Science and Islam

When the verses of the Qur'an concerning the role of water in man's existence are read in succession today, they all appear to us to express ideas that are quite obvious. The reason for this is simple: in our day and age, we all, to a lesser or greater extent, know about the water cycle in nature. If however, we consider the various concepts the ancients had on this subject it becomes clear that the data in the Qur'an do not embody ideas from the mythical concepts current at the time of the Revelation. These had been developed more according to philosophical speculation than observed phenomena.

From an Articles by Shahid Athar, M.D. Most Muslims do not fast because of medical benefits but because it has been ordained to them in the Quran. The medical benefits of fasting are as a result of fasting. Fasting in general has been used in medicine for medical reasons including weight management, for rest of the digestive tract and for lowering lipids. There are many adverse effects of total fasting as well as so-called crash diets. Islamic fasting is different from such diet plans because in Ramadan fasting, there is no malnutrition or inadequate calorie intake. The caloric intake of Muslims during Ramadan is at or slightly below the national requirement guidelines.

There are more than 10,000 species of birds on Earth, each of which possesses its own unique features. Hawks have very sharp eyes, broad wings and pointed talons. Plovers, weighing just a few hundred grams, flap their wings for 88 hours non-stop on the journey of 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) that they make every winter, crossing the ocean without mishap. With their ability to imitate sounds including human speech, parrots are among the cleverest of living things. Although anatomy of their mouths is wholly different—they have no teeth or lips, for instance—they are able to produce sounds very similar to those they hear. With their long beaks, the hummingbirds—the smallest known species of birds—can feed on flower nectar and the small insects they find inside flowers.

Let us first understand what is this research and what are the issues involved in it. Following is a brief explanation written by Dr. Imran Siddiqi, a Ph.D. in Genetics. He says: "The human body consists of many kinds of cells. These cells are very diverse in their structure and function. For example, neurons that make up the brain are very different from cells that make up our liver, cells that allow our heart to pump blood look nothing like the cells that make up our skin. In spite of their vast differences, however, all cells in the human body contain the same DNA. DNA provides the information, in the form of genes, which is necessary to make all these various cell types.

Taken from: "The Origin of Man", by Dr. Maurice Bucaille. INTRODUCTION Dr. Maurice Bucaille is an eminent French surgeon, scientist, scholar and author of "THE BIBLE, THE QUR'AN AND SCIENCE" which contains the result of his research into the Judeo-Christian Revelation and the Qur'an. It is a unique contribution in the field of religion and science. Being an outstanding Scientist, he was selected to treat the mummy of Merneptah (Pharaoh) which he did. During his visit to Saudi Arabia he was shown the verses of the Holy Qur'an in which Allah says that the dead body of the Pharaoh will be preserved as a "Sign" for posterity. An impartial scientist like Dr. Bucaille, who (being also a Christian) was conversant with the Biblical version of Pharaoh's story as being drowned in pursuit of Prophet Moses. He was pleasantly surprised to learn that unknown to the world till only of late, the Holy Qur'an made definite prediction about the prese...