Religion and Science is a topic that has attracted a tremendous amount of attention in recent times. It has become a meeting point for scientists, philosophers and theologians in a very constructive fashion. According to Oxford dictionary the word religion means '' belief in a superhuman controlling power especially in a personal God or gods entitled to obedience and worship '' and has been described as such by many people. The word science comes from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge. I should like to stress, that I use the word science to mean knowledge which has been soundly established. It does not include the theories which, for a time, help to explain a phenomenon or a series of phenomena, only to be abandoned later on in favor of other explanations. These newer explanations have become more plausible thanks to scientific progress.
Vocal materialistic scientists such as Richard Dawkins, have in recent times, aggressively peddled the idea of religion and science as being in a perpetual state of conflict. These beliefs are not uncommon. Many educated atheists have beliefs similar along these lines and its about time that these and other misconceptions are cleared. Firstly if religion and science are in conflict which religion in particular? Is it Hinduism, Buddhism or Christianity? Secondly what is meant by the word '' conflict '' in this context? And finally what '' science ''? Are they talking about a conflict between established scientific data and certain verses in the holy books of all religions? Or is it a conflict between unproven and undependable scientific theories and hypotheses that always seem to take '' U-turns ''? Questions such as these are never raised let alone answered by the scientific community at large. However we will try and answer these questions from a logical point of view in this discussion.
Contradictions
Almost all religions contain internal / external contradictions in their authentic holy scriptures and there's no point in lying or hiding behind linguistic acrobatics or '' metaphorical '' interpretation of certain passages. Also nearly all religions contains scientific and mathematical errors that are logically unacceptable and which weakens their argument for the right to be called '' divine revelations ''.
The Glorious Qur'an
Let's analyze the second largest religion, Islam. Let us see what the relationship between modern established scientific data and Quranic passages are.
Astronomy
Creation of the Universe
It seems here there's a different situation. No longer do we have a religious book littered with contradictions but a religious book which actually anticipates modern scientific data by more than 1400 years. We will begin with astronomy and analyze what the Quran says. The Qur'an contains the following verse on the origin of the universe in Surah Anbiya 21:30 '' Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation) before we clove them asunder '' ? The striking congruence between the big bang and the Quranic verse is inescapable! The meaning of this verse was confirmed by Dr. Alfred Kroner. He is one of the world's renowned geologists and a Professor of Geology and the Chairman of the Department of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. He said: "Thinking where Muhammad came from … I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few years, with very complicated and advanced technological methods, that this is the case. " Also he said: "Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics fourteen hundred years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind, for instance, that the earth and the heavens had the same origin. "
Initial Gaseous Mass Before the Creation of Galaxies
Modern Cosmologists and Astrophysicists state that before the galaxies in the Universe were formed, celestial matter was initially in the form of gaseous matter. In simple terms, huge gaseous matter or clouds were present before the formation of the galaxies. To describe initial celestial matter, the word 'smoke' is more appropriate than gas. The following Qu'ranic verse refers to this state of the Universe by the Arabic word Dukhann which means smoke.
Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke … (Quran, 41:11)
Scientists now can observe new stars forming out of the remnants of this 'smoke'. The illuminating stars we see at night were, just as was the whole of galaxies, in that 'smoke' material.
Individual Orbits of the Sun and Moon
'' It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each just swims along in its own orbit (according to law). '' (36:40)
This verse mentions an essential fact discovered only recently by modern astronomy, ie the existence of the individual orbits of the Sun and the Moon, and their journey through space with their own motion. The Quranic verse is in perfect conformity with modern scientific discoveries in this field.
Shape of the Earth is Spherical
Previously, in the olden days people believed that the earth was flat. For centuries, men were afraid to venture out too far, for fear of falling off the edge! Sir Francis Drake was the first person who proved that the earth is spherical when he sailed around it in 1597. The earth is not exactly round like a ball, but geo-spherical ie, it is flattened at the poles. The following verse contains a description of the earth's shape:
'' And the earth, moreover, hath He made egg-shaped ''. (79:30)
The Arabic word for egg here is dahaahaa which means an ostrich-egg. The shape of an ostrich-egg resembles the geo-spherical shape of the earth.
Thus the Qur'an correctly describes the shape of the earth, though the prevalent notion when the Qur'an was revealed was that the earth was flat.
Interstellar Matter
Space outside organized astronomical systems was earlier assumed to be a vacuum. Astrophysicists later discovered the presence of bridges of matter in this interstellar space. These bridges of matter are called plasma, and consist of completely ionized gas containing equal number of free electrons and positive ions. Plasma is sometimes called the fourth state of matter (besides the three known states viz. Solid, liquid and gas). The Qur'an refers to the presence of this interstellar material in the following verse:
"He Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between." [Al-Qur'an 25:59]
It would be ridiculous for anyone to even suggest that the presence of interstellar galactic material was known 1400 years ago! A similar message is conveyed in the Qur'an in 13: 2, 35:13, 39: 5 and 39:21.
The Expansion of the Universe
The observational evidence for the expansion of the Universe was first provided by an eminent American astronomer, by the name of Edwin Hubble in 1929. In this year Hubble formulated the empirical Redshift Distance Law of galaxies, nowadays termed simply Hubble's law, which, if the redshift is interpreted as a measure of recession speed, is consistent with the solutions of Einstein's equations of general relativity for a homogeneous, isotropic expanding space. The expansion of the universe is now an established scientific fact. This is what the Qur'an says regarding the nature of the universe:
'' And it is We Who have constructed the heaven with might, and verily, it is We Who are steadily expanding it. '' [Al-Qur'an 51:47]
The Arabic word musioon is correctly translated as 'expanding it', and it refers to the creation of the expanding vastness of the universe.
BOTANY
PLANTS HAVE MALE AND FEMALE
In the olden days, humans did not know that plants too have male and female gender distinctions. Botany states that every plant has a male and female gender. Even the plants that are unisexual have distinct elements of both male and female.
'' And has sent down water from the sky. ' With it have We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others. " [Al-Qur'an 20:53]
FRUITS HAVE MALE AND FEMALE
"And fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two." [Al-Qur'an 13: 3]
Fruit is the end product of reproduction of the superior plants. The stage preceding fruit is the flower, which has male and female organs (stamens and ovules). Once pollen has been carried to the flower, they bear fruit, which in turn matures and frees its seed. All fruits therefore imply the existence of male and female organs; a fact that is mentioned in the Qur'an.
In certain species, fruit can come from non-fertilized flowers (parthenocarpic fruit) eg bananas, certain types of pineapple, fig, orange, vine, etc. They also have definite sexual characteristics.
EVERYTHING MADE IN PAIRS
"And of everything We have created pairs." [Al-Qur'an 51:49]
This verse lays emphasis on everything. Besides humans, animals, plants and fruits, it may also be referring to electricity in which the atoms consist of negatively – and positively – charged electrons and protons. And many more things!
"Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no knowledge." [Al-Qur'an 36:36]
The Qur'an here says that everything is created in pairs, including things that the humans do not know at present and may discover later.
Seeking Reward From Allah (swt) Only
ZOOLOGY
THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS
"Do they not look at the birds, held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are Signs for those who believe." [Al-Qur'an 16:79]
Another verse also touches on birds:
"Do they not observe the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding them in? None can uphold them except (Allah) Most Gracious: truly it is He that watches over all things." [Al-Qur'an 67:19]
The Arabic word amsaka literally means, 'to put one's hand on, seize, hold, hold someone back,' which expresses the idea that Allah holds the bird up in His power. These verses stress the extremely close dependence of the birds' behavior on Divine law. Modern scientific data has shown the degree of perfection attained by certain species of birds with regard to the programming of their movements. It is only the existence of a migratory program in the genetic code of the birds that can explain the long and complicated journey that very young birds, without any prior experience and without any guide, are able to accomplish. They are also able to return to the departure point on a definite date.
Prof. Hamburger in his book 'Power and Fragility' gives the example of 'mutton-bird' that lives in the Pacific with its journey of over 24,000 km in the shape of figure '8'. It makes this journey over a period of 6 months and comes back to its departure point with a maximum delay of one week. The highly complicated instructions for such a journey have to be contained in the birds' nervous cells. They are definitely programmed. Therefore, should we not at least reflect on the identity of this 'Programmer'?
GEOLOGY
MOUNTAINS ARE LIKE TENT PEGS
In the field geology, the phenomenon of 'folding', is a recently discovered fact. Folding is responsible for the formation of mountain ranges. The earth's crust, on which we live, is like a solid shell, while the deeper layers are hot and fluid, and thus inhospitable to any form of life. It is also known that the stability of the mountains is linked to the phenomenon of folding, for it was the folds that were to provide foundations for the reliefs that constit the mountains.
Geologists tell us that the radius of the Earth is about 6,035 km and the crust on which we live is very thin, ranging between 2 to 35 km. Since the crust is thin, it has a high possibility of shaking. Mountains act like stakes or tent pegs that hold the earth's crust and give it stability. The Qur'an contains exactly such a description:
"Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse, and the mountains as pegs?" [Al-Qur'an 78: 6-7]
The word awtaad means stakes or pegs (like those used to anchor a tent); they are the deep foundations of geological folds.
A book entitled 'Earth' is regarded as a basic reference textbook on geology in many universities around the world. One of the authors of this book is Dr. Frank Press, who was the President of the Academy of Sciences in the USA for 12 years and was the Science Advisor to former US President Jimmy Carter. In this book, he illustrates the mountain in a wedge-shape and the mountain itself as a small part of the whole, whose root is deeply entrenched in the ground.1 According to Dr. Press, the mountains play an important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth.
The Qur'an clearly mentions the function of the mountains in preventing the earth from shaking:
"And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them." [Al-Qur'an 21:31]
The Qur'anic descriptions are in perfect agreement with modern geological data.
Conclusion
The Quran is a book that not only does not conflict with modern science but actually anticipates modern scientific data by more than 1400 years! The Quran does not contain a single contradiction and neither does it contain a single verse that conflicts with established scientific facts. The Glorious Quran is in perfect conformity with the discoveries of modern science. The scientific facts mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg because the Glorious Qur'an contains many many more scientific facts that have only been recently discovered by scientist with the use of complex instruments and advanced technological methods. I cannot claim to have done full justice to the subject. The scientific evidences of the Qur'an clearly prove its Divine origin. No human could have produced a book, fourteen hundred years ago, that would contain such profound scientific facts.
The Qur'an, however, is not a book of Science but a book of 'Signs'. These signs invite Man to realize the purpose of his existence on earth, and to live in harmony with Nature. The Qur'an is truly a message from Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It contains the same Message of the Oneness of God, that was preached by all prophets, right from Adam, Moses, Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon them). The conflict between religion and science that is portrayed in the western media is between all the false religions and science and the reason for that is almost all religious scriptures contain many mathematical and scientific errors that are unacceptable to modern scientists. The conflict certainly is not between the religion of Islam and Science for Islam is in perfect harmony with Science as shown.
