The Amazing Quran (part 1 of 9)

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Description: A series of articles compelling the reader to ponder over the marvels of the Quran.  Part 1: The experience of a merchant marine with the Quran, and the miracle in the mention of ‘something even smaller than an atom’ and honey.

  • By Dr. Gary Miller (edited by www.islamhouse.com)
  • Published on 10 Dec 2012
  • Last modified on 15 Oct 2017
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Introduction

AmazingQuran1.jpgOne thing which surprises non-Muslims who are examining the book very closely is that the Quran does not appear to them to be what they expected.  What they assume is that they have an old book which came fourteen centuries ago from the Arabian desert; and they expect that the book should look something like that - an old book from the desert.  And then they find out that it does not resemble what they expected at all.  Additionally, one of the first things that some people assume is that because it is an old book which comes from the desert, it should talk about the desert.  Well the Quran does talk about the desert - some of its imagery describes the desert; but it also talks about the sea - what it’s like to be in a storm on the sea.

Merchant Marine

Some years ago, the story came to us in Toronto about a man who was in the merchant marine and made his living on the sea.  A Muslim gave him a translation of the Quran to read.  The merchant marine knew nothing about the history of Islam but was interested in reading the Quran.  When he finished reading it, he brought it back to the Muslim and asked, “This Muhammad, was he a sailor?” He was impressed at how accurately the Quran describes a storm on a sea.  When he was told, “No as a matter of fact, Muhammad lived in the desert,” that was enough for him.  He embraced Islam on the spot.

He was so impressed with the Quran’s description because he had been in a storm on the sea, and he knew that whoever had written that description had also been in a storm on the sea.  The description of

“…a wave, over it a wave, over it clouds” (Quran 24:40)

…was not what someone imagining a storm on a sea to be like would have written; rather, it was written by someone who knew what a storm on the sea was like.  This is one example of how the Quran is not tied to certain place and time.  Certainly, the scientific ideas expressed in it also do not seem to originate from the desert fourteen centuries ago.

The Smallest Thing

Many centuries before the onset of Muhammad’s prophethood, there was a well-known theory of atomism advanced by the Greek philosopher, Democritus.  He and the people who came after him assumed that matter consists of tiny, indestructible, indivisible particles called atoms.  The Arabs too, used to deal in the same concept; in fact, the Arabic word dharrah commonly referred to the smallest particle known to man.  Now, modern science has discovered that this smallest unit of matter (i.e., the atom, which has all of the same properties as its element) can be split into its component parts.  This is a new idea, a development of the last century; yet; interestingly enough, this information had already been documented in the Quran 34:3 which states:

“He [i.e., God] is aware of an atom’s weight in the heavens and on the earth and even anything smaller than that...”

Undoubtedly, fourteen centuries ago that statement would have looked unusual, even to an Arab.  For him, the dharrah was the smallest thing there was.  Indeed, this is proof, that the Quran is not outdated.

Honey

Another example of what one might expect to find in an “old book” that touches upon the subject of health or medicine is outdated remedies or cures.  Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, gave advice about health and hygiene, which are found in his Prophetic Traditions, and until today this advice is compelling and proven in the field of medicine.

The Quran is a divine revelation and so are the Prophetic Traditions. The Quran sheds light on some remedies as do the Prophetic Traditions; unlike Medical journals of today, there is no information that is outdated in the Quran and the Prophetic Traditions..In specific the Quran mentions one item that can be used as a treatment, which is not in dispute by anyone.  It states that in honey there is healing.  And certainly, I do not think that there is anyone who will argue with that!

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The Amazing Quran (part 2 of 9)

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Description: A series of articles compelling the reader to ponder over the marvels of the Quran.  Part 2: Why the Quran is not a product of Prophet Muhammad and the Quran’s offer of falsification tests.

  • By Dr. Gary Miller (edited by www.islamhouse.com)
  • Published on 10 Dec 2012
  • Last modified on 04 Dec 2014
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Prophet Muhammad and the Quran

If one assumes that the Quran is the product of a man’s mind, then one would expect it to reflect some of what was going on in the mind of the man who “composed” it.  In fact, certain encyclopedias and various books claim that the Quran was the product of hallucinations that Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, underwent.  If these claims are true - if it indeed originated from some psychological problems in Muhammad’s mind - then evidence of this would be apparent in the Quran.  Is there such evidence? In order to determine whether or not there is, one must first identify what things would have been going on in his mind at that time and then search for these thoughts and reflections in the Quran.

It is common knowledge that Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, had a very difficult life.  All of his daughters died before him except one, and he had a wife of several years who was very dear and important to him, who not only proceeded him in death but died at a very critical period of his life.  As a matter of fact, she was quite a woman because when the first revelation came to him, he ran home to her, afraid.  Certainly, even today one would have a hard time trying to find an Arab who would tell you, “I was so afraid that I ran home to my wife.” They just aren’t that way.  Yet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, felt comfortable enough with his wife to be able to do that.  That’s how influential and strong woman she was.  Although these examples are only a few of the subjects that would have been on Muhammad’s mind, they are sufficient in intensity to prove my point.

The Quran does not mention any of these things - not the death of his children, not the death of his beloved companion and wife, not his fear of the initial revelations, which he so beautifully shared with his wife - nothing; yet these topics must have hurt him, bothered him, and caused him pain and grief during periods of his life.  Indeed, if the Quran was a product of his psychological reflections, then these subjects, as well as others, would be prevalent or at least mentioned throughout.

Scientific Approach to the Quran

A truly scientific approach to the Quran is possible because the Quran offers something that is not offered by other religious scriptures, in particular, and other religions, in general.  It is what scientists demand.  Today there are many people who have ideas and theories about how the universe works.  These people are all over the place, but the scientific community does not even bother to listen to them.  This is because within the last century the scientific community has demanded a test of falsification.  They say, “If you have theory, do not bother us with it unless you bring with that theory a way for us to prove whether you are wrong or not.”

Such a test was exactly why the scientific community listened to Einstein towards the beginning of the century.  He came with a new theory and said, “I believe the universe works like this; and here are three ways to prove whether I am wrong!” So the scientific community subjected his theory to the tests, and within six years it passed all three.  Of course, this does not prove that he was great, but it proves that he deserved to be listened to because he said, “This is my idea; and if you want to try to prove me wrong, do this or try that.”

This is exactly what the Quran has - falsification tests.  Some are old (in that they have already been proven true), and some still exist today.  Basically it states, “If this book is not what it claims to be, then all you have to do is this or this or this to prove that it is false.” Of course, in 1400 years no one has been able to do “This or this or this,” and thus it is still considered true and authentic.

Falsification Test

I suggest to you that the next time you get into dispute with someone about Islam and he claims that he has the truth and that you are in darkness, you leave all other arguments at first and make this suggestion.  Ask him, “Is there any falsification test in your religion? Is there anything in your religion that would prove you are wrong if I could prove to you that it exists - anything?”  Well, I can promise right now that people will not have anything - no test, no proof, nothing! This is because they do not carry around the idea that they should not only present what they believe but should also offer others a chance to prove they’re wrong.  However, Islam does that.

A perfect example of how Islam provides man with a chance to verify its authenticity and “prove it wrong” occurs in the 4th chapter.  And quite honestly, I was very surprised when I first discovered this challenge.  It states (Quran 4:82):

“Do they not consider the Quran?  Had it been from any other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.”

This is a clear challenge to the non-Muslim.  Basically, it invites him to find a mistake.  As a matter of fact, the seriousness and difficulty of the challenge aside, the actual presentation of such a challenge in the first place is not even in human nature and is inconsistent with man’s personality.  One doesn’t take an exam in school and after finishing the exam, write a note to the instructor at the end saying, “This exam is perfect.  There are no mistakes in it.  Find one if you can!” One just doesn’t do that.  The teacher would not sleep until he found a mistake! And yet this is the way the Quran approaches people.

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The Amazing Quran (part 3 of 9)

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Description: A series of articles compelling the reader to ponder over the marvels of the Quran.  Part 3: Two examples of scientific facts mentioned in the Quran.

  • By Dr.Gary Miller (edited by www.islamhouse.com)
  • Published on 17 Dec 2012
  • Last modified on 04 Dec 2014
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AskThoseWhoHaveKnowledge

AnotherinterestingattitudethatexistsintheQuranrepeatedly dealswithitsadvicetothe readerTheQuraninformsthereaderaboutdifferentfactsand thengivestheadvice:“Ifyou wanttoknowmoreaboutthisorthat,orifyoudoubtwhatissaid,thenyoushouldask those whohaveknowledge.  ThistooisasurprisingattitudeItisnotusualtohaveabook thatcomes fromsomeonewithouttrainingingeography,botany,biology,etc.,whodiscussesthese subjectsandthenadvisesthereadertoaskmenofknowledgeifhedoubtsanything.  Yetin everyagetherehavebeenMuslimswhohavefollowed theadviceoftheQuranandmade surprisingdiscoveriesIf onelookstotheworksofMuslimscientistsofmanycenturiesago,one willfindthemfullofquotationsfrom theQuranTheseworksstatethattheydidresearchin such aplace,lookingfor something.  And they affirmthatthereasonthey lookedin suchandsucha placewasthattheQuranpointedtheminthatdirection.

Forexample,theQuranmentionsmansoriginand thentellsthereader,“Researchit!Itgives thereaderahintwheretolookand then statesthatoneshouldfind outmoreaboutitThisis thekindofthingthatMuslimstoday largely seem tooverlook-butnotalways,asillustratedin thefollowingexample.

Embryology

Afewyearsago,agroupofmeninRiyadh,SaudiArabia collectedalloftheversesinthe Quran whichdiscussembryology -thegrowthofthehumanbeinginthewomb.  Theysaid, HereiswhattheQuran saysIsitthetruth?Inessence,they tooktheadviceof theQuran:Ask themenwhoknow.”Theychose,asithappened,anon-Muslimwhoisaprofessorof embryologyattheUniversity ofToronto.  HisnameisKeithMoore,andheistheauthorof textbooksonembryology -aworld expertonthesubject.  TheyinvitedhimtoRiyadhandsaid, ThisiswhattheQuran saysaboutyour subjectIsittrueWhatcanyoutellus?”

WhilehewasinRiyadh,they gavehimallthehelpthatheneededintranslationandallofthe cooperationforwhichheasked.  Andhewassosurprisedatwhathefound thathechanged histextbooksInfact,inthesecondeditionofoneofhisbooks,calledBeforeWeAreBorn... in thesectionaboutthehistoryofembryology,heincludedsomematerialthatwasnotinthefirst editionbecauseof whathefoundintheQuranwasaheadofitstimeandthatthosewho believeintheQuranknowwhatotherpeopledonotknow.

I had thepleasureofinterviewingDrKeithMooreforatelevisionpresentation,andwetalkeda greatdealaboutthis-itwasillustratedbyslidesandsoonHementionedthatsomeof the thingsthattheQuran statesaboutthegrowthofthehumanbeingwerenotknownuntilthirty yearsagoInfact,hesaidthatoneiteminparticular-theQuransdescriptionofthehuman beingasaleech-likeclot(alaqah)[Quran40:67]-wasnewtohim;butwhenhecheckedonit,hefoundthatitwastrue,andsohe addedittohisbook.  Hesaid,“I neverthoughtof thatbefore,”andhewenttothezoology departmentandaskedforapictureofaleechWhenhefound thatitlookedjustlikethe humanembryo,hedecided toincludebothpicturesinoneofhistextbooks.

Althoughtheaforementionedexampleofmanresearchinginformationcontainedinthe Qurandealswithanon-Muslim,itisstillvalidbecauseheisoneofthosewhoisknowledgeable inthesubjectbeingresearched.  Hadsomelaymanclaimed thatwhattheQuran saysabout embryology istrue,thenonewouldnotnecessarily havetoaccepthisword.  However, becauseof thehighposition,respect,andesteemmangives to scholars,onenaturally assumes thatif they researchasubjectandarriveata conclusionbasedonthatresearch,thenthe conclusion isvalid.

SkepticsReaction

DrMoorealsowroteabook onclinicalembryology,andwhenhepresentedthisinformation inToronto,itcausedquiteastirthroughoutCanada.  Itwasonthefrontpagesofsomeofthe newspapersacrossCanada,andsomeof theheadlineswerequitefunnyForinstance,one headlineread:“SURPRISINGTHINGFOUNDINANCIENTPRAYER BOOK!Itseemsobviousfrom thisexamplethatpeopledonotclearlyunderstandwhatitisallaboutAsamatteroffact,one newspaperreporterasked ProfessorMoore,“Dontyouthink thatmaybetheArabsmighthave knownaboutthesethings-thedescriptionof theembryo,itsappearanceandhowitchanges andgrowsMaybethey werenotscientists,maybetheydid some crude dissections on theirown-carveduppeopleand examined thesethings.Theprofessorimmediately pointedout tohim thathe[i.e.,thereporter] hadmissedavery importantpoint-allof theslidesof the embryothathadbeen shownandthathadbeenprojectedinthefilm had comefrom picturestakenthroughamicroscopeHesaid,Itdoesnotmatterifsomeonehadtried to discoverembryologyfourteencenturiesagoTheycouldnothaveseenit!

Allof thedescriptionsintheQuranof theappearanceof theembryoareof theitem whenitis stilltoosmalltoseewiththeeye;therefore,oneneedsamicroscopetoseeit.  Sincesucha devicehadonly beenaroundforlittlemorethantwohundredyears,DrMooretaunted, Maybefourteencenturiesagosomeonesecretly hadamicroscopeanddid thisresearch, makingnomistakesanywhereThenhesomehowtaughtMuhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him,and convincedhim toputthisinformationinhisbook.  Thenhedestroyedhisequipmentandkeptitasecret forever.  DoyoubelievethatYoureally shouldnotunlessyoubringsomeproofbecauseitis sucharidiculoustheory.Infact,whenhewasasked,Howdoyouexplainthisinformationin theQuran?Dr.  Mooresreplywas,“Itcouldonlyhavebeendivinely revealed!

Geology

OneofProfessorMoorescolleagues,MarshallJohnson,dealsextensively withgeology atthe University ofTorontoHebecameveryinterestedinthefactthattheQuransstatementsabout embryologyareaccurate,andsoheaskedMuslimstocollecteverythingcontainedinthe QuranwhichdealswithhisspecialtyAgainpeoplewereverysurprisedatthe accuracy of the findings.  Since thereareavastnumber of subjectsdiscussedintheQuran,itwould certainly requirealarge amountoftimetoexhausteach subjectItsufficesforthepurposeof thisdiscussiontostate thattheQuranmakesveryclearand concise and correctstatementsaboutvarioussubjectswhile simultaneouslyadvisingthereadertoverify theauthenticity of thesestatementswithresearch by scholarsinthosesubjectsAndasillustratedby thepreviousexamplesofembryologyand geology,theQuranhasclearlyemergedauthentic

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The Amazing Quran (part 4 of 9)

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Description: A series of articles compelling the reader to ponder over the marvels of the Quran.  Part 4: The burden of proof lies on the one who claims the Quran to be false.

  • By Dr.Gary Miller (edited by www.islamhouse.com)
  • Published on 24 Dec 2012
  • Last modified on 04 Dec 2014
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YouDidNotKnowThisBefore!

Undoubtedly,thereisanattitudeintheQuranwhichisnotfound anywhereelse.  Itisinteresting howwhentheQuranprovidesinformation,itoftentellsthereader,“Youdidnotknowthis before.” Indeed,thereisnoscripturethatexistswhichmakesthatclaimAllof theotherancient writingsand scripturesthatpeoplehavedogivea lotof information,butthey alwaysstate wheretheinformationcamefrom.

Forexample,whentheBiblediscussesancienthistory,itstatesthatthisking livedhere,thisone foughtinacertainbattle,anotheronehadsomany sons,etcYetitalwaysstipulatesthatifyou wantmoreinformation,thenyoushouldreadthebookofsoandsobecausethatiswherethe informationcamefromIncontrasttothisconcept,theQuranprovidesthereader with informationandstatesthatthisinformationissomethingnewOf course,therealwaysexiststhe advicetoresearchtheinformationprovidedandverifyitsauthenticityItisinterestingthatsuch a conceptwasneverchallengedby non-MuslimsfourteencenturiesagoIndeed,the MakkanswhohatedtheMuslims,and timeandtimeagainthey heardsuchrevelations claimingtobringnewinformation;yet,theynever spokeupandsaid,ThisisnotnewWeknow whereMuhammadgotthisinformation.  Welearned thisatschool.They couldnever challengeitsauthenticity becauseit really wasnew! 

Proof of Authenticity:AnApproach

ItmustbestressedherethattheQuranisaccurateaboutmany,many things,butaccuracy doesnotnecessarilymeanthatabookisadivinerevelationInfact,accuracyisonly oneof thecriteriafordivinerevelationsForinstance,thetelephonebookisaccurate,butthatdoes notmeanthatitisdivinelyrevealed.  Therealproblemliesinthatonemustestablish someproof of thesource of theQuransinformationTheemphasisisintheotherdirection,inthattheburden ofproofisonthereaderOnecannotsimplydenytheQuransauthenticity withoutsufficient proof.  If,indeed,onefindsamistake,thenhehastherighttodisqualifyitThisisexactly what theQuranencourages.

Onceamancameup tomeafteralectureI deliveredinSouthAfrica.  Hewasvery angry aboutwhatI hadsaid,andsoheclaimed,I amgoingtogohometonightandfindamistake intheQuran.Ofcourse,I said,CongratulationsThatisthemostintelligentthingthatyou havesaid.”Certainly,thisistheapproachMuslimsneedtotakewiththosewhodoubtthe Quransauthenticity,becausetheQuranitself offersthesamechallengeAndinevitably,after acceptingitschallengeanddiscoveringthatitistrue,thesepeoplewillcometobelieveit becausethey couldnotdisqualifyitInessence,theQuranearnstheirrespectbecausethey themselveshavehad toverify itsauthenticity.

Anessentialfactthatcannotbereiterated enoughconcerningtheauthenticity of theQuranisthatonesinabilitytoexplainaphenomenonhimselfdoesnotrequirehisacceptanceof the phenomenonsexistenceoranotherpersonsexplanationofit.  Specifically,justbecauseone cannotexplain something, it doesnotmeanthatonehastoacceptsomeoneelsesexplanationHowever,thepersonsrefusalofotherexplanationsrevertstheburdenofproofback onhimself tofindafeasibleanswerThisgeneraltheory appliestonumerousconceptsinlife,butfitsmost wonderfullywiththeQuranicchallenge,foritcreatesadifficulty foronewhosays,“I donot believeit.Attheonsetofrefusaloneimmediately hasanobligationtofindanexplanation himselfifhefeelsothers’answersareinadequate.

Thisfamiliaritywiththeinformationwillgivethepersontheedgewhenfuturediscoveriesare madeandadditionalinformationispresentedTheimportantthingisthatonedealswiththe factsanddoesnotsimply discardthem outof empathy anddisinterest.

ExhaustingtheAlternatives

Therealcertainty aboutthetruthfulnessoftheQuranisevidentintheconfidencewhichis prevalentthroughoutit;and thisconfidencecomesfrom a differentapproach-Exhausting thealternatives.Inessence,theQuran states,“Thisbookisadivinerevelation;if youdonot believethat,thenwhatisit?” Inother words,thereaderischallenged tocomeupwith some otherexplanationHereisa bookmadeof paperandink.  Wherediditcomefrom?Itsaysitisa divinerevelation;ifitisnot,thenwhatisitssource?Theinterestingfactisthatnoonehasyet comeup withanexplanationthatworksInfact,allalternativeshavebeenexhaustedAshas beenwellestablished by non-Muslims,thesealternativesbasicallyarereduced totwomutually exclusiveschoolsof thought,insistingononeortheother.

Ononehand,thereexistsalargegroup ofpeoplewhohaveresearchedtheQuranfor hundredsofyearsandwhoclaim,“Onethingweknowforsure-thatman,Muhammadmay the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, thoughthewasaprophetHewascrazy!Theyareconvinced thatMuhammad was fooledsomehowThenontheotherhand,thereisagroupwhichalleges,Becauseofthis evidence,onethingweknowforsureisthatthatman,Muhammadwasaliar!Ironically, thesetwogroupsneverseem togettogether withoutcontradicting.

Infact,many referencesonIslamusuallyclaimboththeoriesThey startoutbystatingthat Muhammadwascrazy and thenendby sayinghewasaliarTheynever seemtorealize thathecouldnothavebeenboth!Forexample,ifoneisdeludedandreallythinksthatheisa prophet,thenhedoesnotsituplateatnightplanning,“HowwillI foolthepeopletomorrowso thattheythinkI amaprophet?Hetruly believesthatheisaprophet,andhetruststhatthe answerwillbegiventohimby revelation.

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The Amazing Quran (part 5 of 9)

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Description: A series of articles compelling the reader to ponder over the marvels of the Quran.  Part 5: Prophet Muhammad was neither a liar nor of unsound mind.

  • By Dr. Gary Miller (edited by www.islamhouse.com)
  • Published on 31 Dec 2012
  • Last modified on 04 Dec 2014
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The Critic’s Trail

As a matter of fact, a great deal of the Quran came in answer to questions.  Someone would ask Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, a question, and the revelation would come with the answer to it.  Certainly, if one is crazy and believes that an angel put words in his ear, then when someone asks him a question, he thinks that the angel will give him the answer.  Because he is crazy, he really thinks that.  He does not tell someone to wait a short while and then run to his friends and ask them, “Does anyone know the answer?”  This type of behavior is characteristic of one who does not believe that he is a prophet.  What the non-Muslims refuse to accept is that you cannot have it both ways.  One can be deluded, or he can be a liar.  He can be either one or neither one, but he certainly cannot be both!  The emphasis is on the fact that they are unquestionably mutually exclusive personality traits.

The following scenario is a good example of the kind of circle that non-Muslims go around in constantly.  If you ask one of them, “What is the origin of the Quran?” He tells you that it originated from the mind of a man who was crazy.  Then you ask him, “If it came from his head, then where did he get the information contained in it?  Certainly the Quran mentions many things with which the Arabs were not familiar.” So in order to explain the fact which you bring him, he changes his position and says, “Well, maybe he was not crazy.  Maybe some foreigner brought him the information.  So he lied and told people that he was a prophet.” At this point then you have to ask him, “If Muhammad was a liar, then where did he get his confidence?  Why did he behave as though he really thought he was a prophet?” Finally backed into a corner, like a cat he quickly lashes out with the first response that comes to his mind.  Forgetting that he has already exhausted that possibility, he claims, “Well, maybe he wasn’t a liar.  He was probably crazy and really thought that he was a prophet.” And thus he begins the futile cycle again.

As has already been mentioned, there is much information contained in the Quran whose source cannot be attributed to anyone other than God.  For example, who told Muhammad about embryology?  When people assemble facts such as these, if they are not willing to attribute their existence to a divine source, they automatically resort to the assumption someone brought Muhammad the information and that he used it to fool the people.

However, this theory can easily be disproved with one simple question: “If Muhammad was a liar, where did he get his confidence?  Why did he tell some people out right to their face what others could never say?” Such confidence depends completely upon being convinced that one has a true divine revelation.

A Revelation - Abu Lahab

Prophet Muhammad had an uncle by the name of Abu Lahab.  This man hated Islam to such an extent that he used to follow the Prophet around in order to discredit him.  If Abu Lahab saw the Prophet speaking to a stranger, he would wait until they parted and then would go to the stranger and ask him, “What did he tell you?  Did he say, ‘Black’?  Well, it’s white.  Did he say ‘morning’?  Well, it’s night.” He faithfully said the exact opposite of whatever he heard Muhammad and the Muslims say.  However, about ten years before Abu Lahab died, a little chapter in the Quran (Surah al-Lahab, 111) was revealed about him.  It distinctly stated that he would go to the fire (i.e., Hell).  In other words, it affirmed that he would never become a Muslim and would therefore be condemned forever.  For ten years all Abu Lahab had to do was say, “I heard that it has been revealed to Muhammad that I will never change - that I will never become a Muslim and will enter the Hellfire.  Well, I want to become Muslim now.  How do you like that?  What do you think of your divine revelation now?” But he never did that.  And yet, that is exactly the kind of behavior one would have expected from him since he always sought to contradict Islam.

In essence, Muhammad said, “You hate me and you want to finish me?  Here, say these words, and I am finished.  Come on, say them!” But Abu Lahab never said them.  Ten years! And in all that time he never accepted Islam or even became sympathetic to the Islamic cause.

How could Muhammad possibly have known for sure that Abu Lahab would fulfill the Quranic revelation if he (i.e., Muhammad) was not truly the messenger of Allah?  How could he possibly have been so confident as to give someone 10 years to discredit his claim of prophethood?  The only answer is that he was Allah’s messenger.

The Flight

Another example of the confidence which Muhammad had in his own prophethood and consequently in the divine protection of himself and his message is when he left Makkah and hid in a cave with Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, during their emigration to Madinah.  The two clearly saw people coming to kill them, and Abu Bakr was afraid.  Certainly, if Muhammad was a liar, a forger and one who was trying to fool the people into believing that he was a prophet, one would have expected him to say in such a circumstance to his friend, “Hey, Abu Bakr, see if you can find a back way out of this cave.” Or “Squat down in that corner over there and keep quiet.” Yet, in fact, what he said to Abu Bakr clearly illustrated his confidence.  He told him, “Do not worry, God is with us!” Now, if one knows that he is fooling the people, where does one get this kind of attitude?  In fact, such a frame of mind is not characteristic of a liar or a forger at all.

So, as has been previously mentioned, the non-Muslims go around and around in a circle, searching for a way out - some way to explain the findings in the Quran without attributing them to their proper source.  On one hand, they tell you on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, “The man was a liar,” and on the other hand, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday they tell you, “He was crazy.” What they refuse to accept is that one cannot have it both ways; yet they need both theories, both excuses to explain the information in the Quran.

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The Amazing Quran (part 6 of 9)

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Description: A series of articles compelling the reader to ponder over the marvels of the Quran.  Part 6: A reply to those who allege that the Quran could be from the Devil or one suffering from mythomania.

  • By Dr. Gary Miller (edited by www.islamhouse.com)
  • Published on 07 Jan 2013
  • Last modified on 04 Dec 2014
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An EncounterwithaMinister

Aboutsevenyearsago,I hadaministerovertomyhomeIntheparticularroomwhichwe weresittingtherewasaQuranonthetable,facedown,andsotheministerwasnotawareof whichbook itwasInthemidstofadiscussion,I pointedtotheQuranandsaid,I have confidenceinthatbook.LookingattheQuranbutnotknowingwhichbook itwas,hereplied, Well,I tellyou,if thatbook isnottheBible,itwaswrittenby aman!Inresponsetohis statement,I said,Letmetellyousomethingaboutwhatisinthatbook.Andinjustthreetofour minutes,I related tohimafewthingscontainedintheQuranAfterjustthosethreeorfour minutes,hecompletelychangedhispositionanddeclared,“YouarerightAmandidnot writethat bookTheDevilwroteit!Indeed,possessingsuchanattitudeisvery unfortunate-for manyreasonsForonething,itisavery quick andcheap excuseItisan instantexitoutofan uncomfortablesituation.

Asamatteroffact,thereisafamousstory intheBiblethatmentionshowoneday someofthe JewswerewitnesseswhenJesus, peace be upon him,raisedamanfrom thedeadThemanhadbeen deadforfourdays,andwhenJesusarrived,hesimply said,“Getup!and themanaroseand walkedawayAtsuchasight,someof theJewswhowerewatchingsaiddisbelievingly,Thisis theDevilTheDevilhelpedhim!Nowthisstoryisrehearsedveryoften inchurchesalloverthe world,andpeoplecry bigtearsoverit,saying,“Oh,ifI hadbeenthere,I wouldnothavebeen asstupidastheJews!Yet,ironically,thesepeopledoexactlywhattheJewsdid wheninjust threeminutesyoushowthem onlyasmallpartof theQuranandalltheycan say is,“Oh,the DevildiditTheDevilwrotethatbook!Becausethey aretruly backedintoa cornerandhave nootherviableanswer,they resorttothequickestand cheapestexcuseavailable

The Source of the Quran

AnotherexampleofpeoplesuseofthisweakstancecanbefoundintheMakkans explanationof thesourceofMuhammadsmessageThey usedtosay,Thedevilsbring Muhammad thatQuran!”Butjustaswithevery suggestionmade,theQurangivestheanswerOnepassage(ChapterAl-Qalam68:51-52)inparticularstates:

“...andtheysay,Surelyheispossessed,butit[i.e.,theQuran]isnot except a remindertotheworlds.

ThusitgivesanargumentinreplytosuchatheoryInfact,therearemany argumentsinthe QuraninreplytothesuggestionthatdevilsbroughtMuhammad hismessage.  Forexample, inthe26thchapterGod, clearly affirms:

“Noevil oneshavebroughtit[i.e.,thisrevelation]downItwouldneitherbefitting forthem,norwouldtheybeableIndeed theyhavebeen removedfarfrom hearing it.(Quran 26:210-212)

Andinanotherplace(Surahan-Nahl16:98)intheQuran,Godinstructsus:

Sowhenyou recitetheQuranseekrefugeinGodfromSatan,thecursed.

NowisthishowSatanwritesabook? Hetellsone,“Beforeyoureadmy book,ask God tosave youfrom me?Thisisvery,very trickyIndeed,amancould writesomethinglikethis,butwould Satandothis?Many peopleclearly illustratethatthey cannotcometooneconclusiononthis subjectOnonehand,theyclaim thatSatanwouldnotdosuchathingand thatevenif he could,God wouldnotallowhimto;yet,ontheotherhand,theyalsobelievethatSatanisonly thatmuchlessthanGod.  Inessencethey allegethattheDevilcanprobablydowhatever Godcando.  Andasaresult,whenthey look attheQuran,evenassurprisedasthey areasto howamazingitis,they stillinsist,“TheDevildidthis!

Praisebe toGod,MuslimsdonothavethatattitudeAlthough Satan may havesome abilities,theyarealong wayseparatedfromtheabilitiesofGodAndnoMuslimisaMuslim unlesshebelievesthatItiscommon knowledgeeven among non-MuslimsthattheDevilcan easily makemistakes,anditwouldbeexpectedthathewouldcontradicthimselfifandwhen hewroteabook.  Forindeed,theQuran states(Surah an-Nisa4:82):

Do theynot considertheQuran?Had it beenfromotherthanGod,theywould surelyhavefoundthereinmuchdiscrepancy.

Mythomania

Inconjunctionwiththeexcusesthatnon-Muslimsadvanceinfutileattemptstojustify unexplainableversesintheQuran,thereisanotherattackoftenrenderedwhich seemstobe acombinationofthetheoriesthatMuhammadwascrazyandaliarBasically,these peopleproposethatMuhammad wasinsane,andasaresultofhisdelusion,heliedtoand misledpeopleThereisanameforthisinpsychologyItisreferred toasmythomaniaItmeans simplythatonetellsliesandthenbelievesthemThisiswhatthenon-Muslimssay Muhammadsufferedfrom.  Buttheproblemwiththisproposalisthatonesufferingfrommythomania absolutely cannotdealwithany facts,andyetthewholeQuranisbased entirelyuponfactsEverythingcontainedinitcanberesearchedand establishedastrue.  Sincefactsaresucha problemforamythomaniac,whenapsychologisttriestotreatonesufferingfromthat condition,hecontinually confrontshimwithfacts.

Forexample,if oneismentally illandclaims,“I amthekingofEngland,”apsychologistdoes notsaytohimNoyouarentYouarecrazy!Hejustdoesnotdothat.  Rather,heconfrontshim withfactsandsays,“O.K.,yousayyouarethekingofEngland.  Sotellmewherethequeenis todayAndwhereisyourprimeminister?Andwhereareyourguards?Now,whentheman hastroubletryingtodealwiththesequestions,hetriestomakeexcuses,saying“Uh..the queen..shehasgonetohermothersUh..theprimeminister..wellhedied.Andeventually heiscuredbecausehecannotdealwiththefactsIfthepsychologistcontinuesconfronting himwithenoughfacts,finallyhefacesthereality andsays,I guessI amnotthekingof England.

TheQuranapproacheseveryonewhoreadsitinverymuchthesameway apsychologist treatshismythomaniapatientThereisaverseintheQuran(SurahYunus10:57)which states:

“Omankind,therehascometoyouanadmonition[i.e.,theQuran]fromyourLord and a healing forwhatisinthehearts-and guidanceand mercyforthe believers.

Atfirstglance,thisstatementappearsvague,butthemeaningof thisverseisclearwhenone viewsitinlightof theaforementionedexampleBasically,oneishealed ofhisdelusionsby readingtheQuranInessence,itistherapyItliterallycuresdeludedpeoplebyconfronting themwithfacts.  AprevalentattitudethroughouttheQuranisonewhich says,Omankind,you say suchandsuchaboutthis;butwhataboutsuchandsuch?Howcanyousay thiswhenyou knowthat?AndsoforthItforcesonetoconsiderwhatisrelevantandwhatmatterswhile simultaneouslyhealingoneofthedelusionsthatfactspresented tomankindbyGodcan easily beexplainedaway withflimsy theoriesandexcuses.

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The Amazing Quran (part 7 of 9)

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Description: A series of articles compelling the reader to ponder over the marvels of the Quran.  Part 7: Catholic Church’s opinion of the Quran and the falsification tests relate to both the past and the present.

  • By Dr. Gary Miller (edited by www.islamhouse.com)
  • Published on 14 Jan 2013
  • Last modified on 04 Dec 2014
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NewCatholic Encyclopedia

AmazingQuran7.jpgItisthisverysortofthing-confrontingpeoplewithfacts-thathadcapturedtheattentionof manynon-MuslimsInfact,thereexistsaveryinterestingreferenceconcerningthissubjectin theNewCatholicEncyclopediaInanarticleunderthesubjectoftheQuran,theCatholic Church states:

“Overthecenturies,many theorieshavebeenoffered astotheoriginoftheQuran...  Today nosensiblemanacceptsany of thesetheories!!

Nowhereistheage-oldCatholicChurch,whichhasbeenaroundfor somany centuries, denyingthesefutileattemptstoexplainaway theQuran.

Indeed,theQuranisaproblemfortheCatholicChurch.  Itstatesthatitisrevelation,sothey studyitCertainly,they wouldlovetofindproofthatitisnot,buttheycannotTheycannotfind aviableexplanation.  Butatleastthey are reasonably honestintheirresearchanddonotacceptthefirst unsubstantiatedinterpretationwhichcomesalong.  TheChurch statesthatinfourteen centuriesithasnotyetbeenpresentedasensibleexplanation.  AtleastitadmitsthattheQuranisnotaneasysubjecttodismissCertainly,otherpeoplearemuch lesshonestThey quickly say, “Oh,theQurancamefromhereTheQurancamefromthere.And they donotevenexamine thecredibility of whatthey arestatingmostofthetime.

Of course,suchastatementby theCatholicChurchleavestheeveryday Christianin some difficultyItjustmay bethathehashisownideasastotheoriginoftheQuran,butasasingle memberof theChurch,hecannotreallyactuponhisowntheory.  Suchanactionwouldbe contrarytotheobedience,allegianceandloyalty whichtheChurchdemandsBy virtueofhis membership,hemustacceptwhattheCatholicChurchdeclareswithoutquestionand establishitsteachingsaspartofhiseveryday routine.  So,inessence,iftheCatholicChurchas awholeissaying,“DonotlistentotheseunconfirmedreportsabouttheQuran,thenwhatcan besaidabouttheIslamicpointofview?If evennon-Muslimsareadmittingthatthereis somethingtotheQuran-somethingthathastobeacknowledged-thenwhyarepeopleso stubbornanddefensiveandhostilewhenMuslimsadvancethevery sametheory?Thisis certainly somethingforthosewithamind tocontemplate-somethingtoponderforthoseof understanding!

Testimony of an Intellectual

Recently,theleadingintellectualintheCatholicChurch-amanbythenameofHans- studied theQuranandgavehisopinionofwhathehadreadThismanhasbeenaroundfor sometime,andheishighlyrespectedintheCatholicChurch,andaftercarefulscrutiny,he reportedhisfindings,concluding,“Godhasspokentomanthroughtheman,Muhammad.

Againthisisa conclusionarrivedatbyanon-Muslimsource-theveryleadingintellectualof theCatholicChurchhimself!

I donotthinkthatthePopeagreeswithhim,butnonetheless,theopinionofsuchanoted, reputedpublicfiguremustcarry someweightindefenseof theMuslimpositionHemustbe applaudedforfacingthereality thattheQuranisnotsomethingwhichcanbeeasily pushed asideandthat,infactGodisthesourceof thesewords.

Asisevidentfromtheaforementionedinformation,allof thepossibilitieshavebeenexhausted, sothechanceoffindinganotherpossibilityofdismissingtheQuranisnonexistent.

Burden of Proof on the Critic

If thebookisnotarevelation,thenitisadeception;andifitisadeception,onemustask, Whatisitsorigin?Andwheredoesitdeceiveus?Indeed,thetrueanswerstothesequestions shedlightontheQuransauthenticity andsilencethebitterunsubstantiated claimsof the unbelievers.

Certainly,ifpeoplearegoingtoinsistthattheQuranisadeception,thenthey mustbringforth evidencetosupportsuchaclaim.  Theburdenofproofisonthem,notus!Oneisnever supposedtoadvanceatheory withoutsufficientcorroboratingfacts;soI say tothem,“Show meonedeception!ShowmewheretheQurandeceivesme!Showme;otherwisedontsay thatitisadeception!

Origin of the Universe and Life

An interestingcharacteristicoftheQuran ishowitdealswithsurprisingphenomena which relatenotonlytothepastbuttomoderntimesaswellInessence,theQuranisnot anold problem.  Itisstillaproblem eventoday-aproblemtothenon-MuslimsthatisForeveryday, everyweek,everyyearbringsmoreandmoreevidencethattheQuranisaforcetobe contendedwith-thatitsauthenticityisnolongertobechallenged!Forexample,oneversein theQuran(Surahal-Anbiya21:30)reads:

Donottheunbelieversseethattheheavensand theearthwerejoinedtogether, thenWeclovethemasunder,andmadefromwatereverylivingthing? Willthey notthenbelieve?

Ironically,thisveryinformation isexactlywhatthey awarded the1973NoblePrizefor-toa coupleofunbelievers.

TheQuranrevealstheoriginof theuniverse-howitbeganfrom onepiece-andmankind continuestoverify thisrevelation,evenup tonowAdditionally,thefactthatalllifeoriginated fromwaterwouldnothavebeenaneasy thingtoconvincepeopleoffourteencenturiesago.  Indeed,if1400yearsagoyouhadstoodinthedesertandtoldsomeone,“Allofthis,yousee (pointingtoyourself),ismadeupofmostly water,”noonewouldhavebelievedyou.  Proofof thatwasnotavailableuntiltheinventionofthemicroscope.  They had towaittofindoutthat cytoplasm,thebasicsubstanceof thecell,ismade-up of80%waterNonetheless,the evidencedid come,andonceagaintheQuran stood thetestoftime.

Moreon FalsificationTest

Inreferencetothefalsificationtestsmentioned earlier,itisinterestingtonotethatthey,too, relatetoboththepast andthepresent.  SomeofthemwereusedasillustrationsofGods omnipotenceandknowledge,whileotherscontinuetostandaschallengestothepresent dayAnexampleoftheformeristhestatementmadeintheQuranaboutAbuLahabIt clearlyillustratesthatGod,theKnowerof theUnseen,knewthatAbuLahabwouldnever changehiswaysandacceptIslamThusGoddictated thathewouldbecondemned tothe Hellfireforever.  SuchachapterwasbothanillustrationofGodsdivinewisdomandawarning tothosewhowerelikeAbu Lahab.

People of the Book

An interestingexampleofthelattertypeoffalsificationtestscontainedintheQuran istheverse whichmentionstherelationship betweentheMuslimsandtheJewsTheverseiscarefulnotto narrowitsscopetotherelationshipbetweenindividualmembersofeachreligion,butrather,it summarizestherelationshipbetweenthetwogroupsofpeopleasawholeInessence,the Quran statesthattheChristianswillalwaystreattheMuslimsbetterthantheJewswilltreatthe MuslimsIndeed,thefullimpactofsuchastatementcanonly befeltaftercareful considerationof therealmeaningofsuchaverseItistruethatmanyChristiansandmany JewshavebecomeMuslims,butasa whole,theJewishcommunityhas clearly shown its hostility toIslamAdditionally,very fewpeoplerealizewhatsuchanopendeclarationinthe QuraninvitesInessence,itisaneasy chancefortheJewstoprovethattheQuranisfalse- thatitisnotadivinerevelationAllthey havetodoisorganizethemselves,treattheMuslims nicelyforafewyearsandthen say,Nowwhatdoesyourholy booksay aboutwhoareyour bestfriendsintheworld-theJewsortheChristians?LookwhatweJewshavedoneforyou!

ThatisalltheyhavetodotodisprovetheQuransauthenticity,yetthey havenotdoneitin 1400yearsBut,asalways,theoffer stillstandsopen!

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The Amazing Quran (part 8 of 9)

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Description: A series of articles compelling the reader to ponder over the marvels of the Quran.  Part 8: An objective approach to looking at the truthfulness of the Quran.

  • By Dr.  Gary Miller (edited by www.islamhouse.com)
  • Published on 21 Jan 2013
  • Last modified on 04 Dec 2014
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A Mathematical Approach

AmazingQuran8.jpgAllof theexamplessofargivenconcerningthevariousanglesfromwhichonecanapproach theQuranhaveundoubtedly been subjectiveinnature;however,theredoesexistanother angle,amongothers,whichisobjectiveandwhosebasisismathematical.

ItissurprisinghowauthentictheQuranbecomeswhenoneassembleswhatmightbereferred toasalistofgoodguessesMathematically,itcanbeexplainedusingguessingandprediction examplesForinstance,ifapersonhastwochoices(i.e.,oneisright,andoneiswrong),andhe closeshiseyesandmakesa choice,thenhalf ofthetime(i.e.,onetimeoutoftwo)hewillbe rightBasically,hehasaoneintwochance,forhecouldpick thewrongchoice,orhecould picktherightchoice.

Nowifthesamepersonhastwosituationslikethat(i.e.,hecouldberightor wrongabout situationnumberone,andhecouldberightor wrongaboutsituationnumbertwo),andhe closeshiseyesandguesses,thenhewillonly berightone-fourthof thetime(i.e.,onetimeout offour).  Henowhasaoneinfourchancebecausenowtherearethreewaysforhim tobe wrongandonlyoneway forhim toberight.  In simpleterms,hecouldmakethewrongchoice in situationnumberoneandthenmakethewrongchoicein situationnumbertwo;orhecould makethewrongchoicein situationnumberoneand thenmaketherightchoicein situation numbertwo;orhecouldmaketherightchoicein situationnumberoneandthenmakethe wrongchoicein situationnumbertwo;orhecouldmaketherightchoicein situationnumber oneand thenmaketherightchoicein situationnumbertwo.

Of course,the(onlyinstanceinwhichhecouldbetotally rightisthelastscenariowherehe couldguesscorrectly inboth situationsTheoddsofhisguessingcompletely correctlyhave becomegreaterbecausethenumberofsituationsforhim toguessinhaveincreased;and the mathematicalequationrepresentingsuchascenariois½x½(i.e.,onetimeoutoftwoforthe firstsituationmultipliedbyonetimeoutoftwoforthesecondsituation).

Continuingonwiththeexample,ifthesamepersonnowhasthreesituationsinwhichtomake blindguesses,thenhewillonly berightone-eighthofthetime(i.e.,onetimeoutofeightox ½x½)Again,theoddsof choosingthecorrectchoiceinallthreesituationshavedecreased hischancesofbeingcompletely correcttoonly onetimeineightItmustbeunderstoodthat asthenumberofsituationsincrease,thechancesofbeingrightdecrease,forthetwo phenomenaareinversely proportional.

NowapplyingthisexampletothesituationsintheQuran,if onedrawsupalistofallof the subjectsaboutwhichtheQuranhasmadecorrectstatements,itbecomesvery clearthatitis highly unlikely thattheywerealljustcorrectblindguessesIndeed,thesubjectsdiscussedinthe Quranarenumerous,and thustheoddsofsomeonejustmakinglucky guessesaboutallofthembecomepracticallynilIf thereareamillionwaysfortheQurantobewrong,yeteachtimeitisright,then itisunlikely thatsomeonewasguessing.

ThefollowingthreeexamplesofsubjectsaboutwhichtheQuranhasmadecorrectstatements collectivelyillustratehowtheQurancontinuestobeattheodds.

The Female Bee

Inthe16thchapter(Surahan-Nahl16:68-69)theQuranmentionsthatthefemalebeeleaves itshometogatherfood.  Now,apersonmightguessonthat,saying,Thebeethatyousee flyingaround-itcouldbemale,oritcouldbefemale.  I thinkI willguessfemale.Certainly,he hasaoneintwochanceofbeingrightSoithappensthattheQuranisrightButitalso happensthatthatwasnotwhatmostpeoplebelievedatthetimewhentheQuranwas revealedCanyoutellthedifferencebetweenamaleandafemalebeeWell,ittakesa specialisttodothat,butithasbeendiscovered thatthemalebeeneverleaveshishometo gatherfood.  However,inShakespearesplay,HenrytheFourth,someofthecharactersdiscuss beesandmentionthatthebeesaresoldiersandhaveakingThatiswhatpeoplethoughtin Shakespearestime-thatthebeesthatoneseesflyingaroundaremalebeesandthatthey go homeandanswertoakingHowever,thatisnottrueatallThefactisthatthey arefemales, and they answertoaqueenYetittookmodern scientificinvestigationsinthelast300yearsto discoverthatthisisthecase.

So,backtothelistofgoodguesses,concerningthetopicofbees,theQuranhada50/50 chanceofbeingright,andtheoddswereoneintwo.

TheSun

Inadditiontothesubjectofbees,theQuranalsodiscussesthesunand themannerinwhichit travelsthrough spaceAgain,apersoncanguessonthatsubjectWhenthesunmoves through space,therearetwooptions:itcantraveljustasastonewould travelif onethrewit,or itcanmoveofitsownaccord.  TheQuran statesthelatter-thatitmovesasaresultofitsown motion(Surahal-Anbiya21:33)Todosuch,theQuranusesaform ofthewordsabahato describethesunsmovementthrough spaceInordertoproperly providethereaderwitha comprehensiveunderstandingoftheimplicationsofthisArabicverb,thefollowingexampleis given.

Ifamanisinwaterand theverbsabahaisappliedinreferencetohismovement,itcanbe understood thatheisswimming,movingofhisownaccordandnotasaresultofadirectforce applied tohim.  Thuswhenthisverbisusedinreferencetothesunsmovementthrough space, itinnoway impliesthatthesunisflyinguncontrollablythrough spaceasaresultofbeing hurledorthelikeItsimplymeansthatthesunisturningandrotatingasittravelsNow,thisis whattheQuranaffirms,butwasitaneasythingtodiscover?  Canany commonmantellthat thesunisturningOnlyinmoderntimeswastheequipmentmadeavailabletoprojectthe imageofthesunontoa tabletopsothatonecouldlookatitwithoutbeingblinded.  And throughthisprocessitwasdiscovered thatnotonly aretherespotsonthesunbutthatthese spotsmoveonceevery 25daysThismovementisreferred toastherotationof thesunaround itsaxisand conclusively provesthat,astheQuran stated1400yearsago,thesundoes, indeed,turnasittravelsthrough space.

Andreturningonceagaintothesubjectofgoodguesses,theoddsofguessingcorrectly aboutboth subjects-thesexofbeesand themovementofthesun-areoneinfour!

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The Amazing Quran (part 9 of 9)

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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

The_Amazing_Quran_(part_9_of_9)._001.jpgSeeingasbackfourteencenturiesagopeopleprobablydid notunderstand muchabouttime zones,theQuransstatementsaboutthissubjectareconsiderablysurprisingTheconceptthat 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 andsomepeopleatnightThisclearly illustratesAllahsdivinewisdomandHisprevious knowledgeof theexistenceof timezones,eventhough suchadiscovery wasnon-existent backfourteencenturiesago.  Certainly,thisphenomenonisnotsomethingwhichisobviousto oneseyesoraresultofonesexperience,and thisfact,initself,sufficesasproof oftheQurans 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 increaseofsubjectsaboutwhichonecouldguessButwhatnoonecandenyisthefollowing: 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,theQuranexpectsthiskindofchallengeUndoubtedly,ifonesaidtosomeoneupon enteringaforeignland,I knowyourfather.  I havemethim,probably themanfromthatland woulddoubtthenewcomersword,saying,Youhavejustcomehere.  Howcouldyouknow my father?Asaresult,hewouldquestionhim,Tellme,ismy fathertall,short,dark,fair?Whatis helike?Of course,ifthevisitorcontinuedansweringallofthequestionscorrectly,theskeptic wouldhavenochoicebuttosay,“I guessyoudoknowmy father.  I dontknowhowyouknow him,butI guessyoudo!”

ThesituationisthesamewiththeQuranItstatesthatitoriginatesfromtheOnewhocreated everything.  Soeveryonehastherighttosay,Convinceme!If theauthorofthisbookreally originatedlifeand everythingintheheavensand ontheearth,thenHeshouldknowabout this,aboutthat,andsoon.Andinevitably,afterresearchingtheQuran,everyonewilldiscover thesametruthsAdditionally,weallknowsomethingforsure:wedonotallhavetobeexperts toverify whattheQuranaffirmsOnesIman(faith)growsasonecontinuestocheckand confirmthetruthscontainedintheQuran.  Andoneissupposedtodosoallofhislife.

May God(Allah)guideeveryoneclosetothetruth.

Addendum1

AnengineerattheUniversity ofTorontowhowasinterestedinpsychology andwhohadread somethingonit,conductedresearchandwrotea thesisonEfficiencyofGroupDiscussionsThepurposeofhisresearchwastofindouthowmuchpeopleaccomplishwhentheyget togethertotalkingroupsof two,three,ten,etcThegraphofhisfindingsgoesupanddownat places,butitreachesthehighestpointatthevariableof twoThefindings:peopleaccomplish mostwhentheytalkingroupsoftwoOf 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 nameofIram(a city ofpillars),whichwasnotknowninancienthistory and whichwasnon- existentasfarashistorianswereconcerned.  However,theDecember1978editionofNational Geographicintroducedinteresting informationwhichmentionedthatin1973,thecity ofElba wasexcavatedinSyria.  Thecity wasdiscoveredtobe43centuriesold,butthatisnotthemost amazingpartResearchersfoundinthelibrary ofElbaarecordofallofthecitieswithwhich ElbahaddonebusinessBelieveitornot,thereonthelistwasthenameof thecity ofIramThe peopleofElbahaddonebusinesswiththepeopleofIram!

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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