Islam and Science: Difference between revisions

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One of the most widely used tools to propagate [[Islam]] among non-Muslims is the alleged harmony between its [[Islam and Scripture|scriptures]] and modern science. This page contains easy-to-read summaries of articles discussing Islam in relation to science.
One of the most widely used tools to propagate [[Islam]] among non-Muslims is the alleged harmony between its [[Islam and Scripture|scriptures]] and modern science. This page contains easy-to-read summaries of articles discussing Islam in relation to science. See also the page [[Scientific Errors in the Quran|Scientific Errors in the Quran]] for comprehensive summaries of the scientific and historical errors in the Qur'an.
 
{{Core}}
{{Core}}
==Introduction==
==Introduction==
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If we assume that [[Allah]] exists, it is safe to say that he is not a Las Vegas magician, and his miracles should reasonably be several cuts above the prestidigitation of Penn and Teller. An all-powerful universal God would doubtlessly be capable of providing miracles that were unchallengeable, unambiguous and dramatic. And it is fully conceivable that God would embed such clear signs of his power and omniscience within his revelation.  
If we assume that [[Allah]] exists, it is safe to say that he is not a Las Vegas magician, and his miracles should reasonably be several cuts above the prestidigitation of Penn and Teller. An all-powerful universal God would doubtlessly be capable of providing miracles that were unchallengeable, unambiguous and dramatic. And it is fully conceivable that God would embed such clear signs of his power and omniscience within his revelation.  


The claim of “scientific miracles” in the Qur’an rests upon the contention that the book contains specific and detailed scientific knowledge that can only have been revealed to Prophet [[Muhammad]] miraculously, i.e. that there was no possible non-miraculous way for such information to have been known to a 7<sup>th</sup> Century Arab.  
The claim of “scientific miracles” in the Qur’an rests upon the contention that the book contains specific and detailed scientific knowledge that can only have been revealed to Prophet [[Muhammad]] miraculously, i.e. that there was no possible non-miraculous way for such information to have been known to a 7<sup>th</sup> century Arab.  


So it stands to reason that if there actually were non-miraculous ways for such information to be available, no miracle can be demonstrated. And it is important to test such claims, for we are not involved in a casual conversation about fashion or dietary preferences. We are talking about alleged proofs for the divine origin of the Qur’an.  
So it stands to reason that if there actually were non-miraculous ways for such information to be available, no miracle can be demonstrated. And it is important to test such claims, for we are not involved in a casual conversation about fashion or dietary preferences. We are talking about alleged proofs for the divine origin of the Qur’an.  
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===Embryology in Islamic Scripture===
===Embryology in Islamic Scripture===
{{Main|Embryology in Islamic Scripture|Embryology in the Qur'an|History of Embryology}}
{{Main|Embryology in Islamic Scripture|l1=Embryology in Islamic Scripture|Embryology in the Quran|l2=Embryology in the Qur'an|History of Embryology|l3=History of Embryology}}


“Islamic embryology” is derived from both the Qur’an and the hadith, and is quite consistent across all the contributing sources. The core of the story can be found in the Qur’an, 22:5. There are a handful of additional ayaat that deal with this subject, and none of them disagree with the basic scenario. There is also more to learn from the hadith, particularly that of Bukhari and Muslim. Again, the accounts are quite consistent, and the additional information they provide is important.  
“Islamic embryology” is derived from both the Qur’an and the hadith, and is quite consistent across all the contributing sources. The core of the story can be found in the Qur’an, 22:5. There are a handful of additional ayaat that deal with this subject, and none of them disagree with the basic scenario. There is also more to learn from the hadith, particularly that of Bukhari and Muslim. Again, the accounts are quite consistent, and the additional information they provide is important.  
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===A Qur’anic Understanding of the Universe===
===A Qur’anic Understanding of the Universe===
{{Main|A Qur’anic Understanding of the Universe}}
{{Main|Cosmology of the Quran|l1=Cosmology of the Qur'an}}
 
This article is designed to uncover and explain the cosmology presented in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. More specifically, it will explore the Qur'an's understanding of the nature and structure of the physical universe.
 
To no surprise, the Qur'an's understanding of the universe matches that of the mythical cosmos believed by 7<sup>th</sup> century Arabians rather than an accurate description of the real universe.
 
In the Qur'an, the entire universe is very small and contains simply the earth and its surrounding heavens. There are no galaxies, other solar systems, or such a thing as “outer space.” The earth is the top-most of seven, flat discs, surrounded by the seven solid concentric domes of the heavens.


This article is designed to uncover and explain the actual state of scientific knowledge that is presented to us in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Specifically, we will explore Islamic Cosmology, in particular the Qur'ans understanding of the nature and structure of the physical universe. To no surprise, the Qur'an's understanding of the universe matches that of the mythical cosmos believed by 7<sup>th</sup> century Arabians rather than an accurate description of the real universe.
The celestial objects that do exist (sun, moon, stars and planets) are quite small, very close, and they follow semi-circular paths within the innermost of the seven heavenly domes. When they are not in the sky above the earth, they are resting somewhere underneath it, except while petitioning Allah’s permission to return the following day (or night).  


In the Qur'an, the entire universe is very small and contains simply the earth and its surrounding heavens. There are no galaxies, other solar systems, or such a thing as “outer space.” The earth is the top-most of seven, flat discs, surrounded by the seven solid concentric domes of the heavens. The celestial objects that do exist (sun, moon, stars and planets) are quite small, very close, and they follow semi-circular paths within the innermost of the seven heavenly domes. When they are not in the sky above the earth, they are resting somewhere underneath it, except while petitioning Allah’s permission to return the following day (or night). Paradise exists between the seven heavens, and hell exists between the seven earths. All of this is submerged in a cosmic sea, above which is the throne of Allah.
Paradise exists between the seven heavens, and hell exists between the seven earths. All of this is submerged in a cosmic sea, above which is the throne of Allah.


===The Flat Earth===
===The Flat Earth===
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===The Miracle of Islamic Science===
===The Miracle of Islamic Science===
{{Main|Setting the Record Straight: The Non-Miracle of Islamic Science}}
{{Main|Setting the Record Straight - The Non-Miracle of Islamic Science|l1=Setting the Record Straight: The Non-Miracle of Islamic Science}}


This is a refutation of Dr K. Ajram's “Setting the Record Straight: The Miracle of Islamic Science.” The purpose of this analysis is to put the achievements of Golden Age Muslim scientists in the proper perspective; neither denigrating their achievements nor inflating them.  
This is a refutation of Dr K. Ajram's “Setting the Record Straight: The Miracle of Islamic Science.” The purpose of this analysis is to put the achievements of Golden Age Muslim scientists in the proper perspective; neither denigrating their achievements nor inflating them.  
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All scientific and technological progress is accomplished in progression; Muslim achievements are but links in the chain. Few of the great Muslim scientific achievements stood alone, but were derived by Muslim scientists standing on the shoulders of those who came before them.  
All scientific and technological progress is accomplished in progression; Muslim achievements are but links in the chain. Few of the great Muslim scientific achievements stood alone, but were derived by Muslim scientists standing on the shoulders of those who came before them.  


This analysis also highlights the fatal flaw of the Islamic Golden Age. There were few ‘follow-up’ breakthroughs on the backs of the works of the great Muslim scientists. In effect, the Ummah allowed or encouraged these works to wither on the vine or die stillborn, even before the rise of mysticism at the expense of rational thinking, an event often attributed to al-Ghazzali around the turn of the 12<sup>th</sup> century.
This analysis also highlights the biggest flaw of the Islamic Golden Age. There were few ‘follow-up’ breakthroughs on the backs of the works of the great Muslim scientists. In effect, the Ummah allowed or encouraged these works to wither on the vine or die stillborn, even before the rise of mysticism at the expense of rational thinking, an event often attributed to al-Ghazzali around the turn of the 12<sup>th</sup> century.


===Muslims 'Saved' the Work of Greek Philosophers from Destruction===
===Muslims 'Saved' the Work of Greek Philosophers from Destruction===
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{{Main|How Islamic Inventors Did Not Change The World}}
{{Main|How Islamic Inventors Did Not Change The World}}


These past few years have seen many inventions claimed and attributed to Islamic inventors, which in fact either existed in pre-Islamic eras, were invented by other cultures, or both. However, this detail has not halted Muslim and non-Muslim apologists from perpetuating these false claims. Such claims have even been forced upon the general public in a nationwide tour which opened with an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the University of Manchester, England.  
These past few years have seen many inventions claimed and attributed to Islamic inventors, which in fact either existed in pre-Islamic eras, were invented by other cultures, or both. However, this detail has not apologists from perpetuating these false claims. Such claims have even been propagated through a nationwide tour which opened with an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the University of Manchester, England.  


To celebrate this series of events, an article titled “How Islamic inventors changed the world” was written by Paul Vallely and published in The Independent. This inaccurate piece of writing has received much praise from Muslims and is still being widely circulated on Islamic websites, forums and blogs. This article lists and examines all twenty of these “Islamic inventions that changed the world”, and in doing so, it reveals their actual inventors and the true role of Islam/Muslims, if any, behind the inventions.  
To celebrate this series of events, an article titled “How Islamic inventors changed the world” was written by Paul Vallely and published in The Independent. This inaccurate piece of writing has received much praise and is still being widely circulated on Islamic websites, forums and blogs. This article lists and examines all twenty of these “Islamic inventions that changed the world”, and in doing so, it reveals their actual inventors and the true role of Islam/Muslims, if any, behind the inventions.  


In short, we find that Paul Vallely's article is fundamentally misleading. It omits, distorts, and makes blunders concerning the most basic of historical facts to give the reader a false impression. It leaves you wondering what could have possibly motivated him into writing such a deceptive piece of journalism? This exhibition claimed to have shown 1001 Islamic inventions. If the best twenty are proven false, what of the other 981?
In short, we find that Paul Vallely's article is fundamentally misleading. It omits, distorts, and makes blunders concerning the most basic of historical facts to give the reader a false impression. It leaves you wondering what could have possibly motivated him into writing such a deceptive piece of journalism?  


===Islamic Science in Wikipedia Articles===
===Islamic Science in Wikipedia Articles===
{{Main|Islam, Science and the Problems at Wikipedia}}
{{Main|Islam Science and the Problems at Wikipedia|l1=Islam, Science and the Problems at Wikipedia}}


At Wikipedia, Islam-related articles are severely compromised by Muslim editors. An example of this is a 2010 incident where an editor with over 67,000 edits was caught intentionally inserting false information into articles.  
At Wikipedia, Islam-related articles are often compromised by pro-Islamic editors. An example of this is a 2010 incident where an editor with over 67,000 edits was caught intentionally inserting false information into articles.  


Jagged 85 is the main contributor to the many inaccurate Islam/Science/Golden Age articles which are still being copied and pasted all over the internet by Muslims, and more than 20% of Wikipedia's "Timeline of historic inventions" was provided by him.  
Jagged 85 is the main contributor to the many inaccurate Islam/Science/Golden Age articles which are still being copied and pasted all over the internet by Muslims, and more than 20% of Wikipedia's "Timeline of historic inventions" was provided by him.  
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===Scientific Errors in the Qur'an and Hadith===
===Scientific Errors in the Qur'an and Hadith===
{{Main|Scientific Errors in the Qur'an|Scientific Errors in the Hadith}}
{{Main|Scientific Errors in the Quran|Scientific Errors in the Hadith}}


This page lists various types of scientific errors found in the Qur'an. The subjects of these errors include; Evolution, Astronomy, Biology, Geology, Zoology and many others which are often confirmed by the hadith.
This page lists various types of scientific errors found in the Qur'an. The subjects of these errors include; Evolution, Astronomy, Biology, Geology, Zoology and many others which are often confirmed by the hadith.


===Non-Muslims finding Science in the Qur'an===
===Non-Muslim Scientists finding Science in the Qur'an===
{{Main|Dr. Keith Moore and the Islamic Additions|l1=Dr. Keith Moore and the "Islamic Additions"|Bucailleism}}
{{Main|Dr. Keith Moore and the Islamic Additions|l1=Dr. Keith Moore and the "Islamic Additions"|Bucailleism}}


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The doctrine is "widely taught" in Islamic secondary schools, promoted on at least one popular weekly television program in the Arab world and is advanced by "a well-funded campaign" led by the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah, based in Saudi Arabia and founded by Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani, a leading militant Islamist and "Specially Designated Global Terrorist".
The doctrine is "widely taught" in Islamic secondary schools, promoted on at least one popular weekly television program in the Arab world and is advanced by "a well-funded campaign" led by the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah, based in Saudi Arabia and founded by Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani, a leading militant Islamist and "Specially Designated Global Terrorist".
Resulting from the above mentioned Commission, a popular tool of [[w:Dawah|da'wah]] is to show videos from conferences in the 1980s of various scientists apparently vouching for the scientific accuracy of the Qur'an. See [https://www.youtube.com/user/ThisIsTheTruthUncut these recent interviews] with some of those scientists, in which they explain that they were tricked, misquoted, and misrepresented by [[w:Abdul_Majeed_al-Zindani#Political_activity|Sheikh Abdul Majeed Zindani]], who organised the conferences.


===Scientific Miracles in the Georgics===
===Scientific Miracles in the Georgics===
{{Main|NATVRAE MIRABILIS ORIGINISQVE DIVINAE GEORGICAE VERGILII}}
{{Main|On the Miraculous Nature and the Divine Origin of Virgils Georgics|l1=On the Miraculous Nature and the Divine Origin of Virgil's Georgics}}


This article argues that the Georgica, written by Virgil in Golden Latin in the year 28 BC, contains many scientific miracles (i.e. scientific foreknowledge). Furthermore, Virgil was an ancient Roman poet and the ancient Romans were polytheists, thus the Roman pantheon of deities must exist. Of course this article is written as part satire. It parodies the logic of Muslim apologists, and demonstrates very effectively how easy it is to reinterpret any ancient poetry, such as the Qur'an, and reveal so-called scientific miracles.
This article argues that the Georgica, written by Virgil in Golden Latin in the year 28 BC, contains many scientific miracles (i.e. scientific foreknowledge). Furthermore, Virgil was an ancient Roman poet and the ancient Romans were polytheists, thus the Roman pantheon of deities must exist. Of course this article is written as part satire. It parodies the logic of Muslim apologists, and demonstrates very effectively how easy it is to reinterpret any ancient poetry, such as the Qur'an, and reveal so-called scientific miracles.


===Qur'an and the Big Bang===
===Scientific "Miracles" in the Quran===
{{Main|Quran and the Big Bang|l1=Qur'an and the Big Bang}}
{{Main|Scientific Miracles in the Quran|l1=Scientific Miracles in the Quran}}
 
This article provides a list of supposed "scientific miracles" in the Quran.
Islamic apologists attempt to claim that the “Big Bang” is actually described by the Qur’an in one of many miraculous displays of scientific precocity in text. However on closer examination, Muslim claims of miraculous scientific information in the Qur’an are shown to be, yet again, in error. In reality, the Qur’an is completely silent on the “big bang” because it clearly has no awareness whatsoever of a universe that pre-existed the creation of the planet Earth, or extended outwards into infinite space. It has no understanding of galaxies, or clusters of galaxies, or quasars or pulsars or any of the other things that could have easily been mentioned by an omniscient Allah, and left us no room for quibbling.
 
===Qur'an and a Universe from Smoke===
{{Main|Quran and a Universe from Smoke|l1=Qur'an and a Universe from Smoke}}
 
Prominent apologists such as Harun Yahya and I. A. Ibrahim have claimed that the Qur'an contains an accurate account of the formation of stars and early phases of the Universe.
 
The entire apologetic argument rests on the Qur'anic description of the "heavens" as "smoke"; a claim which in-turn rests on a false equivalence made between smoke and the makeup of the early universe. It also presupposes that the Qur'anic author must describe something as complex as the earliest phase of the universe using only a single word. A presupposition that makes little sense and is far from convincing when you consider how such information could have validated the authenticity of the Qur'anic message.
 
The attempt to show that the Qur'an correctly describes the formation of stars (by quoting a portion of Qur'an 41:11) and then the earth (by quoting Qur'an 21:30) is shown to be disingenuous. When the whole of verse 41:11 and its surrounding verses are read in context, it provides a clear chronological account of the earth being formed first and then the hills and sustenance are created upon it. Only after the earth has been created does Allah create the stars. The entire account in the Qur'an is not an accurate reflection of the formation of the Universe.
 
===Qur'an Predicted Black Holes And Pulsars===
{{Main|Quran Predicted Black Holes And Pulsars|l1=Qur'an Predicted Black Holes And Pulsars}}
 
This article analyzes two separate claims made by Harun Yahya concerning black holes and pulsars.
 
The analysis shows the claim that the Qur'an predicted the modern understanding of Black Holes is not backed by the scientific evidence, and the claim that the Qur'an predicted the modern understanding of pulsars is conjectural and not supported by the scientific evidence.
 
It has also shown Harun Yahya’s self-contradiction as he used the same Qur'anic verse to ‘prove’ both the black hole and the pulsar. Since a black hole cannot possibly also be a pulsar, it appears that Harun Yahya has refuted himself.
 
===Speed of Light in the Qur'an===
{{Main|Speed of Light in the Quran|l1=Speed of Light in the Qur'an}}
 
In an article published in Islami City, Dr. Mansour Hassab-Elnaby claims verse 32:5 reveals that light in one day travels a distance equal to 12,000 lunar orbits, and upon calculating that distance we find the exact speed of light.
 
Verse 32:5 has nothing to do with the speed of light. There is no mention of the moon, light or even distance in this verse. If these methods were to be applied to other texts, such as Shakespeare's writings or Virgil's Georgics, they too can be "proven" divine.
 
No matter how Dr. Hassab-Elnaby's calculations are viewed, they are mathematically incorrect. Even the notion of measuring the speed of light with the orbit of the Moon or the length of the day is a fallacy.
 
Dr. Hassab-Elnaby also makes many deliberate errors to doctor a scientific miracle, and in his enthusiasm to ascribe miracles to the Qur'an, he discards the concept of Allah's omnipresence. The creator of the Universe, according to him, depends on the speed of light to manage his affairs.
 
Finally, assuming there really is a miracle in this plagiarized allegory, should not the credit go to the Bible from which it originates?
 
===Seven Heavens and Seven Earths===
{{Main|Science and the Seven Earths}}
 
This article analyzes several different apologetic arguments claiming the Qur'an correctly asserts that their are "seven heavens" and "seven earths". In doing so, it finds the scientific evidence does not support any of the claims concerning the Qur'anic verse 65:12 and its scientific accuracy.
 
Earth's atmosphere is divided into five main layers based on temperature. Within these five principal layers, several secondary layers may be distinguished by other properties. There is no classification into 7 layers.
 
Modern geology states that there are only four or five layers of the Earth, or up to eight if the new hypotheses of the subcore georeactor are accepted. Without the double-counting of layers, There is no classification into 7 layers.
 
The number of continents is traditionally considered seven, but there are only six as Europe and Asia are technically a single land mass (i.e. Eurasia) and on the same tectonic plate. Therefore, the traditional number of seven continents is more a cultural bias than an actual geographical/geological fact.
 
Furthermore, if one delves a little deeper into the Islamic sources, it is discovered that the seven earths being referred to in verse 65:12 are in fact flat islands, one under the other.
 
===Qur'an and the Descent of Iron Miracle===
{{Main|Quran and the Descent of Iron Miracle|l1=Qur'an and the Descent of Iron Miracle}}
 
This article analyzes the ‘iron sent down from heaven miracle’. A chief proponent of this claim is Harun Yahya.
 
There is nothing miraculous about surah 57:26 describing iron being ‘sent down’ by a deity. The ancient Egyptians already derived that concept three thousand years before Islam. They called iron “ba-en-pet” or ‘metal from heaven’. This concept was also shared by the ancient Mesopotamians.
 
The term ‘anzala’ used to describe iron being ‘sent down’ is also used to describe cattle, garments, food, and the people of the book being ‘sent down’ by some deity. There is nothing to suggest that these too were not created in supernovae and sent down to earth. It is intellectually dishonest to assign a literal interpretation when referring to iron but figurative interpretations when referring to everything else without the evidence to distinguish when to use the literal as opposed to the figurative interpretation.
 
There is nothing miraculous about the surah reference and the atomic number of iron. This is mere coincidence as other metals are also mentioned in the Qur'an and their atomic numbers bear no relation to their surah references. To selectively assign miracles based on coincidence (since godly design is unproven) is a logical fallacy.
 
Thus there is nothing miraculous about surah 57:26 and the ‘descent’ of iron. The claims apologists make in this regard have either been known many centuries before Islam or are scientifically inaccurate.
 
===Qur'an Describes Altitude Sickness===
{{Main|Quran Describes Altitude Sickness|l1=Qur'an Describes Altitude Sickness}}
 
This article analyzes the apologetic claim that the Qur'an's description of altitude sickness is somehow miraculous, scientifically accurate, or prophetic.
 
If the verse is taken figuratively, then it is not miraculous, since it is describing a phenomenon that would have been well-known to the wandering Arab nomads long before the revelation of the Qur'an.
 
If the verse is taken literally, then it is scientifically inaccurate. There is no “tightening” of the chest. The constrictive sensation experienced at high altitudes is simply a result of having less air to breathe into your lungs, in addition to the gas already there actually expanding.
 
In fact, when modern scientific knowledge is taken into consideration, problems with a literal interpretation are two-fold since it has been postulated that human adaption has lead to people born and raised in high altitudes to have enlarged chests which "could allow for increased lung volumes and thereby increase oxygen uptake."
 
===The Qur'an and Mountains===
{{Main|The Qur'an and Mountains}}
 
This article refutes the claim that the Qur'an had foreshadowed the scientific knowledge about Mountains as Pegs stabilizing the crust or even the earth. There are two elements to this ‘Qur'anic Science’ claim: A. Mountains are Pegs. This is untrue as not all mountains have peg-like roots. B. Mountains stabilize the crust or the earth. This is unproven. There is no scientific evidence for this assertion, therefore the Qur'an cannot be validated by scientific evidence that does not exist. The mere fact of isostacy is not proof that mountains stabilize the crust or the earth. The mere fact that collision-type mountains are formed at the edges of tectonic plates is not proof that mountains stabilize the plates. The mere fact that mountains have deep roots is not proof that mountains stabilize anything.
 
===Qur'an Predicted Land Decreasing===
{{Main|Qur'an Predicted Land Decreasing}}
 
Dr. Al Zeiny, PhD, claims a so-called ‘proof’ of Qur'anic Science by positing the proposition that the Qur'an correctly predicted the geological fact that land is decreasing due to the movements of tectonic plates. He cites verses 13:41 and 21:44 as evidence. Alas for Dr. Zeiny, the geological facts do not support his case that land is decreasing as the Qur'an supposedly suggests.
 
In fact, we'd like to thank Dr. Zeiny for helping to prove the Qur'an incorrect in asserting that land is decreasing, and thereby also prove that the Qur'an is false and therefore man-made. By extension, Dr. Zeiny has also proven that Allah is also false and therefore man-made.
 
===Creation of Humans from Clay===
{{Main|Creation of Humans from Clay}}
 
Many Muslims use the recent scientific hypothesis of clay particles as catalysts for abiogenesis as evidence of the veracity of their scripture. However, the scientific hypothesis postulates that the clay merely 'match-makes' RNA and membrane vesicles - and therefore does not form a building block. This is contrary to the Islamic Faith which postulates that human beings were created from clay, implying clay was a building block. Notwithstanding this key distinction, is Islam the only religion which postulated the creation of human beings from clay? The answer is no.
 
Many religions pre-dating Islam also carry this 'creation of human beings from clay' story. The earliest are the pre-cursors of the Abrahamic Faiths - namely the early Mesopotamian religions. Other faiths that postulate the 'creation of human beings from clay' stories include the ancient Egyptians, some African tribes and the Incas. In fact, the ‘creation of humans from clay’ stories are common throughout the world, including far-flung places like Australia and the Pacific Islands which were not in contact with Islam or any of the other Abrahamic Faiths until recent times.
===Qur'an and Semen Production===
{{Main|Qur'an and Semen Production (Qur'an 86:7)|l1=Qur'an and Semen Production}}
 
This article lists and refutes all the various Islamic attempts to show that the Qur'an correctly describes semen production from between the ''sulb'' and the ''tara’ib'' in verse 86:7. There are at least seven distinct classes of Islamic explanations, and these propositions are frequently conflicting. For example, Ibn Kathir refers to ''tara’ib'' as a female organ, while other tafsirs claim it belongs to the man. Another conflict is the definition of ''sulb'' to mean either the backbone or the ‘hardening’ of the loins.
 
===Qur'an Describes Gender Determination By Sperm ===
{{Main|Qur'an Describes Gender Determination By Sperm }}
 
Various apologists make the usual Islamic polemic about how the Qur'an can be proved by modern scientific knowledge, using the old canard about how the Qur'an is the only ancient book that states that gender is determined by the sperm. In this, they may point out the ignorance of the Greeks who thought gender was determined by the relative strengths of sperm from the male and female parents as Hippocrates imagined.
 
This article does not seek to prove that the ancient Egyptians shared some aspects of our modern understanding of gender determination and reproduction. It merely aims to show that the Qur'an was not the first religious text to suggest that gender is determined by the semen of the male parent.
 
===Qur'an and Embryology===
{{Main|Embryology in the Qur'an}}
 
There are propagations of the Qur'anic ‘so-called’ Embryology by such luminaries as Dr. Keith Moore and Dr. Maurice Bucaille. These works are aped by such Islamic scholars as Dr. Al Zeiny, Dr. Zakir Naik, Dr. Ibrahim Syed, Dr. Sharif Kaf Al-Ghazal, and the ubiquitous Harun Yahya aka Adnan Oktar. A good additional material is provided by Dr. Omar Abdul Rehman in which he goes into even greater detail in his attempt to validate the Qur'anic ‘human reproduction’ verses with modern scientific facts. On the net, you will find many excellent debunkings of the Qur'anic Embryology Pseudoscience (“QEP”). Here we attempt to add to this debate, concentrating solely on the Qur'anic verses.
 
===Qur'anic Claim of Everything Created in Pairs===
{{Main|Quranic Claim of Everything Created in Pairs|l1=Qur'anic Claim of Everything Created in Pairs}}
 
This article analyzes the claim that Man did not know anything about the "creation in pairs" at the time of the 'descent' of the Qur'an. The case against the Qur'an is really very simple. All one has to do is to show that not all creatures are ‘created’ in pairs.
 
Based on the existence of the schizophyllum commune, and asexual, hermaphroditic and parthenogenetic organisms, the Qur'anic verses about Allah creating all creatures in pairs (male and female) are shown to be in error.
 
The ancient Chinese Yin-Yang duality principle proves that the spurious claim of ‘creation in pairs’ to mean matter-antimatter complements to be unremarkable. Besides, some Hindus make similar claims about the Rig-Veda as the Muslims make about the Qur'an and scriptural allusions to matter and antimatter.
 
===Qur'an and the Lying Prefrontal Cerebrum===
{{Main|Qur'an and the Lying Prefrontal Cerebrum}}
 
Several apologists promulgate Professor Keith L. Moore's Qur'anic Pseudoscience of the lying sinful prefrontal area of the cerebrum (here referred to as the prefrontal cerebrum). There are many web sites that are copy-pasting this proposition, and a search of the internet reveals that all the Muslim claims that the cerebrum is responsible for lying and sin comes from the same source, i.e. from Keith Moore.
 
However, Modern medical research utilizing fMRI conduct brain scans has revealed that the prefrontal cerebrum is not responsible for lying. Other brain regions are responsible, particularly the anterior cingulate gyrus which lies in the medial part of the brain in the frontal-parietal area and not in the prefrontal cerebrum. Thus, the scientific evidence does not support the pseudoscientific claim that the Qur'an correctly asserts that the prefrontal region is responsible for lying as it is not the region responsible for the decision-making process of lying.
 
===Meeting of Fresh and Salt Water in the Qur'an===
{{Main|Meeting of Fresh and Salt Water in the Quran|l1=Meeting of Fresh and Salt Water in the Qur'an}}
 
Muslim apologists believe that Surah 25:53 of the Qur’an is scientifically accurate. They conclude that since the process was unknown to humankind during the time of Prophet Muhammad, this verse (and the Qur’an as a whole) is revealed by Allah. This article will prove that the verse in question is scientifically wrong. Also it will prove that a layman could make a better guess than the allegedly divine author of the Qur'an.
 
In summary, this article will: A. briefly introduce you to a real river-estuary-ocean system. B. make logical deductions based on the verse and see how far only common sense can take us. C. explain what the verse claims on the meeting of fresh and salt water. D. explain what elementary science tells us about the process. E. explain what modern science tells us about the process. F. show you how Islamic apologists "prove" this “scientific miracle” G. state our analysis on the “scientific miracle”.


==See Also==
==See Also==
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{{Hub4|Zakir Naik|Zakir Naik}}
{{Hub4|Zakir Naik|Zakir Naik}}
{{Hub4|Harun Yahya|Harun Yahya}}
{{Hub4|Harun Yahya|Harun Yahya}}
* [[Averroes| Averroes (Ibn Rushd: 1126-98)]]
* [[Islamization of Knowledge]]
* [[Islamization of Knowledge]]
* [[Muslim Statistics - Science|Muslim Statistics (Science)]]
* [[Muslim Statistics - Science|Muslim Statistics (Science)]]
* [[Scientific Errors in the Quran|Scientific Errors in the Quran]]


'''Multimedia'''
'''Multimedia'''
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*[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.adherents.com/people/100_scientists.html|2=2012-12-16}} The Scientific 100] ''- 3 different rankings from Adherents.com showing how little Muslims contributed to science''
*[{{Reference archive|1=http://www.adherents.com/people/100_scientists.html|2=2012-12-16}} The Scientific 100] ''- 3 different rankings from Adherents.com showing how little Muslims contributed to science''


[[Category:Core Article]]
[[Category:Core Articles]]
[[Category:Islam and Science]]
[[Category:Islam and Science]]
[[Category:THHuxley]]
[[Category:THHuxley]]
__NOEDITSECTION__
__NOEDITSECTION__
[[ru:Ислам и наука]]
[[ru:Ислам и наука]]
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