Plant Stress Miracle In The Quran
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WikiIslam Archive,
Archives of the first iteration of WikiIslam, prior to acquisition and revamp by Ex-Muslims of North America
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The Quran says that Allah sends down rain and that it helps plants grow. The Quran also says that a plant can turn yellow. So nothing that a 7th century man couldn't say.
"Miracle"
1400 years ago people didn't know that water affects the color of leaves. Today we know that too much water or too little water can turn leaves yellow.
Leaf yellowing is often one of the first symptoms of plant stress. If the stress causing condition is not alleviated, yellow leaves may turn brown. A prolonged period of environmental stress causes overall stunting and poor growth. Noticing the pattern and progression of symptoms will help to diagnose the cause of the problem... Drought Plants wilt and leaves curl when roots are unable to supply sufficient moisture to the stems and leaves. Wilting for short periods of time does not harm plants. Sometimes a plant wilts on a hot day because moisture is evaporating from the leaves faster than the roots can supply it. If there is ample soil moisture, the plant will absorb water in the evening to firm up the stems and leaves. Over a prolonged period, however, drought will cause serious damage, such as yellowing, leaf scorch, browning, or leaf drop and stunted growth. Extended periods of drought also inhibit flower formation. Severe heat and water stress when a plant is in bloom may cause scorching or browning of flower buds and blossoms. Plants vary in their ability to tolerate drought and some may die suddenly after extended periods of drought. Excess Water Problems with excess water can result from poorly drained soil or overwatering. Excess water reduces oxygen in the soil, which damages fine roots and renders the plant unable to take up water. Plants exposed to excess moisture show the same symptoms as plants under drought stress. The primary symptom of excess moisture is wilting or yellowing of lower and inner leaves. If excess water continues, plants may show other drought symptoms, such as scorch, leaf drop, and/ or plant death. University Of Maryland, Leaf Yellowing - Environmental Stress, 2019
Water is related to the yellowing of leaves. This was known recently, however this was portrayed in the Quran 1400 years before it was discovered.
[Quran 39:21] Have you not considered how Allah sends down water from the sky, then He makes it flow into underground wells, then He produces with it plants of various colors, then they wither and you see them yellowing, then He turns them into debris? Surely in this is a reminder for those with understanding.
Here water is related to the yellowing of leaves. Today we know that too much water or too little water can turn leaves yellow.
"Wind-burn" is when wind accelerates the evaporation of water from the leaves, mimicking drought.
[ a picture of a "wind-burned" marijuana ] Wind-burned leaves are often curved under and form "claws." They can look like they're droopy from overwatering, underwatering, or possible a nitrogen toxicity, but you know you've got wind-burn when the leaves in front of the fan are clawing, and leaves further away from the fan look fine. GrowWeedEasy, Wind Burn, 2019
Wind can increase the evaporation of water in the leaves mimicking underwatering and causing the leaves to turn yellow. This was known recently, however this was portrayed in the Quran 1400 years before it was discovered.
[Quran 30:51] But if We send a wind, and they see it turning things yellow, they would continue thereafter to disbelieve.
Here wind is causing leaves to turn yellow. Today we know why, wind accelerates the evaporation of water causing the leaves to turn yellow.
How could an illiterate man who lived 1400 years ago have known that water and wind are related to the yellowing of leaves?
The verses
Water ...yellowing
The connection between water and yellowing in the verse is very vague:
Have you not considered how Allah sends down water from the sky, then He makes it flow into underground wells, then He produces with it plants of various colors, then they wither and you see them yellowing, then He turns them into debris? Surely in this is a reminder for those with understanding.
1400 years ago, people knew that plants require rain. It was also mentioned much earlier in the Old Testament:
It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.
And the fact that plants can turn yellow was also observable in the 7th century.
Wind-burned marijuana
For some reason, Islamic apologists quote an article from the website GrowWeedEasy, which is a website dedicated to growing marijuana. The quoted article "Wind Burn" says:
Most indoor cannabis growers use fans to blow air around within the grow area. This creates a nice breezy environment that cannabis plants love. But sometimes there can be too much breeze!
Be Careful! Too Much Wind Causes Clawed Leaves and Sometimes Spots
When there’s too much breeze, the affected marijuana leaves will start getting “wind-burned.”
Windburnd cannabis leaves are clawing hard
Wind-burned leaves are often curved under and form “claws.” They can look like they’re droopy from overwatering, underwatering, or possible a nitrogen toxicity, but you know you’ve got wind-burn when the leaves in front of the fan are clawing, and leaves further away from the fan look fine.
Islamic apologists, besides showing a picture of "wind-burned" marijuana also quoted the part of the article which says "you know you've got wind-burn when the leaves in front of the fan are clawing, and leaves further away from the fan look fine". So it doesn't talk about natural wind, but about growing marijuana at home while using fans.
According to the apologists, this tip for growing weed was predicted in the verse 30:51. Let's see it in context with previous verses:
30:48 It is Allah who sends the winds, and they stir the clouds and spread them in the sky however He wills, and He makes them fragments so you see the rain emerge from within them. And when He causes it to fall upon whom He wills of His servants, immediately they rejoice
30:49 Although they were, before it was sent down upon them - before that, in despair.
30:50 So observe the effects of the mercy of Allah - how He gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed, that [same one] will give life to the dead, and He is over all things competent.
30:51 But if We should send a [bad] wind and they saw [their crops] turned yellow, they would remain thereafter disbelievers.
So if Allah sends wind that gives rain, people are thankful (because their plants grow), but if he sends a bad wind instead (and plants get yellow), people will remain disbelievers. So the Quran is making a point about people's behavior. And the verse doesn't explain that "wind accelerates the evaporation of water from the leaves, mimicking drought". It only says that Allah sends a bad wind (which doesn't bring rain). And the verses are unscientific, because science doesn't say that a supernatural being sends the winds:
Wind is caused by differences in the atmospheric pressure. When a difference in atmospheric pressure exists, air moves from the higher to the lower pressure area, resulting in winds of various speeds.
