Astounding Truth & Miracles From The Quran - Embryology

• MAN IS CREATED FROM ALAQ (A LEECH-LIKE SUBSTANCE)

Consider this verse in the Quran:

"Proclaim! (or Read) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, who created. Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood." ( Al-Quran 96: 1-2)

The word Alaq besides meaning a congealed clot of blood also mean something that clings, a leech like substance. Dr. Keith Moore (professor of Embryology and Chairman of the department of Anatomy at the University of Toronto)who was asked to give his opinion had no knowledge whether an embryo in the initial stages appears like a leech. to check this out, he studied under a very powerful microscope in his laboratory and compared what he observed with a diagram of a leech and he was astonished at the striking resemblance between the two. In the same manner, he acquired more information on embryology that was hitherto not known to him, from the Quran. he has answered about 80 questions dealing with embriological data mentioned in the Quran & Hadith. Noting that the information contained in the Quran and Hadith was in full agreement with the latest discoveries in the field of embryology. Prof. Moore said, "If I was asked these questions thirty years ago, I would not have been able to answer half of them for lack of scientific information". In 1981, during the seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, he said, "It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah, because almost all of these knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God."

• MAN CREATED FROM A DROP EMITTED FROM BETWEEN THE BACK BONE AND THE RIBS

"Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted - Proceeding from between the back bone and the ribs." (Al-Quran 86:5-7)

In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e the testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh and the twelfth ribs. Later they descent; the female gonads (testicles) continue their descent of the reproductive organ, these organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from Abdomal Aorta, which is in the ares between the backbone (spinal column) and the ribs. Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same area.

• HUMAN BEING CREATED FROM NUTFAH (Minute Quantity of Liquid)

The glorious Quran mentions no less than eleven times that the human being is created from nutfah, which means a minute quantity of liquid or a trickle of liquid which remains after emptying a cup. This is mentioned in several verses of the Quran including 22:5 and 23:13.
Science has confirmed in recent times that only one out of an average of three million sperms is required for fertilising the ovum. This means that only a 1/three millionth part or 0.00003% of the quantity of sperms that are emitted is required for the fertilization.

• HUMAN BEING CREATED FROM SULALAH (quintessence of liquid)

"And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised." (Al-Quran 32:8)

The Arabic word sulalah means quintessence or the best part of a whole. We have come to know that only one single spermatozoon that penetrates the ovum is required for the fertilization, out of the several millions produced by man. That one spermatozoon out of several millions, is referred to the Quran as sulalah. Sulalah also means gentle extraction from a fluid. The fluid refers to both male and female germinal fluids containing gametes. Both ovum and sperm are gently extracted from their environments in the process of fertilization.

• MAN CREATED FROM NUTFATUN AMSHAAJ (Mingled liquids)

Consider the following Quranic verses:

"Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm." (Al-Quran 76:2)

According to some commentators of the Quran, mingled liquids refers to the male or female agents or liquids. After mixture of male and female gamete, the zygote still remains nutfah. Mingled liquids can also refer to spermatic fluid that is formed of various secretions that come from various glands. therefore nutfatin amsaaj i.e. a minute quantity of mingled fluids refers to the male and female gametes (germinal fluids or cells) and part of the surrounding fluids.

• SEX DETERMINATION

The sex of a foetus is determined by the nature of the sperm and not the ovum. The sex of the child, whether female or male, depends on whether the 23rd pair of chromosomes is XX or YY respectively.
Primarily sex determination occurs at fertilization and depends upon the type of sex chromosome in the sperm that fertilizes an ovum. If it is an X bearing sperm that fertilizes the ovum, the foetus is a female and if it is a Y bearing sperm then the foetus is a male.

"That He did created in pairs - male and female. From a seed when lodged (in its place)." (Al-Quran 53: 45-46)

The Arabic word nutfah means a minute quantity of liquid and tumna means ejaculated or planted. Therefore nutfah specially refers to sperm because it is ejaculated.
The Quran also says:

"Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in lowly form)? Then did he become a clinging clot; Then did (Allah) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. And of him He made two sexes, male and female." (Al-Quran 75: 37-39)

Here again it is mentioned that a small quantity (drop) of sperm (indicated by the word nutfatan min maniyyin) which comes from the man is responsible for the sex of the foetus.
Mothers-in-law in many part of the world, by and large prefer having male grandchildren and often blame their daughters-in-law if the child is not of the desired sex. If only they knew that the determining factor is the nature of the male sperm and not the female ovum! If they were to blame anybody, they should blame their sons and not their daughter-in-law since both the Quran and Science hold that it is the male fluid that is responsible for the sex of the child!

• FOETUS PROTECTED BY 3 VEILS OF DARKNESS

"He makes you, In the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness." (Al-Quran 39:6)
According to Prof Keith Moore these 3 veils of darkness in the Quran refer to:

1. anterior abdominal wall of the mother
2. the uterine wall
3. the amnio-chorionic membrane

Mathematical Miracles Of The Quran : Word Repeatitions

WORD REPETITIONS IN THE QUR'AN

Apart from the miraculous characteristics of the Qur'an which we have looked into so far, it also contains what we can term "mathematical miracles." There are many examples of this fascinating Qur'anic aspect. One example of this is the number of repetitions of certain words in the Qur'an. Some related words are surprisingly repeated the same number of times. Below is a list of such words and the number of repetitions in the Qur'an.

• The statement of "seven heavens" is repeated seven times. "The creation of the heavens (khalq as-samawat)" is also repeated seven times.

• "Day (yawm)" is repeated 365 times in singular form, while its plural and dual forms "days (ayyam and yawmayn)" together are repeated 30 times. The number of repetitions of the word "month" (shahar) is 12.

• The number of repetitions of the words "plant" and "tree" is the same: 26

• The word "payment or reward" is repeated 117 times, while the expression "forgiveness" (mughfirah), which is one of the basic morals of the Qur'an, is repeated exactly twice that amount, 234 times.

• When we count the word "Say," we find it appears 332 times. We arrive at the same figure when we count the phrase "they said."

• The number of times the words, "world" (dunya) and "hereafter" (akhira) are repeated is also the same: 115

• The word "satan" (shaitan) is used in the Qur'an 88 times, as is the word "angels" (malaika).

• The word faith (iman) (without genitive) is repeated 25 times throughout the Qur'an as is also the word infidelity (kufr).

• The words "paradise" and "hell" are each repeated 77 times.

• The word "zakah" is repeated in the Qur'an 32 times and the number of repetitions of the word "blessing" (barakah) is also 32.

• The expression "the righteous" (al-abraar) is used 6 times but "the wicked" (al-fujjaar) is used half as much, i.e., 3 times.

• The number of times the words "Summer-hot" and "winter-cold" are repeated is the same: 5.

• The words "wine" (khamr) and "intoxication" (saqara) are repeated in the Qur'an the same number of times: 6

• The number of appearances of the words "mind" and "light" is the same: 49.

• The words "tongue" and "sermon" are both repeated 25 times.

• The words "benefit" and "corrupt" both appear 50 times.

• "Reward" (ajr) and "action" (fail) are both repeated 107 times.

• "Love" (al-mahabbah) and "obedience" (al-ta'ah) also appear the same number of times: 83

• The words "refuge" (maseer) and "for ever" (abadan) appear the same number of times in the Qur'an: 28.

• The words "disaster" (al-musibah) and "thanks" (al-shukr) appear the same number of times in the Qur'an: 75.

• "Sun" (shams) and "light" (nur) both appear 33 times in the Qur'an. In counting the word "light" only the simple forms of the word were included.

• The number of appearances of "right guidance" (al-huda) and "mercy" (al-rahma) is the same: 79

• The words "trouble" and "peace" are both repeated 13 times in the Qur'an.

• The words "man" and "woman" are also employed equally: 23 times.

Will they not ponder the Qur’an? If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found many inconsistencies in it. (Qur’an, 4:82)

• The number of times the words "man" and "woman" are repeated in the Qur'an, 23, is at the same time that of the chromosomes from the egg and sperm in the formation of the human embryo. The total number of human chromosomes is 46; 23 each from the mother and father.

• "Treachery" (khiyanah) is repeated 16 times, while the number of repetitions of the word "foul" (khabith) is 16.

• "Human being" is used 65 times: the sum of the number of references to the stages of man's creation is the same: i.e.

Human being 65

Soil (turab) 17

Drop of Sperm (nutfah) 12

Embryo ('alaq) 6

A half formed lump of flesh (mudghah) 3

Bone ('idham) 15

Flesh (lahm) 12

TOTAL 65

• The word "salawat" appear five times in the Qur'an, and Allah has commanded man to perform the prayer (salat) five times a day.

• The word "land" appears 13 times in the Qur'an and the word "sea" 32 times, giving a total of 45 references. If we divide that number by that of the number of references to the land we arrive at the figure 28.888888888889%. The number of total references to land and sea, 45, divided by the number of references to the sea in the Qur'an, 32, is 71.111111111111%. Extraordinarily, these figures represent the exact proportions of land and sea on the Earth today.

MASYA -ALLAH (GLORY TO ALLAH)

Astounding Truth From The Quran - Biology

Every Living Thing Is Made Of Water

Consider the following Quranic verses:

"Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation) before we clove them asunder? and we made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?"

( Quran 21:30)

Only after advances have been made in science, do we know that cytoplasm, the basic substance of the cell is made of 80% water. Modern research has also revealed that most organisms consist of 50% to 90% water and that every living entity requires water for its existence.
Was it passible 14 centuries ago for any human being to guess that every living being was made of water? Moreover would such a guess be conceivable by a human being in the deserts of Arabia where there has always been scarcity of water? The following verse refers to the creation of animal from water:

"And Allah has created every animal from water." ( Quran 24-45)

The following verse refers to the creation of human beings from water:

" It is He who has created man from water: then has He established relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things)." (Quran 25-54)

Astounding Truth From The Quran - Biology

CREATION FROM CLAY

In the Qur'an, Allah reveals that the creation of the human is a miracle. The first human being was created by Allah shaping clay into human form and breathing a soul into it:

"Your Lord said to the angels, "I am going to create a human being out of clay. When I have formed him and breathed My Spirit into him, fall down in prostration to him!" (Qur'an, 38:71-72)

"Then inquire of them: Is it they who are stronger in structure or other things We have created? We created them from sticky clay." (Qur'an, 37:11)

When the human body is examined today, it may be discovered that many elements present on the earth are also to be found in the body. Living tissues contain 95% carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur, with a total of 26 different elements. In another verse of the Qur'an we are told:

"We created man from an extract of clay." (Qur'an, 23:12)

The Arabic word "sulala," translated as "extract" in the verse, means "representative example, essence." As we have seen, the information revealed in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago confirms what modern science tells us-the fact that the same elements are employed in human creation as those found in the soil.

Below is a diagram showing the distribution of the elements in a 70-kilo human being.

Element	Symbol	Main Function	%	Weight
Macro-minerals				Gram
Oxygen Carbon Hydrogen Nitrogen Calcium Phosphorus Potassium Sulfur Chlorine Sodium Magnesium Silicon	O C H N Ca P K S Cl Na Mg Si	Respiration of cells/tissues, a component of water Organic structure Component of water/tissue Component of protein/tissue Bones and teeth Bones and teeth Intracellular electrolyte Amino acids (hair and skin) An electrolyte when in the form of chloride Intracellular electrolyte Electrolyte of metabolism Connective tissue/bone	65.0 18.5 9.5 3.3 1.5 1.0 0.35 0.25 0.15 0.15 0.05 0.05	43,000 12,000 6,300 2,000 1,100 750 225 150 100 90 35 30
Macro-minerals			%	Miligram
Iron Zinc Copper Boron Cobalt Vanadium Iodine Selenium Manganese Molybdenum Chromium	Fe Zn Cu B Co V I Se Mn Mo Cr	Carrier of hemoglobin/oxygen Content of enyzme/DNA synthesis, immunity support Enzyme cofactor Bone structure Essence of B12 vitamin Fat metabolism Thyroid hormone Enzyme, antioxidant, immunity support Metallic enzymes Enzyme cofactor Glucose-tolerant facto	0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01	4,200 2,400 90 68 20 20 15 15 13 8 6

THE PROGRAMMING IN GENES

"From what thing did He create him? From a drop of sperm He created him and proportioned him. Then He eases the way for him." (Qur'an, 80:18-20)

The word "qaddarahu," translated as "proportioned" in the above verse, comes from the Arabic verb "qadare." It translates as "arranging, setting out, planning, programming, seeing the future, the writing of everything in destiny (by Allah)."

When the father's sperm cell fertilises the mother's egg, the parents' genes combine to determine all of the baby's physical characteristics. Each one of these thousands of genes has a specific function. It is the genes which determine the colour of the eyes and hair, height, facial features, skeletal shape and the countless details in the internal organs, brain, nerves and muscles. In addition to all the physical characteristics, thousands of different processes taking place in the cells and body-and indeed the control of the whole system-are recorded in the genes. For example, whether a person's blood pressure is generally high, low or normal depends on the information in his or her genes.

The first cell which forms when the sperm and the egg are joined also forms the first copy of the DNA molecule which will carry the code in every cell of the person's body, right up until death. DNA is a molecule of considerable size. It is carefully protected within the nucleus of the cell and this molecule is an information bank of the human body as it contains the genes we mentioned above. The first cell, the fertilised egg, then divides and multiplies in the light of the program recorded in the DNA. The tissues and organs begin to form: This is the beginning of a human being. The coordination of this complex structuring is brought about by the DNA molecule. This is a molecule consisting of atoms such as carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen

Inventions By Muslim Scientists

A significant number of inventions were produced in the Muslim world, many of them with direct implications for Fiqh related issues. Most of these inventions were invented in the Middle Ages, especially during the Islamic Golden Age.

1 Astronomical instruments 1.1 Astrolabes 1.2 Analog computers 1.3 Armillary spheres 1.4 Mural instruments 1.5 Other instruments 2 Aviation technology 2.1 Parachute 2.2 Hang glider 2.3 Flight controls 2.4 Artificial wings 2.5 Artificially-powered manned rocket 3 Camera technology 3.1 Pinhole camera 3.2 Camera obscura 4 Chemical technology 4.1 Chemical processes 4.2 Laboratory apparatus 4.3 Chemical industries 4.4 Drinking industry 4.5 Glass industry 4.6 Hygiene industries 4.7 Perfumery industry 5 Civil engineering 5.1 Bridge dam 5.2 Cobwork 5.3 Diversion dam 5.4 Surveying instruments 6 Clock technology 6.1 Astronomical clocks 6.2 Candle clocks 6.3 Dials 6.4 Elephant clock with automaton, regulator, and closed loop 6.5 Mechanical clocks 6.6 Striking clock 6.7 Watch 6.8 Water clocks 7 Industrial milling 7.1 Bridge mill 7.2 Factory milling installation 7.3 Geared and wind-powered gristmills with trip hammers 7.4 Industrial mills 7.5 Milling dam 7.6 Paper mill 7.7 Shipmill 7.8 Spiral scoop-wheel 7.9 Sugar refinery 7.10 Tide mill and tidal-powered machine 7.11 Water-powered finery forge 7.12 Water turbine 7.13 Windmill 8 Mechanical technology 8.1 Agricultural devices 8.2 Artificial weather simulation 8.3 Complex segmental and epicyclic gears 8.4 Crankshaft and connecting rod 8.5 Crank-driven screw and screwpump 8.6 Flywheel-driven chain pump and noria 8.7 Hodometer 8.8 Mechanical singing birds 8.9 Metronome 8.10 Non-wooden block printing 8.11 On/off switch 8.12 Programmable humanoid robot 8.13 Steam turbine 8.14 Valve-operated double-action reciprocating suction piston pump 8.15 Ventillator 8.16 Other mechanical devices 9 Medical technology 9.1 Medical treatments 9.2 Surgical instruments 10 Military technology 10.1 Purified potassium nitrate 10.2 Explosive gunpowder 10.3 Hand cannon, handgun, and portable firearm 10.4 Fireproof clothing and dissolved talc 10.5 Gunpowder cartridge 10.6 Siege cannon 10.7 Ballistic war machine 10.8 Counterweight trebuchet 10.9 Torpedo 10.10 Iron rocket artillery 10.11 Other weapons 11 Navigational technology 11.1 Baculus 11.2 Caravel 11.3 Cartographic instruments 11.4 Compass rose 11.5 Kamal 11.6 Lateen 11.7 Three-masted merchant vessel 12 Other inventions 12.1 Explosive fireworks and firecrackers 12.2 Fountain pen

How Much The World Owed To Muslim Scientists?

Abbas Ibn Firnas (810 - 887): He is an aviator, chemist, inventor, musician & physician. he design a water clock& invent glass from sand to produce quartz.In 875, at an age of 65 years, Ibn Firnas made the first attempt at controlled flight when he invented a hang glider with artifical wings, and launched himself from the Mount of the Bride (Jabal al-'arus) in the Rusafa Area, near Córdoba. The flight was largely successful, and was widely observed by a crowd that he had invited. After Ibn Firnas jumped from the top of a wall at least "several times the height of a man," he had successfully manipulated the flight controls, made up of two sets of wings, in order to raise his altitute higher than the point from which he had taken off. After gliding for several hundred feet, Ibn Firnas changed his direction and turned back to successfully return to the wall he had jumped from, though his landing was unsuccessful.

"Ibn Firnas was the first man in history to make a scientific attempt at flying."
—Philip Khuri Hitti, History of the Arabs.

As Westerners teach their children about Sir George Cayley, Lilienthal, Santos-Dumont and the Wright Brothers, the Islamic countries tell theirs about Ibn Firnas, a thousand years before the Wrights.The westerners also told us that around 1284 in Italy, Salvino D'Armate is the one who invent the first eye glasses. But actually, it was Abbas Ibn Firnas who invent corrective glasses in the 9th century. He had devised a way to finish sand into glass; which until this time, was secret to the Egyptians. These glasses could be shaped and polished into round rocks used for viewing - known as reading stones.

Who created the first humanoid robot? Was it Leonardo Da Vinci who design a robot that looks like an armored knight, known as Leonardo's robot? No! He only design it on paper and get all the credit in Western world. they then make the model from his drawings and put it in muzium. The first person who design and then built the first humanoid robot was Ibn Ismail Ibn al-Razzaz Al-Jazari who created the first recorded designs of a programmable humanoid robot 300 years before Leornado da Vinci. Al-Jazari's robot was originally a boat with four automatic figures. His mechanism had a programmable drum machine with pegs (cams) that bump into little levers that operated the percussion. The drummer could be made to play different rhythms and different drum patterns if the pegs were moved around musicians that floated on a lake to entertain guests at royal drinking parties. Not only that, he also the world's first inventor of mechanical clock. After that, he invented the first clock which incorporated a closed-loop system, where the clock worked as long as it was loaded with metal ballswith which to strike a gong. He also the inventor of so many inventions that is widely use today. These included the crank mechanism, connecting rod, programmable automaton, reciprocating piston engine, suction pipe, suction pump, double-action pump, valve, combination lock, cam, camshaft, segmental gear, the first mechanical clocks driven by water and weights, and especially the crankshaft, which is considered the most important mechanical invention in history after the wheel.

Who found the Milky Way? Was it Galileo? No, it was Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, 500 years before Galileo. Who was the first to conduct elaborate experiments related to astronomical phenomena. He discovered the Milky Way galaxy to be a collection of numerous nebulous stars. In Khorasan, he observed and described the solar eclipse on April 8, 1019, and the lunar eclipse on September 17, 1019, in detail, and gave the exact latitudes of the stars during the lunar eclipse. He also analysed the acceleration of the planets, and first states that the motions of the solar apoge and the precession are not identical. Biruni also discovered that the distance between the Earth and the Sun is larger than Ptolemy's estimate, on the basis that Ptolemy disregarded the annual solar eclipses.
Where did Isac Newton get the Law of Motion? 700 years before him, Al-Biruni was the first to apply experimental scientific method to mechanics, especially the fields of statistics and dynamics, particularly for determining specific weights, such as those based on the theory of balances and weighing. In the dynamics and kinematics fields of mechanics, Biruni was the first to realize that acceleration is connected with non-uniform motion, which is part of Newton Second Law of Motion. Not only that, in Optics , Biruni was one of the first, along with Ibn al-Haytham, to discover that the speed of light was finite. Biruni was also the first to discover that the speed of light is much faster than the speed of sound.

George Sarton, , the father of the history of science, described Biruni as:

"One of the very greatest scientists of Islam, and, all considered, one of the greatest of all times."

A. I. Sabra desribed Biruni as:

"One of the great scientific minds in all history."

And what does this great scientist said about the Quran and science?
"[the Qur'an] does not interfere in the business of science nor does it infringe on the realm of science." (Al-Biruni)

Who invented camera? Can't guess! It was Ibn al-Haytham (965-1039), the Father Of Optics. he has not only the first person who built camera, but also studied binocular vision and the moon illusion, speculated on the finite speed, rectilinear propagation and electromagnetic aspects of light, and argued that rays of light are streams of energy particles travelling in straight lines. Due to his quantitative, empiricaland experimental approach to physics and science, he is considered the pioneer of the modern scientific method and of experimental physics, and some have described him as the "first scientist" for this reason. He is also considered by some to be the founder of psychophysics and his experimental approach of psycology of visual perception, and a pioneer of the philosophical field of phenomenology.
He also discovered Fermat's principle of least time and the law of inertia (known as Newton's first law of motion), discovered the concept of momentum(part of Newton's second law of motion), described the attraction between masses and was aware of the magnitude of acceleration due to gravity at a distance and in his optical research laid the foundations for the later development of telescopic astronomy, as well as for the microscope and the use of optical aids in Renaissance art.. His reformed empirical model was the first to reject the equant and eccentrics separate natural phylosophy from astronomy, free celestial kinematics from cosmology, and reduce physical entities to geometrical entities. The model also propounded the earth's rotation about its axis, and the centres of motion were geometrical points without any physical significance. His model comes centuries earlier than the famous Johannes Kepler's model.

Ibn al-Haytham described his search for truth and knowledge as a way of leading him closer to God:

"I constantly sought knowledge and truth, and it became my belief that for gaining access to the effulgence and closeness to God, there is no better way than that of searching for truth and knowledge."

I suggest readers get a book Al-Haytham-The First Scientist written by Bradley Steffens an award-winning poet, playwright, and author of nonfiction books for children and young adults. Get the book at his website www.ibnualhaytham.net

And how about Ibnu Sina or Avicenna (980-1037), the Father of All Doctors? About 100 treatises were ascribed to Ibn Sina. Some of them are tracts of a few pages, others are works extending through several volumes. The best-known amongst them, and that to which Ibn Sina owed his European reputation, is his 14-volume The Canon of Medicine, which was a standard medical text in Europe and the Islamic world up until the 18th century. The book is known for its introduction of systematic experimentation and quantification into the study of physiology, the discovery of contagious diseases, the introduction of quarantine to limit the spread of infectious diseases, the introduction of experimental medicines and clinical trials and the first descriptions on bacteria and viral organisms. It classifies and describes diseases, and outlines their assumed causes. Even the term Medi-cenna or Ibnu Sina's healings is being used in English language as Medicine until today and many people don't realize it.
The Arabic text of the Qanun was translated into Latin as Canon medicinae by Gerard of cremona in the 12th century and into Hebrew in 1279. Henceforth the Canon served as the chief guide to medical science in the West and is said to have influenced Leonardo Da Vinci. Its content, its systematic arrangement and philosophical plan soon worked its way into a position of pre-eminence in the medical literature of Europe, displacing the works of Galen and becoming the text book for medical encyclopeadic education in the schools of Europe. The text was read in the medical schools at Montpeller and Leuven as late as 1650, and Arnold C. Klebs described it as "one of the most significant intellectual phenomena of all times." In the words of Dr. William Osler, the Qanun has remained "a medical bible for a longer time than any other work".

Astounding Truth From The Quran - OCEANOLOGY

DARKNESS IN THE SEAS AND INTERNAL WAVES

Measurements made with today's technology have revealed that between 3 and 30 percent of the sunlight is reflected at the surface of the sea. Then, almost all of the seven colours of the light spectrum are absorbed, one after another, in the first 200 metres, except for blue light (picture at left). Below a depth of 1,000 metres, there is no light at all (above picture). This scientific fact was pointed out in Sura Nur 40 in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago:

"Or [the unbelievers' state] are like the darkness of a fathomless sea which is covered by waves above which are waves above which are clouds, layers of darkness, one upon the other. If he puts out his hand, he can scarcely see it. Those Allah gives no light to, they have no light." (Qur'an, 24:40)

In deep seas and oceans, the darkness is found at a depth of 200 meters and deeper. At this depth, there is almost no light, and below a depth of 1,000 meters there is no light at all.

Today, we know about the general formation of the sea, the characteristics of the living things in it, its salinity, as well as the amount of water it contains, and its surface area and depth. Submarines and special equipment, developed with modern technology, have enabled scientists to obtain such information.

The picture to the left represents internal waves at interface between two layers of water of different densities. The lower layer is denser than the upper one. This scientific fact, declared in Sura Nur 40 of the Qur'an 14 centuries ago, has been discovered by today's scientists only very recently.

Human beings are not able to dive to a depth of more than 70 meters without the aid of special equipment. They cannot survive unaided in the dark depths of the oceans, such as at a depth of 200 meters. For these reasons, scientists have only recently been able to discover detailed information about the seas. However, that the depth of the sea is dark was revealed in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago. It is certainly one of the miracles of the Qur'an that such information was given at a time where no equipment to enable man to dive into the depths of the oceans was available.

In addition, the statement in Surat an-Nur 40 "…like the darkness of a fathomless sea which is covered by waves above which are waves above which are clouds…" draws our attention to another miracle of the Qur'an.

Scientists have only recently discovered that there are sub-surface waves, which "occur on density interfaces between layers of different densities." These internal waves cover the deep waters of seas and oceans because deep water has a higher density than the water above it. Internal waves act like surface waves. They can break, just like surface waves. Internal waves cannot be discerned by the human eye, but they can be detected by studying temperature or salinity changes at a given location.

The statements in the Qur'an run parallel precisely the above explanation. Certainly, this fact, which scientists has discovered very recently, shows once again that the Qur'an is the word of Allah.

Astounding Truth From The Quran - OCEANOLOGY

A satellite photograph of the Strait of Gibraltar ----->

Barrier Between Sweet & Salt Waters - Consider the following Quranic verses:
"He has let free the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together. Between them is a barrier which they do not transgress." (Al-Quran 55:19-20).
In Arabic text, the word barzakh means a barrier or a partition. This barrier is not a physical partition. The Arabic word maraja literelly means 'they both meet and mix with each other'. Early commentators of the Quran were unable to explain the two opposite meanings for the two bodies of water, i.e they meet and mix, and at the same time , there is a barrier between them. Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity & density. There is a slanted unseen water barrier between the two seas through which water from one sea passes to the other. But when the water from one sea enters the other sea, it loses its distinctive characteristic and becomes homogenized with the other water. In a way this barrier serves as a transitional homogenizing area for the two waters. The scientific phenomenon mentioned in the Quran was also confirmed by Dr. William Hay who is well known marine scientist and professor og Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, U.S.A. The Quran also mentions this phenomenon also in the following verse:
"And made a separating bar between the two bodies of flowing water." (Al-Quran 27:61).
This phenomenon occurs in several places, including the divider between the Mediterranean & the Atlantic Ocean at Gibralter. But when the Quran speaks about the water between fresh & salt water, it mentions the existence of 'a forbiding partition' with the barrier:
"It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: one palatable & sweet, and the other salty & bitter, yet has he made s barrier between them, and a partition that is forbidden to be passed." (Al-Quran 25:53).
Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) & salt water meet, the situation is somewhat different from that found in places where two seas meet. It has been discovered that distiguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a 'pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity separating the two layers." This partition (zone of separation) has a salinity different from both the fresh water and the salt water. This phenomenon occurs in several places, including Egypt, where the river Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

The Meaning of the Concept of "Jihad"

Jihad is a concept that deserves clarification to non-Muslim as well as Muslims

The exact meaning of "Jihad" is "effort". Thus, in Islam, "to carry out jihad" is "to show effort, to struggle". The Prophet Muhammad explained that "the greatest jihad is the one a person carries out against his lower soul". What is meant by "lower soul" here is selfish desires and ambitions.

Assessed from the Qur'anic point of view, the word "jihad" can also mean a struggle carried out on intellectual grounds against those who oppress people, treat them unjustly, subject them to torture and cruelty and violate legitimate human rights. The purpose of this struggle is to bring about justice, peace and equality.

Apart from these ideological and spiritual meanings, struggle in the physical sense is also considered as "jihad". However, as explained above, this has to be a struggle carried out solely for defensive purposes. The use of the concept of "jihad" for acts of aggression against innocent people, that is for terror, would be unjust and a great distortion of the true meaning of the term.

Killing Oneself (Committing Suicide) is Forbidden in the Qur'an:

One of the main purposes of terrorist bombings, arson attacks and other such vicious acts is to create fear, anxiety, insecurity and a sense of panic in people.

Another important matter that arose in the wake of the latest terrorist assaults against the United States is that of suicide attacks. Some people who are ill-informed on Islam have made utterly erroneous statements to the effect that this religion of peace allows suicide attacks, whereas in Islam killing oneself and killing other people are both prohibited. In the words, "Do not kill yourselves." (Qur'an, 4:29) God has declared suicide to be a sin. In Islam it is forbidden for anyone to kill himself or herself, for no matter what reason.
Prophet Muhammad reveals suicide to be a sin in a parable, when he says that those who commit suicide will be punished:

"Indeed, whoever (intentionally) kills himself, then certainly he will be punished in the Fire of Hell, wherein he shall dwell forever." (Hadith reported by Bukharee & Muslim)

As this makes clear, committing suicide, and thus carrying out suicide attacks, and causing the deaths of thousands of innocent people while doing so, is a total violation of Islamic morality. God says in the Qur'an that it is a sin to put an end to one's own life. For that reason, it is quite impossible for someone who believes in God and says he abides by the Qur'an to do such a thing. The only people who can do such things are those who have a very mistaken perception of religion, have no idea of true Qur'anic morality, fail to use their reason and conscience, are under the influence of atheist ideologies, and who have been brainwashed with feelings of hatred and revenge. Everybody must oppose such actions

"And do not kill yourselves. God is Most Merciful to you."
(Qur'an, 4:29)

Astounding Truth From The Quran - The Formation Of PETROLEUM

As we know, petrol forms from the remains of plants and animals in the sea. Once these have decayed on the sea bed after millions of years, all that is left are oily substances. These, under layers of mud and rock, then turn into petrol and gas. Movements in the Earth's crust sometimes lead to the sea petrifying and to the rocks containing petrol being buried thousands of metres deep. The petrol that forms sometimes leaks through the pores in the rock layers from several kilometres down, and rises to the surface, where it vaporises (turns into gas), leaving a mass of bitumen behind. Now, lets examine this verse:

"Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High: He Who created and moulded; He Who determined and guided; He Who brings forth green pasture, then makes it blackened stubble." (Qur'an, 87:1-5)

The three elements identified in the first four verses of Surat al-A'la parallel the formation of petroleum. It is quite likely that the term "almaraa," meaning pasture or meadow, refers to the organically-based substances in the formation of petroleum. The second word of note in the verse is "ahwa," used to describe blackish-green, greenish-black, dark or sooty colours. This word can be thought of as describing the waste plant matter accumulated underground gradually turning black, since these words are supported by a third word, "ghuthaan." The word "ghuthaan" translated as stubble, can also mean flood-water plants, plants brought together by waste matter being collected and dispersed around valleys, rubbish, leaves or foam. In addition to the connotation of "vomiting out" implied in the word, it may also be translated as "to flood forth vomited matter," and describes the way that the earth "vomits" forth petroleum. In fact, in the light of the formation of petroleum, the way it emerges, its foam-like appearance and its colour, one can better see with what wisdom were employed the words in the verses.

As has been discussed, the plant in the verse turning into a dark and viscous liquid bears a strong resemblance to the formation of petroleum. The description of such a formation over many years, at a time when the formation of petroleum was unknown, is without doubt another proof that the Qur'an is the revelation of Allah.

Astounding Truth From The Quran - The Origin Of IRON

Iron is one of the elements highlighted in the Qur'an. In Surat al-Hadid, meaning Iron, we are informed:

"And We also sent down iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind… (Qur'an, 57:25)

Iron ingot

The word "anzalna," translated as "sent down" and used for iron in the verse, could be thought of having a metaphorical meaning to explain that iron has been given to benefit people. But, when we take into consideration the literal meaning of the word, which is, "being physically sent down from the sky," as in the case of rain and Sun rays, we realize that this verse implies a very significant scientific miracle. Because, modern astronomical findings have disclosed that the iron found in our world has come from giant stars in outer space.

Not only the iron on earth, but also the iron in the entire Solar System, comes from outer space, since the temperature in the Sun is inadequate for the formation of iron. The sun has a surface temperature of 6,000 degrees Celsius, and a core temperature of approximately 20 million degrees. Iron can only be produced in much larger stars than the Sun, where the temperature reaches a few hundred million degrees. When the amount of iron exceeds a certain level in a star, the star can no longer accommodate it, and it eventually explodes in what is called a "nova" or a "supernova." These explosions make it possible for iron to be given off into space.

One scientific source provides the following information on this subject:

There is also evidence for older supernova events: Enhanced levels of iron-60 in deep-sea sediments have been interpreted as indications that a supernova explosion occurred within 90 light-years of the sun about 5 million years ago. Iron-60 is a radioactive isotope of iron, formed in supernova explosions, which decays with a half life of 1.5 million years. An enhanced presence of this isotope in a geologic layer indicates the recent nucleosynthesis of elements nearby in space and their subsequent transport to the earth (perhaps as part of dust grains).

Surat al-Hadid is the 57th in the Qur’an. The numerical value of the word “al-Hadid” in Arabic is 57. The numerical value of “hadid” on its own is 26. As can be seen from the periodic table to the side, 26 is the number of the iron atom. With the verse revealed in Surat al-Hadid Almighty Allah indicates how iron formed, and with the mathematical code contained in the verse He reveals to us a scientific miracle.

All this shows that iron did not form on the Earth, but was carried from Supernovas, and was "sent down," as stated in the verse. It is clear that this fact could not have been known in the 7^th century, when the Qur'an was revealed. Nevertheless, this fact is related in the Qur'an, the Word of Allah, Who encompasses all things in His infinite knowledge.

Astronomy has also revealed that other elements also formed outside the Earth. In the expression "We also sent down iron" in the verse, the word "also" may well be referring to that idea. However, the fact that the verse specifically mentions iron is quite astounding, considering that these discoveries were made at the end of the 20^th century. In his book Nature's Destiny, the well-known microbiologist Michael Denton emphasizes the importance of iron:

"Of all the metals there is none more essential to life than iron. It is the accumulation of iron in the center of a star which triggers a supernova explosion and the subsequent scattering of the vital atoms of life throughout the cosmos. It was the drawing by gravity of iron atoms to the center of the primeval earth that generated the heat which caused the initial chemical differentiation of the earth, the outgassing of the early atmosphere, and ultimately the formation of the hydrosphere. It is molten iron in the center of the earth which, acting like a gigantic dynamo, generates the earth's magnetic field, which in turn creates the Van Allen radiation belts that shield the earth's surface from destructive high-energy-penetrating cosmic radiation and preserve the crucial ozone layer from cosmic ray destruction…

Without the iron atom, there would be no carbon-based life in the cosmos; no supernovae, no heating of the primitive earth, no atmosphere or hydrosphere. There would be no protective magnetic field, no Van Allen radiation belts, no ozone layer, no metal to make hemoglobin [in human blood], no metal to tame the reactivity of oxygen, and no oxidative metabolism.

The intriguing and intimate relationship between life and iron, between the red color of blood and the dying of some distant star, not only indicates the relevance of metals to biology but also the biocentricity of the cosmos."

This account clearly indicates the importance of the iron atom. The fact that particular attention is drawn to iron in the Qur'an also emphasises the importance of the element. In addition, there is another hidden truth in the Qur'an which draws attention to the importance of iron: Surat al-Hadid 25, which refers to iron, contains two rather interesting mathematical codes.

"Al- Hadid" is the 57^th sura in the Qur'an. The abjad of the word "Al-Hadid" in Arabic, when the numerological values of its letters are added up, is also 57. (For abjad calculations see the section on Numerological Calculations (Abjad) in the Qur'an.)

The numerological value of the word "hadid" alone is 26. And 26 is the atomic number of iron.

Moreover, iron oxide particles were used in a cancer treatment in recent months and positive developments were observed. A team led by Dr. Andreas Jordan, at the world famous Charité Hospital in Germany, succeeded in destroying cancer cells with this new technique developed for the treatment of cancer-magnetic fluid hyperthermia (high temperature magnetic liquid). As a result of this technique, first performed on the 26-year-old Nikolaus H., no new cancer cells were observed in the patient in the following three months.

This method of treatment can be summarised as follows:

1. A liquid containing iron oxide particles is injected into the tumour by means of a special syringe. These particles spread throughout the tumour cells. This liquid consists of thousands of millions of particles, 1,000 times smaller than the red blood corpuscles, of iron oxide in 1 cm3 that can easily flow through all blood vessels.

2. The patient is then placed in a machine with a powerful magnetic field.

3. This magnetic field, applied externally, begins to set the iron particles in the tumour in motion. During this time the temperature in the tumour containing the iron oxide particles rises by up to 45 degrees.

In a few minutes the cancer cells, unable to protect themselves from the heat, are either weakened or destroyed. The tumour may then be completely eradicated with subsequent chemotherapy.

In this treatment it is only the cancer cells that are affected by the magnetic field, since only they contain the iron oxide particles. The spread of this technique is a major development in the treatment of this potentially lethal disease. In the treatment of such a widespread disease as cancer, the use of the expression "iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind" (Qur'an, 57:25) in the Qur'an is particularly noteworthy. Indeed, in that verse, the Qur'an may be indicating the benefits of iron for human health. (Allah knows best.)