THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

There are theories which deal with the process of the creation of the universe. And in this letter I would like to write it according to what is said about it in the Koran. In this holy book, astronomy field dominates the discussion about physics. I found out that it is randomly discussed (there is no definite order of one discussion to next ones). That is why I have to pick some words or paragraphs and put them in certain order according to common sense and some physics laws.

One word in one paragraph or section may have many different meanings. And the key word in my discussion here is the word heaven (as sama). The phases of the creation of the universe are related to that word. And in it’s context, it’s interpreted and connected with astronomy. Misinterpretation may occur and it is merely caused by my own mistake of my insufficient capabilities in translations. For that reason, I welcome any constructive and I do hope that my explanation be useful for all of us.

Sincerely yours,

Muchsin Faisal Effendie

THE MEANING OF HEAVEN (AS SAMA)

The word heaven (as sama) has both micro and macro sense. In term of micro sense, heaven means the smallest unit. While in broad sense, heaven is formed by it’s units. In other words, there are some levels of heaven in the universe. It can be clarified we follow: atmosphere, heavenly bodies and the galaxies.

Heaven which means atmosphere, in a narrow sense heaven means sky or layer which surround the earth. This meaning is found in the following:

“And We bring you rain down from heaven” (31:10)

There is still other paragraph which means a like. What is meant by the word heaven in the quotations above is cloud. This meaning is classified in another paragraph:

“And we come down from the cloud, the water which is pouring” (46:24)

According to geography what we know about atmosphere, cloud is exist in the troposphere layer. It is about 12 kilo meters high, while the cloud is usually about 2 kilo meters above the sea level.

To make sure that heaven means atmosphere, look at this quotation:

“Birds fly in heaven” (16:79)

“Good trees, the roots are strong, and the branch reaches the heaven” (14:24)

It is quite clear that heaven means atmosphere, because birds fly in the sky or atmosphere.

Heaven means heavenly bodies is higher than the first meaning above. Heavenly bodies may include stars, planets, comets or meteors. Heaven meaning heavenly bodies can be found in there paragraphs:

“Decorating the sky which is closes the decoration, the stars and the planets” (37:6)

I think what is by sky here is the sky which can be seen by naked eye, without using a telescope., because it is in the sky we can see the stars, planets or meteors. So, the right interpretation of the word heaven here is constellation of the stars. Where the star is the system with planets, meteors, comets, satellites and other heavenly bodies in it. We can call this a zodiac.

Heavenly means galaxy; galaxy is cluster of stars which can be billons. We, who live in this solar system is part of our galaxy – The Milky Way. Heaven which means galaxy is found in the following:

“And actually We have create clusters of stars (buruuj) in the heaven” (15:16)

“For heaven’s shake with it’s stars” (85:1)

In astronomy, the word buruuj means cluster or groups of star. So, group of star is nothing but galaxy.

THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

Many things which happen in these worlds are merely repetition of what have taken place in the past. We often notice and feel the cycle of world’s phenomenon. And so is the history of the universe.

“Like what We have done when we start the first creation, We will repeat that again (nu’iiduhu)” (21:104)

Nu’iiduhu is derived from the ‘aada, which means ‘aada : raja’a : again or repeated. It is just like when someone goes, and then come back again. If we draw a line from the time he went and the time he came back. It will form a closed curve. The sentence which contains that word is ‘iidu sanawiyyu tadzaariyyu which means birthday. If we consider the first birthday as the beginning which is followed by the second one plus the happenings which occur between them, and if we draw a line, it is very hard to imagine this life as straight line. Because the beginning finally meets with the end. This life is best illustrated as a circle.

When we look at a circle, we can not decide which is the beginning and which is the end. In relation with the word nu’iiduhu, it is interpreted as the repetition of the end into the beginning.

Circle is the closest in meaning with the word nu’iiduhu, a part of the nature phenomenon like water cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle. That water undergoes a cycle is obvious. Water in may different places will vaporize; continuous evaporation especially during dry season will form clouds. Cloud will form rain, and water will come down to the earth again.

That’s why I put the end of the world (the judgment day) and the beginning of the world with the hell with it’s fire between them as the first phase. As I have said before that last is the first.

PHASES OF THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

PHASE I: The end of the world (the doomsday) is marked by the destruction of the universe; it is this phase which brings the universe into beginning when it was born for the first time. Then what will happen if the stars shattered, smashed (totally destructed) or if they ran out of fuel.

So you must wait until the heaven brings the real could (bidukhaanin mubin)” (44:10)

Dukhaanin comes from the word dakhina, for example: dakhkhan: smoking. With the meaning in the translation above we can in for that as smoke, not cloud. Since smoke comes from vaporation. Smoke indicates that there is heat. The word in the sentence dakhanal ghubaru: satha’a: flying all around. Smoke is closer in meaning with dukhaanin, compare with could or fog which is relatively static, and it moves only in certain directions.

If we combine the word mubiin with dukhaanin, we can interpret them as energy. Energy is related to motion and heat. That’s why energy is the closest meaning of the word.

In Einstein’s Theory we can see that energy can be changed into mass. In an endoderm reaction, energy is required to form material.

PHASE 2: energy formed a giant proton ball. Like I have stated before that energy can be changed into mass in a reaction. At last, according to the astronomies, this proton ball exploded. The explosion was known as the big bang. There are many paragraphs which explain about this giant proton ball, such as:

“Into a very hot water (hamaimii)” (40:72)

“Burning in the hell (sa’iiran)” (25:11)

“For them, above are layers of fire (zhulalun) and so are below (zhulalun)” (39:16)

“For them clothes (tsiyaabun) from the hell fire” (22:19)

Hamiimi comes from the word hamma which may mean hammal maa: sakhina: lava. We can image that if a ball like hot lava rolls, everything on its way will be burnt too. If only a part of such things is lava, we possibly can find it on the earth. But if all of it is hot lava, we can only find it on the sun or stars.

Sa’iiran comes from the word sa’ara, in sentence tasa’ara wasta’arannaar means burning (giving out flames). From both of that word, we can imagine how hell looks like; lava like place which can destroy everything in it with its bright light.

Zhulalun comes from the word zhalla, for zhallala wa azhalla: alqaa alaikii zhillahu: to cover (something from heat, sun etc). For example, if someone uses an umbrella, he will be protected against sunlight. If something is covered by hot lava, all around it that thing will became hot lava too. And azh zhalahu means water under the tree which is protected against sunshine. We can imagine how big the tree is, how thick the leaves are so that sunlight can’t reach it, only reaches the tree.

We can also imagine how big the burning lava is so that whatever is put inside it can’t be seen. Everything that whatever into it no matter how big it is will dissolve and what we can see is just the burning lava. We will see what that burning lava really is from the word tsiyaabun from the word tsaaba, for tsaabannas: ijtama’u : gather. If we combine it with the previous word, we can interpret that it is the origin or union. What is meant by union here is the union of the galaxies. Even if we put all the galaxies in it. All we can see is just it. It here is the giant proton ball in which is like the sun or star and which can cover all the galaxies. As stated in the sentence matsaabal bir meaning a wall surrounding a well. So that we can understand that above all the proton ball is a giant ball from which galaxies are born. But why should proton is first? Not there particles or other elements with more atoms mass. If elements which have more atoms mass existed first, then fist of all protons, electron and neutron have to be there first to compose that element. So, it’s understandable that proton (which is composed by quarks) was formed fist.

PHASE 3: in this phase, proto galaxies are born as the result of the big bang. A giant proton ball with billions of galaxies in it was formed, in the phase before. We can’t image how big it is, there is nothing which can be compared in size with it, not even the sun. If a star explodes, it would form a supernova. But if this a giant proton ball exploded, it would form an ultra nova. In astronomy, the explosion is known as the big bang. Signs of the centre of this explosion or the centre of the universe have been stated in the following quotations:

“A shelter which has three branches (syu’abin) which does not cover and does not reject the hell fire. Actually hell gives out (tarmi), a spark as big and tall as a palace. As if it were cattle of yellow (shufrun jamal)” (77:30-32)

Tarmi comes from the word rama, for ramasy syaa:thatrahahu: throw. While ramassahma ‘anil gausi (alaihi): let out, shoot off (like a narrow from a bow). What is let out in explosion is a giant spark. How it looks like is described as a parade of yellow camels.

Shurun is derived from shafara, for shafar: shauwata binnafhi min syafataihi: whistle and shafarattu’ban: fahha: means hiss, sizzle. The whistling or hissing sound of the spark shows that the proto galaxy exploded and formed proto stars.

The nature of galaxies which is symbolized by spark is explained by syu’abin, which comes from the word sya’aba, for sya’abal qaum means parting, scattered. Sya’sbabashaahiba: baa’adahu: stay away. From the different forms of the word syu’aba, it can be explained that all galaxies moved away from each other. The galaxies are divided into three group’s ellipse galaxies, spiral galaxies and irregular forms. It is in according with the explanation “a shelter which has three branches’ above. The orbit of the galaxies can be explained from:

“And the root (assaqfi) which is heightened” (52:5)

“And the galaxies (as sama), how it is heightened (rufiat)” (88:18)

Assaqfi is derived from the word saqafa, for saqifa: high curved. After the explosion, the galaxies orbits are not straight lines but curved. I think it is because of the galaxies rotation and because of gravity of the centre of the universe which makes their rotation curved or not straight.

Rufiat is derived from rafa’a, for rafa’a: lift. Rafa’alama: raise (a flag). Rafa’al haditsa: salsalah ila qaailahul awwali: connect something with it’s source.

If we change the flag with the galaxies and the source with the centre of the universe. It is clear that galaxies moves away from it’s centre (expanded).

How the centre of the universe looks like, is derived in paragraph:

“Actually zaqqum tree is tree (syajaratun) which comes out from the bottom (ashli) the hell”

Ashli comes from the word ashala, for ashiyyu which means the beginning, at first, something which happened before, rasakha ashalat: have roots, ashlu: man syau: origin.

Interpretation of that paragraph is about something which exist, before the universe exists and as the source of the universe. Why the centre of the universe is described as has roots? Roots here mean something which ties something, together as the galaxies are tied together. Then the word syajararsy syais: rabathahu: tie, syajrau: ajmatu: forest, gather. So, it can be understood, that after the big bang, proto galaxies which is next to the centre of the universe are tied and are effected by strong gravity so, they are like a whirl in the centre of the universe.

PHASE 4: If a proto galaxy exploded, it will form proto stars. And if stars (which may have mass billions of that of the sun) explode, it will from hyper nova. That’s what happen when a proto galaxy which consists of billions of star explode. The process of the formation of galaxies from proto galaxy is described in the following paragraph:

“And We arrange (banainaaha) the heaven (galaxies) with Our power” (51:47)

“And above you, We built (syidaadaan) seven strong buildings” (78:12)

Banainaaha comes from the word bana, for the sentence abna fulaanan: build a house. Bunayyaatuth thariqi: junction from a big into many small ones. Banaatul ardli: auhaarush shaghiira: brook. Ibnuth tahud: ash shada: echo.

To form or make a galaxy, a very powerful proto galaxy explosion is needed. This explosion occurs because the proto galaxy, which mass billions of the mass of the sun become unstably, and form a curved line 9orbit), it moves unsteadily. It can be seen clearly in a galaxy high has a spiral form. The “small roads” in the quotation above means collection of billions of stars.

Syidaadaan comes from the word syadda, for syaddasy syaia: rabatahu: to tie, al masyduud: something which is pulled, tied tightly. Asyadda: balagha asyudda: become mature 9in age and mentally)

If a man is mature, he is stabile both physically and mentally; he doesn’t get taller. If a galaxy is “mature” it means that the stars in it don’t do expansion because all stars are influenced by gravity from the centre of the galaxy and the gravity between stars also become so stabile. So that the stars can maintain the shape of the galaxy.

PHASE 5: The formation of proto planets from proto star. There are many theory dealing with how was formed; from the classical theory like the theory twin star, theory of tide to the modern theory like condensation theory.

“That the sun and the earth are coherent. They are close (ratqaan). Then We put them away from each other (fafataqnaahumma)” (21:30)

Ratqaan is derived from rataqa, for rataqa tsauba: to sew, to patch; rataqasy syaia: saddahu wa aghlaqahu: to close, plug up. From this explanation we can see that the sun or star and the earth were composed from the same material.

“Who create the seven skies, ad the earth is also like that (mitslahuna)”(65:12)

Mitslahuna is derived from the word matsala, for matsala wa maatsala: syaabah: alike, resemble. Matsalar rajalu: moves from ils place. Matsala: lathaa bil ardli: stick on the ground). Watamattsala bilaadahu fii bilaadin ukhraa: an syakh shaau fii haflatin: represent.

The sun and earth was the same, if we them from their shape and their elements. Both have rotation and revolution. Planet is formed only by a small part of the proto star (mass of the Jupiter is 1/1000 of the sun). Then planets then moves, but they are still “tied”. Tied in the solar system. The dismissal of the planets from the sun is explained in the following:

“And then the earth is thrown (dahaaha)”

Dahaaha is derived from the word dahaa, for dahaal bathnu: big, puffed out belly (abdomen). Dahaal hajara biyadihi: to throw.

If we compare our body with the body of the pro star, and the puffed out belly as the part of the proto star which is puffed out, we will understand that it is that part which will become the proto planet; which later thrown away and moves on its orbits. The dismissal of the proto planet from the proto star will be explained as follows.

Faftaqnahumaa is derived from the word fataqa, for fataqa wa fataqasy syaia: divide, fataqats tsauba naqadla khiyaatha tahu: to tear sewn clothes. Aftaqa qarnusy syamsi: sun which comes out of the cloud.

It is clear that there is a very strong gravity on the outermost part of the proto star. The gravity then makes a part of the proto star to lump, and it was separated from the proto star. It was later known as proto planet. There is clear distortion between what is stated in the classical theory the formation of the planet is in influenced by other stars.

PHASE 6: The formation of solar system or star system as smallest unit of galaxy. It begins as the surface of the planet gets colds and it becomes solid, accompanied with the stars which begin to shine.

“Which has created seven layers of skies (thibaaqaan)” (67:13)

Thibaaqaan is derived from the word thabiqa for thabiqa wa athbaqal baaba: aqfalahu : to cover, to close. Thabbaqasy syaiu: ‘amma: evenly. Ath thabaqaru: assaaffatu: layer.

In the previous phases, the materials that compose the planets, stars and sun are the same that is hydrogen ball. But because their tiny mass, the hydrogen undergoes a very rapid reaction, and it change into iron. So, it’s understandable that the hydrogen reaction into iron in the proto planet goes much faster than the proto star. The fusion reaction of the hydrogen into the heavier substances makes the proto planet get colder. By the time iron produced, there are other compounds produced as a result of that reaction. Because the outmost layer (surface) is much colder than in the centre, the compounds later will form rocks. Actually, the planets also shine, not as bright as star of course, if it’s surface on the outermost part which consist of rocks and soil are omitted.

By Muchsin Faisol Effendie

The Victory of the Romans and the Lowest Point on Earth

Dead Sea Rift Valley, Israel and Jordan October 1984. Seen from an altitude of 190 nautical miles (350 kilometers) in this near-vertical photograph, the Dead Sea Rift Valley slices south-north through the Middle East. The surface of the Dead Sea, 1292 feet (394 meters) below sea level, is the lowest point on Earth. (Courtesy: The Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, Photo #: STS41G-120-56, http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov)
In the early 7th century, the two most powerful empires at the time were the Byzantine[1] and Persian Empires. In the years 613 - 614 C.E the two Empires went to war, with the Byzantines suffering a severe defeat at the hands of the Persians. Damascus and Jerusalem both fell to the Persian Empire. In the chapter, The Romans, in the Holy Quran, it is stated that the Byzantines had met with a great defeat but would soon gain victory:
“The Romans have been defeated in the lowest land, but after their defeat they will soon be victorious. Within three to nine years. The decision of the matter, before and after, is with God.” (Quran 30:2-4)
These verses, above, were revealed around 620 C.E, almost 7 years after the severe defeat of the Christian Byzantines at the hands of the idolater Persians in 613 – 614 C.E. Yet it was related in the verses that the Byzantines would shortly be victorious. In-fact, Byzantine had been so heavily defeated that it seemed impossible for the Empire to even maintain its very existence, let alone be victorious again.
Not only the Persians, but also the Avars, Slavs and Lombards (located to the North and West of the Byzantine Empire) posed serious threats to the Byzantine Empire’s sovereignty. The Avars had come as far as the walls of Constantinople and had nearly captured the Emperor, himself. Many governors had revolted against Emperor Heraclius, and the Empire was on the point of collapse. Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Armenia, which had earlier belonged to the Byzantine Empire, were invaded by the Persians. In short, everyone was expecting the Byzantine Empire to be destroyed, but right at that moment the first verses of the chapter, The Romans, were revealed announcing that the Byzantines would regain triumph in a few years time. Shortly after this revelation, the Byzantine Emperor proceeded to order the gold and silver in churches to be melted and turned into money in order both to meet the demanding expenses of the army, and finance his drive to regain the lost territories.
Around 7 years after the revelation of the first verses of The Romans, in December, 627 C.E, a decisive battle between The Byzantine Empire and the Persian Empire was fought in the area around the Dead Sea,[2] and this time it was the Byzantine army which surprisingly defeated the Persians. A few months later, the Persians had to make an agreement with the Byzantines which obliged them to return the territories they had taken from them. So, in the end, the victory of the Romans proclaimed by God in the Quran miraculously came through.
Another miracle revealed in the mentioned verses is the announcement of a geographical fact that no-one would have been able to discover in that period. In the third verse of The Romans, it was mentioned that the Romans were defeated “in the lowest land” (Quran 30:3). Significantly, the places where the main battles took place (in Damascus and Jerusalem) lie in a vast area of low-lying land called the Great Rift Valley. The Great Rift Valley is a huge 5,000 km fault line in the earth’s crust that runs from northern Syria in the Middle-East of Asia to central Mozambique in East Africa. The northernmost extension runs through Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordon. The rift then extends south to the Gulf of Aden, makes its way through East Africa, then finally ends at the lower Zambezi River valley in Mozambique.
An interesting fact that has been discovered recently, with the help of satellite images, is that the area around the Dead Sea (located in the Great Rift Valley) has the lowest altitude on Earth. In fact, the lowest point on Earth is the shoreline of the Dead Sea, with an altitude of around 400 meters[3] below sea level. The fact that it lies at the lowest point means that water does not drain from the sea. No land point on earth has a lower altitude than the shoreline of the Dead Sea.[4]
Therefore it becomes clear that the country or prefecture which occupies the rift valley in the vicinity of the Dead Sea is what is meant in the Quran by “the lowest land.” This is a true miracle of the Quran because no-one could have known or foreseen such a fact in the 7th century due to the fact that satellites and modern day technology were not available at the time. Once again, the only possible explanation is that Prophet Muhammad had truly received divine revelation from God, The Creator and Originator of the universe.
(The Religion of Islam.htm)

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Footnotes:
[1] The Arabs also refer to the Byzantines as the Romans.
[2] The History of Persia Part I: Ancient Persia by Scott Peoples
[3] (http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/SanjeevMenon.shtml)
[4] (http://www.elnaggarzr.com/index.php?l=ar&id=51&cat=6)

The Miracle of Iron

Iron is one of the elements highlighted in the Quran. In the chapter known Al-Hadeed, meaning Iron, we are informed:
“And We also sent down iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind…” (Quran 57:25)
The word “anzalna,” translated as "sent down" and used for iron in the verse, could be thought of having a metaphorical meaning to explain that iron has been given to benefit people. But, when we take into consideration the literal meaning of the word, which is, "being physically sent down from the sky, as this word usage had not been employed in the Quran except literally, like the descending of the rain or revelation, we realize that this verse implies a very significant scientific miracle. Because, modern astronomical findings have disclosed that the iron found in our world has come from giant stars in outer space.[1]
Not only the iron on earth, but also the iron in the entire Solar System, comes from outer space, since the temperature in the Sun is inadequate for the formation of iron. The sun has a surface temperature of 6,000 degrees Celsius, and a core temperature of approximately 20 million degrees. Iron can only be produced in much larger stars than the Sun, where the temperature reaches a few hundred million degrees. When the amount of iron exceeds a certain level in a star, the star can no longer accommodate it, and it eventually explodes in what is called a "nova" or a "supernova." These explosions make it possible for iron to be given off into space.[2]
One scientific source provides the following information on this subject:
“There is also evidence for older supernova events: Enhanced levels of iron-60 in deep-sea sediments have been interpreted as indications that a supernova explosion occurred within 90 light-years of the sun about 5 million years ago. Iron-60 is a radioactive isotope of iron, formed in supernova explosions, which decays with a half life of 1.5 million years. An enhanced presence of this isotope in a geologic layer indicates the recent nucleosynthesis of elements nearby in space and their subsequent transport to the earth (perhaps as part of dust grains).”[3]
All this shows that iron did not form on the Earth, but was carried from Supernovas, and was "sent down," as stated in the verse. It is clear that this fact could not have been known in the 7th century, when the Quran was revealed. Nevertheless, this fact is related in the Quran, the Word of God, Who encompasses all things in His infinite knowledge.
The fact that the verse specifically mentions iron is quite astounding, considering that these discoveries were made at the end of the 20th century. In his book Nature’s Destiny, the well-known microbiologist Michael Denton emphasizes the importance of iron:
“Of all the metals there is none more essential to life than iron. It is the accumulation of iron in the center of a star which triggers a supernova explosion and the subsequent scattering of the vital atoms of life throughout the cosmos. It was the drawing by gravity of iron atoms to the center of the primeval earth that generated the heat which caused the initial chemical differentiation of the earth, the outgassing of the early atmosphere, and ultimately the formation of the hydrosphere. It is molten iron in the center of the earth which, acting like a gigantic dynamo, generates the earth’s magnetic field, which in turn creates the Van Allen radiation belts that shield the earth’s surface from destructive high-energy-penetrating cosmic radiation and preserve the crucial ozone layer from cosmic ray destruction…
“Without the iron atom, there would be no carbon-based life in the cosmos; no supernovae, no heating of the primitive earth, no atmosphere or hydrosphere. There would be no protective magnetic field, no Van Allen radiation belts, no ozone layer, no metal to make hemoglobin [in human blood], no metal to tame the reactivity of oxygen, and no oxidative metabolism.
“The intriguing and intimate relationship between life and iron, between the red color of blood and the dying of some distant star, not only indicates the relevance of metals to biology but also the biocentricity of the cosmos…”[4]
This account clearly indicates the importance of the iron atom. The fact that particular attention is drawn to iron in the Quran also emphasizes the importance of the element.
Moreover, iron oxide particles were used in a cancer treatment in recent months and positive developments were observed. A team led by Dr. Andreas Jordan, at the world famous Charité Hospital in Germany, succeeded in destroying cancer cells with this new technique developed for the treatment of cancer—magnetic fluid hyperthermia (high temperature magnetic liquid). As a result of this technique, first performed on the 26-year-old Nikolaus H., no new cancer cells were observed in the patient in the following three months.
This method of treatment can be summarized as follows:
1. A liquid containing iron oxide particles is injected into the tumour by means of a special syringe. These particles spread throughout the tumour cells. This liquid consists of thousands of millions of particles, 1,000 times smaller than the red blood corpuscles, of iron oxide in 1 cm3 that can easily flow through all blood vessels. [5]
2. The patient is then placed in a machine with a powerful magnetic field.
3. This magnetic field, applied externally, begins to set the iron particles in the tumour in motion. During this time the temperature in the tumour containing the iron oxide particles rises by up to 45 degrees.
4. In a few minutes the cancer cells, unable to protect themselves from the heat, are either weakened or destroyed. The tumour may then be completely eradicated with subsequent chemotherapy.[6]
In this treatment it is only the cancer cells that are affected by the magnetic field, since only they contain the iron oxide particles. The spread of this technique is a major development in the treatment of this potentially lethal disease. Iron has also been found to be a cure for people suffering from anemia. In the treatment of such a widespread diseases, the use of the expression “iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind” (Quran, 57:25) in the Quran is particularly noteworthy. Indeed, in that verse, the Quran may be indicating the benefits of iron even for human health. (God knows best.)


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Footnotes:
[1] Dr. Mazhar U. Kazi, 130 Evident Miracles in the Qur'an (New York, USA: Crescent Publishing House: 1998), 110-111; and www.wamy.co.uk/announcements3.html, from Prof. Zighloul Raghib El-Naggar’s speech.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Priscilla Frisch, “The Galactic Environment of the Sun,” American Scientist, January-February 2000, www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/21173?fulltext=true.
[4] Michael J. Denton, Nature’s Destiny (The Free Press: 1998), 198.
[5] www.inm-gmbh.de/cgi-bin/frame/frameloader.pl?sprache=en&url=http://www.inm-gmbh.de/htdocs/technologien/highlights/highlights_en.htm.
[6] "Nanotechnology successfully helps cancer therapies," IIC Fast Track, Nanotech News from Eastern Germany, Industrial Investment Council, October 2003; www.iic.de/uploads/media/NANO_FT_Nov2003_01.pdf

Scientists’ Comments on the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran

The following are some comments of scientists[1] on the scientific miracles in the Holy Quran. All of these comments have been taken from the videotape entitled This is the Truth. In this videotape, you can see and hear the scientists while they are giving the following comments. (To view the RealPlayer video of a comment, click on the link at the end of that comment. For a copy of this videotape, please visit this page.)

1) Dr. T. V. N. Persaud is Professor of Anatomy, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. There, he was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy for 16 years. He is well-known in his field. He is the author or editor of 22 textbooks and has published over 181 scientific papers. In 1991, he received the most distinguished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists. When he was asked about the scientific miracles in the Quran which he has researched, he stated the following:

“The way it was explained to me is that Muhammad was a very ordinary man. He could not read, didn’t know [how] to write. In fact, he was an illiterate. And we’re talking about twelve [actually about fourteen] hundred years ago. You have someone illiterate making profound pronouncements and statements and that are amazingly accurate about scientific nature. And I personally can’t see how this could be a mere chance. There are too many accuracies and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these statements.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)

Professor Persaud has included some Quranic verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, in some of his books. He has also presented these verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad at several conferences.

2) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. Formerly, he was Professor of Ob-Gyn and the Chairman of the Department of Ob-Gyn at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was also the President of the American Fertility Society. He has received many awards, including the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology Public Recognition Award in 1992. Professor Simpson studied the following two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:

“In every one of you, all components of your creation are collected together in your mother’s womb by forty days...”[2]

“If forty-two nights have passed over the embryo, God sends an angel to it, who shapes it and creates its hearing, vision, skin, flesh, and bones....”[3]

He studied these two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad extensively, noting that the first forty days constitute a clearly distinguishable stage of embryo-genesis. He was particularly impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of those sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. Then, during one conference, he gave the following opinion:

“So that the two hadeeths (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) that have been noted provide us with a specific time table for the main embryological development before forty days. Again, the point has been made, I think, repeatedly by other speakers this morning: these hadeeths could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available [at] the time of their writing . . . . It follows, I think, that not only there is no conflict between genetics and religion but, in fact, religion can guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches, that there exist statements in the Quran shown centuries later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Quran having been derived from God.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)

3) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. There, for 22 years he was Professor of Anatomy, the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy, and the Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute. He was also the President of the Teratology Society. He has authored more than 200 publications. In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Johnson said in the presentation of his research paper:

“Summary: The Quran describes not only the development of external form, but emphasizes also the internal stages, the stages inside the embryo, of its creation and development, emphasizing major events recognized by contemporary science.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)

Also he said: “As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically see. I can understand embryology and developmental biology. I can understand the words that are translated to me from the Quran. As I gave the example before, if I were to transpose myself into that era, knowing what I knew today and describing things, I could not describe the things which were described. I see no evidence for the fact to refute the concept that this individual, Muhammad, had to be developing this information from some place. So I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that divine intervention was involved in what he was able to write.”[4] (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)

4) Dr. William W. Hay is a well-known marine scientist. He is Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA. He was formerly the Dean of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA. After a discussion with Professor Hay about the Quran’s mention of recently discovered facts on seas, he said:

“I find it very interesting that this sort of information is in the ancient scriptures of the Holy Quran, and I have no way of knowing where they would come from, but I think it is extremely interesting that they are there and that this work is going on to discover it, the meaning of some of the passages.” And when he was asked about the source of the Quran, he replied: “Well, I would think it must be the divine being.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)

5) Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer is Course Director and Associate Professor of Medical Embryology at the Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Goeringer stated the following in the presentation of his research paper:

“In a relatively few aayahs (Quranic verses) is contained a rather comprehensive description of human development from the time of commingling of the gametes through organogenesis. No such distinct and complete record of human development, such as classification, terminology, and description, existed previously. In most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many centuries the recording of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal development recorded in the traditional scientific literature.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)

6) Dr. Yoshihide Kozai is Professor Emeritus at Tokyo University, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan, and was the Director of the National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. He said:

“I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in [the] Quran, and for us the modern astronomers have been studying very small pieces of the universe. We’ve concentrated our efforts for understanding of [a] very small part. Because by using telescopes, we can see only very few parts [of] the sky without thinking [about the] whole universe. So, by reading [the] Quran and by answering to the questions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the universe.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)

7) Professor Tejatat Tejasen is the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Previously, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the same university. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Tejasen stood up and said:

“During the last three years, I became interested in the Quran . . . . From my study and what I have learned from this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Quran fourteen hundred years ago must be the truth, that can be proved by the scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither read nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth, which was revealed to him as an enlightenment by the one who is eligible [as the] creator. This creator must be God. Therefore, I think this is the time to say La ilaha illa Allah, there is no god to worship except Allah (God), Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, Muhammad is Messenger (Prophet) of Allah (God). Lastly, I must congratulate for the excellent and highly successful arrangement for this conference . . . . I have gained not only from the scientific point of view and religious point of view but also the great chance of meeting many well-known scientists and making many new friends among the participants. The most precious thing of all that I have gained by coming to this place is La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, and to have become a Muslim.” (View the RealPlayer video of this comment)

After all these examples we have seen about the scientific miracles in the Holy Quran and all these scientists’ comments on this, let us ask ourselves these questions:

· Could it be a coincidence that all this recently discovered scientific information from different fields was mentioned in the Quran, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago?

· Could this Quran have been authored by Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, or by any other human being?

The only possible answer is that this Quran must be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.

Footnotes:

[1] Note: The occupations of all the scientists mentioned in this web site were last updated in 1997.

[2] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim #2643, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari #3208.

Note: What is between these special brackets {...} in this guide is a translation of what the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said. Also note that this symbol # used in the footnotes, indicates the number of the hadeeth. A hadeeth is a reliably transmitted report by the Prophet Muhammad’s companions of what he said, did, or approved of.

[3] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim #2645.

[4] The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was illiterate. He could not read nor write, but he dictated the Quran to his Companions and commanded some of them to write it down.

http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/219/

The Earth’s Atmosphere

“By the sky which returns.” (Quran 86:11)

“[He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling…” (Quran 2:22)

In the first verse God swears by the sky[1] and its function of ‘returning’ without specifying what it ‘returns.’ In Islamic doctrine, a divine oath signifies the magnitude of importance of a special relation to the Creator, and manifests His majesty and the supreme Truth in a special way.

The second verse describes the Divine Act that made the sky a ‘ceiling’ for the dwellers of earth.

Let us see what modern atmospheric science has to say about the role and function of the sky.

The atmosphere is a word which denotes all the air surrounding the earth, from the ground all the way up to the edge from which space starts. The atmosphere is composed of several layers, each defined because of the various phenomena which occur within the layer.
Rain, for one, is ‘returned’ to Earth by the clouds in the atmosphere. Explaining the hydrologic cycle, Encyclopedia Britannica writes:

“Water evaporates from both the aquatic and terrestrial environments as it is heated by the Sun’s energy. The rates of evaporation and precipitation depend on solar energy, as do the patterns of circulation of moisture in the air and currents in the ocean. Evaporation exceeds precipitation over the oceans, and this water vapor is transported by the wind over land, where it returns to the land through precipitation.”[2]

Not only does the atmosphere return what was on the surface back to the surface, but it reflects back into space that which might damage the flora and fauna the earth sustains, such as excessive radiant heat. In the 1990’s, collaborations between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) of Japan resulted in the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) Science Initiative. Polar, Wind and Geotail are a part of this initiative, combining resources and scientific communities to obtain coordinated, simultaneous investigations of the Sun-Earth space environment over an extended period of time. They have an excellent explanation of how the atmosphere returns solar heat to space.[3]

Besides ‘returning’ rain, heat and radio waves, the atmosphere protects us like a ceiling above our heads by filtering out deadly cosmic rays, powerful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun, and even meteorites on collision course with Earth.[4]

Pennsylvania State Public Broadcasting tells us:

“The sunlight that we can see represents one group of wavelengths, visible light. Other wavelengths emitted by the sun include x-rays and ultraviolet radiation. X-rays and some ultraviolet light waves are absorbed high in Earth’s atmosphere. They heat the thin layer of gas there to very high temperatures. Ultraviolet light waves are the rays that can cause sunburn. Most ultraviolet light waves are absorbed by a thicker layer of gas closer to Earth called the ozone layer. By soaking up the deadly ultraviolet and x-rays, the atmosphere acts as a protective shield around the planet. Like a giant thermal blanket, the atmosphere also keeps temperatures from getting too hot or too cold. In addition, the atmosphere also protects us from constant bombardment by meteoroids, bits of rock and dust that travel at high speeds throughout the solar system. The falling stars we see at night are not stars at all; they are actually meteoroids burning up in our atmosphere due to the extreme heating they undergo.”[5]
Encyclopedia Britannica, describing the role of Stratosphere, tells us about its protective role in absorbing dangerous ultraviolet radiation:

“In the upper stratospheric regions, absorption of ultraviolet light from the Sun breaks down oxygen molecules; recombination of oxygen atoms with O2 molecules into ozone (O3) creates the ozone layer, which shields the lower ecosphere from harmful short-wavelength radiation…More disturbing, however, is the discovery of a growing depletion of ozone over temperate latitudes, where a large percentage of the world’s population resides, since the ozone layer serves as a shield against ultraviolet radiation, which has been found to cause skin cancer.”[6]

The mesosphere is the layer in which many meteors burn up while entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Imagine a baseball zipping along at 30,000 miles per hour. That’s how big and fast many meteors are. When they plow through the atmosphere, meteors are heated to more than 3000 degrees Fahrenheit, and they glow. A meteor compresses air in front of it. The air heats up, in turn heating the meteor.[7]

Earth is surrounded by a magnetic force field - a bubble in space called “the magnetosphere” tens of thousands of miles wide. The magnetosphere acts as a shield that protects us from solar storms. However, according to new observations from NASA’s IMAGE spacecraft and the joint NASA/European Space Agency Cluster satellites, immense cracks sometimes develop in Earth’s magnetosphere and remain open for hours. This allows the solar wind to gush through and power stormy space weather. Fortunately, these cracks do not expose Earth’s surface to the solar wind. Our atmosphere protects us, even when our magnetic field does not.[8]

How would it be possible for a fourteenth century desert dweller to describe the sky in a manner so precise that only recent scientific discoveries have confirmed it? The only way is if he received revelation from the Creator of the sky.

Footnotes:

[1] Al-Samaa’, the Arabic word translated here as ‘sky’ includes earth’s atmosphere as indicated by the verse 2:164.

[2] ”Biosphere.” Encyclopedia Britannica from Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service.
(http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=70872)

[3] (http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sweather1.htm)

[4] Atmospheric, Climate & Environment Information Programme of the Manchester Metropolitan University at (http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/Atmosphere/atmosphere.html)

[5] (http://www.witn.psu.edu/articles/article.phtml?article_id=255&show_id=44)

[6] “Earth.” Encyclopedia Britannica from Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service.
(http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=54196)

[7] (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/meteors-ez.html)

(http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/1/)

[8] (http://www.firstscience.com/SITE/ARTICLES/magnetosphere.asp)

Where the place or the planet, when Muhammad mi’raj ?

Mi’raj event, starting from the evening until just before Fajr. Means from 19:00 until 4:00 or 9 hour drive.
If half the journey 4.5 hours, then the distance traveled by the vehicle Buraq record exists at the same speed of light or 300,000 km / sec, ie:
S = vt
= 300 000. 4.5
= 300 000. 3600. 4.5
= 4,860,000,000 kilo meters
While the distance of Neptune from the sun is 4,500,000,000 kms or no affinity. What is the planet Neptune is a place visited during mi’raj ?

THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

There are theories which deal with the process of the creation of the universe. And in this letter I would like to write it according to what is said about it in the Koran. In this holy book, astronomy field dominates the discussion about physics. I found out that it is randomly discussed (there is no definite order of one discussion to next ones). That is why I have to pick some words or paragraphs and put them in certain order according to common sense and some physics laws.

One word in one paragraph or section may have many different meanings. And the key word in my discussion here is the word heaven (as sama). The phases of the creation of the universe are related to that word. And in it’s context, it’s interpreted and connected with astronomy. Misinterpretation may occur and it is merely caused by my own mistake of my insufficient capabilities in translations. For that reason, I welcome any constructive and I do hope that my explanation be useful for all of us.

Sincerely yours,

Muchsin Faisal Effendie

THE MEANING OF HEAVEN (AS SAMA)

The word heaven (as sama) has both micro and macro sense. In term of micro sense, heaven means the smallest unit. While in broad sense, heaven is formed by it’s units. In other words, there are some levels of heaven in the universe. It can be clarified we follow: atmosphere, heavenly bodies and the galaxies.

Heaven which means atmosphere, in a narrow sense heaven means sky or layer which surround the earth. This meaning is found in the following:

“And We bring you rain down from heaven” (31:10)

There is still other paragraph which means a like. What is meant by the word heaven in the quotations above is cloud. This meaning is classified in another paragraph:

“And we come down from the cloud, the water which is pouring” (46:24)

According to geography what we know about atmosphere, cloud is exist in the troposphere layer. It is about 12 kilo meters high, while the cloud is usually about 2 kilo meters above the sea level.

To make sure that heaven means atmosphere, look at this quotation:

“Birds fly in heaven” (16:79)

“Good trees, the roots are strong, and the branch reaches the heaven” (14:24)

It is quite clear that heaven means atmosphere, because birds fly in the sky or atmosphere.

Heaven means heavenly bodies is higher than the first meaning above. Heavenly bodies may include stars, planets, comets or meteors. Heaven meaning heavenly bodies can be found in there paragraphs:

“Decorating the sky which is closes the decoration, the stars and the planets” (37:6)

I think what is by sky here is the sky which can be seen by naked eye, without using a telescope., because it is in the sky we can see the stars, planets or meteors. So, the right interpretation of the word heaven here is constellation of the stars. Where the star is the system with planets, meteors, comets, satellites and other heavenly bodies in it. We can call this a zodiac.

Heavenly means galaxy; galaxy is cluster of stars which can be billons. We, who live in this solar system is part of our galaxy – The Milky Way. Heaven which means galaxy is found in the following:

“And actually We have create clusters of stars (buruuj) in the heaven” (15:16)

“For heaven’s shake with it’s stars” (85:1)

In astronomy, the word buruuj means cluster or groups of star. So, group of star is nothing but galaxy.

THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

Many things which happen in these worlds are merely repetition of what have taken place in the past. We often notice and feel the cycle of world’s phenomenon. And so is the history of the universe.

“Like what We have done when we start the first creation, We will repeat that again (nu’iiduhu)” (21:104)

Nu’iiduhu is derived from the ‘aada, which means ‘aada : raja’a : again or repeated. It is just like when someone goes, and then come back again. If we draw a line from the time he went and the time he came back. It will form a closed curve. The sentence which contains that word is ‘iidu sanawiyyu tadzaariyyu which means birthday. If we consider the first birthday as the beginning which is followed by the second one plus the happenings which occur between them, and if we draw a line, it is very hard to imagine this life as straight line. Because the beginning finally meets with the end. This life is best illustrated as a circle.

When we look at a circle, we can not decide which is the beginning and which is the end. In relation with the word nu’iiduhu, it is interpreted as the repetition of the end into the beginning.

Circle is the closest in meaning with the word nu’iiduhu, a part of the nature phenomenon like water cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle. That water undergoes a cycle is obvious. Water in may different places will vaporize; continuous evaporation especially during dry season will form clouds. Cloud will form rain, and water will come down to the earth again.

That’s why I put the end of the world (the judgment day) and the beginning of the world with the hell with it’s fire between them as the first phase. As I have said before that last is the first.