Assalamu alaikum Peace be NGO Welcome to another episode of Islam focus. I’m your host Hamlet Rashid. Today we’re continuing with our 17th program in our series dealing with the sources of Islam.
Today our fifth segment and the looking at the question of the Quran in modern sciences we’ll be looking in particular at water in the water cycle. I have joining me on the program as usual, Dr. Jamal battery of segments University Assalamu alaikum. Now,
before we get into today’s program examining this question of water in the water cycle, could I have you just quickly summarize the main points that we touched on in our last program? Sure. What the previous program it was indicated that not only does the Quran mentioned that the heavenly bodies are in constant process of rotation, that it uses the term like swims along indicating that the motion is emanating from these bodies or emanates from these bodies themselves.
The other aspect that was discussed was the question of the succession of the day and night. And how the Quran says that Allah or God coins, the day upon the night and coins the night upon the day, which indicates not only that the earth is spirit, but it indicates also the constant motion or rotation of the earth. It was also noted that the Quran makes an explicit reference to the rotation of air something that wasn’t known at the time of the Prophet.
When he mentioned when the Quran mentioned that the mountains moves, as you see the clouds move, even though we think that the stationary, which indicates again, that as the clouds are moved by the wind, it’s not simply a magnetic motion. So the mountains do not move themselves, but they move because the earth action is also rotating.
We discuss briefly also the expression of the Sun and Moon in the Quran. That is not just mentioned as a major light or less light, but the term used for the sun. Suraj means a source of light, whereas the moon simply says light which could be a reflection from the light coming from the from the sun
indicated that all of this information was not known in the seventh century to Prophet Muhammad, it wasn’t the standard knowledge available. And the question here, where did it come from? unless it is actually a revelation? The last question that was briefly discussed it in complete its discussion fact
was the notion that the Quran indicates that there may be other Earths whether they may be other lives and forms of life on other planets, and indicated that, for example, in the first surah in the Quran, it uses the word words and Quran in surah 65. passage 12. For example, it says that God also created several Earths. But whether that indicates that there is there is a possible life on other planets or not. That’s a different question doesn’t say one way or the other.
Pick up on the last point and return to it. I think it will be of great interest to many of the viewers of the program, this whole question of the existence of life outside of the wars and under.
Can you explain the Quranic quantix position on that perhaps a little further. But before I do that, one first has to distinguish between a scientific fact and theory. Of course, one cannot say factually that there is or there isn’t absolutely any other life outside of the earth, let’s say your similar condition. But what is
the generally accepted by scientists now is that at least for our solar system, that doesn’t seem to be any indication that there could be life on any other planet that is within that solar system seems to be reasonably established. Of course, when the moon was explored, it was found that it could be no life on it.
However,
Our solar system, as many scientists say, is not the only system in our galaxy, the Milky Way. It is estimated that half of its stars nearly 5 billion stars are also rotating very slowly. And matter, which indicate to many scientists that they This ensures that there are other satellite planets which are rotating also around those stars the same way that our planets like Earth and Moon are rotating around in the sun.
Now,
the other systems if you went beyond our solar system, nobody can say for sure, I mean, we have not developed the capability yet to find out for sure whether it is
some other Earths similar to ours or not. That In any case, the funny thing is that they couldn’t seem to leave it open. It simply says that there are also other Earths included without necessarily saying that they are exactly like our, our Earth, whether or not they could be life on this earth, or other planets. It’s a matter which is open there is no definite statement one way or the other.
Alternatives now to the question of water. Is there any hint in the Quran about its role in sustaining life on earth? Yes, actually, it’s there’s very strong and clear reference or references, in fact, several references in the Quran
about waters. That’s quite interesting, because of course, as you know, it was relatively recently that science discovered more and more about the significance of water in sustaining life. But one of the most fascinating passages in the Quran appears in Surah 21, that’s 2130
it says my Jangan condition in high that is we need that says we need every living thing. But it could also lead out of, of or out of water.
Now, the Quranic expression or the term mat,
could mean two things has both etymological meanings. One is that it is just a fluid like a sperm. For example, there are other citations in the Quran,
in Surah, 77, and 24, where it actually refers to a sperm that is, every living thing comes out as a result of the this process of fertilization. But the other meaning also, is simply waters, not in saltwater,
which shows again, that life is very much dependent that any living thing is heavily dependent on water. And now what scientists are telling us is that approximately 70% of our weight is water. So if somebody, for example, weighs
70 kilograms 50 of which are just water. And of course in biology, it’s known that the protoplasm, which is the main components, you know, the the human cell, or animal cell, if you’re living cells, is actually composed of water, it’s mainly dependent on water without which of course, a person cannot survive. We are taught that you could, you could live without food up to 60 days. But without waters, that’s a different story between three to 10 days. And that’s it, he gets into a state of dehydration, and then it can survive any longer.
What Of course, one can say that this information doesn’t sound too strange or striking when we sit here in the 20th century and speak about it. But this is far removed from the various kinds of myths and strange ideas that existed at the time when this
passages of the Quran were revealed and the in the seventh century.
Not only this, the Quran speaks even beyond the importance of water, which is a more general type of of statement. It speaks also even about something that was done competitively recently, that has been in the nature of the water cycle.
Now when we speak of the
term water cycle, what is it? Can you explain what is meant by the term? That’s from the scientific standpoint? Yes. Well, basically, the scientists tell us and this is something that has already been proven doesn’t it’s not a theory is that 70% approximately or 72% of the
surface of the Earth is covered with with waters.
Now this is an essential point because think of it, the sun is there. The rays of the sun is causing effect
operation of this waters.
Now, you might say that evaporation is not that much. But if there was not that delicate balance in the water cycle, and since the earth is, let’s say over 5 billion years old, and if the evaporation just continued like that over hundreds of millions of years, at one point of time, the entire water with a separation and there’ll be no more water unless there’s a second return this water back to the earth.
Now, this vapor then, of the waters as a result of the sun’s rays, sends or rises into the atmosphere. And then through a process of condensation, we are told that clouds are formed. Now, at this point, the role of the winds become very essential and very crucial, because for this clouds, the wind may either disperse it disperse those clouds without any rain, or it may fragmented and produce rain in different stages of development. Or it may combine, see the one keep pushing, combining those clouds with other clouds, and as such, creating even greater compensation.
Now, when the rain falls,
as you know, it comes back again,
into the oceans, rivers, lakes, it falls also on the soil on the earth. And it’s absorbed by plants, some part of that water seeps or penetrates into the earth, which is sometimes responsible for its emergence again, in the form of springs are being conducted through channels back to the to the oceans. Now, without this delicate balance, as indicated earlier, you could not really sustain
life on Earth, this is a constant process of cycling, if you have water, can you give us some idea of when this
motorcycle this concept of watercycle was discovered and what explanations were offered before the discovery of the nature and the nature of the watercycle. One, this is an area where some specialists, especially in the area of so called hydrology, and hydro geology,
can give us some indication. Some of those scientists have been quoted by Bach a in his book, The Bible planet science that we got to call. And they say that the first clear formulation of the or about the water cycle goes back to about 15 at 1500 80. So we’re talking about the later part of the 16th century,
mostly connected with animals, Bernard palissy, pa L is y,
who indicated that the rain waters does in fact infiltrate the soil a matter that has been confirmed more widely, as late even as the 17th century. Before that, there were all kinds of students miss about water cycle. Plato, for example, believe that the water returns back to ocean that’s the rainwater returned back to the oceans through a great address, big, you know, tiny tunnels or holes that connect to the to the oceans. And that theory seemed to have had supporters as late as the 18th century, that is nearly 1100 years after the revelation of the Quran and the collection of those
ronk emotions. Some people leading us to believe that the waters under the water and the oceans under the influence are effective winds are thrust towards the interiors of the continents. Above the springs, for example, in the Middle Ages, it was believed that the
the spring water actually comes from underground lakes without explaining where these lakes even or where that water storage came from, as if it’s it’s been there for example, since the creation of Earth simply say that this is the source of it. And some even believe that the water is coming to this mix underground lakes through holes, which is connecting through the bottoms of the bottom of the options. And of course as it has been made clear now the distributions
Which were very common, not only during the time of the revelation of the Quran, but for hundreds of years after the Quran
are all mistaken. And there is no trace whatsoever in the Quran of any of those mistaken notions. On the contrary, we find the doctrine correct.
Mistakes even. That’s interesting, could you tell us what the client has to say with respect to that. But let’s take two examples on that, from the Quran. Two fascinating
citations. If you again think of the time frame when they were revealed in the seventh century, in a sort of 39, that’s in verse or passage 21. And I’m
in a similar mountain for Seneca, who
has not seen that Allah sent water down from the sky, and let it through sources into the ground, that is the surface into the ground,
then he caused to influence of different colors to go. Notice here, no trace whatsoever of any notion of, let’s say, underground lakes that existed there for a long time, it did not originate from the rain, it’s corrected, and it’s something that was discovered much later than it is the rain water actually, is stored in the old infiltrates into the soil.
Another
equally interesting passage in the Quran, in 2318, or 19.
When is the man in the center and the paternal fasken. Now,
it says that we that’s a lot regard capital G, we sent down water from the sky in marriage, and notice this and we nudge it nudging that waters in the ground.
Again, showing clearly the correct notion or the correct discovery that actually the water is stirred because of the rain that has been penetrated there.
One more reference that you just make quickly in sort of 15 for example, in 22
basically says that Allison down the water from the skies want to know because you need that you are not guarding or taking care of storing it, or hoarding it, which could be also a reference that you cannot prevent it from evaporating and coming back into, you know, the scarring but one of clouds and continuing the cycle, at least one of the meaning could clearly imply that
you mentioned earlier the role of the clouds and wind in the water cycle. Does the Quran make any reference to that?
Well, let’s take
one interesting passage in the Quran that touches directly on this issue of clouds and rain.
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passage which is in 2443. It says that Allah makes the clouds notice the word more gently then joins them together.
Then mix them into a heat.
Then, will you see rain issue hoarse from their midst. And he sent down from the sky mountain not as the term mountain masters of cloud
clouds were in his Hill.
This is a very meticulous description if we didn’t stop at some of the wordings.
First of all, it talks about the notion of the wind moving dust cloud gently together. That’s one.
Secondly, the term used in the Quran is G.
And that is when the clouds are put together or joined together, which we mentioned again that the scientists speak here about the process of compensation or greater compensation by clouds joining with each other.
But another
very interesting term here that’s used the mountain
using a descendant of the term mountain in reference to the clouds.
I was reading about that while traveling or flying.
And I looked from the window and it helped that you anyone looking from the SEC is up to the clouds. Perhaps you can see much except that there are so some patches here and there. But it’s only when you’re flying and looking from the window. Especially after the the act
Left gets into the cruising altitude just beyond the clouds. It’s amazing, the description of mountain
must have experienced that very clear, just like range of mountains with various heights, exactly the shape like mountains just colored differently, you can distinguish the clouds from the mountain, what of course, somebody says or what anyone can see that, yes, anyone can see that nothing the same, essentially nobody in the seven centuries
to go up to me did this very delicate description of the shape of the cloud. And then the the area also that passage speaks also about the
or refers to electricity in the air, because it talks about the lighting. And this is something again, that was not known until reasonably recently, but it is electricity in the atmosphere, which has something to do actually with the, with the rainfall. Let me take another if we have sun quality, which is even more amazing.
An expression in the Quran, or sun or geohash. That is recent, the receipt for the women’s that impregnates
the term impregnate and we cause the waters to descend from the sky that’s fallen, for example, in 1522.
This could have two meanings depending on what scientists are, what kind of orientation the individual is thinking about. The word love aka Arabic, which is translated impregnating could be a reference, in fact to the wind, and its role in moving the pollen, you know, the sea powder small, very light powdered that causes the factorization or the cross fertilization of plants from the male plant to the female plant.
This we can come back to when we did with the vegetation kingdom and the various Americans again in the Quran about its creation. But the other clear meaning also of it since it talks about winds, and rain. So the obvious reference here seem to be to the role of wind impregnating. Now we can perhaps inquire in what sense does the wind impregnates and as such, cause rain is no problems there is no male and female, that cloud. But if you didn’t think about it, in terms of the condensation process that you talked about before, that sometimes you may have clouds, but this clouds may not necessarily be rain carrying clouds. See, and it is only when the winds
come back to them or move this clouds together, where you have heavier,
more condensation, then we can the rain issuing force. So it’s almost just like the same role of colonization or impregnation of the mind and again, this is something that’s wasn’t definitely one at the time of the revelation of the Quran, to Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
In addition to to this and just pick two measures of citations in the Quran, about this whole notion of the water cycle and the relationship between the clouds and drain, but for those who wish to check further, just give a few references in seven Quran for example, 757 and 25 525 48 and 49 and in 3048 hours, some
interesting references also to that particular phenomena.
Now, how about the so called artificially is that a change in the natural process,
not really a total change in the natural process as book a say in his book, that the experts in material logic
metrologists indicate that
it is unlikely that the human can actually produce rain or cause rain to fall from clouds which does not have the suitable characteristics of rain clouds. In other words, which is not to use a simpler term, which is not mature enough. You can’t just produce something from you know, nowhere from any cloud.
In other words, you cannot hasten the precipitation process unless the natural conditions are present. And if it were true, that the so called artificial rain is a technique that you can use to produce rain at when you could not you could possibly avoid any kind of drought
lobby limited Sara desert executive visit. And we found the doubts even existing. Even in the most advanced country, that Edu is this technique. So it’s not really producing rain as such something has to be there first to to be available before.
Another very interesting area, or aspect of this examination of the water cycle is the relationship between salt and freshwater.
Why don’t they mix over time and become a medium salt? For example? Is there any explanation for that? The combination of the two, what keeps them stuck around if they if they had already mixed like that, over 1000s or millions of years, life on earth could have been destroyed because probably would not have any freshwater. Exactly freshwater water. Of course, in the past, people did not have the desalination plants to obtain fresh water could have been any very difficult. In many respects, you have to wait for them to wear to drink fresh water. There’s something really interesting about that, that has been discovered also by modern science. And what science says that the immediate
mixing of the salty sea waters and the fresh river waters does not in fact occurs immediately. That’s there’s no immediate mixing between these even though they meet as you know, this has been seen, for example, in the Tigris, and Euphrates, and any other river in for that matter, which has a very large outflow of water like the Mississippi River, for example, in the United States.
But there’s something even more fascinating, I was just reading about that this morning. And by the way, you could find that in some of the elementary textbooks in science and Canadian curriculum, for example, that was brought to my attention. During my visit, my recent visit to South Africa by Dr. Joe berry is a medical doctor who used to live in Winnipeg, he was attending a sort of Islamic training, or ITP standard training program, yes, and then attended. And he brought that point to my attention, which is really fascinating. And what scientists say is that the Gulf Stream,
which is very wide, wider than any non rivers, it’s as wide as 32 mines, in fact, that the Gulf Stream, which is a warm stream, begins at the equator,
and starts moving north
into the Gulf of Mexico, and then travels along the coasts, to Newfoundland. And then it moves east, across the Atlantic, where it becomes much wider.
And then it continues until it reaches the or near the costs of several European countries like Norway, France, England, and then spreads after that, after all that will catch up and just disappears into the ocean. But the amazing thing about it is this, that during this very very lengthy trip, which could be in 1000s of miles,
the waters or the Gulfstream Lilian distinct,
distinct from the rest of the ocean waters does not mix. And this is amazing. Because actually, not only does it keep distinct, as could be seen, for example from the colors, variation of the color at the edge of the stream. But they say that there is a difference of 20 degrees in the temperature of the Gulf Stream and the ocean. So like someone’s put it he said if you’re if you’re on board the ship sailing just at the edge on one side of the ship, you can pick water let’s say three buckets from the stream from the Gulf Stream which would be 20 degrees warmer from the other side of the ship you get water which is 20 degrees.
Which is really an amazing thing. As far as the Quran. Quranic refers to that there are two crucial references one in 2553 and one in 55 and 19 and 20 I realized that you don’t have much time to cut them in front but both references in the Quran. basically say that Allah created the earth created the seeds that is the fresh and the salty
and you let them free that is let them get in touch or contact each other. Even then, despite of that contact, it says that there is a certain partition or barrier between them so that they don’t transgress. This is the most fascinating and amazing reference within the Quran to this recently discovered
phenomena that even though there is mixing, in a way between salt and freshwater, it is not really that immediate. It’s not that complete or else you know the life on earth could have not been sustained. The gravity gravitational force could also be regarded as a source of
various that prevents the full mixing and simulation. What are the question again? How could
this be upon him, you know, of all of these recently discovered things included in the Quran if it was not known in any previous scripture, or even the state of science and knowledge in his time, given for hundreds of years after the revolution.
Thank you very much, but it was up to stop that one very interesting program. We want to thank you for watching Assalamu alaikum Peace be on you.
