Islam and Science
From WikiIslam
One of the most widely used tools to propagate Islam in the West is the alleged harmony between its scriptures and modern science. This page contains easy-to-read summaries of articles discussing Islam, in relation to science.
[edit] Articles Exploring Islam's Relationship with Science
[edit] Medicine, Healthcare and Biology in Islam
- Main Articles: Medicine and healthcare in Islam and Medicine and biology
Islamic medicine, healthcare and Biology relies on superstitions, general beliefs among the people during the prophet's time and borrowings from the practices and beliefs of other civilizations. For example; today you will find Muslims who champion the self-alleged health benefits of drinking camel urine (as instructed by Muhammad in Sahih Bukhari 7:71:590), but those who are actually willing to practice such idiocy are far less forthcoming. The allowance and even encouragement of marriages between relatives such as cousins (Qur'an 4:23), is another issue that deserves to be sent back to the 7th century. Medically, this common Muslim practice is harmful because it raises the probability for genetic disorders to occur in offspring. And the much lauded embryology found within the Qur'an is in reality plagiarized from Greek medicine. Therefore embryology, as described in the Qur'an, is neither original nor correct. These are but a few of the example which are covered in our articles.
[edit] The Universe According to Islam
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'ans understanding of the universe matches that of the mythical cosmos believed by 7th 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. 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.
[edit] The Flat Earth
As should be apparent by now, the Islamic faith stifles scientific progress and nothing demonstrates this as well as the modern-day belief that the Earth is flat. As recently as 1993 the supreme religious authority of Saudi Arabia Sheik Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baaz declared "The earth is flat. Whoever claims it is round is an atheist deserving of punishment."[1] and in a televised debate aired on Iraqi Al-Fayhaa TV (October 31, 2007), Muslim Researcher on Astronomy Fadhel Al-Sa'd also declared that the Earth is flat as evidenced by Qur'anic verses and that the sun is much smaller than the Earth and revolves around it. [2] As devout Muslims, they have good reason to conclude the Earth is flat; the Qur'anic verses 15:19, 20:53, 43:10, 50:7, 51:48, 71:19, 78:6, 79:30, 88:20 and 91:6 all clearly state this. While many apologists have attempted to explain away this 'oddity' to fellow Muslims and Westerners, they prey on their listeners ignorance of the Arabic language. As such, their apologetic claims have been easily refuted by native Arabic speakers. There is no escaping the fact that, according to the Qur'an, the earth is flat as a pancake.
[edit] The Motionless Centre - Planet Earth
This article examines the evidence for Qur'anic geocentric cosmology. Some may confuse geocentricism with the the idea that the Earth is flat. This is not the case. These are two different ideas. Geocentrism simply is the notion that the earth is the (immovable) centre of our universe, thus all celestial bodies mover around it. According to the Qur'an, the Sun (and the moon and the five known planets) follow a curved (rounded) course (a Falak). This falak starts in the east (where the sun goes up), goes high above the earth and ends after sunset with the Sun resting at night at a hidden place. All this took place around an earth that was spread out and had a firmament built on invisible pillars above it. This was a common belief at the time. Sahih (authentic) hadiths affirm this geocentric cosmology (so Muhammad or at least the people around him agree with it), and great ancient, and even modern-day, Muslim astronomists agree that the Qur'an is geocentric. In ancient times, many people - but certainly not all - did not know any better than what they seemed to observe everyday: the sun appeared to be going around the earth through our skies. We cannot blame a 7th century Bedouin for not knowing this, but should not the omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient creator of the universe know better?
[edit] Islamic Writing and the Universe
Islamic scriptures and scholars have much to say in regards to the cosmology of the universe.
[edit] 20 Islamic Inventions
These past few years have seen many inventions falsely 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 alike, from perpetuating these false claims. Unbelievably, such claims, which are basically altering the worlds history in order to show Islam in a better light, have even been forced upon the unsuspecting 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. To celebrate this 'momentous' series of events, an article titled “How Islamic inventors changed the world” was written by Paul Vallely and published in The Independent. This shameless piece of propaganda has received much praise from Muslims and has been (and still is) widely circulated on Islamic websites, forums, and blogs. This article lists and examines all twenty of these “Islamic inventors/inventions that changed the world” and in doing so, it exposes the lengths some will sink to in order to appease the Islamists. The Independent article is fundamentally misleading. It omits, distorts, and makes blunders over the most basic of historical facts to give the reader a false impression, and robs other civilizations such as ancient China, ancient Rome and pre-Islamic Egypt of the credit they rightfully deserve. It leaves you wondering what could have possibly motivated Paul Vallely into writing such a deceptive piece of journalism? This exhibition claimed to have shown 1001 Islamic inventions. If the best 20 are debunked, what of the other 981?
[edit] Islamic Science During the Golden Age
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. 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 12th century. Indeed, it would seem orthodox Islam utterly stifles intellectual reasoning. Therefore, Islam is not the cause of scientific progress during the Golden Age. Many people would say that the Golden Age scientific progress was made in spite of Islam, not because of it. A prime example is the great philosopher-physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna) who's work is constantly referenced by Dr K. Ajram. It is true that Avicenna was one of the most influential medieval philosophers, but he was also one of the most frequently attacked by Muslims. Today, the majority of Muslims would consider Ibn Sina, and many of the other great 'Islamic' scientists, as heretical apostates for their beliefs, and therefore non-Muslim disbelievers.
[edit] Westerners find $cience in the Quran
- Main Articles: Westerners find $cience in the Quran and Bucailleism
The new Mullahs and other Islamists feel very happy whenever they find an occidental (western white person) who talks in favor of their faith (Islam). This is especially true when these western people try to associate the Qur'an and Hadith with anything resembling an inkling of scientific truth. For the last 25 years or so, Muslims have found several non-Muslim supporters (pseudo) of their faith. One of the results of such liaisons is Bucailleism, the belief that "the Qur'an prophesied the Big Bang theory, space travel and other contemporary scientific breakthroughs," and that "there are more than 1200 verses (Ayat) which can be interpreted in the light of modern science."[3] It has been called "a fast-growing branch of Islamic fundamentalism." Named after none-other than the French (Catholic) surgeon Maurice Bucaille, its proponents believe that "one of the main convincing evidences" that lead many to convert to Islam "is the large number of scientific facts in the Quran."[4] These articles take a critical look at this fairly recent phenomena.
[edit] Scientific Miracles in...the Georgics
To demonstrate how ludicrously easy it is to prove that any ancient poetry can be reinterpreted to reveal scientific miracles, we present to you a satiric article that 'proves' that the Georgica, written by Virgil in Golden Latin in the year 28 BC, contains scientific miracles.
English Translation: “What makes the cornfield smile; beneath what star, Maecenas, it is meet to turn the earth and fasten vines to elms?”
In the very first eight words alone of the Georgics we find no less than five (there's probably many more) scientifically accurate statements of which Virgil himself (born in the first century BC) could not have had any knowledge of, due to science only confirming them many centuries later. If we read verses 234 to 237 we find another five miracles. It would seem the Georgics are full of these divine pearls of wisdom, wherever we look we find them. Is there any other text in the world more densely packed with such scientifically accurate knowledge? What divine source could have whispered all this into Virgil's ear? Virgil was a polytheist, who worshipped many different gods. Is this truly a miracle sent down from the ancient Roman gods? Let the honest reader draw his or her own conclusions. All we request is that you look upon this with an open mind.
[edit] Quran 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.[5] Another conflict is the definition of sulb to mean either the backbone or the ‘hardening’ or the loins.
[edit] Quranic Claim of Everything Created in Pairs
This article refutes the claim that Man did not know anything about the creation in pairs at the time of the 'descent' of the Qur'an. Here is one of the Qur'anic verses which speak of this.
[edit] References
- ↑ Sheik Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baaz, supreme religious authority of Saudi Arabia, 1993 - printed in "Muslim Edicts Take on New Force", NY Times, February 12, 1995.
- ↑ The Earth Is Flat and Much Larger than the Sun - Youtube
- ↑ QUR'AN AND SCIENCE
- ↑ Zaghloul El-Naggar, an Egyptian geologist, quoted in Strange Bedfellows
- ↑ Tafseer sura tariq (the nisht) no.86 (verses 1-10)
