Are Ancient Islamic Texts Aligned With Modern Scientific Discoveries?

Expansion of the Universe

وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ

Translation: "And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander." (Surah Adh-Dhariyat, 51:47)

This verse aligns with the modern understanding that the universe is expanding, a concept supported by observations of distant galaxies moving away from us.

Orbits of Celestial Bodies

وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ

Translation: "And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming." (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:33)

This verse aligns with modern astronomy, which confirms that celestial bodies move in defined orbits.

Stages of Embryonic Development

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن سُلَـٰلَةٍۢ مِّن طِينٍۢ ١٢ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـٰهُ نُطْفَةًۭ فِى قَرَارٍۢ مَّكِينٍۢ ١٣ ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا ٱلنُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةًۭ فَخَلَقْنَا ٱلْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةًۭ فَخَلَقْنَا ٱلْمُضْغَةَ عِظَـٰمًۭا فَكَسَوْنَا ٱلْعِظَـٰمَ لَحْمًۭا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَـٰهُ خَلْقًا ءَاخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقِينَ ١٤

Translation: "And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay. Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a firm lodging. Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah , the best of creators." (Surah Al-Mu'minun, 23:12-14)

This verse describes the stages of human development in a way that aligns with modern embryology.

Plant Reproduction

ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ مَهْدًۭا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلًۭا وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦٓ أَزْوَٰجًۭا مِّن نَّبَاتٍۢ شَتَّىٰ

Translation: "˹He is the One˺ Who has laid out the earth for ˹all of˺ you, and set in it pathways for you, and sends down rain from the sky, causing various types of plants to grow,." (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:53)

Here is the translation of the translation of zauj (plural azwaj) whose original meaning is: 'that which, in the company of another, forms a pair'; the word is used just as readily for a married couple as for a pair of shoes. This is describing how plants come in pairs, implying sexual plant reproduction, which was not something that was known at the time of the Quran.

Quranic Word Cloud

Explore the most common words in the Quran's English translation

Surah Ad-Duha

وَالضُّحَىٰ ﴿1﴾ وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ ﴿2﴾ مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴿3﴾ وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَىٰ ﴿4﴾ وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ ﴿5﴾ أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ ﴿6﴾ وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ ﴿7﴾ وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ ﴿8﴾ فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ ﴿9﴾ وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ ﴿10﴾ وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ

In this Surah, Allah is directly communicating with the Prophet (ﷺ). This was an early Meccan Surah so it was in the early stages of Prophethood where Muhammad (ﷺ) was under a lot of stress and anxiety. He experienced mockery and ridicule from his personal friends, clansmen, and neighbors because they were not receptive to his message. During this time he also felt that Allah had abandoned him. Allah knew better and was giving him a break since if he "had continuously been exposed to the intensely bright light of Revelation (Wahy) [his] nerves could not have endured it. Therefore, an interval was given in order to afford [him] peace and tranquility.” Allah sent down this Surah to comfort him and let him know he had not forgotten him. (Source)

As a takeaway, we can find this Surah as a reminder for all of us that God is always with us, and that we should not be discouraged by the hardships we face. No matter the hardship, we are reminded that God has not left us, ease will always succeed it. Many turn to this Surah in times of distress, and find comfort in its meaning.

The Day Count Miracle

يَوْم

Perfect Calendar Alignment: The word "day" (يَوْم/yawm) in its singular form appears exactly 365 times in the Quran - matching precisely with the number of days in a solar year.

This remarkable correlation between the frequency of the word and the Earth's orbital period around the sun was discovered only recently with computer analysis.

The Land and Sea Ratio

بَحْر - بَرّ

Geographic Precision: The word "sea" appears 32 times and "land" appears 13 times. The ratio (32:45 or 71.11% sea to 28.89% land) exactly matches Earth's actual surface ratio of water to land mass.

This precise ratio was only confirmed by satellite imagery and modern geographic measurements in recent decades.

Life and Death Balance

حَيَاة - مَوْت

Perfect Symmetry: The words "life" (حَيَا��) and "death" (مَوْت) each appear exactly 145 times in the Quran, reflecting the universal truth that every life has its corresponding death.

This equal frequency emphasizes the Quranic theme of life and death being two sides of the same coin.

Gender Equality in Words

رَجُل - اِمْرَأَة

Divine Balance: The word for "man" (رَجُل) and "woman" (اِمْرَأَة) each appear exactly 24 times in the Quran, indicating equality in their spiritual status and religious obligations.

This equal representation emphasizes the Quranic principle of spiritual equality between genders.

The Middle Verse Miracle

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا

Mathematical Precision: In Surah Al-Baqarah, which has 286 verses, the exact middle verse (143) contains the word "middle" (وَسَطًا), declaring "Thus We have made you a middle nation."

This perfect alignment of content and position creates a remarkable self-referential miracle.

Fly Wings (Bukhari ID: 3187)

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease."

Evidently: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned that if a fly falls into a drink, one wing carries disease while the other carries the cure. Modern research supports this, indicating that certain microorganisms on fly wings produce antimicrobial substances. For instance, a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology found that the right wing of the house fly (Musca domestica) contains antimicrobial agents capable of neutralizing microbial contaminants in drinks.

Splitting of the Moon (Muslim ID: 17142)

Anas reported that the people of Mecca demanded from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) that he should show them (some) signs (miracles) and he showed tlicin the splitting of the moon. This hadlth has been narrated on the authority of Anas through another chain of transmitters.

Fun Fact: During the Meccan era, the Quraish infidels challenged Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to show a sign of his Prophethood, leading to the miraculous splitting of the moon. This event is recorded in the Quran (54:1), where Allah states, "The hour drew nigh and the moon was rent in twain." The miracle strengthened the faith of Muslims and left the disbelievers perplexed, dismissing it as magic. Historical accounts, including an Indian manuscript preserved in the India Office Library, describe King Chakrawati Farmas witnessing the event, traveling to meet the Prophet, embracing Islam, and later becoming one of his Companions. Islamic references further preserve details of this Companion, known among the Arabs as Sirbanak, highlighting his unique role in the Prophet's history.

Black Seeds (Muslim ID: 15812)

Abu Huraira reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Nigella seed is a remedy for every disease except death. This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

In Reality: The statement about the Nigella seed (black seed) being a remedy for every disease except death is considered miraculous because it highlights the remarkable medicinal properties of this small seed, which modern science has increasingly validated. Studies have shown that black seed contains compounds with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-boosting effects, making it beneficial for a wide range of health conditions. The foresight of such comprehensive therapeutic potential over 1,400 years ago, in a time with limited medical knowledge, is seen by many as evidence of divine inspiration.

Signs of the End (Bukhari ID: 6983)

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established (1) till two big groups fight each other whereupon there will be a great number of casualties on both sides and they will be following one and the same religious doctrine, (2) till about thirty Dajjals (liars) appear, and each one of them will claim that he is Allah's Apostle, (3) till the religious knowledge is taken away (by the death of Religious scholars) (4) earthquakes will increase in number (5) time will pass quickly, (6) afflictions will appear, (7) Al-Harj, (i.e., killing) will increase, (8) till wealth will be in abundance ---- so abundant that a wealthy person will worry lest nobody should accept his Zakat, and whenever he will present it to someone, that person (to whom it will be offered) will say, 'I am not in need of it, (9) till the people compete with one another in constructing high buildings, (10) till a man when passing by a grave of someone will say, 'Would that I were in his place (11) and till the sun rises from the West. So when the sun will rise and the people will see it (rising from the West) they will all believe (embrace Islam) but that will be the time when: (As Allah said,) 'No good will it do to a soul to believe then, if it believed not before, nor earned good (by deeds of righteousness) through its Faith.' (6.158) And the Hour will be established while two men spreading a garment in front of them but they will not be able to sell it, nor fold it up; and the Hour will be established when a man has milked his she-camel and has taken away the milk but he will not be able to drink it; and the Hour will be established before a man repairing a tank (for his livestock) is able to water (his animals) in it; and the Hour will be established when a person has raised a morsel (of food) to his mouth but will not be able to eat it."

Scarily Enough: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) foretold events that align strikingly with real-world developments, reflecting the miraculous nature of his prophecies. He predicted the competition in constructing tall buildings, vividly seen in the modern race for skyscrapers, particularly in the UAE with the Burj Khalifa. He spoke of large-scale wars between groups with similar ideologies, such as the World Wars fought by nations often rooted in shared political or cultural ideologies. The rise of false claimants to prophethood corresponds to numerous self-proclaimed messiahs in recent history. The loss of authentic religious knowledge is evident in the fading influence of traditional scholarship amidst misinformation. He also foretold increased seismic activity, aligning with documented rises in earthquake occurrences. The prediction of wealth so abundant that people refuse charity is seen in wealthy nations where basic needs are widely met, yet inequality persists. Finally, the accelerated pace of life resonates with the global sense of time passing quickly in an era of rapid technological and social change. These fulfilled events demonstrate the divine origin of these prophecies.

Honey As Medicine (Bukhari ID: 5546)

Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri: A man came to the Prophet and said, "My brother has some Abdominal trouble." The Prophet said to him "Let him drink honey." The man came for the second time and the Prophet said to him, 'Let him drink honey." He came for the third time and the Prophet said, "Let him drink honey." He returned again and said, "I have done that ' The Prophet then said, "Allah has said the truth, but your brother's `Abdomen has told a lie. Let him drink honey." So he made him drink honey and he was cured.

In Reality: The incident illustrates a miracle rooted in the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) knowledge of honey's healing properties, which modern science has since validated. Honey is now known to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and digestive health benefits due to compounds like hydrogen peroxide, methylglyoxal, and natural enzymes. In this context, the Prophet's insistence on honey as a remedy aligns with today's understanding of its ability to treat gastrointestinal issues, even when its effects might not be immediately apparent. This prophetic insight, given over 1,400 years ago without scientific tools, highlights a remarkable alignment with modern medical knowledge, affirming its miraculous nature.