approach we should perhaps expect to discover that any detailed observation made in the Qur’an should accord with modern science. It was the discovery of a relationship within his own field that led Dr. Maurice Bucaille to make a scientific study of the Qur’an. Dr. Maurice Bucaille: “As a medical doctor and particularly attracted to physiology and natural sciences, I must confess that in 1972, when I read the Quran in the original text for the first time, the data concerning man were those which impressed me the most. As in view of knowledge in days of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) it is inconceivable that many of the statements in the Quran, which are connected with science, could have been the work of any man”. Dr. Bucaille’s initial interest developed into a general study of all the scientific references in the Qur’an. He realized that he had to develop a grasp of many specialized scientific disciplines to fully understand these references. As his study progressed he found that every description of the material world in the Qur’an correlated with established scientific facts. Dr. Maurice Bucaille: “It is therefore perfectly legitimate to not only regard the Quran as the expression of revelation but also to award it a very special place on account of guarantee of authenticity it provides and the presence in it of reflections which when studied today appear as a challenge to human explanation”. How is it possible for a book recorded in the 7th century to preempt so much of today’s hard earned scientific information? To understand this we need to look into the nature of the Qur’anic revelation and examine its authenticity. Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula is a holy place for Muslims. It was a center of pilgrimage long before the period of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It was here that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born and grew up to be a highly respectable member of the community and a successful merchant trader. It was his habit to retreat to nearby mountains for a period of meditation and contemplation. In the cave of Hira’ he received his first revelation at the age of forty on the 6th of August in the year 610 AD. “Read! In the name of your Lord Who created. Who created man from something which clings. Read! Your Lord is the most Noble, Who taught by the pen. Who taught man what he did not know.” (Quran 96:1-5) The revelation continued for a period of 23 years up to the death of the Prophet (pbuh) in the year 632. The Prophet (pbuh), being unable to read or write, called upon his literate companions and dictated to them. So he supervised the transcription and proper recording of the revelations. These recordings were later assembled as the Quran. Altogether they are 114 Surahs or Chapters composed of more than 6000 verses. Within 15 years of the Prophet’s death a final Qur’an had been compiled and authenticated by the Prophet’s companions who had been present throughout the revelations. When Muhammad (pbuh) brought his message to Mecca many of its people turned against him and he was forced to flee with his followers. He was given refuge in Medina and it was here that first Muslim community was founded and Islam developed its social form. From the beginning, the Qur’an has never been changed. The same Qur’an, word for word, has been preserved and is used today across the Muslim world from Morocco to Malaysia. The Muslims believe that Qur’an is the book of wisdom which guides every aspect of man’s existence. It deals not only with the individual’s inner spiritual development but also his outward behavior and social life in the community. The form which governs all Islamic life is apparent in both the complex urban society, like a city of Lahore in Pakistan, and in the traditional village community. The foundation stone of any community, no matter how large or small, is the individual. It is the behavior of the individual which determines the social pattern and its strength or weakness. There are many verses in the Qur’an which guide the individual’s behavior and which deals with his responsibility towards others. In any Muslim community, whether urban or rural, this is learned and understood from a very early age. The Qur’an describes this individual responsibility as a trust that God has given to man. Implicit in this trust is a three-fold responsibility that is to oneself, to others and to the natural world. In this way the individual sees himself as belonging as a part of whole rather than separate. Through the reading of the Qur’an, even the most routine aspects of daily life are given meaning. The Qur’an
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