12. GENERAL SCIENCE
FINGERPRINTS
“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.” [Al-Qur’an 75:3-4]
Unbelievers argue regarding resurrection taking place after bones of dead people have disintegrated in the earth and how each individual would be identified on the Day of Judgement. Almighty Allah answers that He can not only assemble our bones but can also reconstruct perfectly our very fingertips.
Why does the Qur’an, while speaking about determination of the identity of the individual, speak specifically about fingertips? In 1880, fingerprinting became the scientific method of identification, after research done by Sir Francis Golt. No two persons in the world can ever have exactly the same fingerprint pattern, not even identical twins. That is the reason why police forces worldwide use fingerprints to identify criminals.
Fourteen hundred years ago, who could have known the uniqueness of each human’s fingerprint? Surely it could have been none other than the Creator Himself!
PAIN RECEPTORS IN THE SKIN
It was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was dependent only on the brain. Recent discoveries however prove that there are pain receptors present in the skin, without which a person would not be able to feel pain.
When a doctor examines a patient suffering from burn injuries, he verifies the degree of burns by a pinprick. If the patient feels pain, the doctor is happy, because it indicates that the burns are superficial and the pain receptors are intact. On the other hand, if the patient does not feel any pain, it indicates that it is a deep burn and the pain receptors have been destroyed.
The Qur’an gives a clear indication of the existence of pain receptors in the following verse:
“Those who reject our signs, We shall soon cast into the Fire; as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the Penalty: acquiring the appearance of a leech."
Compare the readily available Qur’anic knowledge with Man’s struggle with scientific findings:
In 1677, Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells (spermatozoa) through a microscope. They thought that a sperm cell contained a miniature human being which grew in the uterus to form a newborn. This was known as the perforation theory. When scientists discovered that the ovum was bigger than the sperm, it was thought by scientists like De Graf and others that the foetus existed in a miniature form in the ovum. Later, in the 18th century, Maupertuis propagated the theory of biparental inheritance.
The alaqah is transformed into mudghah which means ‘something that is chewed (having teeth marks)’ and also something that is tacky and small which can be put in the mouth like gum. Both these explanations are scientifically correct. Prof. Keith Moore took a piece of plaster seal and made it into the size and shape of the early stage of foetus and chewed it between the teeth to make it into a mudghah. He compared this with the photographs of the early stage of foetus. The teeth marks resembled the ‘somites’ which is the early formation of the spinal column.This mudghah is transformed into bones (izam). The bones are clothed with intact flesh or muscles (lahm). Then Allah makes it into another creature for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. [Please look at: Al-Qur’an 4:56]
Prof. Tagatat Tejasen, Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, has spent a great amount of time on research of pain receptors. Initially he could not believe that the Qur’an mentioned this scientific fact 1,400 years ago. He later verified the translation of this particular Qur ‘anic verse. Prof. Tejasen was so impressed by the scientific accuracy of the Qur’anic verse, that at the 8th Saudi Medical Conference held in Riyadh on the Scientific Signs of Qur’an and Sunnah, he proudly proclaimed in public:
“There is no God but Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Messenger.”
14. CONCLUSION
To attribute the presence of scientific facts in the Qur’an to coincidence would be against common sense and a true scientific approach.
Indeed the scientific accuracy of the Qur’anic verses confirm the Qur’an’s open declaration:
“Soon will We show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth it is not enough that Thy Lord doth witness all things?” [Al-Qur’an 41:53]
The Qur’an invites all humans to reflect on the Creation of this universe in the verse:
“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of Night and Day —there are indeed Signs for men of understanding .“ [Al-Qur’an 3:190]
The scientific evidences of the Qur’an clearly prove its Divine origin. No human could have produced a book, fourteen hundred years ago, that would contain such profound scientific facts.
The Qur’an, however, is not a book of Science but a book of ‘Signs’. These signs invite Man to realize the purpose of his existence on earth, and to live in harmony with Nature. The Qur’an is truly a message from Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It contains the same Message of the Oneness of God, that was preached by all prophets, right from Adam, Moses, Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon them).
Several detailed tomes have been written on the subject of Qur’an and modern science and further research in this field is on. Inshaa'Allah, this research will help mankind to come closer to the Word of the Almighty. These articles only contains a few of the scientific facts present in the Qur’an. I cannot claim to have done full justice to the subject.
Prof. Tejasen accepted Islam on the strength of just one scientific ‘sign’ mentioned in the Qu’ran. Some people may require ten signs while some may require hundred signs to be convinced about the Divine origin of the Qur’an. Some would be unwilling to accept the Truth even after being shown a thousand signs. The Qur’an condemns such a closed mentality in the verse:
“Deaf, dumb and blind, They will not return (To the path).” [Al-Qur’an 2:18]
The Qur’an contains a complete code of life for the individual and society. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), the Qur’anic way of life is far superior to the ‘isms’ that modern man has invented out of sheer ignorance. Who can give better guidance than the Creator Himself?
I pray that this humble effort is accepted by Allah, to whom I pray for mercy and guidance (Aameen).
____________
Footnotes:
2. Muslims also send salutations upon all the previous divinely inspired Prophets on taking their names.
3. The Arabic word dahaahaa has been translated by A. Yusuf Ali as “vast expanse”, which also is correct. This word also means an ostrich-egg.
4. A similar message is conveyed in the Qur’an in 13:2, 35:13, 39:5 and 39:21.
5. A similar message is conveyed in the Qur’an in 10:61.
6 . Earth, Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see Earth Science, Tarbuck and Lutgens, p. 157
7. A similar message is contained in the Qru’an in 31:10 and 16:15
8. A similar message is contained in tne Qur’an in oo: 19.
9. ‘Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.
10. Oceanography, Gross, p. 242. Also see Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-30 1.
11. Oceanography, Gross, p. 244 and Introductory Oceanography,Thurman, pp. 300-30 1.
12. Oceans, Elder and Pernetta, p. 27.
13. The reference for this statment is the video tape titled ‘This is the Truth’. For a copy of this video tape contact the Islamic Research Foundation.
14. The reference for this statment is the video tape titled ‘This is the Truth’. For a copy of this video tape contact the Islamic Research Foundation.
15. Translation of this Qur’anic verse is from the book “The Bible, the Qur’an and Science” by Dr. Maurice Bucaille.
16. Embryology is the study of human development before birth.
17. Hadith or Sunnah means the sayings or actions of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh).
18. The reference for this statment is the video tape titled ‘This is the Truth I For a copy of this video tape contact the Islamic Research Foundation.
19. The same is also mentioned in the Qur’an in 16:4, 18:37, 35:11, 36:77, 40:67, 53:46, 75:37, 76:2 and 80:19.
20. The reference for this statmentis thevideo tape titled “This is the Truth. For a copy of this video tape contact the Islamic Research Foundation.