CHAPTER-5:
THE ETERNAL LIVING SIGN (PROOF) OF GOD
In the primitive period, Allah gave signs (miracles) to His messengers as a token while many people believed the others did not. Some ignorant people put strange demands to the prophets: “Those who have no knowledge ask: "Why does Allah not speak to us face to face or send us a sign?" The same demand was made by those before them: they all have the same mentality. We have already shown clear signs to those whose faith is firm (in their hearts).”(Qur’an;2:118).
The miracles granted by Allah to His previous messengers did not have the long lasting effects. Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) brought the Israelites from Egypt, while performing miracles and wonders, but immediately afterwards the Israelites transgressed and indulged in worship of Calf. Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) performed many miracles but the Jews rejected him. Allah says: “And We refrain from sending the Signs (miracles) only because the men of former generations treated them as false: We sent the She-camel: to the Thamud to open their eyes but they treated her wrongfully: We only send the Signs by way of terror (and warning from evil).”(Qur’an;17:59). It is the way of Allah, if the people demanded the sign (miracle), which were provided and even then they declined to believe, then they were entitled for divine punishments in various forms. In the present era many Christians and Jews do not believe in the miracles performed by biblical prophets, considering them myths, while some try to justify them through rational or scientific arguments.
History records many miracles performed through Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but Allah in His Divine wisdom provided Qur’an, the ever living sign (miracle) through Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which any one can read by himself, to discover that Qur’an is the true word of Allah, the last book of guidance, light and wisdom for the humanity till eternity. Islam encourages reasoning, discussions and dialogue. The Qur’an provides reason and rationale for the purpose, creation and existence of universe. It is the living sign of God and truthfulness of His last messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allah says:
“O mankind! Verily there hath come to you a convincing proof (Qur’an) from your Lord: for We have sent unto you a light (that is) manifest. Then those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him soon will He admit them to Mercy and Grace from Him and guide them to Himself by a straight Way.”(Qur’an;4:174-175).
The Qur’an contains more than six thousand verses [Ayaahs (‘Signs’)], each verse (ayah), of Qur’an is a sign from the Lord, which speaks of the greatness of its originator. It is a historical fact that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was ‘Ummi’ i.e. unlettered (illiterate) (Qur’an;7:157). Revelation of Qur’an in Arabic, unmatched in its eloquence and beauty, through the mouth of un-learned (Isaiah;29:12) prophet is miraculous. The prophesy of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Qur’an (word of God, i.e. ‘words in his mouth’) is mentioned in Bible at Deuteronomy; 18:18,19. The universal challenge of Qur’an to produce even one ayah (verse) like Qur’an (Qur’an;2:23) is yet to be answered. This is the only scripture in the world which is available to the humanity in its original revealed form and will continue to be as such because Allah has taken responsibility to guard it (Qur’an;15:9) . It is the only scripture which is memorized by thousands of Muslims of all ages, nationalities, categories and professions (doctors, engineers, scientists, clerics and common people) the world over from last fourteen centuries, hence is transferred from generation to generation accurately. It is the most recited book in the world.
Qur’an is not a book of ‘science’, but a book of ‘signs’ (ayaats), there are more than thousand verses of Qur’an referring to various subjects of science, such as astronomy, physics, geography, geology, oceanology, biology, botany, zoology, medicine, physiology, embryology as well as general science, mostly unknown to humanity at the time of its revelation, fourteen centuries ago. God says:
“Soon shall We show them OUR SIGNS in the UNIVERSE and in their OWN SELVES, until it becomes clear to them that this QUR'AN IS INDEED THE TRUTH. Is it not enough that your Lord is a witness over everything?”(Qur’an;41:53)
“Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of Creation) before We clove them asunder? (Big Bang) We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?”(Qur’an;21:30)
“Moreover He Comprehended in His design the sky and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together willingly or unwillingly. "They said: "We do come (together) in willing obedience."(Qur’an;41:11)
"Who hath created and further given order and proportion” (Qur’an;87:2).
Allah says: “O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you might get to know one another. Surely the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous. Allah is All-Knowledgeable, All-Aware.” (Qur’an;49:13).
The complex process of pregnancy from conception till child birth, discovered recently is accurately narrated in Qur’an;23:13-14. It is found that the Qur'anic information on science does not conflict with the established scientific facts. It may go against certain scientific hypothesis or theories, which are not based on facts as many a times, the science retracts its position.
The scientific facts mentioned in Qur’an have been discovered during last few centuries. But science has not advanced to a level where it can confirm every statement of the Qur’an referring to scientific information. According to Dr.Zakir Naik; suppose 80% of all that is mentioned in the Qur’an has been proved 100% correct, while for the remaining 20%, science makes no categorical statement, since it has not advanced to a level, where it can either prove or disprove these statements. With the limited knowledge through science available today, one cannot say for sure whether even a single percentage or a single verse of the Qur’an from this 20% portion is wrong. Thus when 80% of the Qur’an is 100% correct and the remaining 20% is not disproved, logic says that even the 20% portion is correct. [The details of scientific facts mentioned in Qur’an have been deliberated upon in the book ‘Qur’an and Science’ by Dr.Zakir Naik & "The Bible, The Qur'an and Science" by Dr. Maurice Bucaille, a French doctor]. How an unlettered person brought up among the most backward desert Arabs, away from the centers of civilization and knowledge, could accurately provide the scientific information mostly discovered recently? It is God, the Creator alone Who could provide so accurate scientific information. Consequently as the scientific information mentioned in Qur’an is true then, by inference the other metaphysical information mentioned in Qur’an (correspondingly also in Bible) like; existence of God, angles, eschatology (death, judgement, heaven, hell, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind) must also be true.
Humanity has much more to learn from Qur’an if they ponder over it (Qur’an;38:29). Allah says:
“This Book (Al-Qur'an) which We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) is highly blessed, so that they may ponder upon its verses and the men of understanding may learn a lesson from it.”(Qur’an;4:82).
There are many prophecies, which have been fulfilled and the accuracy of historic narratives is confirmed through latest research and archeological evidence. The coherence in Qur’an is amazing that it gives evidence to its Divine origin through numerous ‘Internal Evidences’, like one is quoted here: The Qur'an reminds the Christian in one short sentence to remember Adam; who neither had father nor a mother, it does not make him son of God. So that the likeness of Adam is the likeness of Jesus, they were nothing and then they became something; the servants of God (Qur’an;3:59).
An equation has been set between Jesus and Adam, the Arabic word (mithel) has been used which means “likeness”, it says Jesus and Adam are equal. It can be found through the index of the Qur'an, that the name ‘Isa’ (‘Isa’ is Arabic for Jesus) is mentioned 25 times, similarly the name ‘Adam’ has also been mentioned 25 times. Dr.Gary Miller adds that if this process is followed through, it will be found that in the Qur'an there are 8 places were an Ayah says something is like something else, using this (Mithel), it will be found in every case and take both sides of it whatever that word is, look it up in the index and it will be lets say 110 times and lookup the other word and it will be said to be equal to the same 110. That is quite a project of co-ordination even in the present era of computers and high-technology, but impossible to even imagine, fourteen hundred years ago for some one unlettered, dictating a book over 23 years in small and big parts at different timings, places and occasions at times spontaneously receiving Revelations in response to some query raised by a believer or non believer! It’s amazing; there is no doubt that Qur'an is a living miracle manifesting existence of The One Creator-Allah.
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