Information, Advice And Discussion About Islam For Non-Muslims

[Friendly Muslim 0]

Another amazing thing about Ramadhan is that there is a very special night in this lunar month, which is the anniversary of the date on which the Holy Quran was revealed. This is the night in which the entire Holy Quran was brought down, or transferred, from the Protected Tablet (a heavenly tablet guarded by angels) to the skies of this world. From there, the Holy Quran was revealed incrementally to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasssalam – salutations and peace be upon him)).

 

The Holy Quran itself refers to this night in Ramadhan as “a blessed night”, “the Night of Power” and describes this night as being “better than a thousand months” and “peace it is, until dawn”.

[Norbert 145]

On 16/05/2020 at 13:27, Friendly Muslim said:

Another amazing thing about Ramadhan is that there is a very special night in this lunar month, which is the anniversary of the date on which the Holy Quran was revealed. This is the night in which the entire Holy Quran was brought down, or transferred, from the Protected Tablet (a heavenly tablet guarded by angels) to the skies of this world. From there, the Holy Quran was revealed incrementally to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasssalam – salutations and peace be upon him)).

 

The Holy Quran itself refers to this night in Ramadhan as “a blessed night”, “the Night of Power” and describes this night as being “better than a thousand months” and “peace it is, until dawn”.

I don’t mean to cause offence, but the strange occurrences of which you speak of sound similar to those of ufos, flat earthers, spiritualists, Mormons and countless other movements and cults which sensible people have no time for.

Should we give your claims special consideration?

[kaytie 11]

20 minutes ago, Norbert said:

I don’t mean to cause offence, but the strange occurrences of which you speak of sound similar to those of ufos, flat earthers, spiritualists, Mormons and countless other movements and cults which sensible people have no time for.

Should we give your claims special consideration?

No stranger imo than the visitation of an angel to Mary concerning her forthcoming happy event.    Virgin birth is in itself not an everyday occurrence. 

[Norbert 145]

5 minutes ago, kaytie said:

No stranger imo than the visitation of an angel to Mary concerning her forthcoming happy event.    Virgin birth is in itself not an everyday occurrence. 

I agree, it’s all very strange to modern ears with our knowledge of biology, genetics and the other sciences.

[Thorpist 72]

Personally speaking , I  have no need in my life for any sort of religion , however I do find it interesting looking at how religions have manipulated societies for thousands of years and how religious people buy into their version of god as the correct one.

Looking at what believers have done for the arts and crafts is absolutely fantastic.

From the pyramids, buddhist temples, mosques, cathedrals the list goes on , these places are a credit to man's ability to organise  and create.

It is a pity that all these things were built for the powerful as a tool  to manipulate the masses.

Among the powerful there has always been elements who use these tools to help society, but sadly the opposite is true that greedy nasty ones are always there.

To anyone who is a believer you have your faith and if you find solace in it good for you .

[bendix 10]

On 16/05/2020 at 11:13, Friendly Muslim said:

Hi Bendix - yes, thanks for sharing - and keep up the fasting. You said that you're fasting for the first time; I am just interested to know what that implies - are you observing Ramadan for the first time for religous reasons, or are you fasting for health reasons? Sorry to ask if you're not comfortable answering (you don't have to answer if you don't want to, of course) - I am just interested really.

 

Religious reasons. 

[Friendly Muslim 0]

57 minutes ago, bendix said:

Religious reasons. 

bendix - thanks for sharing, in that case, Ramadhan Kareem, I hope you enjoy it and keep it up.

[Friendly Muslim 0]

17 hours ago, Norbert said:

I agree, it’s all very strange to modern ears with our knowledge of biology, genetics and the other sciences.

Hi Norbert, thanks for you posts. I appreciate it can initially sound 'strange', rather than 'amazing', when you first hear such statements, particularly when you do not have enough context. So apologies from me for not providing enough background and going straight into the more religoius aspects of Ramadhan.

 

Islam is a an entirely rational religion and entirely evidence-based. I delivered a Zoom presentation last weekend, to friends, where I outlined several verses of the Holy Quran that inherently contain scientific information to a level that is as advanced as the understanding of modern experts, if not more. In many cases, modern leaders in their respective scientific fields and disciplines have reviewed the verses and confirmed that they conform to modern scientific understanding. I generally use this as evidence to illustrate that the Holy Quran is divinely inspired.

 

The specific topics I touched upon in my recent presentation are as as follows:

• Anatomical staging of the developing human embryo.
• Development of the faculties of hearing and sight in the developing human embryo.
• Structural geology and orography of the embedded structure of mountains.
• Chemical oceanography of certain local and global masses of water.

I can elaborate further or at least give you 'my favourite examples' if you or anyone else on here is interested. I do hope you would find that information interesting and enjoyable.

[carosio 186]

On the 4 examples that you have given, can you then show us the relevant extracts from the quran which you claim has advanced scientific understanding?

[Norbert 145]

6 hours ago, Friendly Muslim said:

Hi Norbert, thanks for you posts. I appreciate it can initially sound 'strange', rather than 'amazing', when you first hear such statements, particularly when you do not have enough context. So apologies from me for not providing enough background and going straight into the more religoius aspects of Ramadhan.

 

Islam is a an entirely rational religion and entirely evidence-based. I delivered a Zoom presentation last weekend, to friends, where I outlined several verses of the Holy Quran that inherently contain scientific information to a level that is as advanced as the understanding of modern experts, if not more. In many cases, modern leaders in their respective scientific fields and disciplines have reviewed the verses and confirmed that they conform to modern scientific understanding. I generally use this as evidence to illustrate that the Holy Quran is divinely inspired.

 

The specific topics I touched upon in my recent presentation are as as follows:

• Anatomical staging of the developing human embryo.
• Development of the faculties of hearing and sight in the developing human embryo.
• Structural geology and orography of the embedded structure of mountains.
• Chemical oceanography of certain local and global masses of water.

I can elaborate further or at least give you 'my favourite examples' if you or anyone else on here is interested. I do hope you would find that information interesting and enjoyable.

I think it’s a losing game trying to justify the whole of a belief system by claiming it contains divinely inspired knowledge.

 

Primarily because one mistake and the whole house comes tumbling down.

 

Adherents tie themselves in knots claiming one fact is revealed but another is poetic allegory when it goes against what we know.

 

I don't think it's a fruitful path for us to follow, and it's an undignified way to shore up a religion imho.

[Friendly Muslim 0]

Hello carsio and CaptainSwing – thanks for your interest. I’ll be happy to elaborate; I’ll start with my ‘favourite example’ if you don’t mind.

 

Hello again Norbert – thanks to you too. Again, I really should provide some context to elaborate on the significance of the science in the Holy Quran. I also don’t think it is ‘undignified’ for one to rationally explain why they believe in a religion.

 

As for background, the significance of the inherent science contained within the Holy Quran can be understood if you accept the following, well-established historical fact; the entire text of the Holy Quran has never been altered since the 7th Century. We have the first fully-compiled copies available dating back to that time, and millions of people (even today) have memorised the entire text, word-for word, and recite it to one another.

 

The question, then, is simply about its origin. Of course, Muslims believe the Author of the Holy Quran is Allah (or God) Himself. And Muslims assert that modern science proves this.

 

Take the following verse from the Holy Quran (this is Verse 14 of Chapter 23) where the creation of the human is discussed:

 

“Then We created from the tiny drop an 'alaqah' (leech-like structure); then We created from the alaqah a 'mudghah' (chewed-shaped lump); then We created from the ‘mudghah’ bones; then We covered the bones with flesh...”

 

The two most clear-cut words above are ‘alaqah’ (a leech-like structure that clings) and ‘mudgah’ (which literally means something that has been chewed). Modern embryologists have confirmed this is how the embryo develops in terms of its outward appearance; it is initially long and thin, clinging to the endometrium of the uterus, and then later develops somites, which look like teeth marks.

 

The verse above then remarkably progresses to clearly discuss further stages of the embryo’s development; stating that the ‘chewed lump’ develops into bones and these are then covered in flesh. This additional staging has also been confirmed by modern embryologists.

 

For me, the verse above could not have been more clearer or more functional.

 

The Holy Quran also states, in other places (Verse 9 of Chapter 32, for example) that Allah “...created for you (the senses of) hearing, sight and deduction”. Again, modern embryologists have confirmed that the primordia of the internal ears appear before the beginning of the eyes in the embryo, and the ability to deduce and comprehend develops last.

 

By way of scientific references, I’m keen for you to research yourselves, but in case you would like sources, then two respected, un-biased personalities who have confirmed the accuracy of the two verses above are Prof. Keith Moore and Dr Maurice Bucaille. Closer to home, I also showed the verses above to a local biologist in Sheffield recently (who was non-Muslim, and therefore un-biased) and she was lost for words.

 

I wouldn’t want to elongate this post, but the question and conundrum I am posing is, how could a single person or a group of people (however powerful you may wish to correctly or incorrectly claim they were) have known these scientific facts, among others, in the 7th Century?

 

Muslims, of course, believe these verses are from Allah (or God) who obviously knows all this because he is our Creator. No other plausible explanation has ever been provided to me, which therefore rationalises my belief in Islam.

[carosio 186]

On the two scientists that you mention, I don’t think (after a brief search) that they are truly neutral in their views.

 

The Muslim scientists of the medieval period contributed greatly to science, at least until the Enlightenment.  Also it is also claimed (as you do) that their religion afforded them a more rational approach to scientific study and thought than their Christian contemporaries in the West who were hamstrung with church doctrine.

 

One of the greatest, if not THE greatest theory ever devised was by a man who, despite being steeped in the Christian culture and thinking of his time, let rational thinking and the evidence prevail over doctrinal beliefs, and that was Charles Darwin.

 

To add:  From the info I have found so far, the eye starts to develop at day 21/22, slightly before the inner ear.

Edited May 20, 2020 by carosio