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STUDY OF SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS IN THE QUR'AN

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 STUDY OF SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS IN THE
QUR’AN

The study of the scientific aspects in the Qur’an, the holy Muslim Book, has taken a great
extent lately. Several studies and works have been led and the publication of results of these
works has been made especially in Arabic, which has deprived westerners that want
information on this subject to have a precise and clear idea. Among the rare suitable studies in
a foreign language we quote especially that which has been led by Dr. Maurice Bucaille in his
book "The Bible, the Qur’an and Science" (translated in several languages besides English).
In the aforementioned book the holy "Biblical and Coranic" accounts confrontation with
modern knowledge has been made according to the following rule : "A holy text must agree
with data definitively established by modern science".
However, Dr. Bucaille has not treated two important problems that are at the heart of current
research in contemporary astronomy : namely the future of the solar system, then that of the
universe, and the existence of alien life.

For reasons of coherence and clarity, we re-examine some passages from : "the Bible, the
Qur’an and Science" to complete them if necessary. At the end of the article, we suggest a
new approach to the structure of the universe, the chronology of its formation and its
evolution on the basis of the Qur’an.

Before going through details, we give a short account of the pre-Islamic epoch in order to
give an idea about the context of holy revelation.

1 THE CONTEXT OF THE REVELATION

Before the period of revelation, (610-632 AD) all the Arabic peninsula was prey to
ignorance and obscurantism. Residents of the desert lived a very humble and primitive life.
The following anecdote illustrates this aspect : it is reported that bandits attacked a tribe and
took in hostage the girl of the chief. These bandits had asked an accomplice to exchange the
girl against a ransom. The latter proposed to the father 100 camels. His companions have,
thereafter, reproached him not to have asked for more camels especially that the chief of the
tribe was known for his wealth. The extortioner simply replied that he did not know that there
existed a number larger than 100.

Another fact which testifies to the ignorance of the inhabitants of the Arabic peninsula is the
burial of young girls alive. With the advent of the Islamic era, God had warned people against
such practices.

- Sura 81, verses 8-9

"When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned : “For what crime she was
killed?”."

1
 The only specificity of the Arab nomads was that they mastered the Arabic language. Some
of them were even able to produce a sentence or a poem verse about a specific subject, and
which could be read in opposite directions. God challenged these people to produce a sura
similar to the Qur’an. But they could not do it at that time in spite of their erudition. Who can
do it nowadays?

- Sura 2, verses 22-23

"And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant,
then produce a sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (if there are any)
besides God, if your (doubts) are true. But if ye cannot -and surely ye cannot- then fear
the fire whose fuel is men and stones, which is prepared for those who reject faith."

The inhabitants of Mecca, aware of the miraculous eloquence of the Qur’an (see one aspect,
in Iltifat [1] , [8] ) were, of course, unable to produce even one verse and they will never be
able to do it as it is specified in the previous verse (But if ye cannot-and of a surety ye
cannot), in spite of the simplicity and clarity of the language used in the Qur’an as it is
illustrated in the following verses where God explains, in the first verse the aim of the
diversity of human races (that ye may know each other), in the second verse that the future
of human beings when facing the last judgement will mostly depend on their deeds on Earth;
the third verse depicts God's might and the fact that He is different from anything one
imagines (there is nothing whatever like unto Him).

- Sura 49 verse 13
"O mankind! we created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you
into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each
other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most
righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)."
- Sura 53, verses 39-41
"That man can have nothing but what he strives for; that (the fruit of) his striving will
soon come in sight ..."
- Sura 42, verse 11
"(He is) creator of the heavens and the earth : He has made for you pairs from among
yourselves, and pairs among cattle : by this means does He multiply you : there is
nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears and sees (all things)."

As for the verses concerning modern science, they can be roughly classified into three
categories depending on the degree of difficulty in their interpretation. It is interesting to note
here that many classical translators have mistranslated a certain number of verses about
scientific notions because they interpreted them subjectively; it would have been more logical
if they had offered a literal translation to keep closer to the holy text. Indeed, a good
translation requires a sufficient knowledge of the scientific domain treated in each verse.

Three categories of verses related to scientific notions can be enumerated :

- verses of a general order

- verses related to life sciences
- verses related to Astronomy.

2
2 VERSES OF A GENERAL ORDER
This category is characterised by its accessible interpretation. Translators and exegetes of
the Holy Book practically agree on the same translation and interpretation.

2.1 Existence of communities and organization in the animal

kingdom
In the animal kingdom, the Qur’an refers to three groups of animals which constitute perfect
models of a high organization : birds, ants, and bees. The fact that the Qur’an mentions these
groups in the animal kingdom testifies to the exceptionally interesting aspect of these animals
from a scientific view point.

As an example, we refer the reader to the following verses : that all animal species, including
birds, are organized into communities and nations (1st verse), and that each specie or
community has its own language for communication (2nd verse).

- Sura 6, verse 38
"There is no animal on the earth, no bird which flies on wings, that (does not belong to)
communities like you. We have not neglected anything in the Book (of Decrees). Then to
their Lord they will be gathered."
- Sura 27, verses 16-18
"And Solomon was David's heir . He said : “O ye people! We have been taught the
speech of birds, and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things : this is indeed a
manifest grace (from God)”. And before Solomon were marshalled his hosts, of jinns
and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks. At length, when they
came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said : “O ye ants, get into your
habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it”. "

The most typical case of organization which has received most attention in the animal
kingdom is certainly that of bees. It is for this reason that God honoured bees by giving their
name to a sourate (Bees' sourate) where He points to the therapeutic advantages of honey as
demonstrated by modern medicine.

- Sura 16, verses 68- 69

"Thy Lord inspired the bee : choose your dwelling in the hills, in the trees and in what
(man) built. Eat of all fruit and follow the ways of your Lord in humility. From within
their bodies comes a liquor of different colours where is remedy for men ..

It is to be noted, here, that researchers, nowadays are investigating what are called multi-
agent systems which permit the apprehension of complex problems which are naturally, or
logically or physically distributed. Two types of agents are essential : the reactive and the
cognitive ones. Reactive agents are simple entites devoid of any kind of intelligence; however,
they manage to solve important problems by border effects of their interactions.
The behaviour of these agents resembles that of ants and bees. It is for this reason that
numerous works of this domain are interested in the life of these insects in the context of the
discipline called artificial life. Note also the existence of a combinatory optimisation
algorithm entitled colonies of bees, which reproduces their life.

3
 The Qur’an mentions spiders only when referring to the tenuousness of their home, the most
fragile of all. This is, as the Qur’an puts it, as precarious as that of people who have chosen
masters other than God.

- Sura 29, vers 41

"Those who choose masters other than God are like the spider when it takes for itself a
dwelling. Verily, the flimsiest dwelling is the dwelling of the spider. If they but knew."

It is interesting to note, here, that the word "home" is associated in Arabic to the word "beït"
which also means household. This verse, then, may also mean that the most fragile household
is that of the spider. Indeed, some female species of spiders reject their companions after
mating and devour them. In the same way, those who have chosen masters other than God will
also be rejected by them as it is explained in the following verses :

- Sura 10, verses 28-29

"And the Day whereon We shall gather them all together, then We shall say to those
who did set partners in worship with Us : “Stop at your place! You and your partners
(whom you had worshipped in the worldly life).” then We shall separate them, and their
partners shall say : “It was not us that you used to worship - So sufficient is God as a
witness between us and you that we indeed knew nothing of your worship of us”."
- Sura 2, verse 166
"When those who were followed disown (declare themselves innocent of) those who
followed (them), and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from
them."

2.2 Fertilization agents and rainfall cycles

The Qur’an specifies that winds are fertilizers of plants (1st verse) and that winds modify
the rainfall cycles (2nd and 3rd verses)

- Sura 15, verse 22

"We sent forth the winds that fecundate. We cause the water to descend from the sky,
and We provide it to you to drink, and it is not you who are the owners of its stores."
- Sura 30, verse 48
"God is the One Who sends forth the winds which raised up the clouds. He spreads
them in the sky as He wills and breaks them into fragments. Then thou seest raindrops
issuing from within them. He makes them reach such of His servants as He wills. And
they are rejoicing. "
- Sura 35, verse 9
"God is the One Who sends forth the winds which raised up the clouds. We drive them
to a dead land. Therewith We revive the ground after its death. So will be the
resurrection."

2.3 Lightning formation

In the following two verses, there is a clear correlation between the formation of rain-or-
hail-laden clouds and that of lightning : the first, a subject of envy because of its benefits and
the second a subject of fear- its fall being determined by the Almighty God.

4
- Sura 24, verse 43
"Hast thou not seen that God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together,
then makes them a heap. And thou seest raindrops issuing from within it. He sends
down from the sky mountains of hail, He strikes therewith whom He wills and He turns
it away from whom He wills. The flashing of its lightning almost snatches away the
sight."
- Sura 13, verses 12-13
"(God) is the One Who shows you the lightning, with fear and covetousness. He raised
up the heavy clouds. The thunder glorifies His Praise and so do the angels for awe. He
sends the thunder-bolts and strikes with them whom He wills while they are disputing
about God. He is All Mighty in His Power."

2.4 Stability of the Earth crust

God also explains that mountains are like stakes which fix a tent (1st verse) and that
mountains are arranged in such a way as earth equilibrium is maintained (2nd verse) (so that it
does not shake with them). In fact, it is known that mountains play an important part in the
stabilization of the earth's crust.

- Sura 78, verse 7

"... and the mountains as stakes."
- Sura 21, verse 31
"We have placed in the ground (mountains) standing firm so that it does not shake with
them ..."

On the other hand, the following verse refers to mountains as moving like "clouds". Some
modern commentators point out, here, that the movement of mountains is a result of Earth's
rotation. Others interpret it as a reference to tectonics. It is interesting to note here that the
collision of tectonic plates moving by continental drift is a frequent phenomenon in the
Mediterranean basin.
- Sura 27, verse 88
"And you will see the mountains and think them firmly fixed, but they shall pass away
as the passing away of the clouds. The Work of God, Who perfected all things, verily He
is Well-Acquainted with what you do."

2.5 Optimization in the creation

God also explains that He has created everything taking into account precise and optimal
proportions. This optimisation is most evident in the equilibrium of animal populations due to
natural selection.

- Sura 54, verse 49

"Verily, all things have We created in proportion and measure"

This notion of optimisation is most evident when the Qur’an mentions creation in the vegetal
realm.

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- Sura 15, verse 19
"The earth ....we caused to grow therein all kinds of things in due proportion."
A very important aspect of this biodiversity optimisation is the fact that for every human
being there exists a unique identifier which characterizes it and differentiates it from the other
creatures. This unique identifier is the fingerprint. The infidels of Mecca have ironically asked
the prophet whether, on the resurrection day, God would be able to gather their bones in order
to make them come back to life. The following verse is an answer to that question and
specifies that God is capable of giving life to the gathered bones with their proper fingerprints
(expressed in the verse below by the phrase "tips of his fingers.")
- Sura 75, verses 3-4
"Does man (a disbeliever) think that We shall not assemble his bones? Yes, We are Able
to put together in perfect order the tips of his fingers."

2.6 Existence of barriers between water currents of different

nature
All classical exegetes agree on the existence of a barrier between fresh water and salty water
when a river meets the sea (verse 1). But they failed to understand the fact that fresh water
currents do not mix with salty water in oceans (verse 2)

- Sura 25, verse 53

"(God) is the One Who has let free the two seas, one is agreeable and sweet, the other
salty and bitter. He placed a barrier between them, a partition that it is forbidden to
pass."
- Sura 55 verses 19-20
"He has loosed the two seas. They meet together. Between them there is a barrier which
they do not transgress."

In fact, this recently discovered phenomenon is explained by the density difference between
waters of different salinities. This explains the circulation of currents between the Black Sea
and the Mediterranean Sea or in the Northern Atlantic. Salt water flows downwards and
fresher water runs surface-ward. For an observer at the surface, a clear limit between the two
currents may be seen.

3 VERSES REFERRING TO SCIENCES OF LIFE

This category concerns the verses, the meanings of which have more or less been
understood by classical exegetes. However, translators and modern exegetes give
corroborating interpretations

3.1 Creation and development of the embryo

In the following paragraph, we are going to enumerate the different steps of the
embryogenesis according to modern scientific knowledge. Then, we shall compare with the
Qur’an revelations. We focus hereafter on the creation and development of the embryo.

6
 The embryo development represents the phase ranging from fertilization to the 60th day of
pregnancy. Knowing that the spermatozoid is 50 to 60 microns long and that the diameter of
the ovöcyte ranges from 120 to 150 microns, we can conclude that it is impossible to obtain
morphological or physiological data without using advanced technical means (microscope,
etc...), which did not exist more than 14 centuries ago.
Fertilization :
The term fertilization refers to the process during which a spermatozoid enters the
cytoplasm of the ovöcyte; the mixture leads to the association of the two genomes contained
in each nucleus of the sexual cells and the formation of the procreation genome. The Qur’an
description of phenomenon is as follows :

- Sura 76, verse 2

"Verily, we fashioned man from a small quantity of mingled sperm."
Nidification of the fertilized egg :
As soon as the fertilization is over, the egg is directed to the uterine cavity. It splits up into
several blastemas through successive mitoses (this is segmentation); then the other phases of
embryo development begin (gastrulation, organogenesis, histogenesis...). The different stages
of the egg development are explained in the following verse :

- Sura 71, verse 14

"(God) fashioned you in (different) stages."

Towards the 7th day after fertilization, the fertilized egg is at the stage of free blastocyst in
the uterine cavity; it takes the right position and sticks to the endometral epithelium, often at
the level of the uterus bottom. This capacity of clinging (nidification), characteristic of the
blastocyst, continuation of development. The Qur’an refers to this phenomenon :

- Sura 96, verse 2

"... Who fashioned man from something which clings"

After set up, the blastocyst the diameter of which does not exceed 400 microns, shows a
new morphological aspect comparable to that of "chewed flesh". This fact is referred to in the
following verse :

- Sura 23, verse 14

"We fashioned the thing which clings into a chewed lump of flesh and We fashioned the
chewed flesh into bones and We clothed the bones with intact flesh ..."

During pregnancy, the embryo develops in an aquatic medium. It is wrapped up in three

successive envelopes : the uterine body, the extra-embryo cœlom and the water pocket
(amniotic cavity).

Now, it is experimentally demonstrated that obscurity is a necessary condition to the

fertilization and development of the embryo. This is explained in verse 3 of Sura 39. In this
verse the three "veils of darkness" correspond to the three envelopes mentioned above.

7
- Sura 39, verse 6
"... He creates you in the wombs of your mothers : creation after creation in three veils
of darkness..."
If we compare these scientific facts with the Qur’an descriptions, we notice that the Qur’an
uses extremely specific terms, which shows a perfect knowledge of the main stages of the
embryo development.

3.2 Formation of milk in the animal organism

Here the Qur’an explains the factors which intervene in the formation of milk : the
intestines (of the stomach) and the blood. The meaning of this verse is clear for a specialist. In
Maurice Bucaille's book "The Bible, the Qur’an and Science", it is stated that : "the
constituents of milk are secreted by the mammary glands. The latter feed on the products of
nutrient digestion which are circulated by the blood. Thus, blood plays the role of collector
and transporter of materials extracted from nutrients in order to feed the mammary glands
producing milk, in the same way as any other organ".
- Sura 16, verse 66
"Verily, in cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of what is inside their
bodies, coming from a conjunction between the contents of the intestine and the blood, a
milk pure and pleasant for those who drink it."

3.3 Aquatic origin of living organisms :

Two verses mention the aquatic origin of all living organisms :

- Sura 21, verse 30

"..... and We got every living thing out of the water. Will they then not believe?"

It is to be noted here, that in this verse "every living thing" is not followed by "on
Earth". This implies that the living organisms on other habitable planets (cf §[Link]
existence of extra-terrestrial life) are of aquatic origin and that water is necessary for the
formation of life on Earth or elsewhere. The following verse includes the same idea :
- Sura 24, verse 45
"God has created every moving (living) creature from water."

There is, however, between the first and the second verse a minor nuance. The first speaks
about the origin of living organisms (We got every living thing), whereas the second verse
specifies the main constituent of living organisms which is water (God has created ... from
water.)

3.4 Point of view about the theory of evolution

We would like to refer, here, to the position of Moslem scholars concerning Darwin's
theory, which has fascinated almost all western biologists. Let us point out that this theory
speaks mainly of animals in general. The emergence of "modern" man has not so far been
elucidated. Let us examine first of all the following verse from the Qur’an :

8
- Sura 2, verse 29
"Behold, thy Lord said to the angels : “I Will create A vicegerent on earth”. They said :
“Wilt Thou place therein one who will make Mischief therein and shed blood? Whilst
we do celebrate Thy praises And glorify Thy holy (name)?” He said : “I know what ye
know not”."

In his book "Fiqh as-Sirah" [2], Al-Booti explains this verse by specifying that prior to the
creation of our ancestor Adam, God had created several human species. Thus, when God told
the angels that He was going to create a curate in order to install him on Earth, the angels were
amazed because they had already seen how the behaviour of pre-Adam creatures was not
honourable at all.

According to Ibn-Al-Arabi [4], the prophet would have said : "Before your Adam, a hundred
thousand Adams had existed" and we are the descendents of the last one.

In other words, several Adams had preceded our ancestor, who is referred to in the Bible and
in the Qur’an.

I think that the human species which had preceded our ancestor (Homo Sapiens, ...) did not
necessarily have the same physiognomy as ours. The resemblance of human remains
(skull, bones, etc.) might have misled Darwin, who therefore believed in a continuous
evolution. However, it is to be noted here that the Qur’an has not mentioned these human
species. It is only Adam who is cited.

4 VERSES CONCERNING ASTRONOMY

This category concerns the verses about astronomy. These verses require deep knowledge of
this field; that is why they have been misunderstood by ancient translators. Most Qur’anic
verses about modern science deal with this field. The reason for this emphasis is explained in
the Qur’an itself (in the following verse, it is stated that the creation of the universe constitutes
a more extraordinary event than the creation of human beings).

- Sura 40, verse 57

"Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the
creation of men : Yet most men understand not."

The next verse invites humans to focus first on what exists in the heavens and then on what
exists on Earth. Everything in them points to the might of God. It is after this invitation for
reflexion that Moslems began to develop Astronomy.

- Sura 10, verse 101

"Say : “Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth ...”."

The verses related to Astronomy may be classified into two classes : those related to the solar
system and those which deal with the heavens in general.

9
4.1 Verses related to the solar system
4.1.1 Generalities
The Qur’an refers to the solar system as "the nearest heaven"

- Sura 37, verse 6

"We have indeed adorned the lowest heaven with an ornament, the planets."

We know that among the nearest elements of our heaven there are no other permanent
elements but the planets and their natural satellites.

[Link] Spherical shape of the Earth

It is to be noted here that the Earth

* is a sphere :

- Sura 39, verse 5

"... He coils the night upon the day and He coils the day upon the night."

* but which is not perfect :

- Sura 13, verse 41

"See they not that We reduce the Earth from its outlying borders? ..."

Both verses above are clear. The same idea stating that the Earth is a sphere and that it rotates
(suggestion of movement) is found in the following verse :

- Sura 79, verse 30

"After that (God) spread the Earth out (dahaha : from the verb 'daha')."

Because they did not understand the meaning of this verse, (since they did not imagine that
the Earth was spherical) the ancient exegetes had earlier explained the Arabic verb (dahaha)
by (has flattened it). The same explanation has been introduced in the Arab dictionaries. But
in these very dictionaries, the origin of this verb is found in the word (Ud-hiya) which means
"egg of ostrich". Thus the Earth would look like an ostrich’s egg. The same verb is also used
to refer to the action of rain on the pebbles which the water current moves.

A logical consequence of the spherical shape of the Earth and of its rotation is that the night
does not precede the day as it is explained in the following verse :

- Sura 36, verse 40

"... The sun must not catch up the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. Each one is
travelling in an orbit with its own motion."

It is clearly understood, from the expression "nor does the night outstrip the day" that
there is a coexistence of the day and the night. In fact, the sun shines over the terrestrial
hemisphere facing it whereas darkness covers the other hemisphere. From the preceding verse,

10
we cannot deduce the rotating movement of the Earth; however, verse 54 in Sura 7 explains
this rotation :

- Sura 7, verse 54
"(God) covers the day with the night which is in haste to follow it..."

The rotating movement of the Earth may also be understood from verse 29 in Sura 31,
which specifies that there is no order in the succession of the day and the night.

- Sura 31, verset 29

"Hast thou not seen how God merges the night into the day and merges the day into the
night?".

The following verse refers to the concomitance and gradual appearance of the day and the
night.

- Sura 36, verse 37

"Another sign for them is the night from which we withdraw the day..."

Here God establishes a similitude between the gradual appearance of the day and the night
and the process of the withdrawal of the skin (representing the night) which covers the flesh
(representing the day).

From the following verse, Sura 70, verse 40, it is understood that there is not a unique place
for sunrise or sunset. This fact was unknown when the prophet was still alive.

- Sura 70, verse 40

"...Lord of Orients and Occidents."

[Link] Reflection of the light by planets

It is also explained, in the verse below, that the sun’s nature (qualified as a dazzling lamp)
different from the moon’s (qualified as "giving light" ).

- Sura 25, verse 61

"Blessed is the One Who placed the constellations in heaven and placed therein a lamp
and a moon giving light."

The distinction, here, between the sun (a star, source of light) and the moon (a heavenly cold
body playing the role of light reflector) is evident. This distinction between star /planet/
satellite is still ambiguous for the general public. The notion of light reflection by planets is
more specified in the following verse :

- Sura 24, verset 35

"God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as if there
were a niche and within it a luminary. The luminary is in a glass. The glass is as if it
were a planet glittering like a pearl."

11
[Link] Existence of lunar cycles
In the following verse, the previously-mentioned ideas are confirmed. Moreover, the lunar
cycles are referred to :

- Sura 10, verse 5

"God is the One Who made the sun a shine and the moon a light and for her ordained
mansions, so that you might know the number of years and the reckoning (of the time).
God created this in truth. He explains the signs in detail for people who know."

4.1.2 Evolution of the solar system

The Qur’an uses an evolutive term for the sun as well as a destination place. The sun is a
star, the age of which is approximately 4.6 billion years. As it is the case for all the stars, the
sun goes through evolutive stages. It is presently at the first stage, characterized by the
transformation of hydrogen atoms into helium ones. This stage should theoretically still last
4.6 billion years (cf. §4.2.2 Duration of creation) until the transformation of hydrogen into
helium is over and then the transformation of helium into carbon and oxygen is also over.
Once its energy is used up, the sun will consequently reach a stable state.

- Sura 36, verse 38

"The Sun runs its course towards a proper state (or site) of stability. This is the decree
of the Almighty, the Full of Knowledge."

In the following verse, God says that the sun and the moon do not collide because each one
of them (sun, moon) moves following a different trajectory "Each one is travelling in an
orbit with its own motion".

- Sura 36, verses 39-40

"... The sun must not catch up the moon... Each one is traveling in an orbit with its own
motion."

The second verse points to the fact that the trajectories of both celestial bodies are governed
by laws (physical gravitation laws and kinematic laws).

- Sura 55, verse 5

"The sun and moon (are subjected) to calculations."

In fact, these human calculations are but symbolic representations of these fundamental
physical subjacent laws.

It is to be noted here that the two previously-mentioned verses have emphasized only the
harmony in the movements of the sun and the moon (but not in those of the other planets of
the solar system). The explanation of this point resides in the two following facts : on the one
hand because the moon and the sun are the most visible and evident celestial bodies, and on
the other hand because both these stars will undergo a grandiose astro-physical phenomenon.
In fact, at the final stage of the sun’s life, the transformation of hydrogen atoms into helium
will be over and as a result of that the outer layers of the sun will expand. As we will deduce it
later on, this will lead to the swelling of the sun which will destabilize the moon. The latter
will be rent (cf. §[Link]-e) and will ultimately fall onto the Earth (cf. §[Link]-e)

12
4.1.3 Future of the solar system
Regarding the solar system, the Qur’an has mentioned the apocalypse phenomenon very
often. Because they were not much versed in Astronomy, the ancient Moslem exegetes made
only general comments (and not explanations) about the verses related to this phenomenon,
which is considered as a signal indicating that the day of the last judgment is getting closer.

It is after watching a series of emissions about Astronomy, presented by the fifth French TV
channel, that it has been possible to establish a relation between the above-mentioned verses
and the end of the solar system. The most known Sura which refers to the beginning of the
solar expansion and the phenomena resulting from this expansion is Sura 81, verses 1-6. But it
should be noted that many suras have also spoken about these phenomena. Let us examine
them hereafter :

- Sura 81, verse 1

" When the sun becomes like a swelling ball (kuwwirat)."

Here, the selection of the word "kuwwirat", deriving from the verb "kawwara" (leading
to the word "kura(t)", meaning "ball"), is intentional. This verb is used especially to
designate the ball-shaped winding (for example of a silk string or a cloth band). It is known
that the further the winding the greater the volume of the ball. This means a swelling of
the ball. In fact, towards the end of its life, the sun will exactly undergo the same
phenomenon. Its volume will increase with time to constitute a red giant. The specialists
indicate that the expansion of the sun will result in the coming closer of the surface of the sun
and the Earth’s orbit. This coming closer of the sun’s surface and the Earth’s orbit is not
explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an (cf. §[Link]-d Sura 75, verse 9) but it is quoted in a
"Hadith" (tradition of the prophet Muhammad).

"When the apocalypse gets closer, the surface of the sun and the Earth’s orbit will get
closer" [6].

Many consequences of the sun’s expansion and of its movement closer to the Earth’s surface
are mentioned in the Qur’an. However, the successive events are not referred to in sequence.
They can be classified into two categories :

[Link] Concerning the sky (heaven)

a) Aspect of the sky

When the sun turns into a red giant, the solar disc will occupy a great part of the heavens. The
sudden appearance of this red giant with a remarkable volume will give the illusion of an
invasion of the heavens. At this stage, the Qur’an indicates that the sky will look like a rose
(the sun representing the heart of the rose) and the rest of the sky will become like red hide
(the rose’s petals). This is mentioned in the following verse :

- Sura 55, verse 37

"Then, when the heaven is rent asunder, becoming scarlet-rosy like red hide."

13
 The following verse gives more information on the overall aspect of the sky, which besides
its scarlet colour, will look like a molten metal, that is then a metal-red colour.

- Sura 70, verse 8

"The Day that The sky will be like molten metal".

Note : It is interesting to note here that if it were possible to simulate this phenomenon of
solar expansion on computer, we would perhaps understand why God has chosen to compare
the aspect of the heavens with a red rose : Is it for its colour only, or for both its colour and
its shape ? Knowing that in the Qur’an there is a wise choice even in the use of the frequency
of the alphabet letters [5], what can then be said concerning the choice of words ? According
to us, it is the second hypothesis (colour+shape) which applies.

During its final spasm which will last some thousands of years, the sun will occupy the whole
of the celestial dome and will certainly look like one of those agonizing stars which have been
very often observed by Hubble spatial telescope (pictures can be seen at
[Link] in particular the "Cat’s
eye" nebula (cf. [Link]
These stars have got rid of their gas envelope, giving birth to superb planetary nebulae.

b) Increase of light intensity over the Earth

The following verse says that light intensity will considerably and excessively increase and
will cause sight dazzling.

- Sura 75, verse 7

"So, when the sight is dazzled. "

It is to be noted, however, that the previous verse, like those relating to the final episode of
the sun’s life, does not express what will be "observed" or "experienced" by eventual
inhabitants of the Earth, because the Earth will have become uninhabitable a long time before
this event. Sight dazzling is therefore only a way to explain the increase of light intensity and
does not imply that there will still exist human beings to witness this phenomenon. In fact, the
Qur’an specifies that the occurrence of this event is not isolated but it is associated with the
appearance of other phenomena, such as the boiling of the seas and oceans (cf. §[Link]-b) due
to temperature increase. This will lead to the Earth’s surface water evaporation, thus
eliminating all forms of life.

c) The stars will no longer be visible

The following verses indicate that it will be difficult to see the stars from the Earth, probably
because of the light intensity (of the sun) which is very strong, as it has already been
mentioned.

- Sura 77, verse 8

"Then when the stars become dim. "
- Sura 81, verse 2
"And when the stars, lose their lustre. "

14
d) The moon will no longer be visible

The difficulty of observation caused by the increase of the light intensity does not in fact
concern only the stars; it applies to the totality of the other celestial bodies. In fact when the
Earth is covered by the extreme intensity of the sun’s light, it will be impossible to observe
even the moon, as it is explained in the following verse :

- Sura 75, verse 8

"And the moon will be eclipsed."

The fact that this verse immediately follows verse 7 of sura 75 mentioned above
(cf. §[Link]-b) and speaking about sight dazzle confirms once again that the moon’s eclipse is
certainly due to the increase in light intensity. This is, in fact, a final and irreversible eclipse.

For a terrestrial observer used to the moon’s light, the non visibility of the moon will give
him the illusion of a fusion or "joining" of both celestial bodies (sun and moon). The
Qur’an, in Sura 25, verse 61, has attributed a distinctive quality to the sun (it refers to it as a
torch) and another one to the moon (it is referred to as a gleam) (cf. §[Link]). After the start
of the sun’s expansion process, the moon will be totally immersed in the sun’s atmosphere. In
the celestial dome, only the red giant will be present. The two celestial bodies will be joined
as it is specified in the following verse :

- Sura 75, verse 9

"... And the sun and moon are joined together."

The enormous increase of the sun’s volume will in fact result in its "coming closer" to the
moon (joining of the two celestial bodies), therefore closer to the Earth.

Note : This verse is also explained by a "Hadith" (tradition of the prophet Muhammad) [6]
(vol. 4, N° 422) which specifies that the sun and the moon will both be bathing in fire. This
refers in fact to the immersion of the two celestial bodies in the very high temperature of the
sun’s atmosphere. The same "Hadith" refers to the increase of the volume of both celestial
bodies. As regards the sun, the Qur’an has already dealt with this phenomenon; concerning the
moon, this volume increase is due to the moon’s expansion as a result of the sun’s intense
heat.

In the presence of the star’s (sun and moon joined) tenuous atmosphere, the moon will be
submitted to viscous forces and will gradually lose its energy and also its angular moment.
This will result in the destabilization of its orbit (orbital braking) the moon’s orbit will shrink
little by little resulting in its progressive fall onto the Earth’s surface after having been
fragmented.

e/ The moon’s fragmentation

Long before its fall onto the Earth, the effects of the Earth’s tide on the moon will ultimately
lead to its fragmentation below a certain distance, known as Roche limit. This moon’s
«break up» would occur suddenly and brutally once the limit is reached, as it is specified in
the following verse :

15
- Sura 54, verse 1
"The Hour has drawn near and the moon has been cleft asunder."

An alternative explanation of this consists in supposing that the moon’s fragmentation is a

result of its expansion (cf. note in §[Link]-d above). But if we take into account the verses of
§[Link]-e (below) which suggest that the moon’s fragments will fall onto the Earth’s surface,
the thesis of fragmentation resulting from the effect of orbital braking would be more
plausible.

The moon’s fragmentation will constitute its final stage of disappearance from the solar
system. It is evident that the sun will destabilize the moon only after having swallowed up
Mercury and Venus, which are closer to it than the moon.

f/ Modification of the solar system planets orbits

The Qur’an specifies that there occurs a dispersion in the movement of the solar system
planets (modification of orbits), including the Earth (see note at the end of section §[Link]-b).

- Sura 82, verse 2

" .....And when the planets will disperse (intatharat)."

This is confirmed by the use of the Arabic term “intatharat” which means an organized
dispersion, by opposition to the term “tanatharat” which means a random dispersion.

[Link] Concerning the Earth

The phenomena which will affect the Earth as a result of the sun’s progressive expansion
are referred to in many Qur’anic verses. We are going to examine them hereafter.

a) Exodus movement and gathering of wild beasts

Once a certain degree of heating up of the Earth’s surface is reached, forest fires will
become more and more frequent. Feeling the danger, wild beasts will start general and
continuous escapes, which will correspond to great gatherings as it is specified in the
following verse.

- Sura 81, verse 5

"...And when the wild beasts are herded together. "

b) Boiling and bursting forth of the seas and oceans

The Qur’an indicates that the sun’s expansion will result in the warming up of the seas and
oceans as it is specified in the verse below :

- Sura 81, verse 6

"And when the seas become as blazing fire. "

The warming up of the seas and oceans will result in their boiling up as it is explained in the
following verse :

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- Sura 52, verses 5-6
"(I Swear)… By the Canopy Raised High, And by the boiling sea."

After the boiling up of the seas and oceans, water expansion will follow as it is said in the
verse below :

- Sura 82, verse 3

"... And when the seas are burst forth."

The warming up and expansion of the seas and oceans’ waters are certainly indicators of a
first stage before their evaporation. According to us, these phenomena will take place at the
beginning of the sun’s swelling process and in all cases before the destruction of the moon by
the sun, because at that moment the Earth’s surface would already be totally turned into lava.

Note : It is obvious that the seas and oceans’ evaporation will result in a considerable loss of
the Earth’s mass. But, we should also note that when the sun turns into a red giant and reaches
its maximum volume, it would already have lost a part of its mass. According to Newton’s
law of gravitation a fraction of mass loss (in relation with the initial mass) greater for the sun
than for the Earth will result in the orbit of the Earth moving off from the sun’s and vice-
versa. Because the solar atmosphere will consequently be lost in the intergalactic space, the
previous conclusion remains a fortiori valid for any (surviving) planet. Thus, the term "will
disperse" (cf. §[Link]-f) should be interpreted as "will move farther away from the sun".
The changing of orbit for the surviving planets of the solar system, and especially for the
Earth, allows us to suggest that modifications in its revolution and rotation will occur leading
to a change of the length of the day, the night and the year.

c) Expansion of the Earth’s crust

In the same way, the Earth’s overheating will result in its expansion, hence a repulsion and
rejection of its content (probably the most volatile elements : atmosphere, water and some
trapped elements presently below the crust).

- Sura 84, verses 3-4

".... And when the Earth expands. And has cast forth what is within it."

Note : The Earth’s expansion is not explicitly referred to in the Qur’an ; it is in fact mentioned
in the prophet’s "Hadith" quoted in §[Link]-d.

d) Pulverization of mountains

The fate of mountains, known for their rigidity is explained in the following verse :

- Sura 101, verse 5

" ... And the mountains will be like carded wool."

The choice of the expression "carded wool" denotes in fact the change of the mountains-
forming rocks’ nature; these initially highly compact and tough rocks will ultimately become,
because of the heat, viscous and more voluminous (like carded wool). Hence, it is clearly

17
shown that the change in the rocks’ state is due to the excessively high temperature prevailing
over the Earth after the sun’s expansion.

Another fact corroborating what preceded is referred to in another verse indicating that the
mountains will melt like "crumbling sand dunes" and will gradually lose height and rigidity:

- Sura 73, verse 14

"…And the mountains will be like crumbling sand dunes."

The comparison with crumbling sand dunes aims to show the progressive loss of height
and rigidity of mountains. These two features certainly indicate that the rocks constituting
these mountains will be in the process of fusing. This fusion will go on until these mountains
are totally flattened as it is indicated in the following verse :

- Sura 20, verses 105-106

"They ask thee concerning The Mountains : say “My Lord Will demolish them and He
will leave them as plains Smooth and level”."

In other words, mountains will be totally disintegrated under the effect of heat. The same
reference to "disintegration" is found in the following verse :

- Sura 56, verse 6

"And the mountains turning into crumbles to end up as sparse particles."

Thus, the tough and high mountains will ultimately be frittered away and will look like a
mirage as is explained in the following verse :

- Sura 78, verse 20

"And the mountains shall vanish, as if they were a mirage."

From the preceding verses, it can be deduced that the Earth’s crust will undergo the same
fate, that is, it will fuse.

e/ Fall of lunar fragments on the Earth

In another verse, it is said that the Earth (the land’s surface) and the mountains will be
suddenly and fatally hammered (the Qur’an uses the verb "dakka" to describe what will
happen); this verb means to bombard, to hammer.

- Sura 69, verses 13-14

"And the soil and the mountains are lifted, then violently hammered at one stroke. On
that day, shall the (great) Event come to pass."

The lifting cited above is to be related to the expansion of the Earth’s crust (cf. §[Link]-c).
The hammering of the land’s surface and of the mountains, as a result of one stroke, which,
according to the Qur’an is fatal, would probably refer to the result of the fall of the biggest
(giant) lunar fragment after the moon’s disintegration (cf. §[Link]-e) onto the Earth’s surface ;
this event would have the same destructive effect as the explosion of multiple atomic bombs.
This will certainly constitute a remarkable and unique event in the Earth’s life cycle : "On
that day, shall the great Event come to pass".

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 The Qur’an even specifies the occurrence of this violent shaking. In fact, according to verse
14, Sura 73 (already quoted above), the Earth (the soil) and the mountains will quake only
after the mountains have become comparable to crumbling sand dunes, that is after having
lost much height. In other words, the occurrence of the "great Event" will follow the crucial
phase of mountain disintegration.

- Sura 73, verse 14

"The day when the earth (the soil) and the mountains are shaken up, once the
mountains have become like crumbling sand dunes."

It is to be noted that the Qur’an stipulates that after the "great event" (violent shaking of the
land’s surface), the land surface will undergo successive poundings, which are in fact but the
results of the fall of lunar fragment remains.

- Sura 89, verse 21

"Nay ! when the earth (the soil) undergoes hammering after hammering."

e-1) The impacts of the lunar fragments fall on the Earth

Another consequence of the Earth’s hammering by the enormous lunar meteorites is the
formation of "swirling clouds" in the sky as it explained in the following verse :

- Sura 52, verse 9

"The day when the sky is agitated by a swirling cloud."

The swirling clouds in the sky will be in fact accompanied by the formation of a real ashy
and dusty screen of clouds the thickness of which would probably reach tens of kilometers and
which would cover the whole earth. This covering of the earth by a great mass of smoke
("clouds") is referred to in the following verse :

- Sura 25, verse 25

"And the day when the sky shall be rent asunder with clouds… "

The next verse specifies that the smoke in question is not a common one similar to that
known by the prophet’s contemporaries. This cloud of smoke will certainly occur after very
violent impacts resulting from enormous collisions of great rock bodies (meteorites) falling on
the Earth. This cloud of smoke will then be very dense and unique in its kind (a very
particular kind of smoke).

- Sura 44 , verse 10
"Then wait you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke."

e-2) Other impacts of the fall of lunar fragments on the Earth

Except for the reference in the verses mentioned earlier to the very violent quakes, to the
swirling smoke over the sky and to the formation of a giant screen of smoke round the Earth,
there is no mention of verses in the Qur’an relating explicitly to other impacts of the fall of
giant lunar meteorites on the earth (the soil). It is after examining "Hadiths" that we have
been able to compile other impacts.

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- Slowdown in the speed of the Earth’s rotation :
We know that the moon insures the stability of the Earth’s movement. The disturbance
exerted by the other planets : Venus, Mars, Jupiter and the others, might, in the absence of the
moon, enter in resonance with the movement of the Earth’s axis of rotation. The Earth would
not leave its present orbit, but its movement might become chaotic and totally unpredictable.
It is specified in a "Hadith" that when the apocalypse approaches :

"A day will become like a year, then like a month, then like a week,… and finally like a
present day." [6]
According to us, the friction and the violent impact of giant lunar meteorites with a diameter
of some hundreds of kilometres, added to the forces exerted by the tide of the nearby sun,
which once reaching its maximum size, will cause a slowdown in the speed of the Earth’s
rotation round its axis. This slowing down would result in a longer day. A literal interpretation
of the "Hadith" mentioned above means that a day becoming like a year implies a slowdown
and a reduction of the initial rotation speed with a ratio of 1/365. This slowdown will
gradually continue until the initial rotation speed is re-established.

- Changing of the Earth’s rotation direction round its axis :

According to the second "Hadith", which specifies that :

"At the approach of the apocalypse, the sun will rise in the West." [6]

It may be deduced that the huge collisions of lunar fragments with our planet’s surface
(cf. §[Link]-e sura 89, verse 21), will first end the rotation of our planet round its axis and
will ultimately lead to the inversion of the rotation direction. It is obvious that the resumption
of rotation in another direction will be progressive, which explains the gradual return to a
stability speed as mentioned in the first "Hadith". It is clear that without taking into account
the moon, the inversion in the Earth’s rotation direction cannot be explained. The sun’s
expansion has but morphological transformations on the Earth (cf. §[Link]), and a changing
(enlargement) of its orbit (cf. §[Link]-f).

Note : As we have just noticed, the Qur’an verses referring to the consequences of the turning
of the sun into a red giant on the evolution of the Earth’s crust and on the other solar system
planets, describe a multitude of facts without respecting these events chronology. For
example, when the Qur’an specifies that there will occur an expansion of the Earth’s crust
(cf. §[Link]-c), and that the mountains will be pulverized (cf. §[Link]-d), it should be
understood that these phenomena will take place only after the boiling and evaporation of the
seas and oceans (cf. §[Link]-b). They are in fact separated by thousands (or millions) of years.

4.1.4 The aftermath of the solar system collapse

The Qur’an has clearly dissociated the apocalypse which is a phenomenon proper to the
solar system and the universe collapse phenomenon (cf. §4.2.4) In fact , the verses that we
have just exposed mention only the sun, the moon, the Earth and the bodies which turn around
the sun. The Qur’an has clearly specified in Sura 82, verse 2 (cf. §[Link]-f), that the planets of
the solar system will disperse. Then only the solar system planets will be affected by the

20
expansion phenomenon of the sun. The Qur’an does not mention the stars which are distant
from our solar system. The only references to the stars are found in Sura 77, verse 8 and Sura
81, verse 2 (cf. §[Link]-c) and they specify that during the sun swelling stage, the stars will
lose their luster and will become difficult to observe because of the light intensity increase on
the Earth.

It is very interesting to note that the Qur’an has specified that after the apocalypse, the Earth
will be transformed into another earth. Its general aspect will be different from the present
one.

- Sura 14, verse 48

"The Day when the Earth turns out into another Earth and so will be the heavens."

The Earth will undoubtedly undergo great transformations as a result of the sun’s expansion
and its closer position from the earth’s surface. But these transformations concern certainly
the earth’s crust only. This may be consolidated by the fact that the Qur’an says in Sura
82, verse 2 “…that the planets will disperse” (cf. §[Link]-f). In other words, the Earth and
its sisters Mars, Jupiter and the others will move farther from the sun (change of orbit) and
will continue to turn round the sun which will progressively use up its energy.

It is also interesting to note that the use of the expression "transformed into another
earth" in the previous verse does not give further details, which might shock the prophet’s
contemporaries, who had already accused him of madness and magic because the Qur’anic
revelation ran counter to their beliefs and modes of life.

Open question :
Astrophysical calculations show that when the sun begins to lack hydrogen, it will then start
to swell until it becomes a red giant which will swallow up the two closest planets, Mercury
and Venus. The sun will consequently be at least a hundred times more shiny than it is now.
After completely using up its hydrogen, the sun will begin to consume its helium, which will
be transformed into carbon and oxygen. This sudden change will make it contract quickly to a
certain extent, then combustion will again be hampered ; the sun will resume its expansion, at
a greater pace than the first time. Once it has used up its helium, the sun will collapse. It will
become a white dwarf, which will shine faintly ; then it will die out.

The great luminosity which will cover the Earth following the sun’s expansion will start to
decrease progressively with the sun’s contraction ; this will result in the quasi-darkness of the
earth. After the sun’s second expansion, its intense light will, once again, cover the Earth.
After mentioning the phenomenon of the sun’s expansion and its consequences (cf. §[Link]
and §[Link]), the Qur’an announces that an intense light will cover the Earth and this will
indicate the beginning of the judgment of human beings on the basis of their actions on Earth.
The question is whether the light which will shine intensely all over the Earth has something
to do with what is announced in the following verse?

- Sura 39, verse 69

"And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord and the book will be placed; and the
Prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward; and it will be judged between them
with truth, and they will not be wronged."
No answer to this question can be given.

21
Note : We have mentioned at the beginning of this section (Sura 14, verse 48) that our
planet will not undergo the same fate as the moon. The previous verse (Sura 39, verse 69)
constitutes a further proof of this assertion.

4.2 Verses relating to the universe

4.2.1 Generalities
[Link] Time relativity
The Qur’an explains that time is a relative notion. This notion of relativity can be found in
several suras :

- Sura 22, verse 47

"... in a period of time (yaum) whereof the measure is a thousand years of your
reckoning."
- Sura 70, verse 4
"... in a period of time (yaum) whereof the measure is fifty thousand years."

We think that these figures should not be understood literally. They should be taken as
representing symbolic values (cf. §[Link]).

[Link] Intrication in the process of creation

- Sura 21, verse 30
"Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, then
We clove them asunder ..."
- Sura 41, verse 11
"Moreover He turned to heaven when it was smoke and said to it and to the earth :
“come willingly or unwillingly!”. They said : “we come in willing obedience”."

The following remark can be made about the previous verse : In several places, the Qur’an
specifies that the creation phenomenon is a continuous one. The creation of the universe
began about 13.8 billion years ago (cf. §4.2.2 Duration of creation), that of the Earth about
4.6 billion years ago. There is, therefore, a phases intrication of the creation of the
heavens and of that of the Earth.

It is well understood, then, that the creation of the Earth did not precede that of the Universe
and that by God’s will it was similar to that of the Universe. On the other hand, it is known
that the Earth was formed from fine particles of a gas cloud and from dusts of celestial bodies
according to an agglomeration and gathering process. It is to be noted that this very process is
at the origin of the formation of galaxies and consequently of the Universe.

Note : A little time after its formation, the still soft and hot Earth probably underwent an
intensive and continuous bombarding by metallic meteorites. The following verse specifies
that the presence of iron on the Earth is the result of a “descending” process.

22
- Sura 57 , verse 25
"…And We sent down iron, a source for great might, as well as many benefits for
mankind... "

It is to be noted that the verb to “sent down” has been used only for iron (and not for any
other metals referred to in the Qur’an such as gold, silver, copper etc…). This suggests that
the iron origin is extra-terrestrial.

[Link] Repetition of the creation process in the universe

The Qur’an states that the creation phenomenon in the universe is a continuous process.

- Sura 30, verse 11

"It is God Who begins (the process of) creation; Then repeats it."

This notion of repetition in the creation process is found in several verses and may be
interpreted in two ways : the creation process is a continuous operation in our universe,
because the latter is permanently transformed (stars die and others are born, etc...), and
whatever is produced in a point in space would also be produced in another point, in the same
way. The second interpretation is the cyclical birth of our universe or perhaps the creation of
other universes (cf. §4.2.4).

[Link] The position of stars

- Sura 56, verses 75-76
"Furthermore I swear by the setting of the stars, - And that is indeed a mighty oath if ye
but knew - That is indeed a Qur’an most honourable."

This verse reminds us of the Kepler theorem which states that : "the movement of each
planet of the solar system is an ellipse where the sun occupies one of its foci". The other stars
which are analogous to the sun, also follow specific orbits ; the eventual planets turning
around these stars also behave in the same ways as it is the case for the sun. This verse also
includes an allusion to the universal gravitation of Newton which determines the trajectories
of all stars and planets.

A study of the Qur’anic text has recently been published by a Syrian engineer ; it is entitled
"the miracle" [7]. This study is based only on statistical considerations. Thus, the author has
examined the symmetry in the use of words and letters, which, in terms of data analysis is
called "the oppositions".

He has, in this way, demonstrated an important result (which seems to be applicable to the
whole Qur’anic text), namely that for a given verse or sura, the frequency of word or letter use
is closely related to the subject which is treated. From the previous verse, he has deduced that
the words and letters of the Qur’an occupy well determined places exactly as it is the case for
the position of stars in the universe. Indeed, God swears by the position of stars that the
Qur’an is God’s revelation.

It is clear, here, that during the prophet’s epoch, the meaning of this verse could not be
understood. It is for this reason that the expression (if ye but knew) was used.

23
[Link] Space conquest
The Qur’an has explicitly invited Man, not only to conquer space but also to explore the
depths of the Earth.

- Sura 55, verse 33

"O assembly of Jinns and Humans, if you can pass beyond the zones of the heavens
and the earth, then pass beyond (them)! Not without a power shall ye be able to pass!"

(It is the power of science which is referred to here).

Always concerning the same subject

- Sura 15, verses 14-15

"Even if We opened unto them a gate to heaven and they were to continue ascending
therein, they would say : “our sight is confused. Nay, we are people bewitched”."

In the above-mentioned verse, the use of the word "bewitched" simply means to be
subjugated by the surprise of discovery following a spatial view of the Earth and its
surroundings.

In the following verse, there is also reference to the difficulties of breathing when
progressively ascending in the heavens.

- Sura 6, verse 125

"Those whom God (in His plan) willeth to guide, He openeth their breast to Islam.
Those whom He willeth to leave straying, He maketh their breast close and constricted,
as if they had to climb up to the skies..."

[Link] Existence of extra-terrestrial life

Many Astronomy researchers assert that the existence of an extra-terrestrial life is highly
probable because of the very big number of galaxies in the universe consisting of huge
clusters of stars and planets which turn around them. In the following verse, the Qur’an refers
not only to the existence of other extra-terrestrial creatures, but also to a possible encounter
with the inhabitants of the Earth (probably indirectly by exchanging messages or by means of
space travel). At the present state of our technological progress, this verse should be regarded
as a prediction.

- Sura 42, verse 29

"And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the living
creatures that He has scattered through them : and He has power to gather them
together when He wills.

The reference to an extra-terrestrial life is also found in the four following verses where the
first one indicates that every thing in the heaven or on the Earth praises God, whereas the
second one specifies that the living creatures of heaven and those on Earth belong to God and
that angels obey Him willingly.

24
 The third and fourth verses explain the bewilderment of humans and of the heaven’s
inhabitants when God decides to end life on Earth.
- Sura 61, verse 1
"Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, let it declare the praises and glory of God :
for He is the Exalted in might, the Wise."
- Sura 21, verse 19
"To Him belong all (creatures) in the heavens and on earth : even those who are in His
(very) presence are not too proud to serve Him, nor are they (ever) weary (of His
service)."
- Sura 39, verse 68
"The trumpet will (just) be sounded, when all that are in the heavens and on earth will
swoon, except such as it will please God (to exempt). Then will a second one be sounded,
when, behold, they will be standing and looking on!"
- Sura 27, verse 87
"And the day that the trumpet will be sounded, then will be smitten with terror those
who are in the heavens, and those who are on earth, except such as God will please (to
exempt) : and all shall come to His (presence) as beings conscious of their lowliness."
From what preceded, it is clear that creatures are classified into three different groups :

- those who are on Earth

- those who are in heaven (they are creatures who walk as it is mentioned above
in Sura 42, verse 29)
- those who are in His (very) presence (they are angels as it is explained in many suras).

[Link] Existence of planets like the Earth

It is important, too, to mention that the Qur’an explicitly refers to the existence of numerous
planets like ours in the universe as it is mentioned in the following verse :

- Sura 65, verse 12

"God is the One Who created seven heavens and of the earth a similar number. The
command descends among them so that you know that God has power over all things
and comprehends all things in His knowledge."

The number of heavens and planets is designated by the digit 7. The choice of this digit as a
symbol originates from its particular status since it is the smallest prime number after 1, 3 and
5 which are more ordinary ones. All commentators agree that the digit 7 and its multiples
designate plurality. This is explained in the Qur’an itself as indicated in the verses below :

- Sura 9, verse 80
"Whether thou ask for their forgiveness, or not, (their sin is unforgivable) : if you ask
seventy times for their forgiveness, God will not forgive them : because they have
rejected God and His Apostle : and God guideth not those who are perversely
rebellious."
- Sura 2, verse 261
"The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of God is that of a grain of
corn : it groweth seven ears, and each ear hath a hundred grains. God giveth manifold
increase to whom He pleaseth : And God careth for all and He knoweth all things."

25
4.2.2 Duration of creation
There remains an important remark to complete this study; it concerns the duration of
creation. Indeed, the Qur’an announces, in the following verse, that the universe, including the
galaxies matter, was created in six days (yawm) and yet God did not experience any
weariness. This seems to be a reply to the Biblical thesis which says that after completing His
creation in six days, God took a rest on the seventh day.

- Sura 50, verse 38

"We created the heavens, the earth and what is between them in six days (periods), and
no weariness touched Us."

The same meaning is found in the following verse which clearly states that there are three
groups of things created ; they are :

- those which are found in heavens;

- those which are found on Earth;
- those which are found between the heavens and the Earth.

- Sura 32, verse 4

"God is He Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them in
six days (periods)..."

It should be noted, in addition, that the expression "what is between the heavens and the
Earth" is also found in at least eight other suras.

However, the word "day" should not be understood as the period included between two
successive sun rises, because the "day" was only defined after the creation of the Earth. This
remark was made by Maurice Bucaille in his book "The Bible, the Qur’an and Science" [3].
This can also be understood from the verses seen in §[Link] (Time relativity).

It is evident that if we consider the universe as being what it is, in permanent evolution, the
duration of its creation will coincide with its age (cf. §[Link]). I think that it will be possible,
then, to explain the creation of the Earth in two days (two periods) as indicated in the
following verse :

- Sura 41, verse 9

"Say : “Do you disbelieve Him Who created the earth in two periods? Do you ascribe
equals to Him. He is the Lord of the Worlds”."

[Link] Duration of Earth’s life

As it is known, the present age of the Earth is approximately equal to 4.6 billion years. A
period will then be equal to 2.3 billion years. Always on the basis of the "period creation"
notion, it will be possible, I think, to deduce the duration of Earth’s life from the following
verse :

- Sura 41, verse 10

"He set in the (earth) mountains standing firm. He blessed it. He measured therein its
sustenance in four periods, in due proportion..."

26
 From the expression "He measured therein its sustenance in four periods, in due
proportion…" we understand that these periods correspond well to the productivity of the
Earth and consequently to its life’s span, which will be equal, on the basis of what preceded
to four periods of 2.3 billion years, that is 9.2 billion years.

Note : the death of the sun may be deduced from the preceding verses and will coincide
with that of the Earth. In fact, the duration of the Earth’s life is linked to the sun’s expansion
(cf. §4.1.3 Future of the solar system).

[Link] Age of the universe

From the preceding verses, the ratio between the age of the Earth and that of the universe may
be deduced without reference to the notion of "day", which is very relative in the
Qur’anic text. We thus have :

(age of Earth)/(age of the universe) = 2/6 = 1/3.

This rule will be very useful for the estimation of the universe’s age.

As we said earlier, if we estimate the age of the Earth as being 4.6 billion years, a period
will be equal to 2.3 billion years. Hence, the age of the universe would be equal to 13.8
billion years.

It is to be noted that a new method of dating the age of the universe, based on recent
observations carried out by H. Richer et al. From the University of British Columbia
(Canada) by means of the Hubble telescope did confirm the approximate figure 13-14
billion years (cf. [Link]

A more recent estimation (cf. [Link]

suggests an age of 13.7 billion years with an uncertainty margin of 100 million years.
It is interesting to note that the ratio (age of Earth)/(age of the universe) which we have
deduced from the Qur’anic verses, was quite accurate at the epoch of the Qur’an
revelation. After the passage of x periods from that date the ratio becomes : (2+x)/(6+x). If
we compare this ratio to 1/3 (at 10-3 for example), we obtain :

[(2+x)/(6+x)] – 1/3 = 10-3

Which implies a value of x around 21 million years, which is negligible compared with the
present age of the Universe. Thus, at a historical scale, we may consider that the ratio
(age of Earth)/(age of the universe) is constant and surely equal to 1/3.

Note : It is pertinent to note here that the verb created used in verse 4, Sura 32 is an attempt
to translate the Arabic verb "Khalaqa" (accomplished past), which may mean, and especially
in the language of the Qur’an, an action which began in the past but which still continues.
According to the Qur’anic text, the creation and transformation operation has no end.

27
 Moreover, in the Qur’an, we often encounter descriptions of future phenomena and use of
verbs in the accomplished past. This is, in fact, a special style destined to express with
certainty the occurrence of cited events. The following verse (referring to an event which has
not yet taken place) illustrates this point :

- Sura 5, verse 116

"And behold! God will say (literally «said») : “O Jesus son of Mary ! Didst thou say
unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God? ” He will say :
“Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing,
Thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my inner-self, though I
know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden”."

4.2.3 Evolution of the universe

[Link] Formation and expansion of the universe
In the following verses, the Qur’an says that the universe was created from a gaseous mass
with fine particles (first verse) the elements of which were initially soldered to form one unit
which will later be divided (second verse). Expansion started after the build up operation and
it continues until now (third verse)(the present is used for the verb expand)
- Sura 41, verse 11
"Moreover He turned to heaven when it was smoke and said to it and to the earth : come
willingly or unwillingly! They said : we come in willing obedience."
- Sura 21, verse 30
"Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, then
We clove them asunder and We got every living thing out of the water. Will they not
then believe?"
- Sura 51, verse 47
"The heaven, We have built it with power, Verily We are expanding it."

(the word "heaven" designates all that is exterior to Earth).

It is clear that the Qur’an thesis concerning the creation (first verse) evidently contradicts the
classical Big Bang theory according to which the universe would have been first concentrated
at a very hot and dense but infinitely small point.

In what follows, we mean by "Big Bang" the instant of beginning of the universe formation
according to the Qur’an view point and not according the "primitive atom" theory.

It is to be noted that some modern exegetes have suggested the existence of several universes.
They have referred to the following Qur’anic verse :
- Sura 1, verse 1
"Praise be to God, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds (alamin)."

Because in Arabic the word "alamin", plural of "alam" means either world or universe.
This meaning of multiple universes was already encountered in §[Link].

28
[Link] General structure of the universe
In the same way, and taking into account the same considerations of period notion, we can
understand from the following verse :

- Sura 41, verse 12

"Then He ordained them seven heavens in two periods, and He assigned to each heaven
its mandate by Revelation."

that the global structure of the universe has not changed much after the passage of two
periods starting from the beginning of the universe creation (4.6 billion years). This can be
clearly understood from the expression "He assigned to each heaven its mandate".
Consequently, the major changes in the evolution of the universe occurred before the latter
reaching 4.6 billion years. During these 4.6 billion years, the galaxies were certainly more
numerous and more active than today and were prey to continuous collisions,
agglomerations, etc… This is the crucial period of the history of the universe according to
the Qur’anic text. In fact, what we called stabilization of the general structure of the universe
is a decrease in the evolution activity of the galaxies and therefore does not constitute a
contradiction with the continuous evolution that we mentioned in §[Link].

Note : It is interesting to note that so far, many astronomers think that the main
transformations which affected our universe occurred during the 300 000 years following the
big-bang and that later on the general structure of the universe has not changed much [9]. Sura
41, verse 12 does not support this idea.

4.2.4 Collapse of the universe

It is interesting to note that, so far, the present Astronomy research has not permitted to
know with certainty whether our universe is closed or open, since the expansion parameters of
the universe are not well determined; however, the most recent data seem to plead for an
open universe. The Qur’an specifies that after expansion there will be a collapse, then a re-
birth in exactly the same way as at the beginning (therefore a new big-bang).

- Sura 21, verse 104

"The day when We will fold the heaven as letters to the roll ! Even as We have
produced the first creation, thus so We shall produce a new one : a promise We have
undertaken : truly shall We fulfill it."

It should be born in mind, here, that ancient Arabs wrote letters on a papyrus or leather sheet
which was then rolled. Thus we can make the following comparison : the universe began as
one mass (comparable to a roll of papyrus) ; expansion is comparable to the un-rolling of
this papyrus and the collapse of the universe will take place as if it were an open papyrus
which would resume its initial shape (a roll) due to its torsion constant. After this "folding"
action there will be a repetition of the creation process.

The same meaning of cyclic re-birth is also found in the following verse (cf. §[Link]).

29
- Sura 30, verse 11
"It is God Who begins (the process of) creation; Then repeats it."

The idea of cycle, which implies returning to the beginning may be understood from the
expression "Even as We have produced the first creation". This expression may also
mean the repetition of the creation of other universes "…thus so We shall produce a new
one : a promise We have undertaken…" But even if an infinity of other universes exists,
ours is unique : it is the one we inhabit and we will never know others. If this interpretation of
the creation of other universes proves to be accurate, then a multitude of universes, similar
to soap balls in systolic movement (contraction and expansion) with no contact between
them, would exist.
Note : The Qur’an states that the beginning of the universe collapse will start on the
resurrection day. In §4.1.4 (cf. open question) we spoke about the existence of a possible
relation between the beginning of resurrection and the second expansion of the sun, which
will thus lead to the complete end of the solar system. If our suggested interpretation proves
accurate, then the beginning of the universe collapse (big crunches) will coincide at the
latest with the end of the solar system which will take place 4.6 billion years from now, that
is 18.4 billion years after the big bang, as implied in the following verse :

- Sura 39, verse 67

"They made not a just estimate of God such as due to Him. And on the day of
Resurrection the whole of the Earth will be under His will and the heavens will be rolled
up... Glorified be He, and High be He above all that they associate as partners with
Him!"

Here is another point of view concerning verse 104, Sura 21, which we have already quoted :

"The most recent analyses show that the universe is condemned to a continuous expansion.
The mass of universe is not sufficient. Moreover, it is now advanced that the cosmological
constant imagined by Einstein is not nil. There would exist, therefore, a force of repulsion at a
great scale associated to the "void energy". This energy would originate from tiny void quantic
fluctuations, where matter and anti-matter separate before being annihilated in most cases.
However, in this process, slightly more important fluctuations might be maintained and grow.
But, immediately, the dimensions of this object detach themselves from the space-time
dimensions of our own universe. This would give rise to the beginning of a new universe. An
infinite number of universes might thus be born permanently, but without possibility of
communication with ours (detached universes).

Though the concept is different, it may well be interpreted according to the Sura. In fact, the
ropes theory, which predicts these void fluctuations, indicates that these objects are subtended
by our usual space-time dimensions in addition to the new dimensions, which are those that
will separate if a new universe "diverges" and develops. But the ordinary dimensions span a
quasi-infinite space and so have no measurable curve (plane or very low-curve geometry).
However, the new dimensions originating from the previous ones have quantic dimensions
and are consequently curved over radii approximately the size of an atom. In this way, the
image of "roll" and rolling reflect well enough this concept, as origin of the creation of a new
universe. It is to be noted that this is the best theory at present, but like everything in
cosmology, the idea still remains a speculation. It must be proven by observations. The verse,

30
after all, does not really suggest the idea of a collapse. Simply, what has been done to create
our universe would be continuously and infinitely repeated everywhere in our own universe."

We should mention, here, that according to a recent study presented by P.

Steinhardt (Princeton University) and N. Turok (Cambridge University), the
universe would experience an endless succession of "big-bangs" and "big crunches",
separated by expansion and contraction periods. It is curious to note
that the authors developed in their theory the representation of the universe by two
parallel sheets of paper (cf. Sura 21, verse 104) which meet and bounce.
(cf. [Link]

Thus, according to the verses concerning the creation and the evolution of the universe,
the following chronology may be established :

- beginning of the creation of the universe 13.8 billion years ago (the big-bang)

- beginning of the universe expansion which still continues according to Sura 51, verse 47.

- stabilization of the general structure of the universe after the passage of two periods (that
is 4.6 billion years) (cf. §[Link] Sura 41, verse 12).

- beginning of the creation of the Earth after the passage of two more periods, that is 9.2
billion years after the start of expansion.

- the duration of the Earth’s life is 9.2 billion years. Its end is linked to that of the solar system
(according to Sura 81, verse 1 and Sura 41, verse 10) which would occur towards 18.4 billion
years after the big-bang.

The above figures may be summed up in the following scheme (the unit is billion of
years) :

"periods" 0 2 4 6 8
"109 years" 0 2.3 4.6 6.9 9.2 11.5 13.8 16.1 18.4
------------------------------------------ ---

End of solar system

(Sura 41, verse 10)
Beginning of big crunch
(Sura 39, verse 67)
Present state (Sura 32, verse 4)
Beginning of Earth creation
(Sura 41, verse 9)
Stabilization of the general structure
of our universe (Sura 41, verse 12)
Beginning of the big-bang (Sura 51, verse 47 )
Total darkness an absolute void

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4.2.5 The post-collapse phase of the universe
Let us reexamine the verse of §4.1.4

- Sura 14, verse 48

"The Day when the Earth turns out into another Earth and so will be the heavens."

It is clearly understood, from this verse, that after the collapse of the universe, the latter will
be transformed in the same way as the Earth. Hence, after the re-birth of the universe, its
evolution will not be the same as that we know today.

It is also interesting to note that the expression "and so will be the heavens" in the
previous verse reconfirms the collapse of the universe (cf. §4.2.4 Sura 21, verse 104) which
will have an end in the same way as the solar system, but with a different chronology.

5 CONCLUSION
As a conclusion to this paper, one wonders whether the Qur’an was written by a human
being who had lived through a period of obscurantism (cf. §2) or whether it is really a divine
revelation. If the Qur’an was a pure invention of a highly intelligent person, why would this
person take the risk to put forward scientific theses which would prove false afterwards ?

What we can say is that the study of the Qur’an verses related to scientific notions has not,
so far, revealed any discordance with our present knowledge, contrary to the ideas which
prevailed 14 centuries ago. But it should be noted that such questions which cross the mind of
any human being had already been asked in the Qur’an which gives an answer in the
following two verses :

- Sura 41, verse 53

"We will show them Our signs in the universe, and in their own selves (souls), until it
becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’an) is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard
to your Lord that He is a Witness over all things? "

- Sura 4, verse 82
"Do they not then consider the Qur’an carefully? Had it been from other than God, they
would surely have found therein many a contradiction. "

Our study is far from being exhaustive. Our aim was especially to show that the Qur’an
includes verses related specially to science, which no objective reader can deny. We can
quote here the points dealing with Astronomy, e.g. the apocalypse scenario and the final
fate of the Earth and the moon (cf. §4.1.3). We refer the reader, especially, to the
universe expansion parameters and to the difficulty of space travel outside the solar
system and in corollary the great difficulty to detect traces of life in the distant space. It
is interesting to note that one of the interesting aspects of this study is the fact that there
exists a difference between the Qur’an theses and some present scientific knowledge
concerning points which have not definitely been settled. I am referring here to the

32
stabilization of the general structure of the universe 4.6 billion years after the big-bang
and the beginning of its collapse (big crunches) at the end of the solar system.

+++++++++++

«Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and
day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. Those who remember (celebrate) The
praises of God standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the
creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying) : Our Lord! You have not created (all) this
without purpose, glory to You! » (Qur’an 3 : 190-191)

33
 ANNEX

1 INTRODUCTION
Many readers may ask the following question : Why do we need modern science to
understand the Qur’an?
The answer is that in the Holy Qur’an, we find numerous reflexions concerning various
natural phenomena, which represent on the one hand indices of divine might and, on the other
hand, a sign for people throughout time so that they recognize that the revealed text originates
from God and not from a mortal creature. It is also to be noted that the time of revelation was
a period of scientific obscurantism in the Arab world (cf. §1. Context of revelation). It is
therefore illogical that the holy text destined to humanity throughout time should be limited
only to what was known at that time. Thus, there is no contradiction but there is harmony
between the Qur’an and modern knowledge, a harmony which cannot be explained at a human
scale. No myth among those which prevailed at that time about the origin of life, about
creation can be found in the Qur’an, which, besides its inimitable character, has a universal
status (cf §2 of this annex). Indeed, the holy Qur’an is a continuity of what had been revealed
to the other prophets as it is explained in Sura 3 verse 84, and no moslim can be recognized as
so if he rejects even one prophet among those who preceded Islam.

- Sura 3, verse 84
"Say (O Muhammad) : “We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us and
what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books)
given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord : We make no distinction
between one and another among them, and to Him (God) we have submitted”."

This continuity is moreover confirmed by the fact that, according to the Qur’an each prophet
announces the arrival of his successor and in particular the announcement made by Jesus
concerning the arrival of Muhammed.

- Sura 61, verse 6

"And remember when, Jesus, the son of Mary, said : “O Children of Israel ! I am the
messenger of God (send) to you, confirming The Torah (which came) before me, and
giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be 'Ahmad'.” But
when he came to them with clear signs, they said, “This is evident sorcery”."

It is to be specified that the explicit name of Muhammed (or Ahmad) is mentioned in the
Aramean Bible (Peshitta). In fact, the word which was translated into Greek by "Periklytos"
or "Paraklytos" was read in the Peshitta first as "Ahmad", then "Munahammana" which
corresponds to "Muhammad" in Aramean syriac [10].

34
However, it is to be noted that for the study of the scientific aspects in the Qur’an or for a
good translation of the holy text, one should have pluridisciplinary scientific knowledge,
which was not the case of most exegetes and western Islamologists because of their literary
background. Only a scientist versed in Arabic letters was able to establish a connection
between the Qur’an, which, for this reason, should be read in Arabic, and science. Thus, many
translators of the Qur’an made translations according to their proper understanding. In the
following verse, for example :

- Sura 82, verse 2

" .....And when the planets will disperse."

An islamologist with a literary background, will never interpret the term "will disperse" as
"they will get more distant from the sun". Another example which clarifies this situation is the
translation of the following verse :

- Sura 84, verses 3-4

".... And when the Earth expands (muddat). And has cast forth what is within it."

In this verse, the term "muddat" (passive voice of the verb "madda") means to stretch or to
increase in volume, that is to expand. Some translators used the first meaning whereas the
second is more adequate for the simple reason that the ejection phenomenon will occur after
an expansion etc…

Nevertheless, for other kinds of verse, the translation is straightforward as it is the case for the
following verses :

- Sura 2, verse 219

"They ask you concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say : “In them is a great sin,
and (some ) benefits for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit”."
- Sura 17, verse 27
"...Verily, the spendthrifts are brothers of the devils, and the devil is ever ungrateful to
his Lord."
- Sura 6, verse 151
"....come not near to shameful sins (deeds) whether committed openly or secretly; and
kill not anyone whom God has forbidden, except for a just cause. This He has
commanded you that you may understand?"

According to us, the interpretation of any text requires certainly an effort of reflexion,
especially when the text is sacred. The following verse is given as an example :

- Sura 4, verse 3
"...Marry women of your choice, Two, or three, or four; But if ye fear that ye shall not
Be able to deal justly (with them), Then only one..."

As it is known, in the pre-islamic times, the number of wives for a man was not limited. The
Qur’an wanted to reduce the number to four as a provisional measure provided the husband
can manage to be fair. In another verse, God specifies :

35
- Sura 4, verse 129
"You will never be able to do perfect justice between wives, even if it is your ardent
desire..."

Some exegetes interpreted the first verse as a clear permission of polygamy since it aims at
avoiding divorce, which the prophet, in a "Hadith" refers to :

"the thing which God dislikes most is divorce in spite of its licitness." [6]

Other exegetes understood the verse as a discouragement of polygamy because God, in the
previous verse, said that (you) "will never be able to do perfect justice between wives"

Since the problem of translation and interpretation of the Qur’an is raised, I think it is useful,
before closing this chapter concerning the scientific aspects in the Qur’an, to list the current
works relating to statistical studies of the holy text.

2 STATISTICAL STUDIES OF THE HOLY TEXT

In our study of the scientific aspects in the Qur’an, we have limited ourselves to a literal
interpretation of the holy verses without paying attention to statistical aspects because we
wanted to ensure a good readability of the article.

However, it is to be noted that statistical studies of the holy text are gaining ground. Among
these studies we are going to examine those of Adnan RIFAI and of Farid GABTNI.

2.1 Adnan RIFAI’s Study

As it was mentioned in §[Link] of this article, the results of RIFAI’s study have been
published in his book (in Arabic) "The Miracle" [7].

What attracts attention in this book concerns the conclusions made on the basis of the study
of word and letter frequencies in the verses and suras.

As an example the word "earth" is mentioned 13 times in the Qur’an whereas the words
"sea" or "stream" are mentioned 32 times. It happens that the ratio 13/(13+32) =0.2888
corresponds to the ratio between the emerged lands and the total area of the Earth.

Another point is the fact that the number of words (in Arabic) or letters in verses referring to
a given prophet coincides with his age.

For example, Sura 29, verse13 concerning the prophet Noah announces that he lived 950
years among his people.

- Sura 29, verse 13

"We sent Noah To his people, and he stayed among them a thousand years less fifty
years : but the Deluge Overwhelmed them while they (persisted in) sin".

36
 When we examine the sura after his name (Sura 71), we notice that all its verses are
exclusively about his life. The number of letters in this sura is 950, which corresponds to the
period referred to in the above mentioned verse.

Another example concerns Jesus Christ. The verses which speak about his life consist of
either 33 words or 33 letters. We quote the following verses for illustration :

- Sura 5, verse 116

"And behold! God will say (literally «said») : “O Jesus son of Mary ! Didst thou say
unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God? ” He will say :
“Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing,
Thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my inner-self, though I
know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden”."
- Sura 4, verses 156-157
"That they rejected faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge; that they
said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of God”; But
they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those
who differ therein are full of doubts, With no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture
to follow, for of a surety they killed him not : - Nay, God raised him up unto Himself;
and God is exalted in power, wise".
- Sura 19, verse 33-34
"Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary : (it is) a statement of truth, about which they
(vainly) dispute. It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget a son.
Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, “Be”, and it is".

The author hence deduces that Jesus Christ lived for 33 years. By applying the same rule, he
computes the age of the other prophets : Salomon (53 years), David (70 years), Abraham (175
years) etc…

2.2 Farid GABTENI’s Study

Farid GABTENI carried out an interesting statistical and numerical analysis study of the
Qur’anic text. The main results of this study have been published in his book : "The sun rises
in the west – Science pour l’Heure" [5], which was edited by the Centre International de
Recherche Scientifique in France (CIRS).

This study has been praised by Christian and Jewish authorities and has been the object of
many articles in the international press. For illustration, we quote the following examples :

- DES HORIZONS SCIENTIFIQUES (SCIENTIFIC HORIZONS).

- CODE DE LA BIBLE ET NUMERIQUE DU CORAN (BIBLE CODE AND QUR’AN
NUMERICS)
- DEBATS SUR LA NUMERIQUE DU CORAN (DEBATES ABOUT THE QUR’AN
NUMERICS)
- L'OUTIL DE COMPREHENSION DU SACRE (THE TOOL TO UNDERSTAND THE
SACRED TEXTS)
- STRUCTURES NUMERIQUES ET LINGUISTIQUES (NUMERICAL AND
LINGUISTIC STRUCTURES)

37
- HASARD, OUI, MAIS, PROGRAMME ((HAPHAZARD, YES, BUT, PROGRAM)
- EQUATIONS DIVINES ? (cité des Sciences) (DIVINE EQUATIONS).
- DES CHIFFRES ET DES LETTRES ...etc.(FIGURES AND LETTERS) etc…

The above-mentioned articles as well as the results of F. Gabteni’s works may be

consulted at the C.I.R.S. site (http//[Link]).

In order to have a general idea about this subject, two extracts from these articles have been
chosen :

Divine equations ?

Would God be the first teacher of Math? Has He invented the machine of time back flow? It
is this kind of questions that an Algerian researcher, Farid Gabteni, has seriously answered in
his book "The sun rises in the west – Science pour l’Heure", sponsored by the C.I.R.S.
(Centre International de Recherche Scientifique). So far, some ten supposedly scientific
books, meant at proving the existence of God, have been published. This is a normal thing
when we know that this is an era of science. One of the most recent ones is : "The Bible : the
secret code" (1997). But : "the equation 1+1=3" is not really, or rather not at all scientific. The
new aspect of Gabteni’s book is that he suggests nothing without proving it by means of a
panoply of veritable scientific arguments, and this is done in a systematic way throughout his
book. He exposes his discoveries in such a clear way even for the layman that one notices that
results speak for themselves. The book is really astonishing; it points in the direction of
scientists, for rigour and pertinence underlie Gabteni’s discoveries. In less than 400 pages, the
author lets us discover an undeniable reality, which has been so far unknown : an ingenuity
above human and technological capacities is at the origin of the Qur’an. The last C.I.R.S.
publications (July-August 1999) speak about these discoveries. And the first edition (with a
limited number of copies) is already sold out. The second will be available in bookshops at the
beginning of October. Meanwhile, the two Internet sites [Link] and [Link]
enable the reader to have free access to the book. Congratulations.

- Figures and letters

The collaborators of Farid Gabteni’s present the Qur’an as a huge equation. : "Take number
19, says Federic Berjot, the Qur’an quotes it only once and gives it a determined –and
mysterious function- We have noticed that each chapter starts by an expression consisting of
19 Arabic letters, Arabic being the language of the Qur’an.

In fact, this expression is visible at the beginning of a chapter only once (9th chapter). But it
occurs, again only once throughout the Qur’an, inside another chapter, the 27th one. And this
is the 19th from chapter 9. It may be suggested that this a coincidence. Let us call it
coincidence 1. This 19 letter – expression is found in verse 30, chapter 27. In the same
chapter, number 9 is mentioned twice, in verse 12 and 48. Between 12 and 48, the median
verse is the 30th (coincidence 2) : we count 19 from 12 to 30 and again 19 from 30 to 48
(coincidence 3). It is also in verse 30, chapter 74 that the number 19 is mentioned only once
throughout the Qur’an. Coincidence 4!

Let us continue. Each chapter is characterized by a vulgate number and a revelation one.
Chapter 27 is thus the 48th of revelation. From chapter 27, where verse 30 is the only one

38
throughout the Qur’an to include the 19-letter, to chapter 74 where verse 30 is the only one in
the Qur’an to mention number 19, there are 48 chapters. Coincidence 5.

Finally, from verse 30 in chapter 27 to verse 30 in chapter 74, there are 2337 verses, that is
19x123. Coincidence 6. Do I have to continue? These numerical data, which at first appear to
be haphazard are thus linked in a perfectly organized beam of relations. There comes at
moment when we are obliged to admit what is evident. It is no longer a question of
coincidence and neither Muhammed nor his contemporaries or anyone are able to produce a
document where such elements would have been introduced to be intelligible more than 1400
years later"

"In a word, always according to Frederic Berjot, the structure of the Qur’an cannot be
explained, at a human level."

A dog in the round

"Another example, continues Ahmed Hadjadj-Aoul : verse 22 of chapter 18 contains the
highest number of cardinal and ordinal numbers : "They will say : “Three, their fourth is
their dog” and they say : “Five, their sixth in their dog” and they say : “Seven, and their
eighth is their dog”…"

In this verse, numbers are quoted two by two : a cardinal number with a juxtaposed ordinal
one; they are read 34, 56, 78. As a matter of fact 56 subtracted from 78 give 22; 34 subtracted
from 56 give equally 22 and we are in verse 22. Besides, the ordinal number invariably refers
to "their dog". In fact, the sum of three ordinal numbers yields 18 : (4+6+8=18). And verse 18,
chapter 18 is the first verse in this chapter to contain the expression "their dog".

These facts, taken from the Qur’an, have been present for more than 14 centuries. But, it is
Farid Gabteni who, at the end of this 20th century, has, for the first time, discovered them. And
believe me, this is only a beginning".

Farid Gabteni and his assistants have surveyed the different numerical aspects of the Qur’an:
number of chapters, classification characterizing them in the vulgate and in the revelation,
number of verses, of words, of letters, etc.

Multiple decoding

Farid Gabteni and his assistants have also investigated a certain number of mysterious letters
at the beginning of 29 chapters out of the Qur’an’s 114. This mystery has been the object of
numerous articles. "We have not unveiled the ultimate meaning of these codes, says Frédéric
Berjot, but mathematical links with the general structure and the decoded message of the
Qur’an have been put forward."

Finally, the scientist has examined the two main ways of reading the Qur’an. "We knew that
the problem of the different ways of reading the Qur’an had poisoned the earliest studies of
the Qur’an numerics since the 1970’s" explains Ahmed Hadjadj-Aoul. We have preferred to
anticipate the problem. To our great surprise, instead of embarrassing us, the coexistence of
these two ways of reading the Qur’an has considerably reinforced the decoding of the hidden
message in the Qur’an. It has even become its pillar."

39
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
When translating the Qur’anic text, we have mainly adopted the works of M. Hamidullah (in
French), of Youssef Ali (in English) and of Maurice Bucaille (in his book "The Bible, the
Qur’an, and Science"). In some translations, the word God is replaced by Al lâh which means,
in Arabic, the unique God of Abraham, … of Moses and Jesus.

[1]M.A.S Abdel Haleem : Grammatical Shift for the Rhetorical Purposes:

Iltifât and Related Features in the Qur'ân. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and
African Studies, 1992, Volume LV, Part 3.
([Link]
[2][Link] Booti : Fiqh as-Sirah (Vie du prophète, en arabe), Dar-ul-Fikr, Beyrouth.
[3]M. Bucaille : The Bible the Qur'an and Science,Seghers, 1990.
[4][Link], The Sufi Path of Knowledge : Ibn Al-`Arabi’s metaphysics of Imagination,
Suny, 1989 (excerpts from the book "Al-Futuhat-al-Makkiyya")
[5][Link], Le soleil se lève à l'Occident - Science pour l'Heure, 2000.
([Link] Presse scientifique, 1er sept. 2000.
[6]Al Bukhari, Sahih, translation by M.M. Khan (9 Vol), ed. Dar-us-Salam, Saudi Arabia.
([Link]
[7][Link]ï, Le Miracle, Tel-Chiheb, Deraa, Syrie
[8]N. Robinson's : Discovering the Qur'ân : A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text,
SCM Press Ltd, 1996.
([Link]
[9]T.X. Thuân, La mélodie secrète, Poche , Gallimard, 1991
[10]The Aramaic Bible Society, Inc. ([Link]

Other interesting references :

- Scientific studies :
[1]M. Bucaille : Alastair D. Pannell : Mummies of the Pharaohs: Modern Medical
Investigations, St Martin Press, 1990
[2]M. Bucaille : Moïse et Pharaon : les Hébreux en Egypte: quelles concordances des
livres saints avec l'histoire? Seghers, 1995.
[3]M. Bucaille : What Is the Origin of Man, Seghers, 1990.
[4]Harun Yahya : La Création de l'Univers ([Link]

- General culture :
[1][Link], Muhammad Rasullah, Hyderabad-Deccan, 1974
[2][Link], Introduction to Islam
([Link]
[3][Link] : What Everyone Should Know about Islam and Muslims, Kazi Publications Inc.
[4][Link]
[5][Link]

- Comparing Christianity and Islam :

[Link]

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