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THE
QUR'AN
AND
MODERN
SCIENCE
BY
DR MAURICE BUCAILLE BUCAII,LE
(FRENCH IFIENCH ACADEMY OF MEDIClNI:1
MEDTNE'
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THE TIIE
QUR'AN
ArD AND
MODERN
SCIENCE
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THE
QUR'AN
auR'AN
AND
MODERN
SCIENCE
BY
DR MAURICE BUCAILLE BUCAILIE
(FRENCH (FREHCH ACADEMY ACAI}EM Y OF MEDICINE) MEDICIT{E}

t4thr
WHAT THIS BOOK IS I$ ALL ABOUT
In this book, bool, Dr. Bucaille Bucrillc nuntes nrrrrtc his encounter cncounter with tbc tbe
Qur'an. Qur'rn. colt "It is not ar faith frith in Islam," Isllmr" says seys Dr. Bucaille, Buceilh, cothet "thlt first lirst
guided guidcd my stcps, stGF, but simple simplc research rc*rrch for the thc truth. This is how I
see sae it today. todry. It WIS wrs mainly meinly Cact frct which, by the thc time timc I had hrd finished linirhcd
my study, snrdy, had hed led lcd me to see in the Qur'an Qur'en ar text tcrt revealed rirreded to Ir
prophet." propha." Whit Vhrt led lcd him to this conviction w~ wrs the thc fact frct it would bc be
unthinkable unthintrblc ufor "for ar man men of Muhammad's Muhrmmrd's time timc to have hrvc becn been thc the
author ruthor of such statements strtemcnts on account tccount ofthe state strtc ofknowledge hnowledge in
his days." drys."
For the thc purpose Furpoce of his !ltudy: study, Dr. Bucaille Bucrillc grouped such
Qur'anic Qur'rnic verses vcrscs containing contrining scientific data drtr under undcr general gencrd hcedings
~dings
IS rs Creation, Crcrtion, Astronomy, the Eanh, Egrth, etc.
Touching on ("..reation, Crcetion, he refutes the age rge old Western Vestcrn notioo notion
(deliberate (delibcretc or through ignorance) igrromnce) that thrt Muhammad Muhrnrnrd only copied copicd
the thc general gcncrd ('utlines outlines of the Bible. He compares comprres the thc version vcrsion of tbc tbe
Bihle Bihlc and rnd that thrt ofthe ofthc Qur'an Qur'rn and rnd concludes concludcs that thrt the thc Bible Biblc version vercion is
scientifically scientificdly unacceptable, unrcoeptrblc, whereas whcrcrs the thc Qur'anic Qur'rnic version, vercion, not only
agrees rgrccs perfectly pcrfcctly with the thc data &tr discovered dis

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ACKNOWLEDGEI}tENT
'lhe
The Muslim Convens' C-onvens' Association Associetion of Singapore Singepore wishes to th.nh thank
The)slamic Islamic Academy Accdcmy of Science Scicnce (20B Jdan ja)8O Daud) Daud, Kg. Bahru, Behru,
Kuala Kuaia Lumpur) Lumpur, Malaysia) Melaysir) for giving the thi consent to publish pu-blish this
book.

THE QUR'AN AND MODERN SCIENCE
ON 9 NOVEMBER 1976, an en unusu

Once we wc belin bcgin to ask erl ourselves ourselvcs in an en unbiased unbiescd or unprejudicediccd
way wey about ebout the meraphysicallessons mctephysical lessons to be derived dcrivcd from some somc
unpreju-
oftoday's todey'r knowJedle. lnorlcdgc. (for example cremple our knowledge of the thc infinitely
small rmell or the thc problem oflife). !ife), we wc indeed discover. many meny reasons rersons for
thinanl thinhiry alona rlong these thesc Jines. lincs. When we think ahout ehout the thc remarkable
rcmarleble
orlanisatioD or3eniitioo presidins prcsiding over oyer the thc birth and end maintenance of life. life, 'it
surely rurcly becomes bccomcr dear clcrr that thet the likelihood lilelihood of it being the result of
chance chencc lets ger less lcrr ~d and less. as es our knowledge and end progres~ progress in this rhis
field lield expand. crprnd. Certain concepts must appear epperr to be increasingly increesingly unacceptablercccptrblc;
for example. eremple, the rhe one onc put forward by the French Frcnch
un-
winner uinner of the thc Nobel Nobcl prize priae for Medicine Medicinc who tried to ro get gct people to
admit edmit that thet living matter mrttcr was ses self-created self-creeted as the thc result of fortuitoutoul
circumstances circumrtrnccs .under ,undcr the thc effect effcct of c~rtain ccrtein outside influences
usinl ufinl simple rirnplc chemical chcmicel elements elcrnenrs as rs their thcir base. bese. From this it is
claimed chimed that thrt living orlanisms orgenisms came into beins. being, leading leeding to the thc re­
re-
fortuimarkablmerleble
complex conrplex called celled man. men. To me, it would seem 3cem that th.t the thc
scientific rientilic prolress protrcs$ made in undclStanding understanding the fantastic fentestic complexitxiry
of hi.her hfher beinss bcingr provides strona strong arguments rrtument3 in favour fevour of the thc
comple-
opposite opporitc theory: thcory: in other othcr words, vords, the existence eristence of an en extraordinarily
methodical methodicel oraanization orgeniretion presiding over tf,e the remarkable remerkablc arrange­
arrenge-
cxtreordineriment
of the rhe phenomena phenomcna of life.
In many rnrny paus perts of the Book. Bool, the Qur'an Qur'en leads. leeds. in simple termi. terml,
to this thfu kind lind of seneraJ generel reflection. But Brrr it also elso contains conteins infinitely infinitcly
more precise precite data dete which vhich are ere directly direcdy rdated rclercd to facts discovered discovercd by
modern science: lcience: these there are rre what whet exercise erercise a masnetic rnegnetic attraction attrection for
today's todry's scientists. rcientirtr.
ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEI}GE NECESSARY
TO UNDF..RSTANP UNDERSTAND nlE TTIE QVR'AN QUR'AN
For many mrny centuries, ccnturies, man was w.s unable to tb study -them, rhem, because beceuse
he hc did not possess posscss sufficient sufficicnt scientific scicntific means. mcrns. Ids lt'is only today todey thet that
numerous numcroui verses yerscs of the Qui'an Qur'ln dealinK dealing with natural neturel phenomena
phenonicne
have hrve become becornc fully comprehensible. comprehcnsibie. I should even cycn So go so far as es to say 3.y
that, thrt. in the thc 20th 2fth century. ccntury. with its irs compartmentalization comprrtmcntelizetion of everinereasinincrcesing
knowleqe. hnowlcdgc, it is not always elways easy for fot the average evcrege scien­
tcicntist.ro
010 unders.and unJerrtend everything eicrythirrg he reads in th~ thc Qur'an (]ur'en on !Ouch such sub­ sub-
ever-
;eus. jects. without having heving recourse fccourse to speciahzeJ specieirzed research. restlrch. mctns
thet ell verscs Qt . :.* This means
that to understand all such verses of the Ql;•. :"." - - - is it today todey required
to have heve an en absolutely ebsolutely encyclopaedic encyclopeedic knowledge. knowledge, by whkh which I
mean. m?rn. OM onc which embraces embteces very vcry many mrny discipline'S.
discipliner.
re-
2

1use I usc the word 'science' to mean mc.n knowledge knorledgc which rhich hal hu beea bcca
soundly roundly established. establishcd. It does not include includc the thc theories rheorhr which, rhich, for ar
time, help to explain erplein a phenorpenon phcnorpcnon or a series serics of phenomena.
pbcnonrcnr,
only to ro be abandoned ebendoned later lercr on in favour ofexplanations cxplenethnr which rhich ha..e hrvc
become becorne more plausible pleusible thanks thenks to scientific progress. protrcrr. I ba~ic.U1 bericrlly
only intend intcnd to deal dcal with comparisons comperisons between statements strremcntr in the thc
Qur'an Qur'rn and knowledge which is not likely to ro be subject subjcct to further furthcr
discussion. discursion. Wherever Whcrever JI introduce inrroducc scientific facts fects which are .rc not IGt yet
l000f0 l0O% estabHshed, esteblished, I shall, shell, of course, make meLe this quite clear. clcer. .
There Therc are arc also elso some sonre very vcry rare rere examples eremplcs of statements stetcmcntt in the thc
Qur'an Qur'en which have hlvc not, as .s yet, been confirmed by modem nrodcru
science: scicnce: I shall refer to these by pointing out that rhar all ell the rhc evidence cvidcoce
leads lcads scientists icientists to r~gard regerd them rhem as es being highly probable. probrblc. An
example errmple of this is the statement statemcnt in the Qur'an Qur'en that life is of aquatic equ*ic
origin; and end another enother is that rhet somewhere somcwherc in the Universe theTe thete are ere
earths eerths similar to ro our own. own,
These Thcse scientific scicntific considerations consideretions should shorrld not, however, hor?vcr, make male us ur
forget that thet the Qur'an Qur'en femains remains ae religious rcligious book booh par pin' excellenre cxccllcnre and td
that thet it cannot, crnnor, of course, bourse, be expected to have heve a e 'scientifiC' 'scientific' purpose purporc
per se. Whenever man is invited invitcd to reflect upon the thc works rorlc ofcreat­
crcation
and end the numerous numcrous natural nerural phenomena he \:an cen observe, obrcrve, the thc ob-
vious intention, in using such examples; exrmples, is to ro stre~s strcrs Dirine Divine
·..ious
Omnipotence. The Thc fact lact that, thet, in these thesc r~nections,we rcflections, can crn find allusions
to data dete connected with scientific knowledge knowlcdgc is surely surcly another anorhcr
ellur-
of God's gifts whose value must shine shinc out our in an age rge where scientificalltificelly
based besed m~teri~nsticatheism meterirfistlc etheism seeks seels to ro gain gein control at et the thc eJ(­ ex-
scien-
pense pensc of the rhe t;>elief belief in God.
Throughout my research It have constantly constently tried to remain remein
totall}' totelly objective. I believe I have heve succeeded srrccceded in approaching epproeching the rhc
study of the Qur'an with u,ith the rhe same seme objectivity that thet a doctor has ber
when he opens a file on a patient: In other words, by carefully cercfully confroruinfrorrting
all the symptoms he can find to arrive errive at et ae diagnosis. diegnosir. I
must admit edrnit that thet it was certainly cerrainly not a faith in, Islam lslem chat thet first firrt
con-
guidC'd guided my step.., steps, but simple research reseerch for the fruth. rruth. This is how hor I
see it today. roday. It was wes mainly mairrly fact which, by the thc time timc I had finished finishcd my
study. srudy, had led lcd me to see in the Qur'an Qur'en ae text rert rC'vealed rcveeled co to ae prophet.
We llle shall examine exemine statements stetcmenrs in the rhe Qur'an which appear rppcar today
mt'rely mercly to ro record scientific scicntific truth, trurh, but which men in former formcr
ro-
times were only able to grasp the rhe apparent apperent meaning meening of. How IS rs it· it'
possible possiblc to imagine imegine that, thlt, were thele there any subsequent alterations alteretions to
the t('xts, terts, these obscure passages passagcs scattered scarrered throughout the thc teJ(t tert of
the Qur'an were able ablc to tc e!icaOe erraoe human hurnen manipulation? menipuletion? The stiaht- rlight-
3

est crt aheration .ltcr.tion to the thc text tcri would automatically .utom.ticelly have heve destroyed dcstroyed the
remarkable rcmerleblc coherence cohcrcnce which vhich is characteristic charauirisric of them, and preventetcd
us from establishina crteblishing their conformity with modern Jtnowledae.
tnowledgc.
prcven-
The Thc presence prcscnce of these thcsc statements srrtcments spread rpread throuahout throughout the Qur'an Qur'en
looks lools to the thc impartial impertiel observ~tlikean observcrlike en obvious hallmark hellmarl of authenticity.
The Thc Qur'an Qur'err is ae preachina preaching which was made mrde known hnown to man men in
the course coursc of ill e Reveiallon Reveiatpn which lasted lestcd roughly twenty twcnty years. yeers. It
spanned spenncd two tulo periods pcriods of equal cqual length on either side of the thc Heaira. Hegira.
authen-
In ln view vicw of this, it was wrs natural neturel for reflections having ae scientific
aspect .spcct to be scattered scertered throughout the Book. In the case cese of a study
such ruch as ls the one onc we-have we-hlve made, mlde, we had to ro regroup rcgroup them according eccording
to ro subject, rubjcct, tollecting collecting them sura sure by sura.
How should rhould they rhey be classified? clessified? I ,,,uld could not find any indicationionr
in the Qur'an Qur'en suggesting any eny particular perticular classification. clessificetion. So I
have havc decided dccided to present prescnt them according eccording to my own personal personel one.
It would seem secm to me. me, that the rhe first subject to be bc .leah dcalt with wirh is
the Creation. Crearion. Here it is possible to compare compere the verses referring to
th.is ths topic with vith the rhe general ideas idees prevalent prevelent today todey on the formation formetion
indicat-
dl of the thc Universe. Universc. Next. I have havc divided up verses ycrses under the thc followining
aeneral generel headinas: hcedings: Astronomy, Asrronomy, the thc Earth, Earth. the Animal Animel and end
follow-
Vesetable Yegcteble Kingdoms. Man, and Human Humen Reproduction in particularculer;
the thc latter is ae subject which, in the Qur'an. Qgr'an, is alloted elloted aI very vcry
prrti-
important importent place. plecc. To these general generel headings heedings it is possible to add edd
sub-headings.
rub-heedings.
Furthermore, Furthermorc, I thought it ir useful to malte make a ,comparison .comparison betweetuecn
Qur'anic Qur'enic and end Biblical narrations nerrations from the point of view vrew of
modern nrodcrn knowledae. Lnowledgc. This has been done in the thc case cese of such sub­
sub-
bejcctjects
as ar the thc Creation. Creation, the Flood and end the ~xodus. f CREAnON CREATION OF mE TTIE UNIVERSE
Let us first examine the Creation Creetion as described in the Qur'Qn. Qur'an.
An ~xtremely
errremely important importanr general tcneral idea emerges: cmerges: this is its irs
dissimilarity dissimilerity with the rhe Biblical narration. narration, This idea idee contradicts the
parallels parellcls which uhich are ere often, and end wrongly. wrongly, drawn dra*'n by western authors euthors
to underline solely rolely the resemblances resemblanccs between the two texts. terts.
When lVhcn talking telhing of the Cre.ation, Creetion, as of other subjects, there is a
strona Itrong tendency tcndency in the West to claim that thet Muhammad Muhemmad only copied
the aeneral generel outlines outlincs of the Bible. It lt is indeed possible to compare comprre
the thc six cir days deys of th~ the Creation as es described describcd in the Bible, plus an en extra ertra
4{

drl of rG$ dr God'r rrbbrth,
(7:l{1.
ttt(!
tl
rith rbir "crrc
from nur Al A'r.rll
Your Lord il ir Allah Alhh Who lVho created crerted the rhc heayens hervcnr and rnd the rhc earth cuth ill.. b dr
daYI. dryr.
We Wc mUlt murt point out orrt sttaisht rtrright away etty that rher modern modcm commentatan
cdnorcntrt(rl
Itrest rtrcrf the interpretation intcrprctrtion ol ayyam, olrc tnndetion thict ir
'dlyt',
u rnerning 'long o( 4)')'4m,
periodr' 'rger' one translation of which is
'days', a.meaninl 'lonl periodl' or 'ales' rather nther than thrn perirdr periods of
twenty-four trcnty-fow hour•. lrourr.
What lf,het to me mc appears rppcrrt to be bc of funclamental fundrmcntrl importance importraoc is fu th$, that,
in conttalt contrut tb the rhc narration nerretion contined conJincd in tbe tbc Bible, Biblc, the Qur'... Qnr'rn cIoa docr
not nor lay lry down dorn ar sequence requcncc (or for the rhe Creation Crertbn of the Earth Eertb and rnd Hcrrenr.
It refer. rcfctr both to the Heavens Heercns before bcfore the thc Earth Eerth aDd rnd the thc Earth Brtd
Hea­
Yens.
before bcforc the rhc Heavens, Hcevcnr, when then it t~lks telb o( of the rhc Creation Creetbn in .eneral... Jeacrd, er ill b
this rhir yerse verre of the thc sura rute Tah4 Tehe (20:4). (20:{).
(God) (fulrhocrcrtcd who created the earth eenh and rnd the rhc hilh hith heavens. hcevenr.
In (act, fecr, the thc notion to be deriveetfrom dcrivcf frorn the thc Qur'... Qrrr'rn is ir one onc ofa
r
con-eomitance con-conritence in the rhc celestial celcrtirl and end terrestrial tcrrcrtrid evohatioDa. cvolstiqlr. 11wre lterc are rtc
also rbo absolutely rbrolutcly fundamental fundrmentd data drtr CODCeminl coacerning the thc ealtenee erirtcncc of ... u
initial inirid laseoul Sucorr masl rnrrr (tlwltha") f&llanJ which rhich is ir unique uniquc and rnd whOle rholc elementl,
rncntr, althouSh dthurgh at et first firrt fused fuscd toaetber togethet (ralq) (ratq) subsequently rubrequcntly be­
b*
cb.
came crmc separated rcprtrried Ulllq). (fatq). This Thir notion il ir expressed crpterrcd in .the .tbc sun rcn
Pel...,., hnil|rit (41:11). (f l:ll).
.'nt*hjri-F,Jt
God turned rurned to Heayen llervcn when rhcn it wa. rer smoke. rmolc.
,i;5ra.b'I(J;:U
.4$l--r',i
#f
And the thc same rrnc i. ir expressed crprerred in the thc sura rure Al rll AnbiY4' rtnbiyc'(2t:t0l. (21 :30).
I
.~ -.\ "~\' '. ·~~t~.::'itS\;·~·':
~~~..:.J~ ~,. ~
tfi,rrt6,tV;l,(6WAfiS;#
~-: ~ ~'\t\~ •.\,..,~,~\\-r,,~t-'(. '~(('''' ~'~
L:A,;.~-'

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.\.3^ ( L \"". ...... """""" a',i t , "'",, 2-
-_-: !'
• ~ Fr+lrt t' t"~...) ul*,
1>0 Do not the Unbelievers Unbclicvcrs see scc that thet ehe the heavens heevens and end the rhc earth certh were
joined tOlecher, to3erhct, then rhcn We dove clovc them thcm asunder? esunder?
The Thc separation rcperetion proce~s proccss resulted io in ehe rhc formation of multiple nrulriplc
worlds, ae notion which crops up dozens dozcns of eimes times in li ehe th* Qur'an. Qur'en,
unce uncc it has hes formed formcd the thc firse first verse vcrse in the rhc sura sure Al rll Fal.laa Farihu (1: (t:l). I).
Puise Praisc be bc to God, God. the Lord Lotd of ehe the Worlds.
.r. 1. r ! _/ t I t /r-/
.c4JL--*lt.-r; *5 v -11
All this is in perfect agreement rgreement with modern modcrn ideas on cn the existence
of primary primery nebula nebule and end the process proccss of secondary secondery separation
scparetion
cr-
of ehe thc elements elcmcnts that thet had hed formed forrncd the initial initiel unique mass. This Thic sepatatioparetion
resulted rcsultcd in the formation of galaxies galexics and then, when
these thesc divided. dividcd, ofsears sters from which the thc planets were werc to be born.
Refer~nce
Refercncc is also elso made madc in the Qur'an Qrrr'an to an en intermediary
interrnediary
sc-
Creation Crcetion between the thc Heavens and the Earth, Earrh, as es in the sura rure ,r|l A'
FlI'qoJn Furqan (25:59).
4W.6,#iyS+#,cr;iti
t/.
,LF;,j. rsrrrt 6IL ;?f fr,q, fu
God is ehe the one. Who lilho created creeted the heavens. the earth t:anh end and whet whae is. -
between them.
Ie It would seem seern that this intermediary inrcrmediary Creation corresponds conesponds to
ehe thc modern ntodern discovery of bridges of matter nrarter which are rrc present out-
outside
organised orgenised astrollomical astroromicel systems s1rstenrr
This survey certainly certeinly c;hows shows us how modern date data and state-
statcments
in the Qur'an Qur'en agree agrec on a large number of points. Wc We have
come €ome ae long way wey from tlre the Diblicel Biblical tcrt tellt with its successivc successive pheses phases
that are ere totally rotelly unacceptable; uneccepteble; e"speciany espccielly the one placing the Crcarion
ofthe tht Earth Eerth (on the thc 3rd lrd day) drylbefore
rher that of the Hcevens Heavens (on Creation
the
6

th 4th dey), day), rhcn when it ir is r • Lnorn known fecr fact that our planct planet cotncs comes from itr it.
oun own lirar, 5tar, the Sun. ln In such sUCh circumstences. circumstances, hor how ctn can tc we irneginc ima,ine
rhet that e a men man rho who drc* drew hir his inspiretion inspiration from thc the Eible Bible could hevc have
been brrn the ruthor author of thc the Qur'rn, Qur'an, end, and, of his own eccord, accord, heve have
correcred corrected the Biblicrl Biblical text to lrrivc arrive at . a gcncrrl general concept concetn-
concerning
the formetion formation of the Universe, when this conccpt concept wes was not to bc br
formed until centurics centurirs rftet aftel his deeth? death?
ASTRONOMY - LIGHT UGHT AND MOVEf,IENT MOVEMENT
Let Lct us rlOUI trou' turn tur.a to t',e the subject of Astronomy.,
Astronoray.,
Whenever I de5cribe dcscribe the thr deteils Jetails the thr Qur'en Qur'an contlins contains on certein
points of ao;tronomy estronomy to westernets, westerners, it is unusuel unusual for someonc someone
certain
not to reply that ther there is nothing special. spt'ciat. in this. this, considering the
Arabs Arebs made important discoveries in this field long before :he the
Europeans.
Europeens.
This is, in fact, ~ e singularly mistaken idee idea regulting re$ulting from en an
ignorance ignorencc of history. histor.y. In the ficst first place, scienu science wes was dcvclopcd developed in
Arabian Arebien countries at ri ae time timc that wes was considerably considerebly after the
Qur'anic Qur'enic Revelation Revehtion had occurred; in the second, the scientific
knowledge lcnowledgc prevalent prevelent at ri the highpoint of IsI Islamic ...mic civilizetion civilization wotrld would
not have hevc made it possible fat for ar human hrrmen being to have written
!IItatements 5trtements on the Hea"ens Heavens comparable comperable to those in the thc Qur'an. Qur'en.
Here again, agein, the subject is so wide that I can cen only provide an rn
outline of it.
Whereas tffherees the Bible talks of the Sun and the Moon as es tvo two
luminaries lumineries differing in size, the Qur'an distinguishes distinguishcs between
them thenr by the thr use of different epithets: light (nur) fnur/ for the Moon,
torch (siraj) fsirajl for the Sun. The first is an inert inerl body which reflects
light. light, the thc second a celestial f"rmation formation in ae state of permanent
permenent
combustion, and ae source of light and end heat. hcat.
The word wotd 'star' 'ster' (na}m) fnajra/ is accompanied by another enother qualifying
quelifying
it which indicates irrdicetes that thet it burns and end consumes itself as es it pierces
through the shadows of the night: it is the word thalrib. thalib.
In ln the Qur'an, Qur'en, the Jrawlrab laurlab definitely seems secms to mean mcln the thc ptanets
which are ere celestial formations that thet reflect rcflect and do not produce
light like lilce the thc Sun.
Today it is known how the celestial cclestiel organisation orgenisetion is balanced belenced
ple-
by th~ the position of stars sters in ae defined orbit and the interplay interpley of o[
8ravitational gravitetionel forces related to their mass and end speed spced of movement,
each eech with'itg its own motion. But isn't this what whet the Qur'an Qur'rn
move-
describes, in terms which vhich have heve only become comprehensible cornprchensiblc in
7

our own ovn day, dey, when uhcn it mentions rhe- rhc foundation foundetion of this thir balance belrncc in
the thr sura sure AI Anbi,,,' Anbip'(21 :33). :t3).
.;\'ff~ZJ. ~ .j)\~;J~;
.~~~~V:i'y:J~~~;
(God lcod isl the One Who cruted creered the rhc night, nighr, the day, dey. tht' rhe sun and end the rhc
mOOn. moon. Each Eech one- is trave-lling rravelling in an orbit orbir with wirh irs own motion. morion.
The Thc Arabic Arebic word which expresses erpresse$ this rhir movement is ae verb
sab"laa sabaha (yasbc11ulrI (yasbahun in tht' the te-Xl); terr); it carries cerries wi.h wirh it Ihe rhe ide-a idca of ae
motion which vhich comes from frorn any rny moving body, b",ly, be it ir cht." rhc movemc,'nt nrovement of o[
one's oat's legs as er one onc runs on the thc ground, or tht' action lclion of swimminl swimming in
water. wrter. In the case cese o( of ae celt'5.ial celestial boo)', body, ont' is (orcc.'d forct d ro rrenslete the originrl rensc, thet 'to 10 transla.e it in
rhe orilin.al sense. that is, 'ro ara",e1 trlrrel with wirh ont"s l'Wn (!wn motion'. nlotion'.
The description of tht' thc s("quenl"t~ scquence o( of day da.v .md .rnd night would, would. in
itself, itsell, be rather rether commonplace commonplecc were it noc not (or for the thc fa('r fecr that, thet, in the rhe
Qur'an, lQul'ln. it is expressed erpressed in terms tcrms that thet tod.,y todr.y arc.' ert highty highly significant.
significorrt.
This is because beceuse it uses .he thc verb kIlIC'"'''''' l,rrlr,,rrd /l Zunar
(J9:5) wey rhe in the sura Al Zum",
(39;5) to describe the way thc.- night 'winds' or '('oils' 'coils' itself about ebour
tht' the day dry and rnd the thc day dey about ebour the nighl, nighr. just jusr as, rs. in the thc original originel
muning mcening of the verb, verb. ae mrban rurban is wound aroull\i uround the head. This is ae
totally totelly valid velid comparison; ye-t yer at lt the time.' rimt the rhe Qur'an Qur'en was rnealc.-d, reveeled.
the astronomical ertronomicel data dete necessary neccssary to draw ir it were unknown. unlnown.
The evolution cvolution of the.' thr. Heavens end nolion e serrled elso describcd. 'fhey ilnd the nOlion of a settled place
for the Sun are also desnibcd. They au' are. in agrc."c.'ment agrr.rmenr wilh wirh highly
detalled detliled moder.n modern ideas. The Qur'an also St't'ms sccrrrs to have alluded elluded to
the expansion erpension orthe of Univc.-fSe. Universe.
There is also elso the conquest o( of space.-. spece. This has been undertaken
undertelen
thanks thenlr to remarkable temerleble techllological technological progr....ss progrerrs and end has hls rrsulted resutred in
man's dnen's journey to the thc Moon. Moorr. Rur Bur this surel)' surely springs to ro mind when
we *c read rced the sura rure AI lI"ftma" ltahmatr (55:33) (55:ll). .
g lii rtWri,).rr ) \; 9.. #;6_
5$3 13,,,b)y\ ; ura;J 5tJ3, i,
''ltbf '*9;4:#
•

oO assembly euembly of jinns jinnr and rnd men. mcn, if you can penetrate pcnctrete resions regions of the
heavens heevenr and rnd the rhe earth. ?ilth, theft thar penetrate Facurre them! thcm! You will not nil penetrattrrt?
them thcrn save sevc with rith (our) lourl Power. Povcr.
pcnc-
This Thir power powcr comes comer from the All-Mighty. and end the rhe subject subjcct of the rhe
whole rholc sura sure is an invitation invitetion to recosnize rccognirc God's Beneficence Bcneficence to ro man. m.n.
11IE THE EARnf EARTII
I.rl I.et "s us now ret"". relur|, '0 to Earth.
Let Lct us examine. eltmirre, for nample, eremple, this rhis verse versc in the sura sure AI Z"rita,. Zunar
(39:21 (3e;21).
Hast Hesr thou not nor seen s?en that rher God sent scnr water urerer down from the thc sky and end led lcd
it throulh rhrough source's rourccs into the rhe ground? groundl Then Thcn He' caused ceused sown sosn Eidds fields of
different differenr colours to grow.
Such $uch notions seem scem quite natulal nerurel t\l ro us today, rodry, but bur we, wc should
not foraet forget that rhetrhey Ihey were not nor prevalent prcvelent lana long ago ego It lt was wes nor not unril until
the thc sixteenth sirteenth century. cenrurl'. with Bernard Bcrnerd Palissy. Pelissy, rher that we geincd lained thc the
first coherent cohercnt d~scriptionof description of the rhe water wrter cycle. cyclc. Prior ro to this, Ihis, peoplc prople
talked talled about ebout the rhc theory whereby urhereby the rhe weter water of the occrns, oceans, under
the effect effecr of winds. were werc thrust rhrusr towards towrrds the inrerior interior of rhe the conrincnts.
The)' They then rhen returned rerurned to the rhe oceans ocerns vie via thc the greer great abyls, abyss,
conti·
nents.
which, since' rince Plato's Pleto's time, time. has hes been celled caned rhc the Tarrerus. Tanarus. ln In rhe the
sennteenth scvcntcenth century, century. ar great grerr thinkcr thinker such es as Descertes Descartes belicved believed in
it. and end even in the ttre nineteenth cenrury century thcre there wes was still rell talk of Aristotlc'r
tht'ory, theory. according eciording to which *1"r., 'outer wes was condensed in coot cool
AriSlorle's
mountain rnountlin caverns clvcrnt and end formed undcrground underlround lekcs lakes thet that fed rprings. sprinls,
'fodey.
Today, we know thet tholt ir it is rhe the infilrretion infiltration of reinwerer rainwater thet that is res-
responsible
for this. lf If one comprrcs compares lhc the frcts facts of modern hydrology
sirh with rhc the dete data to be found in numerou3 numerous verscr verses of thc the Qur'en Qur'an ou on rhit this
subject. rubject, onc one clnnot cannot feil fail to notice ntltice the remerl,eble remarkable degrcc degree of egrec. alreement
betrecn between the two.
mcnt
ln In 3eology. geololY' r a fect fact of recently rcquired acquired Lnowledgc knowledle is rhc the
phenomenon of folding, folding. which wes was ro to form rhc the mountein mountain rrnfcr, ranle•.
9

The same seme is true of the Earth's F.erth's crust, crustr which is like lile a solid shell rhcll on
which we uc can c.n live, livc, while the deeper decper layers laycrs are ere hot and fluid, fluid. and end
thus inhospitable inhospiteble to any form of life. lifc. It tr is also elso known hrcun that thet the thc stability
of the thc mountains mounteins is linked linled to ro the thc phenomenon phenomenoo of foldina, folding. for
it was wes the thc folds foldr that thet were to ro provide foundations for the reliefs relicfs that thet
cte-
constituted the mountains. mounteins.
Let Lct us now compar~ compera modern ic~as iC.:as with vith one verse vctsc amons amont
many meny in the Qur'~n Qur'en that thet deals dcels with this subject. subjcct. It lt is taken tekcn from
the sura sure Al Naba' (78:6·7). (78;6-7).
.tr1i,iiljt3+"i;ri,#F,
Ha"e Hevc We not made medc the rhe earth an, an.expansc expanse and the thc mountains
rnountlins
stakes? stelcs?
The stakes stekes (awradJ, (awtad), which are ere driven into inro the ground like
those used to anchor a tent, tcnt. are the deep foundations foundetions of geological
gcological
folds.
Here, Herc, as es in the case of other othcr ropics, topics. the objective objcctive observer
cannot cennot fail feil to notice the absence of any eny contradiction with *.ith modern modcrn
lr.nowledae.
knowledge.
But more than then anything enything else, I was wes struck. struck, at et first. first, by statements
in the Qur'an Qur'en dealina deeling with livina living things. both in the animal enimel
state-
and end veaetable vegetebla kinadoms. kingdoms. especially with regard regerd to reproduction.
rcproduction.
I must once aaain egein ~tress strcss the rhe fact, fect. that it is only since modern
times, timcs, that scientific prolress progrcss has lres made madc the content of many meny such
verSes ycrscs more,comprehensible 'comprehensible to us. There Tltere arc ere also elso other verses
which are rre more morc easily cesily understandable. understendeblc, hut but which conceal a biological
meanina mcrning that thet is highly significant. This is the case cese o( of the
sura sure AI r{l Anbiya', a part prrt of which has hes already been quoted:
bio-
,r.r!, r,,l'! .t - r/. rr Lirti( -rr
,( | t, ,
.uj2}yYg,ql,ef :1-1t5rt.I{f
Do not the unbelievers unbclicycri see sce that thet the thc heavens heevcns and end the thc earth eerth were
jotncd joined together, togcther, then thcn We lVc clove clovc them asunder and end We lrllc lot tot every cvcry
Jivi~S ii"itrg thins thing out our of the rhc water. eltcr. Will they thcy then not believe: belicve: (21:30)
This Thir is ir an en affirmation effirmetion of the thc modern modcrn idea idee that the oriain origin of life lifc
is ir aquatic. equetic.
10 lo

Pr0lress Progrcrr in botany botrny at er the time drne of Muhammad Muhammed was ras in DO no country
advanced edvenccd enoulh enough {or for it to ro be bc established esnblished as cs a ",Ie nde that thei plants plentr
Goun-
have heve both male mele and female fernele parts. p.rrs. Nevertheless, Neverthcless, we may mey read reed the thc
following in the sura sure 1'aha 7bf,a (20:53).
Reflections on reproducron reproduction in the animal animOlI kingdom werc were
linked to those on humen human reproduction. We shalt shall eximine examine them
presently.
In the field of physiology, thcre there is one vrrse verse which, which. ro to me, me.
appears ertrcmel)r extremely significant: significam: one rhousand thousand years before the discovcrcovery
of the circulerion circulation of the blood, blood. and roughly thirteen centu-
centuries
before it wes was Lnown known whet what heppened happened in the intestine ro to ensure
dis­
thet that the ortans organs werc were nourished by rhe the process of digestive absorp-
absorption.
a verse in thc the Qtrr'an Qur'an describes the source of tlrc the constitucnttuents
ofmilk, milk. in conformity with thcse these notions.
To understend understand rhis this verse, we have to know that chemical
consti­
rcactions reactions occur in the intcstine intestine end and that, from rhere, there, substances subStances
ertracted extracted from food pess pass into rhc the bloodsrrerm bloodstream vie via e a complex
system, system. sometimes by way of the liver, liver. dcpending depending on their che-
w,IJ,i(frfr,{5f
''''~ .1~'(t-tl.b ~ ~t,
· ·~r- ~~~ ~'" . ';IJ
•

mical micrl nature. neturc. The blood transports trrmpont them rhcm to ro all ell the rhe or,ans ortrnr of the rhc
body. body, amonl ilnong which are ere the rhc milk-producinl rnilt-producing mamma" mrmmrtt II.nets. glrndr.
Without enterinl entering into detail. dcteil, let lct UI ur jurt jUlt lay rry that. thrt, buicall,. bukdly,
there therc is the thc arrival errivel of certain ccrtein substanccs lub$encel (rom from the contentl'of contentrof ehe tlrc
intestines into inro the rhc vessels vcsiels of the intestinal intertinel wall rell itself, itrclf, and rnd the thc
transponatio'; rrrnsport.tion of these there substances subltencer by the thc bloodstream.
bloodrtrcrm.
This Thir concept conccpt must muu be bc fully appreciated. rpprecirted, if we wc are rrc to 30 under­ undcrrtand
this verse ycrsc in the rhe Qur'an Qur'en AI Al N4IIh/(16:66).
Nehl IJIand (16:661.
pAh+
,:+Flq
Verily, verily. in nule cnrlc there rhcre is ae lesson leron for fior you. yon. We we live givc you trou to drink drint of ol
what whlt is in.ide inridc their thcir bodies, bodier, cominl coming from a conjunction cJnjuncrion between bctrccn
thr rhe tontents tonrenrc :)( cf the rhe intestines interriner and errd the thc blood, blood. i a milk rnilt pure and rnd
pleunt plesanr (or for those who sho drink drinl it.
mE THE CREA.TION CREATIOT{ OF MAN MAI{
In the Qur'an Qur'en the subject of human humen reproduction leads lcrdr to ar
multitude multitudc o( of statements whic"h which constitute ae challenle challcngc to the rhc
f'mbryologist embryologist seeking secling a human explanation erplenation to rc them. rhcm. It lt was rer only
after the birth of the thc basic besic sciences which were w€rc to te contribute conributc to te
our knowlege of biology, and especially cspecielly after aftcr the invention inyention or of the thc
microscope, that man men was wes able eble to understand underrtrnd such tuch Itatements. rtrtementr. It lt
was impossible (or for a man mrn living in the early eerly seventh sevcnth century cenrury to ro
have havc expressed erpressed such suclr ideas. idcas. There is nothing to ro indicate indicrte that. rhrt, at tt
this thir time. time, men in the thc Middle Middlc East and end Arabia Arebie knew lncw anythinl rnything more morc
about ebout this thir subject rubject than then men living in Europe or anywhere enyrherc else. cbc.
Today, Todey, there are ere many mrny Musiims with ae thorou,h thorough knowledJe knoelcd3c of the thc
Qur'an Qur'ln and natural neturel sciences scicnces who have hevc clearly clerrly recolnised rccognircd the thc comparisons
to be made mede between the thc verses of the Qur'all Qur'eq dealinl dcding
com-
with reproduction reproducrion and rnd human humen knowledge. lnowlcdge. 1I shall shell always elweyr remember
the thc comment of an en eighteen year yc.r old Muslim. Muslim, broulht btought up in
Saudi Seudi Arabia. Arebia, replyins replying to ae reference rcference to ro the thc quc.·stion quesrion of reproduct­
reproducr-
rcmcrnion
as described in the Qur'an. ~ointing Pointing to ro it. ir, he s"'d, srid, 'But this thir
book provides us with all the rhc essential essentiel information informetion on the thc subject. rubjcct.
When I· l'ves was at et schoof rchool they used urcd the Qur'an Qur'en to explain crplrin to ro me how hor
r2
12

children were werc born; your books on sex-education scr-cducetion are ae bit late lete on
the rhe scene!'
It is on this point in particular, that thel a comparison between betwecn the thc
beliefs current at et the time of'the thc Qur'an, Qur'ln, that thet were full of supenn· supcrrtr.
tions and myths. myths, and the contents of the thc Qur'an Qur'en and end modern modcrn data, dlre,
leaves us amazed emezed at et the degree degrec of concordance between betwecn the latter letter
and the thc absence absencc of any reference referencc in the Qur'an to the mistaken mistakcn
ideas that thet were wese prevalent prcvrlent at et the thc time, time.
Let us now isolate. isolate, from an ell these rhese verses, vetses, precise ideas idees concerning
the complexity complexiry of the fertilizing fcrtilizing liquid and rnd the fact that thet an en
con-
infinitely infinirely sman small quantity is required to ensure fertilization. fertilitation, its
quinte'ssence' quintjssen6s' -
if I may so translate trenslete the Arabic word 'swlala', 'sulala'.
The implantation of the thc egg cgg in the female fcmele genital genitel organ orgen is
perfcltly perfectfy described in several verses by the word wotd 'Alaq, whioh is
also the title titlc ofthe thc sura in which it appears:
_yv-;Jfj.;,
-jt1
,/ ,/. ,/./.' ,.,."
~. . ~~, ~1=--..
, ~I.J /.~
God fashioned man (rom from something somerhing which clings (96;2). (96:2].
1I do not think rhink there is any reasonable translation of the word
'.1lcll./
'.{l.rq
other than to use its original sense. sens".
The evolution of the embryo inside the ma:ernal maternel uterus is
only briefly described, but the description is accurate, because bccruse the
simple words referring to it correspond exactly errctly to fundamental
fundamentel
stages in its growth. This is what we read in a verse from the sura
AI Mit Mu'minun 'mimm (23:14) {23:la). .
•W
'We
t! folshioned fashiorred the thing which clings into a chewed lump of flesh
and We fashioned feshioned the chewed flesh into bones and end We clothed clothcd the rhc
bones with intact flesh'. .
13 t3

The term 'chewed 'chcred flesh' llcsh' (mlAago} (mudgal cotresponds cofrcsponds exactly crecdy to the
appearance rppc.r.ncc of the thc embryo cmbryo at lt ae certain stage stege in its development.
devclopment.
It is known lno*rr that thet the thc bones boner develop dcvclop inside insidc this mass mers and end that thet
they rhey are ere then covered covercd with uirh muscle. muccle. This is the meaninl meaning of the thc
term rcrm'intrct 'intact flesh' flcsh' (Iohm). (Iahml.
The Thc embryo passes p.sicr through ae stage stagc whert' where some somc parts plrts are erc in
proportion and others othcrs out of proportion with vith what whet is later letcr to becomcomc
the indi~dual. indifiduel. Maybe Meybe this is tht: tlic meaninl mcening of ae verse in the
sura wt Al AI Hojj Hajj (22:5) {32:5) which reads rceds as es follows:
bc-
#:,;i#i1*,u'{,rc?*.
.i:'{i'441#UF
We Wc fashioned farhioned [man) [manl into something which clings into. r lump of
flesh in proportion .and end out of proportion.
Next, Nelt, we have heve ae reference refcrence to the appearance epperrrnce of the senses scnscs
and end viscerae visceree in the sura cure,{l .41 S4jda fuida (32:9). (32:9}.
.'i3!{,i,tu;u5'jJJr,:Ftrt
[God} appointed for you the thc senses of hearing, hcaring, silht sight and end the thc vis· vis'
rerae. llrt'"l"nn"inted
Nothing here-contradicts herscontradicts today's data deta and, end, furthermore. furthernrore, none
of the rhe mistaken misrrlen ideas idces of the thc time has hes crept into the Qur'an Qur'en .
QVRAN QURAN AND BIBLE
Wt' We have heve now nou come comc to the thc laSit lest subject; it is the confrontation.
confrontation,
with rith modern knowledle. lnorlcdge, of passases pess.ges in the Qur'an Qur'en that thet are erc also elso
referred rcfcrrcd to in the rhc Dible. lliblc.
We Wc have heve already dtcedy caught ceughr ae llimpse glimpse of the thc pr"blem problcrn when talking
of the thc Creation. Crcetion. ~arlier Earlier I stress!."d stress*d the perfe\~t pcrfe.:t agreemetlt agreemerrr be-
14
tellt4

tween rwecn modern knowledge knowlcdge and rnd verses in the Qur'an, Qur'ln, and pointed
out that thet the Biblical Biblicel narration nerrrtiun contained conrained statt'mcms statemcnts that thet wcrc were
scienlifically scienrificelly unacceptable. This is hardly surprising when re we
know that rhet the rhc great greet narration nerration of the Creation C-reation com

As Ac for the genealogies gencelogies cC'ntained conreined in the Bible, Bible. which form the rhc
basis beris of the thc Jewish calendar celendar and end assert asserr that today the world is
S?J8 97tt years old, thesr. thcsc are erc hardly herdly admissible edmissible either. eithcr. Our solar soler
system may mey well be .. 1r/t Va billion years old, and the appearance eppearence on
Earth Eerth of man, men, as .s we know Lnow him today, roday. may mey be estimatr.d esrimeted in tens of
.housand~ofyears, rhotrsrnds of ycers, if"0' it not mor~. more.
It is absolutely ebsolutely essential, esrentiel, therefore, rhercfore, to note nore that thet the Qur'an Qur'en
does doer not cont~in conltin any such indications indicarions as to date, and end that thet these are rre
specific rpccific to the thc Biblical Bibliceltext.
There' i~ is ae second, highly significant, significent, subject subjcct of comparison
comperison
between betwcen the rhe Bible Biblc and end the Qur'an: (fur'enr this is the Flood. In ln actual fact,
the thc Biblinlnarratioo Biblical .nerratioo is ie ae fusion of two rwo descriptions descriprions in which
event5 eycnts arc- erc related relatcd differendy. differenrly. The Bible speaks sperks of ae universal univcrsal
flonct llood and end place!'> pleces it ir roughly 300 years before Abraham. Abrahem. According
to ro what whet we *,e know Lno*'of ot' Abraham, Abrahem, this rhis would imply oJ e universal cataclysm
around tht' thr twc.'nty-first rwenty-first or twenty-second rwenry-second century Be. BC. This
would be untenahle, unrenahle, in view of historical data. deta.
cara-
lIow llow can cen we ..ccept rcccpt the idea idee that, in the twenty-first or
twrnty-second twrniy-second century BC, BC. all ell civilization civilizetion was wiped off the rhe face
of the rhe Earth Eerth by a univt"rsal universal C'iltaclysm, cetaclysm, when we know lnow that this rhis period
corresponds, for example. erample, to the one preceding rhe the Middle
pe-
Kingdon, Kingdonr in F~ypr. tlgvpr. at roughly the datc date of the first firsr lnr.:rmediary
Int~rmediary
period L('(or(' before the dt'vc.'nth clrvcnrh dynas&y? dynasry?
Nunr Nune of thc' the prl'ct'ding Prcceding st"'tements strtements is acceptable aC'C'ording according to
modl'rn rnodr.rn Itnowlt'dfte.
knowledge.
Fronl t:ronr this pOilU porrrr of view, vicw. we wc can meesure measure the ?nornrous rnormous gap
5ep.muing seperatirtg ,ht" rhe Diblt' tliblr from the rhc Qu,'an. Qur'an.
In ftr cum,,,,t cuntrir,tt t" t.t th·: rhr. Rihle, Biirle, the narration contained in tlru the qrrr'trn Qur ·...n
drOlls drlls "'irh with al c.u.,d.vsm c;rtilclvsnr ,hat rhat is limited linrited ro to Noah's peoplt'. pcoplc.'. l'hcv Tht'~'
wcrt'
pUI1isht'd puaished for fcr th.'rr thl'lf sins, sins. as were othcr other Lngo

occupied by the Exodus in the history of thc the phareoht, pharaohs, I have con' concluded
that the rhe most likely is the rhe theory rhich which makcr makes Mcrnepteh, Merneptah,
Rrmeses R",meses ll's II's successor, the pharaoh of thc the Erodur. Exodus. Thc The con-
confrontation
of uf the date data contained in thc the Scriptures with erchecologi-
archaeolosical
evidence speeks speaks stongly in fevour favour of this hypothcres. hypotheses. I un am
pleased plrased to be eblc able to ro sry say that the Biblicel Biblical nrrretion narrarion con3ributet contributes
weighty evidence leeding leading us to situete situate Moses in the history of thc the
phereohs: pharaohs: Moses was born during the reign of Ramescr Rlimeses IL II. Bibli-
Biblical
dara data ere are therefore of considereblc considerable historicel historical velue value in the rtory story
of Moses.
The medical study of the murnrny mummy of Mernepteh Merneptah her has yieldcd yielded
furrher further useful informetion information on the possible causet causes of this pharaoh'r pharaoh's
dearh. dUlh.
The fact 'act that thar we today posscss possess thc the mummy of thie this phereoh, pharaoh,
which, to be exact, was discovered in 1898, is one of paramount
i,"portance. irnportance. The Thc Bible records that it was engulfC'!d engulfed in rhe sea, rca. but
does nor no: give any details as to what subsequently subsequcntly bccrme became of the
bodv, bodv. The Qur'an, Qrrr'an, in the sura
Yunus, notes that the lrcdy body of the rhc
pharaoh, who was wes ro to be damnc:-d, damned, would be seved ~aved from the waters. urtcrl.
E {iitr'i ;F,; i+ 1,18#;i6
.|ih69 C.' t ai *' furi'ti+{Jb
This day We save thee thce in rhy body so that thou mayest be ae Si,n Sign
for tho!'>e those who come after thee (10:92).
A medical examination of this mummy, mummyr has, hes, moreover, morcover, shown sholn
that the thc body could not nor have stayed in the water watcr for long, because beceurc
it does not show signs of deterioration due duc to prolonled prolonged submers· submerr'
ion.
Here llere ag.in, egain, the confrontation of the rhc narration nerration in the thc Qur'an Qur'en
with the data provided by mode-rn modern knowledle lnowledge does docs not live give rise to
the slightest sliglrtrst objecrion objection from a scientific point uf of view. view'
The Old Testament Testement constitutes conititutes a collection of literary lirerery works vorlc
produ(c:-d produced in the tlre course of toughly tougbly nine centuries and rnd which has hes
unll~"rgone
undetgonc many meny alternations. elternations. The part pert played pleycd by Inan rnen in the rhe
actual ectuat-composirion composition of lht.' rhc texts rcxrs of the thc Bible Biblc is quite qrritc considerable.
considcreblc.
17 l7

The Qur'anic Revelation has a history which is radically differentfeient.
from From the moment momcnr it was first communicated communicared to man, it ir was
learnt by bv hean hearr and written down during Muhammad's Muhammed's own life­
life-
diftime.
It lt is thanks to this rhrs that the rhe Qur'an Qur'en does not nor pose any eny prohlt'hlem
of authenticity.
aurhenricity.
pro-
A totally totall.y obje~tivt' objccrive examination of it, ir, in the rhe light of modern
knowlt'dge, knowledge. leads us to recognise the agreement agreemenr between the two,
;IS as has alrt'ady already been noted on repeated repcated occasions. It lt makes us
dt't'm deem it rt quite quire unthinkable for .. e man nran of Muhammad's timt' time to ro have
been the author of' ol such statements, stltemeurs. on account of the state of
knowledge knowlcdge in his day. Such considerations arc are part lrart of what *'hat gives
the Qur'anic Revelation Rcvelation its umque unrqur place, place. and f{\fces forces the impartial rmpartial
scie.'ntiSI scitntist to admit his inability to pt:ovide pqovide an explanation explanarion which
calls solelv upon nuterialistic nleterialistic reasoning.
18 It

TIlE TIIE LIGHT OF REVELATION
R,EVELATION
INTRODUCTION
INTR,ODUCTION
WHAT IS LIFE.
Man's ezist(:nc(: eristence in this world and end th(: rhc creation crertion ofthis entire universe universc
are rre not mere accidents rccidcnts or products of ar fonuitous natur(:. nrturc, This universe, ruriversc,
ever)' every single singlc atom etom of it, ir, manifests menifests and rnd points poinrs us to th(: thc realization rcelizrrion of ar
Loving, Merciful Mcrciful and end All-powerful Creator. Crearor. Without tFithour ae Creator Crector nothinc nothin3
can cen exist. Every Evcry single ~oul soul knows krows that rher he hc is existing cxisting and end that thet his
existence cristcnct is de~ndenl dcpendent on ae Creator Creltor - he knows lnows for sur(: sure that thet he cannot ctnnot
create creatc him~e1f. himrelf. Therefore Thercforc it is rs his duty dutv to ro know his master miLstcr creator crcrtor ~ - God.
MANKIND.
Man Mrn is ar unique uniquc creature. crc.rurc. God establishes estrblishes man as rs His Representativtrtivc
or Deputy to govern govcrn over ovcr all rll other othcr creatures cr€uurtt in this world. He Hc is
endowed endowcd with the thc faculty frculry of REASON, which differentiates differcntirres him from aU ell
Rcprc*n-
other animals. enimels. The Thc Prophet Prophct says: seys:
"God "Cod has not nor created cretred anything enyrhing ~tter hetter lhan then Reason or anything more
perfect perfcct or more rnorc beautiful bcauriful than rhen Reason ..
Together Togethcr with this faculty frculty to discriminate discriminrte and discern, disccrn, Men Man is given
the thc freedom (free-will) (frec-will) to choo'\(: chmse for himsclf himself a way of lifc life worrhy worthy of his
~ition trosition as es God's Representativ~ Reprcsenrative or cr ro to fell fall lowcr lower tl.en t'.an thc the lowcst lowest of dl aU
animals animrls or creations. crcrtions. Man Men is born purc pure and sinless. He H(: is givcn giv(:n rhc the frec free
will to do righteous deeds or indulge in sins.
DIVINE GUIDANCE.
GUTDANCE.
God,out ofhis abundrnr abundant Lovc Love rnd and Merca Mercy for mrntind mankind has notlcft left us
in drrkness darkness to discover rhe th(: right path by trial rnd and error elonc. alone. Couplcd Coupled
with our intcllecturl intellectual capebiliry capability ro to rcason, reason, God bcstowcd bcstow(:d upon us DI- DI­
VINE Gt GUIDANCE ltp4lralE rhet that ourhnc outline thc the Crirerion Criterion for trurh truth rnd and rhe the know-
knowledge
end and rcrlity reality of our existence (:xistence in this world end and rhe the Hcrcrfrer. Hereafter.
REVELATIONS.
REVELAnONS.
From the bcginning beginning of manlind mankind God scnr sent Prophcts Prophets to convcy convey his
REVEI-ATION
REVELATION end and ro to invire invite to rhe the puh path of TRUE PEACE rrd and
I9 19

OBEDIENCE ro to orrc One truc true God. Thfu This is ISLAM. This mcssrge mcs511e wer wa.~
onveycd conveyed to lumrivc sucx:essive gerrcrrtions
Jf'nerations ofmrn man through diffcrent different Prophcts, Prophen,
dl aU inviting invitina mmtind mankind to tbc the trmc same pth. path.
Hwever However rll all ttrc the: crrlier earlier mesrrter messllCl or rrvcletions revelations from God wcrr were
dbtottcd distorted bypcople peopleoflatcrgenerations. of lrtcr gcncrtions. As arcsuh, result, pureRcrrclrtion Revelation from
Crod God wu polluted with nyths, lIlyths, supcrstitious. superstitious. idol worship rnd and irrrtirnd irratiooal
pttitcopti,crt philosophical idcok;ic. ideolocies. The rcliginn religion ofCrod God ws wu lct lost in r • phhon plethon of
rclfknr. rei.....
Hurnrn Human hirtory history ir is r a chronic,lc ebronide of mrn's man's drift bctwen between light rnd and
drtlnar3, darkness, but God oirt out of His Abundrnt Abundant Love for mrntind mankind hrs has ru not
fcr*ca fOI'SIbn ru. us.
FINAL NEVBL/ITTONS.
REVELA.nONs.
Whcn When mmtind mankind wrs wu iri ini thc thedepth &ptb ofthe thc Drrk DarkAces, A3cr, Crod God sent rcnt thc the (mal linrl
Mcrcrgcr, Mnsenacr, Plophct Prophet Muhlamrd Muhammad (May (Mry pc*c peace be bc upon him) to rtdcem redeem
hunrnity. hUlUnity. Thc The rcvchrion revelation to ProPhct Prophet Muhmrmrd Muhammad rcprcscntt represenu thc the ulti' ulti·
mate nrte and rnd PCr1MDCDt Frmrncnt source tounoE of guidance guidrne for mankind. menlind.
CRITERIA Cn|TERIA FOR FON. TRUTH.
How Hos do we rrctmwtbet know that arrcvclrtbn revelation like lihtthc the Quranill Qurm is the word uord ofGod? ofCrod?
1be Thc ,Titeria

5. PROPHECY: PnOPHEGT;Crod God isir the thc KDowcr l(mrcr of the thc pat. pcr, praeat pttt tr lad rnrl future. futrrn.
Thus Thur His Hb word uord of ot propbecia propbccicr in His Hb revelation rcyclrtin will be bc fulfilled fuUillcd • I
prophrsied. prophuicd.
6. UN·IMITABLE UN.IIiITABLE BY MAN: MANr True Truc revelation rrvchtioa from frorn God is b iD­ iDfrlliblc
IDd rad cannot clmot be bc imitlte

Dear Dcer R~ader, Rcarlcr,
There Thcrc is no compulsion for man to accepl accept the TRUTH. TRLffH. But it is
certainly ccrtrinly ae shame upon the human intellect intcllctt when man mrn is not even cven
interested intcrestcd in finding out as to whet is the TRUTH!
Islam Islem teaches teaclrcs that thet God has given man mrn the thc faculty frculty of reason and end
therefore expects expccts man men to rea~on rearon things out objectively obiectively and rnd systematicalltematicrlly
for himself. To reOect reflcct and to question and rnd to reflect.
Nobody Nobo-ly should press you to make ae hasty decision dccision to accept scrept any rny of
the thc teachings of Islam, for Islam lslam teaches terches that thet man mrn should be bc given
the freedom to choose. chooae. Even when man is faced with n the TRUTH,
there thcrc is no compulsion upon man to embrace it.
But before bcfore you begin bcgin to form an opinion about Islam, lslam. ~k ask yourself yoursclf
sys-
whether whethcr your existi~g existirg knowledge of Islam thorough rhorough enough. cnough. Ask
yourself whether that thet knowledge knowlcdgc has hrs been bccn obtained obtsined through oon­ non-
Muslim third party sources who themselves have probably been bccn
exposed to only random rendom glimpses of Islamic lslamic writings and ha....e hrve yet
to reason on ur Islam objectively obiectively and systematically systematicdly themselves.
themsclves.
It is fair frir that one !lhould should form an en opinion about the taste of a
particular dish just hy heresay hcresay from others othcrs who may mey themselves themsclves
not necessarily have heve tasted testcd the thc dish yet? Similarly you should find
out for yourself about ebout Islam islam from reliable rcliablc sources and not only
taste tastc it, but bur digest digcst it wdl wcll before bcforc you form an opinion. That Thst would u'ould
be an en intellect apprC'dch rpprcach to Islam.
It is up to you to make mekc the thc next ncxt move.
In making meking your !'our move, Islam continuously reassures rcassures you that thrt your y'our
rights to freedom of choice choicc and freedom frecdom to use usc that thrt God-given
faculty of thought and reason will be tre respel,.'"ted. resper,red. Every man mrn has hes
that thet individual wiU. No one else can take away awey that thrt will and end force
you to surrender to the will ofGod. You have to find Ollt orrt aud arrd make
that decision dccision yourself. yoursclf.
May Illay your intellectual journcy journey towards the rhe TRL'TH TRLI"I'H be a pleasant pleasrnt
one.
22

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