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Via Islamic Research Foundation, Dr Zakir Naik channels his efforts to explain Islam to the world providing proper presentation, understanding, clarification, as well as removing misconceptions about Islam.
Title: Qur'an & Modern Science : Compatible or Incompatible?
Author: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik
Genre: Religion / Science
ISBN: 983-9384-24-4
Publisher: Saba Islamic Media
Year: 2001
SLAM has always been misunderstood by many others, especially non-Muslims and in some cases, Muslims themselves. There have been many scholars who endeavoured to bridge this gap of understanding either via logic, history or comparative analysis between religions (mainly monotheism). Nevertheless, these methods become ineffective in this modern era. What is more compelling is interpretation from scientific perspective. Many others have interpreted Islam through the eyes of science such as Dr Maurice Bucaille and Ahmad Deedat. In this book (or rather booklet),
Qur'an & Modern Science : Compatible or Incompatible?, its author, Dr. Zakir Naik (a follower of Deedat), attempts such interpretation (using science) for which, many verses of the Qur'an are supportable by man's scientific findings, so far as what has been discovered to date.
Dr Zakir Naik was born in 1965. He is a medical doctor by education and professional training. He is the founder and president for the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) in Mumbai, India. He has delivered many lectures across the North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Via IRF, Zakir channels his efforts to explain Islam to the world providing proper presentation, understanding, clarification, as well as removing misconceptions about Islam. In light of many terrorism associated with Islam such as the 911, Osama Bin Laden, the Palestinian-Israel debacle and many more, the image of Islam has been tarnished to the extent the world views Islam negatively. Such sad state of perception against Islam is unfair and something had to be done. A remedy of sort, of which, only the Muslims themselves need to take charge (repair the image of Islam).
It (Qur'an) covers a wide range of subjects such as Astronomy, Physics, Geography, Geology, Oceanology, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Medicine, Physiology, Embryology ...
The ultimate source of analysing Islam would be the text to which Muslims guide themselves, i.e. the Holy Qur'an. Dr Zakir studied the Qur'an thoroughly and matches the underlying message in the Qur'an to its corresponding evidence as uncovered by man in their scientific quests. It is very refreshing to know that the Qur'an has abundance of knowledge that is congruent to the scientific findings. It covers a wide range of subjects such as Astronomy, Physics, Geography, Geology, Oceanology, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Medicine, Physiology, Embryology and many more. The following highlights these various areas as mentioned in the Qur'an:
[Al-Qur'an 21:30] "Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the Earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder?". This verse talks about the Big Bang theory. Qur'an which first appeared in Arabia 1400 years ago has references to this theory which was only uncovered by humans in the 20th century. Magnificent! The Big Bang theory, as supported by observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists for decades, sort to argue that the whole universe was initially one big mass like a nebula which later divided into stars, planets, galaxies, sun, moons, etc after a big bang event.
[Al-Qur'an 31:29] "Seest thou not that Allah merges night into day and He merges day into night?". Ancient humans believed that the Earth is flat. Many scientific scholars who argued otherwise (i.e. that the Earth is spherical) were regarded as diabolic and some were sent to be hanged. The Qur'an would have helped save them if only they could interpret what the Qur'an can reveal. This verse clearly supports the concept that the Earth is spherical in shape as metaphorically put in terms of day and night switching its place repeatedly. Only when the Russian cosmonauts travelled the Earth's orbit did humans finally confirm that the Earth is round. Of course, the infamous photo of the Earth taken by Neil Armstrong's crew (using Kodak) is the tangible evidence accepted by most people. Notice the word "merges" used in the Qur'an? If the Earth was flat, there would have been a sudden change from day to night. In a more direct verse 79:30, the Qur'an also mention that the shape of the Earth is not exactly round like ball but it is geo-spherical i.e. it is flattened at the poles. The Arabic word used is
dahaha which means an ostrich-egg!
[Al-Qur'an 34:3] "The Unbelievers say 'Never to us will come the hour': say, 'Nay! But most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you - by Him - Who knows the unseen - From whom is not hidden the least little atom in the heavens or on Earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the record perspicuous". In the ancient Greek, the theory of atom was widely accepted until modern times when even an atom can be further sub-divided. This verse refers to the omniscience of God, His knowledge of all things, hidden or apparent. It then goes further to say that God is aware of everything, including what is smaller of bigger than the atom. Thus the verse clearly shows that it is possible for something smaller than the atom.
[Al-Qur'an 96:1-2] "Proclaim! (or Read!) In the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created man out of a mere clot of congealed blood". The Arabic word
alaq that is in this verse carries with it the meaning congealed clot of blood which also means something that clings like a leech substance. A scientist, Prof. (Dr) Keith Moore, who was the Prefessor of Embryology and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Toronto, Canada, studied the initial stage of the embryo and was astonished at the striking resemblance between his findings and the information provided by the Qur'an. In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Saudi Arabia, Dr Moore said, "
It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur'an about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later". Such strong confirmation from one of the highest authorities in the field of Embryology must, in itself, carry heavy weight to the authenticity of the Qur'an?
[Al-Qur'an 53:45-46] " That he did create in pairs - male and female, from a seed when lodged (in its place)". This verse confirms that 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 XY respectively. Mother-in-laws in the Indian subcontinent, 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!
[Al-Qur'an 75:3-4] "Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers". Why does the Qur'an specifically mention the "
tip of the finger"? In 1880, fingerprinting became the scientific method of identification, after research done by Sir Francis Golt. No two persons in the world can ever have exactly the same fingerprint pattern. That is the reason why police forces worldwide use fingerprints to identify the criminal. 1400 years ago, who could have known the uniqueness of each human's fingerprint? Surely it could have been none other than the Creator Himself?
There are many more examples highlighted by Zakir in his publication and for both Muslims and non-Muslims, you will find it refreshing that a book aged 1400 years old (the Holy Qur'an) has already captured all such scientific facts that were only discovered by humans hundreds of years later. Such words of devine revelations must surely not come from humans unless we already have scientists back then. Did we? The Muslims believe that the Qur'an are the divinde words of God Almighty Himself (Allah). Most humans (non-Muslims) will try to find explanations other than God such as Erich Von Daniken in his book
Chariots of the Gods. Erich explored the possibility of intelligent aliens who visited Earth thousands of years ago only to teach humans science and that those aliens were mistakenly regarded as Gods. Well, Erich, in his wisdom, failed to explore the possibility that all this, could be God Himself?
... refreshing that a book aged 1400 years old (the Holy Qur'an) has already captured all such scientific facts that were only discovered by humans hundreds of years later.
* kopihangtuah
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