Page 17 - Pakistan Link - November 24, 2023

COMMENTARY PAKISTAN LINK - NOVEMBER 24, 2023 - P17

A Divine Description of Our World in the Qur’an Gems from the Holy Qur’an

nomena.

Notable Muslims Who Embraced
Science
Abu Ali al Hasan Ibn al-Haytham,
also known as Alhazen, was an influen-
tial Arab Muslim scientist, mathemati-
cian, and philosopher who lived during
the Islamic Golden Age in the 10th and
11th centuries. Through his work, he
laid the foundation for many principles
and aspects of the scientific method. In
2015, the United National Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization From the translation by Muham- enemies, [and that none is my
(UNESCO) celebrated Ibn al-Haytham mad Asad (Leopold Weiss) helper] save the Sustainer of all the
n By Wendy Díaz
In fact, Muslim scholars of the past as a pioneer in the field of optics, stat- worlds, who has created me and is
Maryland contributed vastly to many areas of ing that: About the translator: the One who guides me, and is the
science and influenced the way we ap- “This brilliant Arab scholar… made Muhammad Asad, Leopold One who gives me to eat and drink,
t some point in our lives, we proach those fields of knowledge today. significant contributions to the prin- Weiss, was born of Jewish parents and when I fall ill, is the One who
will all hear people who say We can argue that their involvement in ciples of optics, astronomy and math- in Livow, Austria (later Poland) in restores me to health, and who will
Athey do not believe in God the sciences and subsequent contribu- ematics, and developed his own meth- 1900, and at the age of 22 made his cause me to die and then will bring
because they “believe in science.” Our tions were more than likely inspired by odology: experimentation as another first visit to the Middle East. He later me back to life – and who, I hope,
children are likely to hear that, too. the Qur’an. mode of proving the basic hypothesis became an outstanding foreign cor- will forgive me my faults on Judg-
Believing in “the science” has become Allah encourages human beings to or premise.”1 respondent for the Franfurter Zei- ment Day!
a slogan everywhere from politics seek knowledge and to look for signs of Other great scientists of the Islamic tung, and after years of devoted study “O my Sustainer! Endow me
to entertainment in modern times. His existence by reflecting on nature. Golden Age include the mathematician became one of the leading Muslim with the ability to judge [between
However, science is not the antith- He says in the Qur’an: and astronomer Omar Khayyam; the scholars of our age. His translation of right and wrong], and make me one
esis of religion, and especially not of “Indeed, in the creation of the heav- medical researchers Al-Razi and Ibn the Holy Qur’an is one of the most lu- with the righteous, and grant me the
Islam. ens and the earth; the alternation of the Sina (Avecina); the surgeon Al-Zah- cid and well-referenced works in this power to convey the truth unto those
To understand how we should re- day and the night; the ships that sail the rawi; the mathematician Al-Khwariz- category, dedicated to “li-qawmin who will come after me, and place me
spond to this sentiment as Muslims, sea for the benefit of humanity; the rain mi; the physicist and anthropologist yatafakkaroon” (people who think). among those who shall inherit the
it is important to first establish that sent down by Allah from the skies, re- Al-Biruni; and so many others. Forwarded by Dr Ismat Kamal. garden of bliss!
Islam encourages science and there viving the earth after its death; the scat- “And forgive my father – for, ver-
are numerous scientific miracles that tering of all kinds of creatures through- A Divine Description of our World Chapter 26, Verses 69 – 89 ily, he is among those who have gone
can be found in the Qur’an. Secondly, out; the shifting of the winds; and the Now that we know that Islam not And convey unto them the story astray – and do not put me to shame
we should question exactly what does clouds drifting between the heavens only encourages science but has also of Abraham – [how it was] when on the Day when all shall be raised
someone who says they believe in sci- and the earth —’in all of this’ are surely inspired some of the greatest scien- he asked his father and his people, from the dead: the Day on which
ence even mean. signs for people of understanding.” tists and thinkers the world has ever “What is it that you worship?” neither wealth will be of any use, nor
Science is defined in the Merriem- (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:164) known, let us discuss some of the de- They answered: “We worship children, [and when] only he [will be
Webster dictionary as knowledge or When engaging in science, a sci- tails about our world that we can find idols, and we remain ever devoted to happy] who comes before God with a
a system of knowledge covering gen- entist or student employs the scien- in the Qur’an. There are many elements them.” heart free of evil!”
eral truths, or the operation of general tific method. The scientific method or of our world there were shared with Said he: “Do [you really think Chapter 26, Verses 208-209
laws especially as obtained and tested process involves defining a question Prophet Muhammad, peace and bless- that] they hear you when you in- And withal, never have We de-
through scientific method. As such, to investigate, forming a prediction or ings be upon him, more than 1,400 voke them, or benefit you or do you stroyed any community unless it had
science is a methodology rather than hypothesis, gathering evidence or data, years ago that modern day scientists harm?” been warned and reminded: for, nev-
a belief system or ideology. It is a sys- testing, analyzing the data, and finally, have just come to understand. Here are They exclaimed: “But we found er do We wrong [anyone].
tematic approach for observing and drawing a conclusion. Through these a few examples: our forefathers doing the same!” Chapter 26, Verses 221-223s
explaining the world around us. We all techniques, scientists seek to explore, Said [Abraham] “Have you, then, [And] shall I tell you upon whom
rely on science to acquire knowledge. understand, and explain natural phe- 1. The Creation of the Universe ever considered what it is that you it is that those evil spirits descend?
Allah, may He be glorified and ex- have been worshipping – you and They descend upon all sinful self-de-
alted, says: those ancient forebears of yours? ceivers who readily lend ear [to every
“Do the disbelievers not realize that “Now [as for me, I know that,] falsehood], and most of whom lie to
the heavens and earth were ‘once’ one verily, these [false deities] are my others as well.
mass then We split them apart?”
(Surah Al-Anbya, 21:30)
The idea of an expanding universe He also says: placed each ‘human’ as a sperm-drop
that came about from a single event did “And Allah has created from water in a secure place, then We developed
not come about until the 20th century. every living creature. Some of them the drop into a clinging clot ‘of blood’,
The Big Bang Theory suggests that the crawl on their bellies, some walk on then developed the clot into a lump ‘of
entire universe originated as a single, two legs, and some walk on four. Allah flesh’, then developed the lump into
enormous mass known as the Primary creates whatever He wills. Surely Allah bones, then clothed the bones with
Nebula. Following this, a massive ex- is Most Capable of everything.” flesh, then We brought it into being as
plosion, referred to as the “Big Bang” (Surah An-Nur, 24:45) a new creation. So Blessed is Allah, the
or Secondary Separation, occurred, Today we have come to know that Best of Creators.
leading to the formation of galaxies. cytoplasm, the basic substance of the (Surah Al-Anbya, 21:12-14)
These galaxies later underwent further cell, is made up of 80% water. We also The Qur’an provides a concise de-
divisions, resulting in the creation of know through modern research that piction of the embryo’s development
stars, planets, the sun, the moon, and most organisms consist of 50-90% wa- within the mother’s womb. Although
other celestial bodies. The Big Bang ter, and that every living entity requires that description is brief, the stages that
theory is now the universally accepted water for its existence. But how could are mentioned correspond precisely to
(pun intended) scientific explanation Prophet Muhammad, peace and bless- significant milestones in its growth.
for the origin and development of the ings be upon him, an illiterate man Dr Keith Moore, a professor of em-
universe although it does not address who lived in the desert where water bryology and Chairman of the Depart-
its cause or what mechanisms triggered was so scarce, even begin to fathom ment of Anatomy at the University of
the Secondary Separation. We under- that everything was created from wa- Toronto, was invited to conduct re-
stand from the Qur’an that it was Allah ter? The only logical answer is that search with the Embryology Commit-
Who caused the mass to split apart. this information came from a Divine tee of King Abdulaziz University in
source. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dr Moore said
2. Everything Was Created from Water about his experience: “It has been a
Allah continues in the same verse: 3. The Stages of Human Development great pleasure for me to help clarify
“And We created from water every Allah describes the creation of hu- statements in the Qur’an about human
living thing. Will they not then be- mankind in the following verses: development. It is clear to me that these
lieve?” And indeed, We created human- statements must have come to Mu
(Surah Al-Anbya, 21:30) kind from an extract of clay, then (Continued on page 23)
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