Quran: A Teacher to Modern Scientists

Ours is an era of space probes, computer chips, laser surgeries and cloning. If we were to label any book as a revelation from God, we couldn't help but to scrutinize this Scripture using modern scientific knowledge. It could not be that a revelation, proclaiming itself from God, could constitute aspects contradicting established scientific facts. How could we assume otherwise, when God is the one who created the universe and the laws operating within it.

The Quran was revealed 1400 years ago to the last Prophet of God, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a guidance for all humanity. The entire Quran has been committed to memory by millions of Muslims around the world and has been preserved by God from any interpolations, for continuing guidance. Although the Quran is a religious book with a total of about 6600 plus verses dealing with many aspects of a person's life, about 1000 of those verses are of scientific nature, none contradicting established scientific facts.

Dr. T.V.N. Persaud [1], professor of Anatomy, says: "You have an illiterate person (Prophet Muhammad) making profound statements that are amazingly accurate, of a scientific nature...I personally can't see how this could be mere chance, there are too many accuracies and like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind reconciling that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which lead him to these statements".

Besides providing guidelines in personal, social, moral and spiritual spheres of humanity, the Quran touches upon diverse scientific topics like astronomy, geology, embryology, genetics, biology, archeology etc. Some of these are mentioned below to prove the Quran's Divine origin.

The Big Bang !

Currently, the Big Bang model of the origin of the universe is the cosmological paradigm most widely accepted by astronomers. It holds that about 15 billion years ago the universe began with the explosive expansion of a single, extremely dense matter, the primordial mass. Only after the development of radio telescopes in 1937 that, the necessary observational precision was achieved in order for astronomers to arrive at the above conclusion. What does the Quran say about our universe's origin?

"Do not the unbelievers see that the Heavens and the earth were joined together, then We split them apart." (21:30)

Expanding Universe

Quran (Divine Book)

According to Allah’s statements in His Book, there were two distinct revelations of the Quran which took place. It is important that these two revelations be understood in order to clear up the apparent contradictions in the various terms used in the Quran and Sunnah to describe the Quran’s revelation. On one hand, the Quran is referred to as having been revealed in its totality in Ramadan or on Laylatul-Qadr, the Night of Decree; while on the other hand, it is referred to as having been continuously revealed in segments up until just before the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The First Revelation

Allah caused the Quran to descend from the Protected Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuth) on which it was written to the lowest heaven. In this revelation all of the Quran was sent down at one time to a station in the lowest heaven referred to as “Bayt al-‘Izzah” (The House of Honor or Power). The blessed night on which this descent took place is called “Laylatul-Qadr” (The Night of Decree), one of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. Allah referred to this initial revelation as follows:

“Haa Meem. By the Clear Book, verily, I revealed it in a blessed night.”

[Noble Quran 44:1-3]

“Verily, I revealed it on the Night of Decree.”

[Noble Quran 97:1]

“The month of Ramadan in which I revealed the Quran as guidance to mankind ...”

[Noble Quran 2:185]

These verses have to refer to the initial revelation because it is a known fact that the whole Quran was not revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on a single night in Ramadan. Ibn ‘Abbas stated that the Quran was first separated from its station in the upper heavens and placed in Bayt al-‘Izzah in the lowest heaven. One version states that this took place on the Night of Decree in Ramadan. Had it been Allah’s wish, the Quran could then have been revealed as a whole to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a single revelation.

This was the method by which all of the earlier books of revelation were sent down. But, Allah chose to divide the revelation into two parts. The first revelation within the heavens represented an announcement to the inhabitants of the heavens that the final book of revelation was being sent down upon the last of the prophets.

From the lowest heaven sections of the Quran were then taken down by the angel Jibril to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This process of revelation continued over the twenty-three years of his prophethood. This revelation began with the first five verses of Surah al-‘Alaq. These verses were revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was on a spiritual retreat in the cave of Hira’ near Makkah. However, the first complete Surah to be revealed was Surah al-Fatihah. The revelation of this portion of Quran marked the beginning of the final phase of prophethood. The last Surah to be revealed was Surah an-Nasr. This Surah was brought down in Mina during the Farewell Hajj of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which took place at the end of the tenth year after the Hijrah. According to Ibn ‘Abbas, the last verse to be revealed was verse 281 in Surah al-Baqarah, the last of a series of verses dealing with interest. Allah has referred to the second revelation in the following way:

“And (it is) a Quran which I have divided into parts in order that you (Muhammad) may recite it to the people gradually, and I have revealed it by successive revelation.”

[Noble Quran 17:106]

Quran: Definition of the Term

The word “Quran,” a verbal noun, is equivalent in meaning to “qira’ah,” as both come from the verb “qara’a” which means “to read.”

That is, Quran literally means “a reading or reciting.” However, the term “Quran” has been historically used specifically to refer to the book which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The term “Quran” is mentioned in a number of places throughout the book in reference to itself. For example:

“Verily, this Quran guides (humanity) to that which is most just.”

[Noble Quran 17:9]

The name Quran is used to refer to both the Quran as a whole, as in the previously quoted verse; as well as to each verse or group of verses, as in the following verse:

“And if the Quran is recited, you should listen to it and be silent, that you may receive mercy.”

[Noble Quran 7:204]

The Book has also been referred to by other names; for example, the Furqan (The Distinction):

“Blessed is He who revealed the Furqan to His slave in order that he may be a warner to all the worlds.”

[Noble Quran 25:1]

and the Dhikr, (The Reminder):

“Verily, I revealed the Dhikr and verily I will preserve it.”

[Noble Quran 15:9]

The Quran could be defined as Allah’s words which were revealed in Arabic in a rhythmical form to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Its recitation is used in acts of worship and its smallest chapter (Surah) is of a miraculous nature.

The Prophet’s divinely inspired statements which were recorded by his followers are generally referred to as hadiths. For example, the Prophet’s companion (sahabi), ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, reported that he once said, “Verily, deeds are (judged) by their intentions.”