The Islamic Bulletin Newsletter Issue No. 31

Signs of Book You have just seen a visual interpretation of the Big Bang theory of the creation of the universe widely accepted by scientists today. The words above are from the Qur’an that is the holy book of Islam recorded over 1400 years ago. The Qur’an is the heart and soul of Islam. Muslims believe it to be the wisdom of Allah (God) revealed for all mankind through His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It would seem to make no sense to look for scientific factual information in a book that offers spiritual and social guidance through revelation. Yet within the Qur’an, many verses contain descriptions of the physical world that are remarkably similar to “We shall show them Our signs on furthest horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth.” (Quran 41:53) “Then God turned to heaven when it was smoke.” (Quran 41:11) “Don’t the unbelievers see that the heavens and earth were joined together and then We split them apart.” (Quran 21:30) “Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.” (Quran 1:2) those of modern science. These verses span a wide range of subjects from the vast workings of the universe to the minute affairs of life on Earth. “And We created every living thing out of water.” (Quran 21:30) It is in the way Qur’an approaches knowledge that it differs so much from modern science. The scientific approach is to isolate and analyze the specific, whereas, the Qur’anic revelation always refers to specifics in relation to and as a part of the whole pattern of creation. Today science can explain many of the complex interactions which maintain the cycle of life on our planet. It is well understood that how insects, animals and wind carry pollens from stamen of one plant to the ovules of another. This process of fertilization in plants nearly always depends upon the existence of definite sexual characteristics: male stamen and female ovules. It is common knowledge today, but at the time of Qur’anic revelation such detailed information was not known. In the Qur’an we read: “…and of all fruits (God) placed (on the earth) two of a pair.” (Quran 13:3) “God is the One Who sent water down from the sky and thereby brought forth pairs of plants each separate from another.” (Quran 20:53) The Qur’an describes this particular aspect in order to further man’s understanding of the unity of all things and his place within the creation. In the light of this

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