Islam and Science "Never judge a religion by its people, judge a religion by its scripture" *Note: This page contains some of the scientific discoveries from Shaukat Ameen's book "Islam, A scientifically proven religion". CHAPTER – II DISCOVERIES IN HUMAN BEINGS (i) The part that controls our movements "No indeed! If he does not stop, We will grab him by the forelock, a lying, sinful forelock." (96:15-16) Why did the Quran describe the front of the head as being lying and sinful? Why didn't the Quran say that the person was lying and sinful? Is there a relationship between the front of the head and lying & sinfulness? The expression "the lying, sinful forelock" in the above verse is most interesting. Research carried out in recent years revealed that the prefrontal area, which is responsible for the management of particular functions of the brain, lies in the frontal part of the skull. What does physiology tell us about the functions of this area? A book entitled, "Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology" says about this area: The motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate movements occur in the anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal area. This is a region of association cortex ………………… The book further says: In relation to its involvement in motivation, the prefrontal area is also thought to be the functional center for aggression…. So, this area of the cerebrum is responsible for planning, motivation and initiating good and sinful behavior, and is responsible for telling lies and speaking the truth. It is clear that the statement, "the lying, sinful lock" corresponds completely to the above explanations. Allah in the Quran stated this fact, which scientists have only discovered in the last 60 years, centuries ago. ***** (ii) Fingerprints While it is stated in the Quran that it is easy for God to bring man back to life after death, people's fingerprints are particularly emphasized: "Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers." (The Quran, 75:3-4) This emphasis on fingerprints has a very special meaning. It is now an established fact that each human being has his own unique fingerprints. Everyone who is alive or has ever lived in this world, including identical twins, has a set of unique fingerprints. This is why fingerprints are used as a source of identification around the world. In other words, people's identities are coded at their fingertips. This coding system may also be compared to the barcode system that is used today. Before the discovery of the fingerprints people thought of them as ordinary curves without any meaning or importance. In the Quran, Allah points to the fingertips and calls our attention to their significance. This is yet another miracle of the Quran that was only finally understood in our days. ***** CHAPTER – III DISCOVERIES IN HUMAN EMBROYNIC DEVELOPMENT (i) Stages of embryonic growth "We created man from an extract of clay, We later placed him as a mixed drop in a place of settlement, firmly fixed, later We made the mixed drop into a leech-like structure, and then We changed the leech-like structure into a chewed-like substance, then out of the chewed-like substance We made the skeleton/ bones, then we clothed the skeleton with muscles/ flesh, later We caused him to grow and come into as another creation, So, blessed be Allah, the best of Creators." (The Quran, 23:12-14) The Quran in the above verses uses two words for "then". "fa" in the Arabic language refers to an immediate action while the word "thumma" refers to a delayed action. In the above verses, Quran used the word thumma three times, showing that there are three different stages of human development in the embryo. (You may check these 3 stages in "The three stages of the baby in the womb" on pages 32-33 of this book.) Embryology is the branch of science that studies the development of the embryo in the mother's womb. Until very recently, embryologists assumed that the bones and muscles in an embryo developed at the same time. For this reason, for a long time, some people claimed that these verses conflicted with science. Yet, advanced microscopic research conducted by virtue of new technological developments has confirmed that the revelation of the Quran is word for word correct. Who besides Allah could have revealed such minute and specific information 1400 years ago?? ***** (ii) Three stages of the baby in the womb The Quran tells us that man is created in a three-stage process in the mother's womb. "He creates you stage by stage in your mothers' wombs in a threefold darkness. That is God, your Lord. Sovereignty is His. There is no god but Him. So what made you deviate?" (The Quran, 39:6) As we learn from this verse of the Quran that a human being is created in three different stages in the mother's womb. Today, in all the embryology text books studied in the faculties of medicine, this subject is taken as an element of basic knowledge. We learn from the modern biology that : "The life in the uterus has three stages: pre-embryonic; first two and a half weeks, embryonic; until the end of the 8th week, and fetal; from the 8th week to labor." Pre-embryonic stage: In this first phase, the zygote grows by division, and when it becomes a cell cluster, it buries itself in the wall of the uterus. While they continue growing, the cells organize themselves in three layers. Embryonic stage: The second phase lasts for five and a half weeks during which the baby is called an "embryo". In this stage, the basic organs and systems of the body start to appear from the cell layers. Fetal stage: From this stage on, the embryo is called a "foetus". This phase begins at the 8th week of gestation and lasts until the moment of birth. The distinctive character of this stage is that the foetus looks just like a human being, with its face, hands and feet. Although it is only 3 cm. long initially, all of its organs have become apparent. This phase lasts for about 30 weeks and development continues until the week of delivery. Is it not amazing that 1400 years ago when Biology and medical science had not achieved the present day perfection, the Quran had revealed what was discovered by the Scientists only recently? Is it not clear evidence that the Quran is not the word of man, but the word of Allah? ***** (iii) The determination of the sex of the baby Until fairly recently, it was thought that a baby's sex was determined by the mother's cells. That was why, in many cultures, women were blamed when they gave birth to girls. However, this belief was negated with the arrival of the Quran where it is stated that masculinity or femininity is created out of "a drop of semen which has been ejected". "He has created both sexes, male and female from a drop of semen which has been ejected." (The Quran, 53:45-46) With the development of genetics science and molecular biology in the 20th century, Scientists have validated the accuracy of this information given by the Quran. It is now understood that the sex is determined by the sperm cells from the male, and that the female does not play the main role in this process. Chromosomes are the main elements in determining sex. Two of the 46 chromosomes that determine the structure of a human being are identified as sex chromosomes. These two chromosomes are called "XY" in males, and "XX" in females, because the shapes of the chromosomes resemble these letters. The Y chromosome carries characteristics of masculinity, while the X chromosome carries those of femininity. In the mother's egg, there is only the X chromosome, which determines female characteristics. In the semen from the father, there are sperms that includes either X or Y chromosomes. Therefore, the sex of the baby depends on whether the sperm fertilizing the mother's egg (ovum) contains an X or Y chromosome. For example, if an X chromosome from the female unites with a sperm that contains X chromosomes, then the baby is a female. If it unites with the sperm that contains a Y chromosome, the baby is male. In other words, as stated in the verse, the factor determining the sex of the baby is the semen which comes from the father. This knowledge, which could not have been known at the time when the Quran was revealed, is evidence to the fact that the Quran is the word of God. (to be contd Insha allah)
Engr.Sulthan
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