What is Ruqyah?

9:30 AM

What is Ruqyah?

Ruqyah is a vast subject and covers many topics such as Sihr (Magic) Masaha (Possession) and Ayn (Evil Eye). We have presented a basic outline in regards to what is Ruqyah and how it is related to us via the Sunnah. Ruqyah is the treatment relayed to us by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) for afflictions such as Sihr (Magic) Masaha (Possession) and Ayn (Evil Eye).

To translate Ruqyah as ‘incantation’ may bring to mind connotations of magic and sorcery which are forbidden in Islam. To use the term "By spiritual means" may not convey the meaning in full. [See Ismail L.Faruq’s Translation].

The meaning most relevant to us when asking the question what is Ruqyah, is that Ruqyah is when a person recites part of the Qur’an such as Al-Fatihah or makes supplication using words transmitted from the authentic Hadith of the Prophet (saw) Ref. Fath-ul-Majid]

It was narrated that A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:

"When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was ill, he would recite al-Mu`awidhatayn (surahs of Al-Falaq and An-Nas) over himself and spit dryly. When his pain grew intense, I recited over him and wiped him with his own hand, seeking its blessing. " (Al-Bukharee).

With regard to the du`aa’ that is prescribed for the Muslim to say if he wants to recite Ruqyah for himself or for someone else, there are many such du`aa’s, most common are Al-Fatihah and Al-Mu`awidhatayn.

A group of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out on a journey and traveled until they came near one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they were refused. Then the leader of that tribe was stung, and his people tried everything to cure him but nothing helped. Then some of them said, "Why don’t you go to those people who are staying (nearby)? Maybe one of them has something." So they went to them and said, "O people, our leader has been stung and we have tried everything and nothing helped him. Do you have anything?" One of them said, "Yes, by Allah. I will perform Ruqyah for him, but by Allah we asked you for hospitality and you did not give us anything, so we will not perform Ruqyah for you unless you give us something in return." So they agreed on a flock of sheep, then he started to blow on him and recite Al-hamdu Lillahi Rabb il-`Alameen. Then he recovered quickly from his complaint and started walking, and he was completely cured. After that they took the flock of sheep, and some of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Let us share it out." The one who had performed Ruqyah said, "Do not do anything until we come to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and tell him what happened, and we will wait and see what he tells us to do." So they came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him what had happened. He said, "How did you know that it is a Ruqyah?" Then he said, "You did the right thing. Share them out, and give me a share." And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled. (Al-Bukharee and Muslim).

The du`aa’s that have been narrated in the Sunnah include the following: It was narrated that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek refuge for al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and he would say, ‘Your father [ meaning Ibrahim peace be upon him] used to seek refuge with Allah for Isma`il and Ishaq with these words: A`udhu bi kalimat Allah al-tammah min kulli shaytanin wa hammah wa min kulli `aynin lammah (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah, from every devil and every poisonous reptile, and from every evil eye).’" (Al-Bukharee).

Seeking Treatment

To exorcize the Jinn is obligatory according to the principles of repelling oppression, aiding the oppressed, enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil, just as it is with humans. A question was posed to Ibn Taymiyah (ra) regarding the subject, he expressed: "In (exorcism) there is also alleviation of grief and suffering of the oppressed." Allah’s Messenger (saw) is reported by Abu Hurayrah in Saheeh Muslim (vol: 4, no: 6250) to have said: "Whoever relieves a believer of one of the tragedies of life, Allah will relieve him of one of the calamities of the Day of Resurrection." Jaabir (ra) also reported in Saheeh Muslim (vol: 3, no: 5456) that when Allah’s Messenger (saw) was asked about incantation, he replied: "Whoever among you is able to help his brother, he should do so."

Hadith regarding not seeking Ruqyah

Many people seem to be under the impression that it is better not to seek a cure which is incorrect. With regard to the hadith narrated by Muslim, according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) described the seventy thousand of this Ummah who will enter Paradise without being brought to account or punished, and in which it says: "They are those who did not recite Ruqyah or ask for Ruqyah to be done, and they did not believe in bad omens and they put their trust in their Lord " – the phrase "they did not recite Ruqyah " is the words of the narrator, not of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Hence Al-Bukharee narrated this hadith and did not mention this phrase. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "These people are praised because they did not ask anyone to recite Ruqyah for them, and Ruqyah is a type of du`aa’, so they did not ask others to pray for them. The phrase "and they did not recite Ruqyah " which is mentioned in the hadith is a mistake (on the part of the narrator), for their Ruqyah for themselves and for others is a good deed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Ruqyah for himself and for others but he did not ask anyone to recite Ruqyah for him. His reciting Ruqyah for himself and others was like his making du`aa’ for himself and others; this is something that is enjoined, for all the prophets asked of Allah and prayed to Him, as Allah tells us in the stories of Adam, Ibraheem, Musa. " (Majmu` al-Fatawa, 1/182)

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "This phrase is inserted in the hadith, but it is a mistake on the part of some of the narrators." (Hadi al-Arwah, 1/89)

Types of Ruqyah

There are some important conditions that must be satisfied in a ruqyah to make it permissible. They were summarized by Ibn Hajar (AR):

"There is a consensus among the ‘ulama that Ruqyah are permissible when they satisfy three conditions:

1 – To be with Allah’s words or His names and attributes
2 – To be in Arabic or of an intelligible meaning
3 – And to believe that they do not have effect by themselves but by Allah (swt)." Fath ul Bari 10/240

In what follows, we discuss each of these conditions:

1. Must Be with Allah’s Words, Names, or Attributes
As we will see below, all forms of Ruqyah reported in the Sunnah satisfy this condition. They either consist of specific portions of the Qur’an, such as al-Fatiha or Ayat ul-Kursiy, or contain a praise of Allah (swt) and an invocation of His help and protection.

2. Must Be with Clearly Understood Words This is an important condition that must be satisfied in order to eliminate any magic factors from the ruqyah.

3. Believing That the True Benefit Is from Allah (swt)

Similar to our earlier discussion of medicines, one must always believe that the true and ultimate protector is Allah (swt) alone, and that Ruqyah and medications are means that He created and He controls as He wills. Thus trust must be put in Him and not in the means that He created. Allah (swt) commands His Messenger (saw): So seek refuge with Allah (only); verily, it is He who is all-Hearer, all-Seer. (Al Ghafir 40:56).

Ruqyah from the Sunnah

Various forms of supplications for prevention or healing, some of which may be classified as Ruqyah, have been presented in this site. In what follows, we include some more, or refer to earlier ones, as the discussion warrants.

Ruqyah with Allah’s Name

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (RA) reported that Jibril came to the Prophet (saw) and said:, "O Muhammad, are you sick?" He replied, ‘Yes.’ He said: "Bismillahi arqik, min kulli shayin yuthik, min sharri kulli nafsin aw ayni hasid – With Allah’s Name I shelter you (give you ruqyah), from all that ails you, from the evil of every soul, or that of the envious eyes. May Allah cure you; with Allah’s Name I shelter you." Muslim.

Ruqyah with Allah’s Book

‘Aishah (RA) reported that Allah’s Messenger (saw) came into her house and saw with her a woman who was treating her with ruqyah. He told her: ‘Treat her (only) with Allah’s Book.’ Recorded by Ibn Hibban; verified to be authentic by al-Albani in as-Sahihah no. 1931. In what follows, we present Ruqyah with specific Surahs or ayat as is recorded in the Sunnah.

1. Ruqyah with al-Fatiha

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri and Ibn Abbas (RA) reported that a number of the Prophet’s (saw) companions were on a journey. They stopped one night by the dwellings of a bedouin tribe who refused to host them and give them food. The chief of that tribe was then stung (by a snake or scorpion). His people tried everything possible to treat him, but to no avail. One of them suggested to seek help from the travellers. When they came to them, one of them said, "By Allah, I can perform ruqyah; but you have refused to host us. So I would not perform the ruqyah until you pledge to give us an offering." They agreed to give them a flock of thirty sheep, and the companion started blowing (with light spit) on the stung man’s sting and reading al-Fatiha. He was immediately cured, like one who was tied and then set free. He stood and walked as if nothing happened to him, and they gave them their pledged offering.

Some of the companions said, "Let us divide this flock among us." Others said, "No, you may not take any pay for reading Allah’s Book! Let us not divide the goats until we reach the Prophet (saw), tell him what happened, and see what he commands us."

When they reached al-Madinah, they came to the Prophet (saw) and told him what happened. He said (approvingly):’How did you know that it (al-Fatiha) is a ruqyah? You have done well! And indeed, the best thing to be paid for is Allah’s Book*. So, divide it among you; and allot a share for me.’ Al Bukharee, Muslim.

2. Ruqyah with al-Muawwidhat

As explained earlier, al-Muawwidhat are the last three Surahs of the Qur’an. The last two of them carry a clear meaning of ruqyah, and are presented below. Surat ul-Ikhlas (112) does not carry such meaning in an explicit manner, but contains concise and strong words of praise for Allah (swt), making it an important introduction to the succeeding two Surahs: (Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of what he created, and from the evil of darkness when it settles, and from the evil of the blowers in knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies.") 113 (Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord of the people, the King of the people, the God of the people, from the evil of a retreating whisperer, who whispers (evil) in the breasts of the people, (whether he is) from among jinns or the people.") 114

‘Aishah (RA) reported: "When Allah’s Messenger (saw) went to bed, he would bring the palms of both hands together, and blow into them while reading "Qul huwa Allahu ahad" 112, "Qul a’udhu bi rabb il-falaq" 113, "Qul a’udhu bi rabbi n-Nas" 114. He would then rub with them whatever he could reach of his body, starting with his head, face, and the front part of his body. He would do this three times. When he got very ill, he asked me to do that for him." Al Bukharee and Muslim.

‘Aishah (RA) also reported: "In the final sickness in which he passed away, the Prophet (saw) used to blow over himself with al-Mu’awwidhat. When he became very ill, I blew with them for him, rubbing over him with his own hand because of the blessing in it." Al Bukharee and Muslim

We can use these Surahs for scorpion stings like it as been reported in a hadith.

3. Ruqyah with Ayat ul-Kursi

Ubayy Bin Ka’b narrated that he had a harvest of dates. He noticed that it shrunk every day, and decided to watch it at night. He did and noticed a beast that looked like a boy who attained puberty. He gave him salam, and it responded to him with salam.

He asked it, "Are you human or jinn" It replied, "Jinn." He told it, "Show me your hand." It showed him its hand, and he saw that it looked like a dog’s, with fur like that of a dog covering it. He exclaimed, "Is this how jinn are like!?" It then told him, "All jinns know that there is no one among them stronger than me." He asked it, "What brought you here?" It replied, "We have been informed that you like to give charity, so we came to get some of your food." He asked it, "What would protect us from you?" It replied, "This ayah from Surat ul-Baqarah: (Allahu la ilaha illa huwa Al-Hayy ul-Qayyum,) (2/255) – whoever says it in the evening will be protected from us until the morning, and whoever says it in the morning will be protected from us until the evening."

In the morning, Ubayy came to Allah’s Messenger (saw) and told him of that incident. He told him, ‘The evil one has said the truth!’ Recorded by An-Nasai.

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11:40 AM

THE SCIENTIFIC MIRACLES OF THE QURAN

THE WEIGHT OF CLOUDS

The weight of clouds can reach quite astonishing proportions. For example, a cumulonimbus cloud, commonly known as the thunder cloud, can contain up to 300,000 tons of water.

The fact that a mass of 300,000 tons of water can remain aloft is truly amazing. Attention is drawn to the weight of clouds in other verses of the Qur'an:

It is He Who sends out the winds, bringing advance news of His mercy, so that when they have lifted up the heavy clouds, We dispatch them to a dead land and send down water to it, by means of which We bring forth all kinds of fruit... (Qur'an, 7:57)

It is He Who shows you the lightning, striking fear and bringing hope; it is He Who heaps up the heavy clouds. (Qur'an, 13:12)

At the time when the Qur'an was revealed, of course, it was quite impossible to have any information about the weight of clouds. This information, revealed in the Qur'an, but discovered only recently, is yet another proof that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah.

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11:12 AM

RAINS WHICH BRING A DEAD LAND BACK TO LIFE

The rain's function of "bringing a dead land back to life" is indicated in several verses of the Qur'an:

… We send down from heaven pure water so that by it We can bring a dead land to life and give drink to many of the animals and people We created. (Qur'an, 25:48-49)

As well as bringing water, an essential requirement for living things, to the earth, the rain also has a fertilising property. Drops of rain which evaporate from the sea and reach the clouds contain certain substances which "revitalise" dead soil. These raindrops with such "revitalising" properties are called "surface tension droplets." These form from the top layer of the surface of the sea, called the micro-layer by biologists; in this surface layer, less than one-tenth of a millimetre thick, are found large quantities of organic waste formed from the decomposition of microscopic algae and zooplanktons. Some of these wastes collect and absorb elements such as phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, which are rarely found in sea water, as well as heavy metals such as copper, zinc, cobalt and lead. Seeds and plants on the surface of the earth receive large quantities of the mineral salts and elements they need to grow from these raindrops. The Qur'an refers to this in these terms:

And We sent down blessed water from the sky and made gardens grow by it and grain for harvesting. (Qur'an, 50:9)

These salts which descend with the rain are examples in miniature of fertilisers traditionally used to enhance productivity (calcium, magnesium, potassium etc.). Heavy metals of the kind found in aerosols create elements which increase productivity during growth and production of plants. In short, rain is an important fertiliser. With the fertiliser which provided by rain alone, within a hundred years, a soil of poor quality can obtain all the elements necessary for plants. Forests also grow and are nourished with help from these chemicals which originate from the sea.

In this way, every year some 150 million tons of particles of fertiliser fall to earth. Were it not for this fertilising function, there would have been far fewer plants on the Earth and the balance of life would have been disturbed. The information about the revitalisation of plants in the verse is just one of the countless miraculous properties of the Qur'an.

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10:58 AM

BLACK HOLES IN THE QURAN

The 20th century saw a great many new discoveries regarding celestial phenomena in the universe. One of these entities, which has only recently been encountered, is the Black Hole. These are formed when a star which has consumed all its fuel collapses in on itself, eventually turning into a black hole with infinite density and zero volume and an immensely powerful magnetic field. We are unable to see black holes even with the most powerful telescope, because their gravitational pull is so strong that light is unable to escape from them. However, such a collapsed star can be perceived by means of the effect it has on the surrounding area. In Surat al-Waqi'a, Allah draws attention this matter in this way, by swearing upon the position of stars:

And I swear by the stars' positions-and that is a mighty oath if you only knew. (Qur'an, 56:75-76)

The term "black hole" was first employed in 1969 by the American physicist John Wheeler. Previously, we imagined that we were able to see all the stars. However, it later emerged that there were stars in space whose light we were unable to perceive. Because, the light of these collapsed stars disappears. Light cannot escape from a black hole because it is such a high concentration of mass in a small space. The enormous gravitation captures even the fastest particles, i.e. the photons. For example, the final stage of a typical star, three times the mass of the Sun, ends after its burning out and its implosion as a black hole of only 20 kilometres in diameter! Black holes are "black," i.e. veiled from direct observation. They nevertheless reveal themselves indirectly, by the tremendous suction which their gravitational force exerts on other heavenly bodies. As well as depictions of the Day of Judgement, the verse below may also be pointing to this scientific discovery about black holes:

When the stars are extinguished, (Qur'an, 77:8)

Moreover, stars of great mass also cause warps to be perceived in space. Black holes, however, do not just cause warps in space but also tear holes in it. That is why these collapsed stars are known as black holes. This fact may be referred to in the verse about stars, and this is another important item of information demonstrating that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah:

[I swear] by Heaven and the Tariq! And what will convey to you what the Tariq is? The Star Piercing [the darkness]! (Qur'an, 86:1-3)

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10:42 AM

THE SCIENTIFIC MIRACLES OF THE QURAN

LIGHT AND DARK

Praise belongs to Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and appointed darkness and light... (Qur'an, 6:1)

We all know that without light a person cannot see his surroundings with the naked eye. However, the light that we can see is only a very small part of all light-emitting energy. There are other kinds of light-emitting energy that human beings cannot perceive, such as infra-red, ultra-violet, x-rays and radio waves. Human beings are effectively blind to such light waves.

It is interesting, therefore, that the word for "darkness" in the Qur'an is always in the plural. The Arabic word, "ththulumat," is used in the plural in 23 verses of the Qur'an, and never used in the singular. The use of the word "darkness" in the Qur'an indicates that in addition to those light waves we can see, there may also be other kinds.

Only recently did scientists discover why the plural may have been used here. Wave lengths vary in a form of energy known as electromagnetic radiation. All the different forms of electromagnetic radiation behave as energy waves in space. This can be compared to the waves which form when a stone is thrown into a pond. As the waves on a pond can be of different sizes, so electromagnetic radiation has different-sized waves.

Stars and other sources of light do not all give off the same kind of emissions. These different rays are classified according to their wavelengths. The spectrum of wavelengths is quite wide. There is a 10²⁵ (a billion times a billion times a billion) difference between gamma rays, with the smallest size wavelength, and radio waves, which are the largest. Nearly all the rays emitted by the Sun are squeezed into just one part of this 10²⁵spectrum.

In order to better understand the colossal dimensions of this figure, it will be useful to make a comparison. If we wanted to count to 10²⁵, and if we counted day and night without pause, it would take us 100 million times the age of the Earth to finish. The different wavelengths in the universe are distributed within a spectrum of just such a size. 70% of the different wavelengths emitted by the Sun are limited to a very narrow spectrum between 0.3 microns and 1.5 microns. There are three kinds of light within that band: visible light, infra-red light and ultraviolet light. Despite occupying a band less than 1 in 10²⁵, the rays known as visible light represent 41% of all the Sun's rays.

As has been discussed, electromagnetic waves perceivable to the human eye are responsible for only a very small part of the light spectrum. The other regions represent only darkness for human beings, who are blind to wavelengths outside that band.52

52. Husaini, Qur'an for Astronomy and Earth Exploration from Space, 175-182.

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10:19 AM

THE SCIENTIFIC MIRACLES OF THE QURAN

SCIENTIFIC FACTS IN THE STORY OF THE FLOOD OF NUH

We sent Nuh to his people and he remained among them for fifty short of a thousand years; yet the Flood engulfed them while they were wrongdoers. (Surat al-‘Ankabut, 14)

The Prophet Nuh (as) spent many years advising the people to whom he was sent as a prophet to put an end to ascribing partners to Allah and to abandon their improper behavior. Even though he warned his people about the wrath of Allah several times, they still did not believe the Prophet Nuh (as) and continued in their polytheism. At this, Allah told the Prophet Nuh (as) that He would punish those who denied Him by drowning them, but that believers would be saved. The destruction of the people of Nuh and the salvation of those who believed is described as follows in the Qur’an:

But they denied him so We rescued him and those with him in the Ark. And We drowned the people who denied Our signs. They were a blind people. Surat al-A‘raf, 64)

The events that took place when the time for Allah’s promised punishment came are described thus:

So when Our command came, and water bubbled up from the earth, We said, “Load into it a pair of every species, and your family – except for those against whom the Word was preordained – and all who believe.” But those who believed with him were only few. (Surah Hud, 40)

The beginning of the punishment is described as when “water bubbled up from the earth.” The Arabic word translated as “tannoor” is “alttannooru.” This describes a kind of oven made by digging a hole in the ground, and therefore refers to the volcanic fire inside a mountain. (Allah knows the truth.) The Arabic word “wafara” in the verse means “burned strongly, produced bubbles, boiled up, boiled over, produced a foam.” Therefore, the reference in the verse would seem to be to the flowing, molten lava in the mountain.

In another verse, the time for the Prophet Nuh (as) to board the Ark is described as “when water bubbles up from the earth” in another verse. This may also be a reference to hot steam or smoke rising from a volcano immediately before an eruption:

We revealed to him: “Build the ship under Our supervision and as We reveal. When Our command comes and water bubbles up from the earth, load into it a pair of every species, and your family – except for those among them against whom the word has already gone ahead. And do not address Me concerning those who do wrong. They shall be drowned. (Surat al-Muminun, 27)

The molten lava flowing in the wake of the eruption may have caused the ice on the mountain to melt; intense steam caused by the combination of heat and cold as the molten lava flowed into the sea may have given rise to intense rains. Flooding was the result of these phenomena, and sources of water on land may also have overflowed as a consequence of the severe rains: (Allah knows the truth.)

So We opened the gates of heaven with torrential water and made the earth burst forth with gushing springs. And the waters met together in a way which was decreed. We bore him on a planked and well-caulked ship, (Surat al-Qamar, 11-13)

Apart from those who boarded the Prophet Nuh’s (as) Ark were drowned, including the prophet’s son who imagined he could escape by seeking refuge on a mountain nearby:

It sailed with them through mountainous waves, and Nuh called out to his son, who had kept himself apart, “My son! Come on board with us. Do not stay with the unbelievers!” He said, “I will take refuge on a mountain; It will protect me from the flood.” He said, “There is no protection from Allah’s command today except for those He has mercy on.” The waves surged in between them and he was among the drowned. (Surah Hud, 42-43)

When the floodwaters finally receded, the Ark settled on al-Judi as stated in the Qur’an, meaning a very high place:

It was said, “Earth, swallow up your water!” and, ‘Heaven, hold back your rain!” And the water subsided and the affair was concluded and the Ark came to land on al-Judi. And it was said, “Away with the people of the wrongdoers!” (Surah Hud, 44)

When the mountains shortly after stopped churning forth lava, the waters resumed their former equilibrium as the air cooled down and withdrew back underground; some of it may also have risen into the air as water vapor. The water level returned to normal. Allah’s command to the earth to “swallow!” and to the sky to “hold back!” revealed in the Qur’an, summarized this very concisely. The Arabic word “belea,” which appears in the verse in the form “iblaAAee,” means “swallow up and eliminate, pull back.” The reference to the earth swallowing up its water notes the formation of subterranean water sources as the water on the surface retreats underground again. The Arabic verb"aklaa," which takes the form "aqliAAee" in the verse, means “the dispersal of clouds, rain stopping, or abandoning a matter or course of action.” The description is thus in a way, the cooling down of the air as lava stops flowing, the stopping of rain as a result of the water vapor level in the air returning to normal, and the dispersing of the remaining water vapor in the clouds into the air. (Allah knows the truth.)

This chain of events, in complete agreement with the scientific facts, is indicated in the wisest possible terms in the Qur’an. It is just one of the proofs that the Qur’an, which contains such information, comprising many branches of science, such as geography, geology and meteorology, is in complete harmony with science.

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10:01 AM

THE SCIENTIFIC MIRACLES OF THE QURAN

THE SUN WILL EXPIRE AFTER SOME TIME

And the sun runs to a fixed resting place. That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. (Surah Ya Sin, 38)

The Sun has been emitting heat for around 5 billion years as a result of the constant chemical reactions taking place on its surface. At a moment determined by Allah in the future, these reactions will eventually come to an end, and the Sun will lose all its energy and finally go out. In that context, the above verse may be a reference to the Sun’s energy one day coming to an end. (Allah knows the truth.)

The Arabic word "mustaqarrin" in the verse refers to a particular place or time. The word “tajree,” translated as “runs,” bears such meanings as “to move, to act swiftly, to move about, to flow.” It appears from the meanings of the words that the Sun will continue in its course in time and space, but that this motion will continue until a specific, predetermined time. The verse " When the Sun is compacted in blackness " (Surat at-Takwir, 1) which appears in descriptions of Doomsday, tells us that such a time will be coming. The specific timing is known only to Allah.

The Arabic word "taqdeeru," translated as “decree” in the verse, includes such meanings as “to appoint, to determine the destiny of something, to measure.” By this expression in verse 38 of Surah Ya Sin we are told that the life span of the Sun is limited to a specific period, one ordained by Allah. Other verses of the Qur’an on the subject read:

Allah is He Who raised up the heavens without any support – you can see that – and then established Himself firmly on the Throne. He made the Sun and Moon subservient, each running for a specified term. He directs the whole affair. He makes the Signs clear so that hopefully you will be certain about the meeting with your Lord. (Surat ar- Ra‘d, 2)
He makes night merge into day and day merge into night, and He has made the Sun and Moon subservient, each one running until a specified time. That is Allah, your Lord. The Kingdom is His. Those you call on besides Him have no power over even the smallest speck. (Surah Fatir, 13)
He created the heavens and the Earth with truth. He wraps the night around the day and wraps the day around the night, and has made the Sun and Moon subservient, each one running for a specified term. Is He not indeed the Almighty, the Endlessly Forgiving? (Surah az-Zumar, 5)

The use of the word "musamman" in the above verses shows that the life span of the Sun will run for a “specified term.” Scientific analysis regarding the end of the Sun describes it as each second, 4 million tons of matter are converted into energy 1 , and says that the Sun will die when that fuel has all been consumed. 2 The heat and light emitted from the Sun is the energy released as matter is consumed as hydrogen nuclei turn into helium in the nuclear fusion process. The Sun’s energy, and therefore its life, will thus come to an end once this fuel has been used up. (Allah knows the truth.) A report titled “The Death of the Sun” by the BBC News Science Department says:

...The Sun will gradually die. As a star's core crashes inwards, it eventually becomes hot enough to ignite another of its constituent atoms, helium. Helium atoms fuse together to form carbon. When the helium supply runs out, the centre collapses again and the atmosphere inflates. The Sun isn't massive enough to fully re-ignite its core for a third time. So it goes on expanding, shedding its atmosphere in a series of bursts... The dying core eventually forms a white dwarf - a spherical diamond the size of the Earth, made of carbon and oxygen. From this point on the Sun will gradually fade away, becoming dimmer and dimmer until its light is finally snuffed out. 3

A documentary, also called “The Death of the Sun,” broadcast by National Geographic TV, provides the following description:

It generates heat and sustains life on our planet. But like humans, the sun has a limited lifespan. As our star ages, it will become hotter and expand, evaporating all of our oceans and killing all life on planet Earth... The sun will get hotter as it ages and burns fuel faster. Temperatures will increase, eventually wiping out animal life, evaporating our oceans and killing all plant life... the sun will swell and become a red giant star, swallowing up the nearest planets. Its gravitational pull will lessen and perhaps allow Earth to escape. By the end, it will shrink into a white dwarf star, emitting a week glow... 4

Scientists have only recently unravelled the structure of the Sun and discovered what goes on inside it. Before that, nobody knew how the Sun obtained its energy or how it emitted heat and light. The way that such a giant mass of energy would one day consume all its energy and expire was revealed 1,400 years ago in the Qur’an shows the presence of a sublime knowledge. That knowledge belongs to our Lord, Whose knowledge enfolds all things. Another verse of the Qur’an reveals:

"... My Lord encompasses all things in His knowledge so will you not pay heed?” (Surat Al-An‘am, 80)

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun

2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun

3 http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/stars/death/index.shtml

4 "Death of the Sun", National Geographic Channel, 20 March 2006, director: Rabinder Minhas,part no. 25, season 3.

http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/

9:32 AM

THE SCIENTIFIC MIRACLES OF THE QURAN

THE CLONING OF LIVING THINGS

[Satan said:] “I will lead them astray and fill them with false hopes. I will command them and they will cut off cattle’s ears. I will command them and they will change Allah’s creation.” Anyone who takes satan as his protector in place of Allah has clearly lost everything.” (Surat an-Nisa’, 119)

The above verse contains the expression “yubattikunna,” which derives from the verb "battaka” meaning ”to cut off or break off.” The term “yughayyirunna” in the verse derives from the verb “ghayyara,” meaning “to change, alter, impair a thing’s original form.” At the end of both verbs appears the confirmatory letter ”nun.” With these expressions, verse 119 of Surat an-Nisa’ may, in one aspect, be pointing to the scientific activity of copying or cloning of organisms. (Allah knows the truth.) That is because cloning experiments are generally conducted with cells taken from an animal’s ear. To put it another way, a replica living thing is produced with the taking of cells from tissue samples “cut from animals’ ears,” just as described in the verse.

A report by the German Federal Agricultural Research Center provides the following information:

The tissue collection phase is short and simple. Once an animal has been located and restrained, a tissue sample like an ear clipping can be collected within seconds. Furthermore, somatic cells can be collected from all species. … For cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, camelids and llamas, a unified and identical procedure can be used by obtaining a tissue sample from the ear using notchers which are also used for setting earmarks… Clearly, for all species lymphocytes could be used, but somatic cells from ear clippings will be much easier to obtain and are therefore preferable. 1

Some reports concerning organisms cloned by taking samples from ear tissue include:

- According to a report by Reuters dated 1 May, 2002, a research veterinarian at the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil, Jose Visintin, produced cloned embryos for the first time in the country by using cells taken from the ear of an adult cow.2

- According to a BBC report, South Korean scientists cloned a dog called Snuppy from cells taken from a 3-year-old Afghan hound. Researchers at the Seoul National University extracted genetic material from the cells taken from the ear and placed it into an empty egg cell. An embryo was then obtained by stimulating the cell to divide.3

- Another BBC report said that a new clone had been produced using ear cells from an adult cow in research carried out by Dr. Jean-Paul Renard et al. at the Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique in France.4

- According to information of the official Human Genome Project website, in February 2002, scientists from the Advanced Cell Technologies (ACT) biotechnology company carried out experiments on cloning a cow embryo using the skin cell of the donor cow’s ear.5

- A report by Associated Press, dated 24 January, 2000, announced that Japanese scientists had cloned the clone of a bull for the first time. In the re-cloning, skin tissue samples from the first generation cloned bull’s ear were taken when it was four months old. These cells were then fused with an unfertilized egg from which the nucleus had been removed.6

The way that changes in the creation of living things are referred to in the Qur’an and the expression “cutting off cattle’s ears,” at a time when no branches of science such as genetics or embryology existed, shows that the Qur’an has come down from the Sight of our Lord, Allah, Who is unfettered by time. We are also told at the end of the verse that these people will be disappointed when they alter what Allah has created. The verse may therefore be indicating that cloning will give rise to various problems for human beings. (Allah knows the truth.) Indeed, statements from the Genetic Science Learning Center of the University of Utah provide the following information:

When we hear of cloning successes, we learn about only the few attempts that worked. What we don't see are the many, many cloning experiments that failed! And even in the successful clones, problems tend to arise later, during the animal's development to adulthood.7

Information from the Human Genome Project website take this form:

Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from adult DNA, [died on] Feb. 14, 2003. Prior to her death, Dolly had been suffering from lung cancer and crippling arthritis. … More than 90% of cloning attempts fail to produce viable offspring. … In addition to low success rates, cloned animals tend to have more compromised immune function and higher rates of infection, tumor growth, and other disorders. Japanese studies have shown that cloned mice live in poor health and die early. … Appearing healthy at a young age unfortunately is not a good indicator of long term survival. Clones have been known to die mysteriously. For example, Australia's first cloned sheep appeared healthy and energetic on the day she died, and the results from her autopsy failed to determine a cause of death.8

In general terms, the risks arising from cloning experiments are as follows:

1) A high failure rate: The level of success is just 0.1%-3%. That means a failure rate of 970-999 for every 1000 experiments.9

2) Problems during development: Cloned animals that do survive generally have abnormally larger organs compared to the originals. This may lead to respiration and circulation difficulties, unhealthy kidneys and brain, and an impaired immune system.

3) Abnormal gene expression patterns: Although clones have the same DNA sequences as the originals, the cell nucleus in the clone does not have the same program as that in a natural embryo. To put it another way, the DNA cannot express the right set of genes essential for the development of the clone at the right time. For example, cells of all kinds, nerve, bone, blood or skin for example, all have different programs but the genetic programs in the clone embryo do not work as healthily as those in a natural embryo.

4) Telomeric differences: Chromosomes are shortened as cells divide. The reason for this is that DNA sequences at both ends of a chromosome, known as telomeres, are shortened during each DNA replication. As an animal grows older, the telomeres shorten as part of that aging. Therefore, the copied life form has shortened chromosomes from the moment it is born, just as if it were actually older.

Genetic material taken from living cells is used in cloning experiments, but fertilization takes place artificially. The reproduction mechanism created by Allah is thus impaired with these methods, and unidentified diseases, developmental deficiencies and early deaths are encountered. The way that it was reported 1400 years ago that scientists would engage in cloning and that the problems awaiting people therefrom are emphasized, clearly reveals that the Qur’an is a Divine scripture.

In the cloning process, DNA from a cell of the living thing planned to be copied is placed under the microscope and placed into an egg cell from another member of the same species. The DNA of the animal intended to be copied is used for this. An electric shock is then applied, which stimulates the egg cell to start dividing. The embryo continues to divide and is placed into the womb of a member of the species, and is then left to develop and be born.

1 http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/a0070t/a0070t05.htm

2 http://ngin.tripod.com/010502b.htm

3 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4742453.stm

4 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/331793.stm

5 http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml

6 http://www.gene.ch/info4action/2000/Jan/msg00061.html

7 http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/cloning/cloningrisks/

8 http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml

9 http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/cloning/cloningrisks/

http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/

9:49 PM

THE SCIENTIFIC MIRACLES OF THE QUR'AN

HEART MASSAGE

Many miraculous features of the Qur’an prove it is the word of Allah. Facts are revealed in the verses through the scientific facts, the descriptions of the past and the mathematical codes, that could never have been known to anyone at the time. In addition, developments that could never have been learned with the level of knowledge and technology of the time were also indicated in the verses of the Qur’an before the event. The fact that some scientific facts we only attained with 20th and 21st-century technology were revealed in the Qur’an 1400 years ago is clear evidence that the Qur’an cannot be the work of any human being.
One of the verses that may be referring to the future is verse 73 of Surat al-Baqara:

Remember when you killed someone and violently accused each other of it, and Allah brought out what you were hiding. We said, ‘Hit him with part of it!’ In that way Allah gives life to the dead and He shows you His Signs so that hopefully you will understand. (Surat al-Baqara, 72-73)

Among the meanings of the Arabic term “biba’diha,” translated as “with part of it” in the above verse, is “someone or some people.” In the context of that meaning, the verse may be a reference to heart massage, striking the chest from above, which makes it possible to restart the heart if it has stopped beating. (Allah knows the truth.)

The person to whom the massage is administered has the characteristics of a dead body; loss of consciousness, and the cessation of respiration and heartbeat. With our present-day knowledge, heart massage can be applied to someone whose heart has stopped, enabling heartbeat and vital functions to resume. Pressure is applied to the rib cage at specific intervals during heart massage, and the rhythmic contraction required for it to continue pumping blood is thus established.

In that context, the striking of a dead body in such a way as to restore it to life, as stated in the verse, may be suggestive of the heart massage technique. The Qur’an is the word of Almighty Allah, He Who creates all things from nothing, Whose knowledge enfolds all things, and Who is unfettered by time and space. Every verse of the Qur’an therefore contains information revealed with the wisdom of our Almighty Lord. In one verse, Allah refers to the Qur’an itself as follows:

... Will they not ponder the Qur’an? If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found many inconsistencies in it. (Surat an-Nisa’, 82)

http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/

9:42 PM

THE SCIENTIFIC MIRACLES OF THE QUR'AN

THE OZONE LAYER AT THE POLES AS THE SUN RISES

Until he reached the rising of the sun and found it rising on a people to whom We had not given any shelter from it. (Surat al-Kahf, 90)

The Arabic word “sitran” in verse 90 of Surat al-Kahf means “cover, shelter, curtain or screen.” The term "lam najAAal lahum min dooniha sitran" describes an environment devoid of any shelter or protection against the Sun. In the light of present-day knowledge, this is suggestive of the ozone layer that protects living things against harmful solar rays.

The area where the ozone layer around the Earth is thinnest, where it protects least against solar radiation, is the poles.1 Scientific research has established a severe thinning of the ozone layer at the North Pole at the moment the Sun rises2 and this scientific discovery has been described as Sunrise Ozone Destruction (SOD)3.

As a matter of fact, during their research, American scientists determined a rapid decrease in ozone concentration at the moment of sunrise – when there was no sign of any before.4 This phenomenon is particularly encountered in the North Pole (Arctic) region, and there is a serious loss of ozone for a few hours immediately after sunrise.5

The Arabic word “matlia” in this verse, meaning the “rising place” of the Sun, may well be a reference to this scientific discovery about the ozone layer. (Allah knows the truth.) The fact that this information, obtained with 20th century high technology, also appears in such a compatible form in the Qur’an, is yet more proof that the Qur’an is the revelation of our Lord, the One and Only Owner of science and technology.

Sunrise at the North Pole.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion
2 L. A. Barrie, J. W. Bottenheim, R. C. Schnell, P. J. Crutzen, R. A. Rasmussen, "Ozone destruction and photochemical reactions at polar sunrise in the lower Arctic atmosphere", Nature, 14 July 1988, Vol. 334, pp 138-141; http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v334/n6178/abs/334138a0.html
3 I. Nagao, K. Matsumoto, H. Tanaka "Sunrise Ozone Destruction Found in the Sub-Tropical Marine Boundary Layer",Geophysical Research Letters, 1999, Vol. 26, no. 22, pp. 3377–3380; http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/1999/1999GL010836.shtml
4 Jagir S. Randhawa, "A Balloon Measurement of Ozone Near Sunrise";http://www.stormingmedia.us/31/3147/0314707.html5 I. Nagao, K. Matsumoto, H. Tanaka "Sunrise Ozone Destruction Found in the Sub-Tropical Marine Boundary Layer",Geophysical Research Letters, 1999, Vol. 26, No. 22, pp. 3377–3380; http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/1999/1999GL010836.shtml

http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/

9:21 PM

THE SCIENTIFIC MIRACLES OF THE QUR'AN

BONE LOSS IN OLD AGE

“And said, ‘My Lord, my bones have gone frail and my head is crowned with white, but in calling on You, My Lord, I have never been disappointed’.”
(Surah Maryam, 4)

The Arabic word “wahana” in verse 4 of Surah Maryam means “relaxed, weakened or insufficient.” The use of this word in the context of aging and changes taking place in the bones is most wise. Bone scanning performed taking detailed measurements using modern technology makes it possible to image the disease known to the medical world as “osteoporosis,” or bone loss.

Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease that leads to a loss of bone mass. The word osteoporosis come from the combination of the words osteo (bone) and porosis (full of holes). Bone, which rather resembles a honey comb, stores significant quantities of essential minerals such as calcium. Bone mass begins to gradually decline from around the age of 40. In its more advanced stages, this disease, which is mainly seen in the elderly and manifests itself as a loss of bone tissue mass, leads to eeasy bone breakage.

Bearing in mind that x-rays were only discovered in the 1890s, it is clear how difficult obtaining any information regarding the bones would have been. The fact that the Qur’an contains such information, which is in exact agreement with modern medical science, is one of the clear signs that the Qur’an has come down from the presence of Allah.