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LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA
The library, which was established by
Ptolemy I, was burnt down about 600 years
Introduction before Muslims entered Egypt. There was no
This book is a translation1 of Maghze trace of scientific books of Coptic scholars in
Mutafakkir Jehan Shia, the famous Persian book, that country at the time of the Imam. Philip K.
which has been published four times in Tehran, Hitti has described the burning of that library in
Iran. The Persian book is itself a translation from The History of The Arabs:
a French thesis published by The Research “The story that by the order of the Caliph,
Committee of Strasbourg, France, about the Amr, for six months fed numerous bath furnaces
contribution of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) to of the city with volumes of Alexandrian Library
science, philosophy, literature etc. is one of those tales that makes good fiction but
Members of the Research committee have bad history. The great Ptolemic library was burnt
done a wonderful job and deserve thanks and as early as 48 BC by Julius Caesar. A later one
gratitude from all those who love the Imam referred to as the Daughter Library, was
(a.s.). However, I cannot help commenting that destroyed about AD 389 as a result of an edict
when the learned scholars, who were engaged by Emperor Theodosius. At the time of the Arab
in research, failed to find worldly sources of conquest, therefore, no library of any
Imam’s knowledge, they indulged in wild importance existed in Alexandria. 2
speculations and guesswork and were even COPTIC SCHOLARS OF EGYPT
guilty of misrepresenting historical facts to Macedonian General, Ptolemy I, had
prove that Imam Muhammad al-Baqir and Ja’far become Pharaoh, with a court that spoke Greek.
as-Sadiq (a.s.) had acquired their knowledge He established a museum and a library in
through the following sources: Alexandria. During the reign of the first two
1. The Great Library of Alexandria. Ptolemies, the two institutions proved to be of
2. Coptic Scholars of Egypt. great help in spreading knowledge, but even
3. Books of Greek Philosophers. before they were burnt and destroyed by the
4. Persian Physicians. Romans, they had ceased to serve any useful
purpose. When the Arabs conquered Egypt, the
1 2
This is the revised version of Kaukab Ali Mirza’s History of the Arabs by Philip K. Hitti, 4th. Edition,
translation. Macmillan & Co. Limited, London p. 166.
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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country was under total darkness. There was no Syria, Iran and Iraq, are recorded in history.
lamp and no light that could have illuminated Many of them had become converts to Islam.
the Muslim world. H.G. Wells has described the However, we do not find the name of a
state of affairs in Alexandria, after the first two single Coptic scholar in the list of these
Ptolemies, in the following words: luminaries. Learned members of the Committee,
“For a generation or so during the reigns of who researched the life of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq
Ptolemy I, and Ptolemy II, there was such a (a.s.), did not and could not mention a single
blaze of knowledge and discovery at Alexandria Coptic scholar who might have come to Medina
as the world was not to see again until the to educate the Muslims.
sixteenth century A.D. but it did not continue. If there were any Coptic scholars in Egypt
The Museum produced little good work after the they would have gone to Baghdad, which was
first century of activity.” 3 nearer to Alexandria and was the seat of the
“So it was this blaze of intellectual government, where they could have gained
enterprise never reached beyond a small circle favor of the caliph, won fame, and made a
of people in touch with the philosophers fortune. They would not have made a long and
collected by the first two Ptolemies. arduous trek to Medina to give lessons to the
It was like the light in a dark lantern, which Imams (a.s.) in astronomy, geography, physics
is shut off from the world at large. Within, the and chemistry with no hope of recovering their
blaze may be blindingly bright, but expenses. Moreover, by doing so they would
nevertheless, it is unseen. Presently a darkness have definitely incurred the wrath of the people
of bigotry fell upon Alexandria. Thereafter, for a in power who were hostile to the Imams (a.s.).
thousand years of darkness, the seed that There was also the language problem. It
Aristotle had sown lay hidden. Then it stirred would have been very difficult for Coptic
and began to germinate.” 4 scholars to translate into Arabic what they had
The name of the Christian, Jewish, Sabean, learnt in Greek, when there were no equivalent
and Zoroastrian scholars, who made scientific and technical terms in Arabic. Even up
contributions to the intellectual awakening and to the time of Ma’mun, who was giving gold
progress of the Arabs after the conquest of equal to the weight of Greek books, which were
translated into Arabic, there were few scholars
3
in the Muslim world, who could do the job, take
A Short History of the World by H.G. Wells, Watts & Co,
that rich reward, earn fame and get a lucrative
London, England, p. 97.
4
A Short History of the World by H.G. Wells, p.98 post in the Translation Bureau of the Caliph.
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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Since there were no scholars who were which had lured the people to bring books to
proficient in Greek as well as in Arabic Baghdad. 5
languages, most of the Greek works were first Al-Mansur dispatched emissaries as far as
translated into Syriac, an old language of Syria, Constantinople to Emperor Leo, in quest of
by the scholars, who knew Greek as well as Greek works, and is reported to have received
Syriac. Then they were translated from Syriac from the Byzantine emperor a number of books
into Arabic by young Syriac knowing scholars including Euclid.6
who had also studied Arabic. The difficult Al-Hajjaj Ibne Yusuf Ibne Matar (169-216
passages in the original were translated word A.H) is credited with making the first translation
for word. Where no Arabic equivalent was of the Elements of Euclid and one of the first of
known, the Greek terms were simply Almagest of Ptolemy. But these translations had
transliterated with some adaptations. not been done properly and had to be revised or
BOOKS OF GREEK PHILOSOPHERS retranslated during the caliphates of ar-Rashid
Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) had attacked and al-Mamun.
the theories of Ptolemy and Aristotle, when he One of the pioneer Greek translator was
was a student in the Academy of his father, Abu-Yayha ibn al-Batriq (179-189 A.H.). He is
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.), who died in reported to have translated major works of
A.H. 114, when the Umayyads were in power. No Galen and Hippocrates for al-Mansur. He is also
scientific, mathematical, or philosophical books said to have translated Ptolemy’s
7
were received or translated in that period. The Quadripartitum.
work of collection and translation of books Translation work was done sporadically for
began when al-Mansur assumed the caliphate in al-Mansur and ar-Rashid. In A.H. 213 al-Mamun
A.H. 136. In the year 154 of the Hijra, six years established his Bayt-al-Hikma, which was a
after the death of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) an combination of Library, Academy and
Indian traveler introduced a treatise on Translation Bureau. He appointed Hunayn ibn-
astronomy in Baghdad, which was translated Ishaq as the Superintendent of the Bayt-al-
into Arabic by Muhammad Ibne Ibrahim on the Hikma. As the chief translator of scientific works
order of al-Mansur. The same traveler he was assisted by his son, Ishaq, his nephew
introduced another treatise on Mathematics by Hubaysh ibn al-Hasan and many other students.
means of which the numerals, which are called 5
History of the Arabs by Hitti, p.307.
Arabic numerals, entered the Muslims world. It 6
Ibid. 310.
was the temptation of a handsome reward, 7
Ibid. p. 311
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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Since most of the translators were Aramaic could go and learn the science of medicine. If
(Syriac) speaking, many of the Greek works, someone wanted to work as a physician, he had
were translated first into Aramaic (Syriac) to serve for decades as an apprentice under an
before their rendition into Arabic. In many cases experienced physician. Medical knowledge could
Hunayn did the initial translation from Greek not be acquired simply by reading books, since
into Syriac and his colleagues took the second they were not available.
step and translated them from Syriac into Iran made little contribution to the world of
Arabic. Aristotle’s Hermeneutica, for instance, science, medicine and philosophy. Only one
was first done from Greek into Syriac by the book of astronomy is reported to have been
father and then from Syriac into Arabic by the translated from Pahlavi into Arabic in A.H. 198
son, Ishaq, who had studied Arabic. He is by al-Fadl ibn Nawbakht, the chief librarian of ar-
credited with translating the works of Galen, Rashid. Ibn al-Muqaffa translated the famous
Hippocrates and Dioscorides as well as Plato’s book of fables, Kalilah and Dimna, from Pahlavi
Republic, Aristotle’s Categories, Physics and into Arabic.
Magna Moralia. 8 “Except in the arts of belle-letters Persia
Another famous group of translators was did not have much that was original to
Thabit ibn Qurrah (219-284 A.H) and his contribute. The aesthetic temperament of
disciples, who were mostly Sabeans from Iranian population was a sorely needed element
Harran. in the cultural life of Semitic Arabians. Next to
They were star-worshippers and as such the artistic, the literary, rather than scientific or
were interested in astronomy and mathematics. philosophical was the influence most clearly felt
Most probably they studied those subjects from from Persia. 9
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) or his students. Thabit and Jundi Shahpur in Iran was noted for its
his disciples are credited with translating Greek Academy of Medicine, which was established by
mathematical and astronomical works including Anusharwan in 555 A.D. According to some
those of Archimedes. He also revised the historians, the Greek system of medicine was
previous translation of Euclid. being taught in that institute, but the language
PERSIAN PHYSICIANS of instruction was Aramaic (Syriac). In A.D. 765
In those days there were no colleges in Caliph al-Mansur appointed Jurjis ibn-Bakhtishu,
many places like Jundi Shahpur, where students the dean of the hospital, as his court physician.
8 9
History of the Arabs by Hitti, p. 312 History of the Arabs by Hitti, p. 308.
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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Abbasid caliphs, who were patrons of the Imam Muhammad al-Baqir and Ja’far as-
Academy, could not find a single book on Sadiq (a.s.) knew that the Muslim world would
philosophy, medicine or any scientific subject be flooded with books of the philosophers of
which was considered suitable for translation Greece and Alexandria and that the Muslims
into Arabic. would blindly accept everything they had
Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) did not serve as written as Gospel truth. Thus, many of their
an apprentice under any Persian physician; and false and fallacious theories would catch their
he could not have obtained and studied the imagination, corrupt their minds, and keep them
books on medicine, written in Pahlavi script under total darkness for centuries, which is
during the pre-Islamic period. It is, therefore, actually what happened. For example, the
preposterous to presume that he had learned theory of Ptolemy that the earth is the center of
the science of medicine from the Iranians. universe and the sun, the planets and the stars
The above facts conclusively prove the rotate around it was generally accepted by the
contention of the Shias that their Imams had Muslims as correct.
supernatural knowledge (Ilm-e-Ladunni). Said Ali The two Imams explained to their students,
Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.): who were to spread their teachings among the
“You should know that the knowledge, Muslims, the theories of those philosophers,
which came from heaven for Adam and every pointed out their mistakes and presented their
kind of knowledge which adorned all the own correct theories. Similarly they taught them
prophets of God including Prophet Muhammad physics, chemistry, geography, etc, prior to the
(May Allah bestow His Blessings upon him and translation of these subjects from Indian, Greek
his progeny) is with his descendants.” 10 and Persian into Arabic. Because they were the
Aristotle, the teacher of Alexander, was Imam’s (representatives of Allah on earth) they
well- known to the Arabs. They called him had the knowledge of the theories of Greek
Muellim (the teacher). They must also have philosophers and others. There can be no other
become familiar with the names of Ptolemy, explanation.
Socrates, Plato and other philosophers of INTELLECTUAL AWAKENING OF THE
Greece and Alexandria, but they did not know MUSLIMS
what they had written and what they had said. The momentous intellectual awakening of
Muslims witnessed in the second century of the
Hijra was not due to Hellenic or other foreign
10
Tasdir-e-Wur’an, by Abul Hasan Ali Ibrahim Qommi. influences, as some Western historians have
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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recorded. It was the result of untiring and with its annex for his harems, slave girls,
ceaseless efforts by the members of the eunuchs and functionaries occupied one third of
Prophet’s family, who worked hard under hostile the city of Baghdad. He was more interested in
conditions and made great sacrifices to bring frivolous pastimes, belly dancers and drinking
about that golden age of knowledge. wine than in science and literature.
It is an irony of fate that bloodthirsty Bani “Like a magnet the princely munificence of
Abbas, who were never interested in knowledge, Harun, the beau ideal of Islamic kingship, and of
took the credit for the intellectual awakening of his immediate successors attracted to the
Muslims. The standard of morality, knowledge capital, poets, wits, musicians, singers, dancers,
and intelligence of as-Saffah, al-Mansur and trainers of fighting dogs and cocks and others,
other members of that tribe can be judged by who could amuse, interest and entertain.”11
the heinous and horrid acts of savagery they The bayat (oath of allegiance) to as-Saffah,
perpetrated. They murdered in cold blood the first Abbasid caliph, was taken in A.H. 132.
thousands of innocent Muslims, men, women He spent most of his time killing people and
and children. They feasted merrily amid consolidating his position. He died in A.H. 136
moaning and groaning of their guests, whom and was succeeded by his brother, al-Mansur.
they had invited and then cut into pieces. They When things settled down, al-Mansur
exhumed the dead bodies of Umayyad caliphs found, to his great consternation, that if Bani
from the graves, flogged them and burned Abbas had built an empire on the dead bodies of
them. the Muslims, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) had
Among all the Abbasid caliphs, only al- built a greater and more lasting empire in the
Mamun was interested in knowledge. The rest of hearts and minds of the Muslims. If the name of
them were interested in accumulation of wealth, al-Mansur was recited from every pulpit in
a luxurious life, worldly pleasures and Friday Sermons, the name of the Imam (a.s.)
satisfaction of their carnal desires. was also mentioned everywhere in the Muslim
Historians and storytellers have placed a world. The teachers and preachers of every sect
halo of glory and grandeur around the head of of Islam used to say, “Qala al-Alim”, meaning
Harun. He was nothing but a tyrant and a ‘the Knowledgeable (Imam) said’, to prove the
despot. He slaughtered the whole tribe of authenticity of the traditions they quoted.
Barmakids simply because his vizier, Ja’far had
children from his sister, Abbasa. They were
legally married by the caliph himself. His palace 11
History of the Arabs, by Hitti p. 303.
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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Muslims had great love and respect for the influence from among the Muslims. They loved
Imam (a.s.), because he descended from their him for his ancestry, his piety and his
Prophet (s.a.) and because he was the most knowledge. Moreover, he had taught and
pious and learned man in the Muslim world. trained 4,000 to 12,000 students, who were
This made al-Mansur jealous. He was also spreading knowledge among the masses. Some
suspicious of the sincere efforts of the Imam of them were great scholars of Qur’an, Tafsir,
(a.s.) to spread knowledge among Muslims. Islamic jurisprudence, history and literature and
AL-MANSUR CLOSES MEDINA ACADEMY some were great physicists, chemists,
It is reported on the authority of Mufazzal astronomers and mathematicians.
bin Umar that al-Mansur wanted to kill Imam Since al-Mansur could not find in the
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.). He called him many times Muslim world anyone who could rival the Imam
with this intent, but when he saw him, he was in physics, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics
filled with fear and could not carry out his and other sciences, he spent large sums of
vicious plan. Instead, he placed the Imam (a.s.) money and imported books from different
under house arrest. For a long time, the countries on scientific subjects. They were
followers of Imam (a.s.) were not allowed to see translated into Arabic, and taught in schools and
him and he was not permitted to see them. This colleges. Gradually the names of Socrates,
put the Shias under great hardship. They could Plato, Aristotle, and Ptolemy became household
not consult their Imam (a.s.), even on such words and their scientific and philosophical
matters as marriage, divorce, and etc. 12 theories captured the imagination and
After the death of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq dominated the thoughts of Muslims for
(a.s.), no Imam was allowed to live permanently centuries. The scheme proved so successful that
in Medina and spread knowledge among in the course of time, Muslims totally forgot
Muslims. They were exiled to Basra, Baghdad, about the scientific achievements of the Imam
Samarrah or Marv, where they were either held (a.s.) and important discoveries made by him.
in prison or placed under house arrest.
It was easy for al-Mansur to close the Kaukab Ali Mirza
Academy of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) by
putting him under house arrest or by killing him,
but it was very difficult to eradicate his
12
Managib Shahr Ashub, vol. vi, p. 238.
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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descendant of Abu Bakr, was also an The courtyard of that house, which was
educated lady. probably planned by his great grandfather, Ali
4. His father and mother started teaching him ibn Abi Talib (a.s.), was spacious and provided a
when he was only two years of age. good playground for children. After finishing his
As a rule, children whose fathers and lessons Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) used to play with
grandfathers are learned persons, have better his friends there.
chances of becoming learned than those who There are different reports as to when he
come from ordinary families. The father and started attending classes, which were run by his
grandfather of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) were great father. Some say that it was at the age of 3
scholars. His grandfather, Ali ibn Husain, had years, and others say at the age of 5. One of the
written a number of books whose names have Muslim historians of North Africa, Muhammad
been mentioned by Ibn Nadim in his book, Al- Abu Bakr, well known as Ibn Abi Rindega, who
Fehrist, although there is no trace of them was born in 451 of the Hijra and died in 520
today. Hijra has written in his book, Ikhtisar, that Ja’far
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) had many brothers as-Sadiq (a.s.) started attending classes when
and sisters. His parents educated them all, but he was ten years old. This report seems to be
they paid special attention to him from the time quite logical. Before that time he did not attend
he was 2 years old, because of his supernatural any classes. Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) taught
intelligence and wonderful memory. him at home.
The old family house of Ja’far as-Sadiq
(a.s.), which was on one side of the mosque of
the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and where his great
grandfather, Husain ibn Ali, was born, was
demolished at the time of the expansion of the
mosque. From the money that was received
from the public treasury in compensation, a plot
of land was purchased by the side of newly
constructed road, called Musqa and a house was
built there. That house, just like all the new
houses of Medina, was constructed by Iranian
architects.
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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language. It was not Ptolemy but astronomers Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s.) remarked that those
from other nations, who saw the figures of two movements were not compatible. When the
different objects in these haphazard groups of sun had to pass through the sign of the zodiac
stars and gave them the names of these in one year and stay in each constellation for 30
objects. days how could it change its course and go
In the middle of the globe was belt of 12 round the earth in 24 hours?
groups of stars, from Aries to Pisces, Muhammad bin Fatah said, “The sun leaves
representing the signs of the Zodiac. The sun, the belt of 12 constellations at night and rises in
moon and the planets, which were believed to the east and sets in the west in order to create
rotate round the earth, were also clearly shown day and night.”
on this globe. Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) retorted, “It follows
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was only 11 years of from what you say that only in the daytime the
age when this representation of the heavenly sun is in the sign of the zodiac. If this is the case
bodies was brought to Medina from Egypt. The why do we not see the sun at night?”
day he saw the globe he rejected the theory of Muhammad bin Fatah replied, “I do not know
Ptolemy. He said that when the sun, during its why we do not see the sun at night. Most
course round the earth, passes through the 12 probably it casts a thick veil one its face.”
constellations in one year and remains in each Some people might say that it is not a
constellation for 30 days why does it disappear strange thing that the people of Medina did not
from sight during the night. It should remain pay attention to what Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) had
visible in each constellation for 30 days. said when in the 17th Century A.D. the people of
This was a very strong objection by a boy England did not pay any attention to Newton’s
of 11 years of age. But without understanding discovery. But there is a vast difference between
the logic of it, Muhammad bin Fatah, who had the two. The common people of England in the
brought the present from Egypt, replied, 17th century A.D. were illiterate and to them a
“Ptolemy says that the sun has two movements. scientific discovery was of no significance, but
One of its movements is that it crosses the sign the people, who attended the classes of
of the zodiac and goes round the earth in one Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) were learned people.
year and the other movement is that it goes They should not have behaved the way they
round the earth in one night and one day, as a did. They should have discussed the problem
result of which we see it rise in the east and set with Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), accepted his
in the west. arguments or rejected them by means of logic
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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and reason, then tried to find out the case of the the name of Torquemada. He extracted their
interchange of day and night themselves. The confession by force and then punished them.
level of their intelligence and understanding
was so low that they did not understand his
objection and the strength of his arguments.
They treated him like a child and ignored his
objections.
It is a fact that after the age of seven,
children become very inquisitive and want to
know everything. Sometime they ask so many
questions that their parents get irritated. If they
do not receive satisfactory replies they go on
asking questions. It can be said that because of
his age, the objections of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.)
were not taken seriously. Anyway, it is doubtful
that they would have been taken seriously even
if a grown-up person raised them.
In the middle of the 15th century A.D.
Copernicus had said the same thing that Ja’far
as-Sadiq (a.s.) had said in the 8th century A.D.,
but no one accepted his views. He was fortunate
that Poland, where he lived, was not under the
jurisdiction of the Court of Inquisition when he
published his theory of rotation of the earth and
planets round the sun. This was the same
organization which had forced Galileo to repent
and beg for mercy for having said that the earth
rotated round the sun. If he had been in
Germany, France, Spain or Italy, he would have
been arrested. At that time the Grand Inquisitor
was a very cruel and narrow-minded person by
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Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) said, “I shall see Walid said, “If you accept, I can offer to
him against my will. I do not want you to be in you a big estate inside the city of Medina or
trouble for our sake.” outside, wherever you like, so that you may
Omar asked, “Can I tell him that you will enjoy it as long as you live and after your death
see him tomorrow?” it may pass on to your children.”
“Yes, you can”, replied Muhammad al-Baqir Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) replied, “My
(a.s.). farm produces enough food, which is sufficient
When Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) arrived, for our needs. As regards my children, they will
Walid stood up to receive him. He seated him in work and earn their living themselves.”
front of him as if he was his equal in status. The After that short discussion Muhammad al-
Arabs paid great respect to the direct Baqir (a.s.) got up, bade farewell to Walid and
descendants of tribal chiefs. Muhammad al- left.
Baqir (a.s.) was a direct descendant of the chief The main object of Walid to visit Medina
of the tribe of Bani Hashim. Besides, he was a was to see how his orders to expand the
great scholar. For that reason also Walid had to mosque were being carried out. He saw and
respect him. Most of the Umayyad caliphs were approved the work of expansion of the
not interested in knowledge and learning, yet courtyard. Then he entered that part of the
they always made a show of their love and mosque where Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) was
respect for the learned people. holding his classes. His son, Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.)
When two persons have nothing to discuss was also there.
they talk about some trifling things, such as the When Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) saw Walid
weather, crops etc. Walid asked Muhammad al- he stopped his lecture, the caliph requested him
Baqir (a.s.) about the condition of the harvest. to continue. That day he was teaching
In that year, there was heavy rainfall and the geography and astronomy to his students. Walid
farmers hoped to reap a bumper crop. had no knowledge of the subjects. He stood for
Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) gave him a some time and listened to his lecture and then
cursory reply. he asked, “What are you teaching?”
Walid asked him about his personal “I am teaching geography and astronomy,”
property and how much it was worth. replied Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.).
Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) said that he had “What do you discuss in these subjects?”
a small farm, the produce of which was enough asked Walid.
for the needs of his family.
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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“In these subjects, I teach my students Walid, who was very surprised, asked Ja’far
about the earth, sun, moon and the stars,” as-Sadiq (a.s.), “Do you know who was Sahib ul-
replied Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.). Sawwak?”
When Walid saw Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) in the “Abdullah bin Masud, who performed
class, he asked the Governor of Medina, “What certain duties assigned to him by my
is this small boy doing here?” grandfather, the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s.), was
“He is the son of Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) known by that name,” replied Ja’far as-Sadiq
and is one of his students,” replied Omar bin (a.s.).
Abdul Aziz. Walid exclaimed, “Bravo, Bravo”, many
“What can this boy get out of these times. Turning to Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) he
lectures?” remarked Walid. remarked, “Your son will be a great scholar.”
“Do not judge him by his age. He is more Walid bin Abdul Malik was not wrong. Ja’far
learned than any of the students here,” replied as-Sadiq (a.s.) emerged not only as a great
Omar bin Abdul Aziz. scholar, but the greatest scholar of his time.
As desired by him Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) Sahib ibad, who died in the year 385 of the
went to Walid, who looked at him carefully and Hijra and was buried in Isphahan, has written
remarked, “He is still a child; how can he study that after Prophet Muhammad (May Allah
in this class?” bestow His Blessings upon him and his progeny)
“Test him and find out for yourself,” said Islam did not produce a scholar greater than
Omar bin Abdul Aziz. Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.).
“What is your name?” asked the Caliph.
“My name is Ja’far,” replied Ja’far as-Sadiq
(a.s.).
Walid asked, “Can you tell me who
formulated the rules of Logic?”
“It was Aristotle. His students had given
that name to him,” replied Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.)
without any hesitation. The caliph than asked,
“Can you tell me who was Sahib ul-Maz?” Ja’far
as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “It is not the name of any
person. It is the name of a group of stars called
Orion.”
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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the cornerstone of physics. No scholar discovered that air is not an element. Shias
expressed his doubts in its accuracy. Yet a boy believe that he made those discoveries because
of 12 years of age from Medina raised questions he was an Imam and had Ilm Ladunni (divine
and proved that it was wrong. knowledge).
When Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) grew up and Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has said that there are
started teaching in his Institute, he proved that many elements in the air and that all of them
Water, Air and Fire were also not elements. One are essential for breathing. After Lavoisier
thousand and one hundred years before the separated oxygen and demonstrated that this is
scientists of Europe discovered that air was not the element in the air which supports life,
an element and separated its constituents, scientists thought that other elements play no
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said that air is not an part in breathing. It was quite contrary to what
element, but a mixture of many elements. Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) had said. In the middle of
By sound judgement and reasoning it could the nineteenth century scientists had to change
be accepted that Earth is not an element, but it their views about the part played by other
was not possible to believe that air is not an elements in breathing.
element. All eminent scientists after Aristotle, By that time it was proved that although
including the scientists of Europe of the 18th oxygen purifies blood it also burns combustible
century, which was the golden age of science, materials, which come in contact with it. If living
believed that air was an element. It was only beings breathe pure oxygen for a long time their
after Lavoisier separated oxygen from the air breathing organs would be oxidized. Oxygen
and demonstrated the important role it plays in does not normally damage them because it is
breathing and combustion that they accepted mixed with other gases.
that it is not an element.15 Presence of gases that are in very minute
In 1794, Lavoisier, the father of modern quantities in the air is also essential for
chemistry, was beheaded by the sharp knife of breathing. Ozone, which has the same chemical
the guillotine. Had he been allowed to live, he properties as oxygen, plays a very important
would have made many other important role in breathing. It fixes oxygen in the blood.
discoveries. Without the presence of ozone, oxygen cannot
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was one thousand and purify blood and will fail to perform its function.
one hundred year ahead of his time when he Oxygen being the heaviest of all other
15 gases in the air would have settled at the
The History of Science, by Spangenburg & Moser Vol. 2,
pg. 61 bottom and covered the surface of the earth up
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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to a certain depth. As a result, breathing organs Priestly was born in 1733 A.D and died in
of all animals would have been burnt and animal 1804 A.D.16 He discovered oxygen, but it was
life would have become extinct. Moreover it Lavoisier who found out its properties. It is said,
would have cut off the supply of carbon dioxide, although there is no proof, that Priestly gave the
which plants need so badly, and made it name of oxygen to this important gas. Oxygen
impossible for them to grow on the surface of is a Greek word composed of two syllables-oxy,
the earth. Presence of other gases in the air meaning acidity and gen, meaning producer.
does not let oxygen settle down to the bottom Oxygen, therefore, means the producer of
and destroy animals and plant life. At last, after acidity.
more than one thousand years the theory of The eminent scholar, Priestly, who cast off
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) that presence of all gases his clerical robe and came from the church to
in the air is essential for breathing was proved the laboratory, had made a great discovery. If
correct. he had not entered politics and continued his
Today this theory of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) research, he would have discovered the
does not seem to be important, but in the 1st properties of oxygen also. But politics removed
Century of the Hijra (8th century A.D) it was a him from laboratory work. He became a staunch
revolutionary idea to say that the air is not an supporter of the French Revolution. As a result,
element. In Eastern countries, including the city he was so hated in England that he had to
of Medina, which was the city of the Prophet, emigrate to America where he wrote some
such ideas could be expressed freely. But up to books, but did not continue his research on
the 18th century such scientific ideas could not oxygen.
be expressed or tolerated in Europe. In the Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was the first person to
religion of Islam a Muslim cannot be accused of discover that oxygen produces acidity. We do
heresy if he said that the air is not an element, not think that he had made that discovery when
but the followers of many other religions he was a student. Most probably he made that
believed in the purity of the air and water and discovery when he had started his teaching
considered them to be elements. It would career and had already discovered that oxygen
tantamount to heresy if anyone of them said is an element. He did not say himself that
that the air was not an element. oxygen is a producer of acidity, but in the
course of his lectures, he said that there are
16
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many elements in the air but only one of them There is no evidence that Muhammad al-
brings about changes in different materials. It is Baqir (a.s.) had obtained hydrogen. There is also
the same element, which helps in combustion. no proof that Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) had obtained
Without the presence of this element in the air, hydrogen or oxygen in pure form. But the
combustion materials will not burn. He said that experiments, which he had made, were not
this element is so active and strong that if it is possible if he had not obtained oxygen in one
separated from air and produced in a pure form, form or the other. His following remarks are not
it would burn even iron. his theories. They are the results he had
It has been proved by experiments that obtained by making experiments with oxygen.
pure oxygen can burn iron, as was said by Ja’far 1. There is an element in the air, which is more
as-Sadiq (a.s.). If we take a piece of red-hot iron essential for breathing, than others. It is
and plunge it into pure oxygen, it will burn with actually the support of life.
a luminous flame. Just as in the old days people 2. It is the same element, which, in the course
used to light a lamp by burning wicks in of time, and in most cases, by direct
vegetable or kerosene, we can make our lamp reaction, brings about changes in certain
by putting the wick of red-hot iron into liquid materials and putrefies them.
oxygen. This lamp will produce intense light and The words, “Direct Reaction”, must be kept
illuminate our house. in mind, in order to realize that the assessment
It is reported that once Muhammad al- and description on Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) of the
Baqir, father of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), said in his nature of oxygen was quite correct.
classroom that by using scientific methods we After Priestly and Lavoisier had discovered
can produce fire from water, which extinguishes oxygen and found out its properties it was
fire. This remained a riddle till the eighteenth believed that it was only oxygen, which, in the
century when it was proved that by employing course of time, reacts with foodstuff. That notion
scientific methods, fire could be produced from changed when Pasteur discovered microbes and
water-a fire that is hotter than the fire produced proved that putrefaction of foodstuff, dead
by burning wood or charcoal. If hydrogen, which bodies of animals and many other things is
is a part of water, is burnt with the help of caused by microbes and not by oxygen. But
oxygen, which is another part of water, a flame Pasteur must have realized that microbes
of fire with a temperature of 667 degrees is cannot survive without oxygen. Therefore, what
produced. This process is called oxidation and is Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) had said is correct that in
employed in welding and cutting metals. most case it is the direct reaction of oxygen,
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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which brings about changes and in some cases temperatures, but in spite of that advancement
it is an indirect reaction. in technology, it was not possible to liquefy
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) had also said that the oxygen in sufficient quantities so that it could
element, which supports life, is heavier than all be used in industry. It was only in the twentieth
other elements in the air. It was a very century that technology to produce very low
important discovery. The world had to wait for temperatures reached perfection. By producing
about one thousand years till Lavoisier proved a temperature of minus 1830 degrees
that oxygen is so heavy that in nine kilograms Centigrade, oxygen was liquefied under ordinary
of water, there are eight kilograms of oxygen, air pressure. The temperature of minus 1830
while hydrogen, which is twice the volume of degrees Centigrade is only 900 degrees above
oxygen, is only one kilogram. absolute zero, which is minus 2730 Centigrade.
Time did not allow Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) to At this temperature the internal movement of
do further research on the element in the air matter comes to a standstill.
which supports life and produces acidity. Many scientific ideas of today existed in
However, he was the pioneer and leader in the old days also, but there were no means to make
scientific study of oxygen. a practical use of them. Five hundred years
It is reported that after the death of Ja’far before Christ, Democritus had enunciated the
as-Sadiq (a.s.) his students said that air or Theory of the Atom. He said that matter is made
oxygen could be liquefied. This was a very old up of atoms and that there is a brisk movement
idea. Even before Aristotle it was believed that inside the atoms.
all gases could be liquefied, but there were no If we forget, for the time being, the names
means available to do so. of electrons, protons and neutrons, which were
Lavoisier himself could not liquefy oxygen discovered in the twentieth century, we will
because till the end of the eighteenth century realize that he had given a correct description of
science and technology had not developed an atom. However, no practical use of this
enough to enable him to do so. Moreover, he knowledge could be made till the Germans tried
was not allowed to live long enough to continue to harness the power of atoms and use it in
his work. World War II. Finally the Americans entered the
For a long time after Lavoisier scientists race and succeeded in exploding the first
believed that oxygen could not be liquefied. atomic bomb.
Finally technology developed to such an extent
that it became possible to create very low
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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vast knowledge and extraordinary intelligence which produces day and night. Without the
he was unable to discover the earth’s rotation knowledge of these laws it would have been
on its own axis.17 impossible for him to make that discovery.
The rotation of the earth on its own axis
could be proved by observation only. When
astronauts landed on the surface of the moon,
and directed their telescopes towards the earth
they observed that it was rotating slowly on its
axis. In the beginning even space travellers
could not see with their own eyes rotation of the
earth on its axis, since they had no fixed station.
They were travelling in their spacecrafts and
going round the earth every ninety minutes or
so. At that high speed it was not possible to
observe the motion of the earth.
There is no star in our galaxy which does
not rotate around itself. All of them follow the
laws of mechanics which govern the movement
of heavenly bodies. Our own sun also rotates on
its axis and completes one rotation in 25 days.
The laws that govern the rotation of stars makes
our spaceships also spin in space.
When Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) made that
discovery did he know the Laws of Mechanics of
the stars and did he know that when two forces
work on an object in such a way that one force
pushes it away from the centre and the other
force pulls it towards the centre it starts to spin?
He definitely knew about these laws when he
said that the earth rotates on its own axis,
17
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We do not know if Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was burnt. He escaped with some injuries to his
able to obtain pure oxygen and hydrogen or not. hands and his face. Through that bitter
The discovery of these two gases depended experience, Cavendish learnt that hydrogen is
upon their separation from air and water. highly inflammable.
Separation of hydrogen from water was more It was a general belief that water was
difficult than separation of oxygen from air. Pure nothing but liquid air because it evaporated in
oxygen is available in the air, but pure hydrogen heat and became part of the air. Then it came
is not available anywhere. That is why hydrogen down again in the form of rain.
could not be obtained till sufficient power was Cavendish, through his experiments,
developed and water was hydrolyzed. proved that it was not liquid air, although he
We are surprised how Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) himself called hydrogen “Inflammable air.” It
and his father were able to discover hydrogen, was Lavoisier, the French chemist, who gave the
which is a colourless, odourless and tasteless name of hydrogen to this gas.
gas and does not exist freely in nature. They In the time of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.)
could not have identified this gas and found out electricity was not available. Had he and his
its properties without separating it from water father employed some other means, which
through the process of hydrolysis, which was modern scientists do not know, for separating
impossible without a strong current of hydrogen gas from water without the use of
electricity. electricity? This great discovery was not
The first person who was able to separate possible through philosophical speculations and
hydrogen from water in modern times was the guesswork.
English scientist Henry Cavendish, who died in The pollution of air arising from excessive
1810 at the age of 81.19 After working hard for use of fossil fuel for producing energy has
many years he was able to hydrolyze water and caused Americans to consider using hydrogen
obtain hydrogen. On May 27, 1766 he placed a as an alternative source of energy. But the
burning stick near a container full of hydrogen. problem of separating it from water without the
Instantly it caught fire. The container exploded use of electric current has not been solved yet.
and fire spread everywhere. If members of his
household had not rushed to his rescue, the
whole house and its contents would have been
19
The History of Science, by Spangenburg & Moser Vol. 2,
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could see the mountains of the moon, he He also put forward a very interesting
repeated the words of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) and theory about the speed of light. He has said that
said, “This telescope collects all the rays of light light is a kind of motion which is very fast. Since
coming from the heavenly bodies. When all the no technical aids were available he could not
rays are concentrated, the objects which are at measure the speed of light, but what he said is
a distance of 3,000 feet away appear to us as if quite in harmony with the modern theory of
they were at a distance of only 60 feet.” light.
In the time of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), industry It is reported that once, during the course
had made no progress to enable him to make a of his lectures he said that a powerful beam of
telescope and observe heavenly bodies himself. light could move heavy objects. The light which
Nevertheless it does not, in any way, reduce the Moses saw at Mount Sinai was of that kind. It
importance of his theory. Could Newton, who could have moved the mountain if God had so
discovered the laws of gravitation, send the desired. It can be said that by making the above
apple which had fallen on the ground back to statement he laid the foundation of the theory
the sky and make it go round the earth? of the laser.
The satellites which go to the moon, Venus The theory that a strong beam of light can
and Mercury obey the laws of gravitation move heavy objects was also mentioned in the
discovered by Newton, but he himself could not past but the following theories are his own:
send any satellite to the planets. (a) Rays of light are reflected by different
Before the time of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) it objects and enter our eyes.
was believed that light from our eyes falls upon (b) We do not see distant objects clearly
different objects so that they could be seen. He because the rays of light coming towards us
was the first scholar who rejected that idea and are scattered.
said, “The rays of light from different objects (c) If the rays of light are concentrated by some
come to our eyes and enable us to see them. device we can see distant objects distinctly.
The rays of light from our eyes do not go out (d) Light is a kind of motion which travels as a
and fall on other objects, otherwise we could very high speed.
have seen them in the darkness also. We see (e) A strong beam of light can move heavy
only those objects which are luminous. If they objects.
are not luminous themselves, they must reflect From time immemorial it was supposed
the light falling upon them from some luminous that light could move heavy objects. In ancient
objects.” Egypt it was believed that a very strong beam of
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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numerous experiments were conducted and it antibiotics, the intensity of ultraviolet rays,
was established that: emitted from those cells, was greatly reduced
(a) The cells of a sick person emit many kinds of and they had no adverse effect on healthy cells
rays. placed near them.
(b) If a healthy person is exposed to the rays The above experiments conclusively prove
which come out of patients suffering from that cells of living beings are transmitters and
certain diseases, he may contract the receivers of ultraviolet rays and that certain
disease, even if there has been no physical diseases are spread by radiation from sick cells
contact between the two. as Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) had said.
Russian scientists took cells from different Those experiments proved to be very
organs of a healthy person and divided them useful. The scientists and biologists learnt that if
into two parts. They put one part of the cells in ultraviolet rays emitted by the cells of a sick
a jar of quartz, which shielded them from all person, are not allowed to fall on healthy
kind of rays, except ultraviolet rays, and the persons, the spread of certain kinds of diseases
other part in a jar of glass which ultraviolet rays can be controlled.
cannot penetrate. These jars were put near Russian scientists are collecting data of
another jar, which contained sick cells. After a different kinds of rays emitted from persons
few hours it was noticed that the healthy cells, suffering from various diseases and the
which were in the jar of quartz, had also become intensity of photons of ultraviolet rays emitted
sick, but the cells which were in the glass jar by them. They say that it would help them in
were not affected at all. treating patients and controlling the spread of
Five thousand experiments were conducted diseases. However, they do not say how it would
during a period of 20 years and each time the help them in the treatment of patients.
result was the same. Healthy cells were infected Some experiments in this field were
by the emission of ultraviolet rays from the sick conducted in America also with the same
cells and the sickness was, in all cases, the results. The American scholar, who has done
same as what the sick cells were suffering from. research on the subject and published results of
For instance, if the sick cells had toxemia, the his experiments in the form of a book, is Dr.
rays coming from them transferred toxemia to John Oats.
healthy cells. The ill effects of ultraviolet rays on living
During experiments it was also observed tissues are well known. Ultraviolet rays, which
that when sick cells were treated with radiate from the sun, would destroy all living
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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disintegrate and it would be destroyed, but Professor Alfven thinks that if half a
nothing happened and the pundits, who had kilogram of matter is exploded with half a
made that prediction were proved wrong. kilogram of anti-matter it would create one
Scientists, however, argue that there is a hundred billion degrees centigrade of heat,
difference between the explosion of an atomic which is much more than the heat in the heart
bomb and one due to the collision of matter and of the sun. It is estimated by astrophysicists
anti-matter. When an atomic bomb or a that the heat in the centre of the sun is about
hydrogen bomb explodes, part of matter is 10 million degrees centigrade.
converted into energy. Only nineteen parts per The question arises as to how human
thousand of matter of the atomic bomb, beings can harness such tremendous amount of
dropped on Hiroshima was converted into heat and use if for their needs. Professor Alfven
energy and the rest had gone to waste. does not consider it a big problem. He says that
The countries that have exploded the production of heat can be controlled and
hydrogen bombs have kept details of their reduced to a manageable level by having an
experiments as military secrets. We, therefore, imperfect explosion just like an atomic explosion
do not know how much matter of a hydrogen in which only a part of the matter is converted
bomb is converted into energy, but it can be into energy.
said with certainty that no one has so far been According to Professor Alfven exploding
able to convert 100% of matter of any kind of matter with anti-matter and producing energy is
bomb into energy. not a scientific problem, but it is an economic
Professor Hans Olof Costa, an eminent problem. A sum of ten to fifteen billion dollars is
astrophysicist from Sweden, does not think that required to conduct experiments and explode
explosion of matter and anti-matter can destroy matter with anti-matter. No country in the world
the world. In his opinion our future source of is ready to spend so much money on such
energy is not atomic power, nor is it hydrogen experiments.
from rivers and oceans, but it lies in the Just as uranium was used for exploding an
explosion of matter and anti-matter. He says atomic bomb, helium would be used for
that 50 kilograms of matter and an equal exploding matter with anti-matter. Russian
amount of anti-matter are quite sufficient to scientists have already obtained anti-matter of
supply the energy needs of the entire world for helium.21
one year. He calls this kind of energy Matergy. 21
Note: In the September 1973 issue of “Life and
Knowledge Magazine”, which is published in Paris, an
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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find that the number of suns in the universe is Eddington22 (Sir Arthur Stanley), the
more than the number of atoms, as he had English physicist, who died in 1944, has said
calculated. that if we want to find out the number of atoms
in the universe we should multiply 83 times 10
by 10. When he had calculated the number of
atoms in the Universe by his mathematical
formula, radio telescopes were not invented and
the great telescope of Mount Palomar
Observatory in the United States, which enables
astronomers to probe the universe up to a
distance of two thousand million light years, had
not yet been constructed. It was the belief of
astronomers at that time that there were only
one million galaxies in the universe.
In the eyes of Eddington and other
scientists of the 19th century the universe was
very small. The universe of their imagination, as
compared to the real universe, was just like a
cup of water before a boundless and fathomless
ocean. If Eddignton was alive today and had
seen quasars through radio telescopes he would
have definitely changed his views.
After the discovery of quasars,
astronomers have come to the conclusion that
one hundred million galaxies and billions of
stars in each galaxy, which we see through our
telescopes, are not within the boundaries of the
real universe. They are only a few celestial
objects scattered in the outskirts. The real
universe begins from quasars, which are at a
22
The History of Science, by Spangenburg & Moser Vol. 4,
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observatories of Europe and America that The discovery of black holes has proved his
Lemaitre was correct and that many galaxies, other statement that the universe sometimes
which are close to our solar system, are moving contracts. No one can imagine how much time
away from our galaxy and the distance between these stars must have taken to condense and
them are gradually increasing. contract. It is real death of matter when it has
When World War II broke our, all no movement at all. Is it the fate and destiny of
connections between astronomers who were matter that it may finally die and become a
interested in the study of this strange black hole with such a deadly pulling force that
phenomenon were severed. With the deaths of even light waves cannot escape its death trap?
Lemaitre and Eddignton, the English physicist, Just as expansion of the universe is gradual, the
further research in this field was suspended. contraction is also gradual. These stars have not
At the end of 1960 research work on the collapsed and lost their identity overnight. Stars
subject resumed. It was observed and confirmed lost electrons and their nuclei adhered together
by all astronomers that distance between our over millions of years.
galaxy and the neighbouring galaxies are Every time the world wakes up and starts
increasing. We cannot check and confirm moving and expanding it produces better and
whether it is happening to other galaxies as better plants, animals and human beings. The
well. They are so far from us that we cannot dirty, the deceased and the decadent are
observe them clearly through our present discarded and destroyed and they never wake
telescopes. However, these observations have up and return. At the end of that period the
provided sufficient proof that the universe is in a earth starts shrinking and receding to its centre.
state of expansion. Animals and plants start dying and disappearing
Hundreds of years after the death of Ja’far till there is no trace of them at all. This is the
as-Sadiq (a.s.) a part of his theory that the period of sleep, rest and contraction. No one
universe sometimes expands was definitely knows how long it lasts.
proved to be correct. We do not know when this However, the soul of man does not die
expansion started. It must have begun during the period of sleep and rest. It continues
thousands of years before he was born. The to improve and proceed from one state to
universe was actually in a state of expansion another. Each time the earth wakes up, better
when he said that it sometimes expands and and better human beings are born till they
sometimes contracts. become perfect, go to paradise and attain
eternal bliss.
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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POLLUTION OF ENVIRONMENT
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has said that we
should not pollute environment otherwise it
would become impossible to live on this planet.
Definitely he had our times in mind when
he made those remarks. Pollution was not a
problem in his time. There was not a single
factory in existence and metals were smelted in
small furnaces by burning wood.
It was during the 18th century that England,
France and Germany started producing iron and
steel in large quantities and chimneys of factory
and furnaces began spewing smoke twenty four
hours a day.
The environment is so polluted in Europe
and North America due to industrial expansion
that marine life in the river Rhine of Western
Europe and the fresh water lakes of the United
States and Canada are totally destroyed.
The pollution of air on the surface of the
oceans poses a great threat to mankind. We do
not know how long plankton, multi-cellular
beings, which produce about 90 percent of the
world’s Oxygen, can survive. They live on the
surface of water.
If the quantity of oxygen in the air is
reduced even by 10 percent, it would become
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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difficult for us to breathe. The air would not would always be panting as if something is
support and sustain life and all plants and choking and suffocating it.
animals, including human beings, would die and (b) For the lack of oxygen in the air no fire will
disappear from the face of the earth. It is not a burn and no one would be able to light a
theory which may be right or wrong. It is a cigarette.
scientific fact which cannot be refuted. (c) Workers and farmers would not be able to
It is estimated that if air pollution increases work in the factories and fields as they work
at the present rate for 50 years more, 50 today and students would not be able to
percent of plankton will die and the quantity of concentrate on their studies in the
oxygen in the air would be reduced by the same classroom.
proportion. Pollution became a big problem from the
Sea pollutants also pose a threat to the time the first atomic bomb was exploded. The
existence of plankton as well as marine life. Super Powers started making and exploding
When ships sail from Africa to South America, bigger and bigger bombs and polluting the
they pass through two thousand kilometers of atmosphere.
water, which is full of waste material, produced The biggest pollution of atmosphere is
by the people living on land. The garbage radiation, which is a by-product of the fission of
consists mostly of plastic materials, which atoms in atomic power plants. Atomic power
neither break up on land nor in water. plants themselves are ticking time bombs. If
Huge oil spills also drift and accumulate at accidentally the graphite core, which contains
this place and kill oxygen producing plankton. atomic fuel, bursts causing heat and radiation to
Accumulation of waste materials in the escape, great havoc and destruction would be
oceans of the world is more deadly and caused for thousands of miles around.
dangerous than atomic weapons. There may not While atomic power plants are producing
be an atomic war due to the balance of power, cheap electricity they are also producing the
but destruction of plankton and reduction of the most deadly and dangerous material,
amount of oxygen in the air would be radioactive waste. No one knows how to dispose
catastrophic for plants and animals including of it properly. All scientists of the world are
human beings. scratching their heads but cannot find a
(a) We shall breathe with difficulty as if we are satisfactory solution to this problem.
on top of the Himalayas. Every living being
The Great Muslim Scientist 141 142 The
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In 1865, Ezra Cornell, a financier and No woman could give him satisfactory
philanthropist of America who had suffered reply as to why she carried her baby in the left
great hardships during his childhood, founded arm. Women in Africa knew that their babies like
Cornell University in New York. In this university to suckle the left breast more than the right.
he set up, under the department of medicine, Some women expressed surprise that their
an Institute for the Research on newborn and babies could easily find their left breast in the
suckling babies. dark when they were hungry during the night. It
This institute has been conducting was explained to them that babies were guided
research on the subject for about a century. to the left breast by their mother’s heartbeat.
During that period every aspect and every Doctors, who work and study general
problem of newborn and suckling babies has behaviour of babies in the maternity wards of
been thoroughly studied and investigated. No the attached hospital, send their reports
institute in the world has more knowledge and periodically to the Institute. These reports show
information about babies than this institute. It is that babies, who are put to sleep on the left side
impossible that any subject, which is connected of their mothers, sleep soundly and peacefully
with babies, has not been studied there. but those who are put on the right side wake up
In the first half of the 20th century research every now and then and cry. It was also
scholars of the institute studied 466 pictures of reported that for the first few days after their
babies in all the famous museums of the world. birth, babies would have no rest at all if they
It was noticed that in 373 pictures mothers were were not on the left side of their mothers.
holding their babies in their left arms and in 93 Research scholars of the Institute
pictures in their right arms. expanded the area of their studies. They tried to
A research scholar of the Institute, who find out whether babies of all races (other than
traveled to different parts of the world, the whites) also behaved in the same way, it
observed that mothers in every country carried was established that it was a general and
their babies in the left arms. Those, who took universal rule, which applied to babies of all
them in right arms, were left-handed. They countries and all races of the world.
carried their babies in right arms so that their Research work on the subject was
left hands might be free for carrying things. continued. Experts tried to study the behaviour
Women of Africa also carried their babies in of unborn babies in the wombs of their mothers
their left arms; when they did not carry them on through X-rays, but it did not produce any result
their backs. and added nothing to their knowledge. After the
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invention of holography, holographic pictures of Usually the heart of a healthy person, man
unborn babies were taken which revealed that or woman, beats about 72 times per minute. As
the mother’s heartbeat reached the ears of the an experiment, artificial heartbeats were
baby in the womb. increased from 72 to 100 and 120 times per
Experiments were conducted on different minute. As soon as the number of heartbeats
mammals to find out the reaction of the fetus. were increased all babies started crying. This
All experiments showed that whenever the experiment showed that any increase or
heart of the mother stopped beating, the fetus decrease in the number of heartbeats is, to
became restless and agitated, because it feeds babies, an alarm of danger, which makes them
on the blood, which comes to it with each and cry.
every heartbeat. It was also observed that babies, who were
These experiments proved that unborn in the room where they could hear artificial
babies are not only used to hearing their heartbeats, had a keen appetite for food, took it
mother’s heartbeat, but their very existence with great relish and gained weight. But those
depends upon them. Heartbeats mean to them who were in the other room, where no
a constant supply of food. Stoppage of heartbeats were heard, had no inclination to eat
heartbeats signals starvation after they are and did not gain as much weight as babies in
born; they become restless, if they do not hear the other room, although all of them were given
it. A newborn knows its mother’s heartbeat the same kind of food.
quite well and that is why it sleeps comfortably If Cornell University had not been
and peacefully when it is on the left side of the established and the research work on babies
mother and can hear the heartbeats clearly. was not done, no one would have ever realized
As an experiment, babies in the nurseries the scientific importance of the advice of Ja’far
of the Research Institute were segregated into as-Sadiq (a.s.) that mothers should put their
two rooms. Artificial heartbeats could be heard babies to sleep on their left side.
in one room but not in the other. Babies who
were in the room where heartbeats were heard,
remained calm, quiet and peaceful, but those,
who were in the other room, started crying.
Since then all nurseries have devices, which
produce artificial heartbeats, so that babies may
remain happy and contented.
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By your imagination you have created a mentioned in the stories might not have
being, which is of your own image. Since you existed, but our common sense accepts the
see, talk, hear, work and rest, He also does existence of such people in the world. However,
exactly what you do. when we cannot see, feel or touch your Allah,
You do not show Him to anyone. To our logic and reasoning, which depend upon our
maintain your hold on the people you say that senses, do not accept his existence.
He cannot be seen. You also say that He was not I known that some people, who have been
born from the womb of a woman. He does not deceived by you, believe in your invisible Allah,
procreate and that He would not die. but you cannot deceive me and make me
You say that the universe was created by believe in Him. I worship God, who is made of
Allah, who did not talk to anyone, except to the wood and stone. Although my God does not
Prophet of Islam. As a matter of fact the talk, but I can see him with my eyes and touch
universe came by itself. Does anyone create the him with my hands.
grass, which grows in the field? Does it not grow You say that the God whom I have made
and get green by itself? Does anyone create the from my own hands is not worthy of being
ants and the mosquitoes? Do they not come out worshipped, while you ask the people to worship
by themselves? Allah, Whom you have created by your
I must tell you, who claims to be a scholar imagination.”
and the successor of the Prophet, that among all Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) did not say a word
the stories, which circulate among the people, during the long tirade of Abu Shakir. Sometimes
none is more absurd and baseless than the his students, who were present, wanted to
story of Allah, who cannot be seen. intervene but he asked them to remain quiet.
There are many baseless stories, but they, When Abu Shakir stopped his lengthy discourse,
at least, depict real life and present before us he asked him, if he had anything more to say.
the people and personalities, who may Retorted Abu Shakir, “By introducing your
themselves be fictitious, but their acts and invisible Allah to the people, you want to
deeds are like those of real human beings. We acquire wealth and position and have a
can see them. They eat, they drink, they talk, respectable, comfortable and luxurious life.
they sleep and they love. When we read these These are my last words. I do not want to say
fictitious stories, we enjoy them. We know that anything more.”
they are false, but we seen in them the faces of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “I would like to
men and women, who are like us. The people start with the last part of your speech. Your
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accusation that I want money, position and a all about pearls and precious stones. I can also
comfortable life would have been justified if I appraise their market value. If I wanted to get
were living like a caliph. You have seen today rich I would have worked as a jeweller. Can you
that I have eaten a few morsels of bread only test and recognize a precious stone? Do you
and nothing else. I invite you to my house to know how many kinds of rubies and emeralds
see for yourself what I have for dinner and how I there are in the world?”
live. “I know nothing about them”, replied Abu
Abu Shakir, if I wanted to acquire wealth Shakir.
and get rich I would have earned money and got “Do you know how many kinds of
rich by my knowledge of chemistry. Another way diamonds there are and what colours they
to get rich was to do business. I have more have?” asked Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.).
knowledge about foreign markets than any “I do not know”, replied Abu Shakir.
merchant in Medina. I know what goods are Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “I am not a
produced in different countries and where to sell jeweller, but I know all about pearls and
them for profit. I also know how to bring them precious stones. I also know where they come
here to reduce the cost of transport. Our from. All jewellers know about gems, what I
merchants import goods only from Syria, Iraq, know, but few of them know their sources.”
Egypt and some other Arab countries. They do “Do you know what makes a diamond
not know what goods are available in Isphahan, shine?” asked Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.).
Rasht and Rome, otherwise they would have “I never was a diamond merchant, nor was
imported them and sold them with profit. my father. How can I know why diamonds
Abu Shakir, you have said that I ask the shine?”, replied Abu Shakir.
people to worship Allah to deceive them and to Said Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), “Diamonds are
get rich. I must tell you that I have never taken obtained from the beds of rivers and streams.
anything from anyone, except some fruits, as Rough diamonds are cut by experts. It is the cut
presents. One of my friends sends to me every of a diamond, which gives it its brilliance. Those
year fresh dates from his garden and another who are experts in cutting diamonds are trained
some pomegranates from Taif. I accept these from childhood in the profession of their
presents so that they may not get offended. forefathers. Cutting a diamond is a very delicate
I have heard, O Abu Shakir, that your and difficult art. A diamond is cut only by a
father was a pearl merchant. Perhaps you may diamond.
have some knowledge about pearls. But I know
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Abu Shakir, I have said all this simply to circulation of blood stops for a few minutes you
show to you that if I wanted to accumulate will die.”
wealth, I could have done so by making use of Abu Shakir said, “I cannot believe that
my knowledge about jewels. I have replied to blood circulates in the body.”
your accusations and now I shall deal with your Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “It is your
objections. ignorance, which does not let you believe that
Abu Shakir, you have said that I have your blood circulates in your body, and the
fabricated stories and ask the people to worship same ignorance does not let you believe in the
Allah, who cannot be seen. You refuse to existence of Allah, Who cannot be seen.” Then
acknowledge the existence of Allah because He he asked Abu Shakir whether he has seen the
cannot be seen. Can you see inside your own tiny living beings, which Allah has created in his
body?” body.”
Replied Abu Shakir, “No, I cannot.” Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) continued, “It is
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “If you could because of these small creatures and their
have seen what is inside you, you would not wonderful work that you are kept alive. They are
have said that you do not believe in Allah, who so small that you cannot see them. Since you
cannot be seen.” are a slave of your senses, you cannot know
Abu Shakir asked, “What is the relationship about their existence. If you increase your
between seeing within one’s own body and the knowledge and decrease your ignorance, you
existence of unseen Allah?” will come to know that these small beings in
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “You have said your body are as large in number as the
just now that a thing, which cannot be seen, particles of sand in the desert.
touched, tasted or heard, does not exist.” “These small creatures are born in your
Abu Shakir said, “Yes, I have said that and I body, multiply in your body, work in your body
believe it is true.” and die in your body. But you never see them,
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) asked, “Do you hear touch them, taste them or hear them in your
the sound of the movement of blood in your lifetime.”
body?” “It is true that one who knows himself
Said Abu Shakir, “No, I do not. But does knows Allah. If you had known yourself and had
blood move in the body?” the knowledge of what is going on inside your
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “Yes, it does. It body, you would not have said that you do not
makes a full circuit of your body. If the believe in Allah, without seeing Him.”
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Pointing to a huge stone he said, “Abu grass will grow in the fields and get green. If
Shakir, do you see the stone, which is at the there is no air, all plants and animals, including
foot of that portico? To you it seems lifeless and human beings, would die.
motionless, because you do not see the brisk Abu Shakir, do you see the air, on which
motion, which is inside the stone. Again it is lack your very existence depends. You only feel it
of knowledge or your ignorance, which would when it moves. Can you refuse to believe in the
not let you believe that there is motion inside existence of air? Can you deny that to grow and
the stone. The time will come when the learned get green the grass needs many things-seeds,
people would see the motion which is in the soil, water, air, a suitable climate and above all
stone.” a strong managing power, which may
Continued Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), “Abu coordinate the action of these different
Shakir, you have said that everything in the elements. That Managing and Coordinating
universe came by itself and has no creator. You Power is Allah.
think that the grass in the field grows and gets You say that everything comes by itself,
green by itself. You must know that the grass because you are not a scientist. No scientist
cannot grow without seeds and seeds would not would ever say that. All scientists and all
germinate without moisture in the soil and there scholars believe in the existence of a creator,
would be no moisture without rain. The rain albeit, they may call Him by different names.
does not fall by itself. First the water vapour Even those, who do not believe in Allah, believe
rises and gathers above in the atmosphere in in a Creative Force.
the form of clouds. The winds bring the clouds. Abu Shakir, it is not because of one’s
Then the water vapour condenses and falls knowledge, but it is due to his ignorance that he
down as rain. The rain must also fall at the right does not believe in Allah. When a wise man
time; otherwise no grass will grow and become thinks of himself, he finds that his own body
green. needs a controller so that all its organs and
Take the seeds of ten kinds of herbs and systems may function properly. He then realizes
put them in a closed jar, which has sufficient that this vast universe also needs a controller or
water, but no air. Would they germinate? No, in supervisor so that it may run smoothly.
addition to water, seeds also need air. It is You said just now that both of us create our
possible to grow grass, herbs and fruits in hot own gods, you by your hands and I by my
houses, when it is very cold, provided there is imagination. But there is a big difference
sufficient air. Without the presence of air no between your god and my Allah. Your god did
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not exist before you made him out of wood or Abu Shakir, if you had any knowledge
stone, but my Allah was there before I could about the piece of stone, out of which you carve
think about Him. I do not create my Allah by my an idol, you would not have denied the
hands or by my brain. What I do is to know Him existence of Allah and said that I have created
better and think of His Greatness. When you see him by my imagination. You do not know what a
a mountain you try to know more about it. It is stone is and how it came into being. Today you
not creating the mountain by imagination. That can handle it as you like and cut it into any
mountain was there before you saw it and it shape or form, but there was a time when it was
would be there when you are gone. in liquid state. Gradually it cooled down and
You cannot know much about the mountain Allah solidified it. In the beginning it was quite
because of your limited knowledge. The more brittle and would have broken into pieces in
your knowledge grows, the more you will learn your hand like a piece of glass.”
about it. It is impossible for you to find out when Asked Abu Shakir, “Was it in a liquid
and how that mountain came into being and condition before?”
when it would disappear. You cannot find out “Yes, it was”, replied Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.).
what minerals are there inside or underneath Abu Shakir burst out laughing. One of the
the mountain and what is their benefit to students of Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) got angry and
mankind. was about to say something when he was
Do you know that the stones, out of which stopped by his teacher.
you make your idols, came into being thousands Abu Shakir said, “I am laughing because
of years ago and shall exist for thousands of you say that stones are made of water.”
years more. These stones have come here from Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “I did not say
a distant place. They could travel that long that the stones are made of water. What I had
journey because different parts of the earth are said was that in the beginning they were in a
always moving, but this movement is so slow liquid state.”
that you do not feel it. Abu Shakir said, “What difference does it
There is nothing in the universe, which is make? Liquid and water are one and the same.”
not in motion. Rest or motionlessness is Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “There are
meaningless. We are not at rest even when we many liquids which are not water. Milk and
are sleeping. We are in motion because the vinegar are liquids which are not water,
earth is in motion. Besides, we have a motion although they have a water content in them. In
inside our own bodies. the beginning the stones were liquid like water
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and they flowed like water. Gradually they the rivers flow, are assured of constant supply
cooled down and became hard so that you could of water.
cut and shape them. The same hard stones will People, who can afford it, go to the
turn liquid if heated.” mountain during the summer season to escape
Said Abu Shakir, “When I go home I will the heat of the plains.
check the truth of your statement. I will put the The mountains work as a great bulwark
stone in the fireplace and see if it turns into and protect towns and villages, which are in
liquid or not.” their valleys, from the devastation and
Said Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), “You cannot destruction of hurricanes.
liquefy stone in your fireplace. Can you liquefy a Green mountains provide good grazing
piece of iron at home? A very high temperature grounds for sheep. When scorching heat burns
is required to turn solid stone into liquid. the pastures down in the plains and no fodder is
Do you realize how you could make idols left, the shepherds take their flocks of sheep to
out of stones? It was Allah, who made the the mountains and stay there till the end of
stones. It was He Who created you and gave summer.
you hands with unique fingers, which enabled Mountains are habitats of birds and
you to handle tools and chisel the idols from animals, some of which are a good source of
stones. Again it was He who gave you power food for those who live there.
and intelligence, which you used for making the Even the mountains, which are not green,
idols. are not without some use. If the people try, they
Abu Shakir, do you think that the may discover in them mines of metals and
mountains are only heaps of stones? The Great minerals which are useful for mankind.
Allah has created them to serve some very Abu Shakir, I am too small and too weak to
useful purpose. They were not created so that create Allah with my brain. It is He, who has
you may take stones and turn them into idols. created my brain, so that I may think of Him and
Wherever there is a mountain there is flowing know that He is my Creator. He was there before
water. Rain and snow which fall on the I came into being and He would be there when I
mountaintops produce streams of fresh water. am no more. I do not mean that I would be
These streams combine together to form big totally destroyed. Nothing in the universe is
rivers, which irrigate farms and fields. The totally destroyed. Everything is subject to
people who live in the valleys, through which change. It is only Allah, Who does not change.
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Abu Shakir, please tell me sincerely to air is only a creation of Allah. He is everywhere,
whom will you turn for help when you are in but you cannot see Him or feel His presence by
trouble? Do you hope that the idol you carve out your senses. You have admitted just now that
of stone can come to your rescue? Can it cure although you do not see it, but your instinct or
you when you are sick; save you from mishaps your soul tells you that there is something
and calamities; save you from starvation and inside the stone, and is not the stone, which can
help you pay your debts?” help you. That something is Allah. Your instinct
Abu Shakir replied, “I have no such also tells you that you cannot live without Allah
expectations from stone, but, I think there is and without worshipping Him.”
something inside the stone, which will help me. Abu Shakir said, “It is true. I cannot live
Moreover, I cannot help worshipping it.” without worshipping idols.”
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) enquired, “What is Said Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), “Do not say
inside the stone? Is it also stone?” idols. Say Allah. It is He, Who is worthy of
“I do not know what it is. But it cannot help worship. Just like you, everyone is obliged to
me if it is also stone”, replied Abu Shakir. worship Him. One, who does not worship Allah
Said Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), “Abu Shakir, has no guide and no guardian. He is just like
what is inside the stone and is not stone and one, who cannot see, cannot hear, cannot feel
can help when you are in trouble is, Allah.” and cannot think. He does not know where to go
Abu Shakir pondered over the subject for a and on whom to depend when in trouble.
while and then said, “Is Allah, who cannot be Worshipping Allah is a part of life. Every
seen inside the stone?” living being worships Him instinctively. Even the
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “He is animals cannot live without worshipping Him.
everywhere.” We cannot ask them and they cannot tell us that
Abu Shakir said, “I cannot believe that a they worship Allah, but their well-regulated and
thing may be everywhere but remain unseen.” orderly life is sufficient proof that they worship
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “Do you know Him.
that air is everywhere but cannot be seen?” I do not say that animals believe in Allah
Said Abu Shakir, “Although I cannot see air, and worship Him just as we do. But there is no
I can, at least, feel it when it moves. But I can doubt that they obey the laws made by their
neither see your Allah nor feel His presence.” Creator faithfully, which means they worship
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “You do not feel Him. If they were not obedient to their Creator,
the presence of air when it is not moving. The
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they could not have such an orderly and inanimate objects also, with whatever instinct
regulated life. they have, obey Allah and worship Him. If they
We see that just before the advent of did not worship Him, they would not have
spring the lark (a kind of small bird) always followed the laws made by Him. As a result,
comes at the same time and sings, as if to give their atoms would have broken apart and they
us the tiding of the new season. The itinerary of would have been destroyed.
these migratory birds is so regulated and their The light of the sun also worships Allah by
schedule so fixed that even if the last days of obeying His laws, which are very stringent and
winter are still cold, their arrival is not delayed exact. It comes into being by the combination of
for more than a few days. When the swallow (a two opposite forces. These forces also obey the
migratory bird) returns after covering a distance laws of Allah and worship Him, otherwise they
of thousands of miles, it builds its nest at the cannot produce light.
same place, where it had built it last spring. Was Abu Shakir, if there was no Allah there
it possible for these small birds to have such a would have been no universe and neither you
well organized life if they did not obey the laws nor me. The sentence, “There is no Allah’, is
of Allah and worship Him?” meaningless. The existence of Allah is a must. If
Abu Shakir, even the plants obey the laws attention of Allah is diverted, even for a
made by Allah faithfully and worship Him. Out of moment from the affairs of the universe to
150 species of plants, which are further divided something else, it would break up. Everything in
into hundreds of sub-species you will not find the universe obeys His laws, which are
even one plant, which has a disorganized and permanent and eternal. Because of His absolute
disorderly life. wisdom and knowledge, he could make such
Abu Shakir, just like us, the plants also do wonderful laws, which will last forever. Each and
not see their Creator, but they worship Him by every law, made by Him serves some special
obeying His laws instinctively. and useful purpose.”
I know that you will not accept, or perhaps, When Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) concluded his
you do not understand, what I say. A man must discourse, Abu Shakir fell into a deep reverie as
have sufficient knowledge to understand if he was greatly inspired.
complicated problems. Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) asked, “Do you now
Abu Shakir, not only animals by their believe that Allah, who cannot be seen, does
animal instinct and plants by their plant instinct exist and what you worship is the unseen
obey Allah and worship Him, the lifeless and Allah?”
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drinking. Excessive eating and drinking shortens die except He, the Creator of Life and Death.
life. It is for the safety and preservation of life Death is the change of matter from one form to
that my grandfather, Prophet Muhammad another. Nothing in nature remains in one and
(s.a.w.s.), has asked us not to eat too much the same condition forever. Death is for the
meat and make our stomachs graveyards of good of mankind. It is essential for the survival
animals.” and continuation of human race. If it was not
Abu Shakir asked, “What does it mean?” created by Allah, human beings would have
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “It means that created it themselves.”
we should abstain from eating too much meat.”
Abu Shakir asked, “Please let me know
what is death?”
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “Death is
cessation of the functions of different parts of
the human body, specially stopping of heart
beats and breathing.”
Abu Shakir asked, “What causes one to
die.”
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “One cause of
death is sickness, including the internal
sickness, which causes sudden death. The other
cause of death is old age. Even if a man is
healthy he will die some day due to old age. The
Greek philosopher, Hippocrates, has said that
old age is also a kind of sickness. No one will die
when it is known how to treat it and cure it.”
Abu Shakir remarked, “But no physician
can cure the sickness of old age.”
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) added, “I do not think
that old age can ever be cured. Allah has
created old age and death by His Will and with a
great purpose. Whatever Allah has ordained
must happen. He has said that everything would
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Canons and doctrines of our religion as the duty of every individual to acquire
well as of all other religions, which came before knowledge. At that time sufficient facilities
Islam, were communicated in simple terms so would be made available for that purpose.”
that they could be understood easily by Jabir said, “Then everyone will become a
everyone, but it was not explained why they scholar.”
were sent. Allah had chosen our Prophet to Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “Even at that
spread Islam among all the people of the world. time and in spite of the facilities, all people will
It was not sent for only the intellectuals, who not become educated, since everyone does not
would not have accepted anything, which was have the same aptitude for learning. However,
not proved by logic and reason. they would not be like the illiterate people of
Our Prophet expressed the canons and today. Every person will have some knowledge
doctrines of our religion in very simple terms so and power of understanding. The learned people
that they could be understood by all, but he did would, therefore, be able to explain to those,
not give the reasons as to why they were being who wished to know, the truth and rationale of
imposed, which the common people could not the principles of Islam.”
understand and cannot understand even today. Jabir asked, “What is the most powerful
The doctrines of Islam are, primarily, for the force and strongest desire in the life of a man?”
belief of the people and not for their brains. Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “The strongest
Those, who have a brain, can find out for desire in a man’s life is to live and to protect his
themselves why they are formulated. life.”
Development of the brain depends upon Jabir asked, “Why is there so much
acquisition of knowledge. Therefore, those who difference between human beings and inorganic
wish to know and understand the reasons would substance and why are they (human beings)
acquire knowledge and develop their brain. But more like animals and plants than inanimate
those who cannot should believe in them and objects?”
follow them faithfully. It is sufficient for their Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “There is a
salvation.” difference between inorganic substances and
Jabir asked, “Will the time come when human beings because they (inorganic
knowledge will become universal?” substance) follow some fixed and unchanging
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “Yes, the time laws, while humans do not. That is why, they
will come when human beings will know the are always and everywhere, more or less, alike,
importance of education and realize that it is but human beings differ from one another.
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noticeable. On the other hand those people memory throughout his whole life, he finds it
who are intelligent and wise when they are at its zenith in his old age.”
young, remain so in their old age. However,
they do not retain physical strength of their
youth. The store of knowledge of the learned
people may not be very big, when they are
old. Moreover, in old age, their wits becomes
sharper, their views balanced and their
judgement impartial. They always side and
support the just cause.”
Jabir said, “It is said that we become
forgetful in our old age. Is it a general rule?”
Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied, “No, it is not the
old age, which makes one forgetful. It is the
decrease in the power of memory. The power
of memory is just like any other power of the
human body. Every power, which is not used,
becomes weak. A young man, who does not
use his memory, becomes forgetful.
Old people, who confine themselves within
the four walls of their houses, do not pay any
attention to their environment, do not take
any notice of the events and happenings of
the world and add nothing to their reservoir
of memory, become forgetful. They also start
losing gradually what they had stored in
their memory till they forget everything. But
a person, who does not let the weakness of
old age deteriorate his power of memory,
finds it stronger than what it was when he
was young. Since he has been using his
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progress in this field expand. Certain concepts For many centuries, man was unable to
must appear to be increasingly unacceptable; study them, because he did not possess
for example, the one put forward by the French sufficient scientific means. It is only today that
winner of the Noble prize for Medicine who tried numerous verses of the Qur’an dealing with
to get people to admit that living matter was natural phenomena have become fully
self-created as the result of fortuitous comprehensible. I should even go so far as to
circumstances under the effect of certain say that, in the 20th century, with its
outside influences using simple chemical compartmentalization of ever-increasing
elements as their base. From this it is claimed knowledge, it is not always easy for the average
that living organisms came into being, leading scientist to understand everything he reads in
to the remarkable complex being called man. To the Qur’an on such subjects, without having
me, it would seem that the scientific progress recourse to specialized research. This means
made in understanding the fantastic complexity that to understand all such verses of the Qur’an
of higher beings provides strong arguments in one is today required to have an absolutely
favour of the opposite theory: in other words, encyclopedic knowledge, by which I mean, one
the existence of an extraordinarily methodical which embraces very many disciplines.
organisation presiding over the remarkable I use the word ‘science’ to mean knowledge
arrangement of the phenomena of life. which has been soundly established. It does not
In many parts of the Book, the Qur’an leads, include the theories which, for a time, help to
in simple terms, to this kind of general explain a phenomenon or a series of
reflection. But it also contains infinitely more phenomena, only to be abandoned later in
precise data, which are directly related to facts favour of explanations which have become more
discovered by modern science: these are what plausible thanks to scientific progress. I
exercise a magnetic attraction for today’s basically only intend to deal with comparisons
scientists. between statements in the Qur’an and
knowledge which is not likely to be subject to
further discussion. Wherever I introduce
scientific facts which are not yet 100%
established, I shall, of course, make this quite
ENCYCLOPEDIA KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY clear.
TO UNDERSTAND THE QUR’AN There are also some very rare examples of
statements in the Qur’an which have not, as
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
Modern Science
yet, been confirmed by modern science: I shall research for the truth. This is how I see it today.
refer to these by pointing out that all the It was mainly this fact, which, by the time I had
evidence leads scientists to regard them as finished my study, had led me to see in the
being highly probable. An example of this is the Qur’an a text revealed to a Prophet.
statement in the Qur’an that life is of aquatic We shall examine statements in the Qur’an
origin; and another is that somewhere in the which appear today merely to record scientific
Universe there are Earths similar to our own. truth, but which men in former times were only
These scientific considerations should not, able to grasp the apparent meaning of. How is it
however, make us forget that the Qur’an possible to imagine that, were there any
remains a religious book par excellence and that subsequent alterations to the texts, these
it cannot, of course, be expected to have a obscure passages scattered throughout the text
‘scientific’ purpose per se. Whenever man is of the Qur’an were able to escape human
invited to reflect upon the works of Creation and manipulation? The slightest alteration to the
the numerous natural phenomena he can texts would automatically have destroyed the
observe, the obvious intention, in using such remarkable coherence that is characteristic of
examples, is to stress Divine Omnipotence. The them, and prevented us from establishing their
fact that, in these reflections, we can find conformity with modern knowledge. The
allusions to data connected with scientific presence of these statements spread
knowledge is surely another of God’s gifts throughout the Qur’an looks to the impartial
whose value must shine out in an age where observer like an obvious hallmark of
scientifically based materialistic atheism seeks authenticity.
to gain control at the expense of the belief in The Qur’an is a preaching which was made
God. known to man in the course of a Revelation that
Throughout my research I have constantly lasted roughly twenty years. It spanned two
tried to remain totally objective. I believe I have periods of equal lengths on either side of the
succeeded in approaching the study of the Hegira. In view of this, it was natural for
Qur’an with the same objectivity that a doctor reflections having a scientific aspect to be
has when he opens a file on a patient: in other scattered throughout the Book. In the case of a
words, by carefully confronting all the study such as the one we have made, we had to
symptoms he can find to arrive at a diagnosis. I regroup them according to subject, collecting
must admit that it was certainly not faith in them sura by sura.
Islam that first guided my steps, but simple
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
Modern Science
contained in the Bible, the Qur’an does not lay ت وَا َلْ ْرضَ كَا َنتَا َر ْتقًا َففَ َت ْقنَا ُهمَا
ِ َأ َولَمْ َيرَ اّلذِينَ َك َفرُوا َأنّ السّمَاوَا
down a sequence for the Creation of the Earth
and Heavens. It refers both to the Heavens Do not the Unbelievers see that the
before the Earth and the Earth before the Heavens and the Earth were joined
Heavens, when it talks of the Creation in together, then We clove them asunder?
general, as in this verse of the sura Taha (20: 4).
The separation process resulted in the
formation of multiple worlds, a notion which
ض وَالسّمَاوَاتِ الْ ُعلَى
َ خلَقَ اْ َل ْر
َ ن
ْ َت ْنزِيلً مّ ّم crops up dozens of times in the Qur’an, once it
has formed the first verse in the sura Al-Fatiha
(1:1).
A revelation from Him Who created the
Earth and the Heavens. ل رَبّ الْعَالَمِين
ّ ا ْلحَ ْم ُد
َ
In fact, the notion to be derived from the Praise be to God, the Lord of the
Qur’an is one of a con-comitance in the celestial Worlds.
and terrestrial evolutions. There are also
absolutely fundamental data concerning the All this is in perfect agreement with modern
existence of an initial gaseous mass (dukhan) ideas on the existence of primary nebula and
which is unique and whose elements, although the process of secondary separation of the
at first fused together (ratq) subsequently elements that had formed the initial unique
became separated (fatq). This notion is mass. This separation resulted in the formation
expressed in the sura Fussilat (41: 11). of galaxies and then, when these divided, of
stars from which the planets were to be born.
ٌي ُدخَان
َ ِس َتوَى ِإلَى السّمَاء وَه
ْ ثُمّ ا Reference is also made in the Qur’an to an
intermediary Creation between the Heavens and
And God turned to Heaven when it was the Earth, as in the sura Al Furqan (25: 59).
smoke.
ت وَا َلْ ْرضَ وَمَا َب ْي َنهُمَا
ِ خَلقَ السّمَاوَا
َ اّلذِي
And the same is expressed in the sura Al
Anbiya’ (21: 30).
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
Modern Science
It would seem that this intermediary Let us now turn to the subject of Astronomy.
Creation corresponds to the modern discovery
of bridges of matter which are present outside Whenever I describe the details the Qur’an
organised astronomical systems. contains on certain points of astronomy to
This survey certainly shows us how modern Westerners, it is unusual for someone not to
data and statements in the Qur’an agree on a reply that there is nothing special in this,
large number of points. We have come a long considering the Arabs made important
way from the Biblical text with its successive discoveries in this field long before the
phases that are totally unacceptable; especially Europeans.
the one placing the Creation of the Earth (on the This is, in fact, a singularly mistaken idea
3rd day) before that of the Heavens (on the 4th resulting from ignorance of history. In the first
day), when it is a known fact that our planet place, science developed in Arabian countries at
comes from its own star, the Sun. In such a time that was considerably after the Qur’anic
circumstances, how can we imagine that a man Revelation had occurred; in the second, the
who drew his inspiration from the Bible could scientific knowledge prevalent at the highpoint
have been the author of the Qur’an, and, of his of Islamic civilization would not have made it
own accord, have corrected the Biblical text to possible for a human being to have written
arrive at a general concept concerning the statements on the Heavens comparable to
formation of the Universe, when this concept those in the Qur’an.
was not to be formed until centuries after his Here again, the subject is so wide that I can
death? only provide an outline of it.
Whereas the Bible talks of the Sun and the
Moon as two luminaries differing in size, the
Qur’an distinguishes between them by the use
of different epithets: light (nur) for the Moon,
torch (siraj) for the Sun. The first is an inert
body which reflects light, the second a celestial
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
Modern Science
formation in a state of permanent combustion, the case of a celestial body, one is forced to
and a source of light and heat. translate it in the original sense, that is, ‘to
The word ‘star’ (najm) is accompanied by travel with one’s own motion’.
another qualifying word which indicates that it The description of the sequence of day and
burns and consumes itself as it pierces through night would, in itself, be rather commonplace
the shadows of the night: it is the word thakib. were it not for the fact that, in the Qur’an, it is
In the Qur’an, the Kawkab definitely seems expressed in terms that today are highly
to mean the planets which are celestial significant. This is because it uses the verb
formations that reflect and do not produce light Kawwara in the sura Al Zumar (39: 5) to
like the Sun. describe the way the night ‘winds’ or ‘coils’
Today it is known how the celestial itself about the day and the day about the night,
organisation is balanced by the position of stars just as, in the original meaning of the verb, a
in a defined orbit and the interplay of turban is wound around the head. This is a
gravitational forces related to their mass and totally valid comparison; yet at the same time
speed of movement, each with its own motion. when the Qur’an was revealed, the astronomical
But isn't this what the Qur’an describes, in data necessary to draw it were unknown.
terms which have only become comprehensible The evolution of the Heavens and the notion
in our own day, when it mentions the foundation of a settled place for the Sun are also described.
of this balance in the sura Al Anbiya’ (21: 33)? They are in agreement with highly detailed
modern ideas. The Qur’an also seems to have
س َبحُون
ْ َك ي
ٍ َس وَا ْلقَ َمرَ ُك ّل فِي َفل
َ ْق الّل ْيلَ وَال ّنهَارَ وَالشّم
َ َخل
َ وَ ُهوَ اّلذِي alluded to the expansion of the Universe.
َ There is also the conquest of space. This has
[God is] the One who created the night, been undertaken thanks to remarkable
the day, the Sun and the Moon. Each one is technological progress and has resulted in
travelling in an orbit with its own motion. man’s journey to the Moon. But this surely
springs to mind when we read the sura Al
The Arabic word which expresses this Rahman (55: 33).
movement is a verb sabaha (yasbahun in the
text); it carries with it the idea of a motion ِت وَا َلْرْضض
ِ شرَ ا ْلجِنّ وَالِْنسِض إِنضِ اسْض َتطَ ْعتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُوا مِنضْ َأ ْقطَارِ السضّمَاوَا َ ْيَا مَع
which comes from any moving body, be it the ٍسلْطَان
ُ ِفَان ُفذُوا لَ تَن ُفذُونَ ِإ ّل ب
movement of one’s legs as one runs on the
ground, or the action of swimming in water. In
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
Modern Science
ج ِب ِه َز ْرعًا
ُ ِخر
ْ ض ثُمّ ُي
ِ ْأَلَ ْم َترَ َأنّ الَّ أَن َزلَ مِ نَ ال سّمَاء مَاء فَ سَلَكَ ُه َينَابِي َع فِي ا َلْر
ُختَِلفًا َأ ْلوَانُه
ْ ّم
talk of Aristotle’s theory, according to which The stakes (awtad), which are driven into
water was condensed in cool mountains caverns the ground like those used to anchor a tent, are
and formed underground lakes that fed springs. the deep foundations of geological folds.
Today, we know that it is the infiltration of Here, as in the case of other topics, the
rainwater that is responsible for this. If one objective observer cannot fail to notice the
compares the facts of modern hydrology with absence of any contradiction with modern
the data to be found in numerous verses of the knowledge.
Qur’an on this subject, one cannot fail to notice But more than anything else, I was struck,
the remarkable degree of agreement between at first, by statements in the Qur’an dealing
the two. with living things, both in the animal and
In geology, a fact of recently acquired vegetable kingdoms, especially with regard to
knowledge is the phenomenon of folding, which reproduction.
was to form the mountain ranges. The same is I must once again stress the fact that it is
true of the Earth’s crust, which is like a solid only since modern times, that scientific progress
shell on which we can live, while the deeper has made the content of many such verses
layers are hot and fluid, and thus inhospitable to more comprehensible to us. There are also other
any form of life. It is also known that the verses which are more easily understandable,
stability of the mountains is linked to the but which conceal a biological meaning that is
phenomenon of folding, for it were the folds that highly significant. This is the case of the sura Al
were to provide foundation for the reliefs that Anbiya’, a part of which has already been
constituted the mountains. quoted:
Let us now compare modern ideas with one
verse among many in the Qur’an that deals with َشيْ ٍء حَيّ َأ َفلَ ُي ْؤ ِمنُون
َ َّوجَ َع ْلنَا ِمنَ ا ْلمَاء ُكل
this subject. It is taken from the sura al Naba’
(78: 6-7) And We got every living thing out of
the water. Will they then not believe: (21:
جبَالَ َأ ْوتَادًا
ِ ْ وَال.َألَ ْم َنجْ َعلِ ا َلْ ْرضَ ِمهَادًا 30)
Have we not made the Earth an This is an affirmation of the modern idea
expanse and the mountains stakes? that the origin of life is aquatic.
Progress in botany at the time of
Muhammad was in no country advanced enough
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
Modern Science
for it to be established as a rule that plants have absorption, a verse in the Qur’an describes the
both male and female parts. Nevertheless, we source of the constituents of milk, in conformity
may read the following in the sura Taha (20: with these notions.
53). To understand this verse, we have to know
that chemical reactions occur in the intestine
شتّى
َ ٍجنَا بِهِ َأ ْزوَاجًا مّن ّنبَات
ْ وَأَن َزلَ ِمنَ السّمَاء مَاء َفَأخْ َر and that, from there, substances extracted from
food pass into the bloodstream via a complex
(God is the One Who) sent water down system, sometimes by way of the liver,
from the sky and thereby We brought forth depending on their chemical nature. The blood
pairs of plants each separate from the transports them to all the organs of the body,
other. among which are the milk-producing mammary
glands.
Today, we know that fruit comes from plants Without entering into detail, let us just say
that have sexual characteristics (even when it that, basically, there is the arrival of certain
comes from unfertilized flowers, like bananas). substances from the contents of the intestines
In the sura Al Ra’d (13: 3) we read: into the vessels of the intestinal wall itself, and
the transportation of these substances by the
ِت جَ َع َل فِيهَا َز ْوجَ ْينِ ا ْث َن ْين
ِ وَمِن ُك ّل الثّ َمرَا bloodstream.
This concept must be fully appreciated, if
And fruit of every kind He made in we are to understand this verse in the Qur’an,
pairs, two and two. Al Nahl (16: 66).
Reflections on reproduction in the animal وَِإنّ لَكُمْض فِي ا َلنْعَامِض لَ ِع ْب َرةً نّسْضقِيكُم مّمّاض فِي ُبطُونِهِض مِن َبيْنِض فَرْثٍض َودَمٍض ّلبَنًا خَالِصضًا
kingdom were linked to those on human َسَآئِغًا لِلشّا ِربِين
reproduction. We shall examine them presently.
In the field of physiology, there is one verse Verily, in cattle there is a lesson for
which, to me, appears extremely significant: you. We give you to drink of what is inside
one thousand years before the discovery of the their bodies, coming from a conjunction
circulation of blood, and roughly thirteen between the contents of the intestines and
centuries before it was known what happened in the blood, a milk, pure and pleasant for
the intestine to ensure that organs were those who drink it.
nourished by the process of digestive
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
Modern Science
fundamental stages in its growth. This is what We created you out of dust, then out of
we read in a verse from the sura Al Mu’minun sperm, then We fashioned him into
(23: 14). something which clings into a little lump of
flesh, partly formed and partly unformed.
َس ْونَا الْ ِعظَا م
َ َعظَامًا فَكِ خلَ ْقنَا الْ َعلَقَةَ ُمضْغَ ًة َفخََل ْقنَا ا ْل ُمضْغَ َة
َ علَقَ ًة َف
َ طفَ َة
ْ ثُمّ خََل ْقنَا ال ّن
َسنُ ا ْلخَاِلقِينَ ْخرَ َف َتبَا َركَ الُّ َأح
َ خ ْلقًا آ
َ ُشأْنَاهَ َلحْمًا ثُمّ أَن Next, we have a reference to the
appearance of the senses and viscera in the
We fashioned the thing which clings Sura Al Sajda (32: 9).
into a chewed lump of flesh and We
fashioned the chewed flesh into bones and ََوجَ َع َل لَكُمُ السّمْ َع وَا َلْ ْبصَا َر وَا َلْ ْف ِئدَة
We clothed the bones with intact flesh.
Then We developed out of it another (God) appointed for you the senses of
creature. So blessed be Allah, the Perfect hearing, sight and the viscera.
Creator.
Nothing here contradicts today’s data and
The term ‘chewed flesh’ (mudga) furthermore, none of the mistaken ideas of the
corresponds exactly to the appearance of the time have crept into the Qur’an.
embryo at a certain stage in its development.
It is known that the bones develop inside
this mass and that they are then covered with
muscle. This is the meaning of the term ‘intact
flesh’ (lahm).
The embryo passes through a stage where
some parts are in proportion and others out of
proportion with what is later to become the
individual. Maybe this is the meaning of a verse
in the sura Al Hajj (22: 5) which reads as follows:
ِغ ْير
َ خلّقَ ٍة َو
َ عَلقَ ٍة ثُمّ مِن ّمضْ َغةٍ ّم
َ طفَ ٍة ثُمّ مِن ْض
ْ خَلقْنَاكُم مّنض ُترَابٍض ثُمّ مِن ّن
َ فَ ِإنّاض
ٍخّلقَة
َ ُم
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
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the time this text was written and do not have roughly the date of the first intermediary period
any other meaning. before the eleventh dynasty?
As for the genealogies contained in the None of the preceding statements is
Bible, which form the basis of the Jewish acceptable according to modern knowledge.
calendar and assert that today the world is 5738 From this point of view, we can measure the
years old, these are hardly admissible either. enormous gap separating the Bible from the
Our solar system may be over 4½ billion years Qur’an.
old, and the appearance on Earth of man, as we In contrast to the Bible, the narration
know him today, may be estimated in tens of contained in the Qur’an deals with a cataclysm
thousands of years, if not more. that is limited to Noah’s people. They were
It is absolutely essential, therefore, to note punished for their sins, as were other ungodly
that the Qur’an does not contain any such peoples. The Qur’an does not locate the
indications as to date, and that these are cataclysm in time. There are absolutely no
specific to the Biblical text. historical or archaeological objections to the
There is a second, highly significant, subject narration in the Qur’an.
of comparison between the Bible and the A third point of comparison, which is
Qur’an: that is the Flood. In fact, the Biblical extremely significant, is the story of Moses, and
narration is a fusion of two descriptions in which especially the Exodus from Egypt of the
events are related differently. The Bible speaks Hebrews enslaved to the Pharaoh. Here I can
of a universal flood and places it roughly 300 only give a highly compressed account of the
years before Abraham. According to what we study of this subject that appears in my book. I
know of Abraham, this would imply a universal have noted the points where the Biblical and
cataclysm around the twenty-first or twenty- Qur’anic narrations agree and disagree, and for
second century B.C. This would be untenable, in some details, I have found points where the two
view of historical data. texts complement each other in a very useful
How can we accept the idea that, in the way. Among the many hypotheses concerning
twenty-first or twenty-second century BC, all the position occupied by the Exodus in the
civilization was wiped off the face of the Earth history of the Pharaohs, I have concluded that
by a universal cataclysm, when we know that the most likely is the theory which makes
this period corresponds, for example, to the one Merneptah, Rameses II’s successor, the Pharaoh
preceding the Middle Kingdom in Egypt, at of the Exodus. The confrontation of the date
contained in the Scriptures with archaeological
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
Modern Science
evidence speaks strongly in favour of this A medical examination of this mummy, has
hypothesis. I am pleased to be able to say that moreover, shown that the body could not have
the Biblical narration contributes weighty stayed in the water for long, because it does not
evidence leading us to situate Moses in the show signs of deterioration due to prolonged
history of the Pharaohs: Moses was born during submersion.
the reign of Rameses II. Biblical data are Here again, the confrontation of the
therefore of considerable historical value in the narration in the Qur’an with the date provided
story of Moses. by modern knowledge does not give rise to the
The medical study of the mummy of slightest objection from a scientific point of
Merneptah has yielded further useful view.
information on the possible causes of this The Old Testament constitutes a collection
Pharaoh’s death. of literary works produced in the course of
The fact that we today possess the mummy roughly nine centuries and which have
of this Pharaoh, which to be exact, was undergone many alterations. The part played by
discovered in 1898, is one of paramount man in the actual composition of texts of the
importance. The Bible records that it was Bible is quite considerable.
engulfed in the sea, but does not give any The Qur’anic Revelation has a history that is
details as to what subsequently became of the radically different. From the moment it was first
body. The Qur’an, in the sura Yunus, notes that communicated to man, it was learnt by heart
the body of the Pharaoh, who was to be and written down during Muhammad’s own
damned, would be saved from the waters. Sura lifetime. It is thanks to this that the Qur’an does
Yunus (10: 92) not pose any problem of authenticity.
A totally objective examination of it, in the
ْ ن لِ َم
ن َ فَا ْل َيوْمَ ُن َنجّيكَ ِب َب َد ِنكَ ِلتَكُو light of modern knowledge, leads us to
َعنْ آيَا ِتنَا لَغَا ِفلُونَ ِن النّاس َ خ ْلفَكَ آيَ ًة َوِإنّ َكثِيرًا ّم
َ recognise the agreement between the two, as
has already been noted on repeated occasions.
So this day We shall save your (dead), It makes us deem it quite unthinkable for a man
body that you may be a sign for those who of Muhammad’s time to have been the author of
come after you! And verily, many among such statements, on account of the state of
mankind are heedless of Our signs. knowledge in his day. Such considerations are
part of what gives the Qur’anic Revelation its
unique place, and forces the impartial scientist
The Qur’an and Modern Science 169 170 The Qur’an and
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