you will
find that the mass weight is the same in all directions. Because this body has its
own equilibrium, the pressures from all directions are the same. Without this
equilibrium, the whole universe would collapse.
I am not sure of the point that you are attempting to make. Why would the mass (weight)
of an object change simply because it travels in a different direction?
I recalled Allah's verse in the Qur'an:
Do they not look at the sky above them? How we have made it and adorned it,
and there are no flaws in it? (Qur'an 50:6).
First, how is this ayah related to your previous statements concerning the constant mass
of objects in outer space? Another problem is the question of "flaws" in the "sky". What
about "black holes"? Since they swallow matter and energy, including light, are they not
"flaws" which interfere with the way that God "adorned" the universe?
Then we talked to Professor Armstrong about the attempts of scientists to reach

the edge of the universe, and we asked him whether they were successful in this.
He replied that they are fighting an uphill battle to the edge of the universe. We
construct more powerful equipment to observe the universe only to discover that
the new stars we see are still within our galaxy and that we have not yet reached
the edge of the universe. He is aware of the Qur'anic verse which says:
And we adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and we made such (lamps) missiles
to drive away Satans. (Qur'an 67:5).
Indeed, all these stars are adornments for the lowest heaven. He says that
scientists have not reached the end of the universe.
The stars adorn the lowest heavens? Another verse from the Qur'an tells us that:
"Do you not see how God has created the seven heavens one above the other, and made
the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as a lamp?" (71:15-16)
Page 42 of 47
So, according to this verse, the moon is at least as far, or possibly farther, from the earth
as the stars, since the moon is in the midst of the seven heavens! This clearly does not
conform to ancient, much less modern, astronomy! Another problem with this ayah is
that the stars are supposed to be "missiles" to "drive away Satans". If you are claiming
that this ayah is a scientific statement of fact, and not a metaphysical statement, can we
observe these star "missiles" driving away the Satans? Perhaps you should ask Professor
Armstrong if this has been observed by NASA!
20 The Quaran – on Clouds

One kind of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud associated with thunderstorms.
Meteorologists have studied how cumulonimbus clouds are formed and how they
produce rain, hail, and lightning. They have found that cumulonimbus cloud go
through the following steps to produce rain:
Allah said in the Qur'aan:
Have you not seen how Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them
together, then makes them into a stack, and then you see the rain come out of it...?
[Qur'aan 24:43]
There are two problems with using this verse to "prove" the divine origins of the Qur'an.
Problem 1: This is something that can be observed.
Problem 2: The explanation is incorrect.
Small clouds do not join together and "stack" up to form a thunder storm. These clouds
form when warm moist air is pushed higher by a cold front. As the warm moist air rises,
it cools (at the adiabatic lapse rate), therefore, it appears that the cloud is growing in
height as water vapor condenses.
The preceding verse, after mentioning clouds and rain, speaks about hail and
lightning:
And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky, and He strikes with
it whomever He wills, and turns it from whoever He wills. The vivid flash of its
lightning nearly blinds the sight. [Qur'aan 24:43]
No kidding, did you need a divine revelation to tell you this?
This verse may raise a question. Why does the verse say ...its lightning in
reference to the hail?
Honestly, this is an observation which could be made by anyone!
Page 43 of 47
Does this mean that hail is the major factor in producing lightning? Let us see
what the book entitled Meteorology Today, says on this. It says that clouds
become electrified as hail falls through a region in the cloud of supercooled
droplets and ice crystals. As liquid droplets collide with hail, they freeze on
contact and release latent heat. This keeps the surface of the hail warmer than that
of the surrounding ice crystals.
OK, that is what the textbook says, however, the Qur'an mentions none of this!
21 The Quaran and Astrological ideas

Professor Yoshihide Kozai: I say, I am very much impressed by finding true
astronomical facts in the Qur'an.
We asked him whether at some point in time the firmament was in a form of
smoke. He stated that all signs and indications are converging to prove that at one
point in time the whole firmament was nothing but a cloud of smoke. This has
come to be established as a proven visible fact. Scientists now can observe new
stars forming up out of that smoke, which is the origin of our universe.
Let us look at this passage:
Sura 41:11
Yusuf Ali: 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."
Pickthall: Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the
earth: Come both of you, willingly or loth. They said: We come, obedient.
Shakir: Then He directed Himself to the heaven and it is a vapor, so He said to it and to
the earth: Come both, willingly or unwillingly. They both said: We come willingly.
There are many problems with this ayah. Beyond the questions of science, you also have
a huge theological problem in this passage.
Problems
1. According to Sura 41 (also see Sura 2:29), the earth existed while the rest of the
universe was "smoke". In fact, the previous ayah (41:10) decribes how God placed
mountains on the earth:
And He made in it mountains above its surface, and He blessed therein and made
therein its foods, in four periods: alike for the seekers.
Page 44 of 47
and then, after calling the "smoke" together, God made the seven heavens in Sura 41:12:
So He ordained them seven heavens in two periods, and revealed in every heaven
its affair; and We adorned the lower heaven with brilliant stars and (made it) to
guard; that is the decree of the Mighty, the Knowing.
Therefore, according to this argument, the earth is the oldest body in the universe. In fact,
the mountains on the earth, are, according to this Sura, older than the stars. This clearly
does not agree with modern science. The Qur'an also has a serious problem of internal
consistency with respect to its cosmic chronology. In fact, there is a contradiction
between the previous passage (Sura 41:10-12) and Sura 79:27-32:
Are ye the harder to create, or is the heaven that He built? He raised the height
thereof and ordered it; And He made dark the night thereof, and He brought forth
the morn thereof: And after that He spread the earth, He brought forth from it its
water and its pasturage. And the mountains, He made them firm,
Which suggests, in contradiction to Sura 41:10-12, that the heavens were created first,
then the earth, and then the mountains. Another question, unanswered by the Qur'an, is:
how, and from what, was the earth created?
2. In Chapter 10, we were presented with Sura 21:30-31 which says:
Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together
(as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water
every living thing. Will they not then believe? And We have set on the earth
mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them, and We have made
therein broad highways (between mountains) for them to pass through: that they
may receive Guidance.
Now we have a problem. In Sura 41:10-12, we are told that God called the "smoke" and
earth to come together, then He created mountains, and last but not least, He created the
stars. However, in Sura 21:30-31, the earth and heavens were one unit which God split
apart. After that, God made the mountains. Therefore, according to this passage, the
mountains and stars are approximately the same age. So, did God create the universe by
bringing "smoke" together or by "cloving" one unit asunder? Also, which is older, the
mountains or the stars?
3. In the introduction, you said: "Scientists now can observe new stars forming up out of
that smoke, which is the origin of our universe", yet the Qur'an says "Then turned He to
the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth: Come both of you,
willingly or loth. They said: We come, obedient." Therefore, the fact that there is
"smoke", which is now forming new stars, suggests that this ayah is not accurate since it
claims that the "smoke" came together, obeying God's command. Why did this "smoke"
not obey God as the Qur'an claims?
Page 45 of 47
4. There is a theological issue when you use this ayah, which is clearly metaphysical, to
explain the creation of the universe in scientific terms. If we look at this passage in the
light of modern science, we cannot claim that any portion is metaphorical. Therefore, the
question is: does smoke have consciousness? In other words, did these clouds of smoke
hear God and could they have refused to obey Him? The Qur'an has not only made a
scientific error in this case (that smoke has consciousness and an individual will that can
refuse) but it promotes animistic concepts by giving attributes and power to smoke that it
simply does not have!
Some scientists describe this dukhaan or smoke "mist". But Professor Kozai
pointed out that the term "mist" does not correspond to the description of this
smoke, because mist is characteristically cold, whereas this cosmic smoke is
somewhat hot. Dukhaan indeed is made up of diffused gases to which solid
substances are attached, and this is the exact description of the smoke from which
the universe emerged even before the stars were formed. Professor Kozai said that
because that smoke was hot, we cannot describe it as "mist". Dukhaan is the best
descriptive word that can ever be. In this way Professor Kozai continued to
scrutinize each Qur'anic verse we presented to him.
You can call it whatever you wish, perhaps "dust" is the most accurate term. However,
when we consider all of the verses of the Qur'an which describe creation, we cannot
derive a clear scientific model of what happened.
Finally we asked him: `What do you think of this phenomenon which you have
seen for yourself, namely, that science is beginning to discover the secrets of the
universe, whereas many of these secrets have already been revealed in the Qur'an
or in the Sunnah? Do you think that the Qur'an was given to the Prophet
Muhammad (sallallahu àlaihi wa sallam) from a human source?'
This Sura, along with the other Qur'an passages that describe creation, are logically and
scientifically inconsistent. Also, if we ignore the metaphysical nature of this Sura and
attempt to extract science from a literal interpretation, this passage preaches animism.
Page 46 of 47
22 Concluding remarks about The Quaran and Science

The purpose of this rebuttal was to test the hypothesis that the Qur'an contains statements
that are scientifically true. The authors of this site began with a dogmatic view that the
Qur'an was, beyond question, the truth and then practiced "selective thinking" - selecting
favorable evidence, while ignoring unfavorable evidence to support their hypothesis.
The authors also attempted to appeal to authority by parading several scientists who
appeared to support their viewpoint. Obviously, the authors did not mention any experts
who disagreed with their hypothesis! I have been involved, in one way or another, with
academia for the past twenty years. It is not difficult to find an expert who supports any
position - no matter how absurd. In the end, the truth or falsity, reasonableness or
unreasonableness, of a belief must stand independently of those who accept or reject the
belief. It is also interesting to note that few of the experts cited on this site have expressed
their beliefs, concerning the Qur'an, in writing. Even Professor Moore has two different
editions of his texts! The "Islamic" edition is nearly impossible to find in the west. If
these experts are convinced of the scientific validity of the Qur'an why do they not put
their professional reputations on the line to prove their point?
The authors of this site took great pains to extrapolate the text of the Qur'an to fit modern
science. There are four problems with the evidence presented to us. The Qur'an's science:
1. Describes something that any human, of normal intelligence, can observe.
2. Was similar to the prevailing scientific opinions of the era
3. Many of these alleged scientific statements are contradicted by other passages from the
Qur'an.
4. Was, more often than not, completely wrong.
Chapter 2 - 7 are the most important for the author's hypothesis. The "embryology" of the
Qur'an is the same as the beliefs of the Greek Physician Galen (150 AD). These beliefs
are also scientifically wrong. Chapter 7 also mentions, but does not cite, a Hadith that I
cannot find. Some chapters, such as chapter 8 (burns and pain) and chapter 14 (darkness
of the deep sea) contains information that can be easily observed and were common
knowledge. Other chapters (such as chapter 17) implies animism when it claims that the
"smoke" answered God! Chapter 18 contains the absurdity that iron did not originate in
the earth and chapter 18 puts the icing on the cake by claiming that we are entering
another ice age, instead of the observed trend of global warming!
After testing our research hypothesis, we can conclude that the Qur'an passages given to
us in this site DO NOT support the claim that the Qur'an contains accurate scientific
information.
Page 47 of 47

Rebuttal To Claims of Quaranic Science

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3 The Quaran and Science

4 Did the Quaran predict the 7 Layers of the

The Earth has all the

14 centuries ago, when the sky was believed to

5 The Truth About 7 Layers of Heaven

Moon Mercury Venus Sun Mars Jupiter Saturn

6 What does Quaran say about the Earth?

We will have a look at some of these claims below:

In Sura An-Naml (27:61) it is stated clearly:

Volume 6, Book 60, Number 326: Narrated Abu Dharr:

The Quaran also talks of a FLAT Earth at the following verses:

7 Does Quaran talk about a big bang?

8 What does the Quaran say about Thunder?

"The thunder is an angel in charge of the clouds to drive them."

9 What does the Quaran say about shooting stars?

He repeated the same idea again.

There is also a Hadith that confirms the above story.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 432

10 Embryology in the Quaran?

11 The origins of life according to the Qur'an

Could it be from earth?

11:61 It is He Who hath produced you from the earth

Or dry clay (Arabic Salsaal)?

15:26,28,33 We created man from sounding clay

Did we come from nothing?

19:67 We created him before out of nothing

No, we did not!

52:35 Were they created of nothing?

Did we come from mud?

23:12 We created man from a product of wet earth (loam) (Pickthall)

3:59 He created (Jesus) out of dust

Perhaps we arose from the dead or from one person?

30:19 It is He who brings out the living from the dead

12 The drop of fluid or semen

16:4 He created man from a drop of fluid (Pickthall)

56:58 Do you then see? The (human Seed) that ye emit

13 Embryological development in the Qur'an

13.1 Some possible explanations

Galen: De Semine in Greek

Qur'an: Sura 23:13-14 in Arabic for comparison

13.2 Stages of Development - A Modern Idea?

golem (formless, rolled-up thing);

13.3 More examples of borrowing from ancient Greek writers

13.4 But how could Muhammad have known these things?

He became famous partly as a result of a consultation with King Chosroes. Later he

14 The Quaran and the Cerebrum

Narrated Abu Hurayrah:

Our claimants continue:

Malik's Muwatta, Book 28, Number 28.22.52:

Malik's Muwatta, Book 3, Number 3.15.61:

The Qur'an tells us (Sura 11:56):

Professor Keith Moore.

15 The Quaran and Geology

The Qur'an tells us:

There are several problems with this argument:

Problem 2: In an earlier chapter, you said that:

16 The Quaran and Mountains

He replied and said: The fundamental difference between continental mountains

A large number of geography books when discussing mountains, only describe

We asked Professor Sievada whether the mountains have a function in

Now we get to the "science" of the Qur'an: