Unlocking the Mysteries: 13 Fascinating Scientific Insights in the Holy Quran!

As stated in the Quran (41:53), "We will show them Our signs in the world and in themselves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Quran) is the truth."

Allah (SWT) commands Muslims to watch and research the universe in order to discover some of His signs based on this verse from the Quran. To urge Muslims to explore nature and seek knowledge, the Noble Quran contains numerous verses that have been interpreted as encouraging scientific investigation.

The Noble Quran frequently urges readers to acquire knowledge, saying things like, "God will exalt those of you who believe and those who have knowledge to high degrees" (Quran 58:11), "O my Lord! Increase my understanding," the Quran says (20:114), and "Let him write what God has taught him" (2:282). Such Quranic passages, which cover anything from hitherto unrecognized cosmic facts to natural wonders like the advantages of pomegranates, strongly encourage the Islamic community to pursue education and knowledge.

Furthermore, I find inspiration for learning new things in the Quranic sentence, "And of knowledge, you mankind has been given only a little" (Quran 17:85). According to Mr. Shamsher Ali, the Noble Quran has around 750 verses that discuss natural phenomena [1]. According to certain Muslim authors, Al-Tawheed [2], which asserts that there is perfect agreement between Allah (SWT)'s signs in nature that are supported by science and His words in the Noble Quran, is the foundation for the study of science. In reality, the Quran, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago, made reference to recently discovered scientific discoveries. Among the many scientific facts that can be discovered in the Quran are the following:

1. Water

The verse "We made every living thing from water," from Surah Al-Anbya, states: "Will they not believe?" (Quran, 21:30) and it wasn't until the invention of the microscope that it was realized that the majority of all living things are made of water. In the Arabian deserts, it would have never occurred to a man that water is the source of life on earth.

2. Universe: The Big Bang Theory

The following is another statement made by Allah (SWT) in Surah Al-Anbya: "Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them" (Quran, 21:30). The Hubble's Law, first forth by American astronomer Edwin Hubble in 1929, states that all objects in space are travelling away from the planet at rates proportional to their distance, i.e., the farther they are from the planet, the faster they are travelling. Soon later, Einstein found that galaxies are also moving apart from one another, indicating that the universe as a whole is expanding.

This served as the foundation for the Big Bang theory, according to which the universe was created approximately 12 to 15 billion years ago from a single, incredibly hot and dense point by an explosion of that point. Since that time, the universe has continued to grow from this one location. The discovery that supported the Big Bang idea was made by radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, who received the Nobel Prize in 1965 [3]. The fact that the Quran already said that "the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them" is remarkable when considering the aforementioned verse while admitting that Allah Knows Best.

3. Universe: The Big Crunch Theory

Once more, Allah (SWT) declares in Surah Al-Anbya: "The Day when We will fold the heaven like the folding of a [written] sheet for the records. We shall start the second creation like We started the first. That is a commitment that We must keep. Indeed, we'll carry it out. (Quran, 21:104). This is consistent with the Big Crunch theory, which predicts that the universe will eventually be drawn back into black holes, where it will once more condense into a microscopic mass [4].

One of the situations in which the universe could end, according to scientists, is the Big Crunch. It is founded on Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, like many others. That is, exactly as the Quran has so brilliantly detailed above, if the Big Bang depicts how the Universe most likely began, the Big Crunch describes how it will end as a result of that beginning [5].

4. Embryology

Allah (SWT) states in Surah Al-Mu'minun, "We formed man from an extract of clay. Then We created him as a solid drop in a site of settlement. Then We turned the drop into a mudghah (chewed stuff), then We turned the mudghah into a leech (alaqah, suspended object, and blood clot). (Quran 23:12-14).

This has only been established by science using cutting-edge technologies. One of the most renowned anatomical and embryological researchers in the world, Professor Emeritus Keith L. Moore, declared that "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" [6].

5. The Sky’s Protection

According to Allah (SWT) in Surah Al-Anbya, "And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they are turning away from its signs" (Quran 21:32). It is a proven scientific truth that the atmosphere, with all of its gases, shields the earth and all life from the sun's damaging rays. The temperature on earth would freeze at -270.556°C, the same as the temperature in space, without a protective layer, making life on earth impossible.

6. Iron within Meteorites

According to the verse "We sent down Iron with its great inherent strength and its many benefits for humankind" in Surah Al-Hadid (Quran 57:25), iron has several advantages for humankind. M. E. Walrath asserts that the earth does not naturally contain iron. According to scientists, meteorites struck the globe billions of years ago. Iron was contained in these meteorites, and because of an explosion on earth, we now have access to iron [7]. We already have knowledge of this fact because to the Quran, which says, "We sent down iron with its great inherent strength."

7. The Meeting of the Seas

It says in Surah Ar-Rahman, "He released the two seas, meeting [side by side], Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses" (Quran, 55:19-20). Science has found that where two distinct seas converge, there is a barrier that separates them and aids in preserving each sea's individual temperature, salinity, and density [8]. 

8. Sun Moving in Orbit

According to the verse "And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] are swimming" in Surah Al-Anbya (21:33), all heavenly bodies are in orbit around the sun and the moon. The Sun, the Moon, and all the other bodies in the Universe are moving in orbit and constantly moving, not stationary [9] as was previously believed, despite the fact that this was only a widely held notion among astronomers in the 20th century. 

9. Mountains as Stakes

Allah (SWT) says in Surah An-Naba, "Have We not created the earth a place of rest? As stakes, and the mountains? (Quran, 78:6-7). Geophysicist Frank Press describes how the mountains are buried deep under the earth's surface and are shaped like stakes in his book Earth (1986) [10]. Mt. Everest, which rises to a height of around 9 km above sea level, has a root system that extends more than 125 km, further supporting the Quranic revelation on the significance and power of mountains on our planet. 

10. Expansion of the Universe

Allah (SWT) states in Surah Adh-Dhariyat, "And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] Expander" (Quran, 51:47). The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century, according to well-known physicist Stephen Hawking in his book "A Brief History of Time" [11], even though the Quran had already revealed to us centuries earlier that we are the universe's expander. 

11. Pain Receptors

The verse "We shall send those who reject our revelations to the (hell) fire" can be found in Surah An-Nisa. In order to ensure that they continue to experience torment after their skin has been burned away, We will replace it with new skins (Quran, 4:56).

For a very long time, it was believed that the brain controlled our perception of pain and other emotions. The skin does, however, contain pain receptors, as has been found. Another illustration of the scientific wonders of the Holy Quran is the fact that without these pain receptors, a person would not be able to feel pain [12].   

12. Internal Waves in the Oceans

Allah (SWT) has revealed in Surah An-Nur that "or [they are] as darkness's within an incomprehensible sea covered in waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds - darkness's, some of them upon others. One can hardly see his hand when he extends it [there]. There is no light for anybody whom Allah has not given light, according to the verse in the Quran (24:40).

Amazingly, according to oceanographers, waves also occur internally in the oceans, underneath the surface of the water, contrary to popular notion that waves only exist on the surface. These are invisible to the naked eye and can only be found using specialized tools [13].

13. Frontal Lobe

In Surah Al-Alaq, Allah revealed a verse to warn Abu Jahl, a cruel and repressive tribal leader during the lifetime of the Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In that, Allah (SWT) declares: "No, for sure! If he continues, We will grab him by the forehead—his lying, immoral forehead—and pull him to the ground (Quran, 96:15–16).

The forehead or frontal part of the brain is explicitly mentioned to be important for motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate motions in the book "Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology." The prefrontal cortex of the brain is where all of this happens. If he continues, it is thought that the area of the brain in charge of movement and planning will get seized. This prefrontal area is in charge of the function of lying, according to other studies [14]. 

Prefrontal and premotor neurons of participants in a different study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania during a computerized questioning indicated greater activity in the volunteers who were lying [15]. Insha'Allah, the Quran's statement that "We will seize him by the forehead" has a deeper significance.  

The most crucial thing to keep in mind is that in Islam, the concept of knowledge (Al-Ilm) is the Guiding Light (Huda) that distinguishes between good and wrong (Al furqan). Al-Ilm is the source of guidance to see the signs of Allah (SWT) around us, just as the sun provides light to our eyes so we may view the world around us. As Allah (SWT) states in Surah Ar-Rahman of the Quran, "So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?" there are many other such realities that have already been mentioned in the Quran and will be verified by mankind in the future.

You can find a video that follows this article by the author below:

REFERENCES

1. Ali, Shamsher. “Science and the Qur’an”.In Oliver Leaman. The Qurʼan: An Encyclopedia (PDF). p. 572. Retrieved13 May 2018.
2. Muzaffar Iqbal (2007). Science & Islam.Greenwood Press.
3. Misha Ketchell, The CMB: how an accidental discovery became the key to understanding the universe, The conversation, July 24, 2015. https://theconversation.com/the-cmb-how-an-accidental-discovery-became-the-key-to-understanding-the-universe-45126.
4. Big crunch in Wikipedia. 
5. JOHN CARL VILLANUEVA, 2009, Universe Today, https://www.universetoday.com/37018/big-crunch/
6. Islamic Awareness, This is the Truth by Sheikh Abdul-Majeed A. al-Zindani,https://www.islamic-awareness.org/quran/science/scientists.html
7. M E Walrath, History of the Earth’s Formation, ISBN-13 : 978-0530178776
8. R.A. Davis, Principles of Oceanography, ISBN-13: 978-0201014648
9. Ethan Siegel, Our Motion Through Space Isn’t A Vortex, But Something Far More Interesting, https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2018/08/30/our-motion-through-space-isnt-a-vortex-but-something-far-more-interesting/#170d8af17ec2
10. Frank Press , Earth,  ISBN-13: 978-071671743, 
11. Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time, ISBN-13 : 978-0553380163
12. Edward A. Shipton, Skin Matters: Identifying Pain Mechanisms and Predicting Treatment Outcomes, Neurol Res Int. 2013; 2013: 329364.
13. Internal wave  in Wikipedia 
14. Kenneth Saladin and Robin McFarland, Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, ISBN13: 9780072965544.
15. University Of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Human Brain Operates Differently In Deception And Honesty, University Of Pennsylvania Researchers Report, ScienceDaily 2001, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/11/011112073302.htm