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Hamza Andreas Tzortzis
Does
the
Qur’an
Contain
Scientific
Miracles?
A
New
Approach
on
how
to
Reconcile
and
Discuss
Science
in
the
Qur’an

Home » Essays & Articles » Exploring the Qur'an » Does the Qur’an Contain Scientific Miracles? A New Approach on how to Reconcile and Discuss Science in the Qur’an
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Pre-release Draft 0.9.4 ~ 21/08/13 Fixed some typographical errors and amended the “Inaccurate History” section



Since the eighties there has been a growing movement of Muslim academics and apologists using science to establish the miraculous and Divine nature of the Qur’ānic discourse. On a grass roots level, Muslims across the world, especially in the West, try to articulate the veracity of Islam by using verses that allude to science as evidence for the Qur’ān’s Divine authorship. The internet is full of websites, essays, videos and posts on the scientific verses in the Qur’ān. A Google search on “Quran and science” produces over 40 million search results.[1]

This movement has classical and modern origins. The Islamic classical scholarly tradition was engaged in a debate as to whether to use science as an exegetical tool to explain the Qur’ānic verses. However, it was during the eighties that the apologetic expression of this movement was born. I would argue there are two main events that facilitated the emergence of this movement. The first was the publishing of the book Bible, the Qur’ān and Science in 1976 written by Dr. Maurice Bucaille, and the second was the 1980s video This is The Truth produced by the Islamic scholar Abdul-Majeed al-Zindani. Dr Bucaille’s book argued that there were no scientific errors in the Qur’ān and that the Bible was full of scientific inaccuracies. Dr. Bucaille’s book became a best seller in the Muslim world and it was translated into many languages. Even though the book has faced academic criticism[2], it is still a popular read and used as a reference for Islamic apologetics and proselytisation.

The Islamic Scholar Abdul-Majeed al-Zindani, founder of the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Qur’ān and Sunnah, produced a video entitled This is the Truth. Al-Zindani invited prominent Western academics to attend one of their conferences. During the conference al-Zindani claimed that a group of eminent non-Muslim scholars in several fields testified to the fact that there were scientific miracles in the Qur’ān. However, the Commission received criticism that it had spread out of context and misleading statements to justify its narrative.[3] Relatively recently an Atheist video blogger and commentator personally contacted some of the scientists who had attended the conference and conducted interviews with them. The interviews were recorded and uploaded on YouTube. All of the scientists he interviewed claimed that their statements had been taken out of context, and that there is nothing miraculous about the scientific statements in the Qur’ānic discourse.[4]

In spite of this, millions of booklets and pamphlets have been printed that make the claim that there are scientific miracles in the Qur’ān, and countless non-Muslims have converted to Islam as a result. This growing movement has influenced academia too, for example an academic book published by Curzon entitled Qur’ān Translation: Discourse, Texture and Exegesis dedicates a few pages on the topic.[5] Famous popularisers such as Dr. Zakir Naik[6] and Yusuf Estes[7] have also used the scientific miracles narrative to verify the Divine nature of the Qur’ān. Due to this intense popularisation over the past few decades, there is now a growing counter movement that attempts to demystify the so-called scientific statements, and they seem to be more nuanced, with a growing popularity. A significant number of apostates from Islam (many of whom I have had private conversations with) cite the counter movement’s work as a causal factor in deciding to leave the religion. Nevertheless, I do believe that apostasy is not entirely an intellectual decision but rather a spiritual and psychological problem. This can include a lack of spiritual connection with God and disheartenment with Islam due to unfortunate negative experiences with Muslims and the the Muslim community.

Regrettably, the scientific miracles narrative has become an intellectual embarrassment for Muslim apologists, including myself. A few years ago I took some activists to Ireland to engage with the audience and speakers at the World Atheist Convention. Throughout the convention we had a stall outside the venue and as a result positively engaged with hundreds of atheists, including the popular atheist academics Professor P. Z. Myers and Professor Richard Dawkins. During our impromptu conversation with Professor Myers we ended up talking about God’s existence and the Divine nature of the Qur’ān. The topic of embryology came up, and Professor Myers being an expert in the field challenged our narrative. He claimed that the Qur’ān did not predate modern scientific conclusions in the field. As a result of posting the video[8] of the engagement on-line we faced a huge intellectual backlash. We received innumerable amounts of emails by Muslims and non-Muslims. The Muslims were confused and had doubts, and the non-Muslims were bemused with the whole approach. Consequently, I decided to compile and write an extensive piece on the Qur’ān and embryology, with the intention to respond to popular and academic contentions.[9] During the process of writing I relied on students and scholars of Islamic thought to verify references and to provide feedback in areas where I had to rely on secondary and tertiary sources. Unfortunately they were not thorough and they seemed to have also relied on trusting other Muslim apologists. When the paper was published it was placed under a microscope by atheist activists.[10] Although they misrepresented some of the points, they raised some significant contentions. I have since removed the paper from my website. In retrospect if this never happened, I probably wouldn’t be writing this essay now. It is all a learning curve and an important part of developing intellectual integrity.

In light of this, this essay aims to provide a rational and Islamic perspective on how to understand the scientific verses in the Qur’ān. It is time more people from the Muslim community spoke out against this problematic approach to verifying the Divine nature of the Qur’ān. It has become an intellectual embarrassment for Muslim apologists and it has exposed the lack of coherence in the way they have formulated the argument. Significantly, many Muslims who converted to Islam due to the scientific miracles narrative, have left the religion due to encountering opposing arguments. This essay intends to explain how the scientific miracles narrative is problematic and incoherent, and it aims to bring to light a new approach on how to reconcile and discuss science in the Qur’ān. It must be noted that I am not asserting that the Qur’ān is inaccurate or wrong, or that there is nothing remarkable about the Qur’ānic statements eluding to natural phenomena. I am simply bringing to light the perilous nature of the claim that some Qur’ānic verses are miraculous due to their scientific content. For this reason, I am offering a new approach to the topic that is nuanced and bypasses the intellectual hurdles and problems faced by the scientific miracles narrative.

A summary of the scientific miracles claim

The scientific miracles of the Qur’ān are expressed in different ways but with the same philosophical implications.

The Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace) did not have access to the scientific knowledge mentioned in the Qur’ān, therefore it must be from God.
No one at the time of revelation (7th century) had access to the necessary equipment to understand or verify the scientific knowledge in the Qur’ān, therefore it must be from God.
The Qur’ānic verses where revealed at a time where science was primitive and no human could have uttered the truths mentioned in the Qur’ān, therefore it must be from God.

There are an array of reasons of why the above expressions of the scientific miracles are problematic and incoherent. These include,

The Fallacy of the Undistributed Middle
Inaccurate History
Teleology of the Qur’ānic Verses
Scientism, the Problem of Induction and Empiricism
“Unscientific” Verses
Miracles, Simplicity and A Note on Qur’ānic Exegesis

Each of these points will now be explained in detail.

1. The Fallacy of the Undistributed Middle

The science in the Qur’ān claim commits a logical fallacy called the fallacy of the undistributed middle. This fallacy is where two different things are equated due to a common middle ground that is misused. Below is a generic example:

1. All As are Cs

2. All Bs are Cs

3. Therefore all As are Bs

The above fallacy is in the conclusion. Since A and B share the common category C, it doesn’t follow that A is the same as B.

Another example includes:

John needs oxygen to survive
My dog needs oxygen to survive
Therefore John is my dog

As can be seen above, the middle ground that is misused is oxygen. Although the first two premises are true, that both John and my dog need oxygen to survive, it doesn’t follow that John is my dog.

Most of the science in the Qur’ān arguments commit this type of fallacy. Below is a summary:

A description of a scientific fact A uses C
A description in the Qur’ān B uses C
Therefore, the description in the Qur’ān B is the description of A

The following are some specific examples:

The scientific fact in embryology is the implantation of th

النتائج (الإنجليزية) 2:

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Contact Send an Hamza Andreas »Essays & Articles» Exploring the Qur'an »Does the Qur'an Contain Scientific Miracles? New Approach On A How To Reconcile And Discuss Science In The Qur'an Share All Button [Twitter Tags] [Facebook] [Google Plus] [Linkedin] Download The PDF Here. Pre-Release 0.9.4 Draft ~ 21/08/13 Fixed Some Errors And Amended Typographical The "Inaccurate History" Section Since The Eighties There Has Been A Growing Movement Of Muslim Academics And Apologists Using Science To Establish The Miraculous Divine And The Nature Of Qur'ānic Discourse. On a grass roots level, Muslims across the world, especially in the West, try to articulate the veracity of Islam by using verses that allude to science as evidence for the Qur'ān's Divine authorship. The internet is full of websites, essays, videos and posts on the scientific verses in the Qur'ān. Google Search On A "Quran And Science" Produces Over 40 Million Search Results. [1] This Movement Has Classical And Modern Origins. The Islamic classical scholarly tradition was engaged in a debate as to whether to use science as an exegetical tool to explain the Qur'ānic verses. However, it was during the eighties that the apologetic expression of this movement was born. I would argue there are two main events that facilitated the emergence of this movement. The first was the publishing of the book Bible, the Qur'ān and Science in 1976 written by Dr. Maurice Bucaille, and the second was the 1980s video This is The Truth produced by the Islamic scholar Abdul-Majeed al-Zindani. Dr Bucaille's book argued that there were no scientific errors in the Qur'ān and that the Bible was full of scientific inaccuracies. Dr. Bucaille's book became a best seller in the Muslim world and it was translated into many languages. Even Though The Book Has Faced Academic Criticism [2], It Is Still A Popular Read And Used As A Reference For Islamic Apologetics And Proselytisation. The Islamic Scholar Abdul-Majeed View al-Zindani, Founder Of The Commission On Scientific Signs In The Qur ' ān and Sunnah, produced a video entitled This is the Truth. Al-Zindani invited prominent Western academics to attend one of their conferences. During the conference al-Zindani claimed that a group of eminent non-Muslim scholars in several fields testified to the fact that there were scientific miracles in the Qur'ān. However, the Commission received criticism that it had spread out of context and misleading statements to justify its narrative. [3] Relatively recently an Atheist video blogger and commentator personally contacted some of the scientists who had attended the conference and conducted interviews with them. The interviews were recorded and uploaded on YouTube. The Scientists Of Trade shows All Interviewed He Claimed Their Statements That Had Been Taken Out Of Context, And That There Is Nothing About The Miraculous Scientific Statements In The Qur'ānic Discourse. [4] In Spite Of This, Millions Of Booklets Pamphlets And Have Been Printed that make the claim that there are scientific miracles in the Qur'ān, and countless non-Muslims have converted to Islam as a result. This growing movement has influenced academia too, for example an academic book published by Curzon entitled Qur'ān Translation: Discourse, Texture and Exegesis dedicates a few pages on the topic. [5] Famous popularisers such as Dr. Zakir Naik [6] and Yusuf Estes [7] have also used the scientific miracles narrative to verify the Divine nature of the Qur'ān. Due to this intense popularisation over the past few decades, there is now a growing counter movement that attempts to demystify the so-called scientific statements, and they seem to be more nuanced, with a growing popularity. A significant number of apostates from Islam (many of whom I have had private conversations with) cite the counter movement's work as a causal factor in deciding to leave the religion. Nevertheless, I do believe that apostasy is not entirely an intellectual decision but rather a spiritual and psychological problem. Can Include A This Lack Of Spiritual Connection With God And Disheartenment With Islam Unfortunate Due To Negative Experiences With The Muslims And The Muslim Community. Regrettably, The Scientific Miracles Narrative Has Become An Embarrassment For Intellectual Muslim Apologists, Including Myself. A few years ago I took some activists to Ireland to engage with the audience and speakers at the World Atheist Convention. Throughout the convention we had a stall outside the venue and as a result positively engaged with hundreds of atheists, including the popular atheist academics Professor PZ Myers and Professor Richard Dawkins. During our impromptu conversation with Professor Myers we ended up talking about God's existence and the Divine nature of the Qur'ān. The topic of embryology came up, and Professor Myers being an expert in the field challenged our narrative. He claimed that the Qur'ān did not predate modern scientific conclusions in the field. As a result of posting the video [8] of the engagement on-line we faced a huge intellectual backlash. We received innumerable amounts of emails by Muslims and non-Muslims. The Muslims were confused and had doubts, and the non-Muslims were bemused with the whole approach. Consequently, I decided to compile and write an extensive piece on the Qur'ān and embryology, with the intention to respond to popular and academic contentions. [9] During the process of writing I relied on students and scholars of Islamic thought to verify references and to provide feedback in areas where I had to rely on secondary and tertiary sources. Unfortunately they were not thorough and they seemed to have also relied on trusting other Muslim apologists. When the paper was published it was placed under a microscope by atheist activists. [10] Although they misrepresented some of the points, they raised some significant contentions. I have since removed the paper from my website. In retrospect if this never happened, I probably would not be writing this essay now. A Is All It Learning Curve And An Important Part Of Developing Intellectual Integrity. In Light Of This, This Essay Aims To Provide A Rational And Islamic Perspective On How To Understand The Scientific Verses In The Qur'ān. It is time more people from the Muslim community spoke out against this problematic approach to verifying the Divine nature of the Qur'ān. It has become an intellectual embarrassment for Muslim apologists and it has exposed the lack of coherence in the way they have formulated the argument. Significantly, many Muslims who converted to Islam due to the scientific miracles narrative, have left the religion due to encountering opposing arguments. This essay intends to explain how the scientific miracles narrative is problematic and incoherent, and it aims to bring to light a new approach on how to reconcile and discuss science in the Qur'ān. It must be noted that I am not asserting that the Qur'ān is inaccurate or wrong, or that there is nothing remarkable about the Qur'ānic statements eluding to natural phenomena. I am simply bringing to light the perilous nature of the claim that some Qur'ānic verses are miraculous due to their scientific content. This Reason For, I Am Offering A New Approach To The Topic That Is Nuanced And Bypasses The Intellectual Hurdles And Problems Faced By The Scientific Miracles Narrative. A Summary Of The Scientific Miracles Claim The Scientific Miracles Of The Qur'ān Are Expressed In Different Ways With The Same But Philosophical Implications. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Whom) Did Not Have Access To The Scientific Knowledge Mentioned In The Qur'ān, Therefore It Must Be From God. No One At The Time Of Revelation (7th Century) Had The Necessary To Access Equipment To Understand Or Verify The Scientific Knowledge In The Qur'ān, Therefore It Must Be From God. The Qur'ānic Verses Where Revealed At A Time Where Science Was Primitive And Could Have No Human Uttered The Truths Mentioned In The Qur'ān, Therefore It Must Be From God. There Are An Array Of Reasons Why Of The Above Expressions Of The Scientific Miracles Are Problematic And Incoherent. Include These, The Fallacy Of The Undistributed Middle Inaccurate History Teleology Of The Qur'ānic in Original Hebrew Scientism, The Problem Of Induction And Empiricism "Unscientific" in Original Hebrew Miracles, Simplicity And A Note On Qur'ānic Exegesis Each Of These Points Will Now Be Explained In Detail. 1. The Fallacy Of The Middle Undistributed The Science In The Qur'ān Claim Commits A Logical Fallacy Called The Fallacy Of The Undistributed Middle. This fallacy is where two different things are equated due to a common middle ground that is misused. A Generic Is Below Example: 1. As Are Cs Trade shows All 2. Are Cs Bs Trade shows All 3. As Are All Therefore Bs The Above Is In The Fallacy Conclusion. A And B Since The Common Share Category C, It Does Not Follow A That Is The Same As B. Another Example Includes: John Needs Oxygen To Survive My Dog Needs Oxygen To Survive Therefore John Is My Dog As Can Be Seen Above, The middle ground that is misused is oxygen. The First Two Although Premises Are True, And That Both John My Dog Need Oxygen To Survive, It Does Not Follow That John Is My Dog. Most Of The Science In The Qur'ān Arguments Commit This Type Of Fallacy. Is A Summary Below: A Description Of A Scientific Fact Uses A C A Description In The Qur'ān B Uses C Therefore, The Description In The Qur'ān The B Is A Description Of The Following Are Some Specific Examples: The Scientific Fact In embryology is the implantation of th

النتائج (الإنجليزية) 3:

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Download the PDF here Pre-release Draft 0.9.4 ~ 21 / 8 / 13 Fixed some typographical errors and amended the "Inaccurate History section



Since the eighties there has been a growing movement of Muslim academics and apologists using science to establish the miraculous and Divine nature of the Qur ā NIC discourse. On a grass roots level, Muslims across the world, especially in the West, try to articulate the veracity of Islam by using verses that allude to science as evidence for the Qur n s Divine authorship.