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Important information for Non-Muslims

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion ordained by Allah for all human-beings, then, one should pronounce the "Shahada", the testimony of faith, without further delay. The Holy Qur'an is explicit on this regard as Allah states:

"The Religion in the sight of Allah is Islam." (Qur'an 3:19)

In another verse of the Holy Qur'an, Allah states:

"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (Submission to Allah), Never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost."(Qur'an 3:85)

If a person does not pronounce the Shahada and enter Islaam, we cannot say that he is a Muslim, even if he admired Islaam and recognized that it the best religion, a great religion, and so on. Abu Taalib, the uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died a kaafir (non-Muslim), and Allaah forbade His Prophet to pray for forgiveness for him, even though he used to defend the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said in his poems: "I do know that the religion of Muhammad is better than all other religions of mankind; were it not for fear of blame or slander, you would find me accepting it completely."

From the editor


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Showing posts with label Ulum al Qur'an (Sciences of the Qur'an). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ulum al Qur'an (Sciences of the Qur'an). Show all posts

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

THE MIRACLE OF HORMONES



INTRODUCTION

Imagine the operations of a modern international company. Hundreds of thousands of highly qualified people gather under the one roof of this business organization, all working toward a common goal. This company has factories, production facilities, administrative centers, branch offices and subsidiaries throughout the world.

Imagine that the English branch of this company informs the head office in America of the demand trends of consumers in England; the management in America, taking account of the latest consumer expectations, sends a directive to the research and development department in Italy; the prototypes designed in Italy are submitted for public approval back in England. The prototypes that gain approval are produced in the Chinese factories of this international company, and a huge world wide advertising campaign is organized to introduce these new products . . .

The organization outlined above must have highly-ordered communication at every level. Administrators, engineers, workers, advertisers, marketing officials and many others must be in constant cooperation with one another. Success depends directly on communication. Otherwise, this company could not survive in today's rapidly changing and developing environment.

Now, imagine a much larger organization. The number of people that belong to this organization is far greater. Suppose that everyone in the world, about 6 billion people, works for this organization. Everyone has his own special job. Hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of people gather under the same roof to perform a common task. There is such a tight web of administration and information that every one of these 6 billion people is informed individually by means of a cellular phone as to what he or she has to do. For example, if one of these people is employed in a factory, he may sometimes be told to increase the speed of production, sometimes to slow it down, and sometimes to alter the product. Finally, imagine that an organized plan and communications system exist so that millions of people throughout the hundreds of thousands of different locations all over the world work according to this common plan.

Now, let's enlarge our example a little. Imagine that the population of the world is much greater than it is at present, but that our organization functions even more efficiently.


The communication and coordination of the many branches of an international company is very complicated. Directors, managers, engineers and advertisers have to be in touch with one another at all times. The communication network in the human body is millions of times more complex than that of the largest international company.

Suppose that the population is fifteen thousand times greater than it is today, that there are fifteen thousand other planets like this Earth and that the 6 billion people crowded onto each planet make up a total of 100 trillion people. Further suppose that this collection of human beings works together in perfect harmony, each individual being informed by cellular phone as to what he has to do.

This example is beyond our power to conceive, but is actually a simplified description of an existing organization, which operates every second throughout the whole world among the approximately 100 trillion cells that make up the human body.

As you are reading this, millions of operations are happening in your body. In these operations there is a calculation of the needs of every cell in every part of the body, and a determination of what function each cell must perform; measures are taken to respond to the requirements of the cells and each cell is informed individually as to what it must do.

For example, what allows you to read this book are your eye cells, and to nourish them, glucose is required. To respond to those needs, a system was established in your body that calculates how much sugar there is in your blood and that keeps the amount stable. There is a great plan, organized by the web of communication among the cells, that calculates how many times a minute your heart must beat, the level of calcium stored in your body, the amount of blood your kidneys filter and thousands of other such details. This system of chemical communication that ensures that the 100 trillion cells work in harmony with one another is called the hormone system.

The hormone system, together with the nervous system, ensures the coordination of the cells of the body. If we compare the nervous system to messages sent over the Internet, the hormone system can be compared to a letter sent by post: it is slower, but its effect lasts longer.

When we examine these systems that control the body, a fact becomes clear that most people are not aware of. Most people are convinced that they themselves control the direction of their lives. If you asked someone, "How much of your body do you control?" he would surely say, "All of it." But this answer contradicts the scientific facts.

A person is in control of a very limited part of his body, and even of that part his control is only partial. For example, he can use his body to walk, or to speak or he can use his hands to work, but deep within his body there are thousands of chemical and physical operations going on without his knowing about or willing them. Anyone who thinks that he is completely in charge of his own body (or his own life) is greatly mistaken.

To God belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call on Him by them and abandon those who desecrate His Names. They will be repaid
for what they did.
(Qur'an, 7: 180)

Another fact we will see when we examine the perfect communication system described in this book is this: An organism cannot possibly be formed by lifeless matter, on its own and by chance. Darwinists and materialists do not believe in God; they believe that ultimately living things were formed spontaneously and by chance out of lifeless matter. However, in the twentieth century thousands of discoveries were made concerning cells and the systems contained in them. It is now known that cells have a highly complex design. The communication between hormones and cells alone is enough to show what an extraordinary system exists in cells, and that they could not have been formed by chance.

This book has two aims: First, to show (with the support of scientific evidence) Darwinists and materialists who make chance their god that their philosophy is illogical and untenable. Second, to once again show those who believe in God, examples of the excellence of His creation, so that they may see the glory, power and sublimity of our Lord and exalt Him for His excellent works.

In the pages that follow, we shall examine the hormone system that controls the human body for the benefit of the human being and that is a manifestation of the wonder of creation, and we shall witness together the creative art of God.

CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE CELL



INTRODUCTION

The theory of evolution was put forward by the naturalist Charles Darwin in the middle of the 19th century, when the level of science and technology was rather primitive, compared with today's. Nineteenth-century scientists worked in relatively simple laboratories. With the very unsophisticated equipment available to them, scientists couldn't even see bacteria. Moreover, they were still under the influence of many false beliefs left over from the Middle Ages.

One of these misconceptions was that living organisms had a fundamentally simple structure—a belief that can be traced back to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who wrote that life could come about spontaneously and coincidentally, as a result of inorganic matter assembling itself in a moist environment.

In developing his theory, Darwin drew on the assumption that living things had only a simple structure. Other biologists who later adopted and defended Darwin's theory shared this same belief. For example, from the view of cells that 19th century microscopes provided, Ernst Haeckel, Darwin's greatest supporter in Germany, believed that a cell was a "simple little lump of albuminous combination of carbon," not much different from a piece of microscopic jello. (John Farley, The Spontaneous Generation Controversy from Descartes to Oparin, 2nd ed., Baltimore:The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1979, p. 73)

The theory of evolution was based upon this and other similar presumptions. Authors of the theory like Haeckel, Darwin, and Huxley believed that because life was made up of very simple structures, it could come about by itself, randomly. But they were wrong, of course.

During the past 150 years, from Victorian times until now, both science and technology have made enormous strides. Scientists have discovered the real structure of what Haeckel described as being a "simple little lump." They have been amazed to see that the cell is not remotely as simple as was once believed, but contains a number of unimaginably complex systems that could never have been conceived of, much less understood, in Darwin's day.

In explaining the structure of the cell, Professor Michael Denton, the famous molecular biologist, makes this analogy:

To grasp the reality of life as it has been revealed by molecular biology, we must magnify a cell a thousand million times until it is twenty kilometers in diameter and resembles a giant airship large enough to cover a great city like London or New York. What we would then see would be an object of unparalleled complexity and adaptive design. On the surface of the cell we would see millions of openings, like the port holes of a vast space ship, opening and closing to allow a continual stream of materials to flow in and out. If we were to enter one of these openings we would find ourselves in a world of supreme technology and bewildering complexity... (Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, London: Burnett Books, 1985, p. 328)

This book will introduce the miracles of creation in the living cell, a miniature masterpiece that possesses a much more complicated and wondrous system than a giant spaceship's. We will show how the organelles inside the cell, together with the enzymes, proteins and other substances that it produces, perform purposeful functions that could never be expected of them. We'll give examples of the literally trillions of cells to be found in the human body, each of which displays superhuman intelligence and wisdom. Once again, we remind ourselves how all of this cannot be merely an unconscious coincidence, but is a product of God.

Proofs of God's creation, and manifestations of His superior power, wisdom and artistry are everywhere. Wherever we turn, we come face to face with God's creations that move us to exalt Him with glorification.

One reason why this book concentrates on the cell in particular is once again to present the truth to those who deny God by claiming that life is only a result of coincidence. Living things are too complex, too infinitely detailed to have come about as the result of happenstance. It's clear that they were created by a superior Mind and Power. Also, this book aims to explain the superiority manifest in God's creation and to glorify Him thereby.

INTELLIGENT DESIGN, IN OTHER WORDS CREATION

In order to create, God has no need to design

It's important that the word "design" be properly understood. That God has created a flawless design does not mean that He first made a plan and then followed it. God, the Lord of the Earth and the heavens, needs no "designs" in order to create. God is exalted above all such deficiencies. His planning and creation take place at the same instant.

Whenever God wills a thing to come about, it is enough for Him just to say, "Be!" As verses of the Qur'an tell us: His command when He desires a thing is just to say to it, "Be!" and it is. (Qur'an, 36: 82)

[God is] the Originator of the heavens and Earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, "Be!" and it is. (Qur'an, 2: 117)

Friday, February 27, 2009

THE MIRACLE OF HUMAN CREATION



Synopsis: The essence of the human body, which is made up of 60-70 kilos of flesh and bone, was initially put together in a drop of water. There is no doubt that the creation of man, who is endowed with the faculties of thinking, hearing and seeing, and a highly complicated body structure, from a drop of water, comes about through an extraordinary course of development. This development certainly does not happen as the result of an idle process, and random coincidences, but is a conscious act of creation. This book is about the details of the "miracle in man's creation" which is repeated with every human being born into the world.










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THE MIRACLE IN THE ATOM



Synopsis: In a body that is made up of atoms, you breathe in air, eat food, and drink liquids that are all composed of atoms. Everything y ou see is nothing but the result of the collision of electrons of atoms with photons.

In this book, the implausibility of the spontaneous formation of an atom, the building-block of everything, living or non-living, is related and the flawless nature of Allah's creation is demonstrated.







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THE MIRACLE OF CREATION IN PLANTS (e-book)



Synopsis: 2">The purpose of this book is to display the miraculous features of plants and hence to make people see "the creation miracle" in things -they often encounter in the flow of their daily lives and sidestep.

This book opens new horizons on these issues for people who, throughout their lives, think only about their own needs and hence fail to see the evidence of Allah's existence. Reading and understanding this book will be an important step in coming to an understanding of one's Creator.






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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

THE MIRACULOUS MEASURE IN TIDES

Tides have such an effect that they can even change living conditions in some regions of the Earth. People, who resume their lives after the withdrawal of tides, arrange their entire lives according to tides. By the Will of Allah, oceans rise up to a certain level. This way, they never become a threat for local people.
Think of a water molecule in the ocean. This molecule is under the influence of the force of gravity. However, the Moon also exerts a weaker gravitational pull on this molecule. The distance between the Moon and the Earth and the Moon’s small mass are the principal causes of this weaker pull of the Moon. This force of gravity of the Moon is not only influential on this water molecule, but also on all objects on the Earth. Yet, because all objects are not fluid like liquids, there exists no apparent changes.
Every region of the Earth does not respond to this rise and fall of oceans at the same rate. That is because the Moon’s force of gravity changes from place to place; the distance between the Moon and the various points of the Earth is not the same. As a result of this effective force on oceans, the water rises towards a certain direction. As the Moon’s position in relation to the Earth and the Sun changes, this force diminishes and tidal regions occur where water withdraws.
The Sun’s gravitational pull also brings about a rise in the oceans. However, this force affects the Earth by a rate of 1/3.
Because the Moon is nearer to the Earth than the Sun, despite the Sun’s big mass, the Moon’s gravitational pull is two and a half times stronger than the Sun.
No doubt, a tide is only one of the systems in the universe that our All-Mighty Allah has created with flawless miracles. The sensitive balance in the tide is not limited to these. As the gravity of the Moon causes oceans to rise, with a second force, oceans are also pulled in the opposite direction of the Moon that is towards the Earth. While all of these occur , Earth continues to rotate around itselfs, so there are two tides happen everyday. The times of tides vary in each region as the position of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth changes. For instance in Northern
California, tides come in twice a day, while in the Mexican Gulf, it happens only once, in the form of just one rise and fall.
LIFE STORIES FROM TIDAL REGIONS
97% of the water that covers more than 70% of the Earth is oceans. According to data provided by the World Resources Institution (WRI), 40% of the world’s population lives on the coasts surrounding this water and from time to time, these people experience tsunamis, storms, or tides that come into existence with the rise and fall of water.
Especially at regions where natural events such as tides happen, with respect to the position of the Moon, local people take many precautions and develop various forms of living in order to survive.
Street Fishing
- In tidal regions, sometimes highways are built upon places where water recedes. However, when water comes back, these highways turn into areas where local people fish and very interesting scenes occur. This activity, which is called street fishing, is a way through which the All-
Mighty Allah offers food from the sea, one of His blessings, to people. In the Qur’an, our Lord states that He is the One Who bestows His blessings in the sea:
“It is He Who made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh flesh from it and bring out from it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships cleaving through it so that you can seek His bounty, and so that hopefully you will show thanks.” (Qur’an, 16: 71)
Horizontal Falls
The rapid movement of water also causes extraordinary situations such as falls that flow horizontally.
Flawless Design Well-Matched with Circumstances
Most of the fish living in tidal regions have a structure resistant to shallow and running water. While water recedes, they need to hide in small holes so that they are not drifted with the water. They can accomplish this by their thin structure and height smaller than 20 cm.
Fins of fish in tidal regions have the design most suitable for their living conditions. By the fins on their chests, they can hold onto rocks. Their skin, on the other hand, is created to resist the constant currents. Some of them have very few scales, whereas some have none. Instead, various fish secrete a mucus-like fluid that minimizes friction likely to happen during currents.
Aside from these flawless traits, fish living in tidal regions have an amazing ability of camouflage. Some species constantly change color where as some others, wherever they may be, can instantly gain the color and patterns matching the environment.
Another miracle of design in the bodies of fish living in tidal regions is the mechanism highly resistant to water loss. Thanks to this mechanism, even if they lose 60% of their body water, they can survive. The thick skin they have and the mucus they secrete, are the components of this mechanism slowing down the water loss.
The Miraculous Respiration in Air With Gills …
For fish living in tidal regions, one of the most important problems is the need for oxygen. Outside of water, gills do not function. But, their short and thick gill fibers can take the oxygen they need directly from the air by the blood vessels concentrating around their mouth and their skin.
For this reason, fish that remain in ponds can surface and thus meet their urgent oxygen needs.
Another miraculous trait of tidal fish is their ability to find their nest under every condition. Generally, most fish species choose a certain place and live there. However, if they leave this place for one reason or another, they can also turn back. Older fish have more of this talent.
Research has shown that fish kept in the laboratory for as long as 6 months could find their nests back when they were left at sea.
No doubt, living beings having body designs matching the conditions in tidal regions are only one of the evidences indicating that the All-Mighty Allah created them. The All-Knowing Allah reveals the evidence of His unique creation in every corner of the universe. Our Lord states in the Qur’an as follows:
“The Originator of the heavens and Earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is.” (Qur’an, 2:117)
What if the water recedes?
The answer to this question no doubt affects the lives of fish living in tidal regions. The design of fish living in tidal regions is perfectly adapted to the conditions in these areas. These extraordinary designs are only one of the obvious evidences of the fact that the All-Mighty Allah, Who created all the heavens and the Earth, creates them in this way.
Tidal regions where ocean water covers twice a day and then recedes offer very harsh conditions to the fish to survive. When water recedes, fish that survive under rocks, in puddles, and muddy areas, are generally well camouflaged by their colors matching with the ground. Besides, with the receding of water, they often become utterly unnoticeable, for they hide under rocks or in-between plants. Until recently, these fish were thought to be drifted to these regions with waves. However, recent research has revealed that they were created with designs appropriate to these tidal regions.
In Australia’s Carumba region, water rises up to 4.78 m. In Broadsound town, on the other hand, this rise reaches up to 8 m. However these figures are rather insignificant next to Australia’s highest figures, for in Derby, water rises up to an average of 11-12 m.
References:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/kingtide/gallery.htm
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/kids_space/earth_galore.html
http://www.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/kingtide/default.htm
http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~jwhoward/astro108/html/ lec3.HTM
http://www.redtide.whoi.edu/hab/rtphotos/99hkredtide.jpg

QUANTUM PHYSICS: THE DISCOVERY THAT SCIENTIFICALLY DEMOLISHED MATERIALISM

The quantum model of universe is an attempt to purge the Big Bang of its creationist implications. Supporters of this model base it on the observations of quantum (subatomic) physics. In quantum physics, it is to be observed that subatomic particles appear and disappear spontaneously in a vacuum. Interpreting this observation as matter can originate at quantum level, this is a property pertaining to matter, some physicists try to explain the origination of matter from non-existence during the creation of the universe as a property pertaining to matter and present it as a part of laws of nature. In this model, our universe is interpreted as a subatomic particle in a bigger one.

However this syllogism is definitely out of question and in any case cannot explain how the universe came into being. William Lane Craig, the author of The Big Bang: Theism and Atheism explains why:

A quantum mechanical vacuum spawning material particles is far from the ordinary idea of a "vacuum" (meaning nothing). Rather, a quantum vacuum is a sea of continually forming and dissolving particles, which borrow energy from the vacuum for their brief existence. This is not "nothing," and hence, material particles do not come into being out of nothing. 1

So in quantum physics, matter does not exist when it was not before. What happens is that ambient energy suddenly becomes matter and just as suddenly disappears becoming energy again. In short, there is no condition of existence from nothingness as is claimed.

According to Isaac Newton, light was a flow of a substance known as corpuscles. The basis of the traditional Newtonian physics—which was accepted until the discovery of quantum physics—was that light consisted entirely of a collection of particles. However, James Clerk Maxwell, a 19th century physicist, suggested that light demonstrated wave action. Quantum theory reconciled this greatest debate in physics.

In 1905, Albert Einstein claimed that light possessed quanta, or small packets of energy. These energy packets were given the name photons. Although described as particles, photons could be observed to behave in the wave motion proposed by Maxwell in the 1860s. Therefore, light was a transitional phenomenon between wave and particle 2 —a state of affairs that displayed a major contradiction in terms of Newtonian physics.

Immediately after Einstein, Max Planck, a German physicist, investigated light and astonished the entire scientific world by determining that it was both a wave and a particle. According to this idea, which he proposed under the name of quantum theory, energy was disseminated in the form of interrupted and discrete packets, rather than being straight and constant.

In a quantum event, light exhibited both particle-like and wave-like properties. The particle known as the photon was accompanied by a wave in space. In other words, light moved like a wave through space, but behaved as an active particle when it encountered an obstacle. To express it another way, it adopted the form of energy until encountering an obstacle, at which time it assumed the form of particles, as if it were composed of tiny material bodies reminiscent of grains of sand.

After Planck, this theory was further expanded by scientists such as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Louis de Broglie, Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, Paul Adrian Maurice Dirac and Wolfgang Pauli. Each was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discoveries.

About this new discovery regarding the nature of light, Amit Goswami says this:

When light is seen as a wave, it seems capable of being in two (or more) places at the same time, as when it passes through the slits of an umbrella and produces a diffraction pattern; when we catch it on a photographic film, however, it shows up discretely, spot by spot, like a beam of particles. So light must be both a wave and a particle. Paradoxical, isn’t it? At stake is one of the bulwarks of the old physics: unambiguous description in language. Also at stake is the idea of objectivity: Does the nature of light—what light is—depend on how we observe it? 3

Scientists now no longer believed that matter consists of inanimate, random particles. Quantum physics had no materialist significance, because there were non-material things at the essence of matter. While Einstein, Philipp Lenard and Arthur Holly Compton investigated the particle structure of light, Louis de Broglie began looking at its wave structure.

De Broglie’s discovery was an extraordinary one: In his research, he observed that sub-atomic particles also displayed wave-like properties. Particles such as the electron and proton also had wavelengths. In other words, inside the atom—which materialism described as absolute matter—there were non-material energy waves, contrary to materialist belief. Just like light, these minute particles inside the atom behaved like waves at times, and exhibited the properties of particles at others. Contrary to materialist expectations, the absolute matter in the atom could be detected at certain times, but disappeared at others.

This major discovery showed that what we imagine to be the real world were in fact shadows. Matter had completely departed from the realm of physics and was headed in the direction of metaphysics. 4

The physicist Richard Feynman described this interesting fact about sub-atomic particles and light:

Now we know how the electrons and light behave. But what can I call it? If I say they behave like particles I give the wrong impression; also if I say they behave like waves. They behave in their own inimitable way, which technically could be called a quantum mechanical way. They behave in a way that is like nothing that you have ever seen before. . . . An atom does not behave like a weight hanging on a spring and oscillating. Nor does it behave like a miniature representation of the solar system with little planets going around in orbits. Nor does it appear to be somewhat like a cloud or fog of some sort surrounding the nucleus. It behaves like nothing you have ever seen before.

There is one simplification at least. Electrons behave in this respect in exactly the same way as photons; they are both screwy, but in exactly the same way.

How they behave, therefore, takes a great deal of imagination to appreciate, because we are going to describe something which is different from anything you know about. . . . Nobody knows how it can be like that. 5

To sum up, quantum physicists say that the objective world is an illusion.6 Professor Hans-Peter Dürr, head of the Max Planck Institute of Physics, summarizes this fact:

Whatever matter is, it is not made of matter. 7

All the most celebrated physicists of the 1920s, everyone from Paul Dirac to Niles Bohr, and from Albert Einstein to Werner Heisenberg, sought to explain these results from quantum experiments. Eventually, one group of physicists at the Fifth Solvay Conference on Physics held in Brussels in 1927—Bohr, Max Born, Paul Dirac, Werner Heisenberg and Wolfgang Pauli—reached an agreement known as the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. It took this name from the place of work of the leader of the group, Bohr, who suggested that the physical reality proposed by quantum theory was the information we have regarding a system and the estimates we make on the basis of that information. In his view, these guesses made in our brains had nothing to do with the outside reality.

In short, our internal world had nothing to do with the outside real world that had been the main subject of interest of physicists from Aristotle to the present day. Physicists abandoned their old ideas regarding this view and agreed that quantum understanding represented only our knowledge of the physical system. The material world we can perceive exists solely as information in our brains. In other words, we can never obtain direct experience of matter in the outside world.

Jeffrey M. Schwartz, a neuroscientist and professor of psychiatry from University of California, described this conclusion emerging from the Copenhagen Interpretation:

As John Archibald cracked, “No phenomenon is a phenomenon until it is an observed phenomenon.” 9

In summary, quantum mechanics’ all conventional interpretations depend on the existence of a perceiving being. 10

Amit Goswami expanded on this insight:

Suppose we ask, Is the moon there when we are not looking at it? To the extent that the moon is ultimately a quantum object (being composed entirely of quantum objects), we must say no—so says physicist David Mermin. . . .

Perhaps the most important, and the most insidious, assumption that we absorb in our childhoods is that of the material world of objects existing out there—independent of subjects, who are the observers. There is circumstantial evidence in favor of such an assumption. Whenever we look at the moon, for example, we find the moon where we expect it along its classically calculated trajectory. Naturally we project that the moon is always there in space-time, even when we are not looking. Quantum physics says no. When we are not looking, the moon’s possibility wave spreads, albeit by a minuscule amount. When we look, the wave collapses instantly; thus the wave could not be in space-time. It makes more sense to adapt an idealist metaphysic assumption: There is no object in space-time without a conscious subject looking at it. 11

This, of course, applies to our perceptual world. The existence of the Moon is of course obvious in the outside world. But when we look at it, all we actually encounter is our own perception of the Moon.

Jeffrey M. Schwartz included these lines regarding the fact demonstrated by quantum physics in his book The Mind and the Brain:

The role of observation in quantum physics cannot be emphasized too strongly. In classical physics [Newtonian physics], observed systems have an existence independent of the mind that observes and probes them. In quantum physics, however, only through an act of observation does a physical quantity come to have an actual value. 12

Schwartz also summarized the views of various physicists on the subject:

As Jacob Bronowski wrote in The Ascent of Man,
“One aim of the physical sciences has been to give an exact picture of the material world. One achievement of physics in the twentieth century has been to prove that that aim is unattainable.” . . . Heisenberg said the concept of objective reality “has thus evaporated.“ Writing in 1958, he admitted that “the laws of nature which we formulate mathematically in quantum theory deal no longer with the particles themselves but with our knowledge of the elementary particles.” “It is wrong,” Bohr once said, “to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about nature.” 13

Fred Alan Wolf, one of the guest physicists in the documentary film “What the Bleep Do We Know?” described this same fact:

What makes up things are not more things. But what makes up things are ideas, concepts, information. . . . 14

Following the most fascinating and sensitive experiments that the human mind could devise over the course of 80 years, there are now no views opposed to quantum physics, which has been decisively and scientifically proven. No objections can even be suggested against the conclusions reached by the experiments performed. Quantum theory has been tested in hundreds of possible different ways devised by scientists. It has earned the Nobel Prize for a number of scientists, and is continuing to do so.

Matter, the most fundamental concept of Newtonian physics and once regarded unconditionally as the absolute truth, has been eliminated. Materialists, supporters of the old belief that matter was the sole and definitive building block of existence, were really confused by the fact of the lack of matter suggested by quantum physics. They now have to explain all the laws of physics within the sphere of metaphysics.
The shock that this inflicted on materialists in the early 20th century was far greater than can be expressed in these lines. But the quantum physicists Bryce DeWitt and Neill Graham describe it:

No development of modern science has had a more profound impact on human thinking than the advent of quantum theory. Wrenched out of centuries-old thought patterns, physicists of a generation ago found themselves compelled to embrace a new metaphysics. The distress which this reorientation caused continues to the present day. Basically physicists have suffered a severe loss; their hold on reality. 15

In conclusion, the truth disclosed by science is this: Matter and time have been brought into being by an independent possessor of immense power, by a Creator, Allah.

1. William Lane Craig, Cosmos and Creator, Origins & Design, Spring 1996, vol. 17, p. 20
2. George Gilder, http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleid.17078/article_detail.asp
3. Goswami, The Self-Aware Universe, p. 31
4. David Pratt, http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/science/prat-mat.htm
5. Richard Feynman, The Character of Physical Law, Modern Library Edition, New York, 1994, pp. 122-123.
6. Thomas J. McFarlane, “The Illusion of Materialism,” http://www.integralscience.org/materialism/materialism.html
7. Peter Russell, “The Primacy of Consciousness,” http://www.peterussell.com/SP/PrimConsc.html
8. Jeffrey M. Schwartz, Sharon Begley, The Mind and The Brain:Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force, Regan Books, 2003, pp. 272-273
9. Ibid. p. 274
10. Roger Penrose, The Road to Reality, Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, p. 1031
11. Goswami, The Self-Aware Universe, pp. 59-60.
12. Schwartz & Begley, The Mind and The Brain, p. 264
13. Ibid., p. 274
14. What the Bleep Do We Know?,” Documentary film directed by: William Arntz and Betsy Chasse, mns: 0.22.19-0.22.28
15. Nick Herbert, Elemental Mind: Human Consciousness and the New Physics

Friday, January 23, 2009

Islamic Science and Development history,In Quran View.

In the history of science, Islamic science refers to the science developed under Islamic civilization between the 8th and 15th centuries, during what is known as the Islamic Golden Age. It is also known as Arabic science since the majority of texts during this period were written in Arabic, the lingua franca of Islamic civilization. Despite these terms, not all scientists during this period were Muslim or Arab, as there were a number of notable non-Arab scientists (most notably Persians), as well as some non-Muslim scientists, who contributed to scientific studies in the Islamic world.

A number of modern scholars such as Fielding H. Garrison,Bertrand Russell, Abdus Salam and Hossein Nasr consider modern science and the scientific method to have been greatly influenced by Muslim scientists who introduced a modern empirical, experimental and quantitative approach to scientific inquiry. Some scholars, notably Donald Routledge Hill, Ahmad Y Hassan, Abdus Salam,and George Saliba, have referred to their achievements as a Muslim scientific revolution, though this does not contradict the traditional view of the Scientific Revolution which is still supported by most scholars

According to many historians, science in Islamic civilization flourished until the 14th century AD. At least some scholars blame this on the “rise of a clerical faction which froze this same science and withered its progress.” Examples of conflicts with prevailing interpretations of Islam and science - or at least the fruits of science - thereafter include the demolition of Taqi al-Din’s great Istanbul observatory of al-Din in Galata, “comparable in its technical equipment and its specialist personnel with that of his celebrated contemporary, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.” But while Brahe’s observatory “opened the way to a vast new development of astronomical science,” Taqi al-Din’s was demolished by a squad of Janissaries, “by order of the sultan, on the recommendation of the Chief Mufti,” sometime after 1577 AD.

It is believed that it was the empirical attitude of the Qur’an and Sunnah which inspired medieval Muslim scientists, in particular Alhazen (965-1037),to develop the scientific method. It is also known that certain advances made by medieval Muslim astronomers and mathematicians was motivated by problems presented in Islamic scripture, such as Al-Khwarizmi’s (c. 780-850) development of algebra in order to solve the Islamic inheritance laws, and developments in astronomy, spherical geometry and spherical trigonometry in order to determine the direction of the Qibla, the times of Salah prayers, and the dates of the Islamic calendar.

Other such examples include Ibn al-Nafis (1213-1288), who discovered the pulmonary circulation in 1242 and used his discovery as evidence for the orthodox Islamic doctrine of bodily resurrection. Ibn al-Nafis also used Islamic scripture as justification for his rejection of wine as self-medication. Ali Kusçu’s (1403-1474) support for the Earth’s rotation and his rejection of Aristotelian cosmology (which advocates a stationery Earth) was also motivated by religious opposition to Aristotle by orthodox Islamic theologians such as Al-Ghazali.Criticisms against alchemy and astrology were also motivated by religion, such as the views of astrologers conflicting with orthodox Islam.

Some rejected modern science as corrupt foreign thought, considering it incompatible with Islamic teachings, and in their view, the only remedy for the stagnancy of Islamic societies would be the strict following of Islamic teachings.
Other thinkers in the Muslim world saw science as the only source of real enlightenment and advocated the complete adoption of modern science. In their view, the only remedy for the stagnation of Muslim societies would be the mastery of modern science and the replacement of the religious worldview by the scientific worldview.
The majority of faithful Muslim scientists tried to adapt Islam to the findings of modern science; they can be categorized in the following subgroups: (a) Some Muslim thinkers attempted to justify modern science on religious grounds. Their motivation was to encourage Muslim societies to acquire modern knowledge and to safeguard their societies from the criticism of Orientalists and Muslim intellectuals. (b) Others tried to show that all important scientific discoveries had been predicted in the Qur’an and Islamic tradition and appealed to modern science to explain various aspects of faith. (c) Yet other scholars advocated a re-interpretation of Islam. In their view, one must try to construct a new theology that can establish a viable relation between Islam and modern science. The Indian scholar, Sayyid Ahmad Khan, sought a theology of nature through which one could re-interpret the basic principles of Islam in the light of modern science. (d) Then there were some Muslim scholars who believed that empirical science had reached the same conclusions that prophets had been advocating several thousand years ago. The revelation had only the privilege of prophecy.
Finally, some Muslim philosophers separated the findings of modern science from its philosophical attachments. Thus, while they praised the attempts of Western scientists for the discovery of the secrets of nature, they warned against various empiricist and materialistic interpretations of scientific findings. Scientific knowledge can reveal certain aspects of the physical world, but it should not be identified with the alpha and omega of knowledge. Rather, it has to be integrated into a metaphysical framework—consistent with the Muslim worldview—in which higher levels of knowledge are recognized and the role of science in bringing us closer to God is fulfilled.

Islam and the development of science

Whether Islamic culture has promoted or hindered scientific advancement is disputed. Islamists such as Sayyid Qutb argue that since “Islam appointed” Muslims “as representatives of God and made them responsible for learning all the sciences,science cannot but prosper in a society of true Muslims. Many “classical and modern

the history of Islamic science

the history of Islamic sciencethe history of Islamic science,CREATION STORY,400 years old historical mosque at Hyderabad

sources agree that the Qur’an condones, even encourages the acquisition of science and scientific knowledge, and urges humans to reflect on the natural phenomena as signs of God’s creation.” Some scientific instruments produced in classical times in the Islamic world were inscribed with Qur’anic citations. Many Muslims agree that doing science is an act of religious merit, even a collective duty of the Muslim community

Others say traditional interpretations of Islam are not compatible with the development of science. Author Rodney Stark, explains Islam’s lag behind the West in scientific advancement after (roughly) 1500 AD to opposition by traditional ulema to efforts to formulate systematic explanation of natural phenomenon with “natural laws.” They believed such laws were blasphemous because they limit “Allah’s freedom to act” as He wishes. This principle was enshired in aya 14:4: “Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth whom He will,” which (they believed) applied to all of creation not just humanity.

In the early twentieth century ulema forbade the learning of foreign languages and dissection of human bodies in the medical school in Iran. The ulama at the Islamic university of Al-Azhar in Cairo taught the Ptolemaic astronomical system (in which the sun circles the earth) until compelled to adopt the Copernican system by the Egyptian government in 1961.

In recent years, the lagging of the Muslim world in science is manifest in the disproportionately small amount of scientific output as measured by citations of articles published in internationally circulating science journals, annual expenditures on research and development, and numbers of research scientists and engineers.[44] Skepticism of science among some Muslims is reflected in issues such as resistance in Muslim northern Nigeria to polio inoculation, which some believe is “an imaginary thing created in the West or it is a ploy to get us to submit to this evil agenda.

Qur’an and Science

The belief that Qur’an had prophesied scientific theories and discoveries has become a strong and wide-spread belief in the contemporary Islamic world; these prophecies are often provided as a proof of the divine origin of the Qur’an.

The scientific facts claimed to be in the Qur’an exist in different subjects, including creation, astronomy, the animal and vegetables kingdom, and human reproduction.

“a time is fixed for every prophecy; you will come to know in time” ([Qur'an 6:67]). Islamic scholar Zaghloul El-Naggar thinks that this verse refers to the scientific facts in the Qur’an that would be discovered by the world in modern time, centuries after the revelation.

This believe is, however, arguable in the Muslim world, while some support it, other Muslim scholars oppose the believe, claiming that the Qur’an is not a book of science; al-Biruni, one of the most celebrated Muslim scientists of the classical period, assigned to the Qur’an a separate and autonomous realm of its own and held that the Qur’an “does not interfere in the business of science nor does it infringe on the realm of science. These scholars argued for the possibility of multiple scientific explanation of the natural phenomena, and refused to subordinate the Qur’an to an ever-changing science.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Relationship between Islam & Science

Muslims who explore the sciences often ponder on how to relate their scientific understanding to their religious beliefs. Some Muslims feel it necessary to justify their scientific findings by demonstrating that those findings are specifically sanctioned by scripture, and go so far as to cast doubt upon the veracity of their scientific findings if they cannot do so. Others take the opposite approach, and try to reinterpret the Qur’ân and Sunnah to demonstrates that the scientific conclusions they already accept are found therein.

Neither of these two approaches is satisfactory. A third, more balanced, approach would be to determine the extent to which a proposed scientific theory is compatible with Islamic teachings, without requiring the ideas of science to be interpreted into the sacred texts or vice versa.

Muslims students of psychology, when confronted in their studies with the theory known as Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, quite often react according to one the two unsatisfactory approaches mentioned above. Some of them reject the theory as contrary to Islamic teachings. Others try to find the theory within the sacred texts. Therefore, we wish to use this theory as a practical basis to explore how Muslims might generally approach various scientific theories.

A Summary of Kohlberg’s Theory

Kohlberg’s theory holds that moral reasoning has developmental stages. The theory simply states that human beings show a consistent pattern in how their moral awareness develops. He proposes six stages, grouped into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional.

The stages of moral development proposed by Kohlberg can be very briefly summarized as follows:

Level 1 (Pre-Conventional)

Though especially common in children, this level of moral reasoning can be exhibited by adults. At these two stages, the morality of an action is determined by the direct consequences of the action.

1. Obedience and punishment orientation: At this stage, only direct personal consequences are understood. The perspectives and needs of others is not recognized

2. Self-interest orientation: At this stage, consideration is given to one’s own best interests. The perspectives and needs of others are considered only to the extent that one’s own interests can be furthered.

Level 2 (Conventional)

This level is typical of adolescents and many adults. At this level, moral reasoning entails adhering to external social conventions.

3. Interpersonal accord and conformity: At this stage, a person considers the approval of others. This is often referred to as “good boy / good girl” morality, whereby a person tries to live up to the expectations of others.

4. Authority and social-order maintaining orientation: At this stage, the person is concerned with obedience to laws and social conventions in order to preserve a functioning society. The focus is on notions of duty and on the good of society as a whole.

Level 3 (Post-Conventional)

This level, according to Kohlberg, is not reached by the majority of adults. At this level, moral principles and individual moral conviction are the determining factors.

5. Social contract orientation: At this stage, social welfare and social good become the focus.

6. Universal ethical principles: At this stage, universal moral principles and the individual’s conscience are the focus.

This is a very brief summary of Kohlberg’s proposed stages of moral development.

Some Muslim students have been critical of this theory in that it dares to discuss moral development at all. They see morality as the domain of faith and not something that can be subjected to scientific scrutiny. They also criticize some of the types of moral conclusions Kohlberg suggests people can arrive at when reaching levels five and six, conclusions that clearly show Kohlberg’s cultural biases, but that, in all fairness, are presented by him more by way of example than to outline the basic premise of his theory.

Other students have been tempted to demonstrate that the sacred texts preceded Kohlberg in advancing similar ideas, citing the different levels of the “self” mentioned in the Qur’ân.

We shall now turn our attention to what Islam says about moral consciousness.

Islam & Levels of Moral Reasoning

The basic idea of there being various levels to moral reasoning, in and of itself, is not objectionable from an Islamic perspective. The Qur’ân speaks about people having different levels of moral awareness. There is the wrongfully disposed spirit (al-nafs al-ammârah bil-sû’) mentioned in Sûrah Yûsuf: 53], the self-reproaching spirit (al-nafs al-lawwâmah) mentioned in Sûrah al-Qiyâmah: 2, and the morally contented spirit (al-nafs al-mutma’innah) mentioned in Sûrah al-Fajr: 27]

The first of these – the wrongfully disposed spirit – is one easily enticed to wrongdoing. It is not inherently evil, but uninhibited and self-indulgent.

The second – the self-reproaching spirit – is one that has moral inhibition, whether or not it acts upon it. It is morally aware and feels guilt at the commission of wrongdoing. Its moral conscience has the potential to hold its base desires in check.

The third – the morally contented spirit – is at peace and harmony with its moral existence. There is no conflict between its inner desires and motivations and the dictates of its moral conscience. For it, virtue is its own reward.

However, it will not be right for us to try to use these concepts in the Qur’ân to try and prove or disprove Kohlberg’s theory. That would be reading into the texts far more that what the texts indicate, and that is a great disservice to the Qur’ân. We do not need to try to fit in these three concepts with Kohlberg’s levels of moral development. Such an attempt is unnecessary. The Qur’ân is not a psychology textbook. It is a book teaching us how to relate to our Lord. It is concerned with achieving our moral development, not with dissecting the “nuts and bolts” of it.

These brief references in the Qur’ân simply do not come in the context of dissecting the nature of morality. They come in the broader context of moral exhortation.

Science, on the other hand, seeks to observe the world and derive knowledge from what it observes. This is what Kohlberg is trying to do. His conclusions are based on observing people to determine how their moral development takes place. His theory must either stand or fail, in the same manner as any other scientific theory, on the basis of how well it holds up in the face of further observations, experimentation, and research. Its predictions will either be in agreement with the data or in disagreement with it.

A Closer Look at Islamic Law

Islam brings a set of teachings that are suitable for all people, regardless of their moral maturity. Islamic Law recognizes that all people are not on the same level. It accommodates them all and encompasses their needs in its legislations.

Take Islamic criminal law, for instance. It provides harsh punishments for those who commit crimes. Notably, it provides the option of retribution (qisâs) in cases of murder to the victim’s family.

On the most basic level, this acts as a deterrent for murder, since a person knows that he can be killed for it. A person will seek to avoid this negative consequence.

On another level, it operates to satisfy the sense of justice of the bereaved. In Islam, contrary to what some people suppose, there is no capital punishment for murder. Retribution is a legal option open to the victim’s family and carried out by the courts’ according to the family’s instructions. They have three choices.

1. They can demand that the state executes the murderer on their behalf.

2. They can opt instead for a payment of blood money from the murderer.

3. They can forgive the murderer.

By giving the bereaved the option of retribution, they feel that justice is being done. This confers benefits to society by giving this justice a controlled, legal outlet that prevents the development of blood feuds and vigilante justice spreading throughout society. Allah says: “In the law of equity (qisâs) there is (saving of) life, O people of understanding, that perchance you may restrain yourselves.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 179]

However, the option of forgiveness is open to the victim’s family.

Forgiveness in this world, however, does not imply forgiveness in the Hereafter. A person is not only deterred by the threat of physical of pecuniary punishments. He is, first and foremost, accountable before his Lord.

Ultimately, the believer is brought to realize that murder is inherently wrong and unjust, because all human life is sacred. Allah says: “On that account, We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person – unless it be for murder or spreading havoc in the land – then it will be as if he slew the whole of humanity. And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he had saved the lives of all humanity.” [Sûrah al-Mâ’idah: 32]

With respect to worship, we can take a look at the example of our formal prayers. These are prescribed for in the manner and times of their performance. Allah says: “For such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 103]

With respect to children, it is enjoined upon parents to get them into the habit of praying, even with the threat of physical punishment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Instruct your children to pray when they become seven years old. At the age of ten, beat them if they do not perform it and separate between them when they go to sleep.” [Sunan Abî Dâwûd and Musnad Ahmad, and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albânî]

It might seem odd that a matter of devotion is to be handled in this manner. However, the children in question are not considered by Islamic Law to be morally or legally accountable in any event. What is desired at this time is for the parents to instill within them the importance of prayer and get them into the habit of praying for their future benefit, when these prayers will be required from them as legally and morally accountable adults.

Prayer is required from us by Allah. There are rewards promised us for our benefit in the Hereafter for performing prayers and punishments that we become worthy of in the Hereafter for neglecting them.

Moreover, prayer is something virtuous in its own right. It is pleasing and beloved to Allah. When performed with sincerity and devotion, it confers important spiritual benefits for those who engage in it. Allah says: “Indeed prayer restrains from indecency and evil. And the remembrance of Allah is the greatest thing, and Allah knows what you do.” [Sûrah al-`Ankabût: 45]

We can also see this described beautifully in the following hadîth where the Prophet (peace be upon him) says, conveying to us Allah’s words: “My servant cannot draw near to me with anything better than with what I have commanded him to do. Then my servant continues to draw near to me with voluntary worship until I love him. And when I love him, I become his hearing that he hears with, his sight that he sees with, his hand that he clasps with, and his foot by which he walks.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6502)]

The rewards of our prayers are commensurate with our sincerity and devotion in performing them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) speaks about this when he says: “A worshipper will complete his prayer without having written to his credit save a tenth of it, or a ninth, or an eighth, or a seventh, or a sixth, or a fifth, or a fouirth, or a third, or a half.” [Sunan Abî Dâwûd (796) and Musnad Ahmad (12136)]

A believer understands that Allah, our Creator and Sustainer, deserves to be worshipped. Prayer becomes for such believers a most beloved act, The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The coolness of my eyes is in prayer.”

Rewards and punishments at this point are no longer the primary motivational factors. A believer wants to pray to Allah because of his devotion, his gratitude, and love for his Lord and because doing so it is inherently right and good.

When Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) occupied himself in voluntary prayer, he would stand for such a long time that his feet became swollen. `A’ishah asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Do you do this in spite of the fact that your earlier and later sins have been pardoned for you?” Thereupon, he replied: “O `A’'ishah! Should I not, then, be a grateful servant?” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (1103) and Sahîh Muslim (2820)]

Even at the highest level of faith and moral development that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had attained, he still prayed his five obligatory prayers at their proper times. He still prayed in the manner prescribed for the believers by Allah.

Islam is, for everyone, surrender and submission to Allah’s will in all matters. A person may be at a level of faith and moral cognizance where his motivation for this surrender is more on the level of rewards and punishments in the Hereafter. He may attain a higher level, where he understands that Allah deserves our submission to him. He may be at the level that he realizes such submission the One who Created him and who knows all things is goodness and virtue itself and needs no other motivation. However, his submission only differs in its totality, its comprehensiveness, and in his motivations. The Law, the form of prayers, and all other such matters remain the same. Islam is comprehensive of the needs of all people.

In Islam, we recognize that there is really no distinction between the idea that “It is good because Allah says so” and the idea that “Allah says so because it is good”.

Indeed, these are two ways of looking at the same phenomenon. Allah created all things. He created us and the universe in which we live. He invested everything with its nature. Therefore, He knows what is best for everything and everyone and what is cognizant with that nature. Allah says: “Should He not know – He who created? And He is the Knower of the subtleties, the Aware.” [Sûrah al-Mulk: 14]

Therefore, when Allah decrees something, then with certainty that which He decrees is going to realize what is best for His Creation. Whether we accept His law as good because we define good and evil as “whatever Allah says is good or evil” or because we realize from our faith in Allah’s all-encompassing knowledge and perfection that Allah’s determination of what is good and evil is necessary in conformity with what is inherently good and evil, in the final outcome, we will arrive at the same result

In all of the preceding discussion, we have merely been able to show that the notion of stages of moral development as part of our study of how the human mind develops and works is not incompatible with Islamic teachings. This does not amount to an endorsement or criticism of Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory. Islamic research can assess the compatibility of Islamic teachings with the propositions of a scientific theory. It cannot determine the accuracy of the scientific conclusions that are reached. We should leave that task to the scientists. Kohlberg’s theories must either thrive or fail under the scrutiny of further scientific research.

And Allah knows best.

The Distinction between Pure and Applied Science

Pure scientific conclusions about the workings of the human mind, conclusions drawn from observation, experimentation, and study, are matters that belong squarely in the domain of science, just like our knowledge of physics, chemistry, astronomy, and biology. None of these should be confused with religious teachings. Muslims should not use purely scientific conclusions to validate their beliefs or look into their faith to validate their scientific conclusions.

Applied science – which entails how scientific knowledge should be used – is another matter. This deals with the actions of legally accountable people and falls under the authority of Islamic moral teachings.

In biology, for example, whether or not it is possible to clone a human being is not a question that affects our faith. Either it is scientifically possible or it is not. However, whether we should actually go ahead and make human clones is a question full of moral implications that Muslims have to resolve in light of Islamic teachings.

The same can be said with respect to pure and applied psychology. There are conclusions based on observation and experimentation. These conclusions ultimately must stand or fall on the basis of scientific evidence. Applied psychology is another matter. A Muslim must approach the application of psychology in accordance with Islamic Law. A Muslim psychologist, for instance, cannot recommend to his patient a treatment that requires the patient to engage in what Allah has made unlawful.

Words of Advice

We need Muslims working in the field of psychology. This is critical, because though psychology is a science and a very valuable one, it is more prone than other sciences to being confused and corrupted by people’s personal beliefs, values, and subjective judgments. Often, people working in this field blur the line between scientific conclusions and personal values. One of the tasks of Muslim psychologists is to separate between the two.

At the same time, Muslim studying or working in this field needs to honor that distinction between what is science and what is not. A Muslim must resist the temptation to blur that line. It would be serving neither the field of psychology nor Islamic Studies by trying to use the conclusions of one of these fields to prove or validate the other. That is what leads to confusion and misinterpretation.

These days, people are too often tempted to misinterpret the Qur'an in order to uphold scientific findings they endorse or to reject scientific findings that they are uncomfortable with. This is a dangerous trend.

And Allah knows best.

ALLAH'S ARTISTRY IN COLOUR

Have you ever thought what it would be like to live in a world without colour? Free yourself for a moment from your experience, forget all that you've learned and start using your imagination. Try to visualise your body, the people around you, the seas, the sky, trees, flowers, in short everything in black. Imagine that there is no colour around you. You would never want to live in such a world, would you?

A colourless world would normally be thought of as having only black, white and shades of grey. However, black, white and shades of grey are also colours. In this respect, it is difficult to imagine colourlessness.

Try, just for a second, to imagine that all of a sudden, everything loses its colour. In such a situation, everything would mix with everything else and it would become impossible to distinguish one object from another. It would become impossible to see, for example, an orange, red strawberries or colourful flowers on a brown wooden table, for neither would the colour of the orange be orange, nor that of the table brown, nor that of the strawberries red. For a person, it would be quite annoying to live, even for a short time, in such a colourless world, which is even difficult to describe.

Colour has a crucial role in man's communication with the outside world, in the proper functioning of his memory, and in his brain's fulfilment of its learning functions. This is because humans can develop appropriate connections between events and places, people and objects only through their external appearances and colours. Neither hearing nor touch alone suffice to define objects.

Identifying objects and our surroundings are not the only benefits from the diversity of colours. The perfect harmony of colour in nature gives the human soul great pleasure. In order to see this harmony and derive pleasure from every detail of it, man has been equipped with a pair of eyes, which have a very special design. In the world of animate beings, human eyes are the most functional and can perceive colours in their smallest details, so much so that the human eye is sensitive to millions of colours. Evidently, the visual apparatus in humans that works so perfectly has been specially designed to see a world full of colour.

The only being on earth that can understand the existence of such an order in the universe is man because he has the power to reflect and reason. Hence, in the light of all the foregoing, we conclude the following:

Every detail, pattern and colour in the heavens and the earth have been created for humans to acknowledge and so to appreciate this order and reflect on it. The colours in nature have been arranged in such a manner as to appeal to the human soul. Perfect symmetry and harmony prevail within colour, both in the worlds of animate and inanimate beings. This situation will certainly evoke some questions in the mind of someone who reflects, such as:

What makes the earth colourful? How do the colours, which make our world so extraordinarily beautiful, come into being? To whom belong the design of the diverse colours and the harmony between them?

Is it possible to say that whatever exists might have come into existence by purposeless changes brought about by a chain of coincidence?
Certainly, no one would claim such an absurdity. Uncontrolled coincidences cannot create anything, let alone billions of colours. Just observe the wings of a butterfly or colourful flowers of any kind, each of which looks like a wonder of art. It is surely impossible for sound reason to attribute all these to unconscious processes.

We can have a better understanding of this fact if we take an example. When one sees a painting depicting trees and flowers in nature, one would not claim nor even think that the harmony of colour, the organised patterns and the conscious design in this painting could have come into existence by coincidence. If someone came along and said, "the paint boxes were overturned by the wind, mixed, and with the effect of rain etc., and after a long period of time this beautiful painting was formed", it is certain that nobody would take him seriously. There is a very interesting situation here. Although nobody would attempt to put forward such an unreasonable claim, some people can nevertheless claim that the perfect colouring and symmetry of nature came about by such an unconscious process. Nevertheless, evolutionists produce theses that it is the workings of coincidence to explain this subject and they produce various researches. They do not hesitate to put forward baseless claims on the issue.

This is obvious blindness, with which it is difficult to come to terms. Still, someone who escapes from this blindness through exercising his faculty of thought will understand that he actually lives in an extremely miraculous environment on the earth. He would also fully acknowledge that such an environment furnished with the most appropriate conditions for the survival of humankind could not have come into existence by chance.

Just as a man who reflects, acknowledges the moment he looks at a painting that it has a painter, so will he understand that the multi-coloured, harmonious and extremely picturesque environment around him also has a Creator.

This Creator is Allah, Who has no partner in creation, Who creates everything in full harmony, and Who placed us in this world overflowing with numerous beautiful things embellished with millions of colours. All the things Allah creates are in perfect harmony with each other. Allah describes the uniqueness of His artistry in creation in the Qur'an as follows:

He Who created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look again-do you see any gaps? Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you dazzled and exhausted! (Surat al-Mulk: 3-4)

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THE MIRACLE OF IRON

Iron is one of the elements highlighted in the Qur'an. In Surat al-Hadid, meaning Iron, we are informed:

And We also sent down iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind… (Qur’an, 57:25)

The word “anzalna,” translated as "sent down" and used for iron in the verse, could be thought of having a metaphorical meaning to explain that iron has been given to benefit people. But, when we take into consideration the literal meaning of the word, which is, "being physically sent down from the sky," as in the case of rain and Sun rays, we realize that this verse implies a very significant scientific miracle. Because, modern astronomical findings have disclosed that the iron found in our world has come from giant stars in outer space. 1

Not only the iron on earth, but also the iron in the entire Solar System, comes from outer space, since the temperature in the Sun is inadequate for the formation of iron. The sun has a surface temperature of 6,000 degrees Celsius, and a core temperature of approximately 20 million degrees. Iron can only be produced in much larger stars than the Sun, where the temperature reaches a few hundred million degrees. When the amount of iron exceeds a certain level in a star, the star can no longer accommodate it, and it eventually explodes in what is called a "nova" or a "supernova." These explosions make it possible for iron to be given off into space. 2

One scientific source provides the following information on this subject:

There is also evidence for older supernova events: Enhanced levels of iron-60 in deep-sea sediments have been interpreted as indications that a supernova explosion occurred within 90 light-years of the sun about 5 million years ago. Iron-60 is a radioactive isotope of iron, formed in supernova explosions, which decays with a half life of 1.5 million years. An enhanced presence of this isotope in a geologic layer indicates the recent nucleosynthesis of elements nearby in space and their subsequent transport to the earth (perhaps as part of dust grains). 3

All this shows that iron did not form on the Earth, but was carried from Supernovas, and was "sent down," as stated in the verse. It is clear that this fact could not have been known in the 7th century, when the Qur'an was revealed. Nevertheless, this fact is related in the Qur’an, the Word of Allah, Who encompasses all things in His infinite knowledge.

Astronomy has also revealed that other elements also formed outside the Earth. In the expression “We also sent down iron” in the verse, the word “also” may well be referring to that idea. However, the fact that the verse specifically mentions iron is quite astounding, considering that these discoveries were made at the end of the 20th century. In his book Nature’s Destiny, the well-known microbiologist Michael Denton emphasizes the importance of iron:

Of all the metals there is none more essential to life than iron. It is the accumulation of iron in the center of a star which triggers a supernova explosion and the subsequent scattering of the vital atoms of life throughout the cosmos. It was the drawing by gravity of iron atoms to the center of the primeval earth that generated the heat which caused the initial chemical differentiation of the earth, the outgassing of the early atmosphere, and ultimately the formation of the hydrosphere. It is molten iron in the center of the earth which, acting like a gigantic dynamo, generates the earth’s magnetic field, which in turn creates the Van Allen radiation belts that shield the earth’s surface from destructive high-energy-penetrating cosmic radiation and preserve the crucial ozone layer from cosmic ray destruction…
Without the iron atom, there would be no carbon-based life in the cosmos; no supernovae, no heating of the primitive earth, no atmosphere or hydrosphere. There would be no protective magnetic field, no Van Allen radiation belts, no ozone layer, no metal to make hemoglobin [in human blood], no metal to tame the reactivity of oxygen, and no oxidative metabolism.
The intriguing and intimate relationship between life and iron, between the red color of blood and the dying of some distant star, not only indicates the relevance of metals to biology but also the biocentricity of the cosmos… 4

This account clearly indicates the importance of the iron atom. The fact that particular attention is drawn to iron in the Qur’an also emphasises the importance of the element. In addition, there is another hidden truth in the Qur’an which draws attention to the importance of iron: Surat al-Hadid 25, which refers to iron, contains two rather interesting mathematical codes.

“Al- Hadid” is the 57th sura in the Qur’an. The abjad of the word “Al-Hadid” in Arabic, when the numerological values of its letters are added up, is also 57.

The numerological value of the word “hadid” alone is 26. And 26 is the atomic number of iron.

Moreover, iron oxide particles were used in a cancer treatment in recent months and positive developments were observed. A team led by Dr. Andreas Jordan, at the world famous Charité Hospital in Germany, succeeded in destroying cancer cells with this new technique developed for the treatment of cancer—magnetic fluid hyperthermia (high temperature magnetic liquid). As a result of this technique, first performed on the 26-year-old Nikolaus H., no new cancer cells were observed in the patient in the following three months.

This method of treatment can be summarised as follows:
1. A liquid containing iron oxide particles is injected into the tumour by means of a special syringe. These particles spread throughout the tumour cells. This liquid consists of thousands of millions of particles, 1,000 times smaller than the red blood corpuscles, of iron oxide in 1 cm3 that can easily flow through all blood vessels. 5
2. The patient is then placed in a machine with a powerful magnetic field.
3. This magnetic field, applied externally, begins to set the iron particles in the tumour in motion. During this time the temperature in the tumour containing the iron oxide particles rises by up to 45 degrees.
4. In a few minutes the cancer cells, unable to protect themselves from the heat, are either weakened or destroyed. The tumour may then be completely eradicated with subsequent chemotherapy. 6

In this treatment it is only the cancer cells that are affected by the magnetic field, since only they contain the iron oxide particles. The spread of this technique is a major development in the treatment of this potentially lethal disease. In the treatment of such a widespread disease as cancer, the use of the expression “iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind” (Qur’an, 57:25) in the Qur’an is particularly noteworthy. Indeed, in that verse, the Qur’an may be indicating the benefits of iron for human health. (Allah knows best.)


1- Dr. Mazhar U. Kazi, 130 Evident Miracles in the Qur'an (New York, USA: Crescent Publishing House: 1998), 110-111; and www.wamy.co.uk/announcements3.html, from Prof. Zighloul Raghib El-Naggar’s speech
2- Ibid.
3- Priscilla Frisch, “The Galactic Environment of the Sun,” American Scientist, January-February 2000, www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/21173?fulltext=true.
4- Michael J. Denton, Nature’s Destiny (The Free Press: 1998), 198.
5- www.inm-gmbh.de/cgi-bin/frame/frameloader.pl?sprache=en&url=http://www.inm-gmbh.de/htdocs/technologien/highlights/highlights_en.htm.
6- "Nanotechnology successfully helps cancer therapies," IIC Fast Track, Nanotech News from Eastern Germany, Industrial Investment Council, October 2003; www.iic.de/uploads/media/NANO_FT_Nov2003_01.pdf

THE SCIENTIFIC WORLD IS TURNING TO GOD

"As people have certainly been influenced by me, I want to try and correct the enormous damage I may have done." (Anthony Flew)
The newspapers these days are echoing with these regret-filled words by Anthony Flew, in his time a well-known atheist philosopher. The 81-year-old British professor of philosophy Flew chose to become an atheist at the age of 15, and first made a name for himself in the academic field with a paper published in 1950. In the 54 years that followed, he defended atheism as a teacher at the universities of Oxford, Aberdeen, Keele and Reading, at many American and Canadian universities he visited, in debates, books, lecture halls and articles. In recent days, however, Flew has announced that he has abandoned this error and accepts that the universe was created.
The decisive factor in this radical change of view is the clear and definitive evidence revealed by science on the subject of creation. Flew realised, in the face of the information-based complexity of life, that the true origin of life is intelligent design and that the atheism he had espoused for 66 years was a discredited philosophy.
Flew announced the scientific reasons underlying this change in belief in these terms:
"Biologists' investigation of DNA has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce [life], that intelligence must have been involved." (1)
"It has become inordinately difficult even to begin to think about constructing a naturalistic theory of the evolution of that first reproducing organism." (2)
"I have been persuaded that it is simply out of the question that the first living matter evolved out of dead matter and then developed into an extraordinarily complicated creature." (3)
The DNA research which Flew cites as a fundamental reason for his change of opinion has indeed revealed striking facts about creation. The helix shape of the DNA molecule, its possession of the genetic code, the nucleotide strings that refute blind chance, the storage of encyclopaedic quantities of information and many other striking findings have revealed that the structure and functions of this molecule were arranged for life with a special design. Comments by scientists concerned with DNA research bear witness to this fact.
Francis Crick, for instance, one of the scientists who revealed the helix shape of DNA admitted in the face of the findings regarding DNA that the origin of life indicated a miracle:
An honest man, armed with all the knowledge available to us now, could only state that in some sense, the origin of life appears at the moment to be almost a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have had to have been satisfied to get it going. (4)
Based on his calculations, Led Adleman of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles has stated that one gram of DNA can store as much information as a trillion compact discs. (5) Gene Myers, a scientist employed on the Human Genome Project, has said the following in the face of the miraculous arrangements he witnessed:
"What really astounds me is the architecture of life… The system is extremely complex. It's like it was designed… There's a huge intelligence there." (6)
The most striking fact about DNA is that the existence of the coded genetic information can definitely not be explained in terms of matter and energy or natural laws. Dr. Werner Gitt, a professor at the German Federal Institute of Physics and Technology, has said this on the subject:
A code system is always the result of a mental process… It should be emphasized that matter as such is unable to generate any code. All experiences indicate that a thinking being voluntarily exercising his own free will, cognition, and creativity, is required… There is no known natural law through which matter can give rise to information, neither is any physical process or material phenomenon known that can do this. (7)
Creationist scientists and philosophers played a major role in Flew's acceptance of intelligent design, backed up by all these findings. In recent times Flew participated in debates with scientists and philosophers who were proponents of creation, and exchanged ideas with them.
The final turning point in that process was a discussion organised by the Institute for Metascientific Research in Texas in May, 2003. Flew participated together with author Roy Abraham Varghese, Israeli physicist and molecular biologist Gerald Schroeder, and Roman Catholic philosopher John Haldane. Flew was impressed by the weight of the scientific evidence in favour of creation and by the convincing nature of his opponents' arguments, and abandoned atheism as an idea in the period following that discussion. In a letter he wrote for the August-September, 2003, edition of the British magazine Philosophy Now, he recommended Schroeder's book "The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth" and Varghese's book "The Wonderful World."(8) During an interview with the professor of philosophy and theology Gary R. Habermas, who also played a major role in his change of mind (9), and also on the video "Has Science Discovered God?," he openly stated that he believed in intelligent design.
The "Intelligence Pervading the Universe" and the Collapse of Atheism
In the face of all the scientific developments outlined above, the acceptance of intelligent design by Antony Flew, famous for defending atheism for many years, reflects a final scene in the process of collapse being undergone by atheism. Modern science has revealed the existence of an "intelligence pervading the universe," thus leaving atheism out of the equation.
In his book "The Hidden Face of God," Gerald Schroeder, one of the creationist scientists who influenced Flew, writes:
"A single consciousness, a universal wisdom, pervades the universe. The discoveries of science, those that search the quantum nature of subatomic matter, have moved us to the brink of a startling realization: all existence is the expression of this wisdom. In the laboratories we experience it as information that first physically articulated as energy and then condensed into the form of matter. Every particle, every being, from atom to human, appears to represent a level of information, of wisdom." (10)
Scientific research into both the functioning of the cell and the subatomic particles of matter has revealed this fact in an indisputable manner:
Life and the universe were brought into being from nothing by the will of an entity possessed of a superior mind and wisdom. There is no doubt that the possessor of that knowledge and mind that pervade the universe at all levels is Almighty Allah. Allah reveals this truth in the Qur'an:
Both East and West belong to Allah, so wherever you turn, the Face of Allah is there. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (Qur'an, 2:115)

___________________________________________
i Richard N. Ostling, "Lifelong atheist changes mind about divine creator," The Washington Times 10 December 2004; http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041209-113212-2782r.htm
2- Antony Flew, "Letter from Antony Flew on Darwinism and Theology," Philosophy Now; http://www.philosophynow.org/issue47/47flew.htm
3- Stuart Wavell and Will Iredale, "Sorry, says atheist-in-chief, I do believe in God after all," The Sunday Times, 12 December 2004; http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1400368,00.html
4- Francis Crick, Life Itself: Its Origin and Nature, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1981, p. 88
5- John Whitfield, "Physicists plunder life's tool chest", 24 April 2003; http://www.nature.com/nsu/030421/030421-6.html
6- San Francisco Chronicle, 19 February, 2001
7- Werner Gitt, In the Beginning Was Information, CLV, Bielenfeld, Germany, pp. 64-7, 79
8- Antony Flew, "Letter from Antony Flew on Darwinism and Theology," Philosophy Now; http://www.philosophynow.org/issue47/47flew.htm
9- "Atheist Becomes Theist: Exclusive Interview with Former Atheist Antony Flew;" http://www.biola.edu/antonyflew/index.cfm
10- Gerald Schroeder, The Hidden Face of God, Touchstone, New York, 2001, p. xi

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