The Qur'an frequently directs mankind’s attention to the natural world, urging contemplation on the fundamental order and processes of the cosmos: “Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding” [Qur'an-2:164]. This invitation to observe creation has led modern scholars and scientists, across disparate fields, to analyze the text's contents for their correspondence with specialized knowledge achieved only through modern technological advancements.
This analysis relies on a central premise: the historical context of the text’s recipient, the Prophet Muhammad. As noted by Dr. Maurice Bucaille, an eminent French surgeon and scholar, the hypothesis of the Prophet Muhammad being the author is "untenable." Dr. Bucaille asks: "How could a man, from being illiterate, become the most important author, in terms of literary merits, in the whole of Arabic literature? How could he then pronounce truths of a scientific nature that no other human-being could possibly have developed at that time, and all this without once making the slightest error in his pronouncement on the subject?". This challenge highlights the significance of the Prophet’s status as al-Nabi al-Ummī (the unlettered Prophet) , precluding him from having acquired such complex knowledge through traditional means, thus necessitating a transcendent source.
I. Embryology: Detailed Stages of Human Development
One of the most extensive areas of modern correspondence involves the Qur'an’s detailed description of human developmental stages. The text outlines a sequential, step-by-step process of intrauterine life, starting with the fusion of components and progressing through distinct morphological phases:
“And certainly We created man of an extract of clay, Then We made him a small seed in a firm resting-place, Then We made the seed a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow into another creation, so blessed be Allah, the best of the creators. Then after that you will most surely die. Then surely on the day of resurrection you shall be raised” (Qur’an 23:12-16)
A. Expert Validation of Scientific Accuracy
The precision of this ancient description has astonished modern embryologists. Dr. Keith Moore, former Professor of Anatomy at the University of Toronto, remarked on the accuracy of the statements made in the 7th century A.D.. He noted that the verse describes God making humanity "from a drop and then changed the drop into a leech-like structure (Alaqah) which soon changed into a chewed like substance (Mudghah) that then took the shape of bone and was clothed with flesh (Lahm)".
The terminology used, such as Alaqah (leech-like or clinging thing), accurately reflects the external appearance of the embryo during the third and fourth weeks and its attachment to the uterus. Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer, Associate Professor of Medical Embryology at Georgetown University, summarized the historical gap:
“In a relatively few aayahs (Quranic 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.”
This chronological discrepancy is crucial, as knowledge in embryology could not significantly advance until the microscope was discovered in the 17th century, and the system used for staging human embryos was not adopted worldwide until the 20th century.
Dr. T. V. N. Persaud, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy at the University of Manitoba, expressed his conclusion clearly regarding this historical gap:
“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.”
Dr. E. Marshall Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy at Thomas Jefferson University, also confirmed the accuracy, stating that if he were to transpose himself into that era and attempt to describe these internal stages of creation and development with his modern knowledge, he "could not describe the things which were described" in the Qur'an. He concluded, "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.”.
II. Cosmology, Geology, and Oceanography
Beyond human biology, modern scientists have noted similar correlations in the fields of Earth and space sciences.
A. The Common Origin of the Universe
Professor Alfred Kroner, a renowned geologist from Johannes Gutenberg University, noted the statement within the Qur'an regarding the common origin of the heavens and the earth, a concept established by scientists only recently using complicated and advanced technological methods. Professor Kroner found it "almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe," given that the Prophet was a 'bedouin'. Similarly, Professor Armstrong, a scientist at NASA, acknowledged the difficulty of explaining the congruence, stating, "I am impressed at how remarkably some of the ancient writings seem to correspond to modern and recent astronomy."
B. Astronomical Facts and Oceanic Barriers
Dr. Yoshihide Kozai, Professor Emeritus at Tokyo University and former Director of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, was “very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in the Qur'an.” He noted that modern astronomers often study only small, concentrated parts of the universe using telescopes, and suggested that reading the Qur'an could offer a "future way for investigation of the universe.”
In marine science, Dr. William W. Hay, Professor of Geological Sciences, noted the Qur'an’s mention of facts about seas, such as the invisible barrier separating fresh and salty waters. He found it "very interesting that this sort of information is in the ancient scriptures of the Holy Quran," and when asked about the source of the Qur'an, he replied, "Well, I would think it must be the divine being.”
III. Conclusion: The Impossibility of Human Authorship
The consistent testimony of scientists across disciplines—from embryology and geology to astronomy and marine science—repeatedly points to the fact that the specific, detailed, and chronologically advanced knowledge contained within the Qur'an could not reasonably have been authored by a man in the 7th century C.E.
Professor Tejatat Tejasen, former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University, succinctly summarized the prevailing sentiment of the experts:
“From my study and what I have learned from this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Quran 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.”
The collective analysis suggests that the sheer number of accuracies across disparate fields—knowledge achieved only after the development of advanced instrumentation and modern scientific methodology—negates the possibility of mere coincidence or human creativity. The only possible answer, according to many of these expert testimonies, is that this Qur'an must be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.
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