J
Jimbo Baggins
Guest
"YUSUF10106" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Author's note: When one has been working on a short article like this for
as
> many months as I have, he has earned, perhaps, the right to ask readers to
> observe a simple principle in responding. May I ask that you read the
article
> in its entirety, including the final paragraph, before emailing me at
> [email protected]? At that point I would certainly love to hear
from you!
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> Authorship clues in the Qur'an:
> "What a coincidenceâ?¦"
>
>
> Question: "Who wrote the Qur'an?"
>
> Answer: "The Qur'an was authored by a human being; it is not a literal
> revelation from God. It is a book created by human intelligence, like any
other
> book. It was, as a matter of historical fact, written by Muhammad, in the
> seventh century A.D."
>
> This is, perhaps, the most common line of reasoning in the United States
and
> Europe today. If this is your view, rest assured that you have plenty of
> company!
>
> You should also know, though, that this point of view is not without its
> difficulties. To believe it, you must also believe that Muhammad, peace be
upon
> him â?¦
>
> o Knew that the Earth and heavenly bodies were once a single point, and
> were separated violently (21:30)
>
> "Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were
joined
> together as one united piece, then We parted them?..."[ Al-Anbiyâ':21:30]
> What's more â?¦
>
> o If you don't believe that he had access to special knowledge that made
> possible this prefiguring of the modern Big Bang theory -- a theory
entirely
> unknown to the Arabs of the seventh century -- you must conclude that
21:30 of
> the Qur'an is merely an intriguing coincidence, a matter of getting
something
> right by chance.
>
>
> Perhaps this passage is simply an intriguing coincidence.
>
> If it is, however, it is not the only one.
>
> This man, the supposed "author" of the Qur'an, would also have to haveâ?¦
>
> o Known about the relativity of time (22:47), a subject similarly unknown
> to Arab tribes of this period.
>
> "â?¦And verily, a day with your Lord is as a thousand
> years of what you reckon.[ Al-Hajj22:47]"
>
> o Similar references appear at 23:112-114; 32:45; and 70:4. Was he taking
> part in an ongoing dialogue on the topic of the relativity of time among
the
> Arabic thinkers of his day? If so, where are these other voices? Either he
> possessed some source of knowledge on this subject thirteen and a half
> centuries before Einstein â?¦ or we are looking at another intriguing
> coincidence.
>
> o Which is it?
>
> o Most non-Muslims will instinctively answer along these lines: "Even if
> it means granting the text of the Qur'an a second striking coincidental
> feature, the likeliest explanation is that these passages, too, are merely
> examples of happenstance."
>
> And yet â?¦
>
> â?¦ consider that the same author would also have to haveâ?¦
>
>
> o Known that the universe is continuously expanding (51:47) â?¦ either
> that or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "With power did We construct the heaven. Verily, We are Able to extend the
> vastness of space thereof."[ Az-Zâriyât 51:47]
>
> o Known that matter is created in pairs (36:36)- either that or this
> passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "Glory be to Him, Who has created all the pairs of that which the earth
> produces, as well as of their own (human) kind (male and female), and of
that
> which they know not." [ YâSîn:36:36]
>
> o Known what modern biological science knows about the foundation of life
> on Earth, namely that it is water-based (24:45) - either that or this
passage,
> too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "
> "God has created every moving (living) creature from water." [
An-Nûr:24:45]
>
> o Known that iron is not native to the Earth, coming instead from an
> extraterrestrial source (57:25) - either that or this passage, too, must
be
> regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "â?¦and We sent down Iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well
as
> many benefits for mankind�" [ Al-Hadîd:57:25]
>
> o Known that planetary bodies travel in orbits (27:88; 21:33) - either
> that or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "� They all float, each in an orbit." [ YâSîn:36:40]
>
> o Known that the Earth's atmosphere acts like a protective shield for
> living creatures (21:32) - either that or this passage, too, must be
regarded
> as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well guarded." [
> Al-Anbiyâ':21;32]
>
> o Known that the stages of human development in the womb unfold in a
> specific, describable sequence (23:14) that has been confirmed by modern
> experts in human embryology - either that or this passage, too, must be
> regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "â?¦ We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah (drop of water) (and
> lodged it) in a safe lodging (womb of the woman). Then We made the Nutfah
into
> alaqah (clinging, leech-like substance), then We made the alaqah into
mudghah
> (chewed-like lump), then We made out of that mudghah bones, then We
clothed the
> bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So
blessed
> be God, the Best of creators [Surât Al-Mu'minûn:23:12-14]
>
> o Known that the roots of mountains extend deep into the earth and serve
> the function of preventing shocks (21:31) - either that or these passages,
too,
> must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse, and the mountains as pegs?"
> [ An-Naba':6-7]
>
> "And the mountains He has fixed firmly."[ An-Nazi'ât:79:32]
>
> o Known details of how the Earth's rain cycle functions that were
> mysteries to scientists until the twentieth century (15:22, 30:48) -
either
> that or these passages, too, must be regarded as an intriguing
coincidence:
>
> "And We send the winds fertilizing (to fill heavily the clouds with
water),
> then caused the water (rain) to descend from the sky....[ Al-Hijr:15:22]
>
> "God is He Who sends the winds, so they raise clouds, and spread them
along the
> sky as He wills, and then break them into fragments, until you see rain
drops
> come forth from their midst!..." [ ArRûm:30:48]
>
> o Known what modern oceanographers have now learned, namely that
> bordering seas meet but do not mingle with one another (55:19-20) - either
that
> or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "He has let loosed the two seas (the salt water and the sweet) meeting
> together. Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress.
> [Ar-Rahmân:55:19-20]"
>
> o Known that oceans have subsurface wave patterns (24:40) - either that
> or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "Or [the state of a disbeliever] is like the darkness in a vast deep sea,
> overwhelmed with a great wave topped by a great wave, topped by dark
clouds,
> darkness, one above another, if a man stretches out his hand, he can
hardly see
> it! And he for whom God has not appointed light, for him there is no
light." [
> An-Nûr:24:40]
>
> o Known that, in communities of honeybees, only the females are workers
> (16:68-69 - the Arabic verb forms can connect only to female beings) -
either
> that or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "And your Lord inspired the female bee, saying: "Take you habitations in
the
> mountains and in the trees and in what they erect, Then, eat of all
fruits, and
> follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you)." There comes forth from
their
> bellies, a drink of varying colour wherein is healing for men. Verily, in
this
> is indeed a sign for people who think." [ An-Nahl:16:68-69]
>
> o Known to use the singular of the word "YAWM" (day) precisely 365 times
> in the text of the Qur'an, despite the fact that he lived in a culture
that
> followed a lunar, not a solar calendar -- either that or this numerical
total
> must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> o Known, seven years ahead of time, that the humiliated Byzantine Army of
> his day would rejuvenate itself and secure a major victory, which in fact
it
> eventually did against the Persians (30:1-4) - either that or this
passage,
> too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "The Romans have been defeated. In the nearer land (Syria, Iraq, Jordan,
and
> Palestine), and they, after their defeat, will be victorious. Within three
to
> nine years. The decision of the matter, before and after (these events) is
only
> with God." [ ArRûm: 30:2-4]
>
> o Known, two years before he did so, that he would enter Mecca in triumph
> (48:27) - either that or this passage, too, must be regarded as an
intriguing
> coincidence.
>
> "Indeed God shall fulfill the true vision which He showed to His Messenger
> [reference is made to a dream of the Prophet's, peace be upon him, in
which he
> entered Makkah along with his companions, having their head hair shaved
and cut
> short] in very truth. Certainly, you shall enter Al Masjid al Harâm; if
God
> wills, secure, (some) having your heads shaved, and (some) having your
head
> hair cut short, having no fear." [ Al-Fath:48:27]
>
> o Known that the body of the Pharaoh who had opposed Moses would be
> preserved for future generations (10:91-92) -- it is today on display in
the
> Royal Mummies Chamber of the Egyptian Museum - either that or this
passage,
> too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "Now (at the moment of your death you believe, Pharaoh)! While you refused
to
> believe before, and you were one of the Mufsidûn (evil-doers, corrupt
persons,
> etc.)! So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea)
that
> you may be a sign to those who come after you! And verily, many among
mankind
> are heedless of Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs ,
> revelations, etc.).[ Yûnus:10:91-92]
>
> o Known to refer (12:54) to the Egyptian head of state of Joseph's, peace
> be upon him, era as "king" (malik) and not as Pharaoh, the word that
appears
> erroneously in the book of Genesis - either that or this passage, too,
must be
> regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "And the king said: 'Bring him to me that I may attach him to my person.'
Then,
> when he spoke to him, he said: 'Verily, this day, you are with us high in
rank
> and fully trusted.' " [ Yûsuf:12:54]
>
> o Known that the fabled Arabian "lost city" of Iram (89:6-8) whose
> historical existence was confirmed by archaeologists only in 1990, was a
> historical reality -- either that or this passage, too, must be regarded
as an
> intriguing coincidence.
>
news:[email protected]...
> Author's note: When one has been working on a short article like this for
as
> many months as I have, he has earned, perhaps, the right to ask readers to
> observe a simple principle in responding. May I ask that you read the
article
> in its entirety, including the final paragraph, before emailing me at
> [email protected]? At that point I would certainly love to hear
from you!
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> Authorship clues in the Qur'an:
> "What a coincidenceâ?¦"
>
>
> Question: "Who wrote the Qur'an?"
>
> Answer: "The Qur'an was authored by a human being; it is not a literal
> revelation from God. It is a book created by human intelligence, like any
other
> book. It was, as a matter of historical fact, written by Muhammad, in the
> seventh century A.D."
>
> This is, perhaps, the most common line of reasoning in the United States
and
> Europe today. If this is your view, rest assured that you have plenty of
> company!
>
> You should also know, though, that this point of view is not without its
> difficulties. To believe it, you must also believe that Muhammad, peace be
upon
> him â?¦
>
> o Knew that the Earth and heavenly bodies were once a single point, and
> were separated violently (21:30)
>
> "Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were
joined
> together as one united piece, then We parted them?..."[ Al-Anbiyâ':21:30]
> What's more â?¦
>
> o If you don't believe that he had access to special knowledge that made
> possible this prefiguring of the modern Big Bang theory -- a theory
entirely
> unknown to the Arabs of the seventh century -- you must conclude that
21:30 of
> the Qur'an is merely an intriguing coincidence, a matter of getting
something
> right by chance.
>
>
> Perhaps this passage is simply an intriguing coincidence.
>
> If it is, however, it is not the only one.
>
> This man, the supposed "author" of the Qur'an, would also have to haveâ?¦
>
> o Known about the relativity of time (22:47), a subject similarly unknown
> to Arab tribes of this period.
>
> "â?¦And verily, a day with your Lord is as a thousand
> years of what you reckon.[ Al-Hajj22:47]"
>
> o Similar references appear at 23:112-114; 32:45; and 70:4. Was he taking
> part in an ongoing dialogue on the topic of the relativity of time among
the
> Arabic thinkers of his day? If so, where are these other voices? Either he
> possessed some source of knowledge on this subject thirteen and a half
> centuries before Einstein â?¦ or we are looking at another intriguing
> coincidence.
>
> o Which is it?
>
> o Most non-Muslims will instinctively answer along these lines: "Even if
> it means granting the text of the Qur'an a second striking coincidental
> feature, the likeliest explanation is that these passages, too, are merely
> examples of happenstance."
>
> And yet â?¦
>
> â?¦ consider that the same author would also have to haveâ?¦
>
>
> o Known that the universe is continuously expanding (51:47) â?¦ either
> that or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "With power did We construct the heaven. Verily, We are Able to extend the
> vastness of space thereof."[ Az-Zâriyât 51:47]
>
> o Known that matter is created in pairs (36:36)- either that or this
> passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "Glory be to Him, Who has created all the pairs of that which the earth
> produces, as well as of their own (human) kind (male and female), and of
that
> which they know not." [ YâSîn:36:36]
>
> o Known what modern biological science knows about the foundation of life
> on Earth, namely that it is water-based (24:45) - either that or this
passage,
> too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "
> "God has created every moving (living) creature from water." [
An-Nûr:24:45]
>
> o Known that iron is not native to the Earth, coming instead from an
> extraterrestrial source (57:25) - either that or this passage, too, must
be
> regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "â?¦and We sent down Iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well
as
> many benefits for mankind�" [ Al-Hadîd:57:25]
>
> o Known that planetary bodies travel in orbits (27:88; 21:33) - either
> that or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "� They all float, each in an orbit." [ YâSîn:36:40]
>
> o Known that the Earth's atmosphere acts like a protective shield for
> living creatures (21:32) - either that or this passage, too, must be
regarded
> as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well guarded." [
> Al-Anbiyâ':21;32]
>
> o Known that the stages of human development in the womb unfold in a
> specific, describable sequence (23:14) that has been confirmed by modern
> experts in human embryology - either that or this passage, too, must be
> regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "â?¦ We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah (drop of water) (and
> lodged it) in a safe lodging (womb of the woman). Then We made the Nutfah
into
> alaqah (clinging, leech-like substance), then We made the alaqah into
mudghah
> (chewed-like lump), then We made out of that mudghah bones, then We
clothed the
> bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So
blessed
> be God, the Best of creators [Surât Al-Mu'minûn:23:12-14]
>
> o Known that the roots of mountains extend deep into the earth and serve
> the function of preventing shocks (21:31) - either that or these passages,
too,
> must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse, and the mountains as pegs?"
> [ An-Naba':6-7]
>
> "And the mountains He has fixed firmly."[ An-Nazi'ât:79:32]
>
> o Known details of how the Earth's rain cycle functions that were
> mysteries to scientists until the twentieth century (15:22, 30:48) -
either
> that or these passages, too, must be regarded as an intriguing
coincidence:
>
> "And We send the winds fertilizing (to fill heavily the clouds with
water),
> then caused the water (rain) to descend from the sky....[ Al-Hijr:15:22]
>
> "God is He Who sends the winds, so they raise clouds, and spread them
along the
> sky as He wills, and then break them into fragments, until you see rain
drops
> come forth from their midst!..." [ ArRûm:30:48]
>
> o Known what modern oceanographers have now learned, namely that
> bordering seas meet but do not mingle with one another (55:19-20) - either
that
> or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "He has let loosed the two seas (the salt water and the sweet) meeting
> together. Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress.
> [Ar-Rahmân:55:19-20]"
>
> o Known that oceans have subsurface wave patterns (24:40) - either that
> or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "Or [the state of a disbeliever] is like the darkness in a vast deep sea,
> overwhelmed with a great wave topped by a great wave, topped by dark
clouds,
> darkness, one above another, if a man stretches out his hand, he can
hardly see
> it! And he for whom God has not appointed light, for him there is no
light." [
> An-Nûr:24:40]
>
> o Known that, in communities of honeybees, only the females are workers
> (16:68-69 - the Arabic verb forms can connect only to female beings) -
either
> that or this passage, too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence:
>
> "And your Lord inspired the female bee, saying: "Take you habitations in
the
> mountains and in the trees and in what they erect, Then, eat of all
fruits, and
> follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you)." There comes forth from
their
> bellies, a drink of varying colour wherein is healing for men. Verily, in
this
> is indeed a sign for people who think." [ An-Nahl:16:68-69]
>
> o Known to use the singular of the word "YAWM" (day) precisely 365 times
> in the text of the Qur'an, despite the fact that he lived in a culture
that
> followed a lunar, not a solar calendar -- either that or this numerical
total
> must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> o Known, seven years ahead of time, that the humiliated Byzantine Army of
> his day would rejuvenate itself and secure a major victory, which in fact
it
> eventually did against the Persians (30:1-4) - either that or this
passage,
> too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "The Romans have been defeated. In the nearer land (Syria, Iraq, Jordan,
and
> Palestine), and they, after their defeat, will be victorious. Within three
to
> nine years. The decision of the matter, before and after (these events) is
only
> with God." [ ArRûm: 30:2-4]
>
> o Known, two years before he did so, that he would enter Mecca in triumph
> (48:27) - either that or this passage, too, must be regarded as an
intriguing
> coincidence.
>
> "Indeed God shall fulfill the true vision which He showed to His Messenger
> [reference is made to a dream of the Prophet's, peace be upon him, in
which he
> entered Makkah along with his companions, having their head hair shaved
and cut
> short] in very truth. Certainly, you shall enter Al Masjid al Harâm; if
God
> wills, secure, (some) having your heads shaved, and (some) having your
head
> hair cut short, having no fear." [ Al-Fath:48:27]
>
> o Known that the body of the Pharaoh who had opposed Moses would be
> preserved for future generations (10:91-92) -- it is today on display in
the
> Royal Mummies Chamber of the Egyptian Museum - either that or this
passage,
> too, must be regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "Now (at the moment of your death you believe, Pharaoh)! While you refused
to
> believe before, and you were one of the Mufsidûn (evil-doers, corrupt
persons,
> etc.)! So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea)
that
> you may be a sign to those who come after you! And verily, many among
mankind
> are heedless of Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs ,
> revelations, etc.).[ Yûnus:10:91-92]
>
> o Known to refer (12:54) to the Egyptian head of state of Joseph's, peace
> be upon him, era as "king" (malik) and not as Pharaoh, the word that
appears
> erroneously in the book of Genesis - either that or this passage, too,
must be
> regarded as an intriguing coincidence.
>
> "And the king said: 'Bring him to me that I may attach him to my person.'
Then,
> when he spoke to him, he said: 'Verily, this day, you are with us high in
rank
> and fully trusted.' " [ Yûsuf:12:54]
>
> o Known that the fabled Arabian "lost city" of Iram (89:6-8) whose
> historical existence was confirmed by archaeologists only in 1990, was a
> historical reality -- either that or this passage, too, must be regarded
as an
> intriguing coincidence.
>