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[[Category:Islam and Science]]
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{{QualityScore|Lead=2|Structure=3|Content=3|Language=3|References=3}}Among the many and diverse matters discussed in or touched upon by [[Islam and Scripture|Islamic scriptures]] are topics of direct or indirect scientific interest. These topics include reproductive science, embryology, cosmology, medicine, and a slew of other topics. While mainstream academic scholars and scientists have found the discussion of these topics contained in Islamic scripture to be unremarkable in its seventh-century context, in recent times, many traditional Muslim scholars and figures have argued that Islamic scriptures contains statements which not only adhere to but also predict modern science. Criticism of these ideas has been widespread and has even come from Muslim scholars themselves.
==Philosophical concerns regarding the idea of a scientific miracle==
Many take seriously the idea that the Quran contains [[Miracle|miraculous]] foreknowledge of modern science. Certain philosophical considerations have often been proposed as being of interest for those who either take these ideas seriously or who are considering whether they should.


IMPORTANT NOTE FOR TRANSLATIONS:
*The proposition that Humans have access to a miracle from God/gods would be incredibly consequential or at least extremely interesting if true, and thus deserves to be thought about with great seriousness and scrutiny. Otherwise, any number of contradictory parties would be able to claim that their respective scriptures contained scientific miracles.


Do not translate this Core article without translating the linked articles first. Please also read the "WikiIslam:Translations" page for suggestions on which articles to translate and which to avoid. If you still have questions, post them on the "WikiIslam:Forum/Translation Project" page. Thank you.
*A god/gods desiring to present humankind with a miracle of scientific foreknowledge would need meet this justifiable scrutiny with a miracle so uniquely clear and sound as to distinguish itself from false miracle claims, else the god/gods would have failed in their purpose, which is a supposed impossibility. It would indeed have to be ''impossible to have reason to deny'' such a miracle - this is the meaning of certainty.
 
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Among the many and diverse matters discussed in or touched upon by [[Islam and Scripture|Islamic scriptures]] are topics of direct or indirect scientific interest. These topics include reproductive science, embryology, cosmology, medicine, and a slew of other topics. While mainstream academic scholars and scientists have found the discussion of these topics contained in Islamic scripture to be unremarkable in its seventh-century context, in recent times, many traditional Muslim scholars and figures have argued that Islamic scriptures contains statements which not only adhere to but also predict modern science. Criticism of these ideas has been widespread and has even come from Muslim scholars themselves.


{{Core}}
*A scriptural statement containing a scientific statement would be evident as a miracle if and only if it is at once: (1) unambiguous and intentional, (2) ascertainably unknowable at the time of revelation, and (3) scientifically sound, because:
==Philosophical concerns regarding the idea of a scientific miracle==
 
Many take seriously the idea that the Quran contains [[Miracle|miraculous]] foreknowledge of modern science. Certain philosophical questions have often been proposed as being of interest for those who either take these ideas seriously or are presently considering them.
 
*The proposition that Humans have access to a miracle from God/gods would be incredibly consequential or at least extremely interesting if true, and thus deserves to be thought about with great seriousness and scrutiny. Otherwise, any number of contradictory parties would be able to claim that their respective scriptures contained scientific miracles.
*A god/gods desiring to present humankind with a miracle of scientific foreknowledge would need meet this justifiable scrutiny with a miracle so uniquely clear and sound as to distinguish itself from false miracle claims, else the god/gods would have failed in their purpose, which is a supposed impossibility. It would indeed have to be ''impossible to have reason to deny'' such a miracle - this is the meaning of certainty.
*A scriptural statement containing a scientific statement would be evident as a miracle if and only if it is at once: (1) unambiguous and intentional, (2) ascertainably unknowable at the time of revelation, and (3) scientifically sound, because:  
**(1) An ambiguous or unintentional scientific statement could be correct only by accident
**(1) An ambiguous or unintentional scientific statement could be correct only by accident
**(2) A scientific statement knowable at the time and place of revelation would not be a miracle
**(2) A scientific statement knowable at the time and place of revelation would not be a miracle
*Additionally, it may be that none of the above criteria can be established regarding any scientific statement because: (1) language is inherently ambiguous, (2) it is impossible to prove something is not an accident, and (3) history is fundamentally inaccessible. Nonetheless, one can and probably will disregard the skepticism necessitated by this last bullet point in their analysis.
*Additionally, it may be that none of the above criteria can be established regarding any scientific statement because: (1) language is inherently ambiguous, (2) it is impossible to prove something is not an accident, and (3) history is fundamentally inaccessible. Nonetheless, one can and probably will disregard the skepticism necessitated by this last bullet point in their analysis.


==Medicine, healthcare and biology in Islam==
==Islamic practices and health==
 
===Islamic medicinal practices===
===Medicine and Healthcare===
{{Main|Islamic Medicinal Practices}}Islamic scriptures record and encourage various folk medicinal practices common in Arabia at the time of [[Muhammad]] and his [[Sahabah|companions]] in the seventh century and perhaps introduced some new practices, including the use, in diverse ways, of: camel urine, a mixture of saliva and dust, Muhammad's bodily fluids and hairs, Indian incense, averting one's gaze from women, prayer, the wings of houseflies, cupping, and black cumin.
{{Main|Medicine and Healthcare in Islam}}
===Camel urine as a curative===
 
{{Main|Camel Urine and Islam}}Muhammad prescribed camel urine as medicine.{{Quote|{{Bukhari|8|82|794}}|Narrated Anas:Some people from the tribe of 'Ukl came to the Prophet and embraced Islam. The climate of Medina did not suit them, so the Prophet ordered them to go to the (herd of milch) camels of charity and to '''drink''', their milk and '''urine''' (as a medicine).}}
Islamic medicine, healthcare and Biology relies on superstitions, general beliefs among the people during the prophet's time and borrowings from the practices and beliefs of other civilizations. For example; today you will find Muslims who champion the self-alleged health benefits of drinking camel urine (as instructed by Muhammad), but those who are actually willing to practice such things are far less forthcoming. The allowance and even encouragement of marriages between relatives, such as cousins, is another issue that deserves to be sent back to the 7<sup>th</sup> century. Medically, this common Muslim practice is harmful because it raises the probability for genetic disorders to occur in offspring. And the much lauded embryology found within the Qur'an is in reality plagiarized from Greek medicine. Therefore embryology, as described in the Qur'an, is neither original nor correct. These are but a few of the example which are covered in our articles.
===Dipping flies into drinks===
 
{{Main|Diseases and Cures in the Wings of Houseflies}}Muhammad advised that if a fly lands in one's drink, one ought to dip it in further and then consume the drink.{{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|54|537}}|The Prophet said "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease."<!-- As narrated from Abu Hurayra and Abu Sa`id al-Khudri by al-Bukhari and in the Sunan, prophet Muhammad said: If a fly falls into one of your containers [of food or drink], immerse it completely (falyaghmis-hu kullahu) before removing it, for under one of its wings there is venom and under another there is its antidote.(Sahih Al-Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 54, Number 537) -->}}Beyond the unsanitary nature of the practice, Muslim scholars arguing for efficacy of the practice on the grounds that there are bacteriophages present on flies' wings encounter the following scientific challenges: (1) bacteriophages are not limited to any specific wing of the fly (2) bacteriophages in their natural state and concentration are not antidotal to bacterial diseases, particularly for temperate or lysogenic phages, (3) bacteriophages are ineffective against non-bacterial diseases, and (4) phage therapy is not a generally-accepted medical therapy at present because it is largely ineffective and requires large quantities of purified, possibly genetically-engineered, phages not present in the natural condition.
===The Medicinal Value of Camel Urine===
===Islamic fasting and health===
{{Main|Camel Urine and Islam}}
{{Main|Islamic Fasting and Health}}Medical fasting is different from [[Sawm (Fasting)|Islamic fasting (Sawm)]]. Islamic fasting, unlike Medical fasting, has numerous adverse effects that have been in scientific studies. Islamic fasting is intermittent, prolonged, water-deprived, and often combined with unhealthy night-time indulgence. Each of these factors are known to contribute to an unhealthy metabolism, mood swings, and generally poor performance.
 
===Zamzam water and health===
This article is about the use of camel urine as medicine in the Hadiths and how such usage is viewed in the Muslim world. Muhammad prescribed camel urine as medicine to the followers from Uraynah. Because Muhammad is a prophet, Muslims believe he received a divine revelation from God. As a result they continue to study and prescribe camel urine as medicine despite the lack of evidence proving there is any medicinal value in camel urine and that there is some evidence that drinking urine is actually harmful.
{{Main|Zamzam Well#Zamzam Water and Health}}Millions of Muslims visit the Zamzam well in Mecca each year while performing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages in order to drink from its water and, in many cases, to take home some of its water for distribution among friends and relations due to what are believed to be the water's miraculous properties. In May 2011, a BBC investigation found that genuine Zamzam water taken from the well contained arsenic levels three times the legal limit, something which could contribute to increasing people's risk of cancer. In addition to the dangerous arsenic levels, the holy water contained high levels of nitrate and potentially harmful bacteria.
 
==Islamic biology==
===Dipping Flies Into Drinks===
===Islamic embryology===
{{Main|Diseases and Cures in the Wings of Houseflies}}
{{Main|Embryology in the Quran|3=Embryology in Islamic Scripture}}Islamic embryology is derived from both the Qur’an and the hadith, and is described rather consistently across the scriptures from which it is derived. Verse 5 of Surah 22 summarizes the theory. While there are a few other verses in the Qur'an on the subject, none of them diverge dramatically from the basic outline given in 22:5. [[Hadith|Hadiths]] recorded in [[Sahih Bukhari|Bukhari]] and [[Sahih Muslim|Muslim]] provide many further details but, likewise, remain consistent with the outline presented in 22:5.{{Quote|{{quran|22|5}}|O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).}}The details of embryology as reflected in the Qur’an and the hadith can be summarized as follows; the embryo spends 40 days as a drop of sperm or seed, the embryo then spends another 40 days as a “clot” or a “leech-like clot” of blood, the embryo then spends another 40 days as a “lump of flesh” during which the gender of the child is assigned by an angel at Allah’s direction.
 
===Quranic theory of semen production===
The thesis put forward by some apologists is that it has recently been proven by modern science that flies carry not only pathogens but also the agents that limit these pathogens, thus proving the fly wing hadiths that tell us "If a fly falls into one of your containers [of food or drink], immerse it completely before removing it, for under one of its wings there is venom and under another there is its antidote." They principally identify these agents to be bacteriophages, though they also sometimes refer to fungi.
{{Main|Quran and Semen Production}}Qur'an 86:7 says that sperm originates from the backbones and the ribs, a theory similar to another erroneous theory proposed by Hippocrates in 5th century BCE.{{Quote|{{quran-range|86|6|7}}|He [man] is created from a gushing fluid<br>
 
The scientific evidence does not support the veracity of the fly wing hadiths for the following reasons: (1) Contrary to their innovative interpretations of relevant hadith, bacteriophages are not limited to any specific wing of the fly. (2) Contrary to their innovative interpretations of relevant hadith, bacteriophages in the natural state and concentration are not antidotal to bacterial diseases, particularly for temperate or lysogenic phages. (3) Bacteriophages are ineffective against non-bacterial diseases carried by flies, meaning even if the wings were to provide you with an antidote to bacterial diseases, they could infect you with another non-bacterial disease (i.e. dipping a fly into your drink is not good advice). (4) Phage therapy is not a generally-accepted medical therapy at present because it is largely ineffective and requires large quantities of purified, possibly genetically-engineered, phages not present in the natural condition.
 
===Adverse Effects of Islamic Fasting===
{{Main|Adverse Effects of Islamic Fasting}}
 
Medical fasting is different from Islamic fasting (Sawm), and contrary to popular Muslim beliefs, Islamic fasting, unlike Medical fasting, has numerous adverse effects that have been observed using scientific studies and news sources. Intermittent and prolonged fasting is generally not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Depriving the body of water and essential nutrients by dividing and postponing meals to irregular intervals does nothing to limit consumption. In-fact it causes a host of health, performance and mood disorders. Fasting is not normally prescribed for the well being of human beings. Instead, it is commonly understood that eating healthy, smaller-portioned meals, interspersed throughout the day is far better in maintaining a well-balanced diet and far more forgiving on a person's metabolism. Any claims that prolonged and intermittent fasting contributes to the well-being of an individual's health are misleading, based on the scientific studies that prove otherwise. If the Islamic argument in favor of fasting is that “we fast because God commanded us to do so," then it is obvious that God is not a nutritionist or a dietitian because the negatives definitely outweigh the positives. So the question to the Muslim world is: what benefit does the Muslim world get for 1 billion people staying hungry throughout the day for one full month every year? Did Allah actually want Muslims to suffer physically, economically and socially for one month every year? Also, if fasting is beneficial as Muslims claim, why do Muslims not fast the entire year instead of just one month?
 
===Drinking Zamzam Water and its Health Risks===
{{Main|Drinking Zamzam Water and its Health Risks}}
 
Millions of Muslims visit the Zamzam well in Mecca each year while performing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages, in order to drink its water and, in many cases, to take home some of its water for distribution among friends and relations believing the well and the water which it pumps to be miraculous.
 
As with urine, milk, and alcohol, Muslims often make claims of their religious beliefs being backed by science. However, in May 2011, a BBC investigation found that genuine Zamzam water taken from the well contained arsenic levels three times the legal limit, something which could contribute to increasing people's risk of cancer. In addition to the dangerous arsenic levels, the holy water contained high levels of nitrate and potentially harmful bacteria.
 
===Embryology in Islamic Scripture===
{{Main|Embryology in Islamic Scripture|l1=Embryology in Islamic Scripture|Embryology in the Quran|l2=Embryology in the Qur'an|History of Embryology|l3=History of Embryology}}
 
“Islamic embryology” is derived from both the Qur’an and the hadith, and is quite consistent across all the contributing sources. The core of the story can be found in the Qur’an, 22:5. There are a handful of additional ayaat that deal with this subject, and none of them disagree with the basic scenario. There is also more to learn from the hadith, particularly that of Bukhari and Muslim. Again, the accounts are quite consistent, and the additional information they provide is important.


The details of embryology as reflected in the Qur’an and the hadith can be summarized as follows; the embryo spends 40 days as a drop of sperm or seed, the embryo then spends another 40 days as a “clot” or a “leech-like clot” of blood, the embryo then spends another 40 days as a “lump of flesh” during which the gender of the child is assigned by an angel at Allah’s direction.  
That issued from between the loins and ribs.}}Many Muslims scholars have in recent times declared the Quranic theory of semen production to be an instance of miraculous scientific foreknowledge; much criticism has been forthcoming.
===Sources of Islamic theories of reproduction===
{{Main|Sources of Islamic Theories of Reproduction}}The hadith contain many statements about fluids from both the man and woman that were believed to form the human embryo. The Qur’an likewise says that the embryo is formed from emitted fluid, and in one verse perhaps indicates a mingling of male and female fluids. The origins of each of these ideas go at least as far back as the Jewish Talmud and the ancient Greek physicians. While none of the historical theories in this respect can be considered valid in light of modern science, the influence of ideas from ancient cultures and scientists upon the theories presented in the Quran and hadith is clear.
===Cousin marriage in Islam===
{{Main|Cousin Marriage in Islamic Law#Science and Statistics}}Cousin marriage is explicitly permitted in verse 23 of the 4th chapter of the Quran ({{Quran|4|23}}). Muhammad himself married his cousins. Zaynab bint Jahsh, one of Muhammad's wives, was the daughter of his father's sister as well as the former wife of Muhammad's adopted son Zayd ibn Haritha. Muhammad also allowed the marriage of his daughter, Fatimah, to his cousin, [[Ali ibn Abi Talib]], who would later go on to become the fourth [[Rashidun Caliphs|Rightly-guided]] [[Caliph]] of Islam. The second Caliph, [[Umar ibn Al-Khattab|Umar ibn al-Khattab]], also married his cousin, Atikah bint Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl.


These then are the details that must be correlated with actual embryonic development to evaluate the accuracy or inaccuracy of the Islamic account. The question is actually a simple one: Does this account describe the first 120 days of embryonic development or doesn’t it?
Modern cultures strongly discourage cousin marriage due to the higher than normal consanguinity rate among close relatives which results in an increased chance of sharing genes for recessive traits and birth defects. The British geneticist and professor Steve Jones, giving The John Maddox Lecture at the 2011 Hay Festival, stated in relation to Muslim inbreeding, "It is common in the Islamic world to marry your brother’s daughter, which is actually [genetically] closer than marrying your cousin." Tragically, statistical estimates show that close to half of all living Muslims are the offspring of cousin marriages and are, according to scientific standards, inbred.
==Islamic cosmology==
===Adam, Eve, and the beginning of creation===
{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Creation}}The Qur'an generally follows the biblical account of creation in 6 days (Genesis 1:31), although surah 41:9-12 seems to imply that the earth (and the universe) were created in 8 days instead of 6, although the figure of 8 days is never written. The tradition mostly agrees with other elements of the biblical account, such as the creation of Eve, the first woman, from the rib of Adam, the first man; Qur'an, though, broadens the claim of the bible that Adam was created from dust (Genesis 2:1) by stating in one occasion that man was created was created from dust and, in another, from clay. Tabari in his history of the world attributes to the universe an age between 6 and 7 thousand years, a figure more or less in keeping with the biblical timeline (although of course far from the now-known history of the universe as at least over 13 billion years old).


===Reproduction in the Qur'an and Hadith===
Other notable details in this narrative include (quoted from Bukhari) the description of women as being created from a "crooked" rib which will break if one tries to straighten it, the idea that "were it not for Eve, no woman would ever betray her husband", and that Adam was "60 cubit tall" (~90 feet) and that since his time, "people have been decreasing in stature".
{{Main|Greek and Jewish Ideas about Reproduction in the Quran and Hadith|l1=Greek and Jewish Ideas about Reproduction in the Qur'an and Hadith}}
===Cosmology of the Quran===
{{Main|Cosmology of the Quran|l1=Cosmology of the Qur'an}}The cosmology of the Quran is essentially the same as cosmology as that which was accepted by seventh century Arabia and much of the contemporary world. The Earth: is the center of universe, is disk-shaped, is orbited by the sun (which sets and rises through holes in the Earth's surface), sits atop seven similar disk-shaped earths, and lies beneath the seven concentric domes of heaven which, if God so willed, could 'fall out of the sky'. The entire universe as such rests beneath the throne of Allah, floats in the midst of an unending sea, and all of this exists on the back of a giant, cosmic whale, known as the [[The Islamic Whale|Islamic Whale (al-Hut al-Islami)]].
===Geocentrism and the Qur'an===
{{Main|Geocentrism and the Quran|l1=Geocentrism and the Qur'an}}The Qur'an states that both the sun and the moon swim or float in a rounded course, or perhaps in a celestial sphere or hemisphere (a 'falak' in the Arabic<ref name="LanesLexiconFalak2">Falak [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume6/00000227.pdf Lane's Lexicon Volume 1 page 2443] and [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume6/00000228.pdf page 2444] Lane also says that the Arab astronomers said there were seven of these spheres for the sun, moon, and the five visible planets, rotating about the celestial pole. This must reflect the post-Qur'anic influence of Ptolemy, whose astronomical work was translated for the Arabs from the 8th century onwards.</ref>). The sun rises from the east, goes high above the Earth, sets in a pool of muddy water somewhere on the surface of the earth, and finally proceeds to a resting place under Allah throne and prostrates. All this takes place around an Earth that was spread out and had a firmament of seven heavens built above it without pillars. This reflects a common belief in the region at that time and is also found earlier with the Babylonians, ancient Hebrews, the Assyrians and several other cultures in the region.
===Islamic views on the shape of the earth===
{{Main|Islamic Views on the Shape of the Earth}}{{Quran|15|19}}, {{Quran|20|53}}, {{Quran|43|10}}, {{Quran|50|7}}, {{Quran|51|48}}, {{Quran|71|19}}, {{Quran|78|6}}, {{Quran|79|30}}, {{Quran|88|20}}, and {{Quran|91|6}} all describe the Earth as flat.


The hadith contain many statements about fluids from both the man and woman that were believed to form the human embryo. The Qur’an too says that the embryo is formed from emitted fluid, and in one verse perhaps indicates a mingling of male and female fluids. In this article we shall present new research to trace the origins of each of these ideas at least as far back as the Jewish Talmud and the ancient Greek physicians. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the influence of ideas from other cultures on the Qur’an and hadith regarding reproduction. It will go without saying that these ideas are inaccurate compared with current scientific knowledge of reproduction and embryology.
As recently as 1993 the supreme religious authority of Saudi Arabia ''Sheik Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baaz'' declared "The earth is flat. Whoever claims it is round is an atheist deserving of punishment." and in a televised debate aired on Iraqi Al-Fayhaa TV (October 31, 2007), Muslim Researcher on Astronomy Fadhel Al-Sa'd also declared that the Earth is flat as evidenced by Qur'anic verses and that the sun is much smaller than the Earth and revolves around it.
 
===The sun's setting in a muddy spring===
===Cousin Marriage in Islam===
{{Main|Dhul-Qarnayn and the Sun Setting in a Muddy Spring - Part One}}The precise meaning of the opening phrases in verses 86 and 90 in the 18<sup>th</sup> chapter of the Qur’an ({{Quran-range|18|86|90}}) is a matter of considerable controversy. These verses occur within an account concerning a powerful figure called Dhu’l Qarnayn, “the two-horned one” ([[Dhul-Qarnayn and the Alexander Romance|Alexander, in all likelihood]]), who Allah guides on a series of three fantastic journeys in Qur’an 18:83-101. The controversy surrounding the verses emerges from the fact that the verses appear to suggest, in plain language, that the sun sets into a spring of muddy water somewhere on earth in a location inhabited, no less, by people.
{{Main|Cousin Marriage in Islam}}
===The Islamic Whale===
 
{{Main|The Islamic Whale}}The Islamic whale (in Arabic الحوت الإسلامي, al-hoot al-islami), is a mythological creature described in Islamic texts that carries the Earth on its back. It is also called Nun (نون), which is also the name of the Arabic letter "n" ن. Two alternative names of the whale are Liwash and Lutiaya. The details behind the mentioning of this creature is a unclear topic. There is little mention of Nun in the Quran, however there is further mention of it in other Islamic scriptures such has Hadith and Tafsir along with context verses.
Cousin marriage is explicitly allowed in Islam as seen in verse 4:23 of the Qur'an. Muhammad himself married cousins, as he did with Zaynab bint Jahsh, who was not only the daughter of his father's sister, but was also divorced from a marriage with Muhammad's adopted son, Zayd ibn Haritha.  Muhammad also allowed the marriage of his daughter, Fatimah, to his cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who would later go on to become the fourth Rightly-guided Caliph of Islam. The second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, also married his cousin, Atikah bint Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl.
 
From a biological point of view it becomes clear that first cousin marriage is not recommended because close relatives have a higher than normal consanguinity which means an increased chance of sharing genes for recessive traits. With this high amount of shared DNA, you have a higher risk of birth defects in a baby. The British geneticist, Professor Steve Jones, giving The John Maddox Lecture at the 2011 Hay Festival had stated in relation to Muslim inbreeding, "It is common in the Islamic world to marry your brother’s daughter, which is actually [genetically] closer than marrying your cousin." A rough estimate shows that close to half of all Muslims in the world are inbred.
 
==The universe and its history in Islam==
 
===Adam, Eve, and the Six Days of Creation===
{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Creation}}
 
This page simply quotes authoritative Islamic sources, i.e. the Qur'an, hadith, and scholars, to provide you with an accurate picture of what Islam teaches of the creation of the universe and its human inhabitants. The basic creation narrative is consistent throughout.
 
It began six thousand years before the advent of Islam. The first thing to be created was the planet Earth, which took two days to complete, from Sunday to Monday. Then it took another two days to create the mountains, trees, and everything else. The final two days, Thursday and Friday, were spent creating the "heavens", the sun, moon, other planets, and a sixty cubits (approximately ninety feet) tall Adam.
 
Hawwa' (Eve) was created from Adam's left rib, whilst he was asleep in the Garden. She is blamed by Adam for persuading him to eat from the forbidden tree. As a result, they are both cast out from the garden in Paradise and sent down to the planet Earth, where their decedents continue to decrease in size.
 
As punishment for her transgression in particular, Allah makes Eve menstruate, suffer pregnancy and become stupid. Therefore, according to Islamic beliefs, today all women menstruate (are deficient in religion) and are created stupid (deficient in intelligence).
 
===A Qur’anic Understanding of the Universe===
{{Main|Cosmology of the Quran|l1=Cosmology of the Qur'an}}
 
This article is designed to uncover and explain the cosmology presented in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. More specifically, it will explore the Qur'an's understanding of the nature and structure of the physical universe.
 
To no surprise, the Qur'an's understanding of the universe matches that of the mythical cosmos believed by 7<sup>th</sup> century Arabians rather than an accurate description of the real universe.
 
In the Qur'an, the entire universe is very small and contains simply the earth and its surrounding heavens. There are no galaxies, other solar systems, or such a thing as “outer space.” The earth is the top-most of seven, flat discs, surrounded by the seven solid concentric domes of the heavens.
 
The celestial objects that do exist (sun, moon, stars and planets) are quite small, very close, and they follow semi-circular paths within the innermost of the seven heavenly domes. When they are not in the sky above the earth, they are resting somewhere underneath it, except while petitioning Allah’s permission to return the following day (or night).
 
Paradise exists between the seven heavens, and hell exists between the seven earths. All of this is submerged in a cosmic sea, above which is the throne of Allah.
 
===The Flat Earth===
{{Main|Flat Earth and the Quran|l1=Flat Earth and the Qur'an}}
 
As recently as 1993 the supreme religious authority of Saudi Arabia ''Sheik Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baaz'' declared "The earth is flat. Whoever claims it is round is an atheist deserving of punishment." and in a televised debate aired on Iraqi Al-Fayhaa TV (October 31, 2007), Muslim Researcher on Astronomy Fadhel ''Al-Sa'd'' also declared that the Earth is flat as evidenced by Qur'anic verses and that the sun is much smaller than the Earth and revolves around it. As devout Muslims, they have good reason to conclude the Earth is flat; the Qur'anic verses 15:19, 20:53, 43:10, 50:7, 51:48, 71:19, 78:6, 79:30, 88:20 and 91:6 all clearly state this. While many have attempted to explain away this oddity, they prey on their listeners ignorance of the Arabic language. As such, their apologetic claims have been easily refuted by native Arabic speakers. There is no escaping the fact that, according to the Qur'an, the earth is flat.
 
===The Motionless Center - Planet Earth===
{{Main|Geocentrism and the Quran|l1=Geocentrism and the Qur'an}}
 
This article examines the evidence for Qur'anic geocentric cosmology. Some may confuse geocentricism with the idea that the Earth is flat. This is not the case. These are two different ideas. Geocentrism simply is the notion that the earth is the (immovable) center of our universe, thus all celestial bodies mover around it. According to the Qur'an, the Sun (and the moon and the five known planets) follow a curved (rounded) course (a Falak). This falak starts in the east (where the sun goes up), goes high above the earth and ends after sunset with the Sun resting at night at a hidden place. All this took place around an earth that was spread out and had a firmament built on invisible pillars above it. This was a common belief at the time. Sahih (authentic) hadiths affirm this geocentric cosmology (so Muhammad or at least the people around him agree with it), and great ancient, and even modern-day, Muslim astronomists agree that the Qur'an is geocentric. In ancient times, many people - but certainly not all - did not know any better than what they seemed to observe everyday: the sun appeared to be going around the earth through our skies. We cannot blame a 7<sup>th</sup> century Bedouin for not knowing this, but should not the omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient creator of the universe know better?
 
===Sun Sets in a Muddy Spring===
{{Main|Dhul-Qarnayn and the Sun Setting in a Muddy Spring}}
 
The precise meaning of the opening phrases in verses 86 and 90 in the 18<sup>th</sup> chapter of the Qur’an, Surah al-Kahf, or “The Cave”, is a matter of considerable controversy. These verses occur within an account concerning a powerful figure called Dhu’l Qarnayn, “the two-horned one”, who Allah guides on a series of three fantastic journeys in Qur’an 18:83-101. They are controversial due to Muslim sensitivity to claims that they have Allah saying that the sun sets and rises in physical locations on or at the edges of Earth.  
 
Our analysis shows that the various interpretations that have been proposed for verses 18:86 and 18:90 in the Qur’an to reconcile them with scientific facts do not stand up to detailed scrutiny. The evidence overwhelmingly supports the clear and obvious interpretation that this is intended to be understood as a historical account in which Dhu’l Qarnayn traveled until he reached the place where the sun sets and actually found that it went down into a muddy spring near to where a people were, and that he then traveled until he reached the place where the sun rises and actually found that it rose up above a people who lived close to the place where the sun rises.


From all of the earliest Sunni and Shi'a sources today available, it appears that the earliest Muslims believed the letter "nun" in the Qur'an surah 68:1 refers to a giant whale upon whose back the entire earth rests. This belief is attributed by all of the trusted sources of Islamic jurisprudence to "tarjumaan al-qur'an" ibn Abbas and was reaffirmed thereafter by many trusted Islamic scholars all the way up until the 19th century. According to this cosmogony, the earth (actually the 7 earths are) is attached to the back of the whale by means of the mountains, which are pegs to balance the earth upon the Nun's back. This cosmogony fits in with a widespread ancient belief that the world was balanced upon the back of giant animals, and the even more primordial belief that the world is surrounded by a giant, unending body of water.
===Ramadan and the North and South Poles===
===Ramadan and the North and South Poles===
{{Main|The Ramadan Pole Paradox}}
{{Main|The Ramadan Pole Paradox}}According to Islamic rituals set out in the Qur'an and hadith, the keeping and breaking of a fast and the times of prayer, among other things, are related to times of sunrise and sunset. As one gets closer to the North or South Pole, the day or night can extend to up to several months each. At the North Pole itself, daylight and darkness lasts for more than 6 months at a time. Extending the five daily prayers of a period of several months appears to undermine the Islamic ritual, however, and fasting for such a period is evidently impossible. These considerations appear to confirm the pre-modern cosmology described elsewhere in the Quran and hadith.
 
===Islamic scriptures and scholars on the universe===
This article consists of a set of questions and answers exploring Ramadan's relation to the North and South Poles. According to Islamic rules, the length of a fast is governed by the rising and the setting of the sun. This can cause a huge problem for those who live close to these poles. The closer we get to the poles, the longer our days or nights become. They can eventually extend for up to several months each, making the fourth Pillar of Islam impossible to practice without starving yourself to death. Obviously Muhammad was unaware of the poles.
{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Cosmology}}Islamic scriptures and scholars have much to say in regards to the cosmology of the universe.{{Quote|{{Muslim|1|297}}|It is narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) one day said: Do you know where the sun goes? They replied: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Verily it (the sun) glides till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it falls prostrate and remains there until it is asked: Rise up and go to the place whence you came, and it goes back and continues emerging out from its rising place and then glides till it reaches its place of rest under the Throne and falls prostrate and remains in that state until it is asked: Rise up and return to the place whence you came, and it returns and emerges out from it rising place and the it glides (in such a normal way) that the people do not discern anything ( unusual in it) till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it would be said to it: Rise up and emerge out from the place of your setting, and it will rise from the place of its setting. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said. Do you know when it would happen? It would happen at the time when faith will not benefit one who has not previously believed or has derived no good from the faith.}}
 
===Islamic Writing and the Universe===
{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Cosmology}}
 
Islamic scriptures and scholars have much to say in regards to the cosmology of the universe.
 
{{Quote|{{Muslim|1|297}}|It is narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) one day said: Do you know where the sun goes? They replied: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Verily it (the sun) glides till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it falls prostrate and remains there until it is asked: Rise up and go to the place whence you came, and it goes back and continues emerging out from its rising place and then glides till it reaches its place of rest under the Throne and falls prostrate and remains in that state until it is asked: Rise up and return to the place whence you came, and it returns and emerges out from it rising place and the it glides (in such a normal way) that the people do not discern anything ( unusual in it) till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it would be said to it: Rise up and emerge out from the place of your setting, and it will rise from the place of its setting. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said. Do you know when it would happen? It would happen at the time when faith will not benefit one who has not previously believed or has derived no good from the faith.}}
 
==Islamic science and the Golden Age==
==Islamic science and the Golden Age==
===Islamic Inventions that Changed the World===
===Islamic Inventions that Changed the World===
These past few years have seen many inventions claimed and attributed to Islamic inventors, which in fact either existed in pre-Islamic eras, were invented by other cultures, or both. However, this detail has not apologists from perpetuating these false claims. Such claims have even been propagated through a nationwide tour which opened with an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the University of Manchester, England.  
These past few years have seen many inventions claimed and attributed to Islamic inventors, which in fact either existed in pre-Islamic eras, were invented by other cultures, or both. However, this detail has not stopped apologists from perpetuating these false claims. Such claims have even been propagated through a nationwide tour which opened with an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the University of Manchester, England.


To celebrate this series of events, an article titled “How Islamic inventors changed the world” was written by Paul Vallely and published in The Independent. This inaccurate piece of writing has received much praise and is still being widely circulated on Islamic websites, forums and blogs. This article lists and examines all twenty of these “Islamic inventions that changed the world”, and in doing so, it reveals their actual inventors and the true role of Islam/Muslims, if any, behind the inventions.  
To celebrate this series of events, an article titled “How Islamic inventors changed the world” was written by Paul Vallely and published in The Independent. This inaccurate piece of writing has received much praise and is still being widely circulated on Islamic websites, forums and blogs. This article lists and examines all twenty of these “Islamic inventions that changed the world”, and in doing so, it reveals their actual inventors and the true role of Islam/Muslims, if any, behind the inventions.
 
In short, we find that Paul Vallely's article is fundamentally misleading. It omits, distorts, and makes blunders concerning the most basic of historical facts to give the reader a false impression. It leaves you wondering what could have possibly motivated him into writing such a deceptive piece of journalism?


In short, we find that Paul Vallely's article is fundamentally misleading. It omits, distorts, and makes blunders concerning the most basic of historical facts to give the reader a false impression. It leaves you wondering what could have possibly motivated him into writing such a deceptive piece of journalism?
===Islamic Science in Wikipedia Articles===
===Islamic Science in Wikipedia Articles===
At Wikipedia, Islam-related articles are often compromised by pro-Islamic editors. An example of this is a 2010 incident where an editor with over 67,000 edits was caught intentionally inserting false information into articles.  
At Wikipedia, Islam-related articles are often compromised by pro-Islamic editors. An example of this is a 2010 incident where an editor with over 67,000 edits was caught intentionally inserting false information into articles.


Jagged 85 is the main contributor to the many inaccurate Islam/Science/Golden Age articles which are still being copied and pasted all over the internet by Muslims, and more than 20% of Wikipedia's "Timeline of historic inventions" was provided by him.  
Jagged 85 is the main contributor to the many inaccurate Islam/Science/Golden Age articles which are still being copied and pasted all over the internet by Muslims, and more than 20% of Wikipedia's "Timeline of historic inventions" was provided by him.


With contributions to over 8,100 separate articles, it is unlikely that all of Jagged 85's edits will ever be fixed. And even if they were, these Wikipedia articles have already been reproduced all over the net by other sites which use Wikipedia as a source.
With contributions to over 8,100 separate articles, it is unlikely that all of Jagged 85's edits will ever be fixed. And even if they were, these Wikipedia articles have already been reproduced all over the net by other sites which use Wikipedia as a source.
==Science in the Qur'an==
==Science in the Qur'an==
===Scientific Errors in the Qur'an and Hadith===
===Scientific Errors in the Qur'an and Hadith===
{{Main|Scientific Errors in the Quran|Scientific Errors in the Hadith}}
{{Main|Scientific Errors in the Quran|Scientific Errors in the Hadith}}A common criticism of the Quran is that it contains numerous scientific and historical errors, with no obvious attempts to differentiate its understanding of the natural world and historical events from the common folklore and misconceptions of the people living in 7th century Arabia. Modern responses typically appeal to metaphor, alternative meanings, or phenomenological interpretations of such verses. They also argue that the wording needed to be acceptable to people of its time. Critics typically argue that an all-knowing, perfect communicator would nevertheless have been able to avoid statements in the Quran that reinforced misconceptions of the time, caused future generations to have doubts about its perfection, and on a scale that critics contend is an overwhelming weakness. A similar dialogue surrounds the mention of scientific topics in the hadith.
 
===Bucailleism, Dr. Keith Moore, and the "Islamic Additions"===
This page lists various types of scientific errors found in the Qur'an. The subjects of these errors include; Evolution, Astronomy, Biology, Geology, Zoology and many others which are often confirmed by the hadith.
{{Main|Dr. Keith Moore|l1=Dr. Keith Moore and the "Islamic Additions"|Bucailleism}}Bucailleism is the belief that "the Qur'an prophesied the Big Bang theory, space travel and other contemporary scientific breakthroughs," and that "there are more than 1200 verses (Ayat) which can be interpreted in the light of modern science." It has been called "a fast-growing branch of Islamic fundamentalism." Named after the French surgeon Maurice Bucaille, its proponents believe that "one of the main convincing evidences" that lead many to convert to Islam "is the large number of scientific facts in the Quran."
 
===Non-Muslim Scientists finding Science in the Qur'an===
{{Main|Dr. Keith Moore and the Islamic Additions|l1=Dr. Keith Moore and the "Islamic Additions"|Bucailleism}}
 
Bucailleism is the belief that "the Qur'an prophesied the Big Bang theory, space travel and other contemporary scientific breakthroughs," and that "there are more than 1200 verses (Ayat) which can be interpreted in the light of modern science." It has been called "a fast-growing branch of Islamic fundamentalism."  
 
Named after the French surgeon Maurice Bucaille, its proponents believe that "one of the main convincing evidences" that lead many to convert to Islam "is the large number of scientific facts in the Quran."
 
The doctrine is "widely taught" in Islamic secondary schools, promoted on at least one popular weekly television program in the Arab world and is advanced by "a well-funded campaign" led by the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah, based in Saudi Arabia and founded by Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani, a leading militant Islamist and "Specially Designated Global Terrorist".
 
Resulting from the above mentioned Commission, a popular tool of [[w:Dawah|da'wah]] is to show videos from conferences in the 1980s of various scientists apparently vouching for the scientific accuracy of the Qur'an. See [https://www.youtube.com/user/ThisIsTheTruthUncut these recent interviews] with some of those scientists, in which they explain that they were tricked, misquoted, and misrepresented by [[w:Abdul_Majeed_al-Zindani#Political_activity|Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani]], who organised the conferences.
 
===Scientific "Miracles" in the Quran===
{{Main|Scientific Miracles in the Quran|l1=Scientific Miracles in the Quran}}
This article provides a list of supposed "scientific miracles" in the Quran.


The doctrine is "widely taught" in Islamic secondary schools, promoted on popular television in Arab world and is advanced by "a well-funded campaign" led by the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah, based in Saudi Arabia and founded by Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani, a leading militant Islamist and "Specially Designated Global Terrorist". The ideas financed by the commission proved a popular tool of [[w:Dawah|da'wah]] in the 1980s, when videos where taken of various Western scientists apparently vouching for the scientific accuracy of the Qur'an. In later interviews however, many of the scientists quoted revealed that they were tricked, misquoted, and misrepresented by Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani, who organized the conferences.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/user/ThisIsTheTruthUncut</ref>
===Scientific Miracles in the Quran===
{{Main|Scientific Miracles in the Quran|l1=Scientific Miracles in the Quran}}This article provides an overview of the so-called scientific miracles contained in the Quran.
==See Also==
==See Also==
'''Articles'''
'''Articles'''


*[[Zakir Naik]]
*[[Zakir Naik]]
*[[Harun Yahya]]
*[[Harun Yahya]]
*[[Scientific Errors in the Quran]]
*[[Scientific Errors in the Quran]]
*[[Scientific Errors in the Hadith]]
*[[Scientific Errors in the Hadith]]


'''Other Core Articles'''
==External Links==


''Core articles contain an overview of other articles related to a specific issue:''
*[http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Science/index.htm Qur'an and Science] ''- Answering Islam''


*[[Islam and Apostasy]]
*[[Islam and Homosexuality]]
*[[Islam and Miracles]]
*[[Child Marriage in Islamic Law]]
*[[People of the Book]]
*[[Islam and Scripture]]
*[[Islam and Violence]]
*[[Islam and Women]]
==External Links==
*[http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Science/index.htm Qur'an and Science] ''- [[Answering Islam]]''
*[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.adherents.com/people/100_scientists.html|2=2012-12-16}} The Scientific 100] ''- 3 different rankings from Adherents.com showing how little Muslims contributed to science''
*[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.adherents.com/people/100_scientists.html|2=2012-12-16}} The Scientific 100] ''- 3 different rankings from Adherents.com showing how little Muslims contributed to science''
 
<references />
[[Category:Core Articles]]
[[Category:Prophecies]]
[[Category:Islam and Science]]
[[Category:Miracles]]
[[Category:Islamic Apologetics]]
[[Category:Revelation]]
[[Category:Islamic Golden Age]]
[[Category:Dawah]]
[[Category:Harun Yahya]]
[[Category:Criticism of Islam]]
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[[ru:Ислам и наука]]

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Among the many and diverse matters discussed in or touched upon by Islamic scriptures are topics of direct or indirect scientific interest. These topics include reproductive science, embryology, cosmology, medicine, and a slew of other topics. While mainstream academic scholars and scientists have found the discussion of these topics contained in Islamic scripture to be unremarkable in its seventh-century context, in recent times, many traditional Muslim scholars and figures have argued that Islamic scriptures contains statements which not only adhere to but also predict modern science. Criticism of these ideas has been widespread and has even come from Muslim scholars themselves.

Philosophical concerns regarding the idea of a scientific miracle

Many take seriously the idea that the Quran contains miraculous foreknowledge of modern science. Certain philosophical considerations have often been proposed as being of interest for those who either take these ideas seriously or who are considering whether they should.

  • The proposition that Humans have access to a miracle from God/gods would be incredibly consequential or at least extremely interesting if true, and thus deserves to be thought about with great seriousness and scrutiny. Otherwise, any number of contradictory parties would be able to claim that their respective scriptures contained scientific miracles.
  • A god/gods desiring to present humankind with a miracle of scientific foreknowledge would need meet this justifiable scrutiny with a miracle so uniquely clear and sound as to distinguish itself from false miracle claims, else the god/gods would have failed in their purpose, which is a supposed impossibility. It would indeed have to be impossible to have reason to deny such a miracle - this is the meaning of certainty.
  • A scriptural statement containing a scientific statement would be evident as a miracle if and only if it is at once: (1) unambiguous and intentional, (2) ascertainably unknowable at the time of revelation, and (3) scientifically sound, because:
    • (1) An ambiguous or unintentional scientific statement could be correct only by accident
    • (2) A scientific statement knowable at the time and place of revelation would not be a miracle
  • Additionally, it may be that none of the above criteria can be established regarding any scientific statement because: (1) language is inherently ambiguous, (2) it is impossible to prove something is not an accident, and (3) history is fundamentally inaccessible. Nonetheless, one can and probably will disregard the skepticism necessitated by this last bullet point in their analysis.

Islamic practices and health

Islamic medicinal practices

Islamic scriptures record and encourage various folk medicinal practices common in Arabia at the time of Muhammad and his companions in the seventh century and perhaps introduced some new practices, including the use, in diverse ways, of: camel urine, a mixture of saliva and dust, Muhammad's bodily fluids and hairs, Indian incense, averting one's gaze from women, prayer, the wings of houseflies, cupping, and black cumin.

Camel urine as a curative

Muhammad prescribed camel urine as medicine.

Narrated Anas:Some people from the tribe of 'Ukl came to the Prophet and embraced Islam. The climate of Medina did not suit them, so the Prophet ordered them to go to the (herd of milch) camels of charity and to drink, their milk and urine (as a medicine).

Dipping flies into drinks

Muhammad advised that if a fly lands in one's drink, one ought to dip it in further and then consume the drink.

The Prophet said "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease."

Beyond the unsanitary nature of the practice, Muslim scholars arguing for efficacy of the practice on the grounds that there are bacteriophages present on flies' wings encounter the following scientific challenges: (1) bacteriophages are not limited to any specific wing of the fly (2) bacteriophages in their natural state and concentration are not antidotal to bacterial diseases, particularly for temperate or lysogenic phages, (3) bacteriophages are ineffective against non-bacterial diseases, and (4) phage therapy is not a generally-accepted medical therapy at present because it is largely ineffective and requires large quantities of purified, possibly genetically-engineered, phages not present in the natural condition.

Islamic fasting and health

Medical fasting is different from Islamic fasting (Sawm). Islamic fasting, unlike Medical fasting, has numerous adverse effects that have been in scientific studies. Islamic fasting is intermittent, prolonged, water-deprived, and often combined with unhealthy night-time indulgence. Each of these factors are known to contribute to an unhealthy metabolism, mood swings, and generally poor performance.

Zamzam water and health

Millions of Muslims visit the Zamzam well in Mecca each year while performing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages in order to drink from its water and, in many cases, to take home some of its water for distribution among friends and relations due to what are believed to be the water's miraculous properties. In May 2011, a BBC investigation found that genuine Zamzam water taken from the well contained arsenic levels three times the legal limit, something which could contribute to increasing people's risk of cancer. In addition to the dangerous arsenic levels, the holy water contained high levels of nitrate and potentially harmful bacteria.

Islamic biology

Islamic embryology

Islamic embryology is derived from both the Qur’an and the hadith, and is described rather consistently across the scriptures from which it is derived. Verse 5 of Surah 22 summarizes the theory. While there are a few other verses in the Qur'an on the subject, none of them diverge dramatically from the basic outline given in 22:5. Hadiths recorded in Bukhari and Muslim provide many further details but, likewise, remain consistent with the outline presented in 22:5.

O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).

The details of embryology as reflected in the Qur’an and the hadith can be summarized as follows; the embryo spends 40 days as a drop of sperm or seed, the embryo then spends another 40 days as a “clot” or a “leech-like clot” of blood, the embryo then spends another 40 days as a “lump of flesh” during which the gender of the child is assigned by an angel at Allah’s direction.

Quranic theory of semen production

Qur'an 86:7 says that sperm originates from the backbones and the ribs, a theory similar to another erroneous theory proposed by Hippocrates in 5th century BCE.

He [man] is created from a gushing fluid
That issued from between the loins and ribs.

Many Muslims scholars have in recent times declared the Quranic theory of semen production to be an instance of miraculous scientific foreknowledge; much criticism has been forthcoming.

Sources of Islamic theories of reproduction

The hadith contain many statements about fluids from both the man and woman that were believed to form the human embryo. The Qur’an likewise says that the embryo is formed from emitted fluid, and in one verse perhaps indicates a mingling of male and female fluids. The origins of each of these ideas go at least as far back as the Jewish Talmud and the ancient Greek physicians. While none of the historical theories in this respect can be considered valid in light of modern science, the influence of ideas from ancient cultures and scientists upon the theories presented in the Quran and hadith is clear.

Cousin marriage in Islam

Cousin marriage is explicitly permitted in verse 23 of the 4th chapter of the Quran (Quran 4:23). Muhammad himself married his cousins. Zaynab bint Jahsh, one of Muhammad's wives, was the daughter of his father's sister as well as the former wife of Muhammad's adopted son Zayd ibn Haritha. Muhammad also allowed the marriage of his daughter, Fatimah, to his cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who would later go on to become the fourth Rightly-guided Caliph of Islam. The second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, also married his cousin, Atikah bint Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl.

Modern cultures strongly discourage cousin marriage due to the higher than normal consanguinity rate among close relatives which results in an increased chance of sharing genes for recessive traits and birth defects. The British geneticist and professor Steve Jones, giving The John Maddox Lecture at the 2011 Hay Festival, stated in relation to Muslim inbreeding, "It is common in the Islamic world to marry your brother’s daughter, which is actually [genetically] closer than marrying your cousin." Tragically, statistical estimates show that close to half of all living Muslims are the offspring of cousin marriages and are, according to scientific standards, inbred.

Islamic cosmology

Adam, Eve, and the beginning of creation

The Qur'an generally follows the biblical account of creation in 6 days (Genesis 1:31), although surah 41:9-12 seems to imply that the earth (and the universe) were created in 8 days instead of 6, although the figure of 8 days is never written. The tradition mostly agrees with other elements of the biblical account, such as the creation of Eve, the first woman, from the rib of Adam, the first man; Qur'an, though, broadens the claim of the bible that Adam was created from dust (Genesis 2:1) by stating in one occasion that man was created was created from dust and, in another, from clay. Tabari in his history of the world attributes to the universe an age between 6 and 7 thousand years, a figure more or less in keeping with the biblical timeline (although of course far from the now-known history of the universe as at least over 13 billion years old).

Other notable details in this narrative include (quoted from Bukhari) the description of women as being created from a "crooked" rib which will break if one tries to straighten it, the idea that "were it not for Eve, no woman would ever betray her husband", and that Adam was "60 cubit tall" (~90 feet) and that since his time, "people have been decreasing in stature".

Cosmology of the Quran

The cosmology of the Quran is essentially the same as cosmology as that which was accepted by seventh century Arabia and much of the contemporary world. The Earth: is the center of universe, is disk-shaped, is orbited by the sun (which sets and rises through holes in the Earth's surface), sits atop seven similar disk-shaped earths, and lies beneath the seven concentric domes of heaven which, if God so willed, could 'fall out of the sky'. The entire universe as such rests beneath the throne of Allah, floats in the midst of an unending sea, and all of this exists on the back of a giant, cosmic whale, known as the Islamic Whale (al-Hut al-Islami).

Geocentrism and the Qur'an

The Qur'an states that both the sun and the moon swim or float in a rounded course, or perhaps in a celestial sphere or hemisphere (a 'falak' in the Arabic[1]). The sun rises from the east, goes high above the Earth, sets in a pool of muddy water somewhere on the surface of the earth, and finally proceeds to a resting place under Allah throne and prostrates. All this takes place around an Earth that was spread out and had a firmament of seven heavens built above it without pillars. This reflects a common belief in the region at that time and is also found earlier with the Babylonians, ancient Hebrews, the Assyrians and several other cultures in the region.

Islamic views on the shape of the earth

Quran 15:19, Quran 20:53, Quran 43:10, Quran 50:7, Quran 51:48, Quran 71:19, Quran 78:6, Quran 79:30, Quran 88:20, and Quran 91:6 all describe the Earth as flat.

As recently as 1993 the supreme religious authority of Saudi Arabia Sheik Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baaz declared "The earth is flat. Whoever claims it is round is an atheist deserving of punishment." and in a televised debate aired on Iraqi Al-Fayhaa TV (October 31, 2007), Muslim Researcher on Astronomy Fadhel Al-Sa'd also declared that the Earth is flat as evidenced by Qur'anic verses and that the sun is much smaller than the Earth and revolves around it.

The sun's setting in a muddy spring

The precise meaning of the opening phrases in verses 86 and 90 in the 18th chapter of the Qur’an (Quran 18:86-90) is a matter of considerable controversy. These verses occur within an account concerning a powerful figure called Dhu’l Qarnayn, “the two-horned one” (Alexander, in all likelihood), who Allah guides on a series of three fantastic journeys in Qur’an 18:83-101. The controversy surrounding the verses emerges from the fact that the verses appear to suggest, in plain language, that the sun sets into a spring of muddy water somewhere on earth in a location inhabited, no less, by people.

The Islamic Whale

The Islamic whale (in Arabic الحوت الإسلامي, al-hoot al-islami), is a mythological creature described in Islamic texts that carries the Earth on its back. It is also called Nun (نون), which is also the name of the Arabic letter "n" ن. Two alternative names of the whale are Liwash and Lutiaya. The details behind the mentioning of this creature is a unclear topic. There is little mention of Nun in the Quran, however there is further mention of it in other Islamic scriptures such has Hadith and Tafsir along with context verses.

From all of the earliest Sunni and Shi'a sources today available, it appears that the earliest Muslims believed the letter "nun" in the Qur'an surah 68:1 refers to a giant whale upon whose back the entire earth rests. This belief is attributed by all of the trusted sources of Islamic jurisprudence to "tarjumaan al-qur'an" ibn Abbas and was reaffirmed thereafter by many trusted Islamic scholars all the way up until the 19th century. According to this cosmogony, the earth (actually the 7 earths are) is attached to the back of the whale by means of the mountains, which are pegs to balance the earth upon the Nun's back. This cosmogony fits in with a widespread ancient belief that the world was balanced upon the back of giant animals, and the even more primordial belief that the world is surrounded by a giant, unending body of water.

Ramadan and the North and South Poles

According to Islamic rituals set out in the Qur'an and hadith, the keeping and breaking of a fast and the times of prayer, among other things, are related to times of sunrise and sunset. As one gets closer to the North or South Pole, the day or night can extend to up to several months each. At the North Pole itself, daylight and darkness lasts for more than 6 months at a time. Extending the five daily prayers of a period of several months appears to undermine the Islamic ritual, however, and fasting for such a period is evidently impossible. These considerations appear to confirm the pre-modern cosmology described elsewhere in the Quran and hadith.

Islamic scriptures and scholars on the universe

Islamic scriptures and scholars have much to say in regards to the cosmology of the universe.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) one day said: Do you know where the sun goes? They replied: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Verily it (the sun) glides till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it falls prostrate and remains there until it is asked: Rise up and go to the place whence you came, and it goes back and continues emerging out from its rising place and then glides till it reaches its place of rest under the Throne and falls prostrate and remains in that state until it is asked: Rise up and return to the place whence you came, and it returns and emerges out from it rising place and the it glides (in such a normal way) that the people do not discern anything ( unusual in it) till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it would be said to it: Rise up and emerge out from the place of your setting, and it will rise from the place of its setting. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said. Do you know when it would happen? It would happen at the time when faith will not benefit one who has not previously believed or has derived no good from the faith.

Islamic science and the Golden Age

Islamic Inventions that Changed the World

These past few years have seen many inventions claimed and attributed to Islamic inventors, which in fact either existed in pre-Islamic eras, were invented by other cultures, or both. However, this detail has not stopped apologists from perpetuating these false claims. Such claims have even been propagated through a nationwide tour which opened with an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the University of Manchester, England.

To celebrate this series of events, an article titled “How Islamic inventors changed the world” was written by Paul Vallely and published in The Independent. This inaccurate piece of writing has received much praise and is still being widely circulated on Islamic websites, forums and blogs. This article lists and examines all twenty of these “Islamic inventions that changed the world”, and in doing so, it reveals their actual inventors and the true role of Islam/Muslims, if any, behind the inventions.

In short, we find that Paul Vallely's article is fundamentally misleading. It omits, distorts, and makes blunders concerning the most basic of historical facts to give the reader a false impression. It leaves you wondering what could have possibly motivated him into writing such a deceptive piece of journalism?

Islamic Science in Wikipedia Articles

At Wikipedia, Islam-related articles are often compromised by pro-Islamic editors. An example of this is a 2010 incident where an editor with over 67,000 edits was caught intentionally inserting false information into articles.

Jagged 85 is the main contributor to the many inaccurate Islam/Science/Golden Age articles which are still being copied and pasted all over the internet by Muslims, and more than 20% of Wikipedia's "Timeline of historic inventions" was provided by him.

With contributions to over 8,100 separate articles, it is unlikely that all of Jagged 85's edits will ever be fixed. And even if they were, these Wikipedia articles have already been reproduced all over the net by other sites which use Wikipedia as a source.

Science in the Qur'an

Scientific Errors in the Qur'an and Hadith

A common criticism of the Quran is that it contains numerous scientific and historical errors, with no obvious attempts to differentiate its understanding of the natural world and historical events from the common folklore and misconceptions of the people living in 7th century Arabia. Modern responses typically appeal to metaphor, alternative meanings, or phenomenological interpretations of such verses. They also argue that the wording needed to be acceptable to people of its time. Critics typically argue that an all-knowing, perfect communicator would nevertheless have been able to avoid statements in the Quran that reinforced misconceptions of the time, caused future generations to have doubts about its perfection, and on a scale that critics contend is an overwhelming weakness. A similar dialogue surrounds the mention of scientific topics in the hadith.

Bucailleism, Dr. Keith Moore, and the "Islamic Additions"

Bucailleism is the belief that "the Qur'an prophesied the Big Bang theory, space travel and other contemporary scientific breakthroughs," and that "there are more than 1200 verses (Ayat) which can be interpreted in the light of modern science." It has been called "a fast-growing branch of Islamic fundamentalism." Named after the French surgeon Maurice Bucaille, its proponents believe that "one of the main convincing evidences" that lead many to convert to Islam "is the large number of scientific facts in the Quran."

The doctrine is "widely taught" in Islamic secondary schools, promoted on popular television in Arab world and is advanced by "a well-funded campaign" led by the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah, based in Saudi Arabia and founded by Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani, a leading militant Islamist and "Specially Designated Global Terrorist". The ideas financed by the commission proved a popular tool of da'wah in the 1980s, when videos where taken of various Western scientists apparently vouching for the scientific accuracy of the Qur'an. In later interviews however, many of the scientists quoted revealed that they were tricked, misquoted, and misrepresented by Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani, who organized the conferences.[2]

Scientific Miracles in the Quran

This article provides an overview of the so-called scientific miracles contained in the Quran.

See Also

Articles

External Links

  • The Scientific 100 - 3 different rankings from Adherents.com showing how little Muslims contributed to science
  1. Falak Lane's Lexicon Volume 1 page 2443 and page 2444 Lane also says that the Arab astronomers said there were seven of these spheres for the sun, moon, and the five visible planets, rotating about the celestial pole. This must reflect the post-Qur'anic influence of Ptolemy, whose astronomical work was translated for the Arabs from the 8th century onwards.
  2. https://www.youtube.com/user/ThisIsTheTruthUncut