It is important to take into consideration the fact that the Quran was revealed over 1,400 years ago. However, despite its age, it has still managed to stay consistent and unchanged since the time it was revealed. That in itself is a miracle that is too amazing to leave unnoticed.
In addition, the fact that the Quran was revealed as a guidance for mankind to prophet Muhammad (saw), who was illiterate, proves that the revelations in the Quran were not made up. It is from this that we can truly understand the miracle and the trueness of the Quran in the way that it uncovers scientific facts that have not been discovered until recently.
The Quran serves as a manual for Muslims not only for day-to-day activities but for perspectives on the world as a whole as well as the environment around us. It provides lessons, reminders and warnings, all with the intent of keeping us on the straight path and staying obedient to Allah (swt).
Allah (swt) reminds us in the Quran of his many creations and their intricate nature. By observing his elaborate creation and the phenomena that he revealed in the Quran we can engage in an act of obedience towards him. There is no way that I would be able to compile every single scientific miracle that the Quran has conceded, otherwise, this listicle would never end. However, I will try my best to list as many of the ones that stood out to me.
1. Ole Rømer wasn't the first one to find the speed of light.
"(Allah) Rules the cosmic affair from the heavens to the Earth. Then this affair travels to Him a distance in one day, at a measure of one thousand years of what you count." [Quran 32.5]
In this ayah of the Quran Allah (swt) mentions angels, who are made of light, and their journey to and from the sacred tablet, which is located somewhere in heaven. From this, we can further conceptualize the idea of light traveling in space.
Allah (swt) makes use of time as a unit of measurement instead of distance, as time is a consistent universal measurement. The unit of time here is a reference to the lunar calendar, which helps put into perspective the Angels' travel distance of one day and its equivalence to the distance of 12,000 lunar orbits.
This astonishing occurrence was calculated in the Quran way before even Ole Rømer calculated the speed of light.
From the image above, we can continue the math and discover that the distance of 25831348035.086 km divided by the time of seconds in a day, 86164.0906 sec, can easily give us the speed of light which is equal to 299792.458 km/ s.
What a miracle indeed, the concept of the speed of light hadn't even begun to creep into peoples minds, yet Allah (swt) by his infinite mercy gave us all that we needed to know right in front of us.
SEE ALSO: 3 Astronomical Revelations Of The Holy Quran
2. The development of the human embryo
"We created man from an extract of clay. Then, we made him a seed in a secure repository. Then We developed the semen into a leech. Then We developed the leech into a lump. Then We clothed the bones with flesh. Then we produced it into another creature. Most Blessed in Allah, the Best of Creators." [Quran 23.12-14]
Allah (swt) compared the human embryo to that of a leech in both its atomic, physical and metaphorical sense. Aside from using the leech as an example, Allah (swt) used the Arabic language to further analyze the development of the embryo as well as make it easier to apprehend such an ethereal concept.
It is important to recognize that over 1,400 years ago, there was no such thing as ultrasound or any other technology that would allow you to know in such detail the development of the embryo. However, the Quran still described its development in detail.
3. Can't you “sea" the miracles?!
"And it is He who has released [simultaneously] the two seas, one fresh and sweet and one salty and bitter, and He placed between them a barrier and prohibiting partition." [Quran 25.53]
It hasn't been until recently that scientists have discovered in detail about a split in the ocean in which one side is salt water and the other is fresh water. This example can be seen above in the Gulf of Alaska where, by the will of Allah, the two different waters do not mix and stay separated.
Another marvel of the Quran is its mention of the different layers of the ocean.
"Or like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hand, he will not see it! If Allah does not give light to a person he will not have light!" [Quran 24.40]
With the discovery of light waves and how they travel through different mediums, we are now able to differentiate the different levels of the ocean and their distinct organisms and atmospheres. It was impossible to have this type of knowledge even four centuries ago let alone 140 centuries. The different current patterns in the distinct levels of the ocean and the fact that the ocean gets darker as you increase in depth were all revealed in the Quran, which was way ahead of its time.
For us in the 21st century, this may seem like a concept that could easily be distinguished, however, back then when you lived in a desert and maritime explorations, as well as trade and everything else ocean-related, didn't include scuba diving, this came as an astonishment.
4. Mountains have roots just like plants.
"Have We not made the earth a resting place? And the mountains as stakes?"[Quran 78:6-7]
In this ayah Allah (swt) reminds us of how He created the earth by solidifying the mountains for us as stakes and making the earth a resting place for us. He further explains his creation of the mountains in another ayah:
"And We placed within the earth firmly set mountains, lest it should shift with them, and We made therein [mountain] passes [as] roads that they might be guided." [Quran 21:31]
Similar to plants Allah(swt) has created mountains with roots so that they can stay firmly planted in the earth. Those of you who are geological nerds will know that this discovery was a big deal. It revolutionized many geographic studies and theories and heavily impacted the scientific community. It is yet again that the Quran came through before this scientific discovery did. From this basis alone we can further solidify the authenticity and credibility of the Quran as the word of Allah(swt).
5. Bzzzz! The Quran has breaking news about bees.
Ever had the chance to look closely at a bee?
How unbelievably marvelous is it that Allah (swt) created this tiny insect to supply us with golden sweet deliciousness. Despite its size and the fact that is it often undermined, Allah (swt) reveals one of its many mysteries in the Quran.
"And your Lord (Allah) revealed to the bees: Build your hives in the mountains, trees and in what they build. Then eat from every fruit and follow your Lord's enslaved paths, from its bellies, exits drink of different colors, in it healing for man. These are signs for those who contemplate." [Quran 16, 68-69]
To start off, Allah (swt) in this ayah mentions how bees can build their hives in the trees and even mountains. What is unbelievable about this is that it has just recently been discovered and confirmed as true by science. The Anthophora pueblo, located in the desert area in the southwest, has held the captivation of scientists by their nests, which are embedded in hard sandstone.
Furthermore, another example of unique nests is carpenter bees who make their nests in dead wood trees.
However, that's not all of the wonders of Allah revealed in this ayah. Allah (swt) goes on to talk about the honey bee. If you're familiar with Spanish or maybe even Hindi or Urdu, you will recognize the notion of masculine and feminine words. This concept holds true for Arabic words as well, as can be seen with the words used in the Quran to describe honey bees.
“...Then eat (for females) from every fruit and follow (for females) your Lord's enslaved paths, from its bellies (بُطُونِهَا)..."
For the word “eat," the feminine word “kuli" is used as opposed to “kul." Similarly, Allah(swt) uses the word “usluki" as the feminine word for “follow" and “buthuniha" as the feminine word for “bellies." Notice that bellies (plural) were mentioned, not belly (singular).
This interesting phenomenon was not known until just a few years back. The honey bee has two stomachs, one for storing nectar and the other for eating food.
"Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire." [Quran 3.191]
In the Quran, Allah(swt) constantly instructs us to ponder and to think deeply about his creation and its mysteries. We are encouraged to think about these miracles and recognize that each one of them has been sent down as a sign for us to recognize and appreciate. Indeed Allah knows what he has created and instructs us accordingly. Allah (swt) broadens our views and opens our eyes to different possibilities in fields of science, math, literature and more.
This broadening of perspective in Islam has been a contributor to all the developments in technology and sciences that Muslim scholars have discovered. By his infinite wisdom, Allah (swt) has allowed the religion of Islam and the Quran to be more than just a means of faith and devotion but also a beneficial and fruitful way of life and understanding for all of his creation.
