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==Creation and evolution== |
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==Creation and evolution== |
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{{See also|Islamic views on evolution}} |
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{{See also|Islamic views on evolution}} |
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The Qur'an contains many verses describing creation of the universe; ] created ]s and ] in six heavenly days{{quran-usc|7|54|expand=no}} (approx. six ] on earth),<ref>Agwan, A. R., N. K. Singh. ''L - O. Volume 3 of Encyclopaedia of the Holy Qurʼân.'' Global Vision Publishing Ho, 2000. ISBN(9788187746003) p. 243</ref> the earth was created in two days{{quran-usc|41|9|expand=no}}, and in two other days (into a total of four) God furnished the creation of the earth with mountains, rivers and fruit-gardens {{quran-usc|41|10|expand=no}}. Then heavens and earth formed from an integrated disk-shaped mass which had to be split {{quran-usc|21|30|expand=no}}, the seven heavens were created from smoke {{quran-usc|41|11|expand=no}}, forming layers, one above the other {{quran-usc|67|3|expand=no}}. The angels inhabit the ]. The lowest heaven is adorned with lights {{quran-usc|41|12|expand=no}}, the sun and the moon (which follow a regular path) {{quran-usc|71|16|expand=no}}{{quran-usc|14|33|expand=no}}, the stars {{quran-usc|37|6|expand=no}} and the constellations of the ] {{quran-usc|15|16|expand=no}}.<ref name="EOQ_Cos">Angelika Neuwirth , Cosmology, Encyclopedia of the Qur'an</ref> |
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The Qur'an contains many verses describing creation of the universe; ] created ]s and ] in six heavenly days{{quran-usc|7|54|expand=no}} (approx. six millennium on earth),<ref>Agwan, A. R., N. K. Singh. ''L - O. Volume 3 of Encyclopaedia of the Holy Qurʼân.'' Global Vision Publishing Ho, 2000. ISBN(9788187746003) p. 243</ref> the earth was created in two days{{quran-usc|41|9|expand=no}}, and in two other days (into a total of four) God furnished the creation of the earth with mountains, rivers and fruit-gardens {{quran-usc|41|10|expand=no}}. Then heavens and earth formed from an integrated disk-shaped mass which had to be split {{quran-usc|21|30|expand=no}}, the seven heavens were created from smoke {{quran-usc|41|11|expand=no}}, forming layers, one above the other {{quran-usc|67|3|expand=no}}. The angels inhabit the ]. The lowest heaven is adorned with lights {{quran-usc|41|12|expand=no}}, the sun and the moon (which follow a regular path) {{quran-usc|71|16|expand=no}}{{quran-usc|14|33|expand=no}}, the stars {{quran-usc|37|6|expand=no}} and the constellations of the ] {{quran-usc|15|16|expand=no}}.<ref name="EOQ_Cos">Angelika Neuwirth , Cosmology, Encyclopedia of the Qur'an</ref> |
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] seen on the left.]] |
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== Expansion of Universe == |
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== Expansion of Universe == |
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Verse {{quran-usc|51|47|expand=no}} says in one translation "And the sky was built by Us with might; and indeed We are the expanders" , and in another "We will continue to expand it."<ref>Khalifa, Rashad. Quran: The Final Testament, Authorized English Version. Suleman Imdad, 1992. ISBN(0979345901)</ref> Some have interpreted it to be a reference to what is now know as the ]. However, the clause is more commonly translated as "for it is We Who create the vastness of space", or "We it is Who make the vast extent (thereof)", or "We are the makers of things ample." " "The heaven, We have built it with power. Verily. We are expanding it."'Heaven' is the translation of the word sama' and this is exactly the extra-terrestrial world that is meant. |
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Verse {{quran-usc|51|47|expand=no}} says in one translation "And the sky was built by Us with might; and indeed We are the expanders" , and in another "We will continue to expand it."<ref>Khalifa, Rashad. Quran: The Final Testament, Authorized English Version. Suleman Imdad, 1992. ISBN(0979345901)</ref> Some have interpreted it to be a reference to what is now know as the ]. However, the clause is more commonly translated as "for it is We Who create the vastness of space", or "We it is Who make the vast extent (thereof)", or "We are the makers of things ample." |
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'We are expanding it' is the translation of the plural present participle musi'una of the verb ausa'a meaning 'to make wider, more spacious, to extend, to expand'Others sense the meaning, but are afraid to commit themselves: Hamidullah in his |
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translation of the Qur'an talks of the widening of the heavens and space, but he |
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includes a question mark. Finally, there are those who arm themselves with authorized |
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scientific opinion in their commentaries and give the meaning stated here. This is true |
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in the case of the Muntakab, a book of commentaries edited by the Supreme Council |
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for Islamic Affairs, Cairo. It refers to the expansion of the Universe in totally |
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unambiguous terms<ref>{{cite book|last=Bucaille|first=Dr. Maurice|title=The Bible, the Qur'an, and Science: The Holy Scriptures Examined in the Light of Modern Knowledge|year=1977|publisher=TTQ, INC.f|isbn=187940298X, 9781879402980|pages=173|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=sN65wjDOQH0C&pg=PA256&dq=quran+science&hl=en&ei=tFfYTZDlO-nB0AHg97T8Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&sqi=2&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref>." |
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According to ] "In 1925, American astronomer Edwin Hubble, |
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provided observational evidence that all galaxies |
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are moving away from one another, which implies |
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that the universe is expanding. The expansion of the |
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universe is now an established scientific fact. This is |
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what the Qur’an says regarding the nature of the |
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universe: |
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“With power and skill |
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did We construct |
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the Firmament: |
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For it is We Who create |
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the vastness of Space.” |
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The Arabic word musioon is correctly translated as |
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‘expanding it’, and it refers to the creation of the |
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expanding vastness of the universe.<ref>{{cite book|last=Abdul Karim Naik|first=Zakir|title=The Quran And Modern Science Compatible Or Incompatible|publisher=Islamic Books|pages=16|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=1vRcMgixcosC&pg=PP5&dq=The+Quran+And+Modern+Science+Compatible+Or+Incompatible&hl=en&ei=L3HYTYK6IY-6tgfXgojpDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Some%20may%20say%20that%20the%20presence%20of%20astronomical%20facts%20in%20the%20Qur%E2%80%99an%20is%20not%20surprising%20since%20the%20Arabs%20were%20advanced%20in%20the%20field%20of%20astronomy.%20They%20are%20correct%20in%20acknowledging%20the%20advancement%20of%20the%20Arabs%20in%20the%20field%20of%20astronomy.%20However%20they%20fail%20to%20realize%20that%20the%20Qur%E2%80%99an%20was%20revealed%20centuries%20before%20the%20Arabs%20excelled%20in%20astronomy.%20Moreover%20many%20of%20the%20scientific%20facts%20mentioned%20above%2C%20such%20as%20the%20origin%20of%20the%20universe%20with%20a%20Big%20Bang%2C%20were%20not%20known%20to%20the%20Arabs%20even%20at%20the%20peak%20of%20their%20scientific%20advancement.%20The%20scientific%20facts%20mentioned%20in%20the%20Qur%E2%80%99an%20are%20therefore%20not%20due%20to%20the%20Arabs%E2%80%99%20advancement%20in%20astronomy.%20Indeed%2C%20the%20reverse%20is%20true%3A%20they%20advanced%20in%20astronomy%2C%20because%20astronomy%20occupies%20a%20place%20in%20the%20Qur%E2%80%99an&f=false}}</ref> |
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In critisism to it Dr William Campbell said "The fact that the universe is vast is prosaic and obvious. There is no mention of expanding universe in this verse. Any illiterate man could look around himself and see the world is vast. To the ancient people even the Earth looked vast. To us it looks very small. Some modern translators of the Quran have tried to give a scientific spin to the Quran and have translated the word continuity stating that the universe is expanding. This is not true. The word مُوسِعُونَhas no such connotation"<ref>{{cite book|last=Sina|first=Ali|title=World’s Greatest Showman Ali Sina on Zakir Naik: A review of The Qur’an and the Bible in the Light of Science|year=2006|url=http://www.faithfreedom.org/debates/NaikCampbellp4.htm#expanding_universe}}</ref> |
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] mentioned in his book ]- It was also on the London '']'' best-seller list for more than four years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1599719.stm|title=Hawking's briefer history of time|date=2001-10-15|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|accessdate=2008-08-06}}</ref> that |
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"The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the twentieth century".<ref>{{cite book|last=W. Hawking|first=Stephen|title=The illustrated a brief history of time|year=1996|publisher=Random House of Canada,|isbn=0553103741, 9780553103748|pages=52|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=3OTPMeElnW0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=brief+history+of+time&hl=en&ei=H3bYTablCYy5tweak-HoDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=The%20discovery%20that%20the%20universe%20is%20expanding%20was%20one%20of%20the%20great%20intellectual%20revolutions%20of%20the%20twentieth%20century&f=false}}</ref> |
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"Some may say that the presence of astronomical facts in the Qur’an is not surprising since the Arabs were advanced in the field of astronomy. They are |
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correct in acknowledging the advancement of the Arabs in the field of astronomy. However they fail to realize that the Qur’an was revealed centuries before the Arabs excelled in astronomy. Moreover many of the scientific facts mentioned above, such |
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as the origin of the universe with a Big Bang, were not known to the Arabs even at the peak of their scientific advancement. The scientific facts mentioned in the Qur’an are therefore not due to the Arabs’ advancement in astronomy. Indeed, the reverse is true: they advanced in astronomy, |
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because astronomy occupies a place in the Qur’an".<ref>{{cite book|last=Abdul Karim Naik|first=Zakir|title=The Quran And Modern Science Compatible Or Incompatible|publisher=Islamic Books|pages=16|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=1vRcMgixcosC&pg=PP5&dq=The+Quran+And+Modern+Science+Compatible+Or+Incompatible&hl=en&ei=L3HYTYK6IY-6tgfXgojpDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Some%20may%20say%20that%20the%20presence%20of%20astronomical%20facts%20in%20the%20Qur%E2%80%99an%20is%20not%20surprising%20since%20the%20Arabs%20were%20advanced%20in%20the%20field%20of%20astronomy.%20They%20are%20correct%20in%20acknowledging%20the%20advancement%20of%20the%20Arabs%20in%20the%20field%20of%20astronomy.%20However%20they%20fail%20to%20realize%20that%20the%20Qur%E2%80%99an%20was%20revealed%20centuries%20before%20the%20Arabs%20excelled%20in%20astronomy.%20Moreover%20many%20of%20the%20scientific%20facts%20mentioned%20above%2C%20such%20as%20the%20origin%20of%20the%20universe%20with%20a%20Big%20Bang%2C%20were%20not%20known%20to%20the%20Arabs%20even%20at%20the%20peak%20of%20their%20scientific%20advancement.%20The%20scientific%20facts%20mentioned%20in%20the%20Qur%E2%80%99an%20are%20therefore%20not%20due%20to%20the%20Arabs%E2%80%99%20advancement%20in%20astronomy.%20Indeed%2C%20the%20reverse%20is%20true%3A%20they%20advanced%20in%20astronomy%2C%20because%20astronomy%20occupies%20a%20place%20in%20the%20Qur%E2%80%99an&f=false}}</ref> |
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==Criticisms of consistency== |
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==Criticisms of consistency== |
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Not all thinkers agree that the Qur'an really contains many of the alleged scientific discoveries. Taner Edis, author of ''An Illusion of Harmony: Science and Religion in Islam'', describes this point.<ref>{{cite book|last=Edis|first=Taner|title=An Illusion of Harmony: Science and Religion in Islam|year=2007|publisher=Prometheus Books|isbn=1591024498, 9781591024491|pages=265|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XDUKAQAAMAAJ&q=An+Illusion+of+Harmony:+Science+and+Religion+in+Islam&dq=An+Illusion+of+Harmony:+Science+and+Religion+in+Islam&hl=en&ei=2xPZTe2zHI3BtgeHxLHoDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA}}</ref>He argues that Muslims are more likely to view the Qur'an as the direct word of God, and so it must be reconciled with their growing respect for science and technology. Edis suggests that Muslims often have a vested interest in finding passages whose interpretation can be stretched to describe modern understanding. He warns that ''reading into'' books like this can be misleading, since the method can be used to support any number of contradictory facts.<ref name=TanerEdis></ref> |
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Not all thinkers agree that the Qur'an really contains many of the alleged scientific discoveries. Taner Edis, author of ''An Illusion of Harmony: Science and Religion in Islam'', describes this point.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Illusion-Harmony-Science-Religion-Islam/dp/1591024498</ref> He argues that Muslims are more likely to view the Qur'an as the direct word of God, and so it must be reconciled with their growing respect for science and technology. Edis suggests that Muslims often have a vested interest in finding passages whose interpretation can be stretched to describe modern understanding. He warns that ''reading into'' books like this can be misleading, since the method can be used to support any number of contradictory facts.<ref name=TanerEdis></ref> Russel Glasser (a ] from the "The Atheist Experience" TV show with ] and ]) likewise suggests that reading into the Qur'an like this amounts to ] and risks simply ] of the investigator.<ref></ref> |
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==See also== |
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==See also== |
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{{Islam topics|state=collapsed}} |
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{{Islam topics|state=collapsed}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Qur'an And Science}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Qur'an And Science}} |
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Scientific exegesis of the Qur'an is the assumption that many findings of the modern natural sciences have been anticipated in the Qur'an and that many references to these can be discovered in its verses. Many Islamic authors, classical and modern, believe that all the sciences are contained in the Qur'an. The practise of tafsir 'ilmi, or scientific exegesis, which was almost forgotten, has been revived in modern times; the classical attempt to incorporate all streams of human knowledge into the Qur'an has been updated with a special focus on the natural sciences.
Some authors have criticised this method of scientific interpretation . Some classical Muslim commentators and scientists, notably al-Biruni, assign to the Qur'an a separate and autonomous realm of its own and hold that the Qur'an "does not interfere in the business of science nor does it infringe on the realm of science." These medieval scholars argued for the possibility of multiple scientific explanation of the natural phenomena, and refused to subordinate the Qur'an to the laws of science.
In the Qur’an reference is made to fetal development and growth, explanations of these verses express the view that "semen" and "safe lodging" refer to sperm within the uterus, corresponding to the modern terms used to explain mammalian reproduction: spermatozoon, ovum, fertilisation and zygote.
The Qur'an says:
“Man We did create From a quintessence (of clay); Then We placed him
As (a drop of) sperm In a place of rest, firmly fixed; Then We made the
sperm Into a clot of congealed blood; Then of that clot We made A
(foetus) lump; then We Made out of that lump Bones and clothed the
bones With flesh; then We developed Out of it another creature. So
blessed be Allah, The Best to create!”
Verse says in one translation "And the sky was built by Us with might; and indeed We are the expanders" , and in another "We will continue to expand it." Some have interpreted it to be a reference to what is now know as the metric expansion of space. However, the clause is more commonly translated as "for it is We Who create the vastness of space", or "We it is Who make the vast extent (thereof)", or "We are the makers of things ample."
Not all thinkers agree that the Qur'an really contains many of the alleged scientific discoveries. Taner Edis, author of An Illusion of Harmony: Science and Religion in Islam, describes this point. He argues that Muslims are more likely to view the Qur'an as the direct word of God, and so it must be reconciled with their growing respect for science and technology. Edis suggests that Muslims often have a vested interest in finding passages whose interpretation can be stretched to describe modern understanding. He warns that reading into books like this can be misleading, since the method can be used to support any number of contradictory facts. Russel Glasser (a Skeptic from the "The Atheist Experience" TV show with Matt Dillahunty and Jeff Dee) likewise suggests that reading into the Qur'an like this amounts to cherry picking and risks simply confirming the biases of the investigator.
