Author: Mufti Noor Mohammad Mohibi
The Qur’an: A Miracle Beyond Time- A Study of Its Miraculous Nature (Part 15)
The Scientific Miracle of the Holy Quran
Prophets before Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were sent to specific people and for limited periods of time, and for this reason, Allah Almighty confirmed them with tangible miracles; such as the staff of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) or the resurrection of the dead by Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). These miracles were visible only to the contemporaries of those prophets.
However, when Allah Almighty ended the prophet hood by sending prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), He guaranteed the preservation of his religion and confirmed him with great miracles that will remain available to people until the Day of Judgment, as Allah Almighty says: “وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا ٱلقُرءَانُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِۦ وَمَن بَلَغَۚ” Translation: “And this Quran has been revealed to me so that I may warn you and whomever it reaches.”[Surah An’am, verse 19]
This verse of the Quran contains a clear statement of the nature of a scientific miracle; a miracle that will remain available to people until the Day of Judgment and will flourish with every human progress in the fields of sciences related to the meanings of divine revelation, and it will be understood in every time and place and will be renewed throughout the centuries and ages, and will always shine; therefore, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “ما من الأنبياء نبي إلا أعطي ما مثله آمن عليه البشر، وإنما كان الذي أوتيته وحيا أوحاه الله إلي، فأرجو أن أكون أكثرهم تابعا يوم القيامة.” Translation: “There is no prophet among the prophets who was not given something that would make people believe in him. What I was given was a revelation that God revealed to me, so I hope that I will have the most followers on the Day of Resurrection.”[1]
Ibn Hajar, may Allah bless him, said in his explanation of this Hadith: This statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him, is based on what was said before about the enduring miracle of the Holy Quran, because its benefit is great and comprehensive, because the Holy Quran is both an invitation and an argument and news of what is to come; so its benefit includes those present, those absent, those who exist, and even those who have not yet come; therefore, this arrangement is very good.
It has been said about this: What is meant is that the miracles of the Prophets, peace be upon them, disappeared with the end of their era, and only those who were present at the time of their occurrence saw them; But the miracle of the Holy Quran will endure until the Day of Judgment. This miracle, with its unique style of expression, amazing eloquence, and news of the unseen, has gone beyond the framework of habit, so that no era passes without a part of what the Quran has announced about its occurrence appearing and proving the truthfulness of the message of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.[2]
The Quran’s Promise of Discovering Truths in the Future
The Holy Quran promises in several verses that over time, divine signs will become apparent in the horizons and in the souls: “سَنُرِيهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِنَا فِي ٱلأٓفَاقِ وَفِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمۡ أَنَّهُ ٱلحَقُّۗ” Translation: “Soon We will show them Our signs in the horizons and in their own souls until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth.”[Fussilat: 53]
According to this verse, science is a means of discovering the truth of revelation; not in conflict with it, but rather in complement to it.
When mankind entered the age of scientific discoveries, it acquired very precise research tools and was able to prepare a large army of researchers in various fields to search for the secrets hidden in the horizons of the earth and the sky and in the psychological dimensions of man. They began a long journey in the context of centuries and ages by collecting the basics, observing the phenomena and analyzing the results. When the picture became more complete and the truth became clear, suddenly a great surprise appeared: a bright ray of the light of divine revelation that had been revealed to Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, more than fourteen hundred years ago, had expressed the same truth in a miraculous way and with brilliant and precise expression in the depths of a verse of the Quran or a part of it.
The nature of the scientific miracle of the Quran
The term “scientific miracle” has become popular in our era. The description of “miracle” as “scientific” is due to its relation to “science”; that is, a definite truth that corresponds to reality and for which there is a reason; So, if something is not certain, it is either a guess, a doubt, or a fantasy, and if it does not correspond to reality, it is ignorance, and if it is without reason, it is imitation.
Definition of Ihjaz (miracle):
A miracle is when the Holy Quran informs about a truth that empirical science has later proven and it has become clear that it was not possible to understand with human tools and abilities during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This reveals and confirms the truthfulness of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in what he brought from his Lord. The scientific miracle of the Holy Quran, due to the scientific truths it contains, is a clear proof of the universality of the message of Islam.[3]
Definition of “Scientific Miracle”:
A scientific miracle can be defined as follows: It is something that the Holy Quran or the Prophetic Hadith informs about a truth that empirical science has later proven, and it has become clear that during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), was not possible to know that truth through human means.[4]
The difference between scientific miracle and scientific interpretation
The two key concepts in dealing with the Holy Quran in the present era are “scientific miracle” and “scientific interpretation”, which, despite their nature being related, have different functions, such that “scientific miracle” means that the Holy Quran is ahead of the Holy Quran in expressing a universal truth before it is discovered by empirical science. This is what is meant by the word “miracle”.
However, “scientific interpretation” of the Holy Quran means discovering new meanings from the verses of the Quran based on theories whose validity is preferred in natural and cosmic sciences, without going too far in interpretation.[5]
In other words, the difference between “scientific interpretation” and “scientific miracle” is that scientific interpretation is discovering the meanings of a verse or hadith based on what is preferred in natural and cosmic sciences.[6]
In fact, scientific miracle is a further development of the divine knowledge hidden in the Holy Quran, while scientific interpretation is a human understanding based on existing scientific achievements.
Criteria and principles for researching scientific miracles
Islamic scholars have established a set of criteria for researching the scientific miracles of the Quran, so that this field remains safe from the scourge of interpretation based on “opinion” and “incorrect interpretation”:
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Scientific interpretation of the Holy Quran is a sensitive and risky matter, therefore the interpreter must enter this field with complete caution and using religious and secular sciences; because interpreting the Book of Allah is one of the greatest human responsibilities.
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The Holy Quran is a book of guidance, not a book of natural sciences, its goal is to lead man to happiness and perfection, not to deal with scientific details, however, there are scientific references in the Quran that strengthen the faith of those who are certain and eliminate the doubts of those who doubt. These references are eternal miracles that guide the human intellect towards faith.
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The Holy Quran never contradicts established scientific facts, because the Holy Quran is the word of Allah Almighty and His action, and there is no conflict between the word and the divine action.
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The truth of the Holy Quran is superior to any human science. We do not compare the Holy Quran with science; rather, science must harmonize itself with the Holy Quran; because the speaker of the Holy Quran is Allah Almighty, but science is the result of human effort.
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As long as there is no clear evidence, the original meaning of the Quranic words should not be abandoned and turned to figurative meanings. Experience has shown that in scientific interpretation, considering the original meaning is more accurate and effective.
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Only definite scientific facts can be used in the scientific interpretation of the Holy Quran; scientific theories that are still in the stage of experiment and testing should not be used as the basis for interpretation.
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In understanding the words of the Quran, one should pay attention to the meanings that were prevalent at the time of the revelation of the Holy Quran and avoid the linguistic influences of later periods.
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Interpretation of the Holy Quran must be done in accordance with the rules of Arabic grammar, because the Holy Quran was revealed in clear Arabic.
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The rhetorical styles and literary subtleties of the Holy Quran must be carefully considered, because a deeper understanding of the verses depends on understanding these points.
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Quranic phrases in many cases have multiple meanings, and all of those meanings can be correct; therefore, limiting a word to only one meaning without convincing reason is unacceptable.
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In interpreting scientific and cosmic subjects, all related verses must be examined, and the accurate understanding of a verse depends on understanding a set of similar or related verses.
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The Holy Quran does not conflict with the system of creation, because both come from the same source: the Holy Quran is the written book of Allah Almighty, and nature is His visible book.
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The verses of the Holy Quran are never in conflict with each other, and any perception of conflict is due to ignorance and misunderstanding.[1]
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Finally, the relevance is that in scientific interpretation, one should follow the method of the righteous predecessors and follow the principle of moderation without compromise.
Thematic Dimensions of the Scientific Miracle of the Quran
The Holy Quran contains references in various cases of creation that correspond to scientific findings, and the following include various sections:
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In the heavens;
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In the earth;
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In the mountains;
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In the seas;
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In plants;
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In the animal world;
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In insects;
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In birds;
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In the horizons of the world;
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And within humans (souls);
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Even in contemporary scientific issues: such as simulation, environmental pollution, and the possibility of life on other planets, all of these are signs of divine miracle in the Holy Quran.
Continues…
References:
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Chapter: How the Revelation Came to Be and the First Thing to Be Revealed, Book of the Virtues of the Qur’an, Hadith No. 4696 (4/1905)
- Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar, Book of the Virtues of the Qur’an, Hadith No. 4981 (9/7, Salafiyya Edition).
- Encyclopedia of the Scientific Miracles in the Qur’an and Sunnah (1/10), The Linguistic Miracle in the Holy Qur’an (1/71).
- Encyclopedia of the Scientific Miracle in the Qur’an and Sunnah (1/16).
- Curricula of the International University of Madinah, The Linguistic Miracle in the Holy Qur’an (1/71).
- Encyclopedia of the Scientific Miracle in the Qur’an and Sunnah (1/16)
- The concept of the fragment from: The Scientific Miracle in the Holy Qur’an – University of Madinah (pp. 69-71).
