B) The Qur’an on Mountains:

A book entitled Earth is a basic reference textbook in many universities around the world. One of its two authors is Profes­sor Emeritus Frank Press. He was the Science Advisor to former US President Jimmy Carter, and for 12 years was the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC. His book says that mountains have underlying roots.2 These roots are deeply embedded in the ground, thus, mountains have a shape like a peg (see figures 7, 8, and 9 on the next page).

This is how the Qur’an has described mountains. God has said in the Qur’an:

{ Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs? ) (Qur’an, 78:6-7)
 
(1) This is the Truth (videotape). See footnote no. 2, p. 10.



(2) Earth, Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see Earth Science, Tarbuck and Lutgens, p. 157.
 



Mountains have deep roots under the surface of the ground. (Earth, Press and Siever, p. 413.)
 



The history of science tells us that the theory of mountains having deep roots was introduced only in 1865 by the Astronomer Royal, Sir George Airy.2

Mountains also play an important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth.3

They hinder the shaking of the earth. God has said in the Qur’an:


{ And He has set firm mountains in the earth


so that it would not shake with you... )


(Qur’an, 16:15)



Likewise, the modern theory of plate tectonics holds that mountains work as stabilizers for the earth. This knowledge about the role of mountains as stabilizers for the earth has just begun to be understood in the framework of plate tectonics since the late 1960’s.4



Could anyone during the time of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh have known of the true shape of moun­tains? Could anyone imagine that the solid massive mountain which he sees before him actually extends deep into the earth and has a root, as scientists affirm? Modern geology has confirmed the truth of the Qur’anic verses.



(1) The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, El-Naggar, p. 5.


(2) Earth, Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, p. 5.


(3) The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, pp. 44-45.


(4) The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, p. 5.



C) The Qur’an on the Origin of the Universe:


The science of modern cosmology, observational and theoreti­cal, clearly indicates that, at one point in time, the whole universe was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’ (i.e. an opaque highly dense and hot gaseous composition).1 This is one of the undisputed principles of standard modern cosmology. Scientists now can observe new stars forming out of the remnants of that‘smoke’ (see figures 10 and 11). The illuminating stars we see at night were, just as was the whole universe, in that ‘smoke’ material. God has said in the Qur’an:


{ Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke... ) (Qur’an, 41:11)



Because the earth and the heavens above (the sun, the moon, stars, planets, galaxies, etc.) have been formed from this same ‘smoke,’ we conclude that the earth and the heavens were one connected entity. Then out of this homogeneous ‘smoke,’ they formed and separated from each other. God has said in the Qur’an:


{ Have not those who disbelieved known that the heavens and the earth were one connected entity, then We separated them?... ) (Qur’an, 21:30)


Dr. Alfred Kroner is one of the world’s renowned geologists. He is Professor of Geology and the Chairman of the Department of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. He said: “Thinking where Muham­mad came from ... I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few years, with very complicated and advanced technological methods, that this is the case.”2

 Also he said: “Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics fourteen hundred years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind, for instance, that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.”



(1) The First Three Minutes, a Modern View of the Origin of the Universe, Weinberg, pp. 94-105.


(2) The source of this comment is This is the Truth (videotape). Visit www.islam-guide.com/truth for a copy of this videotape or to view the video clips of Professor Alfred Kroner’s comments online.


C) The Qur’an on the Origin of the Universe



{ No! If he does not stop, We will take him by the naseyah (front of the head), a lying, sinful naseyah (front of the head)! ) (Qur’an, 96:15-16)

Why did the Qur’an describe the front of the head as being lying and sinful? Why didn’t the Qur’an say that the person was lying and sinful? What is the relationship between the front of the head and lying and sinfulness?

If we look into the skull at the front of the head, we will find the prefrontal area of the cerebrum (see figure 12). What does physiology tell us about the function of this area? A book entitled Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology says about this area: “The motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate movements occur in the anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal area. This is a region of association cortex...”2 Also the book says: “In relation to its involvement in motivation, the prefrontal area is also thought to be the functional center for aggression....”3


(1) This is the Truth (videotape).



(2) Essentials of Anatomy&Physiology, Seeleyand others, p.211. Also see The Human Nervous System, Noback and others, pp. 410-411.


(3) Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, Seeley and others, p. 211.




Scientists have only discovered these functions of the prefron-tal area in the last sixty years, according to Professor Keith L.

Moore.1

E) The Qur’an on Seas and Rivers:

Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity, and density.1 For example, Mediterranean sea water is warm, saline, and less dense, compared to Atlantic ocean water. When Mediterranean sea water enters the Atlantic over the Gibral­tar sill, it moves several hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a depth of about 1000 meters with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics. The Mediterranean water stabilizes at this depth2 (see figure 13).


(1) Al-E’jaz al-Elmy fee al-Naseyah (The Scientific Miracles in the Front of the Head), Moore and others, p. 41.


(2) Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.



The Holy Qur' an mentioned that there is a barrier between two seas that meet and that they do not transgress. God has said:

{ He has set free the two seas meeting to­gether. There is a barrier between them. They do not transgress. }





 But when the Qur'an speaks about the divider between fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of "a forbidding partition" with the barrier. God has said in the Qur'an:

{ He is the one who has set free the two kinds of water, one sweet and palatable, and the other salty and bitter. And He has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition.


One may ask, why did the Qur’an mention the partition when speaking about the divider between fresh and salt water, but did not mention it when speaking about the divider between the two seas?


Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and salt water meet, the situation is somewhat different from what is found in places where two seas meet. It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a “pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity separating the two layers.”1 This partition (zone of separation) has a different salinity from the fresh water and from the salt water2 (see figure 14).




(2) Oceanography, Gross, p. 244, and Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.
F) The Qur’an on Deep Seas and Internal Waves:

God has said in the Qur’an:

{ Or (the unbelievers’ state) is like the dark­ness in a deep sea. It is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds. Darknesses, one above another. If a man stretches out his hand, he cannot see it.... ) (Qur’an, 24:40)

This verse mentions the darkness found in deep seas and oceans, where if a man stretches out his hand, he cannot see it. The darkness in deep seas and oceans is found around a depth of 200 meters and below. At this depth, there is almost no light (see figure 15). Below a depth of 1000 meters there is no light at all.1




Scientists have recently discovered this darkness by means of special equipment and submarines that have enabled them to dive into the depths of the oceans.

We can also understand from the following sentences in the previous verse, “...in a deep sea. It is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds....”, that the deep waters of seas and oceans are covered by waves, and above these waves are other waves. It is clear that the second set of waves are the surface waves that we see, because the verse mentions that above the second waves there are clouds. But what about the first waves? Scientists have recently discovered that there are internal waves which “occur on density interfaces between layers of dif­ferent densities.”1 (see figure 16).
 
 

The internal waves cover the deep waters of seas and oceans because the deep waters have a higher density than the waters above them. Internal waves act like surface waves. They can also break, just like surface waves. Internal waves cannot be seen by the human eye, but they can be detected by studying temperature or salinity changes at a given location.1

G) The Qur’an on Clouds:

Scientists have studied cloud types and have realized that rain clouds are formed and shaped according to definite systems and certain steps connected with certain types of wind and clouds.


One kind of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud. Meteor­ologists have studied how cumulonimbus clouds are formed and how they produce rain, hail, and lightning.

They have found that cumulonimbus clouds go through the following steps to produce rain: 1) The clouds are pushed by the wind: Cumulonimbus clouds begin to form when wind pushes some small pieces of clouds (cumulus clouds) to an area where these clouds converge (see figures 17 and 18).
 
 

(1) See The Atmosphere, Anthes and others, pp. 268-269, and Elements of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, p. 141.

3) Stacking: When the small clouds join together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase. The updrafts near the center of the cloud are stronger than those near the edges.1 These updrafts cause the cloud body to grow vertically, so the cloud is stacked up (see figures 19 (B), 20, and 21). This vertical growth causes the cloud body to stretch into cooler regions of the atmosphere, where drops of water and hail formulate and begin to grow larger and larger. When these drops of water and hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support them, they begin to fall from the cloud as rain, hail, etc.2





(2) See The Atmosphere, Anthes and others, p. 269, and Elements of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, pp. 141-142.
 
 



(2) Elements of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, p. 141.
 
This verse may raise a question. Why does the verse say “its lightning” in a reference to the hail? Does this mean that hail is the major factor in producing lightning? Let us see what the book entitled Meteorology Today says about this. It says that a cloud becomes electrified as hail falls through a region in the cloud of supercooled droplets and ice crystals. As liquid droplets collide with a hailstone, they freeze on contact and release latent heat. This keeps the surface of the hailstone warmer than that of the surrounding ice crystals. When the hailstone comes in contact with an ice crystal, an important phenomenon occurs: electrons flow from the colder object toward the warmer object. Hence, the hailstone becomes negatively charged. The same effect occurs when supercooled droplets come in contact with a hailstone and tiny splinters of positively charged ice break off. These lighter positively charged particles are then carried to the upper part of the cloud by updrafts. The hail, left with a negative charge, falls towards the bottom of the cloud, thus the lower part of the cloud becomes negatively charged. These negative charges are then discharged as lightning.1 We conclude from this that hail is the major factor in producing lightning.


This information on lightning was discovered recently. Until 1600 AD, Aristotle’s ideas on meteorology were dominant. For example, he said that the atmosphere contains two kinds of exha­lation, moist and dry. He also said that thunder is the sound of the collision of the dry exhalation with the neighboring clouds, and lightning is the inpbuhaming and burning of the dry exhalation with a thin and faint fire.1 These are some of the ideas on meteorology that were dominant at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation, fourteen centuries ago.
 
 


1) Dr. T. V. N. Persaud is Professor of Anatomy, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecol-ogy, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. There, he was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy for 16 years. He is well-known in his field. He is the author or editor of 22 textbooks and has published over 181 scientific papers. In 1991, he received the most distin­guished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists. When he was asked about the scientific miracles in the Qur’an which he has researched, he stated the following:

“The way it was explained to me is that Muhammad was a very ordinary man. He could not read, didn’t know [how] to write. In fact, he was an illiterate. And we’re talking about twelve [actually about fourteen] hundred years ago. You have someone illiterate making profound pronouncements and statements and that are amazingly accurate about scientific nature. And I personally can’t see how this could be a mere chance. There are too many accuracies and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these statements.”
 
(1) The Works of Aristotle Translated into English: Meteorologica, vol. 3, Ross and others, pp. 369a-369b.
 
Professor Persaud has included some Qur’anic verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh in some of his books. He has also presented these verses and sayings of the Prophet Muham­mad pbuh at several conferences.


2) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecol-ogy, and Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. Formerly, he was Professor of Ob-Gyn and the Chairman of the Department of Ob-Gyn at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was also the President of the American Fertility Society. He has received many awards, including the Association of Pro­fessors of Obstetrics and Gynecology Public Recognition Award in 1992. Professor Simpson studied the following two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh :

{ In every one of you, all components of your creation are collected together in your mother’s womb by forty days... }1

{If forty-two nights have passed over the embryo, God sends an angel to it, who shapes it and creates its hearing, vision, skin, flesh, and bones.... }2

He studied these two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh extensively, noting that the first forty days constitute a clearly distinguishable stage of embryo-genesis. He was particularly impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of those sayings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh . Then, during one conference, he gave the following opinion:

“So that the two hadeeths (the sayings of the Prophet Muham­mad pbuh ) that have been noted provide us with a specific time table for the main embryological development before forty days. Again, the point has been made, I think, repeatedly by other speakers this morning: these hadeeths could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available [at] the time of their writing .... It follows, I think, that not only there is no conflict between genetics and religion but, in fact, religion can guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches, that there exist statements in the Qur’an shown cen­turies later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Qur’an having been derived from God.”

(1) Narrated in SaheehMuslim, #2643, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3208. Note: What is between these special brackets {...} in this book is a translation of what the Prophet Muhammad §1 said. Also note that this symbol # used in the footnotes, indicates the number of the hadeeth. A hadeeth is a reliably transmitted report by the Prophet Muhammad’s §1 companions of what he said, did, or approved of.

(2) Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2645.

3) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. There, for 22 years he was Professor of Anatomy, the Chairman of the Department of Anat­omy, and the Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute. He was also the President of the Teratology Society. He has authored more than 200 publications. In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Con-ference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Johnson said in the presentation of his research paper:


“Summary: The Qur’an describes not only the development of external form, but emphasizes also the internal stages, the stages inside the embryo, of its creation and development, emphasizing major events recognized by contemporary science.”

Also he said: “As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically see. I can understand embryology and develop­mental biology. I can understand the words that are translated to me from the Qur’an. As I gave the example before, if I were to transpose myself into that era, knowing what I knew today and describing things, I could not describe the things which were described. I see no evidence for the fact to refute the concept that this individual, Muhammad, had to be developing this information from some place. So I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that divine intervention was involved in what he was able to write.”1

4) Dr. William W. Hay is a well-known marine scientist. He is Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA. He was formerly the Dean of the

(1) The Prophet Muhammad pbuh was illiterate. He could not read nor write, but he dictated the Qur’an to his Companions and commanded some of them to write it down.

Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami, Miami, florida, USA. After a discussion with Professor Hay about the Qur’an’s mention of recently discov­ered facts on seas, he said:

“I find it very interesting that this sort of information is in the ancient scriptures of the Holy Qur’an, and I have no way of knowing where they would come from, but I think it is extremely interesting that they are there and that this work is going on to discover it, the meaning of some of the passages.” And when he was asked about the source of the Qur’an, he replied:

“Well, I would think it must be the divine being.”

5) Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer is Course Director and Professor of Medical Embryology at the Department of Cell Biol­ogy, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Ri­yadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Goeringer stated the following in the presentation of his research paper:

“In a relatively few aayahs (Qur’anic verses) is contained a rather comprehensive description of human development from the time of commingling of the gametes through organogenesis. No such distinct and complete record of human development, such as classification, terminology, and description, existed previously. In most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many cen­turies the recording of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal development recorded in the traditional scientific literature.”

6) Dr. Yoshihide Kozai is Professor Emeritus at Tokyo Univer­sity, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan, and was the Director of the National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. He said:

“I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in [the] Qur’an, and for us the modern astronomers have been studying very small pieces of the universe. We’ve concentrated our efforts for understanding of [a] very small part. Because by using telescopes, we can see only very few parts [of] the sky without thinking [about the] whole universe. So, by reading [the] Qur’an and by answering to the questions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the universe.”

7) Professor Tejatat Tejasen is the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Previously, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the same university. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Ri­yadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Tejasen stood up and said:

“During the last three years, I became interested in the Qur’an. . .. From my study and what I have learned from this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Qur’an four­teen hundred years ago must be the truth, that can be proved by the scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither read nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth, which was revealed to him as an enlightenment by the one who is eligible [as the] creator. This creator must be God. Therefore, I think this is the time to say La ilaha ilia Allah, there is no god to worship except Allah (God), Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, Mu-hammad is Messenger (Prophet) of Allah (God). Lastly, I must congratulate for the excellent and highly successful arrangement for this conference .... I have gained not only from the scientific point of view and religious point of view but also the great chance of meeting many well-known scientists and making many new friends among the participants. The most precious thing of all that I have gained by coming to this place is La ilaha ilia Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, and to have become a Muslim.”

After all these examples we have seen about the scientific miracles in the Holy Qur’an and all these scientists’ comments on this, let us ask ourselves these questions:

■ Could it be a coincidence that all this recently discovered scientific information from different fields was mentioned in the Qur’an, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago?

■ Could this Qur’an have been authored by Muhammad pbuh or by any other human being?

The only possible answer is that this Qur’an must be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.

(For more information, online articles, books, or vide­otapes on scientific miracles in the Holy Qur’an, please visit www.islam-guide.com/science or contact one of the organi­zations listed on pages 69-70.)

(2) The Great Challenge to Produce One Chapter Like the Chapters of the Holy Qur’an
 
God has said in the Qur’an:
 
{ And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed (the Qur’an) to Our worshiper (Mu­hammad k), then produce a chapter like it, and call your witnesses (supporters and help­ers) besides God if you are truthful. And if you do not do it, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones. It has been prepared for disbelievers. And give good news (O Muhammad) to those who believe and do good deeds, that for them are gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow.... ) (Qur’an, 2:23-25)
 
Ever since the Qur’an was revealed, fourteen centuries ago, no one has been able to produce a single chapter like the chapters of the Qur’an in their beauty, eloquence, splendor, wise legislation, true information, true prophecy, and other perfect attributes. Also, note that the smallest chapter in the Qur’an (Chapter 108) is only ten words, yet no one has ever been able to meet this challenge,
 
 



In Deuteronomy 18, Moses

stated that God told him: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put

my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)3

From these verses we conclude that the prophet in this proph­ecy must have the following three characteristics:


1) That he will be like Moses.

2) That he will come from the brothers of the Israelites, i.e. the Ishmaelites.

3) That God will put His words into the mouth of this prophet and that he will declare what God commands him.

(1) See Al-Borhan fee Oloom Al-Qur’an, Al-Zarkashy, vol. 2, p. 224.


(2) See Al-Borhan fee Oloom Al-Qur’an, Al-Zarkashy, vol. 2, p. 226.

(3) The verses of the Bible in this book have been taken from The NIV Study Bible, New International Version.

Let us examine these three characteristics in more depth.

1) A prophet like Moses:


There were hardly any two prophets who were so much alike as Moses and Muhammad pbuh . Both were given a comprehensive law and code of life. Both encountered their enemies and were victorious in miraculous ways. Both were accepted as prophets and statesmen. Both migrated following conspiracies to assassi­nate them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlook not only the above similarities but other crucial ones as well. These include the natural birth, the family life, and the death of Moses and Muhammad pbuh but not that of Jesus. Moreover, Jesus was regarded by his followers as the Son of God and not exclusively as a prophet of God, as Moses and Muhammad pbuh were and as Muslims believe Jesus was. So, this prophecy refers to Muhammad pbuh and not to

Jesus, because Muhammad pbuh is more like Moses than Jesus.

Also, one notices from the Gospel of John that the Jews waiting for the fulfillment of three distinct prophecies: 1) coming of Christ, 2) The coming of Elijah, 3) The coming of ere The the

Prophet. This is obvious from the three questions that were posed to John the Baptist: “Now this was John’s testimony, when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ.’ They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He an­swered, ‘No.’” (John 1:19-21). If we look in a Bible with cross-references, we will find in the marginal notes where the words “the Prophet” occur in John 1:21, that these words refer to the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18:18. We conclude from this that Jesus Christ is not the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18.

2) From the brothers of the Israelites:

Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (Genesis 21). Ishmael became the grandfather of the Arab nation, and Isaac became the grandfather of the Jewish nation. The prophet spoken of was not to come from among the Jews themselves, but from among their brothers, i.e. the Ishmaelites. Muhammad pbuh , a de­scendant of Ishmael, is indeed this prophet.

(1) See the marginal notes in The NIV Study Bible, New International Version on verse 1:21, p. 1594.

Also, Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the servant of God, His “chosen one” and “messenger” who will bring down a law. “He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” (Isaiah 42:4). Verse 11, connects that awaited messenger with the descendants of Kedar. Who is Kedar? According to Genesis 25:13, Kedar was the second son of Ishmael, the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh .

3) God will put His words in the mouth of this prophet:

The words of God (the Holy Qur’an) were truly put into Muhammad’s pbuh mouth. God sent the Angel Gabriel to teach Muhammad pbuh the exact words of God (the Holy Qur’an) and asked him to dictate them to the people as he heard them. The words are therefore not his own. They did not come from his own thoughts, but were put into his mouth by the Angel Gabriel. During the life time of Muhammad pbuh , and under his supervision, these words were then memorized and written by his companions.

Note that God has said in the prophecy of Deuteronomy: “If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.” (Deuteronomy, 18:19). This means that whoever believes in the Bible must be­lieve in what this prophet says, and this prophet is Muhammad pbuh .

(Please visit www.islam-guide.com/mib for more informa­tion on Muhammad pbuh in the Bible.)

(4) The Verses in the Qur’an That Mention Future Events Which Later Came to Pass

An example of the events foretold in the Qur’an is the victory of the Romans over the Persians within three to nine years after the Romans were defeated by the Persians. God has said in the Qur’an:

{ The Romans have been defeated in the near­est land (to the Arabian Peninsula), and they, after their defeat, will be victorious within bedd’ (three to nine)years....) (Qur’an, 30:2-4)

Let us see what history tells us about these wars. A book entitled History of the Byzantine State says that the Roman army was badly defeated at Antioch in 613, and as a result, the Persians swiftly pushed forward on all fronts. At that time, it was hard to imagine that the Romans would defeat the Persians, but the Qur’an foretold that the Romans would be victorious within three to nine years. In 622, nine years after the Romans’ defeat, the two forces (Romans and Persians) met on Armenian soil, and the result was the decisive victory of the Romans over the Persians, for the first time after the Romans’ defeat in 613. The prophecy was fulfilled just as God has said in the Qur’an.There are also many other verses in the Qur’an and sayings of Muhammad pbuh that mention future events which later came to pass.

(5) Miracles Performed by the Prophet Muhammad pbuh

Many miracles were performed by the Prophet Muhammad pbuh by God’s permission. These miracles were witnessed by many people. For example:

■ When the unbelievers in Makkah asked the Prophet Muham­mad pbuh to show them a miracle, he showed them the splitting of the moon.3

■ Another miracle was the flowing of water through Muham­mad’s pbuh fingers when his companions got thirsty and had no water except a little in a vessel. They came to him and told him that they had no water to make ablution nor to drink except for what was in the vessel. So, Muhammad pbuh put his hand in the vessel, and the water started gushing out between his fingers. So, they drank and made ablution. They were one thousand five hundred companions.4

There were also many other miracles that were performed by him or which happened to him.

(1) History of the Byzantine State, Ostrogorsky, p. 95.

(2) History of the Byzantine State, Ostrogorsky, pp. 100-101, and History of Persia, Sykes, vol. 1, pp. 483-484. Also see The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, Micropaedia vol. 4, p. 1036.

(3) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3637, and Saheeh Muslim, #2802.

(4) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3576, and Saheeh Muslim, #1856.

(6) The Simple Life of Muhammad pbuh

If we compare the life of Muhammad pbuh before his mission as a prophet and his life after he began his mission as a prophet, we will conclude that it is beyond reason to think that Muhammad pbuh was a false prophet, who claimed prophethood to attain material gains, greatness, glory, or power.

Before his mission as a prophet, Muhammad pbuh had no finan­cial worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, Muhammad pbuh drew a satisfactory and comfortable income. After his mission as a prophet and because of it, he became worse off materially. To clarify this more, let us browse the following sayings on his life:

Aa’isha, Muhammad’s pbuh wife, said: “O my nephew, we

would sight three new moons in two months without lighting a fire (to cook a meal) in the Prophet’s pbuh houses.” Her nephew asked: “O Aunt, what sustained you?” She said: “The two black things, dates and water, but the Prophet pbuh had some Ansar neighbors who had milk-giving she-camels and they used to send the Prophet pbuh some of its milk.”1

■ Sahl Ibn Sa’ad, one of Muhammad’s pbuh companions, said: “The Prophet of God pbuh did not see bread made from fine flour from the time God sent him (as a prophet) until he died.”2

■ Aa’isha, Muhammad’s pbuh wife, said: “The mattress of the Prophet pbuh , on which he slept, was made of leather stuffed with the fiber of the date-palm tree.”3

■ Amr Ibn Al-Hareth, one of Muhammad’s pbuh companions, said that when the Prophet pbuh died, he left neither money nor anything else except his white riding mule, his arms, and a piece of land which he left to charity.4

Muhammad pbuh lived this hard life till he died although the Muslim treasury was at his disposal, the greater part of the Arabian

(1) Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2972, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2567.

(2) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #5413, and Al-Tirmizi, #2364.

(3) Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2082, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6456.

(4) Narrated inSaheeh Al-Bukhari, #2739,andMosnad Ahmad, #17990.

Peninsula was Muslim before he died, and the Muslims were victorious after eighteen years of his mission.

Is it possible that Muhammad pbuh might have claimed prophethood in order to attain status, greatness, and power? The desire to enjoy status and power is usually associated with good food, fancy clothing, monumental palaces, colorful guards, and indisputable authority. Do any of these indicators apply to Mu­hammad pbuh? A few glimpses of his life that may help answer this question follow.

Despite his responsibilities as a prophet, a teacher, a statesman, and a judge, Muhammad pbuh used to milk his goat, mend his

2 ' 3

clothes, repair his shoes, help with the household work, and visit

poor people when they got sick. He also helped his companions

in digging a trench by moving sand with them. His life was an

amazing model of simplicity and humbleness.

Muhammad’s pbuh followers loved him, respected him, and trusted him to an amazing extent. Yet he continued to emphasize that deification should be directed to God and not to him person­ally. Anas, one ofMuhammad’s pbuh companions, said that there was no person whom they loved more than Muhammad pbuh, yet when he came to them, they did not stand up for him because he hated their standing up for him, as other people do with their great people.

Long before there was any prospect of success for Islam and at the outset of a long and painful era of torture, suffering, and persecution of Muhammad pbuh and his followers, he received an interesting offer. An envoy of the pagan leaders, Otba, came to him saying: “...If you want money, we will collect enough money for you so that you will be the richest one of us. If you want leadership, we will take you as our leader and never decide on any matter without your approval. If you want a kingdom, we will crown you king over us...” Only one concession was required from Muhammad pbuh in return for that, to give up calling people to Islam and worshipping God alone without any partner. Wouldn’t this offer be tempting to one pursuing worldly benefit? Was Muham­mad pbuh hesitant when the offer was made? Did he turn it down as a bargaining strategy leaving the door open for a better offer? The following was his answer: { In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful} And he recited to Otba the verses of the Qur’an 41:1-38. The Following are some of these verses: { A revelation from (God), the Most Gra-cious, the Most Merciful; a Book whereof the verses are explained in detail; a Qur’an in Arabic, for people who know, giving good news and warning, yet most of them turn away, so they do not listen. ) (Qur’an, 41:2-4)

(1) Narrated inMosnadAhmad, #25662.

(2) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, and Mosnad Ahmad, #25517.

(3) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, and Mosnad Ahmad, #23706.

(4) Narrated in Mowatta’ Malek, #531.

(5) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3034, and Saheeh Muslim, #1803, and Mosnad Ahmad, #18017.

(6) Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad, #12117, and Al-Tirmi zi, #2754.

On another occasion and in response to his uncle’s plea to stop calling people to Islam, Muhammad’s pbuh answer was as decisive and sincere: {I swear by the name of God, O Uncle!, that if they place the sun in my right-hand and the moon in my left-hand in return for giving up this matter (calling people to Islam), I will never desist until either God makes it triumph or I perish defending it. }2

Muhammad pbuh and his few followers did not only suffer from persecution for thirteen years but the unbelievers even tried to kill Muhammad pbuh several times. On one occasion they attempted to kill him by dropping a large boulder, which could barely be lifted, on his head.3 Another time they tried to kill him by poisoning his food.4 What could justify such a life of suffering and sacrifice even after he was fully triumphant over his adversaries? What could explain the humbleness and nobility which he demonstrated in his most glorious moments when he insisted that success is due only to God’s help and not to his own genius? Are these the characteristics of a power-hungry or a self-centered man?