Assalamu Alaikum warahmatullahe wabarakathu,
It's completely nescience to accept these silly claims made by biased Christians, Atheists, Apostates, and others for their specific agendas. I did my research but didn't find any authentic, unbiased criticism by any scientist, physicist, or embryologist or in simple words by any educated sensible person.
Understanding Quranic verses requires a sound mind and specific knowledge. Individuals who deny the existence of God and follow their desires claim that the Qur’ān conflicts with contemporary scientific discoveries.
Some of their claims and replies to those are as follows:
The OC Church Growth Institute (OCCG) published a document claiming that the Qur’ān is not from an all-knowing God, citing several supposedly scientific errors in contrast with the Bible. They referenced their information from “Wiki Islam,” an anti-Islam website owned by ex-Muslims of North America. It is evident that their claims are neither scientific nor authentic, but rather stem from their ignorance, arrogance, and rebellion.
Attack:
They alleged that Qur’ānic verses; Surah-Yā-Sīn, (36:37-40), Surah-Luqmān, (31:29), Surah-ash-Shams, (91:1-2), and Surah-al-Kahf (18:86) and (18:90) suggesting a geocentric model. The author wrote, “The Sun and Moon in an apparent orbit around the Earth can be reasonably explained from the relative point of view of the Earth. However, the last two verses mentioned indicate the sun setting in a muddy spring and a myth that someone reached the rising place of the sun, which would not have a relative point of view explanation”
Refutation:
Neither the above-mentioned verses nor anywhere else in the Qur’ān it is states that the sun and moon orbit the earth but rather affirms that both move in their respective orbits. Geocentric theory was proposed by ancient Greeks and formalized by Eudoxus around 380 BCE, but it’s not supported by the Qur’ān. Modern science aligns with the Qur’ānic assertion that the sun and the moon revolve in their orbits.
Their confusion regarding verses (18:86) and (18:90) stems from their lack of knowledge. The sun setting in a muddy spring reflects human observation which occurs when the sun appears to sink below the horizon near water bodies.
Another institute, The Center for Inquiry (CFI), an organization advocating for science, established a Secular Islam platform to gather writings of secular Muslims, ex-Muslims, and other deviants. CFI published a writing by an apostate titled “Contradictions and Inconsistencies in the Qur’an” originally from the Bengali Blog “Mukto-Mona” catering to atheists and freethinkers. The author’s claims are baseless and demonstrate his ignorance of science and contemporary research. He poses questions without understanding reality, yet dares to assert these as flaws in the Qur’ān.
Attack:
Titled “Some Cosmological Flaws” the author questioned whether God created Heaven or Earth first. After stating two verses, Al-Baqarah, (2:29) and An-Nazi‘āt, (79:27-30), he asked the readers, “Does this align with modern science? Do you believe that Earth was created first, and then God created Heaven? Does modern science tell us that?”
Refutation:
It is indeed puzzling how he could claim that it’s a flaw if he didn’t know the details. To clarify, the first verse states that Allāh (subḥānahu-wa-ta‘ālá) created everything on earth for us, then turned to the sky and fashioned them in seven Heavens. While in Surah an- Nazi‘āt, the word used is دَحَىٰهَآ, which means “He spread it,” rather than “created.” Hence, there’s no contradiction here.
Attack:
Next, he referenced the same verses, 86 and 90 of Surah-al-Kahf, as the OCCG Institute asserted, “The Qur’ān teaches us that the sun sets in a muddy spring,” and stated, “There are serious scientific errors here. Firstly, it is a scientifically accepted fact that the sun never goes down into a muddy spring. Secondly, this seems to presuppose a flat earth; otherwise, how there can be extreme points in the west and east. A sunrise everywhere on this earth, at land or sea would be the same. It says, he reached THE PLACE where the Sun sets and in second journey THE PLACE where it rises.”
Refutation:
Please note that verse 89 depicts Dhul-Qarnain’s perception rather than offering a teaching! The description of the sun setting in a muddy spring is figurative, suggesting its apparent descent. It’s akin to witnessing a sunset by the seaside, where the sun seems to sink into the ocean. Next, the references to extreme points in the west and east are narrative elements and don’t provide any information about Earth’s shape. The uniformity of the sunrise worldwide can be explained by both spherical and flat earth theories. Any location where we can witness the sun fully disappear from view and hide behind the earth is referred to as “the Place of Sunset” and similarly for Sunrise. Currently, various Sunset and Sunrise points are advertised as tourist attractions.
Attack:
The objection from the critic targeted the use of the terms “roof” and “canopy” to describe the sky, referencing verses (21:32), (31:10), and (2:22). He argued that modern science tells us that the earth is surrounded by space, which means there’s no sky and therefore no need of pillars. Furthermore, he asked if there is a canopy.
Refutation:
The word “roof” denotes “external upper covering,” and “sky” is defined as “the upper atmosphere of the earth” (dictionary.com). Lucy Carpenter, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of York, stated that “Sky” means everything above the Earth including space. Both the Qur’ān and the science affirmed the existence of the sky, and we observe no pillars supporting it.
The sky functions as a canopy and shields us from various harmful substances. According to NASA, the Earth’s atmosphere consists of multiple layers crucial for sustaining life on our planet. It not only confines oxygen but also protects us from harmful radiation, maintains atmospheric pressure for liquid water, and regulates the Earth’s temperature.
Attack:
Moreover, he stated, “The Qur’ān claims Allāh gives rain from the above! But in cosmological science, there is no up or down as the earth revolves and there is no fix up and down. Every direction in outer space can be considered up or down.”
Refutation:
Rain is always observed to come from above, not below, which aligns with the Qur’ānic assertion. This observation is universally consistent and confirmed by scientific understanding.
Attack:
The apostate stated regarding verse number 34 of Surah-Luqmān “Here in this Verse, Allāh Challenges People: Who Can Tell Whether the Conceived is Male or Female?” Further, he proclaimed that mankind can predict both the rain and sex of the child in the mother’s womb.
Refutation:
Primarily, the verse doesn’t present a challenge but rather emphasizes Allāh’s (subḥānahu-wa-ta‘ālá) power and knowledge. Additionally, يُنَزِّلُ ٱلْغَيْثَ means “sends down rain” not predicting rain. Even if interpreted as a challenge, it underscores Allāh’s (subḥānahu-wa-ta‘ālá) unique ability; humans cannot predict the weather of the distant future or send rain in a manner Allāh (subḥānahu-wa-ta‘ālá) does.
Similarly, doctors cannot predict what’s in the mother’s womb until many weeks after conception, and even then, they rely on just devices to view it. Yet, their assessment remains flawed. Moreover, predicting what’s in the mother’s womb extends beyond gender. Medical science cannot anticipate certain abnormalities. Furthermore, considering creatures other than human females that give birth, predicting their womb’s content is beyond their capacity. All the above mentioned is reserved for only Allāh’s (subḥānahu-wa-ta‘ālá) comprehensive knowledge.
Attack:
He claimed there are embryological errors in Qur’ān (23:14), (75:38), and (96:2) and stated, “There are serious scientific problems here: A blood clot can’t grow into anything. This idea came from the Greeks and Qur’ānic assertion on the clot is wrong. He further argued that the tissue from which bone originates, known as mesoderm, is the same as that from which muscle develops. Thus, bone and muscles begin to develop simultaneously. Hence, there are no hard-and-fast boundaries of embryonic stages as Qur’ān described."
Refutation:
That’s exactly the point: only Allāh (subḥānahu-wa-ta‘ālá) can develop a human being from a clinging blood clot like substance, which cannot grow into anything itself. Please note, Qur’ān doesn’t use the word “clot” rather it says عَلَقَة, which means “clinging substance” and a human embryo indeed clings inside the womb, as confirmed and explained by Dr. Moore (Najmi, n.d.). Furthermore, the fact that bone and muscles originate from the same tissue doesn’t mean they develop simultaneously.
Any unbiased person can easily differentiate that the embryological work of ancient Greeks and that of the Qur’ān are completely different. His claims lack credible evidence and are biased, demonstrating ignorance of the Arabic language and style.
Attack:
A website “Isa and Islam” mentioned that modern science is unable to locate seven earths as mentioned in Surah at-Talāq (65:12), so it is a discrepancy between the Qur’ān and science.
Refutation:
Stephen Dole stated in his book “Life in the Universe” that about half a billion stars in our galaxy have planets that are suitable for the evolution of life. Thus, indicating that the idea of multiple Earth-like planets is not implausible. Additionally, the Qur’ān didn’t specify that these earths are within our galaxy, so they can exist anywhere in the universe.
Astrophysical estimates indicate that there are billions of galaxies beyond our own (Howell & Harvey, 2022), far surpassing human capacity for exploration. The futile search for the missing Malaysian flight MH370 demonstrates the limitations of human and scientific capabilities in attempting to locate seven earths, even in minuscule areas as compared to our Universe. Moreover, there’s no evidence that experts have discovered the seven skies mentioned in this verse. This suggests that some aspects of the universe may remain beyond human realization.
Conclusion:
The Qur’ān is unchangeable, consistent, and a perpetual message from Allāh (subḥānahu-wa-ta‘ālá). It is free from contradictions or errors, while scientific discoveries are constantly evolving. Those who seek to detach themselves and others from the religion, fearing the truth of Islam, have propagated science as a tool against the Qur’ān. Their accusations merely contain apparent misunderstandings, signifying their unawareness. It’s as if a kindergartener picks up a high school literature or poetry book and starts claiming that there are many errors because he’s unable to understand. All the scientific information in the Qur’ān is accurate, regardless of whether that has been proven by modern science.
The Qur’ān is in perfect harmony with cosmology, natural phenomena, and modern embryology, signifying its profound, divine nature. Unprejudiced scientists, physicists, and specialists acknowledged and were surprised how all this information could have been known in the 7th century. They believed that this information was revealed by a Divine source to Prophet Muhammad (ṣallá-Allāhu-‘alayhi wa-sallam). Human knowledge and scientific discoveries are very limited, whereas the Qur’ān is an ocean of information. We need qualified teachers to help us learn and comprehend it. Much of its content is beyond the grasp of an ordinary person due to insufficient knowledge, as mentioned in Surah al-Isrá;
وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا
“And you (mankind) have not been given of knowledge except a little” (Al-Qur’ān, 17:85)
May Allah Subhanahu-wa-ta'aala accept this little effort, forgive shortcomings in it, guide us all to the right path, and save us from being part of hellfire. Ameen
