The Amazing Quran (part 9 of 9)
Description: A series of articles compelling the reader to ponder over the marvels of the Quran. Part 9: Some more examples that show the truthfulness of the Quran.
- By Dr. Gary Miller (edited by www.islamhouse.com)
- Published on 28 Jan 2013
- Last modified on 04 Dec 2014
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TimeZones
Seeingasbackfourteencenturiesagopeopleprobablydid notunderstand muchabouttime zones,theQuran’sstatementsaboutthissubjectareconsiderablysurprising. Theconceptthat onefamily ishavingbreakfastasthesuncomesupwhileanotherfamilyisenjoyingthebrisk nightairistrulysomethingtobemarveledat,eveninmoderntime. Indeed,fourteencenturies ago,amancouldnottravelmorethanthirty milesinoneday,andthusittookhim literally monthstotravelfrom India toMorocco,forexample. And probably,whenhewashaving supperinMorocco,hethoughttohimself,“BackhomeinIndia they arehaving supperright now.” Thisisbecausehedid notrealizethat,intheprocessoftraveling,hemoved acrossatime zone. Yet,becauseitisthewordsofAllah (God),theAll-Knowing,theQuranrecognizesand acknowledgessucha phenomenon.
Inaninterestingverseitstatesthatwhenhistory comestoanendand theDayofJudgmentarrives,itwillalloccur inan instant;andthisvery instantwillcatch somepeopleinthedaytime andsomepeopleatnight. Thisclearly illustratesAllah’sdivinewisdomandHisprevious knowledgeof theexistenceof timezones,eventhough suchadiscovery wasnon-existent backfourteencenturiesago. Certainly,thisphenomenonisnotsomethingwhichisobviousto one’seyesoraresultofone’sexperience,and thisfact,initself,sufficesasproof oftheQuran’s authenticity.
Conclusion
Returningonefinaltimetothesubjectof goodguessesforthepurposeof thepresent example,theoddsthatsomeoneguessedcorrectly aboutallthreeof theaforementioned subjects-thesexofbees,themovementof thesunand theexistenceoftimezones-areonein eight!
Certainly,onecould continueonandonwiththisexample,drawingup longerandlongerlist ofgoodguesses;and of course,theoddswouldbecomehigherandhigher witheach increaseofsubjectsaboutwhichonecouldguess. Butwhatnoonecandenyisthefollowing: theoddsthatMuhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him,an unlettered man,guessed correctly aboutthousandsand thousands ofsubjects,neveroncemakingamistake,aresohighthatany theoryofhisauthorship of the Quranmustbecompletelydismissed-evenby themosthostileenemiesofIslam!
Indeed,theQuranexpectsthiskindofchallenge. Undoubtedly,ifonesaidtosomeoneupon enteringaforeignland,“I knowyourfather. I havemethim,”probably themanfromthatland woulddoubtthenewcomer’sword,saying,“Youhavejustcomehere. Howcouldyouknow my father?”Asaresult,hewouldquestionhim,“Tellme,ismy fathertall,short,dark,fair?Whatis helike?”Of course,ifthevisitorcontinuedansweringallofthequestionscorrectly,theskeptic wouldhavenochoicebuttosay,“I guessyoudoknowmy father. I don’tknowhowyouknow him,butI guessyoudo!”
ThesituationisthesamewiththeQuran. ItstatesthatitoriginatesfromtheOnewhocreated everything. Soeveryonehastherighttosay,“Convinceme!If theauthorofthisbookreally originatedlifeand everythingintheheavensand ontheearth,thenHeshouldknowabout this,aboutthat,andsoon.”Andinevitably,afterresearchingtheQuran,everyonewilldiscover thesametruths. Additionally,weallknowsomethingforsure:wedonotallhavetobeexperts toverify whattheQuranaffirms. One’sIman(faith)growsasonecontinuestocheckand confirmthetruthscontainedintheQuran. Andoneissupposedtodosoallofhislife.
May God(Allah)guideeveryoneclosetothetruth.
Addendum1
AnengineerattheUniversity ofTorontowhowasinterestedinpsychology andwhohadread somethingonit,conductedresearchandwrotea thesisonEfficiencyofGroupDiscussions. Thepurposeofhisresearchwastofindouthowmuchpeopleaccomplishwhentheyget togethertotalkingroupsof two,three,ten,etc. Thegraphofhisfindingsgoesupanddownat places,butitreachesthehighestpointatthevariableof two. Thefindings:peopleaccomplish mostwhentheytalkingroupsoftwo. Of course,thisdiscovery wasentirely beyondhis expectations,butitisveryoldadvicegivenintheQuran(SurahSaba34:46):
“Say,‘Iexhortyoutoonething -thatyoustandforAllah,[assessing thetruth]by twosand singly,andthenreflect...’”
Addendum 2: ‘Iram
Additionally,the89thchapteroftheQuran(Surahal-Fajr89:7)mentionsa certaincity by the nameof‘Iram(a city ofpillars),whichwasnotknowninancienthistory and whichwasnon- existentasfarashistorianswereconcerned. However,theDecember1978editionofNational Geographicintroducedinteresting informationwhichmentionedthatin1973,thecity ofElba wasexcavatedinSyria. Thecity wasdiscoveredtobe43centuriesold,butthatisnotthemost amazingpart. Researchersfoundinthelibrary ofElbaarecordofallofthecitieswithwhich Elbahaddonebusiness. Believeitornot,thereonthelistwasthenameof thecity of‘Iram. The peopleofElbahaddonebusinesswiththepeopleof‘Iram!
InconclusionI askyoutoconsider withcarethefollowing(Surah29:50-51):
“And theysay,‘Whyarenotsignssentdowntohim fromhisLord?’ Say,‘Indeed,the signsarewithAllah,andIambuta clearwarner.’ Butitissufficientforthemthat WehavesentdowntoyoutheBook[i.e.,Quran]whichisrehearsed tothem?Verily, inthatismercyand a remindertopeoplewhobelieve.”
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