Surah Al An’aam (6:96) – Night designed for rest, Spherical Shape of the Earth

 

 

فَالِقُ الْإِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ سَكَنًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَانًا ذٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ

He causes the dawn to break; and He has made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for reckoning; this is an arrangement of the Mighty, the Knowing.

M Shakir's Quran Translation

 

Spherical Shape of the Earth

The term فالق الاصباح that is breaking the dawn in the Ayat points towards the spherical shape of the earth contrary to what was thought at the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW. There are other Ayats in the Quran where spherical shape is described explicitly. We'll discuss this topic there. (See Surah Shams 91:6)

Ayaats in the Quran which point towards Geo Spherical Shape of the Earth

Surah Anaam 6:96, Surah Hajj 22:6, Surah Luqman 31:29, Surah Faatir 35:13, Surah Hadeed 57:6, Surah Shams 91:6.

Night 'designed' for rest

The second important thing mentioned in the Ayat is that Allah has made the night peaceful, in other words night is specially designed for sleep and rest. Modern Scientific discoveries uncover this secret.

Melatonin

First interesting thing is the discovery of hormone which makes one 'sleepy'. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that is released into the bloodstream during the hours of darkness. While scientists continue to study the function of melatonin in humans, they believe the hormone plays a role in the body's circadian rhythm. This rhythm regulates the physiological functions that occur in the body within a 24-hour period, such as sleep-wake cycles, fluctuations in body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Scientists theorize that because melatonin levels are low during the day and high at night, melatonin may instruct the body when it is day or night, enabling the body to adapt and meet the demands of its changing environment. Melatonin may also provide seasonal cues by, for instance, informing the body about the longer nights that occur in winter and the shorter nights in summer.

Other studies have found that melatonin levels in the body decline with age in humans, leading some researchers to speculate that melatonin acts as an antiaging hormone by alleviating some of the adverse effects of aging such as heart disease. (Turek, Fred W. "Melatonin." Microsoft Encarta 2007)

The hormone melatonin prepares the body for sleep by slowing down peoples' physical movements, making them sleepy and tired, and functioning as a natural tranquillizer that eases their minds. During sleep, heartbeat and respiration rhythms slow down and blood pressure falls. In the morning, the production of the hormones stops and the body is stimulated to awaken. ("Melatoning the Growth Hormone, "Health Journal)

 

Reduced Photosynthesis and perspiration in plants

Many activities that take place during the day slow down and rest during the night. In plants, for instance, perspiration in leaves and photosynthesis begin to rise when the Sun rises. In the afternoon, the situation is reversed. In other words, photosynthesis slows down and respiration increases since perspiration is accelerated as the temperature rises. At night time, as the temperature falls, perspiration slows down and the plant rests. Most plants would die if just one night failed to take place. From that point of view, night means rest and reinvigoration for plants, just as it does for human beings. ("Light, Temperature and Humidity," Texas Agricultural Extension Service)

 

Reduced Movement even at the molecular level

Another Interesting discovery is that movement even at the molecular level decreases at night. The radiation emitted by the Sun during the day activates the atoms and molecules in Earth's atmosphere and causes them to achieve higher energy levels. As darkness falls, the atoms and molecules fall to lower energy levels and start to give off radiation. ("Night-time on Venus", January 18, 2001)

 

And We made the night to be a covering
(Surah Naba 78:10)

 

 

 

See the complete list of Scientific Miracles in Surah Al An'aam here

 

Comments, Queries and Suggestion at

Muhammad.Awais.Tahir@gmail.com

Surah Al Baqarah (2:164) – Ayat ul Ayaat (The Ayat of Signs), Signs of Allah Everywhere !

 

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاء مِن مَّاء فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخِّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاء وَالأَرْضِ لآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day, and the ships that run in the sea with that which profits men, and the water that Allah sends down from the cloud, then gives life with it to the earth after its death and spreads in it all (kinds of) animals, and the changing of the winds and the clouds made subservient between the heaven and the earth, there are signs for a people who understand.

M Shakir's Quran Translation

 

This particular ayat is known as the ayat of signs آية الآيات. This ayat invites us to think on the following things.

1-Creation of the heavens and the earth

2-Alternation of days and nights

3-Ships in the seas (mentioned in at least 16 different places)

4-Water coming down from the sky as rain (mentioned in at least 10 different places)

5-Life of earth after its death

6-Dispersing all kinds of animals on earth

7-Change of clouds and winds

 

There is a something special in the things which ALLAH mentions here. Generally ALLAH invited us to ponder over the things around us in many verses in the Qur'an.

Consider what is it that is in the heavens and the earth; and signs and warnings do not avail a people who would not believe
(Surah Younus 10:101)

There are no less then 74 places in the holy Qur'an where ALLAH invited to discover his signs using the word 'signs'. The list of those 74 verses is as follows:

(2:73),(2:158),(2:164),(3:190),(6:99),(6:109),(10:5),(10:6),(10:67),(10:101),(12:105),(13:2),(13:3),(13:4),(14:5),(15:75),(15:77),(16:11),(16:12),(16:13),(16:65),(16:67),(16:69),(16:79),(17:12),(18:17),(20:54),(20:128),(22:32),(22:36),(23:30),(26:8),(26:67),(26:203),(26:121),(26:174),(26:190),(27:52),(27:93),(29:15),(29:35),(29:44),(34:9),(34:15),(36:33),(36:37),(36:41),(30:21),(30:22),(30:23),(30:24),(30:25),(30:37),(30:46),(30:50),(31:31),(31:32),(32:26),(39:42),(39:52),(40:13),(40:81),(41:37),(41:39),(41:53),(42:29),(42:32),(42:33),(45:3),(45:4),(45:5),(45:13),(51:20),(51:37)

And only in one Surah i.e. Surah Rahman this verse had been repeated 31 times

Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
(Surah Rahman 55:13)

 

This is the one of the three places in the Qur'an, where ALLAH mentions so many signs in particular, for us, to ponder over. The other places are Surah Ar-Rum (30:21-25) but the signs mentioned there have a close relation with the particular with psychology of people and Surah Anaam where signs particularly related with agriculture are mentioned. Here ALLAH mentions seven things in particular and then says that in these there are signs for ' people who understand', ' people who have sense'.

Just a little thinking, a little use of the brain can make us realize what is special in seven things that ALLAH mentioned which any logical person can understand. In addition, in fact there are great scientific points to think in these seven things that any person having a little knowledge of science can understand.

 

1-Creation of the heavens and the earth

In many verses over the Holy Qur'an stress is laid on the signs in the Heaven and the earth. In no less then 64 places in the Holy Qur'an ALLAH diverts our thinking towards the Heaven and the Earth. Moreover, the thing, which is mentioned in the Qur'an many times, is that much important. Repetition is directly proportional to importance.

Imagine a pencil or even a piece of paper come to existence by itself. Its something we would not be able imagine even. Then how can the immense universe come to existence by itself. Doesn't this remind you of the creator? Doesn't this force you to think that some one really powerful, really intelligent, having all sorts of knowledge would have created these heavens and the earth?

The accurate description of the universe in the Holy Quran (at a time when we had no telescopes) is itself a proof that the author of this book is all-knowing.

• The Big Bang (21:30)
  
• Atmosphere as a roof (2:22)
  
• Heavens without pillars (13:2),(31:10)
  
• Mountains stabilize the earth and serve as pegs (78:7)
  

Peaceful Bang…Big Bang

Does a bomb blast ever take place in harmony? Because of a bomb blast, we always find some sort of destruction. We see the loss of lives, loss of money etc. Had anything constructive ever happened out of a blast? Answer certainly is a big No! Did not the Universe and the heavens and earth came into result a result of a bang a blast; The Big Bang. How the perfect harmony?
Everything, every detail from the atom, the smallest unit of matter, to the galaxies harboring billions of stars, from the moon, an inseparable adjunct of the world, to the solar system, all work in a perfect harmony. The big bang must have been a controlled blast. But who controlled it? Surely the Lord, ALLAH.

 

Photo Researchers, Inc./Morton-Milon/Science Source

Milky Way Galaxy

Our own solar system exists within one of the spiral arms of the disk-shaped galaxy called the Milky Way. This false-color image looks toward the center of the Milky Way, located 30,000 light-years away. Bright star clusters are visible along with darker areas of dust and gas.

The Accurate Creation

Hydrogen comprises 75% of the universe, playing a most vital role in its chemistry. Without it there would be no organic materials, no water and, obviously, no earth or oceans. It is, of course, possible that stars could have formed from helium alone if hydrogen did not exist, but they would have burned at a much higher rate. They would have exhausted their fuel in a very short time and exploded long before life could have developed anywhere.

Let us now look at the early history of the universe to see if a haphazard process could have resulted in the production of hydrogen and the ratio of hydrogen to helium of 75 to 25 which now exists. During the first one and a half minutes of the Big Bang, there was total equilibrium. Free neutrons and protons were being continually created and annihilated at fantastic rates. As the universe expanded and the temperature dropped, the reaction rates also slowed down until, at the "freeze out" temperature of 10 (raised to the power of 9) K, the equilibrium was destroyed and the abundance ratios of neutrons and protons remained fixed --- one neutron for every six protons. From then on, neutrons combined with protons to form deuterium, which in turn formed helium, and the unmatched protons formed hydrogen.

Recent detailed analysis by physicists indicates that the preceding factors: (1) the specific abundance ratios of protons and neutrons, (2) the existence of hydrogen, and (3) the specific hydrogen to helium ratios must be considered at least "very remarkable," since they could not have been the result of some haphazard set of circumstances. They imply, as one physicist put "a fortuitous" arrangement of a number of factors from different fields:

1.    A large role is played by the difference between the mass of a proton and that of a neutron. It is calculated that if the neutron's mass was only slightly different, just one thousandth of a percent of change, the neutron would not be able to decay into protons and electrons (thus producing the one proton and one electron needed to produce hydrogen). If this process did not take place, there would be no hydrogen, and in all likelihood, no atoms at all. We would not be here to write this, nor would you, or anyone else, be here to read it!

2.    Free neutrons are unstable particles. They disintegrate spontaneously in about fifteen minutes. If the neutron's lifetime were any different from what it is, the universe would either be all helium, or no helium at all. If the disintegration were faster, the free neutrons could not catch the free protons and helium would not be produced; and if it were slower, then all the free neutrons would catch all the free protons and only helium would be formed. In either case, the result would be the same as for item one, above.

3.    It has been established that there are four forces in nature holding the universe together at the most fundamental level and determining the size and structure of all that we see: gravity, the electromagnetic force, the strong force and the weak force. The strength of gravity (designated as 10 (raised to the minus 39th power)) is infinitesimal compared to the strength of the weak force (10 (raised to the minus 5th power)), yet this is exactly how it has to be. If the two forces were any different, the proton/neutron ratios would be almost zero or almost 100%, and again, life could not exist.

Now let us look very briefly at carbon and oxygen. These are elements which are vital to life on earth. Detailed studies indicate that they have been produced in exactly balanced amounts. Any excess in carbon would have prevented the formation of many materials essential for life. An excess in oxygen would have burned up many carbon bearing biochemicals also essential for life. Once again, studies show that for carbon and oxygen to have been synthesized and produced in the abundance ratios we observe, it required precise matching. This is critical when we remember that those ratios are necessary for life.

The electrons of an atom reside in various states depending on their energy level, giving rise to different chemical properties. Analogous properties exist for the protons and neutrons. These analogous properties are called the nuclear resonance level.

The successful synthesis of carbon and oxygen, as well as their appropriate ratios, is the direct result of their having exactly the correct nuclear resonance levels. If this were not so, the synthesis would place too easily and all carbon would be fused into oxygen! This is too complex a process to try to discuss in this short space, but as physicist Fred Hoyle, in his book Galaxies, Nucleai & Quasars: "carbon and oxygen are like two radio receivers, each tuned to a particular wavelength. Unless the tunings are right, far more oxygen is produced than carbon."

In coming to any conclusions from all this, two points must be remembered. First, as we said in the beginning, these are not isolated coincidences and may be dismissed with the wave of a hand. We have given here two examples as illustrations. Within any field one studies in any detail -- chemistry, physics, biology, etc. -- one will find the same phenomenal fine tuning: specific selections of factors toward a specific goal. Second, each of these "coincidences" requires a coordination of factors from various fields, making the case for "coincidence" even less likely. On the carbon/ oxygen ratios and the delicate positioning of nuclear resonances on which they depend, Fred Hoyle has this conclusion: "if you want to produce carbon and oxygen in roughly equal amounts by stellar nucleosynthesis, these are the two levels you would have to fix and your fixing would have to be where these are actually found to be. A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with physics as well as chemistry and biology and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature."

How long will most scientists and others who choose not to believe in the magnificent design of God continue to say "fortuitous arrangement of factors" and "remarkable coincidences," in spite of the overwhelming and increasing evidence to the contrary? Apparently, human arrogance has no limit when it comes to admitting the existence of God. As an example, I cite John Barrow (author of the Anthropic Cosmological
Princole). He apparently believes that our existence is actually responsible for the very special structure of the Universe! "Many observations of the natural world, although remarkable, a priori, are seen in this light as inevitable consequences of our own existence."

The preceding quotation, taken at face value, implies that you and I are somehow the cause of the fact that the neutron has a life of fifteen minutes, or that it has a certain weight and not another!

[He is] the one to whom belongs the kingship of the heavens and the Earth. He never had a son, nor does He have any partnership in kingship. He created everything in exact measure; He precisely designed everything.
(Surah Furqan 25:2)

(The above-mentioned facts have been excerpted from Hussein Kowserri's article HYDROGEN, CARBON AND OXYGEN: VITAL ELEMENTS BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN?)

The above-mentioned example is just a single of the thousand examples available, which force us to think there is an element of creation in the universe. It's impossible for all of it to have come by itself. Look at the structure of water. It is full of miracles. Even if we look into our own body, the complex structures and the great accuracy force us to believe the reality the reality of creation and the reality of the great creator. A small change in the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere, the distance of earth from the sun, the anomalous properties of water will cause all of us to die.

Ayaats in which Quran diverts our attention towards the heavens and the earth (Total 64)

Surah Baqarah 2:33,116,164, Surah Ale Imran 3:190, Surah Nisa 4:170, Surah Maida 5:17,18,120, Surah Anaam 6:1,73,75, Surah Aa'raf 7:54:158,185, Surah Younus 10:3, Surah Hood 11:7,107,108 Surah Yusuf 12:105, Surah Raad 13:15, Surah Ibrahim 14:19,32, Surah Hijr 15:85, Surah Nahl 16:3,52, Surah Israa 17:102, Surah Maryam 19:65,93, Surah Anbiya 21:19,30, Surah Mominun 23,71, Surah Furqan 25:59, Surah Shua'ra 26:24, Surah Naml 27:25,65, Surah Anqaboot 29:44, Surah Room 30:8,22, Surah Luqman 31:26, Surah Sajdah 32:4, Surah Ahzaab 33:72, Surah Faatir 35:41, Surah Yaaseen 36:81, Surah Saafat 37:5, Surah Saad 38:10,66, Surah Zumar 39:5, Surah Ghafir 40:57, Surah Shura 41:29, Surah Zukhruf 43:85, Surah Dukhan 44:7,38, Surah Jasiya 45:3,22, Surah Ahqaaf 46:3,33, Surah Qaaf 50:38, Surah Rahman 55:29, Surah Hadeed 57:1,4, Surah Hashr 59:24, Surah Taghabun 64:3, Surah Naba 78:37.

2-Alternation of Days and Nights

Qur'an encourages us to think over the night and the day no less than 42 times.

And We have made the night and the day two signs, then We have made the sign of the night to pass away and We have made the sign of the day manifest, so that you may seek grace from your Lord, and that you might know the numbering of years and the reckoning; and We have explained everything with distinctness.

(Surah Israa 17:12)

In the alternation of days and nights, there is a sign for logical, wise people. The sun never catches up the moon nor does the moon catch up the sun. What this teaches us? When the sun reaches its peak, it starts coming down. The day does not remain forever nor does the night; showing us that this life is a temporary one. Everything here is bound to perish at its time. We will leave the world soon and others will take our place but what about the unsettled problems. Someone robbed your one-year savings. Someone kidnapped your innocent child and never returned him back. Who is going to give you the return and when? Learn what the nature teaches you. Everyday the alternation of day and night reminds you that soon you are going to leave this world. Soon you are going to die. Have you prepared anything for the world you are heading to?

Qur'an , which was revealed 1400, contains scientific facts regarding the Sun, the Moon that have been newly discovered by modern science.

• The movement of the Sun
  
• Does Moon have light of its own?
  

The importance of daytime for the continuous of life on earth:

Daytime, sunlight and its heat and radiations are the most important factors which Allah subjected so life can continue on our planet. Thu, when green plants are exposed to sunlight it transfers the energy of light into a chemical energy formed as bonds in the sugar substances this process is called "photosynthesis" also water and carbon dioxide are important components in this process. Photosynthesis is the basic source of almost all energies on earth and food substances, and if it hadn't been for light this process wouldn't exist and all means of life would vanish.

The importance of night for the continuous of life:

Even thought most of the important biological processes take place in daytime, millions of them are at night. Scholars divided photosynthesis reactions into: light reactions which happen only in the existence of light, dark reactions which take place at night and doesn't need light.

The alternation and its effect on life:

The differentiation between daytime and night in length, brightness and darkness, warmth and coldness are important factors for life. For instance, in flowering plants neither fruits nor seeds will grow if flowers haven't, and these flowers don't grow on any plant unless it has a chemical biological substance called" flowering hormone" which leads to the flowering process. This substance is formed only by the alternation of light and dark and their intensity and length; in fact God has created in the kingdom of plant those which need daily darkness until they flower, thus they are called" long night plants" on the contrary, there are others which need light" long daytime plants"

So according to these facts long night plants cant be moved to an environment where daytime is longer than night, therefore the plant will not have flowers, fruits nor seeds this happens if night plants are exposed to artificial light by using big mirrors to change dark into light in some parts of the earth, as a result the biological process of the plant will be disturbed.

There are some creatures; other than plants; that are affected by light and dark like some germs and sea plants.

It has been found that the ozone layer protects earth creatures from getting exposed to intense light so they won't get killed, in fact the increase of light resulted in the decrease of protein 20% from the rate in some plants, and this indicates that night is essential for their living.

From the above we realize that night is very important for life to continue. When I searched in the Quran for verses mentioning day and night, I have found that the word " night" comes before day in most of them which means that night is important as daytime, and the difference between them in length of time in important from a scientific view.

(Above information about the importance of days and nights from the scientific perspective has been excerpted with slight modifications from Miracles from Quran and the world of plant By Dr.Nazmy kaleel abu al Ata
, Specialist in philosophy of biology (plants) in the University of Een Shames)

3-Ships in the seas

As the globe of earth is made two thirds of water (seas and oceans), it was necessary for man to explore ways of moving over and dive under the surface if seas and oceans, if he was to be the master of his own globe. ALLAH draws our attention to the ships in the seas no less than 16 times in the holy Qur'an. See how the ships sail in the seas. In this, there are signs for the believers. How ALLAH taught people the means of transport. People sailing in the ships when caught in some sorts of thunderstorms always call upon the GOD to save him. ALLAH draws our attention to these different means of transport, different types of motion. ALLAH draws our attention towards the flight of the birds in other places as well.

Allah mentions strange facts regarding the seas that were unknown to man the time the Qur'an was revealed.

• Two seas with an unseen barrier (55:19)
  
• The mummy of Pharaoh a sign (10:12)
  

4-Water coming down from sky as rain

At least 10 times in the holy Qur'an ALLAH draws our attention towards rainfall. The Water cycle, measure of rain, the process of formation of clouds has been discussed in the Qur'an various times and in perfect conciliation with the established science. The four remaining signs mentioned in this verse are closely related.

See the method nature formed for our survival. The heat of the sun, the formation of clouds, and the rainfall isn't this natural irrigation system. Had there been no such system had we been able to make such a large scale irrigation system. Surely, there is a great plan behind it. This great system, the natural system couldn't possibly have to come to existence on its own.

The facts regarding the rain and the complete water cycle mentioned in the Holy Quran are a 'food for thought' for all those in search in of truth.

• Stage-wise formation of rain (30:48)
  
• The Complete Water Cycle
  

The minimum altitude of rain clouds is 1,200 meters. When dropped from this height, an object having the same weight and size as a rain drop would continuously accelerate and fall on the ground with a speed of 552 km/h.

Initial velocity: 0 m/s Acceleration due to gravity: 9.8 m/s Height: 1200 meters Final velocity: (2aS) ½ = 552 km/h

This gives us the final speed of about 552 km/h. Certainly, any object that hits the ground with that speed would cause great damage. If rain happened to fall in the same way, all harvested lands would be destroyed, residential areas, houses, and cars would be damaged, and people would not be able to walk around without taking extra precautions. What is more, these calculations are made just for clouds at a height of 1,200 meters; there are also rain clouds at altitudes of 10,000 meters. A raindrop falling from such a height could normally reach a very destructive speed about 1593 km/h.

But this is not how it works; no matter from what height they fall, the average speed of rain drops is only 8-10 km/h when they reach the ground. The reason for this is the special form they take. This special form increases the friction effect of the atmosphere and prevents acceleration when the rain drops reach a certain speed "limit". (Today parachutes are designed by using this technique.)

He sends down (from time to time) water from the sky in due measure, and We raise to life therewith a land that is dead. Even so will you be raised (from the dead)
(Surat Zukhruf 43:11)

 

5-Life of earth after its death

This has also been discussed many times in the holy Qur'an.

Logical signs:

ALLAH makes the dead earth alive from water. We see this every day. How the 'living' plants come out from 'dead' seeds. Similarly after the end of this world, ALLAH will send a rain once more. And man will come out of the earth just like plants for the real life.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amar that ALLAH's apostle Muhammad (S.A.W) said: Then the trumpet will be blown and he who hears it will bend his neck to one side and raise it from the other side. The first one to hear that trumpet will be the person who is busy in setting right the cistern meant for supplying water to the camels. He will faint and the other people will also faint. Then Allah will send or He will cause to be sent rain which will be like dew and there will grow out of it the bodies of people. Then the second trumpet will be blown and they will stand up and begin to look (around). Then it will be said: O people go to your Lord. They will be made to stand there and they will be questioned. Then it will be said: Bring out a group (of them) for the Hell-Fire. It will be asked: How much? It will be said: Nine hundred and ninety-nine out of one thousand for the Hell-Fire. That will be the day that will make the children old because of its terror and that will be the day about which it has been said: "On the day when the shank will be uncovered"

(Sahih Muslim Hadith no 1371)

Rain drops that reach the clouds after being evaporated from the seas, contain certain substances "that will give life" to a dead land. These "life-giving" drops are called "surface tension drops". Surface tension drops form on the top level of the sea surface which is called the "micro layer" by biologists. In this layer, which is thinner than one tenth of a millimeter, there are many organic leftovers caused by the pollution of microscopic algae and zooplankton. Some of these leftovers select and collect within themselves some elements, which are very rare in seawater, such as phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and some heavy metals like copper, zinc, cobalt and lead. These "fertilizer"-laden drops are lifted up into the sky by the winds and after a while they drop on the ground inside the rain drops. Seeds and plants on the earth find numerous metallic salts and elements essential for their growth here in these rain drops. This event is revealed in another verse of the Qur'an:

And We send down from the sky rain laden with blessing, and We produce therewith gardens and grain for harvests
(Surah Qaf 50:9)

Salts that fall with rain are small examples of certain elements (calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc.) used for increasing fertility. The heavy metals found in these types of aerosols are other elements that increase fertility in the development and production of plants.

A barren land can be furnished with all the essential elements for plants in a 100-year period just with these fertilizers dropped with the rain. Forests also develop and are fed with the help of these sea-based aerosols. In this way, 150 million tons of fertilizer falls on the total land surface every year. If there were no natural fertilization like this, there would be very little vegetation on the earth, and the ecological balance would be impaired.

What is more interesting is that God revealed this truth, which was only be discovered by modern science now, and in the Qur'an centuries ago.

 

Does a Tree grow by itself

There is another sign in the life of plants from the 'dead' seed. The tree, as is well known, grows up from a seed out of the earth. From this tiny seed (a seed is not even 1 cubic centimeter in size), arises an enormous wooden mass of 4-5 meters long and hundreds of kilograms in weight. The only thing that the seed can use while constituting this great mass is the earth in which it is buried.

How can a seed know how to form a tree? How can it "reason" to decompose the necessary substances in the soil to create wood? How can it predict the required shape and structure? This last question is especially important, because it is not an ordinary wooden piece that emerges from the seed. It is a complex living organism with roots for assimilating substances from the earth, with veins and with branches that are perfectly organized. A human being has difficulty in drawing even a picture of a tree, while on the contrary a simple seed can produce such an extremely complex object by merely using the substances in the soil.

This observation concludes that a seed is extremely intelligent and wise, even more so than we are. Or to be more precise, there is an amazing intelligence in what a seed does. But what is the source of that intelligence? How can it be possible for a seed to have such intelligence and memory?

No doubt, this question has a single answer: the seed is created by being endowed with the ability to form a tree, that is, it is programmed so in advance. Every seed on earth is encompassed by God and grows within His knowledge. In one of the verses it is stated:

"With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear." (Surah Anaam, 6:59)

Ayaats of Quran which speak of raising dead from living or vice versa

Surah Baqarah 2:164, Surah Ale Imran 3:27, Surah Anaam 6:95, Surah Nahl 16:65, Surah Hajj 22:6, Surah Anqaboot 29:63, Surah Room 30:19,24,50, Surah Shura 42:9, Surah Jasiya 45:5, Surah Hadeed 57:17.

6-Dispersing all kinds of animals on earth

How many different types of creatures are there? Who created them all? The parasites in your body, the strange creatures in the depth of the seas, the numerous types of birds, the small insects: who created them all? Did they all come to existence by a mere chance? Who gives food to all of them, who gives them food in the depth of the seas and in the skies? Few creatures also live in the stones. Who takes the food there? Surely, the lord of all living things: ALLAH.

ALLAH mentions in the holy Qur'an facts about various organisms including the human beings, which are in perfect conciliation with the modern established science.

• Hexagonal structure of the honey bee 'houses'
  
• Embryology of humans
  
• Remedy in the honey
  

In scientific terms, animals are multicellular organisms that obtain energy by eating food. There are almost 200 million known species and surely there are many more still awaiting to be identified. There are almost 25,000 recognized types of fishes and about 200-300 new are identified each year. The small insects we see every where; 1 million different species of insects have been identified so far. Did all those species come to existence on their own? Isn't there a divine design behind it?

How far spread these animals are. There are animals (fishes) whish live in the depth of the seas. Some live in the air; touching the heights e.g. eagles. Some live in the deserts e.g. deserts. Some live in the ice caps e.g. polar bear, penguin. Some live inside other organisms: like the parasites in our own body. Some are too small to be seen with naked eye e.g. the parasites and the spring tails that reach a density of 50,000 per square meter (more than 5,000 per square foot). Some are so big that they are cannibals e.g. the white rhinoceros reaching a weight of over three metric ton and there are whale sharks, which can be as much as 40 feet long. Some have very sharp eyesight. Some hardly see. Some have extraordinary sense of hearing. Some do not hear at all. These are widespread about which ALLAH is talking in this verse and all of them have special features of their own. When we see the animals living at the poles, there bodily structure is the ideal one for them to live in the extreme cold. The fishes swim easily. The birds fly easily. The camels have the perfect structure for the desert. Did this all happen by chance?

Sahih Bukhari Volume no 4 Hadith no 226

Jabir bin Abdullah said, "We set out, and we were three-hundred men carrying our journey-food on our shoulders. Then we began to eat a single date each per day." A man asked (Jabir), "O Abu Abdullah! How could a person be satisfied with a single date?" Jabir replied, "We realized the value of that one date when we could not even have that much till we reached the sea-shore, when all of a sudden we saw a huge fish cast by the sea. So, we ate of it as much as we wished for eighteen days."

Sahih Bukhari Volume no 5 Hadith no 646

Jabir bin Abdullah said, "Allah's Apostle sent troops to the sea coast and appointed Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah as their commander, and they were 300 (men). We set out, and we had covered some distance on the way, when our journey food ran short. So Abu 'Ubaida ordered that all the food present with the troops be collected, and it was collected. Our journey food was dates, and Abu Ubaida kept on giving us our daily ration from it little by little (piecemeal) till it decreased to such an extent that we did not receive except a date each." I asked (Jabir), "How could one date benefit you?" He said, "We came to know its value when even that finished." Jabir added, "Then we reached the sea (coast) where we found a fish like a small mountain. The people (i.e. troops) ate of it for 18 nights (i.e. days). Then Abu 'Ubaida ordered that two of its ribs be fixed on the ground (in the form of an arch) and that a she-camel be ridden and passed under them. So it passed under them without touching them."

One of the professors of physics at Oxford University, Robert Mattheus states the same fact in his book published in 1992 where he explains that God created DNA molecules. Mattheus says that all these stages proceed in a perfect harmony from a single cell to a living baby, then to a little child, and finally to an adolescent. All these events can be explained only by a miracle, just as in all the other stages of biology. Mattheus asks how such a perfect and complex organism can emerge from such a simple and tiny cell and how a glorious HUMAN is created from a cell even smaller than the dot on the letter 'i'. He finally concludes that this is nothing short of a miracle. (Robert Matthews, Unraveling the Mind of God, London Bridge, July, 1995, p.8)

 

 

7-Change of Clouds and Winds

 

Look at the different seasons of the year. They teach you a special lesson. See how immediately after the spring, the autumn comes and the whole beauty disappears. Everything has an end in this world. This world is not eternal. This is what the days teach us: night after every day. What the months teach us: autumn after every spring. Similarly: Death after Life and then Life after death (another spring, an eternal one). Time never remains the same. If you think you'll live in this world forever then you are in great ignorance.

 

The facts regarding formation of clouds mentioned in detail in the Holy Quran are in 100 percent conciliation with the present day science.

• Stage-wise formation of clouds
  
• Mountain masses of clouds
  

In this verse ALLAH states that and the changing of the winds and the clouds made subservient between the heaven and the earth. Understanding this statement at the time when the Quran was revealed must have been very difficult and now when we know the actual meaning of this verse we are bound to think; why there is a verse in the Quran, which mentions scientific facts to unknown to the people at that time. The answer is simple: People did not know the fact at that time but surely the creator of the heavens and the earth knew that, the GOD knew that and he revealed those facts to his messenger. Once again proving that Quran is the word of GOD.

Clouds made subservient between the heaven and the earth. This statement seems strange at first. Now think of the water cycle. Cloud is the condensed form of atmospheric moisture consisting of small water droplets or tiny ice crystals. Clouds are the principal visible phenomena of the atmosphere. They represent a transitory but vital step in the water cycle, which includes evaporation of moisture from the surface of the earth, carrying of this moisture into higher levels of the atmosphere, condensation of water vapor into cloud masses, and final return of water to the surface as precipitation. Therefore, actually the water keeps on circulating. There's nothing new in the clouds, as people previously thought. It's the water of the same world: Sometimes it in the oceans, sometimes in the clouds and sometimes coming down as rain; subservient between the heaven and the earth.

Wind is the air in motion. The term is usually applied to the natural horizontal motion of the atmosphere; motion in a vertical, or nearly vertical, direction is called a current. Winds are produced by differences in atmospheric pressure, which are primarily attributable to differences in temperature. The wind is also the same 'air' that keeps on moving between the heaven and the earth. Or this verse might be referring to the currents motion of atmosphere in vertical or nearly vertical direction.

Conclusion:

Science is a method that verifies the absolute truths provided by religion.
The clash between religion and science can only hold true for certain religions that incorporate some superstitious elements as well as divine sources. However, this is certainly out of the question for Islam, which relies only on the pure revelation of God. Moreover, Islam particularly advocates scientific enquiry, and announces that probing the universe is a method to explore the creation of God. The Arabic verse used for the verses of the Quran is also آيه, which also means ' sign '. Every verse of Quran is a sign. The Holy Quran itself is the biggest sign of ALLAH.

 

 

 

 

See the complete list of Scientific Miracles in Surah Baqarah here

 

Comments, Queries and Suggestion at

Muhammad.Awais.Tahir@gmail.com

Surah Al Baqarah (2:144) – Kaaba is the center of the Earth

قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاء فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوِهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوْتُواْ الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ

 

Indeed We see the turning of your face to heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a qiblah which you shall like; turn then your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, turn your face towards it, and those who have been given the Book most surely know that it is the truth from their Lord; and Allah is not at all heedless of what they do.

M Shakir's Quran Translation

 

This shows the sincere desire of Mustafa to seek light from above in the matter of the Qiblah. Until the organization of his own People into a well-knit community, with its distinctive laws and ordinances, he followed a practice based on the fact that the Jews and Christians looked upon Jerusalem as a sacred city. But there was no universal Qiblah among them. Some Jews turned towards Jerusalem as a sacred city. But there was no universal Qiblah among them. Some Jews turned towards Jerusalem, especially during the Captivity, as we shall see later. At the time of our Prophet, Jerusalem was in the hands of the Byzantine Empire, which was Christian. But the Christians oriented their churches to the East (hence the word "orientation") which is a point of the compass, and not the direction of any sacred place. The fact of the altar being in the East does not mean that every worshipper has his face to the east; for, according at least to modern practice, the seats in a church are so placed that different worshippers may face in different directions. The Preacher of Unity naturally wanted, in this as in other matters, a symbol of complete unity, and his heart was naturally delighted when the Qibla towards the Kaaba was settled. .

(Yusuf Ali's Commentary from Qur'an Translation)

 

Muslims are living in all parts of the world and if they were not any specific direction, some might have faced the west some might have faced the east and that would have created doubts and lack of unity. For this reason all the Muslims of the world face towards one Kaaba. Firstly the Muslims faced towards the Jerusalem and then towards Kaaba, clearly indicating that these are only directions meant just for the reason of unity.

 

Kaaba the racial centre

All the renowned races of the world and nations live from 15 to 35 degrees longitude. The arians and Mongolian in the east, the blacks (habash) and red Indians in the west. So for spreading Islam ALLAH chose the center 20 degree longitude, i.e. Makkah.

Location of Kaaba in Light of Plate movement through the geological ages

Quran uses the Arabic word مكه which means and few muslims have claimed that Kaaba is the racial center of the world.
Dr. Salih Muhammad Awadh, Faculty of science, geology department in Baghdad University came up with an interesting research. He explains the importance of the geographical location of Makkah in light of the plate movements and the continental drift. Here is what Dr. Salih has to say:

Geologists divides the historical geology of the earth   into many divisions  and subdivision  to make it understandable when talking about a certain period of the earth age , the earth's age is estimated to be 4.5 billions years ,the earth age extends  from the Cambrian age till the modern age , since this age , the earth plates have been moving continuously changing their shapes and locations and even their numbers – some of them were broken forming new plates  while others were joined together .

It is scientifically –established that the earth plates, through the long geological age, have been moving regularly around the Arabian plate; these plates constantly converge towards it as if they pointed to it. Scientific studies affirm and attest these facts though not published to discuss the convergence of the plates towards the Arabian plate but published with irrelevant aims.

 

Figure 1

The movement of the Indian plate 71 millions years ago estimated according to the magnetic anomalies in according to Indian Ocean bed – the source is :( Spencer, 2003)

(Figure -2) shows the movement of the Indian plate according to magnetic anomalies estimations regarding the floor of Indian ocean, it also shows the different locations that both the Indian and srilanka plates occupied over the span of the last 71 millions years up till now till it seemingly took its final place that is because its movement can't be seen and that its movement is too slow, if compared with the human age. It is clear in (figure -2) that the Indian plate had moved northwards with a slight circulation counterclockwise (figure-2), the movement of the Arabian plate is not taken into consideration in this figure; the location of the Saudi Arabia is a part of the Arabian plate.

 

Figure 2

The movement of the earth plates according to the Arabian plate one million years ago (source Forster, 1978)

 (Figure -3) shows the location of Arabian plate according to the Indian , African , Turkish and Iranians plates ( it was first composed of a number of parts , this figure also shows the part middle of  Iran as a separate part from the north of the west of Iran ) and Afghanistan , (figure -3) shows the location of these plate surrounding the Arabian plate , the dotted lines parts ( plates represented with discontinued line ) to the earth plate during  the mid Jurassic Age

(That is one millions years ago). When looking carefully at (figure -3), we will find that the Indian plate has moved northwards counterclockwise as far as a few degrees and so did the plates of Afghanistan, the middle and the north of the west of Iran, and Turkey

 

Figure 3

The location of the Holy Makkah in the Arabian plate

If we look at the location of   the Arab plate in the one million years ago (the part which is represented by dots) in (figure 3), we will find that it has moved a little northwards taking into consideration the movement of   the far plates;   it moved around counterclockwise. We can conclude that the Arabian plate in the last million years (before creating the human being) and at the present time took a mid position among the earth plates – these plates encompass it (figure-3)

During her long time journey, the Arabian plate didn't cover along distance as it is the center of the circulation movement, it has moved within the shorter diameter. So it is clear that the Arabian plate is center of the earth plates, and everywhere it goes, it is followed by the other plates going round it regularly, each plate keeps its constant direction towards the Arabian plate. It is well-established that Mecca where the Muslim Kaaba lies is in the Arabian plate.

Now, if we use the same approach applied on the Arabian plate, we can say that every thing on and in the earth directs its face to Mecca where the Muslim Kaaba lies, this system will go on, according to Allah's will, to a certain time assigned   by Allah, this accurate unwavering system can't be out of a chance; it is a supernatural power that made it and is still keeping it going on – that is Allah, who rose the heavens with unseen pillars. 

(Excerpted with slight modifications from Dr. Salih Muhammad Awadh's article "Makkah the Center of the Earth")

Also see the book: The Ka'aba is the center of the earth by Dr. Saad al Marsafi

To see this document with figures, search it at scribd.com

 

See the complete list of Scientific Miracles in Surah Baqarah here

 

Comments, Queries and Suggestion at

Muhammad.Awais.Tahir@gmail.com

Surah Al Baqarah (2:22) – Earth a Couch and Heaven a Canopy

الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الأَرْضَ فِرَاشاً وَالسَّمَاء بِنَاء وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاء مَاء فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقاً لَّكُمْ فَلاَ تَجْعَلُواْ لِلّهِ أَندَاداً وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Who made the earth a resting place for you and the heaven a canopy and (Who) sends down rain from the cloud then brings forth with it subsistence for you of the fruits; therefore do not set up rivals to Allah while you know

M Shakir's Qur'an Translation

Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when ye know (the truth)

Yusuf Ali's Qur'an Translation

Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know (better)

Pickthall's Qur'an Translation

Earth as a couch (a living place)

There are various factors, which make the earth the only living planet. There are various divine 'balances' established on the earth which make the earth a perfect living place, in fact, the only living place. Exploring only a few of the millions of these delicate balances would be sufficient to show that the world we live in is specially designed for us. The earth is a living planet where many complex systems run perfectly without stopping at all. When compared to other planets, it is evident that in all its aspects the earth has been specially designed for human life. Built on delicate balances, life prevails in every spot of this planet, from the atmosphere to the depths of the earth.

It is sufficient to look at millions of dead planets in space in order to understand that the delicate balances required for life on earth is not a result of random coincidences. The conditions essential for life are too complicated to have been formed 'on their own' and at random, and these conditions are specially created for life alone.

Let's not go that far and explore the planets of our own solar system.

Climatic and Atmospheric Conditions of Planets of the Solar System

Pluto

The ninth planet from the Sun and outermost known planet of the solar system. Pluto is far away from Earth, and no spacecraft has yet been sent to the planet. All the information astronomers have on Pluto comes from observation through large telescopes. Pluto has a thin atmosphere consisting of nitrogen with traces of carbon monoxide and methane. Atmospheric pressure on the planet's surface is about 100,000 times less than Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level. Pluto's atmosphere is believed to freeze out as a snow on the planet's surface for most of each plutonian orbit. There had been a discussion going on amongst the scientists whether Pluto is a 'planet' according to the modern definition or not. Irrespective of that from the above mentioned facts about Pluto it's quite clear that there's no chance of human or any plant life on pluto.

Neptune

A major planet in the solar system, eighth planet from the Sun and fourth largest in diameter. Neptune maintains an almost constant distance, about 4.5 billion km (about 2.8 billion mi), from the Sun. Neptune's vast body of liquid accounts for most of its volume. Scientists think this ocean is composed mostly of water as well as molecules of methane and ammonia. Neptune's ocean is extremely hot (about 4700°C/about 8500°F). The ocean remains liquid at this temperature instead of evaporating because the pressure deep in Neptune is several million times higher than the atmospheric pressure on Earth. Higher pressure holds molecules in liquid closer together and prevents them from spreading apart to form vapor. Neptune has an active atmosphere, with winds and massive storms that may be caused by heat escaping the planet's interior. Neptune's winds, which blow in a latitude direction, are faster in the planet's Polar Regions than they are at Neptune's equator. Neptune has the fastest winds in the solar system, reaching speeds of 2,000 km/h (1,200 mph)

Uranus

A major planet in the solar system, seventh planet from the Sun. Uranus contains mostly rock and water, with hydrogen and helium (and trace amounts of methane) in its dense atmosphere. Astronomers believe that Uranus formed from the same material—principally frozen water and rock—that composes most of the planet's moons. As the planet grew, pressures and temperatures in the planet's interior increased, heating the planet's frozen water into a hot liquid. Uranus probably has a relatively small rocky core (smaller in size than Earth's core), with a radius no larger than 2,000 km (1,240 mi) and a temperature of about 6650°C (12,000°F). Uranus's core may be small because most of the rock composing the planet remains mixed with the body of water that surrounds the core and extends upward to the planet's atmosphere.

Saturn

Sixth planet in order of distance from the Sun, and the second largest in the solar system. Saturn's most distinctive feature is its ring system, which was first seen in 1610 by Italian scientist Galileo, using one of the first telescopes. The temperatures of Saturn's cloud tops are close to –176°C (-285°F). The mean density of Saturn is eight times less than that of Earth because the planet consists mainly of hydrogen. The enormous weight of Saturn's atmosphere causes the atmospheric pressure to increase rapidly toward the interior, where the hydrogen gas condenses into a liquid. Closer to the center of the planet, the liquid hydrogen is compressed into metallic hydrogen, which is an electrical conductor. Electrical currents in this metallic hydrogen are responsible for the planet's magnetic field.

Jupiter

Fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet in the solar system. The fourth brightest object in Earth's sky, after the Sun, the Moon, and Venus. Jupiter is a ball of dense gas and has no solid surface. Jupiter may have a core composed of rock-forming minerals like those trapped in comet ices, but the core makes up less than 5 percent of the planet's mass. The force of gravity at the level of the highest clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere is about 2.5 times the force of gravity at Earth's surface. Gas and clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere travel at high speeds. This phenomenon is not fully understood but it is related to the planet's high rate of rotation. Major storms often appear suddenly on Jupiter. Jupiter's storms are caused by bubbles of warmer gas rising through the atmosphere from deep within the planet. These bubbles, carrying varying amounts of heat, create cloud systems that are constrained on the north and south by bands of strong wind blowing in opposite directions. Unable to move north or south, and with no solid landmasses to create friction, the storms roll in the winds and feed off smaller storm systems for weeks or longer. Jupiter's most famous storm, the Great Red Spot, has persisted for centuries. The Great Red Spot is so enormous that if three Earths were placed side by side in front of it, they would scarcely span it.

Mars

It is the fourth planet from the Sun. Mars is named for the Roman god of war and is sometimes called the red planet because it appears fiery red in Earth's night sky. Mars is a relatively small planet, with about half the diameter of Earth and about one-tenth Earth's mass. The force of gravity on the surface of Mars is about one-third of that on Earth. Mars has twice the diameter and twice the surface gravity of Earth's Moon. The surface of Mars would be a harsh place for humans, but it is more like the surface of Earth than that of any other planet. The temperature on Mars never gets much warmer than the temperature at Antarctica, and it is usually much colder. At the surface the average temperature is about -55°C (about -67°F) and at the extremes it ranges from about -140° to 15°C (about -225° to 60°F). During most of the year wind speeds are fairly low—about 7 km/h (about 4 mph)—but during dust storms they can approach 70 to 80 km/h (40 to 50 mph). The atmosphere of Mars is 95 percent carbon dioxide, nearly 3 percent nitrogen, and nearly 2 percent argon with tiny amounts of oxygen, carbon monoxide, water vapor, ozone, and other trace gases. Earth's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and oxygen, with only 0.03 percent carbon dioxide. The pressure of the Martian atmosphere varies with the seasons, ranging from 6 to 10 millibars, or about 1 percent of the air pressure at Earth's surface. Most scientists today do not believe that there is any life on the surface of Mars. Conditions at the surface are extremely hostile to life as we know it. Temperatures are usually well below the freezing point of water, and the atmosphere is extremely thin and dry. Without a protective ozone layer like Earth's, ultraviolet radiation bathes the surface and would destroy any organic molecules exposed there.

Venus

The second in distance from the Sun. Except for the Sun and the Moon, Venus is the brightest object in the sky. The planet is called the morning star when it appears in the east at sunrise and the evening star when it is in the west at sunset. The atmosphere of the planet consists of 97 percent carbon dioxide and is so thick that the surface pressure is 96 bars (compared with 1 bar on Earth). The surface temperature on Venus varies little from place to place and is extremely hot, about 462°C (736 K/864°F).

Mercury

Mercury (planet), one of the planets in the solar system. Mercury orbits closest to the Sun of all the planets. The Mariner 10 spacecraft reported temperatures to be about 430°C (about 810°F) on the sunlit side and about -180°C (about -290°F) on the dark side.

Earth

Earth one of nine planets in the solar system, the only planet known to harbor life, and the "home" of human beings. A true 'living place' like the Qur'an mentioned. From space Earth resembles a big blue marble with swirling white clouds floating above blue oceans. Unlike the other planets, Earth has a unique set of characteristics ideally suited to supporting life as we know it. It is neither too hot, like Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, nor too cold, like distant Mars and the even more distant outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, tiny Pluto. Earth's atmosphere includes just the right amount of gases that trap heat from the Sun, resulting in a moderate climate suitable for water to exist in liquid form. The atmosphere also helps block radiation from the Sun that would be harmful to life. Earth's atmosphere distinguishes it from the planet Venus, which is otherwise much like Earth. Venus is about the same size and mass as Earth and is also neither too near nor too far from the Sun. But because Venus has too much heat-trapping carbon dioxide in its atmosphere, its surface is extremely hot—462°C (864°F)—hot enough to melt lead and too hot for life to exist.

Hence Allah has made the earth فِرَاشاً (a bed, a couch) a living place that is governed by perfect balances necessary for human life to exist.

The Heaven a Canopy

Word Analysis:

The Arabic word used in the ayat is بِنَاء
meaning structure, canopy or roof.

The heavens serve us the same purpose like the roof of a house does and save us from the harmful rays. The magnetic field of the Van Allen radiation belt serves protects the earth from many harmful rays coming out from all sorts of reactions going on in the immense cosmos 'outside'. The heaven only allow a part of the huge spectrum of rays to pass through; exactly those, which we require.

Van Allen Radiation Belt

Inside the magnetosphere are the Van Allen radiation belts, named for the American physicist James A. Van Allen who discovered them in 1958. The Van Allen belts are regions where charged particles from the Sun and from cosmic rays are trapped and sent into spiral paths along the lines of Earth's magnetic field. The radiation belts thereby shield Earth's surface from these highly energetic particles.

Ozone Layer

Ozone Layer is a region of the atmosphere from 19 to 48 km above the earth's surface. Ozone concentrations of up to 10 parts per million occur in the ozone layer. The ozone forms there by the action of sunlight on oxygen. Ozone layer of the atmosphere protects life on earth from the full force of the sun's cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation. The layer of atmosphere above the troposphere is called the stratosphere. In the stratosphere, air temperature begins to increase with height, mainly because ozone (a type of oxygen) in the stratosphere absorbs energy from the sun, principally ultraviolet radiation. Although the amount of ozone in the stratosphere is quite small, it is important because it protects living things on the earth by absorbing the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. The earth's atmosphere protects living organisms from the sun's ultraviolet radiation. If all the ultraviolet radiation produced by the sun were allowed to reach the surface of the earth, most life on earth would probably be destroyed. Fortunately, the ozone layer of the atmosphere absorbs almost all of the short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation, and much of the long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation.

A strange thing to know is that it is the same ozone molecule, which acts as a pollutant when found at lower levels of the atmosphere in urban smog. Up at the stratospheric level, however, ozone forms a protective layer that serves a vital function: It absorbs the wavelength of solar radiation known as ultraviolet-B (UV-B). UV-B damages deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the genetic molecule found in every living cell, increasing the risk of such problems as cancer in humans. Because of its protective function, the ozone layer is essential to life on Earth.

In the recent decades depletion in the ozone layer has caused much harm to life. Without our atmosphere, there would be no life on Earth. A relatively thin envelope, the atmosphere consists of layers of gases that support life and provide protection from harmful radiation.

See the complete list of Scientific Miracles in Surah Baqarah here

Comments, Queries and Suggestion at

Muhammad.Awais.Tahir@gmail.com

Surah Al Baqarah (2:19) – Darkness in Rain Clouds

أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاء فِيهِ ظُلُمَاتٌ وَرَعْدٌ وَبَرْقٌ يَجْعَلُونَ أَصْابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِم مِّنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ واللّهُ مُحِيطٌ بِالْكافِرِينَ

Or like abundant rain from the cloud in which is utter darkness and thunder and lightning; they put their fingers into their ears because of the thunder peal, for fear of death, and Allah encompasses the unbelievers.

M.Shakir's Quran Translation

 

 

The above Ayat draws our attention towards the link between rain clouds and lightning, darkness in the rain clouds and to the order of formation, information that parallels that discovered by science.

Darkness in Rain Clouds

Rain clouds are tremendous masses covering 20 to 260 square metres (10 to 100 square miles) and reaching great vertical heights of 9,000
to 12,000 metres (30,000 to 40,000 ft.). Due to these extraordinary dimensions,
the lower parts of these clouds are dark. It is impossible for
the Sun's rays to pass through them, because of the large quantities of
water and ice particles they contain. Very little solar energy therefore
reaches the Earth through the clouds, which is why the clouds appear
dark to someone looking up at them.

Quran uses the plural form of the word darkness i.e. ظلمات.
For details see Surah Anaam 6:1.

Clouds containing Thunder and Lightning

The stages of the formation of thunder and lightning after that
darkness are as follows: An electrical charge
forms inside the rain cloud. This comes about as a result of such processes
as freezing, the division of raindrops and charge formation during
contact. The accumulation of such electrical charges, when the air
between becomes unable to insulate them, leads to a great spark, a discharge
between the positive and negative fields. The voltage between
two oppositely charged areas can reach 1 billion volts. The spark can also
form within the cloud, can cross between two clouds, from a positively
charged area to a negative one, or be discharged from the cloud to
the ground. These sparks form dazzling lightning strikes. This sudden
increase in the electrical charge along the line of lightning causes intense
heat (10,000 degrees Celsius).As a result,
there is a sudden expansion of the air, which in turn causes the loud noise
associated with thunder. Dark layers, followed by the electrically
charged sparks known as lightning, and
then the loud noise called thunder,
form within a rain cloud, as the Ayat tells us. Everything
modern science has established
about clouds, and has to say
about the causes of thunder and
lightning, is in complete accord with the
descriptions in the Qur'an.

(Also see
Harun Yahya's book 'Allah's miracles in the Quran' Pg 122,123)

Allah encompasses the unbelievers

Allah further says," they put their fingers into their ears because of the thunder peal, for fear of death, and Allah encompasses the unbelievers". Allah is making the unbelievers realize that He has 'encompassed' them and if they don't act before it's too late they'll be doomed. Death will reach them and they won't be ready for it. One can not overlook the reality by closing his eyes or putting fingers into the ears. The hypocrites and the unbelievers put their fingers into their ears out of ear not realizing the fact that what they are fear has already happened. Light travels faster than sound for this very reason we see lightning earlier than its sound (thunder). Similarly they are too slow in their preparation for the Hereafter.

 

 

 

See the complete list of Scientific Miracles in Surah Baqarah here

 

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