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Scientific Miracles in the Quran: Difference between revisions
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→Mistranslation: Added a link to the Seven Earths page now it encompasses an analysis on saying the 'heaven/samaa' is the universe.
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(Added the points that A) classical exegetes/scholars in Islam's 'golden age' of science never claimed any scientific foreknowledge even as discoveries were made many centuries prior to modern times - and added an academic reference (Ahmad Dallal's book) of a book covering this topic of the historical view. And B) In many cases the Quran has been used to fight against established scientific facts, and still is today, which goes strongly against the idea of a book of scientific foreknowledge.) |
(→Mistranslation: Added a link to the Seven Earths page now it encompasses an analysis on saying the 'heaven/samaa' is the universe.) |
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{{QualityScore|Lead=4|Structure=3|Content=3|Language=4|References=3}}In recent times, many Muslim scholars have interpreted certain [[Qur'an|Quranic]] verses as being miraculously predictive of modern scientific discoveries and have presented these interpretations as evidence of the Quran's divine origin. Tellingly, no verse contained in the Quran has ever prompted a scientific discovery, and modern Muslim scholars have also generally not tried to argue that this has ever been the case. As such, all the purported instances of miraculous scientific foreknowledge in the Quran have been identified as such ''only'' ''after'' the science they are alleged to describe has been discovered by independent and unrelated means. Critics have pointed out this weakness and generally hold these so-called scientific miracles to be the product of theological sophistry whereby science is ''read back into'' the Quran upon discovery. Critics also maintain that there is no instance in the Quran where a scientific subject has been described with sufficient clarity, specificity, and accuracy as to qualify as anything Miraculous. | {{QualityScore|Lead=4|Structure=3|Content=3|Language=4|References=3}}In recent times, many Muslim scholars have interpreted certain [[Qur'an|Quranic]] verses as being miraculously predictive of modern scientific discoveries and have presented these interpretations as evidence of the Quran's divine origin. Tellingly, no verse contained in the Quran has ever prompted a scientific discovery, and modern Muslim scholars have also generally not tried to argue that this has ever been the case. As such, all the purported instances of miraculous scientific foreknowledge in the Quran have been identified as such ''only'' ''after'' the science they are alleged to describe has been discovered by independent and unrelated means. Critics have pointed out this weakness and generally hold these so-called scientific miracles to be the product of theological sophistry whereby science is ''read back into'' the Quran upon discovery. Critics also maintain that there is no instance in the Quran where a scientific subject has been described with sufficient clarity, specificity, and accuracy as to qualify as anything Miraculous. | ||
Even when the Islamic empires | Even when the Islamic empires led the world in science in parts of the middle ages,<ref>''[https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/30/science/how-islam-won-and-lost-the-lead-in-science.html How Islam Won, and Lost, the Lead in Science.]'' Dennis Overbye. 2001. New York Times. | ||
''Astronomy and medicine (two fields that are particularly relevant to 'scientific miracles') were relatively advanced for their time (especially astronomy) during the Islamic Empire's, which scientists never credited the Qur'an with prompting discoveries.''</ref> classical Islamic scholars/exegetes on the Quran aware of these facts never put forward theories of scientific foreknowledge.<ref>[https://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300177718/islam-science-and-the-challenge-of-history/ ''Islam, Science, and the Challenge of History (The Terry Lectures Series)''.] Dallal, Ahmad. Yale University Press. 2012. Kindle Edition. ''See Kindle locations 1958 - 1972. And Chapter 'The Quran and Science' locations 2618 - 2723 covering this issue.''</ref> Instead when science is inevitably discussed in verses relating to the natural world, they either confirm incorrect scientific worldviews at the time, and/or provide counter re-interpretations as new theories gain traction '' | ''Astronomy and medicine (two fields that are particularly relevant to 'scientific miracles') were relatively advanced for their time (especially astronomy) during the Islamic Empire's, which scientists never credited the Qur'an with prompting discoveries.''</ref> classical Islamic scholars/exegetes on the Quran aware of these facts never put forward theories of scientific foreknowledge.<ref>[https://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300177718/islam-science-and-the-challenge-of-history/ ''Islam, Science, and the Challenge of History (The Terry Lectures Series)''.] Dallal, Ahmad. Yale University Press. 2012. Kindle Edition. ''See Kindle locations 1958 - 1972. And Chapter 'The Quran and Science' locations 2618 - 2723 covering this issue.''</ref> Instead when science is inevitably discussed in verses relating to the natural world, they either confirm incorrect scientific worldviews at the time, and/or provide counter re-interpretations as new theories gain traction, ''and never before''. In fact, in many cases the Quran has been cited directly as the reason to support traditional unscientific views against those of e.g. astronomers,<ref>For example, in the debate between traditionalists and non-traditionalists on whether the Earth was flat, see: [https://www.academia.edu/93485940/Against_Ptolemy_Cosmography_in_Early_Kal%C4%81m_2022_ ''Against Ptolemy? Cosmography in Early Kalām (2022).''] Omar Anchassi. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 142(4), 851–881. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.7817/jaos.142.4.2022.ar033</nowiki> | ||
(''This period covers the first five centuries of Islam, though examples of Islamic scholars quoting the Quran. Many more going beyond that period can be found in this Wordpress article: [https://theislamissue.wordpress.com/2019/03/22/scholarly-consensus-of-a-round-earth/ Scholarly Consensus of a Round Earth])''</ref> and is still being used today to deny established scientific facts.<ref>For example: | (''This period covers the first five centuries of Islam, though examples of Islamic scholars quoting the Quran. Many more going beyond that period can be found in this Wordpress article: [https://theislamissue.wordpress.com/2019/03/22/scholarly-consensus-of-a-round-earth/ Scholarly Consensus of a Round Earth])''</ref> (which hardly matches the idea of a book of scientific foreknowledge) and is still being used today to deny established scientific facts.<ref>For example: | ||
'''Geo-centrism''' has been supported by Sheikh Bandar al-Khaibari, covered in this ''Daily Mail [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2957414/Saudi-cleric-online-laughing-stock-telling-student-sun-rotates-Earth-planes-not-able-fly.html article].'' And Sheik al-Fawzan, which can be seen in this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvG-606KqwU&t=694s ''YouTube video''] at 12:48. | '''Geo-centrism''' has been supported by Sheikh Bandar al-Khaibari, covered in this ''Daily Mail [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2957414/Saudi-cleric-online-laughing-stock-telling-student-sun-rotates-Earth-planes-not-able-fly.html article].'' And Sheik al-Fawzan, which can be seen in this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvG-606KqwU&t=694s ''YouTube video''] at 12:48. | ||
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Critics point out that some modern Quran translations have altered the meaning of 51:47 in four ways: | Critics point out that some modern Quran translations have altered the meaning of 51:47 in four ways: | ||
*They have translated the Quranic word “heaven سَّمَاءَ” as “universe”, which is not correct. | *They have translated the Quranic word “heaven سَّمَاءَ” as “universe”, which is not correct ''(see analysis and issues in [[Science and the Seven Earths]])''. | ||
*They have taken the Arabic noun “We are the expanders”, but turned it into the verb “The Universe is expanding,” | *They have taken the Arabic noun “We are the expanders”, but turned it into the verb “The Universe is expanding,” | ||
*And then they added the entirely superfluous adverb “steadily” in an attempt to insert into the Quran additional ideas that are not actually there. | *And then they added the entirely superfluous adverb “steadily” in an attempt to insert into the Quran additional ideas that are not actually there. | ||