Manifestation of God Through Science All Around Us
Kurt Gödel was an American logician, mathematician and philosopher of Austrian descent.
As one of the iconic logicians in history, alongside Aristotle and Gottlob Frege, Gödel’s work was recognized years after his death in 1978. Was his work attempting to prove the existence of a Supreme Being for the Universe?
Gödel’s theories have since been picked up by other scientists who have attempted to prove the existence of God through mathematical formulae. While apparently there have been some findings of the existence of God, there are many shortcomings to the research itself, requiring further investigation and probably trial runs.
While I am personally not a person with scientific prowess, and with all due respect to these scientists who are adamant in proving the existence of God through such high-tech means, the manifestation of His existence really surfaces all around us and it really does not require such complicated means to prove the same.
In fact, reading up on Gödel reminds me a lot about high school where in a conversation with a non-Muslim friend, she insisted that God did not exist at all. Funnily enough, this cropped up during physics class where we were discussing the Big Bang.
She mentioned that God did not create this earth, but the earth originated from the Big Bang. When I asked her who created the Big Bang, she replied that, “it just happened” and science was all that is needed for the world to trawl on.
Humans are born with the natural inclination to worship a Creator.
The Qur’an often talks about human beings being born in the state of fitrah – an innate need to worship his or her Lord. And within this fitrah, is also innate good in human beings as the most honorable creatures created by God. However, it is due to upbringing or the environment that human beings begin to move away from this state of fitrah.
Fitrah is also strongly connected to nature. Children, who are the closest to fitrah – untainted and untouched by negativity in their surroundings, are often extremely close to nature. It is known that it was the customs of the Arabs to send their children to the great outdoors as babies, so that as children they would be able to enjoy the desert and animals, rather than be running the streets of a congested city.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) spent a few years of his life in the desert before returning to Makkah and possibly his exposure to nature in his early years helped with his physical, mental and emotional well-being and that became a strong foundation before he attained Prophethood.
Children see a lot in nature, and the manifestation of God’s existence is basically everywhere in the environment. Children may love to watch birds pecking at food; or they may enjoy picking up flowers; children by the beach or by a lake will play with water.
Children are also enthralled by insects: ants, bees, and the like. They also talk about different structures, like trees and mountains. While this may seem elementary, we can learn a lot from the inquisitiveness of children who are inclined to be very connected with nature, and therefore, God.
Investigating Nature & Science
Kurt Gödel
With respects to birds, the Qur’an says: “Do they not see the birds held (flying) in the midst of the sky? None holds them but God (i.e. none give them the ability to fly but God). Verily, in this are clear signs for a people who believe (in the oneness of God).” (Surat An-Nahl: 16:79).
Scientists have long studied the flight of birds and their migration routes. They have found such precision in the departure and arrival of birds from one place to another and their ability to navigate even on debut journeys, as very young birds. Their ability to do so can only manifest if God takes control over all of the above, in which He does.
The Qur’an also talks about the healing properties of honey, which is also considered the medicine of all times. “There issues from within their bodies (bees) a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men.” (Surat An-Nahl: 16:69).
Honey is such a poignant remedy for nature enthusiasts. Even scientists acknowledge the long list of the benefits of the same, spanning from an ingredient for a robust immune system to a remedy for colds.
The Qur’an mentions water several times in its passages as well: ”Have those who disbelieve not known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, and We parted them? And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” (Surat Al-Anbya’: 21:30).
Science reinforces our need for the consumption of plain water for survival and scientists have also “discovered” the earth’s dependency on its major constituent – water. The Qur’an also talks about geology: “Have We not made the earth as a resting place, and the mountains as pegs?” (Surat An-Naba’: 78:6-7).
Elementary geology classes tell us about the structure of the earth’s thin crust and how “pegs” are needed to hold the crust together. We know that trees do this at the micro level, but mountains are huge pegs that hold the bigger planes in one place and prevent them from crumbling in torrential weather.
Though these examples may seem abstract, it does not take rocket science to figure out that these miracles are proof that their creation is of another kind – definitely not manmade! And while it is not rocket science, it does require deep reflection on one’s part.
Fortunately, the human race has already been blessed with great intellect; it just takes time and sincere effort to discover the truth. God says: “And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth: behold in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect. (Surat Al-Jathiya: 45: 13).
Children & Environment
While God talks about the connection between nature and those who reflect in His existence in relationship to the miracles seen in nature, there is also evidence that children who spend more time outdoors also develop greater intellect. So it is also true that the closer we are to nature, the more polished our intellect, and the closer we become to God.
Author and clinical psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison writes about the importance of children being outdoors to cultivate their intellectual prowess. Amongst the benefits of playing outdoors, includes: improving multi-sensory stimuli, stimulating creativity and inquisitiveness, and reducing anxiety, while building confidence and self-esteem.
Children also become more in touch with themselves and with others just by spending time with nature, indicating that being around God’s creations imbues senses of empathy and kindness.
Seeing things in nature and connecting with the environment is therefore linked to overall health, including intellectual prowess that sees beyond mathematical logic and scientific formula.
The conscious acceptance and reverence of a Supreme Being as the Creator of the world and everything within it cannot necessarily be quantified, but the signs of God’s existence are always there.
Gödel & Einstein
Although Gödel was very much a mentee and a friend of Albert Einstein, their views differed slightly with respects to science and religion. While Einstein also went through a journey of discovery as to the existence of a God, in the end, he did believe that “science without religion, is lame; religion without science is blind.”
Gödel on the other hand, believed God was “more personal” but held religions with respect and even believed in the existence of an afterlife. He was even quoted to having said, “I like Islam – it is a consistent idea of religion and open minded.”
Proving the Existence of God through Gödel
While scientists will continue to work on factual evidence that God certainly exists, probably many of them are spinning off on the works of great minds like Gödel and Einstein. It would be interesting to find a complicated mathematical formula or computer program that can finally point towards the existence of God.
But as far as the eye can see, the signs of a Creator are all around us. And with due respect to scientists and their respective fields and the interesting work that they do, one really does not need to have an advanced academic degree in science to see the manifestation of God’s work in the scientific design of the environment.
Bimaristans in Islamic Medical History
With the dawn of Islam on the Bedouin, nomadic tribes of the Arabian Peninsula came enlightenment, not only strictly spiritual in nature, but also with cultural, educational and scientific connotations.
Among the fruits of this enlightenment was the eventual establishment of huge health facilities that, among other things, played an important educational role amongst physicians of the age.
The first bimaristan, as these establishments were called, was built in Damascus in 86 Hijri (707 A.D.) by Caliph Al-Waleed ibn `Abdul-Malik .
The aim of its construction was the treatment of acute diseases and the care of patients affected with chronic diseases (such as lepers and the blind).
Leprosy patients were not only treated free of charge but were given money to help in supporting their families.
The word bimaristan is of Persian origin and means hospital, with bimar meaning disease and stan meaning location or place; thus the location or place of disease.
The Bimaristan System:
The physicians of the Islamic world set up a concise system for bimaristans with two important aims: the welfare of their patients who were treated according to the latest in medical know-how, and teaching medicine to newly graduated physicians .
Bimaristans were constructed on sites that would provide optimum health conditions for patients. They were preferably built on hills or by rivers.
Al-`Adadi’s Bimaristan is a good example of this; it was built in Baghdad by the River Tigris, where the water of the river flowed through its courtyard and halls to return and pour back into the Tigris .
When Haroon Ar-Rashid asked Ar-Razi to build the first general hospital, Ar-Razi selected a site after putting pieces of meat in different areas of Baghdad to look for a location with the best fresh air.
Concerning organization, bimaristans were divided when possible into two sections, one for men and the other for women. Each section was independent, with large halls for the patients.
Each section of a bimaristan contained a hall for every type of disease, while each hall had one physician or more and each group of doctors in a section had a chief doctor.
The halls were specialized: a hall for internal diseases, another for splinted patients (trauma and fractures), another for deliveries and a special hall for each type of disease including communicable diseases.
Advanced Premises
Ibn Abi Usaybah described in his book `Uyun Al-Anbaa’ the halls of internal medicine that frequently included a section for feverish patients and another for manic patients.
All sections of the bimaristan were equipped with all the medical instruments and apparatuses necessary for the physician.
Ibn Abi Usaybah tells us that `Adad Ad-Dawlah, upon his decision to build the `Adadi Bimaristan on the western side of Baghdad, prepared an evaluation exam for a hundred physicians, out of which only twenty-four were actually chosen to work in the hospital.
The chief of all physicians in the hospital was called As-Sa`oor, and many of the administrative duties in the hospital were performed by boys, acting as employees or health workers, assistants or dressers.
Others were responsible for cleaning the bimaristan and caring for the patients when necessary.
Muslim physicians also understood the importance of adjoining a pharmacy, known as Al Sharabkhana, to the Bimaristan to pass out the necessary medications prescribed by the physicians.
Competency
As is the case today, bimaristans underwent constant inspections. This was the responsibility of an employee assigned by the minister or the Caliph and given the authority to enter the hospital to be acquainted with the patients’ status and the care offered to them, the food given to them, whether the boys were serving them or not and whether the physician was properly performing his duty or neglecting it.
This system ensured that bimaristans continued to function with a high level of technical, scientific and administrative competence.
It is worth mentioning that each patient had his own card on which the physician recorded his observations.
The physician also had his own special register to record his observations on the diseases he was treating.
The physician performed his experiments and tests according to his observations.
If the physician faced any problem in any matter of diagnosis, he went to the head of his division or the chief physician.
Frequently, the physicians held meetings to discuss cases. We do the same today!
Al-Mansouri Hospital was built in Cairo, Egypt, in 1248 AD with 8000 beds and many specialized wards.
The hospital contained a praying room for Muslim patients and another for Christians. Admission was regardless of race, color or religion.
There was no limited time for in-patient treatment, and patients remained in the hospital until they fully recovered, which was assessed by their ability to eat a whole chicken! Discharged patients were provided not only with a new set of clothes but also with pocket money!
Work System
Doctors in bimaristans worked in shifts with some working in the morning and others at night, and some working for a certain period of time in the morning and another period at night.
This system allowed physicians enough time to rest to be able to continue working in the bimaristan and supervise the treatment and medical care of their patients.
Al-Maqrizi mentioned in his book that when patients were admitted to the hospital, their clothes and money were taken and placed in the trust of the bimaristan guardian.
The patients received clean clothes and were given drugs and food under the supervision of the physicians free of charge until they were cured.
Ibn Al-Ukhwah described in his book Al-Hisbah the process that occurred when a patient visited a physician in the outpatient clinic. He said in a very important text:
“The physician asks the patient about the cause of his illness and the pain he feels. He prepares syrups and other drugs, then writes a copy of the prescription to the parents attending with the patient. The following day he re-examines the patient and looks at the drugs and asks him how he feels, and accordingly advises the patient. This procedure is repeated every day until the patient is either cured or dies. If the patient is cured, the physician is paid. If the patient dies, his parents go to the chief doctor and present the prescriptions written by the physician. If the chief doctor judges that the physician has performed his job without negligence, he tells the parents that death was natural; if he judges otherwise, he informs them to take the blood money of their relative from the physician as his death was the result of his bad performance and negligence. In this honorable way they were sure that medicine was practiced by experienced, well trained personnel .”
Bimaristan Varieties
Special bimaristans were set up for various diseases and purposes. These included:
a) Psychiatric Bimaristans
Muslims realized the importance of special care for the mentally ill. As a result, special wards for psychiatric patients, isolated from the rest of the hospital by iron bars in order to avoid the aggression of these patients on the others, were frequently added to the larger bimaristans.
b) Leprosy Bimaristans:
These were built especially for patients with leprosy. Al-Waleed ibn `Abdul-Malik was the first to establish this type of bimaristan.
According to Ibn Al-Qifi , the first to write a book about leprosy was Yohana ibn Masuwiy. The reason for interest in such a disease arose from the Muslims’ idea of isolating patients who had communicable diseases from the rest of society.
c) Road Bimaristans:
Arabs realized the importance of this type of bimaristan early on as a result of the annual pilgrimage to Makkah and the frequent departure of commercial caravans that traveled for long distances.
These caravans required the availability of medical care for travelers or for people they might meet on the way in need of medical assistance.
Ibn Kathir pointed out in his book The Beginning and the End that road bimaristans were conducted by a wise director who knew how to provide medical treatment.
The rich, who had the ability to equip such caravans with medical missions, supported these bimaristans financially.
d) Prison Bimaristans:
Muslims provided medical care to prisoners in the same way they did for society-at-large. This is clear from a letter written by `Isa ibn `Ali Al-Jarrah , the minister of Al-Muqtadir, to Sinan ibn Thabit, who was distinguished in Arabophon medicine and embraced Islam at the hands of Al-Qahir.
After visiting the prisons, ‘Isa sent his famous letter to Sinan in which he said,
”I thought of the imprisoned people and that they are exposed, due to their large number and difficult situation, to diseases. They are incapable of dealing with their excretions or of meeting doctors to seek their advice about diseases. You must – May God grant you honor – assign physicians to visit them daily, and they should carry with them drugs and syrups and all they need to treat the patients and cure illnesses with God’s will ”.
Sinan bin Thabit followed this advice. Also according to Ibn Al-Qifi, Al-Muqtadir asked Sinan ibn Thabit to build a bimaristan to be named after him. It was built in 306 Hijri at Bab Al-Sham , called the Muqtadir Bimaristan and financed with 200 dinars a month.
Sinan bin Thabit was assigned as the chief doctor. When al- Muqtadir was told that one of his physicians killed a man by mistake, he ordered Sinan to test all his physicians. They were tested in Baghdad and their number eventually reached eight hundred physicians.
e) The Mobile Bimaristan:
This type of Bimaristan visited villages, the peripheries and cities, and cared for the health of people who lived away from the state capital, thus allowing state services to have a longer reach.
Ali bin Issa al-Garrah, al Muqtadir’s minister, ordered the first state physician, Sinan bin Thabit, to allow doctors to travel to the peripheries of the state. He said in his letter,
”I thought of the ill who live in the peripheries who do not receive any medical care due to a lack in doctors. So, assign – May God prolong your life – some physicians to visit the peripheries; also send a pharmacy containing drugs and syrups. They should travel all through the peripheries and stay in each region long enough to treat patients, after which they should travel to another region.”
It was the state’s responsibility to care for the bimaristans. Senior physicians were aware of the importance of establishing work rules and a strong basis for teaching students who came to learn medicine.
Schools of medicine were thus established in the Islamic world, in which teaching was performed using two methods:
- The theoretical method taught in medical schools
- A practical method for training and practice where students gathered around the doctor-in-chief to see and examine the patients and the treatment he prescribed. When the students finished the studying period they applied for an exam, took an oath and received their certificates. When they started to practice medicine, they always worked under the state’s supervision. This meant that bimaristans were institutes for teaching medicine and for junior doctors to complete their studies . From a practical point of view, the professors prescribed the treatment for the patients and examined them in the presence of the students. Junior doctors implemented these instructions and performed a follow-up on the patients, thus acquiring the necessary practical experience for a successful career in the medical field.
This article is from our archive, originally published on an earlier date, and highlighted now for its importance
References:
(1) Noshrawy, A.R., The Islamic Bimaristans in the Middle Ages, Arabic Translation by M. Kh. Badra, The Arab Legacy Bul. No. 21, P 202.(2) Ibn Abi Usaybah, `Uyun Al-Anbaa’, P. 45.
(3) -Ibn Jubayr, Rehlat Ibn Jubayr , The Journey of Ibn Jubayr, Cairo, 1358 H.
– Isa Bey, A., The History of the Bimaristans in Islam, PP. 20, 40.- Khayrallah, A., Outline of Arabic Contributions to Medicine and Allied Sciences,- Beirut, 1946, PP.63-68.- Noushirawy, A.R., The Islamic Bimaristan, P. 201.
(4) Ibn Abi Usaybah, `Uyun Al-Anbaa’, P. 415.
(5) Ibn Abi Usaybah, `Uyun Al-Anbaa’, P. 415.
(6) Al Maqrizi, Kitab, al-Mawa’es Wa al-Eitbar, V. 2, P. 405
(7) Ibn al Ukhwah, Ma’alem al-Qurba fi Talab al-Hisbah, The Features of Relations in al-Hisbah, Cambridge, 1937, P. 167.
(8) Noshrawy, A.R., The Islamic Bimaristans, P.202.
(9) Al-Qifi, Tarikh al-Hukama, P. 249.
(10) Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, The beginning and the End, The Library of knowledge, Beirut, 1966, Vol. 12 P. 188.
(11) Al-Qifi, Tarikh al Hukama, P. 132.
(12) Bab Al sham was in the old city of Baghdad.
(13) Marhaba, A. R., The Course in the History of Arabophon Science, The Lebanese Publishing House, Beirut, 1970, P. 50.
Qur’anic Signs: Sunlight vs. Moonlight
The notion of scientific miracles in the Qur’an entails revealing that it contains facts that are corroborated by science, which could not have been recognized at the time of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
This topic has been under debate for hundreds of years. One side advocates that science is the only universal language understood by all humans, and hence is the importance of addressing the idea of scientific miracles [4].
The other side argues that the versatile nature of scientific findings opens up wide doors for refuters who can hold a strong argument against the Noble Book should one of these scientific findings be proven untrue [1].
Qur’an is not in need of science to prove its authenticity. It is not, and should not be treated as a scientific textbook. However, scientific signs do exist in the Qur’an.
If studied as signs that lead to inquiry, and not definitive facts or miracles, these signs can serve the purpose of developing the human intellect, encouraging people to follow the teachings of the Qur’an: to read, enquire, and research.
Nature of Lights
An amateur yet the legitimate description of the sun would be that reddish thing in the sky that is the source of all light and heat that we experience on earth.
In scientific terms, the sun is a star that is largely composed of Hydrogen and Helium, which emits light through electromagnetic waves. During their journey to the earth, some of these waves are absorbed, re-emitted, or re-radiated, with only a small portion received on earth [12].
But while we marvel at Allah’s creation of the sun’s power, the moon remains the peaceful satellite that everybody romanticizes about. While light emitted from the moon is the source of its beauty, it is now confirmed this light is actually a reflection of the sun’s light, bouncing light from the day-side to the night-side of the earth [8].
The first claim about the nature of the moonlight is attributed to Thales (625B.C.), the Egyptian-influenced Greek mathematician and astronomer who learned in Egypt and argued that the moon receives its light from the sun [9]. Thales’s belief was shared by the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras (500B.C.), who also claimed that the sun and the moon were huge, spherical rocks.
At a time when people believed that the sun and the moon were real Gods, Anaxagoras’s findings were deemed impious, resulting in his imprisonment and banishment [2]. It was not until Galileo’s findings in the 1600s did these claims get scientifically proven, although they too were declared by some priests also as impious because they contradicted Genesis which describes the moon as “a great light” [5].
Lights in the Qur’an
Historically, the explanation of moonlight was discussed before the time of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), and therefore should not be referred to as ‘miracles’. Muslim scholars who choose to avoid mentioning the theories of ancients, whether intentionally or out of ignorance, help to create a crack in their arguments which eventually lead to a hail of refutations that must be addressed carefully.
However, the Qur’an does contain verses that distinguish between the nature of the sunlight and moonlight. But before explaining the verses, it is important to remember that Muhammed (peace be upon him) was an illiterate shepherd, who lived amongst people whose passion lied mainly in poetry and literature, not science. Moreover, scientists who proposed these theories were punished for their arguments.
If the Qur’an was man-made, why did it propose a discredited argument? In addition, Anaxagoras did have errors in his argument as he claimed that the sun is a rock! While in modern astronomy we all know that stars are just forms of huge gaseous balls. Why, if Qur’an was copied, did it choose to reveal the correct scientific facts and avoid the errors?
The Qur’an mentions the sun and moon in the context of their ‘light’ in the following verses:
– “It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory (Diya’a) and the moon to be a light (Nur)“ [Younus 10:5].
– “And made the moon a light (Nur) in their midst, and made the sun as a (Glorious) Lamp (Siraj)“ [Nuh 71:16].
– “Blessed is He Who made constellations in the skies, and placed therein a Lamp (Siraj) and a Moon giving light (Muneer)“ [Al-Furqan 25:61].
– “And We made a glowing lamp (Siraj Wahhaj)“ [Al-Naba’a 78:13].
In the above verses, Allah SWT uses different terms to describe moonlight and sunlight, the former referred to as ‘nur‘ and latter as ‘diya’a’ or ‘siraj‘. Consulting a dictionary on those terms shows that ‘nur’ and ‘daw’‘ (origin of ‘diya’a‘) both mean ‘light’.
However, the Qur’an never uses both terms interchangeably. Here we should ponder: if both lights were identical in nature, why were different Arabic terms used to describe each light source? In addition, why is it that only the sun, and not the moon, is described as a ‘siraj’, or a lamp?
There are two types of light sources: direct sources like the sun and lamps, and indirect sources, like the moon and planets, which derive their light from other sources. In more than one verse, Allah SWT described the sun as a lamp, because both the sun and the lamp share the property of being direct sources of light. The Arabic language is, therefore, more exact in using two different terms, ‘nur’ and ‘diya’a’ , that although have the same meaning in other languages, are actually different in terms of what source of light they refer to [10].
The Qur’an also describes the sun as ‘siraj wahhaj’, meaning a glowing or flaming lamp, to show how the sun is luminous and burning with flame. Again, this concurs with the scientific description of the sun as a high energy producer.
Allah SWT is Nur, Prophet (peace be upon him) is Siraj?
Many atheists or Islamophobes reach hard to refute the authenticity of Qur’an. One such refutation questions why the Qur’an doesn’t explicitly state that the moon is ‘light-reflecting’. Another argument, and perhaps the one that mostly hypes up refuters, is that the Qur’an states that Allah SWT is ‘Nur’, and that the Mohammed (peace be upon him)is a ‘siraj’. They claim that this means that the prophet is the source of light and Allah SWT is only the reflector.
Such arguments might be valid if the book being discussed is a science textbook. However, Qur’an is a book of faith and guidance, which uses homonymy and metaphors to eloquently reveal its desired meanings. In linguistics, a homonym is a “group of words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings”[1].
A research conducted on homonymous expressions in the Qur’an explains that ambiguity can result when translating its Arabic text. It shows that almost all translators only use the primary meaning of the word, ignoring any contextual clues that can be used to translate homonymous terms accurately. The ambiguity in religious texts is especially difficult to translate since both the context as well as different scholars’ interpretation must be considered [3].
The use of the word ‘Nur’, or light, in the Noble Qur’an, is an obvious example of homonymy. Refuters who argue that Allah SWT light is only a reflection are totally bypassing this popular linguistic phenomenon. In the following verse,
“Allah is the Light (Nur) of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things.” [Al-Nur 24:35].
Allah SWT uses the word ‘Nur’ to refer to His ‘light’ of guidance in the heart of his followers. The Qur’an beautifully describes the extent of purity and clarity of Allah’s guidance by a detailed metaphor that explains how the resulting light is as complete and clear as Allah’s guiding light. Although the sun’s light is brighter, Allah SWT uses the word ‘Nur’ to describe that the light of His guidance looms in the middle of all surrounding darkness.
The word ‘Nur’ is also used metaphorically in several other verses in the Qur’an, with different meanings;
– “Surely We revealed the Taurat in which was guidance and light (Nur)“ [Al-Maeda 5:44]. Nur: faith and wisdom [6].
– “…there has come to you light (Nur) and a clear Book from Allah;” [Al-Maeda 5:15].Nur: Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
– “.. follow the light (Nur) which is sent down with him….” [Al-A’raf 7:157]. Nur: the Noble Qur’an [11].
As for the prophet being described as a lamp in this verse,
“And as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light (Siraj Muneer)” [Al-Ahzab 33:46].
This explains that the message Mohammed (peace be upon him) was sent with is as clear and undeniable as sunlight in its shine and glory. The lamp is described as ‘muneer (spreading light), and not ‘wahhaj’ (burning with flames) to show that this message shines clearly like the sun, yet peacefully without any burning flames [7].
A Few Guidelines
The Qur’an is not a scientific, non-contextual textbook where each word is bound to a single meaning. Treating the Qur’an in such a way while ignoring spiritual, linguistic, and contextual angles would make it a target to several, yet weak, refutations. A recommendation to whoever wants to argue Qur’anic verses is to first understand the genre of text they are reading, study all the possible explanations available, and prepare their argument using all existing resources.
It is also necessary for Islamic scholars not to try hard to prove that the Qur’an preceded established science with the scientific signs it contains. Moreover, they should explore all historical and scientific background before presenting their arguments. The Qur’an is a book of guidance and faith, which also encourages people to read, research, and enquire. Following this approach, we can confidently respond to any atheist claim or refutation, should anyone still have a valid reason to come up with any.
This article is from our archive, originally published on an earlier date, and highlighted now for its importance
