The holy Quran is believed to be first revealed in 609 C.E. to the Prophet. Despite it appearing in a time when science held little value, one can find several scientific facts in Quran, the holy book of the Muslims. The contents of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by the archangel Jibreel over 23 years. According to the spiritual guides, the Prophet’s companions later acted as scribes and recorded these words. This spiritual scripture is the central religious text of Islam and a source of guidance for mankind.
Miracles of the Science in the Quran
The miracles of the Quran are layered and complicated. The holy book imparts knowledge on some of the most renowned miracles of science even before their discovery. The sacred book sheds information on the Theory of Relativity, Big Bang Theory, Genetics, Black Holes, and more. Evidently, the holy Quran and science are not alienated from each other. In fact, the scientific discoveries in the Quran are described in the form of Surahs. However, some of the Surahs were not easy to believe till science became advanced enough to prove the existence of such phenomena. Today, it is safe to say that complex phenomena are simply mentioned in the Quran, and science is a mere proof of the book’s information.
Modern Scientific Facts in the Quran
The mention of certain scientific inquiries in the holy Quran that were not known 14 centuries ago is indeed noteworthy. This blog features a compilation of nine scientific facts in the Quran.
1. The Big Bang Theory in Quran
The theory of the origin of the universe is one of the most noteworthy scientific things mentioned in the Quran. Until 100 years ago, it was believed that the universe has no creator and has always existed. But Albert Einstein, during his field equations study, challenged this belief when he presented the theory that the universe is an expanding force that is growing like a balloon. Later, a mathematician and Belgian priest proposed that this expansion must have begun from an initial and dense point.
The holy book of the Quran which came into existence centuries before the uncovering of the Big Bang theory details this idea. The text states that “do not the disbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed-up mass (Ratqan), then we opened them out?” (Quran 21:31). The word Ratqan used in the text hints at darkness and closed up mass. This is exactly how the universe must have looked before the big bang happened.
2. The Big Crunch Theory in Quran
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The Big Crunch theory that predicts how the universe will end is yet another scientific thing the Quran details. The idea based on Einstein’s general relativity theory talks about how the universe that began with the big bang will be eventually destroyed as its consequence. It is a hypothetical scenario that details the fate of the universe and explains that the expansion will eventually reverse at some point in time and the cosmos will collapse.
The holy Quran mentions this incident in passage 21:105 where it reads, “Remember the day when we shall roll up the heavens like the rolling up of written scrolls by a scribe.” The description provided in the Islamic scripture resembles the scenario confirmed by several physicists around the world.
3. Oceanic Division mentions
The meeting of two oceans is termed conflux. When two seas meet, their waters retain individual properties like temperature, color, and density. At a point of conflux, one can see two different water bodies running side by side. Even though this discovery is recent, the holy Quran informed the readers about this phenomenon in its 55:19-20 passage. The scientific fact in Quran is stated as “he released the two seas, meeting [side by side], between them, is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses.”
4. Embryology in Quran
Embryology is a branch of biology concerned with the study of fertilization and embryo development. The central religious text, at one point, talks about embryology and states a significant scientific fact in Quran. It says, “We created man from an extract of clay. Then we made him as a drop in a place of settlement, firmly fixed. Then we made the drop into an Alaqah (blood clot), then we made the Alaqah into a Mudghah…” (Quran 23:12-14).
Here the word ‘Alaqah’ can be defined as a leech, blood clot, or something suspended in the air. According to science, a foetus gets nutrients and oxygen from the mother. In this sense, it is not unlike a leech that sucks blood. Also, in the early stages, the foetus stays stationary and the blood does not flow, which renders it similar to a blood clot. Lastly, in the womb, the baby hangs from the uterus wall by the placenta and lies suspended.
5. Iron Within Meteorites
According to M.E. Walrath, iron is not an element that was naturally present on Earth. Studies suggest that a billion years ago, a meteorite struck Earth. This meteorite had iron on it, and when it exploded after coming in contact with our planet, Earth got iron. This scientific fact in Quran is stated in passage 57:25 as “we sent down iron with its great inherent strength and its many benefits for humankind”.
6. Formation Of Clouds
Unlike today, when children in elementary school read about the formation of clouds, in 609 C.E., this was not the case. But, the Quran still aptly describes the process of the formation of clouds. The book says, “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?”
This is an accurate description of what actually happens. In reality, the small clouds are pushed by the winds (moved gently), and the ones that are near each other amalgamate. At this point, a vertical updraft happens and the upper part of the cloud expands up in the sky. As a result, different parts of the cloud are raised to divergent points and look as if many clouds are piled on top of each other (stacking). The mention of this scientific fact in the Quran is ahead of time as this study only took place in the past two centuries.
7. Pain Receptors in Quran
For a long time, it was believed that the sense of feeling and pain is because of the brain. But, a scientific study recently found out that our skin features pain receptors due to which we feel pain and agony. Surprisingly, the holy text of the Quran hinted at this occurrence a long time ago. It states, “We shall send those who reject our revelations to the (hell) fire. When their skins have been burned away, we shall replace them with new ones so that they may continue to feel the pain.” This passage clearly suggests that we feel pain because of our skin.
8. Internal Waves In The Ocean
Oceanographers while studying water bodies discovered that the belief of waves only occur on the surface of the ocean is wrong. In reality, the waves are present internally underneath the surface of the water and are created when the lower part of the oceanic body faces an obstacle. This barrier creates a disturbance in the water body and leads to oscillation.
The central religious text of Islam that details several secrets and facts about the depth of oceans also talks about this phenomenon. One of the nine scientific facts in the Quran talks about the internal waves of the ocean and says that “it is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds.”
9. The Frontal Lobe
In the Quran, there is a story of a man named Abu Jahl, an oppressive leader. To warn him, Allah said, “No indeed! if he does not stop, we will seize him by the forehead, his lying, sinful forehead.” Now, according to the followers of Islam, there is a deeper meaning behind this statement.
Modern research into anatomy suggests that the prefrontal area of the human brain deals with planning, aggression, and motivation. So, it is the part of our brain which is responsible for lying. Muslims believe that the mention of the forehead is specific and intentional and it is another scientific fact stated in the Quran.
Notably, the holy text of the Quran, written many centuries ago, hints at several discoveries ahead of their time. Many scientific facts in Quran are mentioned that could not have been known by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who was born in the 7th century C.E. and did not know how to read or write. This indeed is proof of the divinity of the central text of Islam.
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