''The supposed Quranic scientific miracles are the first insight via which most Muslims pave the way towards the divine source of Islam.''
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Background
The Linguistic and Factual Nature of the ‘’Quranic Scientific Miracles’’
- Analysing the Formula of the Claimed Quranic Science Miracles
Reinforced Decontextualisation
Selective Analysis
Claims of Quranic Words Choice Purposefulness
Faked Scientific Data
Conclusion
References
Introduction
Background
The supposed
Quranic scientific miracles are the first insight via which most Muslims pave
the way towards the divine source of Islam. These claimed miracles are stated
to be scientific facts which were referred to in Quran. This trend was a reaction
from the Islamic world towards Western scientific development, as the former
couldn’t practically reach the latter (Tantawi, 2017). Different materials –
hard and soft – containing several claimed miracles of that kind, attached to
even real scientific papers, are widely spread in both the East and West.
Consequently, numerous non-Muslims were to follow Islam, not verifying whether this
or that Quranic interpretation is adequate. But what is ‘’adequate’’ in this
sense even? What standards does it follow? This leads us to consider how Arabic
in the Quran is to be understood according to its context, which was deprived
often during these related perceptions. Initially, this essay is to dig into
the depths of this overlying issue factually and linguistically, analysing
various examples.
The Linguistic and Factual Nature of the ‘’Quranic Scientific Miracles’’
The so-called
Quranic Scientific Miracles are the result of a fallacious mode of reasoning. The
claimers of these miracles base their argumentation on the fact that we have
now a new scientific fact, but it is not new, Quran has already been devoted to
it. Well, it would not have been new if Quran had it already discovered. And,
it wouldn’t be that scientist whom that discovery is named upon, it’d be rather
the Quran. What we indeed may deduce is
that these claimers keep awaiting new scientific discoveries, ending up somehow
reinforcing their relation to the Quran.
Linguistically, the
previous reinforcement uses language as its very means. Language is
manipulated, having its associated context and interpretation infringed, to
result in a complete change of meaning, which then reinforces the connotation
towards the target scientific fact. Polysemy dominates words’ perception in
language. It is the multiplicity of meanings for a single word. Thus, to
differentiate between this meaning and the other, context must be taken into
consideration as the most essential element in interpretation. Arabic in the
Quran as an ancient language contains numerous cases of that phenomenon.
Analysing the Formula of the Claimed Quranic Science Miracles
Reinforced Decontextualisation
Any given language
is to be perceived within its context – time, place, and semiotic setting –
without which language will be but an ungovernable game. But, how can language
be a game in the first place? ―It is so when meaning is being played with in
accordance with one´s personal or subjective associated reaching point.
Practically, the trend into which this article is delving implies having a
scientific fact and checking for its nearest expression in the Quran. And, as
it is more likely that Quran doesn’t refer to any nowadays scientific facts,
parts of the Quran are being taken off from their linguistic environments.
Thereafter, they are given a new meaning due to the new environment to which
the words were attained.
Nonetheless, it is
noteworthy that I am not to claim that each word or a couple of words are to
signify one only regular meaning. It is Structuralism that imposes this
relation between the signifier and the signified. Meaning that each utterance
or word is to represent a specific object in the real world (Saussure, 1916).
On the other hand, there came the deconstruction theory to have that
structuralist chain between utterance and its perceived meaning demolished.
Deconstructionists state that words can never reach that pure function of
transmitting accurate intentioned meaning (Silverman, 1989).
In this sense, I am
basing my linguistic analysis on none of the two views. I am rather to declare
that language can never be completely pure in conveying its associated meaning,
meanwhile, with semantic contextualisation, it may head into a kind of purity. We
may agree that the word ‘’Congratulations’’ can be meant also negatively, not
only positively. However, by grasping the setting within which it was said, one
might get if it was positively or negatively meant.
Accordingly, with no
reliance on context, variously claimed Quranic Scientific Miracles are derived.
To exemplify, we shall take the following Quranic verse:
‘’ Even if We had opened a
gate for them in heaven, and they had begun to ascend through it higher during
day time. They would certainly say: Only our eyes have been
covered over, rather we are an enchanted people.’’
Directing that verse out of its context, Quranic Miracles claimers argue
that it does contain a scientific fact. To analyse the decontextualisation occurring
within the latter, we should first expose its claimed overlying axes. Those
claimers say that modern science discovered – through frequent space travels –
that when astronauts leave the earth’s atmosphere, they feel as if their eyes
are covered over due to the difference in pressure and gravity rate. Claimers
of the previous kind point out that this was referred to in that verse of the
Quran.
Nevertheless, any accurate well contextualised perception may refute
that. Ibn Abbas and Qatadah as well as any explanation considering time and
place state that this verse was to allude to how if even God had a gate opened
in heaven, and the disbelievers could ascend to it, they would not have
believed in God; they would rather justify their disbelief by claiming that
their eyes were enchanted by Prophet Muhammad (Tafsir Al-Qortoby, Tafsir Ibn
Kathir). As can be clearly grasped, there is nothing that the verse has to do
with describing the status of how would humans feel when out of the earth. This
fallacious interpretation was, indeed, the outcome of reinforcing the move of
that text from its environment to another. The text simply is to say that
miracles won’t be of use to convince the disbelievers, because they will feel
that their eyes were enchanted or covered. How may this in any way possibly be
linked to science? —It shall never. And, it is that forced change of the
situation in which the discourse is prevailing that executes the meaning aimed
to be understood by the utterance issuer. Anyone can actually correlate that
mentioned verse with any scientific, natural or magical conception, as long as
that verse had its environment unconsidered.
Selective Analysis
This method stands
on analysing the Quranic verses, but only those serving to be potentially
linked to any sort of scientific facts. It works on ignoring verses that might
refute the scientific fact they are willing to link and merely highlighting
those serving it. It does also involve cutting off a piece of text from its
complete form. That piece is being taken off as much as needed for the
formulation of these claimed miracles. Additionally, the selective analysis in
this regard tends to often put ‘’Hadith’’ aside.
Hadith is Prophet
Muhammad’s sayings that many of which were to explain numerous Quranic verses.
For sure those explanations provided in Hadith do often construct an obstacle
in front of these claimers. That is because Hadith gives a clear contextualised
time-place-based explanation which cannot be negotiated. An example of this
case may be given by the following verse (that is again claimed to contain a
Quranic Science Miracle):
‘’And the sun
runs [on course] toward its stopping point. That is the determination of the
Exalted in Might, the Knowing’’ (Yā-Sīn: 38)
The Quranic Science
Miracles claimers come to derive a scientific fact from the verse above, which
may be by turn demolished by Hadith. This verse was claimed to state that the Sun
as well as other planets and stars are moving in space around the galaxy … On
the other hand, there comes Hadith to refute this claim with no needed
additional explanation, as follows:
‘’Once I was with the Prophet
in the mosque at the time of sunset. The Prophet said, "O Abu Dharr! Do
you know where the sun sets?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know
best." He said, "It goes and prostrates underneath (Allah's) Throne,
and that is Allah's Statement:'And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term
(decreed). And that is the decree of All-Mighty, the All-Knowing....’’ (Sahih al-Bukhari: 4802)
Equitably, examples can be
given regarding cases where verses are ignored in favour of others which are of
a tendency to be related to a certain scientific fact. This implies that there
are, in fact, Quranic verses formulated in a clear detailed way that nobody can
change their significations. Those cannot be utilised by the mentioned
claimers. On the other hand, they are to utilise less clear ambiguous verses
that can be easily manipulated. However, the latter kind of verses might be –
to a certain extent – uncovered through clearer verses. Consequently, the manipulated
ambiguous verses could be discovered via the detailed verses. To illustrate,
let’s take the following verse:
‘’It is He
who made the sun radiant, and the moon a light, and determined its phases, so
you may know the number of years and the calculation...’’ (Surah Younes: 5)
Again, it is
claimed that there is a scientific Quran miracle in the verse above (attfseer.com).
It is that the difference in describing the sun and the moon – the moon as a
light and the sun as a radiant – refers to the fact that Quran was to first
discover that the moon is merely reflecting the sun’s light and it is not a
lighting body by itself. To support their interpretation, they claim that the
Arabic word ‘’Diyaaضياء:
’’ which was used to describe the sun indicates
a self-lighting object, while the word ‘’Noor: نور’’ used for the moon means a reflected
light.
To refute what precedes, we shall depend on one only Quranic verse. It is verse 35, Surah Al-Noor, in which it was said that Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. In the original Arabic form, Allah was referred to by the word ‘’Noorنور: ’’. So, if we are to follow what they said about ‘’Noor’ being a reflection, God would also be a mere reflection of light, which is against Islamic beliefs.
Claims of Quranic Words Choice Purposefulness
Perhaps the title of this section is quite
ambiguous, it is connoting the claims affirming that certain Quranic words were
used rather than others for precise scientific purposes. It is very often when
some words are posed in place of their synonyms only for aesthetic use, as one
of the language functions is the aesthetic function (Leech, 1981). The latter
function manifests in words used in the Quran, mainly to complete the verse
with that rime of its neighbouring one. Other times, the aesthetic function
appears in the introductory parts of different Surahs. Moreover, words employed in science-related matters
in the Quran are given a kind of new meaning by these claimers to, accordingly,
assert that there was accuracy in choosing that proper word.
Regarding the
aesthetic use of words in the Quran that was considered Scientific, several
occasions may be mentioned and have their underlying arguments refuted. In this
current part, light will be shed on Surah Al-Tarik (The night visitant),
precisely, the third verse containing the following: ‘’It is the piercing
star’’. The latter was to lead up Quranic Scientific Miracles formulators to
declare that the piercing star (In Arabic: Al Najem Athaquib النجم الثاقب) was
a well-chosen concept to alluding to the existence of black holes. And, that it
was sworn with by God for its massive power. Verily, the use of that concept
was to preserve the rhythm followed from the beginning and it was not by any
way purposely utilised. Piercing stars is to signify extremely shining stars,
as can be seen in all Quranic ancient explanations (Tafsir Al Qortoby, Tafsir
Ibn Kathir). Additionally, the use of those
two particular words was aesthetically popular in pre-Islamic poetry. It can be observed in numberless poems, like
the following one by Antara Ibn Cheddad:
They, under its
darkness, men’s heads are to fly off,
And, just like piercing
stars, it pounces
(Longing for Sharp Swords,
Antara Ibn Cheddad)
In the preceding verse, as observed, piercing stars in their function
and description might be more similar to that of the black holes than the one
of the Quran. So, Quran Miracles claimers are to be asked, whether Antara was a
prophet of God as well.
Similarly, various
words in Quran are used for no sake, but merely because they had to
syntactically, structurally, or randomly be there, yet, they are being
generated as symbols of the Quran’s Science Miracles. Not too far from the
previously mentioned, we can consider the example of Surah Younes. As deduced,
the choice of words in the fifth verse had nothing to do with scientific
accuracy, it was rather randomly or syntactically used. Aside, to not confuse
the reader, this example was mentioned in the first section to clarify how some
verses claimed to contain Scientific facts may be refuted by other verses from
the Quran itself. While, in this section, we are to clarify the non-existence
of any scientific use of words.
Furthermore, some
Surahs’ initiative words are completely meaningless to any Arabic language
speaker – not to even the prophet Muhammad himself – are being claimed to be
Scientific Quranic Miracles. Those are individual letters gathered in one word,
which is of no known linguistic meaning. Ones like (الم
Aliflamim: it’d be in English: A.L.M); (طسم
Tasim: in English: T.S.M) are claimed to be in a structure that follows a
certain scientific element name (Ex: atoms, etc). However, factually speaking,
any separate letters in one word or acronyms may be given any meaning, if not
explained by their issuer.
Faked Scientific Data
Claimers of this
kind might head towards faking scientific data, if the original data are with
no way to be linked to Quran. This section will be shortened due to the clarity
of the axe under analysis. Essentially, Quranic Scientific Miracles claimers do
often modify the content of various scientific papers, yet, if the reader is
with a research spirit, he/she/they will easily find out. Examples of these
lies are the embryo constructing periods, as well as the Hadith of ‘’Flies’’,
etc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Quranic Scientific Miracles are
but an illusion created by some Muslims to catch and compensate for Western
development. This trend exploits the internet as its very channel through which
these couple of ideas are conveyed. Linguistically, there were various
conditions passed unconsidered while formulating arguments for it. These were,
essentially, context and environment which were clearly infringed in favour of
those miracles. Formulators of this movement were also to read Quran in a
limited selective analysis that made it possible for them to cut off verses in
accordance with their desired purposes. And, if all that precedes was featured
with failure, faking the scientific data is set as their final station.
References
Tantawi, M. A. (2017). The Quran and modern science: Compatible or
incompatible?. The Beacon Journal of Arts & Sciences, 1(1), 1-6.
Saussure, F. D. (1916). Course in general linguistics. Open Court
Publishing.
Silverman, H. J. (1989). Deconstructing consciousness: Derrida's concept
of language and its implications for psychoanalysis. Journal of the American
Psychoanalytic Association, 37(4), 871-896.
Tafsir Al-Qortoby.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir.
Sahih al-Bukhari.
Quran.
Leech, G. (1981). Semantics: The study of meaning. Penguin.