FAQ in the category of Knowledge - Science - Technology

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Is every drink or food in which alcohol present haram (forbidden)?

There is nothing like that mentioned clearly in verses and hadiths. They are theories and products of science-fiction imagination.

It is possible to see many examples of saints who have improved in the spiritual field traveling in the past and in the future during their spiritual journeys.

Expansion of time is a term which means living long in a short time.

Transcending space is a term which means surpassing space and appearing in different places at the same time.

The area of the earth expands with mountains. Small bubbles increase the area of the stomach. Lungs measure two hundred and fifty square meters when they are opened. They are examples of the fact that Allah has created area within area.

Therefore, God Almighty can also create time within time. As a matter of fact, He did: Dreams, expansion of time and miraj (the ascension of Prophet Muhammad)

We are restricted to what we experience and see. We have become slaves to familiarities and habits. We no longer wonder at the fact that sunlight reaches our world covering about one hundred and fifty million kilometers in eight minutes. As a matter of fact, this is a wonderful miracle of power.

When we say, “God Almighty may show this miracle in his beloved slave whose soul has surpassed his body”, objections arise instantly. “Why? Because we are bound by our sight and have never witnessed such a thing.” If we could witness this incident every day, then it would also be hidden before our sight; we would start not to wonder at it, either.

“In a dream, in a period of an hour, you see a year pass and many deeds are performed. If you were to read the Qur’an in the place of these deeds in that hour, you would finish reading the whole Quran a couple of times. This state takes place for the saints of Allah while they are awake. The issue is related to the capacity of the soul. In fact, the soul is not restricted to time. The deeds of saints of Allah whose souls are superior to their bodies take place with the speed of soul.” (Mesnevi-i Nuriye)

Today, we take it for granted that voices and visions instantly reach many places at the same time via television. However, we cannot grasp it that the throne of Balqis was instantly brought to the presence of Sulayman (pbuh). If we succeed in transferring things like voices and visions one day, we will then find it only natural and reasonable too, and begin not to wonder at it, either.

In the text above, there was an expression we are not acquainted with: the speed of soul. The speed of soul can be compared to neither light nor voice. Imagination is a servant of the soul. It can reach paradises at an instant. Reason is the tool of soul for understanding. Man can rise to stars and contemplate them with this tool.

When the soul surpasses the body, it becomes very easy to be present in different places at the same time. In dreams, our soul also surpasses our body to some extent. It covers great distances at a moment; we can easily go to the past and the future. We can talk with both our grandfathers and grandchildren.

Why should a soul, which surpasses angels by developing spiritually, not do the thing they easily do? Why should it not be present in different places at the same time?

The most common definition of matter is like the following: the things that take up space are called matter, which could be divided into smaller pieces, which could be weighed and comprehended through the sense organs. Here is another definition that the scholars of physics of our age make about matter: Matter is the materialized form of energy.

In previous times, some people used to worship idols. Now the same sort of people worships the matter of idols. These new idol-worshippers are called materialists. But there is a significant difference between these two: Idol-worshippers acknowledged them gods, invented some sorts of obligations through their mind or following their elders, and wished to practice those obligations with great sensitivity. As for materialists, their worshipping matter has to do with escaping from responsibility. Because, they never feel responsible in the face of matter.

They know very well that matter is at our service. Our bodies are under the command of our souls. Matter is only a fact for our bodies. Souls worshiping matter is something like a persons worshipping his/her house. Since such silliness is too much for their consciences, they take the way of unbelief and irresponsibility. Moreover, ones evil-self likes this way.

In the Risale-i Nur Collection, Bediuzzaman enumerates the features of matter and draws our attention to the creator of matter. He writes as follows:

As may be established through observation, matter is not the thing served so that everything may be ascribed to it. It is rather the servant. It renders service to the process of the perfection of a truth. And that truth is life. And fundamental of that truth is spirit. (Bediuzzaman, The Words)

Nobody is doubtful about the service of matter to life. We see a number of examples of this situation in our daily life we even experience them. Simply expressing if our hands hold a pen, it is because soul orders it. Soul and the quality of life in it is in the rank of master, as for matter, it is servant. That is, what is being served is life and soul and what serves is body. In that case, soul and all functions related to it cannot be attributed to this servant and again cannot be expressed through it. Otherwise, we are supposed to agree to a large number of nonsensical fallacies.

Think about a man going to mosque. It is soul that knows that daily prayers are a divine order and one must obey this divine order. And feet, following the order of soul, go to mosque. Otherwise, we need to attribute faith and the consciousness of worship to the body. In other words, we need to agree to insensible things such as body has faith, wanted to go to mosque, performed prayer etc.

Our bodies are a summary from the matter of universe and our souls are an example to any kind of life in it. If we attempt to explain it with matter, we need to attribute the meanings of bounty, hunger, and mercy to the matter of the universe. The rightly guided minds acknowledge Allah Almighty, Who makes this world of matter serve life, and know that anything comes from His mercy, endowment, and munificence.

Therefore, they hold the servants in esteem as much service as they do and turn their attention to the One Who employs them. They offer thanks to Him and worship Him. Those who do not seek the reality such and cannot find out the truth, attempt to explain everything with matter and get into a great difficulty to explain life, soul, inner feelings, and emotions with matter. They expect of the blind matter to see and try to make them hear by giving them ears in order to explain their hearings. They exhibit a matchless comedy by attributing their feelings such as love, worry, curiosity, fear and so on to matter but again exhibit a horrible tragedy in the name of humanity.

Bediuzzaman writes about them as follows:

Those who look for everything in matter have their brains in their eyes, but eyes are blind in spirituality.

Any sensible person accepts that knowledge precedes work, and artistry comes before any work of art. Any sentence is first formed in the brain and then is written down. Any person who reads that sentence realizes that that sentence was first formed in some persons mind and then was written down with his will and power. Anybody who can make use of his mind to understand this immediately realizes that all pages in this book of the universe was first formed in Divine knowledge, created with the Divine power, and then written. Matter is employed during this act of writing. Matter cannot in advance know the meanings in this writing so that it could take a shape accordingly and sentences come into existence.

An erudite says, Now that matter transforms into energy, by the rule everything returns to its original form, we can also say that the origin of matter is energy.

Today physics has already discovered this fact: Things that occupy space in the space, that have width, length, and height, that are related to time, and that can be weighed are called matter. The amount of matter something contains is called mass. If the mass of any object is 1 kg on earth, it is again 1 kg on moon and planets.

Matter is composed of energy, and energy is composed of quantum. Matter is dense energy, and energy is very rarefied matter. The basic structure of matter and energy is defined with quantum. Quantum is the smallest amount of energy, that is, it is the smallest unit of energy. The dictionary meaning of quantum is amount and unit. Setting out from this, we could say that matter can be transformed into energy and energy into matter. For quanta, we can say that they are the units of energy, which are the core of matter.

Light is composed of rays. And these rays are composed of photons, which are arranged one after another like the string of beads. That is, the smallest unit of energy of light is photon.

A number of things could be achieved with the obtained energy when matter is transformed into energy. For example, if the amount of ink, which we use in order to write a word of five letters, is transformed into energy, it could be possible to throw a ten tons of burden into air with this energy.

If energy disappears, matter comes into existence. If matter disappears, energy comes into existence. We can see in the reactions given in the nuclear physics that if an electron (matter) and a positron (matter), which is anti-matter to each other, come together, they form positron (matter) by rotating around each other within a very short time.

However, at the end of this short time, which is the one millionth of a second, both of them go out of being matter and replace by energy.

We acknowledge this energy as a manifestation of Divine power and again believe that everything has come into existence not only with infinite power but also with an absolute will.

We do not know a period of time in which eating is forbidden. One can eat any time he needs. What matters is to eat little, not to eat when not hungry and to eat halal. 

Could you give information about how the Prophet ate?

When did the Prophet (pbuh) have his breakfast, lunch and dinner? (after or before the call to the prayer?)

We do not know whether the Prophet determined a certain time for eating after or before prayer or not. 

The Prophet’s way of eating: 

Allah has placed humankind in the center of all creatures. He has made everything that exists, both living and non-living beings, servants for them. And He has placed sustenance in the center of the realm of the humankind and has made all human beings dependant on sustenance. The main reason why the humankind has been given so many privileges and attention and why they have been created to be dependant on sustenance and they strive for earning it throughout their lives is gratefulness. To be grateful means to know by whom all kinds of both physical and spiritual needs of ours, which we are in need of, are met; to feel grateful to Him sincerely; to express this when it is the time and to utilize all kinds of opportunities and energy that He has provided for us in a way that would please Him.  

Given this basic criterion, the outlines of appropriate manners for eating are formed; mentioning Allah’s name before starting to eat food, which we have in our hands and we will utilize; being respectful towards food; contemplating the fine art in it and giving thanks to Allah after eating it. 

The second important fact is that what one eats or drinks must be halal. And food is halal if there is not a religious objection to utilizing it and if we have got a right to utilize it. Meat of animals which were not slaughtered in the Islamic way, pork and other forbidden animal meats and drinking alcohol are a few of the examples of forbidden food and drinks. The range of food and sustenance which Allah has prepared for us on earth is really wide. Halals of them are much more than forbidden ones. And the forbidden ones were forbidden because of their harms, some of which we are aware and some we are unaware. The range of halals is wide enough to meet our all needs and desires. There is no need at all to do things which are forbidden. Indeed, it is also forbidden to eat or drink things which are halal, yet which belong to other people, without asking for their permission. 

Another fundamental fact regarding the issue is that one must not exaggerate eating and drinking. Over-eating is not appropriate; under-eating is not appropriate, either. It is not regarded appropriate both for health concerned reasons and religion concerned reasons. It is not right to under-eat even if because of considering it a kind of worshipping. Our Prophet did not approve fasting every day of a lifetime. Moreover, he recommended saving one third of stomach for food, one third for water and keeping the other one third empty, disapproving filling the whole stomach with food. He also recommended not having food unless one is really hungry and stopping eating before being profoundly full. 

The Prophet is a good example for us in this subject, too. As we find out from hadith books, his table was not a lavish one full of different dishes. As he led a moderate life, his table was moderate as well. He did not live to eat but ate to live. He would not mind if food was not ready when he came back home and would do with a few dates. 

The Prophet ate twice a day. He recommended eating little. He ate all kinds of food and drinks except for those that are haram (forbidden). He did not take one-sided nourishment such as vegetables only diet or meat only diet. Although he liked some foods more than others, he did not say “I dislike this food” for any food. He attended dinner invitations. He washed his hands before and after eating. He began eating by mentioning Allah’s name and finished with an appropriate prayer. He ate with his right hand. He warned those who ate with their left hands. He ate from the part of the food, which was in front of him. He did not lean on his right or left while eating and he did not approve it. He forbade eating lying facedown. He forbade to waste foods. He did not approve being in public after eating dishes which included onion and garlic, for the smell could disturb other people. He forbade blowing into food and water. He said that dishes should not be eaten too hot. He recommended closing the caps of food bowls and water bowls. He recommended that family members eat together and said that it would make food more abundant. He talked in a moderate level while eating. 

Depending on these sunnahs and the likes, appropriate manners for eating and drinking are as follows: 

1- Washing hands before and after eating,

2- Eating from the part of the food which is in front of you,

3- Eating with the right hand,

4- Taking bites in sizes that are appropriate for the mouth and swallowing after chewing enough,

5- Not taking a second bite before swallowing the first bite and not talking while the food is in mouth,

6- Checking the glass before drinking water,

7- Not drinking water all in one gulp,

8- Not blowing/breathing into the glass,

9- Avoiding saying things which can disgust others,

10- Not staring at other people are eating,

11- Not stretching one’s head towards into the plate while eating,

12- Not wasting food, finishing all the food one has taken in his plate,

13- Turning the face off the table when one needs to take off something from his mouth and taking it off with his left hand,

14- Not dipping a bite of bread, etc which one has cut with his teeth, into the plate or bowl again,

15- Eating what is halal (permissible) and clean, and giving thanks to Allah,

16- Not leaving the table unless all the guests have finished eating, so that they will not hesitate to eat. (If he eats little, he should eat slowly and pretend to eat)

17- Seniors in age and position should start first,

18- Not eating out in the streets unless there is an obligation.

The answer to the question, “What is the oldest building constructed in the world?” is definitely “the Kaaba”. No center in the world is visited as much as the Kaaba. Thus, with the present situation, Makkah and the Kaaba has become a center that has a uniting, combining and gathering role for people by eliminating the political borders. In no other place are people connected to a religious center continuously, 24 hours a day.

“The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka: full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings: In it are signs manifest; (for example), the Station of Abraham; whoever enters it attains security.” (Aal-i Imran, 96-97).

The Kaaba, to which people turn while praying, is the center of the Old World (Europe, Asia and Africa). It is almost equally far away from the three continents. It has a strategic importance and is located in the focal point of the transportation centers.   

If you take hold of a world map and draw a straight line from North America to Australia and a straight line from South-East Asia to South America, you will see Makkah, hence the Kaaba in the point of junction. You should start from the endpoints of the continents while drawing the lines.   

Is the center of the lands, Makkah (or rather the Kaaba), also the center of the world? Geographers divided the word into small squares symbolically with latitudes and longitudes in order to be able to find any point in the world more easily and to show them correctly in the most practical way. However, the beginning points of those lines were determined theoretically and arbitrarily. There is no definite scientific truth about it. For instance, the line of longitude that is accepted to pass from Greenwich, England is accepted as 0 (zero). It is known that the world, which is accepted as round, is actually bulgy in the middle. The latitude passing from the middle of that bulgy region is regarded as the “0” latitude. That latitude is known as the Equator. It is accepted that the Equator relatively divides the world into two equal parts.

The poles are the two endpoints of the axis passing from the center of the circle formed by the Equator. However, the reality is not like that. It is something that is accepted. The world has the real north and south poles. We know that the world rotates on the liquid iron-nickel like a dynamo and that during the rotation it forms electromagnetic field and electricity like a dynamo. That magnetic force exits from the north and south poles and forms the protective outermost layer of the atmosphere called the magnetosphere. Therefore, in the northern hemisphere, the compasses always points to the north pole.

Why are the poles that the latitudes and longitudes show are in different places from the magnetic poles that compass show? We know that the world has an inclination of 23° 27’ elliptically. If the world did not have an inclination like that, we would always have the same season; for instance always the summer or the winter. Days draw in and draw out because of it. That inclination changes the places of the poles, too. If we take into consideration the real magnetic north pole and the real magnetic south pole while drawing the latitudes and longitudes, we will have a new Equator. Then, that Equator, which is the greatest latitude with the number 0, will pass from the middle of Makkah. It denotes that the Kaaba is in the middle of the world.   

On the other hand, the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer drawn according to the corrected form will pass from the block where Makkah is located. The latitude drawn in the same way will intersect with the tropics and the Equator in the same block. The intersection point will be Makkah again. The fact that those latitudes and longitudes intersect with each other in Makkah shows that the location of the Kaaba was determined specially and shows why people turn to the Kaaba while praying. Thus, it is understood that the Kaaba is the center of the continents now, and when the world was in the form of a big continent in the past.

Appendix or vermiform appendix is the name of an organ in our body as thick as about a pencil and as long as our index finger, that lies like a protuberance where the small and large intestines unite.

The inflammation of the appendix is called appendicitis and is frequently seen. Its symptoms are typical, its diagnosis is easy and it necessitates operation. The trouble is eliminated by removing the appendix through a simple operation (appendectomy). We all have heard about this operation which has almost no risk through our relatives or friends.

Although appendix is one of the digestive organs, it does not participate in digestion. When it is removed through an operation due to its inflammation, the patient continues his usual life and he does not lack anything. Therefore some people claimed that appendix was redundant until recently. They thought like this: Why does an organ whose removal does not give any harm to a person exist? Need it not have a function?

Time and the advancements in medicine showed that these people were wrong.

The function of the appendix resembles tonsils. As it is known, the mouth is the starting point of digestion. The place where microbes (microorganisms that are the cause of illnesses) are housed the most intensively is here. The large intestines also house a lot of microbes like the mouth. As tonsils are a kind of fuse and guard for the body against the microbes in the mouth, similarly the appendix is a fuse and guard against the microbes in the large intestines. That is, it is the tonsil in the large intestines. (1)

According to the recent researches people whose appendixes have been removed suffer from large intestine cancer more frequently than people with appendixes. (2)

Researches about the functions of the appendix are still being carried out and there are many unproved claims.

(1) Sindirim Sistemi Cerrahisi, Cilt II, Prof.Dr. Orhan Bumin, 1976.
(2) Human Appendix and Neoplasma, Canser H.R. Dierman, 1968

It was July, 1978. The news that a test-tube baby was born, spread all over the world in a very short time. What was the reality about this event?
"The egg cell of a candidate mother is put in a tube together with the sperm of a father. Thus the fertilization of the egg cell is made possible. The egg fertilized outside the body is kept in the tube for 60-70 hours and then placed in the womans womb. That is the essence of the event. That is, an approximately three-day sleep of the candidate baby in the test tube

Why Test Tube Baby?

Why do people need something like that?
This application is used when there is a blockage, inflammation or development disorder in the fallopian tubes that lie between the uterus and the ovaries or due to the removal of these tubes. It is a method which is also used in the infertility due to the presence of antibodies in the mother that kill the sperms, which are the germ cells.

Life in a Tube!

How will this living thing be preserved in the tube even if it is for three days?
In order to provide fertilization in the test tube it is necessary to make sure that the germ cells will live outside the body. In the environment to be prepared, the embryos cells must be able to live, fertilization must take place and then the embryo must develop in the tube. This environment that must not harm the cells needs to be under constant control.

Actually, the reproduction out of the body is very variable. Even if the culture medium, other conditions and environmental conditions are kept constant, the qualities of the egg cell can be continuously changeable. We should add that it has not been possible to prepare an ideal culture medium, which is like in the womans womb so far.
In order to be able to carry out these procedures in a healthy way, there must be an embryo lab equipped with necessary equipment. Surely, it is not enough.
There should also be an operation room in order to get the egg from the mother. The operation will not be complete yet. After being kept in the tube for three days, the egg needs to be transferred to the mother again.

Just before ovulation an operation is carried out under general anaesthesia. The ripe egg cell is removed by entering the abdominal cavity of the woman. The conditions of the body are imitated in a culture medium. Thus, the egg cell from the mother and the sperm from the father are united and fertilized.

The embryo to bring about the baby starts to be fertilized in this outer environment, which is in vitro. In 60 or 70 hours it becomes ripe enough to be nested in the womb.

If the embryo does not die, the development after this phase will take place in safer conditions, and at the end of the pregnancy period a healthy baby will be born.

The Womb and the Tube

It is necessary to have trained experts in various branches, modern laboratories and extraordinary expenses for the embryo to be fertilized in vitro.
During the pregnancy of a healthy mother, these events take place quietly. In this case, the embryo develops in a safer way than the other. The test tube baby that cannot be placed in the womb can only live 8-9 days in spite of the care and elaboration.
The rate of the eggs that are produced by this method to be fertilized out of the body is about 70%; and the rate of pregnancy is 25-30%. Furthermore the rate of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and abnormalities in the baby is quite high.

What the human does!...

Here the human only enables the egg and the sperm that cannot unite due to an obstacle to meet each other. As a matter of fact embryo becomes a 60 trillion-cell human out of only one cell. Most of the phases of the development it undergoes are still unknown by science!...

All of this trouble, hurry, technical preparation is to host the candidate baby for three days.

Do we enable its cells to multiply during that period? No. Do we diversify them in accordance with their places and functions and place them? No. So what we do is nothing more than to take the seeds from the parents – like wheat – and sow them in the tube!...

The Effects of the Conditions and the Factor of Education

The Quran includes the phase in the woman in life. In the hadiths, attention is drawn to this period in terms of education and it is stated that this period will have good or bad effects on the character of the child.

Our Prophet (PBUH) said in a hadith that the fetus would be affected by its mother in all aspects; traits, character, health – illness.

Today science has found out that inheritance is determined and transferred by genes. Thus science has also confirmed that the fetus in the womb is affected by the psychological and physiological state of the mother.

No matter how short it is, the life of the fetus outside the body and its effects on the soul and the body of the fetus is an important matter that should be dealt with.

The egg and the sperm placed in the tube are taken from a married couple and also from people that have no such relation. The studies of artificial fertilization on plants and animals serve to improve the breeds. The same application in the human beings will bring about a lot of problems impossible to overcome in many aspects.

As it is known, living things are divided into three categories. Plants, animals and humans. Thus, there are three levels of life here. The first one is the life of plants, the second is animals and the highest level is humans.

In plants, instead of a spirit, there are some kinds of laws. They are laws such as growth, development and differentiation. The law which causes semi-living things such as plants to develop can be called biological spirit. Actually, these laws exist in animals and humans, too. The level of spirits in animals, that is, some feelings and perceptions they have are at a far below level compared to humans.

Animals have a peculiar spirit, unconscious but favored with inspiration, specific to them. On the other hand, humans have a spirit which is conscious and it was created by God upon order and given an external body.

DNAs are molecules where the genetic structures of the living beings that they receive from their parents are coded. Their structure does not change so easily. Therefore, the age of puberty is directly related to the secretion of hormones.

In the individuals that reach a certain physical maturity, difference in attitudes and feelings develops in males and females based on the intensity of the sex hormones that are secreted. Whether they develop early or late is related to the temperature values of the environment not to DNA.   

Imagine a cherry tree. In a cold place, it blossoms late. In a hot place, it blossoms early. Even in the same place, the time when the tree blossoms changes every year based on the weather conditions of each year.   

Man is like that, too. The puberty of the members of a family that have immigrated to the south from the north changes depending of the temperature of the region that they have immigrated to. 

Prof. Dr. Âdem Tatlı

Author: İbrahim Canan (Prof. Dr.)

The following is stated in a verse in the Quran: "…nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered) but is (inscribed) in a Clear Book (to those who can read)" (al-An'am 59). What is meant by the phrase, "Kitab al-Mubin" (Clear Book)? Islamic scholars interpreted it as both the Quran and "Lawh al-Mahfuz" (Prescribed Tablet).

Lawh al-Mahfuz is a tablet whose secret and content is known by Allah only and in which everything that is known by Allah and everything that happened and will happen is written. That is, it is the Qadar book of Allah.

We cannot claim that the verse denotes only one of those two possibilities. Then, it can be said that both Lawh al-Mahfuz and the Quran are meant by the phrase Kitab al-Mubin.  

In this case, everything is written clearly in detail in Lawh al-Mahfuz and is summarized in the Quran. The difference between them is like the difference between a tree and its seed. For instance, a fig seed is as small as a point but it includes a big fig tree in it with all of its characteristics (its height, branches, leaves, fruits, taste, aroma, etc…); it carries all aspects (material and spiritual) of the fig tree in the genes that we cannot see in the form of programs. It is a reality proved scientifically.

Therefore, the important events of the past and the future are recorded in the Quran in the form of summaries and signs just like the seed.

However, it is not possible for everybody to see and understand it. Some scholars that are experts about the issue can perceive or see them. 

It is normal for the following question to come to the mind: What is the reason why the scientific discoveries that are very important for the humanity like the plane, train and electricity are not explained clearly in the Quran? It is possible to answer this question, which comes to everybody’s mind, from a few aspects:

1- From the point of view of the main purpose of the Quran:The main purpose of the Quran is not to give us scientific information or to present us with historical information related to the past and the future. It is neither a book of history, geography, physics, chemistry or a book of discoveries and inventions. To look for the information that are found in those books in the Quran originates from lack of knowing the main purpose of the Quran and knowing it thoroughly.  

First and foremost, the Quran is a book of religion. That is, it is a book informing people about Allah and their duties toward Allah. In fact, all religions try to explain “the Creator” and “the duties of the creatures”, which are two unknown things, for people. “Who is the Creator? What is the Creator? What kind of a being is He? What did He do? What is He doing? What is His purpose in creating people and things?”

Man wants to find out and understand those issues. We want to know and understand: “What are creatures? Where did they come from? What will happen to them in the end? What are their functions and duties in this world?”

The main purpose of the Quran is to inform people about their Lord and themselves by answering those questions.

The Quran mentions other creatures along with those issues. The earth and the sky, the moon, the sun and the stars, animals and trees, mountains, seas and rivers are all mentioned in the Quran. However, the reason why they are mentioned is the two purposes mentioned above: either to mention the power of Allah and His authority on them, and to inform people about Allah by using them as evidence and means or to mention their benefits and uses for people and to mention the purpose of their creation, to remind people of their duties of servitude and to encourage people to fulfill them.    

Galaxies, the number of the stars, and scientific information like the diameter of the sun, its distance to the world, the rays it transmits, and the degree of its heat is not mentioned in the Quran because the information that describes those things is not important from the point of view of worshipping Allah. Despite all of its magnitude and service, the sun is mentioned as a “lamp” or “candle” in terms of its importance in the framework of worshipping. The world is sometimes a cradle and sometimes a mattress. The sky is a ceiling decorated with stars.    

How can human inventions demand the right to be mentioned in the Quran while the vast universe is described like that? They are very small and insignificant in terms of their bodies and service compared to the components of the universe. Then, an indirect mentioning by the Quran for the human inventions is enough for them. We will see later that it is done like that. 

2- From the point of view of the mystery of testing:Another reason why the Quran does not mention scientific inventions or the past and future events clearly enough for everybody to understand is a necessity of the mystery of testing. We mean this: Human beings were not created on a fixed and unchangeable ability like the other creatures. Man can progress (be elevated) or regress (descend) due to his nature. He can progress spiritually and surpass angels or he can regress ethically and fall down to a level lower than that of animals.   

God Almighty did not leave man unattended after creating him like that. He taught human beings how to progress and reach lofty targets through prophets; He also showed them the obstacles that will prevent progress and the causes that will humiliate and lower them; He said to them, "Here are two ways before you; one of them leads to progress and the other leads to descent. Do not lower yourself by obeying Satan. Otherwise, you will be accounted for it and you will lose eternally."

The spiritual and even material elevation of man depends on choosing this true path, which is shown to him, with his free will. Life is an opportunity, a test given to man to make a choice. 

It is necessary for man not to be forced while making a choice if the test is to be a real test and if he is to be accounted for what he did.

Prophets were sent in each era to renew this divine message; they explained the truths that were forgotten in the course of time and that were veiled in a way that the minds would understand. However, they did not force people. No prophet forced people to believe when they conveyed the divine message. In a way, the miracles that astonished the minds were not completely silencing and forcing people to believe. For instance, when the rod of Moses swallowed the illusory ropes of the magicians, they said,

"We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses" and believed in Allah; however, the Pharaoh said, "Surely this must be your leader, who has taught you magic" (Ta-Ha, 71) and continued to disbelieve. Similarly, when the Prophet (pbuh) split the moon into two when he pointed at it with his index finger upon the demand of the Makkan polytheists, they continued to resist by saying, "Muhammad started to influence the sky with his magic."

Thus, the religion is a test. In this test, a door is opened for the mind but the will of man is not removed. Then, it is contrary to this principle for the Quran to mention the technology human beings will invent and the events they will see in the future clearly enough for everybody to understand. In that case, nobody will be able to reject it; they will have to accept it.

3- From the point of view of gradual progress: As it is known, the law of gradualism is in question for man. This law made it possible for man to discover and invent various technologies and tools gradually when they were necessary and when man worked hard. If it had been a divine rule to mention science clearly in the heavenly books, it would have been contrary to the principle of gradual progress. Everything would have been given readily; so, man would not have had to work; there would have been communities of people at the same level everywhere since all people would have received the same message. It is contrary to the principle of gradualism, which is in question for man.

4- From the point of view of the honor of humanity:God Almighty allowed a great share of honor and pride to humanity by not mentioning science clearly in the Quran. It is a great honor for man, who is known as “the vicegerent on the earth” (dominant over the other living beings on the earth) and as “honorable”, to attain science and inventions by developing his ability through his personal efforts. Is there a human being that does not take pride in great discoverers and inventors that discovered America, that invented the alarm clock, Piri Reis, who drew the first world map, Ibn an-Nafs, who discovered the blood circulatory system, Edison, who discovered electricity, no matter what their nationalities are?  

This honor is one of the millions of grants of God Almighty to humanity. The share of human beings in discoveries and inventions is present though very little; and it is a means of pride.  If those discoveries and inventions had been mentioned in the Quran, we would have been deprived of that honor. 

5- From the point of view of the capacity of the people that the Quran addresses:The Quran takes into consideration the understanding level of the majority of the people. In each era, more than three fourths of the people are common people. Even today, some scientific issues can be understood by experts of that branch of science only; the rest cannot understand it. When you speak in a way that the majority of the people understand you, it is clear that the ones at higher levels will understand you more easily.

Besides, if we consider that the Quran does not address only one single age but all ages until the Doomsday, we will understand the importance of the issue better.

If things that do not comply with the daily observations of people, their individual experiences and general information had been mentioned openly, it would have caused two important drawbacks:

1- It would have driven people who did not believe fully and who had hesitations away from the religion. Those who opposed the religion would have used it to increase their mockery. For instance, if the Quran had mentioned microbes and stated that there were millions of small living beings in one glass of water that we drink, that information would have confused believers who lived before the invention of the microscope and caused them to have superstitions; it would have led the unbelievers to total rejection and mockery.

2- It would have drawn the attraction of people to unnecessary and useless things. If the Prophet had informed people through the Quran and his personal knowledge that there would be televisions and that people would watch what happened in other parts of the world instantly in the rooms that they lived, or if he had said that there would be electricity and that a whole city would be transformed to brightness from darkness by pushing a button, people would have been engaged in unnecessary discussions and talks among them and would have forgotten about their main duties. However, it is not the purpose of the religion. The real purpose of the religion is to arrange the duties of people toward Allah and their relationships with other people, and to teach them the ways of material and spiritual progress.   

No matter from which point of view you deal with it, the mind does not regard it appropriate for science and technology to be mentioned clearly in the Quran.

Due to many wisdoms and reasons the most important ones of which we have mentioned above, sciences are not mentioned openly in the Quran; however, it is observed that they are implied or indicated in various ways. We will try to explain the issue by giving some examples.

A – Information related to cosmos:The Quran often gives information about the universe. The creation, order, harmony of the universe, the night and the day following each other, the rain, clouds, plants, trees and animals are mentioned. The information about them represents the laws regarding things so truthfully that the science that developed in every field only confirmed it; science never stated anything opposite to it.   

For instance, in many verses of the Quran, it is repeatedly stated that plants were created in pairs (twos) (ar-Rahman 52, ar-Ra'd 3, Taha 131); in a verse, it is stated that things that we do not know were also created in pairs (Yasin 36); in another verse, attention is drawn to the fact that everything was created in pairs (adh-Dhariyat 49). Thus, it informs us about the existence of pairs from good-bad, ugly-beautiful, hot-cold, night-day, belief-unbelief, to positive and negative particles that constitute the structure of atom and the two opposite poles of the electricity. This information may seem simple for today but it is a miracle for the era 14 centuries ago.   

The verse of nur (light) is an interesting example that we need to mention here. It can be said that it indicates electricity, one of the most important discoveries of humanity: "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the Glass as it were a brilliant star: lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the East nor of the West, whose Oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things." (an-Nur, 35).

We understand that the simile, "as it were a brilliant star" indicates light bulb, "whose Oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it" indicates electricity and we also understand from the simile, "a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the East nor of the West" that the oil mentioned in the verse is not the oil produced from plants that grow based on the climate.

The loftiness and profundity in the style of the verse and especially the similes are appropriate for deducing other meanings. 

B – Historical Events:The Quran sheds light on the future by describing some events in the past and points to some technology that humanity can obtain through science. Some of those events are miracles granted to prophets. Some of them are not regarded as miracles. Let us give a few examples: 

1- In the chapter of al-Fil, it is stated that the Ethiopian army, whose aim was to demolish the Kaaba, was defeated by stones of baked clay called “sijjil”. It is indicated there that particles that are small enough for a bird to carry can be used to defeat an army if they are thrown down from the air. Various weapons thrown down from airplanes, cannon balls and missile bullets that are exploded at a certain height applied this principle.  

2- In the Battle of Badr, a miracle granted to the Prophet (pbuh) informs us about something further than the one mentioned above. As it is explained in the books of tafsir and siyar (life of the Prophet), a handful of soil and sand that the Prophet picked up from the ground and threw at the enemies hit the eyes of the each enemy and caused their defeat. The verse narrates the event as follows:  "It is not ye who slew them; it was Allah: when thou threwest (a handful of dust) it was not thy act, but Allah's" (al-Anfal, 17).

It is a highly advanced technology for a bullet to follow the target and to catch it today. However, it is limited with big targets in the air. The verse indicates that it is possible to develop bullets that can find and catch small targets like human beings and that they can even be thrown by hand. Neutron bomb can be an example of it.   

C - Miracles:The miracles mentioned in the Quran indicate some technology that human beings can attain. The miracle of Miraj (Ascension) is one of them. The Prophet (pbuh) ascended to the sky with his spirit and body through the miracle of Miraj (al-Isra 1; an-Najm 7-18). According to the complementary explanations that were reported together with hadiths, the descent to the sky was made by a vehicle resembling a horse and travelling very fast called Buraq. The description about the speed of Buraq is very remarkable. It is stated in the hadith that Buraq steps its front foot on the ultimate point that its eye reaches.

That miracle indicates that the way to the sky is open to human beings along with drawing attention to the magnitude of the speed to be reached in the vast space.

The miracle related to the rod of Hazrat Musa (Moses) is related to today. One of the miracles of the rod that does wonderful things is the gushing forth of water out of the ground when Moses hits the ground with it. The water comes out from 12 springs (al-Baqara 60). Today, extracting water through deep artesian wells even in deserts has become something ordinary. Besides, not only water but also petrol and natural gas gush forth out of the ground. Since 12 springs are mentioned in the verse, it is possible to make other bounties gush forth in the future.    

As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following in a hadith: "The door of sustenance is open from the highest point of the sky to the depths of the ground. Allah gives sustenance to all of His slaves based on their efforts."

A miracle that is granted to Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham) informs us about fireproof materials. As it is known, Hazrat Ibrahim, who did not give in to the community that worshipped idols, broke the idols that his community worshipped into pieces. He was given the punishment of being thrown into the fire due to his act. When Hazrat Ibrahim was thrown into the fire, he took refuge in Allah. God Almighty gave the fire this order: "O Fire! Be thou cool, and (a means of)) safety for Abraham." (al-Anbiya, 69) The fire did not burn Hazrat Ibrahim.

This miracle informs us about the existence of a waterproof material. As a matter of fact, human beings discovered amianthus; then, they developed it and produced materials that protect spaceships from being burned due to entering atmosphere very fast and getting hot very easily.

In conclusion, we can say this: There are many verses about information and technology to be reached in the future in the Quran. Those verses were not sent down only to tell us about the miracles of the prophets or the stories of the prophets. There are some scientific truths in various verses of the Quran, from the verses that give information about the creation of man and the universe to the verses that encourage man to contemplate and draw lessons. Experts of each branch of science will be able to discover the ones related to their branches in the course of time. 

MAN AND WOMAN...

Both have sexual characteristics peculiar to them. Sexual needs that peak during the age of puberty, sexual problems, marriage and family, rules to be followed in order to have a satisfactory sexual life in marriage, pregnancy and birth, the bodily and spiritual health of the child, obscenity and obscene publications, man-woman relationship in the society...

Those are the main headings of the sexual life in humans.

We live in an age in which sexual issues are exploited incredibly.

On the one hand, sexual life is regarded as a taboo covered with shameful deeds... On the other hand, there exists a trend of exhibitionism that challenges the limits of privacy... The result of this contradictory situation is the prevalence of complete anarchy in sexual life. Then, the need for a sexual education based on religious resources and contemporary sciences is too urgent to ignore.

What is the place of sexual issues in human life? What are the things that we should know about sexual life? How can we be protected from the negative bombardment of the media? What things are right? What things are wrong? How can the concepts of thawab (reward), shame, sin are to be understood truly

Sexuality is a part of our life. Is the following not stated in our exalted book? We created you from a single (pair) of “a male and a female”. In many verses, the biological and psychological relationships of the spouses are pointed out.

There are some very important basic needs inherent in our nature: Eating and drinking, accommodation, sleep, sexuality, etc...

The sexual desire (libido, sexual pleasure) which is also called “lust” is one of the biological foundations of the need created in men and women to be together.

Let us listen to verse 21 of the chapter ar-Rum: “And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts); verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.”

The Owner of the Palace of the Body, who meets all of the needs of every cell in microcosmic level including the electrons through a fine plan, has met all of the needs of man based on certain orders. This order, which is based on two basic criteria (halal and haram) that our religion has given us, provides us with the conditions that make man peaceful in all aspects.

Since religious needs and desires are present in the nature of man, and since men tend to women and women tend to men, it is a healthy and indispensable thing to meet those feelings legitimately in a family environment.

Our religion gives great importance to marriage; most of the orders and prohibitions that regulate sexual life are determined based on this basic criterion.

The prohibition of things like fornication, homosexuality, giving up sex in marriage, castration, looking at others with lust, etc are some of the principles that aim satisfying sexual feelings through marriage legitimately.

Legitimate sexual intercourse is regarded as worshipping because meeting sexual needs in a consciousness of servitude to Allah and in accordance with the principles imposed by Him is one of the most of important conditions of happiness.

AIDS is a good example regarding the kinds of dangers that deviations in sexual life can cause.

Is sexual education necessary?

Is it not fard to learn the orders and prohibitions of Islam for every sane Muslim beginning from the age of puberty? Doubtlessly, the precision of some kinds of worshipping depends on having knowledge about them and practicing them. Can the life of worshipping be sound without knowing when it is necessary to make ghusl? Then, sexual information must be learned from true resources.

Children start to sense sexual differences beginning from the age of two or three. The sexual consciousness starts to settle with the age of puberty.

In fact, sexual education needs to start at birth. Boys and girls need to be educated differently in terms of many issues, from clothes to attitudes and from games to toys.  The Prophet changed the yellow garment that Hazrat Hasan was wrapped in when he was born with a white one, attracting attention to the differentiation of color.

Sexual education follows a course that intensifies in accordance with the growth and development of children. It is more appropriate for the girls to be educated by their mothers and for the boys by their fathers.

The aim of the education is to make the child gain the attitudes that are peculiar to their gender in a normal and healthy way. The normal course of development of the child needs to be observed carefully; their questions need to be answered satisfactorily instead of vague replies and wrong comments. Reprimanding the child is as harmful as giving vague answers.

The sexual information regarding worshipping need to be given on time. Sexual information can be given to children when they are taught about the principles of performing prayers and fasting. The age of 6-7 is suitable.  The beds and rooms of the children need to be separated at the age of 7, or at the age of 10 at the latest.

The most sensitive period: the age of puberty:

Due to the differentiation in their bodies and the changes in their world of feelings, it is necessary for parents to talk to them seriously and to guide them. They need to be told that they are no longer children, that they are young men or women and that their bodily and spiritual development burdens them with responsibilities. They need to be taught to control their relations with the opposite sex, to be careful about some issues and to avoid breaking the prohibitions. It is unnecessary to enter into details. However, it is necessary to prevent finding out the legitimate information about marriage life from harmful and obscene “sexual education” publications consisting of deviant, wrong, groundless and evil-minded information.

Sexual life within legitimate criteria is a way of worshipping Allah. A person who lives in accordance with the Sunnah will not get into trouble regarding sexual issues like every other issue.

Why should it be something to be ashamed of for a mother to present her daughter and for a father to present his son with correct information sincerely in a family environment?  Allah does not order us to feel ashamed when we learn the truth.

A balanced and steady sexual life is a way of peace and happiness.

We are not too late to understand what is true and what is wrong in an atmosphere where an understanding of life freed from the feeling of sense of shame and where sexual energy is tried to be deviated from its course. If we understand it, peace and happy family environment that will transform the world into Paradise will make us be happy and smile.

SEXUAL EDUCATION: When and how?

One of the issues that challenge parents the most in child education is sexual education. It has two reasons. The first one is approaching the issue through the eyes of an adult. The second one is thinking that sexual education consists of the information on reproduction. Those two wrong approaches make things difficult for parents.

In fact, sexual education is not an issue as difficult as it is thought.  We will solve the first wrong approach through a hadith. The Prophet (pbuh) says, “A person who has children should behave like a child when playing with them. What is meant by behaving like a child is to approach the events through the eyes of children; that is, empathizing with them as it is named in psychology.  As a matter of fact, the way to understand people is through empathy. The easiest way to understand a person who talks to us or who discusses with us is to empathize with them.

The questions of children until they are seven years old regarding creation, reproduction, differences of gender and birth are innocent questions that are free from sexual curiosity and that aim to learn. There is no difference between the questions,” How did I come to the world?” and “How does the plane stay in the air and not fall down?” from the child’s point of view.

As we have mentioned above, sexual education does not consist of information regarding reproduction only. Information regarding reproduction is only a subheading of sexual education. However, in our community, sexual education is thought to consist of sexual intercourse and information regarding reproduction; therefore, people think it is necessary to give a person information regarding sexuality when he/she get married. And when that time comes, the information is given in a very ugly, coarse and inconvenient way. However, children and young people who have not been able to get reasonable and appropriate answers to their questions when they ask try to find answers through various other ways. In the end, the child who can have been relaxed if he has received an answer that does not upset his spiritual health is deformed both materially and spiritually when he hears many wrong things from his friends or is exposed to obscene publications.

When I used to work at a private school where most of the students were from religious families, I saw so obscene writings and strong language on the toilet doors and walls that I was surprised. There was only one explanation for it: These children were not given sufficient and healthy sexual education by their parents. You cannot get rid of the responsibility of something by ignoring it. If this issue is related to spiritual health, and if children are exploited and trapped by some groups, which is the case now, our responsibilities as parents and educators increase more and more.

Sexual Education Starts at Birth

The question that I am frequently asked by parents during my conferences, radio and television programs is this: When should we start to give our children sexual education? My answer: Beginning from the birth. The answer naturally astonishes those who ask the question. Yes, I am repeating it: Sexual education starts at birth.

When a mother shows discontent or grimace while cleaning the baby’s diaper, it gives the baby the message that the private parts are something disgusting. The baby touches its feet, head, ears and also genital organs in order to know its body. There is nothing strange about it.  If the mother hits the hand of the baby or holds the baby’s hand and drives it away from the genital organs when the baby touches them, the baby will assume negative thoughts about it. You probably saw many times mothers and fathers react severely when they see their children playing with their genital organs and shout at them, “Move your hand away from there! What a shame!” It is something that the child does not deserve. Instead of prohibiting this act, the parents should try to think about what causes that act. Why does a child touch his/her genital organs? The genital organs might have been covered with tinea due to insufficient cleaning. It may cause itching and the child puts his hand there. When children play games, they may forget about the call of nature because playing games is their most serious need. They will not stop playing games in order to go to toilet; they will put their hands on their genital organs and delay going to toilet.

Mothers make the greatest mistake in sexual education when they try to teach them to go to toilet. They force their children to go to toilet because they want to get rid of changing diapers and cleaning the babies. Mothers try to condemn, threaten, frighten and punish their children to reach their aims. Those methods that they resort to are contradictory to the nature and honor of the child; so things get more difficult. Normally a child starts to hold his urine at the age of 2-3 during the day and at the age of 4-5 at night. The use of force before those ages will leave him in a difficult situation. Blaming and despising sentences like, "have you peed your pants again, you dirty boy?”, “If you pee your pants again, I will burn your weenie!” will cause the child to hate his genital and excretory organs, to have an inferiority complex and feel ashamed of his body.  It may cause various sexual deviations in the future.

Mistakes Made During Sexual Education

There is no door that love cannot open. Love is the magic key of education. Allah stores love and compassion in the mother even in animals as soon as the baby is in the uterus. I cannot think of a mother who does not love her baby. However, some mothers cannot express their love to their babies due to lack of education, family problems and financial difficulties. If a child is not sure that he is loved and valued, he will continue to break the rules and conflict you until he becomes sure.

The attitudes of parents toward each other are also important in the sexual education of parents. When we made an interview with a girl who reached the age of puberty but never gave consent to marriage, we found out that the model of a mother who was always despised, cursed and beaten by her husband made the girl have negative feelings against marriage.

Do not Let Your Child Sleep in Your Bed

It is definitely a wrong act for parents to let their child sleep in their bed and make it a common practice. The feeling of dependence continues in the babies that are used to sleeping in the same bed with their parents and the development of their personality is delayed. There is also a sexual private aspect of the issue. The child may not be sleeping at all times. His eyes may be closed but he may not be sleeping. He may hear the private talks of his parents and see their intercourse.  Or, he may wake up suddenly. In both cases, sexual privacy is harmed; the child can assume wrong ideas about sexual intercourse; and the mental health of the child may be harmed.

We advise parents not to let their children sleep with them and place them in a different room after the age of four.  If you share the same room with your children, you must separate the room of the child that reaches puberty (the age of 13-14).  The importance of privacy is great in the development of the personality. The room of a teenager is private just like your room. You must not enter his room without knocking on the door; you must not search in their bags, drawers, pockets, wallets and diaries.

It is not Difficult to Answer the Questions of the Child

One of the difficulties of sexual education for parents is not to know how to answer the questions of their children. The reason for it is to see the issue through the eyes of an adult.  A child does not like long explanations and details. When you start to explain something in detail and scientifically, the child will get bored and start to deal with something else; he may even forget his question. Your answers must be in accordance with the level of the child, short and easy to understand.

When your child asks a question about sexuality, it is no use getting into a flap, blushing and trying to change the topic. If you do so, the child will not ask you any more questions about sexuality and try to meet this need through other ways.

Children sometimes close the door of their room when they play and they do not want others to see what they do and to hear what they say.  When they close the door, they probably play at families or narrate the things that they have seen-heard. If you encounter such a situation, do not panic and do not rush into their room. If you do so, you will show them that you do not trust them. There is no need to fear if you educate them healthily and correctly.

We said that it was not difficult to answer the questions of the children regarding sexuality. What matters here is the attitude that you assume while answering their questions. If you speak with a soft tone and behave calmly, the child will feel at ease. Let us explain it with an example. Suppose that my child asked me,” Dad, where did I come from?” My answer would be something like this: “A mother and a father are necessary for a child to emerge. There is no child without a mother and father. When a mother and a father want to have a child, they pray together and say, “O Allah! Give us a baby!” If Allah accepts their prayer, He puts a tiny baby in the abdomen of the mother. The baby starts to grow there and when it becomes big enough to suck the mother’s milk, it moves and informs the mother. The father takes the mother to the hospital and the mother gives birth to the baby with the help of the doctor and mid-wife. If he wondered about the duty of the hospital, doctor and midwife, I would explain it in short. If he asked, "Where does the baby come out?”, there would be no problem in telling him that Allah created women like that and that He made the abdomens of women enlarge during birth and that they gave birth to children like that. What we tell them must be simple and true information.

Children are curious about the differences of sexuality regarding men and women. A girl may ask why she does not have the thing that her brother has. She may think that it is a deficiency and that she was punished by Allah. If we receive a question like that, we can make the answer easy by referring to the roles of the mother and father. If we have answered the question above previously, it will be easier. This answer will be enough: “You do not have the thing that your brother has because Allah creates girls differently from boys so that they can be mothers when they grow up.” We can answer the possible questions that she will ask when she sees a woman, for instance her mother, suckling her baby as follows: “The chests of mothers are different from fathers. Allah created mothers like that so that they will feed their babies. Babies cannot eat themselves because they are too young; they grow up by sucking their mothers’ milk.” Such an answer will be convincing for a child.

(You will appreciate that it is impossible to list and answer the questions that children can ask here. If you send you questions to my email address, I will try to answer them.)

The Foundations of a Healthy Youth are Laid in Childhood

The effect of the media and peer groups on the sexual identity cannot be denied. Young people who cannot establish a healthy communication with their parents are easily affected by the environment and peer groups. Youth and fashion magazines, televisions, cinema and the internet altogether separate your children from you. So many parents call us and complain, "My child has become a victim of bad friends; he comes home late; he does not obey us; he regards us as narrow-minded and repressive. Children from good families who receive a good education from their parents and who are valued do not usually choose bad friends because the education they have received from their families gives them a strong feeling of confidence. When he receives an offer that does not comply with the education and good manners that he has received from his family, he will be able to say no and if his friend insists, he will break off the relations with him.

There is no man without a mistake. Then, there is no child without a mistake. Your children will make mistakes, strengthen what you have taught them through trial and error and learn new things. For instance, you will teach him not to enter his parents’ room without knocking on the door and until hearing the permission, “Come in!”; however, if your child enters your room by mistake without knocking on the door while you are changing your clothes, what will you do? Instead of shouting at him and reprimanding him, cover your body and tell him softly that our Lord wants us to enter others’ rooms by knocking on the door and remind him that Allah will love us more if we do so.

If you do not want to be in conflict with your children who are at the age of puberty, show them with your words and attitudes that you trust in them, you value them and that you love them despite their habits. There is nothing more oppressive for a teenager than sentences that start with, "When we were at your age,...". When I talk to teenagers and ask them what they dislike most about their parents, the most frequent answer is, "My parents do not trust me." The other complaints are as follows: "They always regard me as a child; they do not accept that I have grown up; they do not like my friends; they do not value my ideas; they interfere with everything; they do not accept that they may make mistakes, too; they do not love me."

If you do not want to drive your children away from you, act tolerantly, softly, patiently and compassionately toward them. You should spare some time to them, listen to them, and make them feel that you will always be with them when they have difficulties. They are your children with their good and bad deeds.

ALİ ÇANKIRILI

The word philosophy means the love and pursuit for wisdom in Greek and is used to indicate the history of thinking of humanity.

Philosophy is mainly divided into three fields:
1. Ontology
2. Epistemology
3. The philosophy of values (Ethics and Aesthetics)

Ontology dwells on some questions such as, Do objects really exist? Is there any reason for existence? What is the reality of objects?

Epistemology handles the questions such as, What is knowledge?, Can one obtain the absolute knowledge about objects?, What is the value of knowledge?

The philosophy of values searches the source and principles of ethics. As for aesthetics, it makes comments on the points related to the art.

Most of the points that philosophy and religion each search are the same. That is, most of the points are common in both of them. However while religion gives them revelation-centered answers, philosophy seeks their answers in a mind-centered way.

The religion of Islam rests on revelation but attaches great importance to mind. However, Islam does not deem it everything. That philosophers, who rest on mind, get at different conclusions shows that mind alone is not enough to work out all mysteries of the universe. Just as one needs a light to see apart from eyes, in order to see the truths, one needs the sun of revelation apart from the eyes of mind.

In the face of a question like mind or revelation, a Muslim chooses the formula of revelation-led mind. He desists from neither mind nor revelation. S/he deems mind important, but especially in the field of metaphysics, s/he never sets out with an abstract mind, instead uses his/her mind in the light of revelation.

Those who set out only with their minds in metaphysical subjects resemble fireflies, which try to light around in the darkness of night. As for those going in the light of revelation, they are like bees flying in the light of daytime.

There have always been philosophers, the students of mind, in history. Even today, many people are attracted to philosophy, for thousands of years from antiquity till today, philosophy has led them to find a light.

Although accepting to the fact that some philosophers having said of words with wisdom and made discoveries of truth, these thinking brains should not remain unattained to the sun of revelation. Or else, their lives will pass away with soulless, dull, cold, fruitless points.

It should be emphasized significantly: First and third meanings of philosophy, which have mentioned above come into consideration at most. As for the second meaning, namely for the natural sciences, the usage of it is so rare. Mind has great importance in this. All of the branches of natural sciences, which try to examine the encapsulated meanings of the Book of Universe that were recorded in it by the Divine knowledge and wisdom, are in reference to philosophys second field. We mainly explained first and third meanings above.

We can learn how long the previous people lived from three main resources. The first one is philosophical thought and evaluation. The second one is scientific knowledge that is based on experiments and laboratories. The other one is heavenly resources. They are: the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Quran. What science and philosophy say about the issue does not have a value. Among the heavenly sources, the only one that maintains its original form is the Quran. If there is no information in the Quran, it is possible to refer to the other heavenly books.  

            The age of Noah is clearly mentioned in the Quran. The meaning of the relevant verse is as follows:

            “We (once) sent Noah to his people, and he tarried among them a thousand years less fifty: but the Deluge overwhelmed them while they (persisted in) sin. But We saved him and the Companions of the Ark, and We made the (Ark) a Sign for all Peoples!” (al-Ankabut, 14-15).

            We understand from the verse that the Deluge took place when Noah (pbuh) was 950 years old. We do not know how long Noah lived after the Deluge.   

            According to the Old Testament, Hazrat Adam lived 930 years. (Genesis: 5/5; İslâm Ansiklopedisi, Volume 1, p.363).

            In some tafsir books, it is stated that Hazrat Adam lived one thousand years. (Ibn Athir Ali b. Muhammad al-Jazari, al-Kamil fi’t-tarikh, Beirut 1965, Volume 1, p.150-151).

            In conclusion, it is understood that Hazrat Adam and Hazrat Noah lived about one thousand years. We do not know whether their communities lived as long as they did or not. However, since prophets are examples to their communities, it is probable that they lived as long as their prophets. As a matter of fact, our Prophet lived as long as the average lifespan of the community and died when he was 63 years old. Allah knows the best.   

                        Prof. Dr. Âdem Tatlı

We will not seek an answer to the question, What is life? It is not possible to end or summarize in a few pages the philosophical and scientific discussions about the true nature of life that have taken place for centuries. We will base our discussion on the differentiation of living and nonliving things biologically, the differences between them and the factors that maintain these differences.

All of the living things consist of nonliving molecules. When we examine the compounds in the living things one by one we see that they are subject to the same laws as the other nonliving chemical compounds. However, when we compare the living things and the nonliving things we see that there are important differences between them.

The most important difference between the living things and the nonliving things is that they reproduce and ensure the continuation of a generation similar to them. During reproduction all of the characteristics of the species are maintained throughout generations in the giant molecules called DNA: For instance; some bacteria reached today without undergoing any changes for millions of years. All of the characteristics of a living thing are written in DNA molecules. While human beings hardly keep what they hve written on stones and metals, the codes written on the DNA of a bacterium have remained unchanged for millions of years. Even a smallest living thing has continued its generation by reproduction whereas nobody has seen a mountain give birth to another mountain.

Living things have a very rich and sophisticated structure in terms of chemical compounds. For instance, there are 5000 different compounds in the cell of an Escherichia coli, which is a very simple bacterium and weighs only 1/500 000 000 gram. 3000 of them are proteins, about 1000 of them are nucleic acids and the rest are fats and small compounds. Although the protein molecules in E. coli do the same tasks, they are not the same as the proteins in human beings and other living things. Each species has various protein and nucleic acid molecules peculiar to themselves. It is estimated that there are about 1 trillion different proteins and about ten billion different nucleic acids in the species of all living things. These proteins and nucleic acids are big molecules whose molecular weights are equal to the weights 5-10 thousand to a few million times the weight of a hydrogen atom.

Another extraordinary characteristic in living things is that these various and numerous molecules are made of simple things and in a very short time. Lets give the example of E. coli again: This bacterium can reproduce in a medium which contains only water (H2O), ammonium ion (NH4) and glucose (C6H12O6). Each E. coli cell is divided in less than twenty minutes and two E. coli cells are formed. Either cell is the same as the other. That is, in twenty minutes, 500 different molecules out of three simple compounds like water, ammonium ion and glucose are produced altogether and in necessary amounts. The production of molecules which take place in an incredible pace shows that things that happen in living things are so complex that they cannot be compared with those in nonliving things.

We used E. coli bacterium, which has a very simple structure and which consists of only one cell, as an example. If we consider that there are trillions of cells in human beings and other living things and also the difference of cells and organs, the complexity indicates a point that our mind and imagination cannot reach.

A question like the following arises: Since the actions of molecules can be explained by chemical and physical principles and some interventions on the activities of cells can be done and so many things are known about the living cell, can a living cell or a virus be produced by chemists in laboratories?

Our answer to this question is no. Before we explain why we think so, it will be appropriate to make some explanations about the structural characteristics of the DNA and protein molecules which have very important roles in living cell structures.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) molecules function as nuclei in all living things, from viruses and simplest bacteria to organisms with highest structures. That is, they carry all the information about that living thing. That information is present in DNA as codes and it is transcribed to the proteins by RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecules. The codes in DNA molecules are formed by various arrangements of different compounds (adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine symbolized as A, G, S and T respectively). If we have a look at the variety of proteins in the E. coli bacterium, we can guess how long the DNA molecules can be in living things.

2000 pages are necessary in order to express the DNA base arrangements of an E. coli bacterium. For a human beings arrangements about one million pages are needed. Today, it is not possible to produce even a DNA chain with a length of one tenth of a page in laboratories. What is more a DNA molecule alone is neither a virus nor a living cell. The presence of proteins, which are extraordinary compounds that can enter into all kinds of forms, is necessary in the organisms. When we consider all of the proteins present in plants, animals and bacteria together, we see that the following vital functions are carried out by proteins:

1- All of the chemical reactions in the cell are carried out by catalysts that are called enzymes and that are completely proteins. The necessities of the living things are arranged perfectly thanks to these enzymes like the arrangement of a cars speed by the accelerator.

2- The cells in the nail, skin, horn and the hairs that have a protective function are all in the structure of proteins.

3- The compounds that protect the living things from harmful agents like microbes and viruses that come from outside and that are named as immunity are antibodies which are also proteins. They recognize the things that do not belong to that living thing and eliminate them.

4- For instance, most carrying functions are implemented by some proteins like oxygen-carrying hemoglobin.

5- The input output traffic between the cell and the outside are carried out by proteins located in the cell membranes. That is, what is necessary are accepted in and the wastes and extra materials are taken out in a harmony.

6- The formation and transmission of the stimuli in the nerves are carried out by special proteins.

7- Some of the hormones that have significant roles in directing the body of the living thing like an orchestra are in the structure of proteins.

The researches that are done show that more functions can be added to the functions listed above. Now lets have a look at the complex structure of this extraordinary compound:

All of the proteins of the living things in the world consist of the arrangements of the 20 kinds of amino acids in different orders and proportions. Although the proteins in the species of the living things carry out the same function, they have different structures. Therefore when all of the species of living things are taken into consideration, it will be seen that there are more than one hundred billion kinds of proteins. As volumes of books can be written expressing different meanings with 26 letters of the alphabet, similarly billions of vital functions are arranged to be carried out by giant molecules formed by 20 kinds of compounds. We say giant molecules because except some hormones, the smallest proteins have at least 100 amino acids. Naturally the protein chains that are formed by combining so many amino acids cannot maintain the structures of chains in the cell and are folded in three-dimensional shapes by being twisted on each other.

Thus a protein can carry out its function in a living thing with its three-dimensional shape. Only a few of the protein structures that proteins can have out of billions of different three- dimensional structures can carry out functions. For instance a protein with 100 amino acids can have 1047 (a number with 47 zeros after 1) different three-dimensional structure. It is impossible to guess which one will function. Therefore it is not possible to tell how the arrangement of amino acids should be in a protein to carry out a certain function.

When we consider some of the above-mentioned characteristics of DNA and protein molecules that are indispensable in the life of a cell, we will see the reasons why we answered the question about the production of a living cell as no. If human beings are not capable of producing the molecules that a virus or a cell contains, it will definitely be impossible to synthesize them in a laboratory.

Lets suppose that technology advanced more and human beings realized these syntheses one day. It could not be a proof that life started coincidentally. An outcome that can take place after years and with the accumulation of the knowledge of millions of scientists can only be an indication of an endless ilm (knowledge, science).

How does the person asking this question know that Adam and Eve had the same blood type? Did he check their blood type?

Every characteristic of a human is controlled by a pair of genes. One of these genes comes from the mother and the other from the father.

Genes A, B and O determines the blood type. In a human, these genes may take place in the form of one of these: AA, AO, BB, BO, AB and OO. Gene O is recessive compared to A and B. So genes AA and genes AO make the blood type A. Likewise, genes BB and BO makes type B; AB makes AB and OO makes the blood type O. In another words, in a person of blood type A the genes that determine the blood type are either AA or AO. If Adam had AO and Eve had BO genes, the following situation would occur.

Instead of washing the feet while making wudu, wiping on the foot covering with the wet hand in accordance with its rules is called mash. Mash on the foot covering is ease and permission provided for every Muslim, whether man or woman, by Islam. Mash on the foot covering can be carried out only while making wudu. Mash on the foot covering is not permissible while making ghusl. Mash on the foot covering is sunnah muakkadah. According to many hadiths, it is definite that the Messenger of Allah sometimes wore foot coverings and wiped on them while making wudu.

Aqiqa (sacrificing animals to thank God for the baby He has given to somebody) can be observed from the time the baby is born until it s/he reaches puberty. The 7th, 14th and 25th days of the birth are regarded as the most appropriate times to observe it; especially the 7th day is considered to be excellent. On the same day, the hair of the boy or girl is shaved and gold or silver or money equal to the weight of the hair is distributed as charity. It is better to name the child that day, too.

Thus, this sacrifice can be observed from the day of the birth until puberty. However, the seventh day of birth contributes to gain more thawabs.

There is a quotation we come across with in physics and chemistry lessons. Nothing is lost, nothing is created. The expression known as the Law of Conservation of Mass belongs to the French chemist A. L. de Lavoisier.

Before we answer the question, we find it useful to explain something. Some people make demagogy on this law and draw the question to an ideological atmosphere by misinterpreting it. We can explain their way of thinking by giving the following example:

There is an artistically written piece of beautiful calligraphy in front of us. It can be understood with very little thought that there is a calligrapher of this calligraphy. A person who has the purpose of denying the calligrapher of that calligraphy attracts the attention to the ink of that calligraphy in order to distract peoples attention from the calligraphy, the fine art, and the meaning it conveys. He puts forward a question,Was this calligraphy created out of nothing or out of ink? He tries to hide the calligrapher from the eyes by expanding and deepening the discussion on the ink.

People who frequently put forward the law of mass of conservation make a demagogy similar to this. They act as if it is necessary for that work to be created not out of existing elements but out of nothing in order to accept that there is a creator of the wonderful things in the universe. As a matter of fact when we examine the true nature and content of the law, we see clearly that this law does not open a door for denial; on the contrary it is one of the divine laws that shows the system in the universe.

We all know that there is an area where the laws enacted by the state are applied and relevant. The people in question are sometimes criminals, sometimes taxpayers and sometimes inheritors. Similarly there are areas where the law of conservation of mass is valid and not valid. The law of conservation of mass is especially used in physics and chemistry experiments and to solve problems in these subjects. Lets make it more comprehensible with an example:

Lets apply the law of conservation of mass in the equation of the reaction
C + O2 = CO2
showing the formation of carbon dioxide from carbon and oxygen. We determine our system in the beginning by writing this equation. We say we are only interested in carbon and oxygen. We make calculations only regarding their weights If the weights of carbon and oxygen are in proper rates, the weight of the carbon dioxide to come out of this reaction will be equal to the total of the weights of carbon and oxygen. That is, the mass will be conserved. In the beginning we framed our system and ignored the input and output of other matters.

Now lets imagine a closed container. Lets suppose that there are hundreds of kinds of compounds in it. Lets weigh it and put it on the fire. Lets imagine that as a result of this, there have happened a lot of reactions and new compounds have formed. When we weigh the container at the end of the experiment, we see that the weight remains the same. Since the container was closed, no matter went out, that is, the mass present in it did not disappear. Since no matter entered the container, a new mass was not created out of nothing. If we had put something in or had taken something out, the weight of the container would definitely have changed.

Similarly, we either personally witness various changes and transformations or find out about them by knowledge in the world of matter in which we live and which resembles a closed container. We know quite well that the mass of this world neither increases nor decreases. Unless there is an outside intervention, neither an escape from existence to disappearance, that is, going out of the container nor a flow of matter from nothing happens. That kind of an intervention can only be done by Allah, who is not conditional with matter and who is free of place. He creates with his might and will, puts them in our world or decreases our world.

In short, the law of conservation of mass is a law showing the relationships about the weight during the transformation of the matter applied to a closed system with a determined framework. When we read the biography of Lavoisier from the encyclopedias, it is seen that he is the first scientist to use the scales in chemistry. From this, it can be understood what that chemist meant with the expression in question. He never became the pioneer of a way of thinking that contradicts the might and will of Allah. What is more, in some chemistry books used as school books in Europe and America, after the expression of conservation of mass, come the words but the God. In short, it is stated, Only Allah is excepted from this judgment. Thus the doubts that may occur in peoples minds are eliminated in the beginning.

At the beginning of this talk, we had mentioned that laws were valid in certain areas. There are some real physical happenings where the principle of conservation of mass is not valid. For instance, today it is known that matter transforms into energy. From the most important discovery of Einstein, the equivalence of the loss of energy as much as ms mass is found as a result of its multiplication by the square root of c light speed. For instance; the total masses of neutrons and protons decrease when they come together to form the nucleus of the atom. The mass chlorine that is shown as 35/17 Cl needs to be equal to the total mass of 18 neutrons and 17 protons, that is, equal to17X1.007277+ 18X1.008665 = 35.289005 atomic mass unit. Here 1.007277 is the mass of a proton and 1.008665 the mass of a neutron. However, as a result of very sensitive experiments the atomic mass unit of a nucleus of chlorine atom was found to be 34.96885, that is, 0.32016 less than it should be. The difference in mass was transformed into energy and disappeared from the world of matter.

Another real event that shows that matter can be lost was observed by astronomers. Recent researches have shown that some stars each of whose mass is many times larger than that of the world have entered into places called black hole whose true nature is not known and disappeared.

It is impossible to explain the two happenings we have tried to describe with the principle of conservation of mass. That is, the principle in question does not have an absolute value. There are certain conditions and places where it can be applied.

As a result the principle of conservation of mass has no aspects that conflicts and contradicts the deeds of Allahs creation and destruction.

Allah (SWT), who is the creator of living things, normally codified and stored the genetic structure of every living thing in their genes that are located in the chromosomes of cell nucleus. There are approximately 100 trillion nuclei in the human body. In every nucleus, this genetic structure exists. The structure of those genes in the chromosomes comes into existence by DeoxyRibo Nucleic Acids known by the initials of DNA. They are big molecules. C, H, O and N atoms form the structure of them, too. All characteristics of the living things are coded there. We see the expansion of these things in plants, animals and humans. The whole program of a fig tree is in this genetic structure thereby in its seed. With its expansion, all the characteristics of a fig tree become apparent.

The recorded information in these DNAs is just like recording information on CDs or DVDs. Thousands of pages of information can be recorded in a very small place.  

The recording of all characteristics of all genetic elements in every living thing or even in every cell of every living thing on the elements such as C, H, O and N is significant since it shows us that Allah (SWT) has power on everything and His wisdom and will covers everywhere.  That the same law is valid in all the plants, animals and humans in the world is the greatest evidence that their Creator is the same and His domination is valid everywhere.  

It is not possible to understand how such genetic information is attributed to the theory of evolution which puts forward that all living creatures come into existence as a result of coincidence and a line of descent without a creator and which is completely based on atheism.

Let us put it briefly: if there is not a wise maker, doer and recorder of the information of the CDs or DVDs in your hand and if you accept that the information and images in them come into existence coincidentally, then you can claim that the information on DNAs does not have a maker. If you believe it so, you can only believe yourself. It is not even possible to make a primary school student believe it. Such a sophistry has no connection whatsoever with scientific information.

As for the art of the bee and its honey, Allah (SWT) declares that He recorded that information in the mind of the bee in the “Chapter an-Nahl”. Just like we load a carpeting program on a computer and weave a carpet by pressing a button, so too does the bee perform his duty according to the program given to it. More precisely, the bee is being employed on that work. You can call it instinct or divine motive. Scientific information researches about how and from where this bee is making the honey. It cannot answer the questions about for what purpose and by whom the bee is being employed. The answer of this can be given by the creator of the bee.

Prof. Dr. Âdem Tatlı.

The fact that more than one blastocyst is produced in the test tube baby method and that some of them are placed into the uterus and others are destroyed or used in researches and the treatment of some diseases makes the test tube baby issue debatable again in terms of religion. It is because there are some scientists that regard zygote that forms after the insemination of the egg by the sperm as a human being. Accordingly, the human being should be shown respect from the first moment; his legal rights should be recognized and they should not be violated.

In order to eliminate this objection, if possible, no eggs more than necessary should be inseminated and they should be preserved through scientific-technological means; only the eggs that are necessary should be inseminated. Otherwise, it will be objectionable to eliminate the inseminated eggs in terms of religion.

Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı - Halil GÜNENÇ, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar II. 326

“As it is true that the truth always prevails. Why then does the unbeliever defeat the believer, and the power defeats the truth?” The Risale-i Nur Collection, The Words, 725

Dictionaries define placebo as a substance with no effects that is given to the patient in order to satisfy him or a substance that is given to the patient to please him rather than curing him.

Placebo is also used to find out whether a new drug is successful or not. Some of the patients are given the substance that is clamed to have some effects, and the other patients are given sweetened, colored water or pills that do not contain any drugs. This false drug is called placebo. Placebo is presented in the same package and appearance. The difference is evaluated and whether the new drug is effective or not is tested.

It is remarkable that in many diseases like headache, sleeplessness, anxiety, various pains, phobia, stress and sea-sickness placebo has been quite effective. It has been observed surprisingly that 6 out of 10 patients with headaches and 6-7 patients who take analgesics have recovered after being given placebos.

Doctors do not want to give sleeping pills to patients who complain about sleeplessness because it can cause addiction.

Instead, they give placebo and see that it is effective like the other drugs. That is, pills that have no active substance to facilitate sleep can make patents sleep soundly. Of course, if the patient has been convinced that the pill will make him sleep

Sometimes patients who have crises with great stress, headaches, pains etc and who say that when so-and-so is injected they recover come to the emergency service. When they are injected a placebo called serum physiologic by telling them that the so-and-so has been injected, they really recover. The belief of the patient, not the drug, overcomes the crisis.

Sometimes we meet patients who say that the drug a certain doctor gave was no good but the drug another doctor gave healed them. When you compare the two drugs you see that both have the same active substance but only their trade names are different.

Many researches have been done on the placebo effect. The belief in the treatment and the will to recover play an important role in success.

The belief in the doctor and the behavior of the nurse that looks after the patient has a great role on the effect of the placebo. For instance when the doctor is a university professor, when the doctor listens to the patient tirelessly and examines the patient with great care and gives him confidence, the success rate of the treatment becomes higher. If the nurse that looks after the patient does not believe in the effect of the placebo, the success rate of the treatment decreases.

The appearance of the placebo pills also has a great effect on the patient. Pills bigger than normal size or tiny pills are more effective than pills of medium size; red, yellow and brown pills are regarded as better than green and blue ones. On the other hand bitter pills and unusual doses – e.g. 9 drops instead of 10 drops a day - are more effective.

It has been shown that the fact that pains and aches disappear suddenly with placebo is not a delusion.

Placebos and other helpful things have measurable effects on the body. The belief in placebo causes the production of relieving substances (like endorphins in the brain).

Since 50-80% of the diseases in the body are regarded to be related to our spiritual system, the widespread effects of the placebos should not surprise us.

The fact that placebos are so effective shows that recovery is not a result of medication but is from Allah. Medication is only a means. If Allah wishes even colored water becomes useful, if He does not, no matter what is done for the patient, it does no good.

One of the timeless scientific truths that the glorious Quran informs us is the issue of the creation of everything in pairs. The verse, ‘And of everything We have created pairs: that ye may receive instruction.' (az-Zariyat, 51/49) is of great significance in that it expresses this truth. It is possible to see this truth everywhere and in everything, from particles to planets, from systems to galaxies. Human beings and animals were created in pairs. Plants were also created in the same form.

The same state exists everywhere with male-female and inseminating-being inseminated. Although there exists pollination in plants, it is not possible for them to continue their species unless the male seed meets the female seed. Similarly, when the human body is examined, it will be observed that the same law is valid there because atoms, which are the building blocks of the body cells, are made up of some positively and negatively charged particles.

The Quran expresses this apparent truth as follows: ‘And of him He made two sexes, male and female.' (al-Qiyama, 75/39)

The verse, 'And it is He Who created fruit of every kind in pairs, two and two.' (ar-Ra'd, 13/3) reminds us that fruits are created in pairs (male-female). The word “kull” in the verse means everything. The word kull modifies the noun that comes after it. It is called a noun phrase. The second word in the phrase is either marifa (definite) or nakra (indefinite). If it is definite, it includes all parts of a being. If it is indefinite, it includes all members of that thing. In the verse, “shay’” (thing) is modified by nakra. Therefore, it is understood that everything (all of the things) is created in pairs.

In the chapter Yasin, the following is stated: ‘Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces as well as their own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no knowledge.' (Yasin, 36/36); thus, the phrase,”created in pairs” is explained here. In the verse, at first the fact that everything was created in pairs is presented to the attention, then it is emphasized that all of the beings that grow in the ground like grass, flowers, tress, etc are included in the scope of this general law as female and male.  

'As well as their own', that is, the things in your own are also in pairs. You were created in pairs as male-female, and your bodies were created like that. They also have positive and negative values.

By the expression, ‘who created in pairs things of which they have no knowledge’, the Quran reminds us the following: 'Human beings and animals were created in pairs as female and male; similarly, plants were created in pairs, too. Therefore, no reproduction takes place among them without insemination. However, there are more pairs that you do not know now but will know in the future. Your present science and research facilities are not enough to determine it. However, in the future, science and technology will develop and you will see that many more beings have been created in pairs. We created everything in pairs from the great system and galaxies to the attraction and repulsion between the stars and the sun and from it to the smallest realm, to the elements in human beings, animals, plants, seeds and atoms.'

Maurice Dirac, established the fundamental principle of the creation in pairs with the discovery of elementary particle positron. Electron is one of the fundamental elements that constitute atom. It has the smallest electric charge unit negatively. Positron has a mass as big as that of electron but it is an elementary particle carrying positive electric charge unlike electron. 

According to the rule of creation in pairs, which is one of the fundamental structures of physics, when a particle is created at any point in the world, its twin, that is, its opposite, comes into existence automatically. The most famous ones are as follows:

1) Positron, the opposite twin of electron.

2) Antiproton, the opposite twin of proton.

3) Antineutron, the opposite twin of neutron

4) Antineutrino, the opposite twin of neutrino.

When matter is examined more deeply, pairs are seen again. As it is known, every matter consists of atoms; and atoms consist of protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons and neutrons consist of particles called quarks. They are also in pairs as follows:

up, down;

strange, charm;

top, bottom.

The existence of the top quark, which was the last one to be discovered, was known theoretically. According to the standard model, particles had to be in the form of pairs too. There had to be a quark that would increase the number of quarks from five to six. Acting upon this fact, 440 scientists discovered the top quark in 1995 as a result of hard work that lasted 17 years, making a breakthrough in discovering the secrets of matter.  

The positive charge of atom is in its nucleus, and its negative charge is in its other parts. Then, there may just as well be atoms whose nuclei are negative and whose electrons are positive. That is, opposite twin of matter may exist. The experts of this field accept the existence of antimatter in our galaxy, which consists of stars, the sun, gas and dust. Maybe some of the star systems that astronomers see through telescopes are comprised of antimatter only. The fact that there are two kinds of electricity, as positive and negative, which has a fundamental role in the creation and running of the universe, was discovered in 1733. Like electrical charges repel each other and opposite electrical charges attract each other. It is also known that a magnet has two opposite poles as south and north. No matter into how many tiny parts you divide a magnet, two different poles form each time. That is, it is impossible to form a magnet with one pole. Like poles repel each other and opposite poles attract each other just like the charges in electricity. Our world is like a huge magnet; it has two opposite poles as north and south. We have seen above what the Glorious Quran said many centuries ago; that is what science says. Although so many centuries passed and science has developed so fast, nothing has changed much. What the Quran said then was valid for the science and mentality of that time and it is similarly valid for the science and mentality of today. They all show that the Quran is a miraculous word of Allah, who is the sultan of pre-eternity and post-eternity.

There are pairs of cells in hermaphrodite beings, too.

The glory of science increases or decreases correspondingly depending on its duty of representing Almighty Allah (SWT). It is obvious that there is a superiority of sciences that directly teach Allah’s knowledge, contentment, orders and prohibitions such as tafsir, hadith and fiqh.  

However, sciences that lead man to Allah such as physics, chemistry and astronomy are full of materials that increase the admiration, love and respect towards Him. Because of this, any scholar, no matter what branch of science he is engaged with, is included in this good news if he uses his knowledge in an area that Allah is pleased with,.

This glorious hadith is one of the prophetic news that signifies the value of science and scholars.

In this hadith, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) compares the level of scholarship with the level of martyrdom, which is an extremely highly spiritual level, and explains the superiority of a scholar.

We understand from the verses and hadiths that martyrdom is at the top of the levels which are enviable. A martyr is a person who sacrifices himself/herself in the way of Allah (SWT) and his/her Creator rewards him/her with an eternal life and Paradise. As for a scholar, that person has also taught the rights of Almighty Allah (SWT) to His slaves, informed them the right way and enlightened people on the way of eternal happiness.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used a figurative expression to compare the blood of martyrdom with the ink of a scholar in the hereafter, informing us about the unearthly superiority of science and scholar in an unforgettable way.

When science is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the sciences about Allah and basics of Belief. That is why, Imam Azam called his book, in which he explains the basics of belief, “the Great Fiqh” (Fiqh al-Akbar).

A Muslim’s works which are performed with a good intention are considered a kind of worshipping. The yeast turns the milk into yoghurt when mixed; similarly, a person can turn his/her work and deeds into worshipping by adding the yeast of belief and worshipping to his/her work. Therefore, all works that have been performed with good intentions, belief and prayers can be considered as worshipping.

The saying, “Every seed is a tree” is true. However, although every seed has the programme of a tree, it does not become a tree if it is not sown according to its rules. Similarly, every science has a mystery that leads man to Allah (SWT) and causes his/her sins to be wiped away. However, some conditions are necessary for a mystery, which is just like a seed, to be revealed. People who fulfill the conditions such as belief, worshipping, good intention and avoiding harams will let their seeds be grown just like trees.

The thing that makes a chandelier valuable is its electricity. A chandelier which is made of gold but has no electricity cannot save you from darkness. Likewise, our works and services are like chandeliers. What illuminates and gives light to it is our belief, intentions and worshipping .

The fact that more than one blastocyst is produced in the test tube baby method and that some of them are placed into the uterus and others are destroyed or used in researches and the treatment of some diseases makes the test tube baby issue debatable again in terms of religion. It is because there are some scientists that regard zygote that forms after the insemination of the egg by the sperm as a human being. Accordingly, the human being should be shown respect from the first moment; his legal rights should be recognized and they should not be violated.

In order to eliminate this objection, if possible, no eggs more than necessary should be inseminated and they should be preserved through scientific-technological means; only the eggs that are necessary should be inseminated. Otherwise, it will be objectionable to eliminate the inseminated eggs in terms of religion.

Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı - Halil GÜNENÇ, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar II. 326

Plants form the lowest level of the living beings. When you break off a branch of a tree and plant it, the laws of growth and development function and a new individual forms.

In plants, there is no spirit in the sense that we know. Some laws like growth, development and differentiation carry out the duties of the spirit in plants.

Some feelings and acts seen in the living things including human beings are produced by the effects of some hormones and enzymes. Man hears a sound. That sound causes the formation of some secretion in the body, and tears come down his eyes.

The hormone of growth in plants moves away from the sunlight. When the sunlight hits the stem of a plant that is put in next to the window, the growth hormones accumulate at the back side of the stem, which receives less sunlight, that is, the side that faces inside the room. The growth hormones that accumulate there cause that part of the stem to grow more; an asymmetric form occurs since the part of the stem that faces inside the room grows more and the part that faces the sunlight grows less. Consequently, the stem of the plant leans outward.

This state is explained as the behavior  of the plant. With this behavior, the plant turns its face toward the light. Thus, it benefits more from the light. Here, there is no spirit that arranges the act in the sense that it happens in human beings. However, there are laws of growth and differentiation that can function like that spirit to a certain extent.

It has been determined that there happen some differences in the behavior of the plants as a result of some secretions. We can summarize one of them as follows:

Electrodes are placed on the leaves of a plant and the electric circuit is completed. An ammeter that measures the strength of the electric current, a graph paper and a device that can draw graphs based on the strength of the current on the graph are placed on the circuit. Somebody breaks off a part from the plant. Then, when that person who has broken off that part from the plant passes in front of the plant, the strength of the current increases and a different graph is drawn. When other people pass, the plant does not react like that. 

This act and similar ones are shown as evidence for the existence of feelings in plants; these feelings are noticed by different strengths of current and the secretion of different enzymes and hormones. The plant reacts based on the enzymes and hormones that are secreted in the environment that it lives.

The reactions that are conscious in human beings exist in the form of feelings or behavior in plants.

All living beings and even non-living beings consist of 114 elements. The most common elements in living beings are carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. Along with those elements, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and sulfur unite based on certain laws and yield DNAs (Deoxyribonucleic Acids). Those DNAs unite and form chromosomes. There are genes in certain regions of the chromosome structures.  All genetic characteristics of a living being are recorded in the form of codes.    

It is just like the large amount of information recorded in a flash disc, Cd or DVD. The information in the flash disc or CD is recorded in the form of codes. When you look at the flash disc with naked eyes, it is not possible to see any writing or figures on it. Thus, the genetic characteristics of every living being are recorded in genes or in DNAs that form the foundations of genes.   

One of the reasons of harmony or similarity among living beings is DNAs. However, the difference in the arrangement of atoms in DNAs causes the genetic structure to be encoded differently. The material used in a flash disc or CD are materially the same. However, the information that is stored or encoded are different. It is necessary to look at the difference of information in DNAs from this point of view.  

In the second part of the question, this is asked:“Is it not possible that the first DNAs have formed coincidentally?”First of all, it is necessary to ask this:

- Why are DNAs expected to form coincidentally?

First, let us examine the issue of coincidence. Let us see what is behind it. We will ask a question here. Answer the question not ideologically but based on your mind, reason and the most important of all your conscience. This is the question:

-Will you accept that your socks or your shirt settled on your body coincidentally or they left your body coincidentally? Can you give only one example that something like that took place coincidentally? For instance, since all of the food items are together in the kitchen, can you claim that the soup cooked coincidentally?

It is not possible for a person who heeds his mind and conscience to answer those questions positively.

Since even soup does not form coincidentally, how can DNA, which stores thousands of information, form coincidentally? Then, how can that much information come coincidentally from the realm of the unknown and settle in DNA? Then, how can a cell form coincidentally?  How can DNA enter that cell coincidentally and give life to that cell?

You cannot see such a story even in 1001 nights.

Is it not more reasonable that living beings and DNAs are the work of a creator who has endless knowledge will and power?

The world is a place of testing. A person can heed his mind reason and, the most important of all, his consciousness and attribute the formation of everything to a creator if he wants to do so. Another person can abandon his mind, reason and conscience, be stuck in his feelings and ideology and see everything as a work of coincidence and nature if he wants to do so.

People who do not believe in Allah, religion and metaphysics or people with a weak belief, are waiting for the day that science will take religions place, the prophecy which was put forward by Auguste Comte years ago. When scientists make an invention or science and technology together realize an event like mans landing on the moon, they get excited and start to ask if that day has come or if they have found a proof to get rid of religion, and some of them start to scream "Eureka!, Eureka!".

Lately, we saw the similar moods and excitements when a sheep and a monkey got cloned genetically. A feminist lady proclaimed From now on we do not need men for having a child and we got one step closer to our complete freedom and equality. Those men and women think that inseminating an already created cell with an ovum freed of DNA in a special environment and thus having a similar sheep is the act of creating. Similarly, they think that when the need for mans sperm is eliminated, the need for the family life is eliminated, too.

Somebody who dares to compete with the creation of Allah must bring forth something out of nothing, not from an existing being. Changing physical, biological or chemical order of an existing being is not creating but only copying or cloning as they name it.

Almost all women consider men as equal in humanity, complementary in realizing the social life, culture and civilization. Men and women respect each other as the two genders of the human beings and see themselves as the irreplaceable basic elements of the family life.

Having a copy of an animal which carries the same features genetically may be welcomed –though it must be thought thoroughly and discussed- but if you dare to apply it to mankind there arises many problems:

It is not possible to know and to estimate even scientifically how genetic cloning will affect the humane characteristics of man related to his brain especially his mind. Experiments are carried out on animals; human beings are not animals.
The only way to know the results of that operation on man is making the experiments on man but neither ethics nor religion nor law permits it.

If Allah wishes, He can create a man without sperm or ovum; in fact, Hazrat Adam was created this way. If He wishes, He can create a woman without an ovum; in fact, Hazrat Eve was created this way. If He wishes, He can create a man without sperm; in fact, Hazrat Eesa (Jesus) was created this way. If He wishes, He can give a child to an old couple (to Prophet Zacharia) who did not have sperm and ovum because they got old; in fact, Hazrat Yahya (John the Baptist) was born this way.

Note:

The religion of Islam is not against science because it gives importance to reason and encourages mankind to think about many physical occurrences such as bees, mosquitoes, stages of the fetus in the womb, trees returning to life every spring etc. And the prophets showing the most outer borders of the science with their miracles show us that Islam encourages the mankind to make progress in science. For instance, Jesus (pbuh) used to bring the dead to life. Even though mankind cannot reach this point, he should try to reach it.

Another aspect of the subject is:
Allah, who created animals to perform predefined tasks by designing their physical and logical structures to allow it, made mankind master of the earth and encouraged him to put forward new things and work on whatever area he wants by giving him the freewill. Whatever the mankind puts forward in the name of science, it is due to this ability and freedom that was bestowed on him. Every invention or progress of the mankind in science depends on this divine authorization. So, such a mans challenging religion with a scientific invention he made is ungratefulness and not knowing his place or going too far.

The quantum fluctuation is a unit of energy which matter achieves at a speed close to the speed of light. According to the formula e=mc², you achieve the matter if you stop the speed of the energy; you convert the matter into the energy if you make the matter reach the speed of the light.    

Whether you discuss about the matter or the quantum which is a unit of energy, both are existing things indeed. There is a past for that existing thing that you discuss and a future time after it. The past before that quantum unit is nonexistence for it. At least, that quantum was not in existence in that physical world. Definitely, it may come into existence only through a chooser’s willing and taking it out of the world of nonexistence into the world of existence.     

The second stage is that particle’s forming the universe by getting expanded. How will that happen? From where and how will the atoms which are the building stones of that wide universe come into existence from one particle? Definitely, they must have been taken from the world of nonexistence into the world of existence through will and predestination, planning and programming of a creator because expanding of that first particle means adding it new elements. Since those new elements had not existed in this world, they should have been created anew from nonexistence. 

Regardless of their shapes and processes of coming into existence are, all being things have been taken into that world of existence from the world of nonexistence through the knowledge, will and power of a creator and they have been formed through His sphere of knowledge according to a certain plan and program.

Author: Mehmet Kırkıncı

There is no contradiction between the mind and the true religion. However, the mind is not sufficient to explore all knowledge. As a matter of fact, there are some realities that the mind can perceive on its own. For instance, the mind has the ability to see and understand the events in the realm of experience and observation; it can understand the existence and oneness of Allah, the beauty of justice and grants, the ugliness of oppression and debauchery. However, there are many points that the mind cannot reach and explore because the mind is a creature and it has limited abilities; it does not have a nature that can see and explore all of the realities. It is impossible to understand the nature and reality of everything by the means of such a mind. “Indeed, absolute reality cannot be comprehended by restricted views. A universal view like the Quran is necessary in order to comprehend it."

Man has not been able to realize the nature of his spirit yet. It is clear that the mind that is too weak to realize even its own nature will be much too weak to understand the metaphysical world. What the mind needs to do in this field is to act in accordance with revelation. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi expresses this truth in a very nice way:

If your mind is dull, let the sun of the Quran shine on you. Look with the light of belief, and instead of the firefly of your own mind, each verse of the Quran will illumine you like a star.

The mind that Islam considers as the main idea is the mind that is illuminated by revelation. Only such a mind can be a criterion for the events and can lead man to knowledge and wisdom.

The place of the mind in Islam is stated as follows: The mind is religious evidence just as the Book (the Quran) and the Sunnah. Therefore, the Shariah never allows something that the mind definitely refutes. The mind does not refute what the Shariah allows, either. Therefore, what is impossible according to the mind cannot be possible according to the Shariah. We should state it importantly that what is meant by the mind in the statements above is the mind of the perfect people who learn things from the school of prophethood. The imams of madhhabs have benefited from that perfect mind thoroughly. If the mind does not confirm the judgments and decrees that the religion puts forward, the heart and the conscience will not be satisfied. In Islam, myths, superstitions, and dreams are not taken into consideration. The madhhabs of Islam cannot be compared to the denominations in Christianity in this sense.   

The fact that the spiritual leaders in the Christian world made some claims contrary to the mind and wisdom, that they prevented people from thinking and contemplating and that they persecuted and killed some scientists and scholars caused some philosophers to oppose the religion of Christianity and consequently to all religions. They ignored revelation completely and preferred acting in accordance with their minds only.    

While the clergymen ignored the mind completely and did not take it into consideration, the philosophers considered the mind as the single guide and could not understand the reality in metaphysical issues. Since they cannot stand under the sun of the prophethood by relying on the firefly of their own minds, they could not watch the luminous objects in the tranquility of the night, could not listen to the constant witnesses of the divine power and could not understand their language.

Yes, the mind can have something to say in the physical field that is based on experience and experiment but it is insufficient in the spiritual and metaphysical field. Those philosophers made mistakes because they tried to solve the problems that could only be illuminated by divine revelation through their minds only.

As a matter of fact, they should have taken into consideration the school of prophethood regarding metaphysical realities. Where are those people coming from and where are they going? What are their duties in this world? They should have searched their questions in that school. They did not do it; therefore, the ideas that the philosophers put forward, the claims that they made in the metaphysical field did not have certainty. No matter how famous they are, these mistakes cannot be forgiven.

Questions related to the spiritual issues cannot be solved by empirical methods. The mind cannot be evidence regarding religious questions and divine realities on its own. Those divine realities are beyond feelings, experience, mind and reason. The philosophers could not understand this fact. They tried to explain the realities that are not connected with their fields, deviated from the right path and caused others to deviate, too. They saw the supernatural realities through a window as narrow as the eye of a needle. They could not free themselves from mistakes because they considered only their own ideas as true due to their heedlessness and pride.

To sum up, the place of the Quran in the field of the spirituality is the same as the place of the experiment and the mind in the development of the science. That is, the judgment belongs to the Quran. The material needs of life depend on science and technology, and spiritual needs depend on the heavenly books. The mind and the experience are taken into consideration in the scientific field; similarly, it is necessary to depend on the prophets and the heavenly books in the field of spirituality. Their fields are different.

Islam takes into account both the principles of the mind and the laws of regulation. That is, it confirms the high realities that it proves through logical evidence using evidence based on revelation. Besides, Islam puts forward many realities that philosophy does and cannot mention by investigating and searching them.    

It is a reality that the guides and leaders regarding the questions of metaphysics can only be prophets. A person without a teacher can only be a student no matter how talented he is. Therefore, scholars like Imam Ghazali, who regarded prophets as their teachers and obeyed them became useful for people with their knowledge and understanding.

The most sacred aims for man are the knowledge of Allah, the love of Allah and His pleasure. They were transferred to people by prophets.

“Know that prophethood in mankind is the summary and foundation of man's good and perfections; the True Religion is the index of prosperity and happiness; belief is a sheer, transcendent good. Since in this world a shining beauty, an extensive and exalted good, an evident truth, and superior perfection are apparent, self-evidently truth and reality lie in prophethood and in the hands of prophets. While evil, misguidance, and loss are with those who oppose them."

The previous prophets heralded the ones that would come after them. The latter ones confirmed the former ones because the source that the prophets benefit from is revelation. Revelation is free from the doubt of delusions because it depends on divine knowledge.   

The way of revelation is more resolute, more universal and more effective. It satisfies the human mind, pleases his spirit and rejoices its conscience in all aspects.  Man can be freed from the worldly and otherworldly agonies and crises through obeying prophets only.

To sum up, the most important points that the denominations in Islam differ from the denominations in Christianity are as follows:

1- The mind is an important principle in the Islamic denominations. In Christianity, the sultanate and domination of the clergy are in question. The clergymen determine the faith of the people. Those who obey them unconsciously cannot be freed from the chains of imitation. They imitated the clergymen without evidence and acted under their domination. No individual is free in his or her belief. They became Christians through christening and exit Christianity through excommunication. However, there is no clergy sultanate or domination in Islam. No scholar or guide has the authority to dominate a person’s creed and belief.

2- In Christianity, what the clergymen regard as halal become halah and what they regard as haram become haram. Allah obeys what the clergymen decide (God forbid). Islam eradicated and destroyed their domination and superstitions.

In Islam, only what Allah makes haram becomes haram and what Allah makes halal becomes halal. Nobody other than Allah can transform something haram into halal and something halal into haram. Nobody can be excommunicated through the order of a scholar. A scholar, no matter how high his rank is, has no right other than advising and guiding people. In Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is Allah’s slave and messenger. Scholars are the inheritors of the Prophet. In Christianity, divinity is attributed to Jesus. Priests assume that they have the authority to pardon sins and to transform something haram into halal and something halal into haram since they are the representatives of such a prophet.   

3- In Christianity, some denominations regard other denominations as unbelievers. They are like independent religions. In Islam, all of the denominations are regarded as one group and they are named as Ahl as-Sunnah.

4- The denominations in Islam do not have different places of worshipping peculiar to themselves. They perform prayers in the same mosque and they follow the imams of other denominations when they perform prayers.

5- A Muslim can enter any denomination. For instance, a Shafii can become a Hanafi and a Hanafi can become a Shafii. No imam has put forward a judgment preventing it.

We should understand from this these expressions: the one who created the raw materials of cars and computers is Allah. The inspirer of the advanced technology thereby who let them be made by humans is Allah.

As a matter of fact, this is clearly emphasized in the verse which narrates the words of Abraham, who addresses the people who made idols from stone and wood is as follows: "But Allah has created you and your handiwork!" (As-Saaffat, 37/96).

There are two similar approaches by scholars for the expression of the verse, “"But Allah has created you and your handiwork!":

Firstly, the pronoun “MA” appearing in the verse is masdariyya, which means infinitive. According to this, the meaning of the verse is as follows: “It is Allah who has created you and your actions” because, it is Allah who created all of your equipment; hands, feet, brain, power, in short all of your things. Thus, all of the things you will make with the equipment that was given by Allah actually belongs to Allah.

Secondly, “MA” appearing in the verse is mawsula (a relative pronoun) and the meaning of the verse is as follows: “It is Allah who has created you and the materials of the things you make.”

These two approaches are true and support each other. Accordingly, we can explain the meaning of the verse as follows:

 “It is Allah who gives you the power of working and the materials of the things you make.”

For example, it is Allah who created the raw materials of a computer and let it  have an ability of processing and recording; in short, it is Allah who both teaches the computer that information then lets it process them with mathematical codes ; it is also Allah who inspires humans how to make them through His assistance.

Though it is human who prefers and wants it to be made, the creator of it is Allah (SWT).

We can compare all things and works to it.

The atmosphere is a gas ocean that has been formed by various gases and that is harder than rock; it is 1000 km above the ground level. One of its duties is to prevent rays that may be harmful for living creatures and not to let them come down to the earth. When we consider non-living gases as the doer of this sapient act, we will have to accept the following wrong ideas:   

1- The atmosphere must know the body structure of living creatures in order to know which rays of the sun are harmful for them. Of course, it must know the creatures so that it can distinguish what is harmful from what is useful for them. And this is only possible by having a pervasive knowledge.

2- It is not enough to know the living creatures. It must also know the rays of the sun. For, distinguishing the harmful from the useful and sending them with a certain amount is only possible by knowing those rays. In order to do this, it must have every kind of tools and even an advanced laboratory so that it can distinguish between the harmful and the useful and know which ray and what amount is necessary to be sent. This would require the atmosphere to have attributes such as knowledge, wisdom, will and power.

3- Suppose that it knows the bodies of living beings with its knowledge and measures the rays of the sun with its tools. Not sending the harmful rays of the sun is a sign of compassion and mercy. However, those non living and unconscious particles cannot have such mercy.

So, denying God means to accept the existence of an atmosphere that has knowledge, wisdom and mercy.

However, God Almighty who creates the canopy of heaven as a protective shield for the continuation of life on earth states the following in verse 32 of the Surah of al-Anbiya:

“And We have made the heavens as a canopy well-guarded: Yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)!”

How does the person who asks this question know thatHz. Adam and Hz. Hawwa (Eve) had the same blood group? Did he analyze their blood?

Each character in everybody is controlled by a pair of genes (two genes). One of these genes comes from the mother and the other from the father.

The genes that determine blood groups are A, B and 0 genes. These genes are present in an individual in one of the following combinations: AA, A0, BB, B0, AB and 00. The gene 0 has a recessive structure compared to A and B genes. Therefore, both AA genes and A0 genes form the blood group A. Similarly, both BB and B0 genes form the blood group B; BB genes form AB, and 00 genes form the blood group 0. In other words, in a person with the blood group A, the genes that form this blood group are AA or A0. If Hz. Adam had A0 and Hz. Hawwa had B0, the following situation would occur:

As it is seen in the diagram, if both Hz. Adam and Hz. Hawwa had the blood group B in heterozygous genetic structure, all four current blood groups would form from them.

What needs to be explained here is how the blood group A0 in Hz. Adam passed to Hz. Hawwa as B0. It is necessary to note that the creation of both Hz. Adam and Hz. Hawwa are not in compliance with the normal law of reproduction (from a mother and father).

Since this creation did not emerge from a mother and father in the sense that we know, it is impossible to apply the laws of Mendel here. Therefore, it is necessary to accept the transfer of the blood group A in Hz. Adam as the blood group B to Hz. Hawwa contrary to the laws of Mendel as normal. For, the first creation is in question here.

These kinds of questions will be asked one after another as long as events are attributed to coincidence and nature. In fact, it is necessary to view the events from the viewpoint of the power and endless knowledge of God Almighty. Then, it will be seen that the creation of all blood groups or the whole mankind will be as easy as the creation of one man or one blood group.

Adem Tatlı (Prof.Dr.)

The understanding and knowledge of each century is different. If the scientific realities mentioned in the Quran had been explained as they were in the previous centuries, some people who did not understand them would have denied them.  

The Quran is primarily a book of guidance, not a book of science. It only points to scientific realities. Therefore, these issues were expressed in a metaphorical way in both verses and hadiths. As science developed, scientists found some meanings that opened up their horizons and some signs leading them to some inventions and scientific realities.

However, not all tafsir scholars are authorities in non-religious subjects; they generally spend their time studying and explaining the Quran; that is why, this duty usually belonged to the other scholars and scientists. Many scientists and scholars - whether they were Muslims or not - benefited from the Quran and based their discoveries and inventions on the Quran.

Benefiting from verses and hadiths by Islamic science contributed a lot to guide European science.

As you will accept, the phrase "learners of ilm (science/knowledge)" is a term used only for students. However, demanding science/knowledge is not limited with students in general; it includes teachers too.  In that sense, every teacher is also "learner of ilm". For, a teacher cannot teach without searching and learning science. He also gets the reward of teaching.

Then, whether an academician is included in the class of "learners of ilm" is related to his fulfilling his duty properly or not.

As it is known, the duty of an academician is not only informing a student about the subjects he is interested in but also equipping him with the information he will need in life. It becomes possible by teaching him all kinds of knowledge and information useful for this world and the hereafter and trying to realize it and making it practical.

"Proclaim! (or Read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created." (al-Alaq, 96/1)

In the first verse that was sent down, sciences are advised without categorization. The only condition is to read in the name of Allah.

In fact, all sciences remind us Allah; it is the duty of the teacher to open this window.

It is an indisputable fact that not only life in this world but also in the other world interest people.

Abdullah b. Amr b. As narrates: Once, Hz. Prophet (pbuh) saw two different groups form a circle in the mosque and said:

"Both groups are good. However, one of them is better than the other.

One group is praying to Allah and begging Him for their wishes. Allah will give them what they want if He wishes or will not give them.

As for the second group, they are learning fiqh and science and teaching what they know to those who do not know. Therefore, they are more virtuous. I was sent only as a teacher." Then, he sat near them. (Darimi, Muqaddima, 32).

As it is seen here, learning and teaching are shown to be together.

"Be a scholar or a learner or a listener; do not be the fourth; otherwise, you will be destroyed." (Ajluni, I/148)

In the hadith above, the virtue of being a teacher and a student is indicated.

That Hz. Prophet prayed as follows shows that science needs to be useful for both the world and the hereafter:

"O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, goodly provision and acceptable deeds." (Ibn Majah, Iqamah, 32)

"O Allah! I take refuge in you from the word that is not heeded, the deed that does not rise, the heart that does not fear/respect You and the knowledge that is not useful." (Ahmad b. Hanbal, III/192)

Since humanity need sciences like medicine, engineering, computing, sociology, psychology, psychiatry, business and administration, it is rewarding to help humanity through these sciences.

There is no doubt that the most honorable science is the one that makes man know Allah in the shortest way, places His greatness into hearts and opens a window from art to the Artist from boons to the Sustainer by showing His wonderful arts and boons. Primarily the sciences of aqaid (creed), which teaches the principles of belief, and the science of tafsir (interpretation of the Quran), hadith (the sayings of the Prophet) and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) teach Allah and His orders and prohibitions.

The benefits of sciences like astronomy, geology, botany, gynecology, physics and chemistry in this sense are indisputable. The side effects here are the products of shabby ideas of those who misinterpret them and turn them into poison. The reason for this is having only one side. However, man, who was created for two worlds, has two important mechanisms. Those who do not satisfy both of them will be bound to be affected by hunger in terms of science and hence move to right and left and deviate as a result of the dizziness caused by this hunger.    

The light of consciousness is religious sciences. The light of the mind is modern sciences. Reality becomes manifest when they unite. With those two wings, the effort of the student flies. When they disunite, bigotry emerges in the former and doubt in the latter. (see B. Said Nursi, Münazarat)

Therefore, religious sciences need to be studied together with modern sciences lest bigotry and doubt should occur.

for more information, please click on the link given below;

What does dying as a learner of ilm (science) gain us? How does Azrail come to take our life? How can a person be a learner of science?

In addition to the works related to Islamic ethics and good manners, the works in the field of medicine mention various damages caused by constant fullness and the benefits of eating a little and hunger. Imam Ghazali lists those benefits in his famous work called Ihyau Ulumid-Din. It is possible to summarize them as follows:

1. Since there is not much blood flow to the heart and brain during hunger, the power of thinking increases; understanding and ability of perception develop.

Constant fullness causes laziness, blunts the heart and eliminates the ability to act quickly.

2. Eating a little and hunger bring about soft-heartedness and peace of mind.

It is possible to enjoy remembering Allah, to be affected by it and to continue dhikr thanks to hunger.

3. Man turns toward his Lord more sincerely when he is hungry.

He realizes his servitude, understands his weakness, worships Allah, moves away from arrogance and conceit, and grasps the glory of Lord and the endlessness of His mercy.

4. A hungry person understands the state of the needy and the poor.

A person who is full does not understand how a hungry person feels. Thus, those who suffer from hunger appreciates the boons of Allah and do not forget His penalty and test. For, some communities are tested through plenty of blessings given to them while others are tested through hunger.

5. It is the soul that leads man to all evils. Controlling the soul is possible through eating a little and hunger.

For, disobeying Allah’s order and rebellion against Him originate from power and lust. The source of power and lust is eating and drinking. Reducing food weakens lust and power.

6. Hunger prevents sleeping too much.

For, those who eat a lot sleep a lot. Sleeping a lot darkens the heart, prevents the activities of the mind and working. Those who sleep a lot cannot fulfill their duty of worshipping Allah properly. Our scholars regard sleeping a lot as the cause of all catastrophes.

7. Eating a little prevents excessive loss of time.

It makes worship easy and keeps the heart alert.

8. Eating a little and being hungry enable the body to stay healthy and to eliminate some diseases.

For, the cause of many diseases is gluttony. Eating a lot is among the most important causes of stomach, intestine, heart and vascular diseases. Those physiological and biological disorders also cause mental and psychological disorders.

9. Those who eat a little and put up with hunger make ends meet more easily.

For, they have learned to do with little things and to abandon gluttony.

10. Those who eat a little help others and attain happiness in both the world and the hereafter.

Feeling the happiness of rejoicing a poor person and an orphan is the greatest happiness. It is among the important orders and recommendations of our religion to look after the orphans and the poor, to meet their needs and to help others.

Let us think what comes to the mind when we say "complexion". Complexion includes elements like eyes, eyebrows, ears, nose, lips, cheek, forehead, chin, mustache, beard and skin. Is that all? Of course not. It is necessary to deal with each of them separately. For instance, when we deal with the skin, we see that some the skin colors of some people are dark, some are white, some are black and some are red. The skin does not consist of colors only. The appearance of the skin changes based on whether it is oily, dry, thin, thick, porous, etc. What gives the skin its shape is not the epidermis only; the muscular tissue and connective tissue under it, glands, bone form and many other factors should not be forgotten. 

Almost everybody knows the role played by the growth hormone being secreted less or more in the formation of the chin structure.

Let us deal with the eyes, about which a lot of poems are written. When we say the eye, its color comes to the mind first; the roles played in the appearance of the color by the muscular tissue and connective tissue in the eye, factors like blood-vein structure and the color pigment called melanin are ignored. Besides, the place of the eye, its shape, size, etc plays roles in the formation of the eye.

Along with the mutual relationships of the factors in the structure of the face, structures in other parts of the body play their role in the formation of human complexion. If we take into consideration the factors like the secretion of the thyroid hormone and the effect of the place of the eye on the face, it will be seen that the human complexion occurs as a result of the operation of a very complex system. 

It is clearly shown that trillions of face types can be created with the mechanisms operated at genetic level from two face (complexion) templates (Hz. Adam and Hz. Hawwa) in the world of causes. The information about the basic archetype (first example) of the complexion is encoded in DNA polymers, which have a special array called 'gene' like all the structures in our body.  

There are two copies of genetic information of every trait in man; one of them comes from the mother and the other from the father. During cell reproduction, genes are folded with proteins and transmitted into daughter cells through regular, systematic structures called chromosomes. In each cell of man that contains a nucleus, there are 23 pairs (46) of chromosomes. In germ cells, 23 pairs of chromosomes are reduced to half through meiosis. In the first phase of the meiosis that takes place in germ cells, along with the number of chromosomes being reduced to half, the incident of genetic recombination called crossing-over, which plays a role in versatile, reproduction takes place. Any two of the millions of different alleles that form can unite during reproduction. For instance, a mother can transmit the first allele of her first chromosome to one of her children while she can transmit the second allele of the same chromosome to the other child.

Let us suppose that all chromosome pairs are different and that two different alleles that were active in the formation of all traits are located in two different chromosomes: If we consider it for all chromosomes, there is a possibility of the creation of 8.388.608 types of germ cells as a result of the division based on the formula of 223. The baby receives 23 chromosomes of different variations from its mother and 23 recombinant chromosomes of different variations from its father and has 46 chromosomes like its parents. 

If we consider that each germ cell has the potential for forming a baby by uniting with a different germ cell, a maximum of 70.368.744.180.000 (about seventy trillion) types of babies can format genetic level. In other words, the possibility of the formation of two babies of the same complexion from the same mother and father is one in seventy trillion. According to the calculation of genetic variability produced by crossing-over mechanism only, without taking into account the anatomical and physiological changes in the period of embryonic development, it is reasonable and normal, in terms of causes, for seventy trillion different complexions to form from the time of Hz. Adam up to now. We made a presupposition above that a property of the face was determined by only two different genes. However, it is a fact that more than two genes are active in the formation of a property. If we suppose that at least four genes, not two, are active in the determination of a property, the amount of genetic variability will increase to about one hundred and forty trillion. 

In meiosis, not only chromosome pairs but also different genes on each chromosome can be transferred in various combinations. In crossing-over, as many chromosome types as the genes carried on a chromosome can be created.  

Although different scientists have mentioned different numbers up to now, it is estimated that there are at least between 30.000 and 100.000 genes in the human genome.  Let us suppose that there are about 6.000 genes on a chromosome and that each pair of chromosomes can have different alleles of the same gene (like brown eyes, blue eyes). It is impossible, but suppose that human genome is made up of only one pair of chromosomes, even then the number of haploid germ cells that can occur about with the recombination variability of the 6.000 genes it carries is 26.000. If we consider that the haploid genome actually includes 23 chromosomes, (26.000)23 types of gametes (germ cells) can theoretically be produced. If we think that the alleles of each gene change places mutually in crossing-over, a very huge amount of number of various germ cells that cannot be expressed can be created.

In addition, if we calculate the possibility of these haploid germ cells uniting the haploid germ cells of the same variability of the opposite gender, the number of the variability of the zygote (fertilized egg) will be too big to write in calculators. The number of the types of complexions from the time of Hz. Adam and Hz. Hawwa up to now will be very small compared to the number of the possibility of the types of complexions that can form. If we take into account that the germ cells in genetic variability unite in different combinations, it is possible to create types of human complexions hundreds of times more than the people that lived and that will live. In this genetic level, the first biologic operation is the one that works in the production of variability.  

Furthermore, the reading and usage frequency of the special recombinant genes can change in the fetus that is formed with the development of the zygote. While the product (enzyme) of one of the allele genes whose duties are to produce colors can cause the formation of the brown color, the product of the other allele can play a role in the formation of the blue color. This second mechanism, which is known as the reading and usage preference and frequency of alleles, is the cause of the additional variability.  

In conclusion, we can say that our complexions are different fortunately. If there were people of the same complexions around us, there would be confusions and we would not be able to establish healthy relationships with one another. Since those confusions do not occur, it means there is an order, measurement and wisdom in the creation of complexions.

The similarities in the human complexions that clearly show the manifestations of oneness in the unity and the differences in the similarities, and the complexion seals peculiar to each individual are clear signs for the existence, oneness, Lordship and Compassion of Allah.

Allah states the following in verses 118-119 of the chapter of an-Nisa:

“Allah did curse him, but he said: ‘I will take of Thy servants a portion Marked off; I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the (fair) nature created by Allah.’ Whoever, forsaking Allah, takes Satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest.”

The deed that is prohibited and that makes a person who does it a sinner is to change and distort the existing natural organs by ripping and cutting them along with changing unnecessarily the organs that were created by Allah and that were not spoiled with the intervention of humans . 

What is made by the deeds mentioned in the question is not rejuvenating people but making people seem different, making the appearance different without spoiling the organs, by dragging, shrinking, inflating cells, etc. without rejuvenating them. If Allah wishes, He can turn a person who is, say, eighty years old, to twenty years of age, to his youth, as a miracle but medicine has not achieved something like that yet. If it had, and if people were transformed into their youth by being saved from the handicaps of old age, it would be permissible and it would be regarded as a cure.  

If “methods like botox, dermal filling and face lifting used in rejuvenating a person, especially the face” are used in order to make a man or woman seem more handsome or beautiful to his/her spouse and if the body is not given any pain when it is done, it seems permissible to me.  However, it is not permissible if it is done in order to deceive a person, to fulfill one’s aim by seeming young to a person, and to seem more beautiful and different to non-mahram people. 

A medical student can learn them on condition that he will pay attention to its drawbacks when he applies them in the future.

We Muslims believe that the Quran was revealed by Allah Almighty to His prophet Muhammad Mustafa (pbuh) through a special means of communication called revelation (wahy).

Since Allah revealed the Quran and He knows everything correctly and fully, there cannot be anything wrong in the Quran.

Many people have claimed that the Quran was the word of a human being and that it was transferred from the old religions since the Quran was revealed; however, despite the challenge of the Quran by saying, ”if it is a word of a human being, do the same”, nobody has been able to do so; the claim that it was transferred from the previous religions has not been proved since it is contrary to the historical facts and it is not based on any evidence and documents.

As for the relationship between intellect and science, and the Qur'an:

We, Muslims, believe the following:

It is Allah who sent the Quran, and it is Allah who gave people intellect and asked them to use it. Therefore, there should be no contradiction between the two. One does not say A for the thing that the other says B, but the realm of existence and truth is large enough to exceed science and intellect; and each level of existence has science peculiar to it and special means of this science. The scientist knows his limitations, does not make judgments about the subjects which are not in his field of observation and experimentation; he says, “these issues are outside my field”. Those who make judgments about those issues are not scientists but people who use scientism as an ideology and belief and who act ridiculously by attempting to climb up to the sky by riding a bicycle.

One of those pseudo-scientists tried to silence a young man who objected to him and asked him a question: “Even if there is only a word contrary to science in the Quran, it is sufficient as evidence that it is not divine. The following is stated in the Quran: ‘We created the mountains so that earthquakes would not happen.’ However, this is not true in terms of science. Earthquakes happen in the mountains too.”

Dear Professor.

There is no verse in the Quran meaning “We created the mountains so that earthquakes would not happen.” If you have seen a translation like that, it is wrong. The verses of an-Nahl:16/15, al-Anbiya: 21/31, Luqman 31/10 mean “to establish the balance on earth”.

“Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse, And the mountains as pegs?” (an-Naba: 6-7) As it is stated in the verses above, there are verses stating that mountains are like pegs.

What does science say regarding the issue?

“The main difference between the mountains in the continents and the mountains in the oceans is in the material. Both have roots that support the mountains. In the mountains of the continents, the light and the less dense material extends into the ground as a root. In the mountains of the oceans, there is light matter that supports the mountain as a root. The function of the roots is to support the mountains according to the Archimedes law. The effect of the mountains in ensuring the general balance of the Earth's crust is defined as the isostasy.”

“This concept is explained as follows in Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary: ‘Isostasy is the general equilibrium in the Earth's crust maintained by a yielding flow of rock material beneath the surface under gravitational stress.’ Furthermore, a book titled “Earth”, by Dr. Frank Press, former president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, which is still used as a textbook in many universities, states that mountains are like stakes, and are buried deep under the surface of the Earth.”

Science is a way of seeing the art of Allah, His superiority in creation, perfection and miraculous features. If a person conducting research in any branch of science does not have certain prejudices or an ideology he follows blindly, he will see that there is a perfect design in every detail he sees, and he can easily understand that this design can only be the work of an eternal mind. For this reason, the great majority of scientists who made great discoveries throughout history and who were the pioneers of scientific development turned toward Allah.

In this answer, which you will read, it will be shown what a big mistake is made by those who claim that science and religion contradict, and that a scientist cannot be a religious person or a religious person cannot be a scientist. In the first part of this article, which is composed of two separate chapters, the scientists who were raised in an environment dominated by the religion of Islam, who are recognized and praised by their belief in Allah, and who made history by discovering and inventing many things in science, will be mentioned. The second part deals with the Western scientists who are known for their discoveries and scientific studies throughout history and who believed in Allah in the face of scientific facts they witnessed.

Some of the Islamic scholars who are pioneers of science

Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

Ibn Sina (Avicenna) is an Islamic philosopher and medical scholar who was born in 980 near Bukhara. He learned logic, mathematics and astronomy from his father, and then from the famous scholars of the period. He was appointed as the private physician of Nuh II because of his success in the field of medicine.

His famous work "al-Qanun" is a large medical encyclopedia of about a million words. It contains all of the old medicine and Muslim medical science. This work dominated the world medical literature for centuries in terms of both its content and its way of arrangement. It was the source of all medical books written in Turkish, Arabic, Persian and Western languages until the emergence of new medicine.

This work of Ibn Sina, which gives detailed information about the principles of the science of medicine, drugs and various diseases, was used and preferred as a basic reference book in the era of both Anatolian Seljuks and Ottomans.

Ibn Sina, who marked a new era in medicine, influenced both the Eastern and Western philosophers in the field of philosophy. His works were translated into Latin in the 12th century and then spread throughout the world.

Kadızade Rumi (Qadizada ar-Rumi)

Somebody was in the limelight regarding exact sciences at the end of the 16^th century in the Ottoman State. This person was a Turkish mathematician and astronomer known as Musa Pasha b. Mahmud b. Muhammad Salahuddin; he became famous as Qadizada ar-Rumi. He wrote interpretations/explanations called "sharh" about various important books and became famous for them. One of them was the explanations he wrote for the astronomy book called "Mulakhkhas fil-Hay'a" which was written by al-Kwharizmi and which was used as a textbook in the Ottoman schools. He also wrote explanations for the book called "Ashkalut-Ta'sis", which was written by Shamsuddin Samarqandi about geometry and properties of triangles. He wrote an Arabic book called "Mukhtasar fil-Hisab", consisting of three parts: the first part about arithmetic, the second part about algebra and equations and the third part about measurements.  

The most important work of Qadizada is the explanation he wrote for Ghiyasuddin Jamshid's "Risala fi Istikhrajil-Jaybi Daraja Wahida". Although he wrote interpretations about the book, he explained the method of calculating one degree arc sine in a better and simpler way than the author. Qadizada is mentioned as the best and real astronomer of the age he lived in. Thus, we can regard Qadizada as the first real astronomer of the Ottoman Turks.

Mahmut Şirvani (Mahmud Shirwani)

Shirwani, who lived in the first half of the 15th century, is one of the most important physicians, perhaps the first one, of the Ottoman medicine. He was born in Anatolia of a family of Shirwan origin. He wrote eleven books and dedicated all his works to the statesmen of the era he lived in. "Murshid", which was his last and the most important work and which was dedicated to Sultan Mehmet II (the Conqueror), is the largest book related to eye diseases in the Ottoman medicine.

"Tuhfe-i Muradi", another book he wrote, is included in the list of the first medical works written in Anatolia due to the information it contains. Although the topic is based on precious stones, it is accepted as a medical book by historians since he explains how those stones are used in medicine.

Four of Shirwani's works were written in Arabic and six in Turkish. There is no other productive medical writer in the first period of Ottoman medicine. In addition to reflecting the scientific mentality of the period clearly, it is of great importance since he wrote his works in plain Turkish, which everyone can understand even today.

Mukbilzade Mümin (Muqbilzada Mumin)

One of the important scientists of the Ottoman period is Muqbilzada Mumin, who lived during the reign Murad II and left two important works. Mumin was one of the first Ottoman physicians along with Shirwani, who was interested in eye diseases specially.

The author's first work is "Zahire-i Muradiye", which was dedicated to the sultan. His second work "Miftahun-Nur wa Khazainus-Surur" is an important medical book, which was also dedicated to the sultan. The book describes the details of eye diseases after the diagnosis and health information is mentioned in general. In this important work, head and skull structure and diseases, eye diseases, eyelid disorders, conjunctiva and corneal diseases are described in detail, measures against those diseases and their cures are explained.

The presence of Muqbilzada Mumin in the lists of physicians in all of the Darush-Shifa foundations in the Ottoman State proves that he was a very important physician of the period and it reflects the importance given to eye diseases at that time.

Ali Kuşçu (Ali Qushji)

Ali Qushji, who has a well-deserved reputation among the scientists of astronomy and mathematics in the Turkish-Islamic world, is considered to be the leading scientist of astronomy among Ottoman Turks. The Western and Eastern Science world regard him as an exceptional scientist that lived in the 15th century. Qushji learned mathematics from Ulugh Bey and Qadizada. He went to Azerbaijan, where he served as the embassy under the command Sultan Hasan the Tall of Akkoyunlu State for a while; then, he worked as a scientist in the palace of Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror).

Ali Kuşçu, who made a sundial in the Fatih Complex, and who took part in scientific discussions, determined the degree of latitude and longitude of Istanbul. Ali Qushji, produced the first map of the Moon; his name was given to a region in the Moon. Ali Qushji's works can be divided into two main parts. The first one is about religion and philology. The other is about mathematics and astronomy. The most important one of these works is "Risale fil-Hay'a". It was presented to Fatih (the Conqueror) with the name "Fathiya" as it was completed on the day of the Conquest of Istanbul. This work, which is a major breakthrough in the field of mathematics and astronomy, contains all of the scientific details of heavenly bodies, including the distance of them to the world. The book was written in Persian and then translated into Arabic. It was still preferred as a book on astronomy even after the Western science became widespread in Turkey.

Mirim Çelebi (Chalabi)

Mirim Chalabi, whose real name Mahmud b. Mehmed, was one of the most prominent astronomers and mathematicians in the Ottoman State in the 16^th century. He was born in Istanbul, studied in madrasas and worked as a teacher when Bayezid II was a prince; he occupied important positions in the state.

One of the most important works of Chalabi, who is the grandson of Qadizada and Ali Qushji, is an explanation called "Dusturul-Amal wa Tashihul-Jadwal", which   he wrote in Persian, about Ulugh Bey's Zij (Catalogue of Stars). The author described the topics in a variety of ways; for example, he showed five clear solutions to calculate one degree of arc sine.

Mirim Chalabi, also wrote an explanation for Fathiya, written by his grandfather Ali Qushji on astronomy, upon the insistence Sultan Selim I. He wrote seven or eight booklets about mathematics and astronomy. Mirim Chalabi is one of the Muslim scientists who worked the hardest for the advancement of the sciences of astronomy and mathematics in the Ottoman State.

Taqiyuddin Efendi

He is one of the most important astronomers of the 16th century. He came to Istanbul from Cairo to work for the state. He was welcomed due to his mastery in mathematics and was introduced to the Sultan. An observatory was established thanks to his great help. The observatory he founded was equipped with the most important astronomical instruments of that time. It is a very important place with the observations made in it, the tools used there and the astronomers who worked there.

The most important work of Taqiyuddin is "Sidratul-Muntaha". In this work, he calculated solar parameters by using the three observation points method. Taqiyuddin is the third person in the world to use this method after Tycho Brahe and Copernicus. Although they obtained similar results, Taqiyuddin's calculations related to the solar parameters were recorded as the most accurate calculations of the 16^th century.

Taqiyuddin mentions “clocks” in his works as if they are astronomical tools. The most important features of his clocks was that they showed minutes and seconds precisely. The production of a clock including minutes and seconds in Europe took place in the same period when Taqiyuddin mentioned that mechanism.

In his small catalogue of stars called "Haridatud-Durar wa Faridatul-Fikr", Taqiyuddin used decimal fractions and gave information about them. In other words, decimal fractions were not only introduced but also used by Taqiyuddin much earlier than they were known in Europe. When this information is considered, it is clearly seen that Taqiyuddin is one of the scientists who did several things for the “first” time in the world.

Saydi Ali b. Husayn

Saydi Ali b. Husayn, is a great sailor who specialized in astronomy, participated in several sea expeditions, especially wars, and worked in the service of Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha.

The most important work of Husayn, which shows that he is a scientist that is an expert in marine astronomy and geography is "Muhit". Many important issues like direction finding, time calculation, calendar, sun and moon timings, compass sections, the altitudes of various islands and famous ports related to the pole star, some information about astronomy, winds, transportation routes, big storms and measures to be taken against them are included in this work. As it can be understood from the topics, Muhit is a very scientific and important work.

Husayn also translated Ali Qushji’s "Fethiye" and made some additions. He added astronomical terms when he listed the skies, stated that the center of the realm was the center of the earth and that the heavy objects fell toward the center of the earth.

In his other work called "Mir'at-i Kainat", the author gives information about the altitude of the sun, the places of the stars, the determination of the qiblah and the noon time, finding sines, chords and tangents of circles, and measuring the width of a river that cannot be crossed. He is a superior sailor and astronomer who gave very important information about astronomy and wrote several valuable books.

Katib Chalabi

He is a great scientist who lived in the seventeenth century. At the age of fourteen, he was admitted to Anatolian Accounting Office and learned the rules of calculations from one of the scholars there. After that, he studied with various teachers and expanded his knowledge.

Perhaps the most important work of Katib Chalabi among his approximately twenty books is "Kashfuz-Zunun an Asamil-Kutub wal-Funun". The book contains information about three hundred independent branches of science/knowledge and their aims and topics, along with researches.

His second major work is "Cihannüma". The author divides the five continents on the earth into six and gives general information about them (Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia and Polar regions) in this book on geography and cosmography. Various evidences are given to prove the roundness of the earth and all of the plants and animals from Japan to Erzurum are introduced in the work. "Cihannüma" is the first and only systematic geography book that contains valuable information that is not found anywhere about the Ottoman State on three continents, its cities and towns.

Katip Chalabi is an intellectual who made great moves in the Ottoman society in the period when the atmosphere was stagnant and closed to innovations. He was a scholar who was engaged in translating astronomy books of the West. Chalabi is considered to be one of the first architects of a scientific understanding that exceeded the conditions of the era he lived in.

Ibn an-Nafis

Another person that left his mark on important developments in science in the 13th century is Alauddin Ali Abil-Hazm al-Qurayshi, also known as Ibn an-Nafis. Ibn an-Nafis made many important explanations about medicine in his famous book called "Mu'jazul-Qanun" and it became very popular. The most important feature of his book was that Ibn an-Nafis described the small blood circulation just like Michel Servetus, who described it in the 16^th century before Harvey did.

It is extremely important that Servetus explained the small blood circulation about three centuries after Ibn an-Nafis and that he described the same anatomical structure. For, until that time, the classical belief in anatomy was that the septum (the separating membrane or wall separating two different parts of an organ) was permeable. However, Ibn An-Nafis concluded this fact acting upon the idea that the septum was not permeable without any observations. As a matter of fact, it was proved in the following centuries by observations that the septum was not permeable.

Ibn An-Nafis is undoubtedly one of the most important names in the history of medicine with this important discovery. Although the importance and value of his discovery became known three centuries after his death, he was known as the great medical person who contributed a lot to the Ottoman period.

Akşemseddin (Akshamsaddin)

His real name is Shamsaddin Muhammad b. Hamza. However, he was called Akshamsaddin because of his white (gray) beard and mustache and wearing white clothes. He was born in Damascus and moved to Anatolia at an early age; he settled in a county of Amasya. He became very successful in various sciences at a young age and had a good medical education.

Akshamsaddin, who made deep research in the field of medicine, described germ five hundred years ago by saying, "It is wrong to think that diseases emerge in humans one by one. Diseases pass from person to person through infection. This infection occurs through tiny living seeds that are too small to see with the eyes." He made this statement about a hundred years before the Italian physician Fracastor, who first introduced the term germ. Akshamsaddin, who made such a great discovery, has an important place in the history of medicine. Akshamsaddin, who was very close to Sultan Murad II and Mehmet II, is known for healing many patients in and around the palace with his medications.

Akşemseddin wrote many religious books as well as two great medical works of utmost importance. His works still maintain their importance in medical literature.

Al-Battani

Al-Battani, who was born in Harran in 868, received his first education from his father Jabir bin San'an al-Battani, who was a famous scientist. He continued his education afterwards and became an expert in a wide range of subjects.

Battani is a famous astronomer, mathematician and astrologer. He made many important discoveries about astronomy. The most important of them was that he calculated the solar year as 365 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes and 24 seconds. This discovery is very close to today's measurements. He also discovered that the longitude of the sun at its peak increased 160 47' since the discovery by Ptolemy. This is an important discovery that shows the orbital movements of the sun and the small differences in synchronicity.

The innovations introduced by al-Battani reveal that there is a remarkable curve in the ecliptic plane, and shows the length of the seasons and the orbit of the sun with precise measurements. His observations related the moon and the sun were used by Dunthorne in 1749 to understand the movement of the moon. In mathematics, he was the first person to use the sine instead of the Greek chord. In addition, he introduced the concept of cotangent and formed a graded table. He has numerous works on astronomy and trigonometry. His works on astronomy influenced Europe until the Renaissance, and his discoveries in astronomy and trigonometry led the development of these branches of science.

Al-Khwarizmi

Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Musa al-Khwarizmi was born circa 770 AD in Uzbekistan. He is known as the mathematician who had the most constant and profound impact on the Western world of science.

Khwarizmi is the person to write the first book on the science of algebra in the Eastern world of science. This branch of science had previously been dealt with to a certain extent and was regarded as a science different from geometry. Simple equations had been solved, but the origin of second degree equations had not yet been understood. Khwarizmi was the first person to systematically determine the solution of second degree equations in his second book called "al-Jabr wal-Muqabala". Khwarizmi explained the methods mentioned in his work with the ability of a teacher and proved those rules geometrically.

This work of Khwarizmi caused the start of very important developments in the history of mathematics; it was considered as the basis for mathematics learning for more than six hundred years. Scientists such as Roger Bacon and Fibonacci studied this work with admiration and benefited from it in their teachings. In 1598-1599, the only source of algebra was still this work of Khwarizmi.

In addition to mathematics, he also wrote books on astronomy and geography. He also wrote books on sundials and clocks.

Thabit Bin Qurra

Thabit bin Qurra is one of the Islamic scientists who specialized in mathematics, astronomy and medicine. He pioneered very big developments in all these areas; he introduced several innovations in the fields of geometry and algebra in the period when he lived. The orientalist Georges Rivoire writes about the place of Thabit bin Qurra in geometry as follows:

"We owe the application of algebra to geometry to Muslims. It is the work of Thabit bin Qurra, who died in 900."

It is known that Thabit, who was engaged in mathematics, astronomy, astrology, medicine and translation, wrote seventy-nine books. Twenty-one of them are about medicine, two about music, and the remaining twenty-five about mathematics and philosophy.

Using the information of Euclid, Thabit succeeded in showing solutions of much more general equations in algebra. He was also engaged in the solution to positive rooted second degree equations like Khwarizmi. The solution the the third degree equations was found by Umar Khayyam two centuries later. C. B. Boyer, states the following for this master mathematician:

"9^th century was the golden age of Muslim mathematicians. The first half of the century was marked by Khwarizmi, and the second half was marked by Thabit bin Qurra. Khwarizmi and Euclid are similar as 'foundationalists' while Thabit is, like Pappus, an interpreter of calculus." [Boyer, C. B. (1968). A History of Mathematics, John Wiley and Sons, New York, p. 258]

You can access a very good visual work about the issue from the videos in our website called windowsofislam.com; we recommend it.

Some of the scientific miracles determined in the Quran in the course of time are as follows:

• The universe expands all the time. (adh-Dhariyat 51/47)
• Big-Bang, the skies and the earth being cleft asunder. (al-Anbiya 21/30, Fussilat 41/11)
• Winds fecundating clouds and plants. (al-Hijr 15/22)
• The word "nahl", that is, "bee" being used as a feminine word and its verb forms being used with feminine forms. (an-Nahl 16/68-69)
• Planets are not fixed; they have certain orbits and courses. (Ya-Sin 36/38 and 40, al-Anbiya 21/33, Luqman 31/29)
• Two seas not mixing with each other; the law of "surface tension". (ar-Rahman 55/19-20, al-Furqan 25/53)
• Underground waters being formed by rain water. (az-Zumar 39/21)
• The earth being reduced from its outlying borders. (ar-Ra'd 13/41, al-Anbiya 21/44)
• The dangers of the house built by the female spider and its insecurity. (al-Ankabut 29/41)
• Femininity and masculinity in plants. (Ta-Ha 20/53, ar-Ra'd 13/3)
• The three stages of the baby in the uterus: abdominal wall, uterine wall, amnionic membrane. (az-Zumar 39/6)
• The phase of mudghah - a little lump of flesh (chewed substance) in the uterus. (al-Mu'minun 23/14)
• Clouds are actually very heavy. (al-A'raf 7/57, ar-Ra'd 13/12)
• Mountains are not fixed; they move. (an-Naml 27/88)
• Iron came to the world from outer space. (al-Hadid 57/25)
• We need to move while sleeping. (al-Kahf 18/18)
• Ears are active during sleep. (al-Kahf 18/11)
• Creation in pairs; everything is created in pairs and with opposites. (Ya-Sin 36/36)
• The world is round. (az-Zumar 39/5, an-Naziat 79/30)
• Oxygen decreases as altitude increases. (al-An'am 6/125)
• Meteors; the atmosphere, which prevents us from harmful sun rays and adversities like space cold. (al-Anbiya 21/32)
• The sky that returns; meteors, harmful rays, heat, radio waves... (at-Tariq 86/11)
• Mountains with duties. (al-Anbiya 21/31, an-Naba 78/6-7, Luqman 31/10)
• The star that knocks. (at-Tariq 86/1)
• The red rose in the sky "Rosetta Nebula". (ar-Rahman 55/37)
• Relativity of time. (as-Sajda 32/5, al-Maarij 70/4)
• It is not possible to leave the atmosphere without a propelling power and a burning will occur in the meantime. (ar-Rahman 55/ 33-36)
• Everybody has different fingerprints. (al-Qiyamah 75/4)
• Everybody has different tongue prints. (ar-Rum 30/22)
• Cattle were sent down from the sky. (az-Zumar 39/6)

On the other hand, there are definitely other miracles that will emerge until the Day of Judgment; they will be understood in the course of time.  

For, as the universe gets old, the Quran gets younger since it is divine speech.

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Questions on Islam # Videos

We see in the internet websites in which different translations and interpretations are made about whether there is a "god spot" somewhere in the brain or not. The main point of those different writings is as follows:

“A neuropsychological area that forms the basis of religious feelings has been found in the brain of people by scientists conducting research on the subject. This area is spread all over the brain. Religious feelings and spirituality are related to the interconnection of a very complex structure. When these feelings unite, they enable people to have experiences about spirituality.”

As it can be understood from the statements of some of the researchers in question, a remarkable point is that those religious centers generally reflect religious feelings rather than a particular religion. For example, as a result of this sense of religion, some reinforce their religious thoughts about Buddhism, some about Judaism and some about Islam. In fact, this feeling emerges as a “thought of being connected with the universe” for atheists.

We regard it useful to deal with a few points about the issue:

a. As far as it has been conveyed to us, according to the information put forward by these studies, the feelings that perform the religious function that is stated to have been found in the brain, or the centers of these feelings, are not a factor that forces people toward a certain religion. On the contrary, - within the framework of a feeling of religion and a reality of religiousness that is the center of attention for people based on those feelings – a door is opened for the mind; the free will and the right to choose are not removed. He who wishes will use his mind to investigate where he can find Allah’s attributes correctly and proclaim his faith accordingly.  

“Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it).” (al-Kahf, 18/29)

Therefore, it should be evaluated as an evidence for the scene of freedom expressed in the verse above.

b. It is possible to solve the problem “Is the feeling of belief that we experience a trick of the brain?” expressed in the question as follows: Based on thousands of experiences or obvious realities, hundreds of branches of exact sciences witness that all of the material and spiritual feelings and organs that exist in the creation of man serve a purpose, undertake an important task, perform functions for the healthy functioning of the body and spiritual structure of man. For example, it is seen by the eye and heard by the ear that the eye is suitable for seeing and the ear is suitable for hearing. It is also seen that the feelings of laughing and crying have the necessary nature to laugh and cry appropriately – as a way of reflecting the joy and sadness of a person to the outside.  

To sum up, today's scientific developments, especially the science of anatomy, acknowledge that even a single cell in man is not created unnecessarily.

In that case, we can easily state the following: Nature/creation does not lie. Nature/creation does not deceive. Nature/creation has an extraordinary multi-purpose background that cannot be attributed to chance.

As it can be understood from the determination above and similar ones, no one but Allah, who is the creator of everything and who has eternal knowledge, wisdom and power, can own the human nature/creation including the brain

To sum up, the skill of seeing of the eye is not a trick; the witnessing of the brain in favor of the existence of belief is not a trick either.  

Besides, the desire for eternity, which Allah placed in man’s heart and spirit, is the greatest evidence of the hereafter, and the eternal life. It is a rule that man wants something that exists; he does not want what does not exist. If the hereafter did not exist, this desire of man would be in vain. “If He had not wanted to give, He would not have given wanting.” Man’s superiority and his endless ability would be of no use. For, man, who is the most perfect fruit of the universe and the most comprehensive being in terms of ability, was created for eternity and will go to eternity. (see Nursi, Sözler, p. 522)

c. The scientific data of those studies necessitate belief in the Quran and hadiths.

- For, the religion of Islam is described as the “religion of nature/creation”. It means the nature of man is in a structure that can accept the religion of Islam and live accordingly.

One of the verses regarding the issue is as follows:

“So set thou thy face steadily and truly to the Faith: (establish) Allah´s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah: that is the standard Religion: but most among mankind understand not.” (ar-Rum, 30/30)

- The Prophet (pbuh) states the following:

"Every child is born with a true faith of Islam but his parents convert him to Christianity, Judaism, or Zoroastrianism." (Bukhari, Janaiz 92; Abuû Dawud, Sunnah 17; Tirmidhi, Qadar 5)

Yes, every child is born with a true faith of Islam; however, external effects such as parents, friends, neighborhood, society and school, along with willpower, which will evaluate them in favor of or against itself, will intervene in the child’s nature in a positive or negative way.

However, these correct codes in man’s nature do not show a compulsory direction - in order to make the test fair. On the contrary, it can be changed to different formats depending on the free will of man.

Limpid, pure and clear spring water is clean in terms of its main source and nature, and it can assume the most beneficial and healing state. – Or, it can be smeared by dust and soil and be changed to another state.

Likewise, a new born child is ready to accept the truth based on the laws of creation and the universe, and to reject dirty things and aberration. Therefore, no matter what you tell the children aged between 5 and 15, they immediately record it in their minds and place it in their hearts in the name of belief and Islam. For instance, when you say, “every village must have its headman; every needle must have its manufacturer and craftsman. Therefore, this huge universe cannot exist without an owner; its owner is Allah”, the receiver facing you is so clean and is so ready to receive such messages that it records your message without any interference.

The understanding and the explanation of THE WHOLE UNIVERSE is hidden within these two magical words. Purposefulness and coincidence. Namely, are the creatures of this universe shaped and formed according to a plan and a purpose, or have they just appeared by the blind coincidence?

The efforts of understanding the meaning of these two magical words are as old as the human history. All philosophical thoughts and efforts have been intended to explain the meanings. What these two words mean for every existing thing, every single creature and especially for man, have been tried to put forth. For instance, that the sun being over there, the earth being over here and that each of them spinning in a specific speed; are they purposeful behaviors? Is it according to a plan? Or, is it a result of randomness? Is man, the ruler on earth, a product of coincidence?

Answering these questions as old as humanity has brought with it some movements of thought. These thoughts, or “philosophical ideas” as we might call them, can be divided into two parts. One is based on the idea of coincidence, and the other one on the idea that every being has been created for a purpose.

Epicurus and Democritus

It is noteworthy that, philosophers trying to explain the existence of the beings through coincidence has always refuted one another’s thoughts. Each philosopher has claimed that the others’ thoughts are insufficient and unsatisfactory, and that their own thoughts are the right ones. For this reason, the number of different thoughts and ideas has almost been as many as the number of philosophers. One of the ideas, which supports the idea of coincidence and is the based of the evolution theory today, was first introduced in the 5th century B.C. by Leucippus and Democritus. The Greek philosopher Epicurus later, around 300 years B.C., continued with this idea which later became known as atomism. According to this philosophical thought, everything in the universe, including the living creatures, is made up of small particles called atoms. After some unexpected and random behaviors of the atoms, all living beings that were possible were shaped and formed. However, only the ones capable of reproducing themselves have been able to continue their existence. Looking for a purpose and an underlying plan for the creatures are therefore unnecessary. For example, eyes are not created for eyesight; rather, they exist by chance and are results of coincidence. It is impossible not to see once the animal owns it by chance. That is why, the main reason for the clear order and harmony seen in nature is chance and needs.

Michael Behe and his Darwin's Black Box book

According to the idea of purposiveness, which goes all the way back to the time of Adam, nothing is the work of coincidence. It is stated that every single being is planned and created according to a purpose and a goal. Today, we call this “Intelligent Design”. Michael Behe, an American biochemist who is promoting this idea became famous for his book, Darwin’s Black Box. According to this view propounded as an alternative to Darwin’s Theory, it is pointed out that the inside of the cell was an unknown “Black box” when Darwin lived and that when the details of it was understood, it was found that there was ”a very complex design” there. According to Behe, it is impossible for the complex systems inside the living creatures to come out as a result of natural selections and mutations, that is, through some unconscious mechanisms. This shows that the cells are designed consciously.

People defending the idea of creation and purposiveness point out that an electron orbiting inside the atom 50 000 times a second can never move by chance and coincidence.  If we assume the electrons move by chance, they mention that the electrons might jump out of their orbits, colliding and destroying other atom systems resulting in a chain reaction that makes the whole universe explode like an atom bomb. Thus, they point out that the movement of an atom and electrons cannot be by chance. Thereby, they accept that all beings are created and controlled according to a plan and for a purpose by someone with endless power and knowledge.

The evolutionists defending the materialistic philosophy often argue that “It is ‘unscientific’ to state that there is a plan and a purpose behind the existence of the beings, and such an idea is just ‘dogmatic’ with no reason to be discussed.”. Why are they so insistent on their argument? Because, it is impossible to accept the existence of Selimiye Mosque without its architect Mimar Sinan. Hence, saying “to think that an architect has made the Selimiye Mosque is unscientific” means preventing sensible and rational thinking, and attributing everything to coincidence. Though even a soup has never appeared by coincidence, accepting that the countless beings on earth are made by coincidence is a scientific way of thought, according to them!

They also accept that studying a living creature by knowing the existence of intelligent design is far more sensible and more encouraging for research than studying it thinking that it is a result of coincidence. However, unforunately, the dogmatic approach to the materialistic thought prevents them from rational thinking.

Everyone definitely agrees that the glasses one uses have been designed and made by a craftsman for a purpose and according to some measurements. However, when it comes to the creation of the eyes, it is attributed to coincidence!

Thousands of different planned reactions take place inside cells each second, and according to the materialistic philosophy, it is the DNA molecules inside the cells that manage this. They are even called ‘Smart molecules’. These molecules must know every single detail of the cell and must grasp the past and the future of the living being. Of course, this is not enough; they must take necessary actions, and have the power of ensuring organization among cells. To sum up, these molecules must have knowledge, will and power as much as a deity. People defending this thought do not accept one God and have no choice but accepting as many gods as the number of atoms and molecules. What is strange is this: the idea of accepting one God is refused immediately since it is not a scientific way of thinking according to them. However, to attribute each atom and molecule as many tasks as the tasks of a deity is presented as the only scientific system of thought. The only thing left for us is to say, “This is really unbelievable”.

It is a scientific fact that energy is not eternal but was created later.

Energy, like other substances, lacks the power to create.

The presence of energy in every space is something different. The sun’s light is also present everywhere, on all the planets in its system. The presence of energy in a place is a sign that it was created later because a pre-eternal being does not reside in the beings that were created later.

The fact that energy enters into different material forms is the clearest proof that it is not eternal because an eternal being does not turn into a being created afterwards. It is the common view of Islamic theology, philosophy, and positive science that variability is the clearest proof of creation.

The fact that Allah is omnipresent means omnipresence, not by His essence, but by His knowledge and power.

The Prophet (pbuh) emphasizes that Allah is the only eternal being by saying, “There was Allah and there was nothing else with Him.” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 67, 74)

Whatever we envisage in in our minds and imaginations, it is definitely not Allah because Allah does not resemble anything. However, whatever we imagine, there is always a resemblance to something that we saw.

As for your other question, is it possible to hesitate that Allah can lift this or that stone though He turns the Sun and celestial bodies thousands of times larger than the Sun like a slingshot? The use of the expression “Allah is omnipotent (has power over everything)” repeatedly in the Quran aims to destroy such delusions.

The meaning of the verse in question is as follows:

“Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; is firmly established on the throne (of authority); He has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law)! Each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He doth regulate all affairs, explaining the signs in detail, that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.” (ar-Ra’d, 13/2)

It is possible to understand “the raising of the heavens” mentioned in the verse as follows:

a) The Quran addresses people. Although there is no up-down in real sense in the universe, the sky is up in people’s minds and views.

While addressing people, the Quran uses expressions in a way that does not offend their feelings and thoughts.

The “placement of the heavens above” in this verse is an example of tit.

b) The universe was once a single dough. One ladle of this cosmic soup was placed as the heavens and one ladle as the earth.

It is very accurate to say that “the heavens are positioned above” according to the concept of six directions in people’s minds.

c) The main purpose of the expression in question is to explain that the heavens are suspended in the air without pillars (without visible material pillars).

Although it is necessary to see the miracle of the Quran from its statement fifteen centuries ago that the heavens were suspended in the air without pillars and with the infinite power of Allah, it cannot be the work of common sense to hesitate about it.

D) The word “samawat”, meaning “heavens/skies”, refers to space, in which stars, solar systems and galaxies travel in their own orbits. Almighty Allah ­points to a law of nature in the verse and informs us that He raises and directs these objects in the sky without a pillar that we can see.

Allah has connected these large masses to a system moving in space, placed centrifugal force and gravitational force in these masses to keep them away from each other and prevent them from colliding with one another, thus preventing them from either infinitely drifting away from one another or falling onto one another by striking a balance.

As a matter of fact, Allah Almighty states the following:

 “He withholds the sky from failing on the earth except by His leave.” (al-Hajj, 22/65)

Thus, He points to the divine order among those heavenly bodies.

It is stated in the verse that Allah makes the sun and the moon obey His command, that He created them for the service of His servants, and that each one of them will run until a specified time, that is, until the Day of Judgment.­

Those bodies are not stationary, but connected to a system in motion. ­The moon will move around the earth, the earth around the sun, and the sun together with its satellites as a system in its own orbit for a certain period of time.

This expression indicates that the world, even the created realm, is finite. In addition, the verse shows that the formation and changes in the universe as a whole and the laws related to them, called “laws of nature”, do not originate from the essence of nature, but are ­the works of Allah’s infinite knowledge, will, power and wisdom. The phrase “Allah regulates all affairs” in the verse clearly states it.

They are all signs showing Allah’s power. Allah explains them so that people can know His power and ­firmly believe that Allah, who has created and ruled the universe, can resurrect people after they die, gather them in His presence and call them to account for their deeds in the world.

One of the timeless scientific facts that the glorious Quran informs us is the issue of the creation of everything in pairs.

“And of everything We have created pairs: that ye may receive instruction.” (adh-Dhariyat, 51/49)

The verse above is of great significance in that it expresses this fact. It is possible to see this fact everywhere and in everything, from particles to planets, from systems to galaxies. Human beings and animals were created in pairs. Plants were also created in the same way.

The same thing holds true everywhere with male-female and inseminating-being inseminated. Although there exists pollination in plants, it is not possible for them to continue their species unless the male seed meets the female seed. Similarly, when the human body is examined, it will be observed that the same law is valid there because atoms, which are the building blocks of the body cells, are made up of some positively and negatively charged particles.

The Quran expresses this apparent fact as follows:

“And of him He made two sexes, male and female.” (al-Qiyamah, 75/39)

“And it is He (Allah) Who created fruit of every kind in pairs, two and two.” (ar-Ra’d, 13/3)

The verse above reminds us that fruits are created in pairs (male-female). The word “kull” in the verse means “every”. The word kull modifies the noun that comes after it. It is called an “adjective phrase”. The second word in the phrase is either ma’rifa (definite) or nakra (indefinite). If it is definite, it includes all parts of a being. If it is indefinite, it includes all members of that thing. In the verse, “shay’” (thing) is modified by nakra. Therefore, it is understood that everything (all of the things) is created in pairs.

In the chapter of Yasin, the following is stated:

“Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces as well as their own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no knowledge.” (Yasin, 36/36)

Thus, the phrase, “created in pairs” is explained here. In the verse, at first attention is drawn to the fact that everything was created in pairs; then, it is emphasized that all of the beings that grow in the ground like grass, flowers, tress, etc. are included in the scope of this general law as female and male.

“As well as their own”, that is, the things in your own are also in pairs. You were created in pairs as male-female, and your bodies were created like that. They also have positive and negative values.

By the expression, “who created in pairs things of which they have no knowledge”, the Quran reminds us the following:

“Human beings and animals were created in pairs as female and male; similarly, plants were created in pairs, too. Therefore, no reproduction takes place among them without insemination. However, there are more pairs that you do not know now but will know in the future. Your present science and research facilities are not enough to determine it. However, in the future, science and technology will develop and you will see that many more beings have been created in pairs. We created everything in pairs from the great system and galaxies to the attraction and repulsion between the stars and the sun and from it to the smallest realm, to the elements in human beings, animals, plants, seeds and atoms.”

Maurice Dirac established the fundamental principle of the creation in pairs with the discovery of the elementary particle positron. Electron is one of the fundamental elements that constitute atom. It has the smallest electric charge unit negatively. Positron has a mass as big as that of electron but it is an elementary particle carrying positive electric charge unlike electron.

According to the rule of creation in pairs, which is one of the fundamental structures of physics, when a particle is created at any point in the world, its twin, that is, its opposite, comes into existence automatically. The most famous ones are as follows:

1) Positron, the opposite twin of electron.
2) Antiproton, the opposite twin of proton.
3) Antineutron, the opposite twin of neutron
4) Antineutrino, the opposite twin of neutrino.

When matter is examined more deeply, pairs are seen again. As it is known, every matter consists of atoms; and atoms consist of protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons and neutrons consist of particles called ‘quarks’. They are also in pairs as follows:

up, down;
strange, charm;
top, bottom.

The existence of the top quark, which was the last one to be discovered, was known theoretically. According to the standard model, particles had to be in the form of pairs too. There had to be a quark that would increase the number of quarks from five to six. Acting upon this fact, 440 scientists discovered the top quark in 1995 as a result of hard work that lasted 17 years, making a breakthrough in discovering the secrets of matter.

The positive charge of atom is in its nucleus, and its negative charge is in its other parts. Then, there may just as well be atoms whose nuclei are negative and whose electrons are positive. That is, opposite twin of matter may exist. The experts of this field accept the existence of antimatter in our galaxy, which consists of stars, the sun, gas and dust. Maybe some of the star systems that astronomers see through telescopes are comprised of antimatter only. The fact that there are two kinds of electricity, as positive and negative, which has a fundamental role in the creation and running of the universe, was discovered in 1733. Electrical charges repel each other and opposite electrical charges attract each other.

It is also known that a magnet has two opposite poles as south and north. No matter into how many tiny parts you divide a magnet, two different poles form each time. That is, it is impossible to form a magnet with one pole. Poles repel each other and opposite poles attract each other just like the charges in electricity. Our world is like a huge magnet; it has two opposite poles as north and south.

Although so many centuries passed and science has developed so fast, nothing has changed much. What the miraculous Quran said then was valid for the science and mentality of that time and it is similarly valid for the science and mentality of today. They all show that the Quran is a miraculous word of Allah, who is the sultan of pre-eternity and post-eternity.

There are pairs of cells in hermaphrodite beings, too.

Answer 1:

Prof. Marshall states the following when he shows the state of the fetus in the stage of alaqah: Nutfah becomes alaqah (coagulated blood, water leech, hanging object) after a while, and mudghah, that is, meat looking as if it was chewed by teeth after that. The fetus is one centimeter tall in the stage of mudghah.  

According to what the famous Muslim scientist Zindani states, the 8^th Medical Congress convened in Saudi Arabia in October 1983 in order to compare the Quran and the hadiths with modern science. The subject "Scientific Miracles in the Quran and the Hadith" was in the panel discussion. 2500 doctors took part in the congress. Seven famous doctors presented papers in Embryology and Gynecology and discussed. They stated the same thing for three days: "Medicine discovered this and the Quran states this." The state of the fetus (embryo) was on the screen, followed by verses and hadiths.  

Then, something unexpected happened: Zindani, one of the members of the congress, who witnessed the incident, started to record it on the video cassette; he described that very exciting scene as if he was watching it again as follows:   

"At the end of the negotiations, Prof. Tataca stood up. (He also took part in the congress studies. He is the head of Embryology Department in Chiang Mai University in Thailand. After he returned to Thailand, he gave a conference at the university explaining "the Scientific Miracle in the Quran and Hadiths". Then, he sent us this video cassette. As it can be seen in the cassette, Tataca addressed the academicians of the university and the audience at the end of the conference as follows:)

It is time to explain this fact now: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger. Thus, I declare that I have become a Muslim." For more detailed information regarding the issue, see the article entitled “İlim Adamları İki Büklüm” written by Prof. Dr. Suat Yıldırım.

Another scientist called Keith stated that all of the characteristics of the three terms nutfah, alaqah and mudghah mentioned in the Quran were in compliance with the scientific facts and that they shed light on the world of medicine. The stage expressed as nutfah has all characteristics of scientific research. The stage alaqah is in a position of being hanged and coagulated. All of the life characteristics of the fetus are stored in the form of a blood clot.

Mudghah means chewed meat. When its shaped is viewed, it is seen that it is like a piece of chewed meat. There are virtually traces of teeth on it. As a result of his research, Keith starts to admire the Quran and the Prophet, and he approves of this miracle of the Quran belonging to 1,400 years ago. He adds the information he learned from the Quran to the second impression of his book called Before We Are Born.

When he was asked, "How would you explain the presence of such information in the Quran?”, he said,

“The Quran is nothing but revelation sent down by Allah.” (Gary Miller, The Amazing Qur’an, p. 34-39)

Thus, scientists express their surprise due to the terminology of the Quran and hadiths about embryology and some of them become believers.  

Answer 2:

The following statement is used for the word “mudghah” in Lisanul-Arab: “When the fetus in the mother’s womb completes the stage of alaqah and is transformed into the form of meat, it is called mudghah.” (see Lisanul-Arab, MDG item) That is only the word “meat”: is used instead of “a piece of chewed meat”.

It is a correct determination because the purpose of this expression of the Quran is to show the stages man undergoes in the mother’s womb. In the stage of alaqah, it hangs from the wall of the womb but it resembles the color of blood (at least, it is in a form other than meat).

There is no doubt that the concept “mudghah” in the verse is used in the sense of the transformation of the fetus into meat. That tafsir scholars call it “a piece of chewed meat” does not really mean it is a morsel. The process of each stage lasts for days. It is mentioned as “40” days each in some hadith narrations. It is possible for a piece of flesh that is a few mm at the beginning of a forty-day process to grow and become 1 to 2 cm that can be called “a piece of chewed meat” at the end of that process.

It is interesting that an evidence showing that mudghah is used in the sense of a piece of meat in Lisanul-Arab is that the word “mudghah” is used for heart in a hadith. (see Lisanul-Arab, ibid / For the hadith, see also Kanzul-Ummal, h.no:7291)

It shows that this word expresses a piece of meat in general, not a piece of meat of a certain size. The word mudghah is used both for a piece of meat as big as a fist like the heart and a small piece of meat of one mm or a few cm.

- We do not know how far the demons have developed technology. They may have suggested ideas to people even if they did not do it directly themselves. In particular, they may have inculcated the production and use of technology that is harmful to humanity.

The following statement of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi seems to point to this “suggestion of idea”:

“Thus, the vast meaning and mighty truth expressed by verse 88 of al-Isra is imagined by those of scant intelligence to be an impossible supposition for the purposes of uttering an exaggerated piece of eloquence. God forbid! It is not an exaggeration, nor is it an impossible supposition; it is an absolutely truthful piece of rhetoric, and possible and actual.

One aspect of its being in this form is this: if all the fine words of man and jinn which do not issue from the Quran and do not belong to it were to be gathered together, they could not imitate the Quran. And they have not been able to imitate it, for they have been unable to show that they have.

The second aspect is this: civilization, and science and philosophy and European literature, which are the products of the thought and efforts of mankind and the jinn and even satans, remain in the very pits of impotence before the decrees, wisdom, and eloquence of the Qur’an. Just as we showed in the examples.” (Sözler, pp. 411-412)

- As for the issue of whether it is permissible to use today’s technology aided by the devils,

it is good and permissible to use technology for the benefit of humanity, no matter who produces it.

“And of the evil ones, were some who dived for him (Solomon), and did other work besides; and it was We Who guarded them.” (see al-Anbiya, 21/82),

“As also the evil ones, (including) every kind of builder and diver,- As also others bound together in fetters.” (see Sad, 38/37, 38)

It is pointed out in the verses of the Quran above that the devils did various things for the Prophet Sulayman (Solomon).

So, there is no harm in using the technology that the devils made as long as it is not against religion and harmful to people.

- To sum up, there is no religious objection to using any modern technology that is not harmful to the religion and the world of Muslims, and there is nothing wrong in imitating their style in these issues.

Satan is an unbeliever of jinn and human unbelievers are human devils.

There is some information pollution in this question about the gender of living beings, in other words, the sexual structure because the sexual structure and reproduction method in plants, animals and humans are certain. There are not thousands of forms of gender as it is claimed.

There are two types of gender structures among living beings. One is male, the other is female. There are two types of reproduction. One is sexual reproduction and the other is asexual reproduction.

Sexual Reproduction

It is a form of reproduction that occurs when the mother and the father or the female (♀) and the male (♂) sexes come together.

Asexual Reproduction

It is the generation of new individuals from one gender without the different genders coming together.

There are different forms of both sexual and asexual reproduction. For example, these two types of reproduction are seen in the fungi mentioned in the question: Sexual and asexual. In sexual reproduction, plus and minus, that is, male and female genders come together. Asexual reproduction occurs through structures called spores.

Sometimes many individuals can be found together in small creatures. They are expressed with the words colony or poly (many). Whether it is a colony or a single individual, the gender form is the same. So, it is either (♀) or (♂). Besides, these two genders can be found in the same individual.

28,000 is the number of spores, not different genders, in the Schizophyllum commune fungus mentioned in the question. The cultivated capped mushrooms have black segments under their caps. When that mushroom is washed, the water becomes pitch black. It is the spores that give the water the black color. Half of these thousands of spores in the water have a plus (female) characteristic and half have a negative (male) characteristic. A new mushroom is produced from each of these spores, which are very small, in a suitable medium.

In conclusion, two genders are in question here.

Similarly, suppose that there are two thousand flowers on an apple tree. Each flower has both male and female organs but there are not two thousand genders. There are two genders. Male organs and female organs.

There are two types of flowers on a walnut or hazelnut tree; one is male flowers and the other is female flowers. Otherwise, there is no gender difference as much as the number of flowers on the hazelnut tree. The same holds true for ants. They also have male and female genders. Their reproduction is either sexual or asexual.

Humans normally have either a male or a female characteristic. There are no fifteen hundred genders in a community of fifteen hundred people. If this community consists of only men, one gender is mentioned, and if there are women, two genders are mentioned.

To put it briefly, there are two gender structures and modes of reproduction in all living beings, and they are no different from what Allah states in the Quran.

The one who knows best how to describe something and with what words is the one who does it. “The one who does knows and the one who knows speaks.”

Accordingly, the one who knows best about a subject about the creation of the universe is the one who made it:

“...Should He not know,- He that created? and He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted (with them).“ (al-Mulk, 67/14)

Therefore, whatever the Creator explains and with whatever words He expresses it, it is the most correct, the most beautiful, the most beneficial, the wisest and the best.

Our duty is to try to understand the word and art of the Creator.

Besides, the Quran means to say thousands of things, not one. There are many things among what it means to say that are not yet known. So, the verse also mentions the things that are not yet understood.

On the other hand, the Quran was not sent to a certain time or to certain people, but to all times and all beings. All times and all beings will take their share from it. In that case, the Quran will also address those who have come and will come from the time it was revealed to the Day of Judgment, and will teach them lessons.

The translations of the verses in question are as follows:

“He Allah) set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measure therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days, in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (Sustenance). Moreover, He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: ‘Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly.’ They said: ‘We do come (together), in willing obedience.’ So He completed them as seven firmaments in two Days...” (Fussilat, 41/10-12)

Although gases such as hydrogen and oxygen are invisible to the naked eye, a visible smoke or a gas mass that looks like smoke is mentioned here. At this stage, the first object in creation or the one immediately after it - which might be hydrogen, the major component of water - could have led to the formation of a wide variety of gases and possibly tiny particles of matter.

The interpretations of tafsir scholars on those verses are summarized as follows:

While Hz. Ali (d. 40 H / 661 AD), who is a man of science and wisdom, swore that the skies were created from water and smoke, some tafsir scholars interpreted the word “dukhan-smoke” in the verse as steam.

Some of them argue that smoke or, according to another interpretation, steam consists of the first substance “water”.

According to some others, when Allah first dried the water on whose upper part was the “Arsh (Throne)” and transformed it into ard (earth), He also created the skies from the smoke (or steam) arising from it.

Mujahid, one of the scholars of the second Islamic generation, actually believes that the ards were created from “water-ma”, which took place during the second creation after the Arsh. However, according to him, the smoke (nebula mass) did not come directly from the water, but separated from the mass of ard. According to Ibn Kathir (d. 774 H / 1372 AD), who seems to have adopted the same views, this smoke that forms the sky consists of water vapor.

Ibnul-Jawzi (508-597 H / 1114-1200 AD), who has various works in the field of Islamic sciences, states that there are two different views on the formation of the smoke in question while interpreting the verse mentioning the smoke stage of the sky:

1) When Allah created water, He sent winds over it. Thanks to this, smoke came out of it and rose. Therefore, He gave it the name “sama’-sky” meaning high.

2) When Allah created the earth, He exposed it to fire and hence smoke rose from it. Therefore, He gave it the name sama’.

According to the information given by Bayhaqi, Ibn Abbas (d. 68 H /687 AD) says that water and then “nun” were created after the Throne (Arsh), and the world was laid on “nun”. Then, the skies were created from the water vapor rising from there, by breaking apart. “Nun” is one of the letters in the Arabic language but it also means inkstand, sword blade and fish.

“Nun” constitutes the first formation of the earth as a core and the world is spread over it according to the information Bayhaqi gives. If the attribution of this information to Ibn Abbas is true, is what he means by “nun” really fish, as many people understand, or is it the first central core of the earth? If we look at the Arabic writing of the letter “Nun” or the shape of the inkstand, we can conclude that Ibn Abbas regarded it as a core.

Listing the views on this issue, the Andalusian scholar Qurtubi prefers the conclusion of Qatada (d. 118 H / 736 AD): The mass of smoke in which the skies were created was created before our world.

According to a view from Hz. Ali and Ibn Abbas, it is said that first the pen and then the inkstand called “nun” belonging to the pen was created. Again, Ibn Abbas says that the earth is laid on the “nun”.

The creation of the pen in the first place can only have a metaphorical meaning. It may be an explanation that creation began according to a predestination and arrangement. Accordingly, the first core of the universe would be formed.

Tabari (224-310 H / 838-922 AD), who is considered one of the first authors of tafsir and history, Ibn Masud (d. 32 H / 652 AD), the founder of the school of Kufa, and Suddi (d. 127 H / 744 AD), who also lived there and is understood to be interested in space issues, the smoke mass, from which the skies were created, formed with the aeration of water (breathing).

The prevailing view in the information we have given so far is the formation of the earth’s core or a mass belonging to it and whose laying and spreading have not been completed yet from water, and the creation of the skies as a result of an explosion and separation from the mass of smoke or steam rising from it.

The approaches that can be included in this main framework are the views conveyed by Zamakhshari (456-538 H / 1074-1143 AD) and Shaykh al-Islam Abussuud.

The view that Zamakhshari regards as a weak possibility and that originally belongs to Ibn Masud and some Companions is as follows. “Allah’s Throne was above the water before the creation of the skies and the earth. Allah produced smoke from the water and this smoke rose above the water and ascended to high places. Allah dried the water and created a single earth from it and then the other earths by blasting it into pieces (fatq) and then He created the skies from the smoke that ascended.”

According to this understanding, the earth was created from dried water while the skies were created from its smoke or vapor, but the smoke existed before the creation of both the earth and the sky.

According to Abussuud’s view, which deals with the issue slightly differently, the following is stated:

“Before the creation of the skies and the earth, the Throne was above the water. Then Allah the Almighty caused turbulence in the water and created foam. Smoke (or steam) separated from the water and rose; and the layer of foam remained on the water. Allah dried this foam and created first a single earth from it and then other earths from it by blasting and splitting it. As for smoke, it ascended and went up to high places, and Allah created the skies from it.”

According to this view, as in the book of Zamakhshari, before the earth and sky were created, water was transformed into smoke, and the earths were formed from the condensation of the foam layer that formed at the same time. The density that we can call a kind of central core that we have seen before was replaced by foaming and then its drying and solidification took place.

It is not possible not to remember a part of the glorification prayer that is performed by some imams in mosques after the morning prayer and that is attributed to Abu Hanifa (d. 150 H / 767 AD). The following is stated in that prayer; “Praise be to Allah, who spread the ground on frozen water.”

While interpreting the verse “Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke” (Fussilat, 41/11), Abussuud attributes the reason why this mass is called smoke to the fact that its substance is dark or it consists of very small particles or because it is a smoke rising from water.

We can say that this nebula mass will not emit light at such a stage, and that it will also be composed of a wide variety of gases and small particles, which is more realistic.

It will be useful to include the explanation made by the western scientist Maurice Bucaille based on the verse in question:

“The formation of the heavenly bodies and the Earth required two phases. If we take the Sun and its sub product the Earth as an example, science informs us that their formation occurred by a process of condensation of the primary nebula and then their separation. This is exactly what the Quran expresses very clearly when it refers to the processes that produced a fusion and subsequent separation starting from a celestial smoke.”

“The basic process in the formation of the universe lay in the condensing of material in the primary nebula followed by its division into fragments that originally constituted galactic masses. The latter in their turn split up into stars that provided the subproduct of the process, i.e., the planets.” (see Prof. Dr. Celal Yeniçeri, Uzay Ayetleri Tefsiri, Erkam Publications, 55-60)

As time gets older, the Quran gets younger and its realities are understood better. Science confirms the Quran. Scholars should not be left behind.

The earliest period of true religions is the time of the Prophet Adam. The Prophet Adam, the first human being, was also the first prophet.

And there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them (in the past). (See Fatir, 35/24)

Therefore, if a beauty or characteristic seen in a nation or culture is also found in Islam, it shows that they are derived from the same revelation. Those who understand this subtlety and truth realize that all truths and realities were actually given to humanity through prophets.

Besides, if some of the miracles mentioned in the Quran were observed in ancient nations, it does not mean that they were imitations, but rather that Allah had informed them of some scientific miracles too.

Moreover, it is not certain that Greek philosophy possessed the scientific basis that was claimed.

Islam was revealed in the early 600s, that is, in the seventh century. A look at the world of science and philosophy before that time will provide sufficient information regarding the issue.

Until the 1800s, all sciences were taught under the umbrella of philosophy. In other words, they were not separated into science and philosophy. It is impossible for us to discuss all philosophical thoughts from every era here, nor is it necessary. Anyone who wishes can consult historical books.

The period beginning in the 8th century BC and continuing until the 5th century AD is called Antiquity. In the early phase of Antiquity, the main issue addressed by philosophers was existence and being. The “arche” (first being) was accepted as the primary being from which all physical objects originated. The nature and formation of this arche are debatable.

Aristotle, who lived between 384 and 322 BC, dominated the scientific world for two thousand years. According to Aristotle, Allah creates His works purposefully; there is no randomness or coincidence. Aristotle argued for the immutability of living species and classified plants and animals based on their visible external characteristics.

Neither Aristotle nor other philosophers provided much information about the internal structures of living beings. Besides, the invention of the microscope dates back to the 1670s, and only after that, in the 1900s, the cellular structures, reproduction, and embryological processes of living beings were understood to a certain extent.

Those who make such a claim know very well that it is untrue. However, they attack from all sides to alienate and distance young people from Islam. They attack the Quran, the hadiths, great figures, saints, in short, anything you can think of that is against this country and Islam, by slandering it. As the saying goes, “Mud sticks.” That is exactly what they are doing. Since young people do not have the opportunity to research and understand every issue, things that have no basis or foundation are put out there under the guise of scientific research.

In fact, the Quran has been challenging those who have claimed for 1,400 years that it is not the word of Allah, inviting them to produce chapters similar to those in the Quran. As a matter of fact, verses 23 and 24 of the chapter of al-Baqarah are as follows:

“And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true. But if ye cannot- and of a surety ye cannot- then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones,- which is prepared for those who reject Faith.”

It means that the ancestors of today’s deniers, 1,400 years ago, could not produce anything similar to even a single verse or word of the Quran, and the Quran itself declared this challenge 1,400 years ago, stating that they would not be able to do so in the future either. If any verse or word of the Quran had been identical to those in the writings of the philosophers of the ancient world, the deniers of that time would certainly have put it forward.

Note: The 696-page book “Bilimlerin Işığında Yaratılış (Creation in the Light of Sciences)”, published for the second time in 2017 by Üsküdar University, contains an excellent article regarding the issue by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Nutku. We kindly request that you read the article titled “What is Life?” below, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask us on our website.

WHAT IS LIFE?

A FAMOUS WESTERN NOVELIST said, “How sad it is to be both human and to understand life less than animals.” While understanding life less than animals might seem like a great insult to us, humans, unfortunately, that is the case for the majority of people.

Statements made with pretentious and assertive introductions such as “My view of life, life as I see it, my philosophy of life,” etc. generally fall far short of answering the question, “What is life?”

When we try to move beyond a superficial examination of this issue and delve deeper, we gradually begin to grasp the truth in the words of that Western novelist, which initially struck us as a grave and unjust insult.

Is it not truly tragic for the most advanced and conscious beings like humans to be alive yet unaware of their own existence? So, what is life? Let us reflect a bit on this important matter and try to delve into its depths:

Biology, taught as a subject in schools from primary school onwards, means life Science. If you examine biology textbooks written at the high school, college, and postgraduate levels within the school education system, you will see that this field of science, whose name means “Life Science”, fails to fulfill its primary duty: explaining the nature of life. If we asked thousands of biology professors around the world today, “What is life?”, we would not receive a satisfactory answer from any of them. Instead of explaining what life is, they would only talk about the signs and manifestations of being alive.

It is astonishing that someone holding the highest academic titles in a scientific field may not even be able to provide a satisfactory explanation of the name of that field. It is not the case in other scientific fields (physics, chemistry, geology, etc.). The meaning and nature of the names of those fields can be explained even in elementary school textbooks.

Biology means the science of life but the fact that those engaged in this science have been unable to explain the nature of life, which is their primary task, and indeed, even setting aside scientific explanations, or even to put forward a philosophical view on the nature of life that could be discussed, makes the question “What is life?” extraordinarily intriguing.

1. Since Science and Philosophy Cannot Explain the Nature of Life

Since life, from its lowest level, considered to be plant life, through animal life and human life, has existed for thousands of years, and yet human sciences and philosophies have been unable to explain its nature, this situation compels us to seek an explanation for the undeniable truth of life outside of science and philosophy. The only source we can turn to for an explanation of life outside of science and philosophy is religion. Religion is based on revelation. The divine religions are what Allah has revealed to us through His prophets, scriptures, and books. Among them, Islam, the last, uncorrupted, most perfect religion that will endure until the Day of Judgment, explains the nature of life in the verses of the Quran.

2. Life is the Soul, Light, Essence, Foundation, and Ultimate of the Universe.

Allah (swt) is Yuhyi, meaning the giver of life. Life is the most honorable, purest, and greatest blessing of all realities; it is the greatest, most subtle, and most wondrous miracle of eternal power. Since both its outer and inner aspects are pleasant, it has no ugly side that would be displeasing to humans. Therefore, when Allah (swt) manifests His attribute of Yuhyi, He has not placed any causes or means between Himself and the Creator, as a veil of His power, in the eyes of human intellect. (Nursi, B.S. Lem’alar. Envar Neşriyat, Istanbul, 1996, pp. 329-331)

Therefore, sciences and philosophies that do not rely on revelation, especially biology (the science of life), cannot find the reasons and means upon which to base their explanations for the nature of life, and hence they cannot explain the nature of life.

Another attribute of Allah (swt) is Yumit, which means the one who gives death. Since the apparent aspect of death is often unpleasant to people, Allah has appointed the causes of death, which act as a veil for His power in the eyes of human intellect, although He is, in reality, the one who kills, and above those causes, Azrael, one of the four great angels, as the angel of death. When a relative or friend dies, people mostly focus on those causes and means; almost nobody speaks against the glory and majesty of Allah (swt). There are countless causes and means for death: various illnesses, old age, various accidents, wars, blows, and Azrael, who is the veil for Allah’s act of killing.

Although Allah (swt) is the one who gives life and death, it is a manifestation of His wisdom that when He gives life, He places no apparent cause or intermediary as a veil before the human intellect, yet when He creates death, He uses various causes and intermediaries as veils before the human intellect. Even though the true agent who gives life and takes it away is Allah (swt), the fact that while Azrael is appointed as the angel of death, no angel’s name has been heard as the angel of life, is evidence that there is no apparent cause between life and divine power.

3. Those fish that are in the sea do not know the sea.

A poet says, “Those fish that are in the sea do not know the sea.” Humans are also in the sea of life, but they do not know life! In fact:

The soul, light, essence, foundation, result, and summary of the universe are life. He who gives life is also the Creator of the entire universe. He who gives life is undoubtedly the Ever-Living and Self-Sustaining One...

Life is the greatest blessing Allah (swt) has bestowed upon us. Worldly life is an opportunity of test, given to us to earn the life of the hereafter. Eternal happiness in the hereafter is attained through belief; however, there is no belief without life. In other words, one cannot succeed in a test without taking it!

People are generally heedless; they live and die in this world without knowing who gave them this life, why, and for what purpose, how they should live it, or what awaits them after this life. It is far stranger than the state of fish that live in the sea but do not know the sea because fish do not have consciousness; so, they cannot know the sea in which they live. Humans, however, have been given consciousness, and with this consciousness comes the responsibility of using it well. The most important example of how every right and blessing given also imposes the responsibility of using that right and blessing well is the responsibility imposed on humanity with the giving of this life. With the end of the world, the Day of Judgment, all people’s tests will be completed, people will be resurrected and gathered in the field of resurrection, the results of all people’s tests in this world will be seen in the Great Court, and those who pass this great test will be separated from those who fail.

In this worldly test, which has no make-up or compensation, what those who truly live wisely, rather than those who merely pretend to be wise, must do is to live in a way that will ultimately benefit them, and to strive keeping from any state that will lead to eternal loss. They must know their Creator, His messenger, and His book, understand who they are, where they come from, how they come to being, where they are going, and the nature of death; they must consider living with this understanding as their foremost duty.

The Quran, the Word of Allah (swt), provides the answer to the question “What is life?”, an answer not found in the sciences or philosophies developed by humans. With this answer, it also addresses humanity’s curious questions regarding who they are, where they come from, and where they are going, as well as issues related to death and the afterlife. Verse 28 of al-Baqara, one of those verses, is as follows:

“How can ye reject the faith in Allah?- seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return.”

No sane person would ever claim that he came into this world of his own free will, that he created his body, limbs, consciousness, feelings, memory, reasoning, and all the elements of a human being. Anyone making such a claim would be regarded as insane. Just as a human being could not have created his own existence, neither could his parents, nature, chance, universal consciousness, etc., have done so. The sole doer of this act is the one and only (Wahid) Allah. Since man has been granted the opportunity to be to some degree free and autonomous in this world through his intellect and will, as part of the mystery of the test, this freedom and autonomy can be misused to stray into heedlessness and aberration. However, what does the Creator say? To be curious about Him, to try to understand and live by His teachings could be the most correct choice for man when using his intellect and will. Let us pay attention:

“The Quran reads the universe in the vast mosque of creation. Let us listen to it. Let us be illuminated with that light. Let us act according to its guidance. And let us recite it constantly. Yes, the Qur’an is the word. That is what they say of it. It is the Qur’an which is the truth and comes from the Truth and says the truth and shows the truth and spreads luminous wisdom.” (Nursi, BS Sözler. Diyanet Vakfı Publications-600, Ankara, 2nd edition, 2016, pp. 41-42)

4. A Scientist Who Acknowledges the Truth

In 1984, I went to visit a friend of mine who was an associate professor (now a professor) in the Department of Histology and Embryology at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine. He showed me some pages from an English-language embryology book he had borrowed from the university library. The book was a large-format scientific work by Prof. Dr. Keith L. Moore, Chair of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Toronto in Canada and a member of various scientific institutions. (The full title of the book is: Moore, KL; The Developing Human-Clinically Oriented Embryology, 3rd Ed. Philadelphia, WB Saunders Co, 1982)

According to the science of embryology, this valuable work, which describes in detail the development of the human being from a single cell, discusses the history of human embryology on pages eight and nine. The section that extensively discusses how scientific progress was slow during the Middle Ages and how significant information regarding human development from a single cell was provided only in the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, was particularly noteworthy.

Although I am not from this department, at the request of a friend who asked me to address this issue, I sent a very short article that was published in the September 1984 issue of Zafer magazine. I briefly stated the following in that article:

“When the historical development of various scientific disciplines is examined, it is seen that during the Middle Ages, when research methods and tools were far more inadequate compared to today, people generally could not go beyond making new predictions and assumptions based on the analysis of previous knowledge, theories that were later proven to be wrong.

The information provided in the Quran, which was revealed to humanity 14 centuries ago during the period known as the Middle Ages, regarding human development from a single cell through the initial 40-day stages of nutfa, alaqa, and mudgha is confirmed and validated by today’s modern science of embryology."

5. The Quran’s Description of Human Creation is Also Observed by Medical Science.

Turkish readers of Zafer magazine in Toronto, Canada, who read this article, visited this professor in their city and discussed the matter at length. After a long program with him on Canadian radio, Professor Moore made extensive statements published in two daily newspapers, The Gazette and The Globe and Mail, on November 22-23, 1984, and also addressed the issue in a scientific article. In his scientific article, titled “Miracles in Embryology,” Professor Moore showed posters he had prepared with Quranic verses and hadiths in their original form and English translations to journalists at a press conference, posing for photos, and included those posters, reduced in size to fit the page, in his scientific article.

In this scientific article, Prof. Dr. Keith L. Moore pointed out the miracles he identified in the Quran and hadiths regarding embryology as follows:

“First studies about embryology started at, as much as we know, in the 4th century BC and developed embryos of chicks were searched in order to come to a comparative conclusion. For approximately 2000 years after this study, there had not been any remarkable progress in the science of embryology. And after the invention of the telescope in the 17th century, the embryologic stages in the human started to be determined. I examined the human’s embryologic progress by working on the Quran and hadiths for a few years and I was astonished to see the information which is completely in harmony with the scientific facts in this divine book, which was sent to humankind in the 7th century.”

“I shall now examine the verses I have selected from the Qur’an in the light of the latest findings in embryology.”

The idea that man developed in the womb in stages was put forward in 1942 but the latest information that is still valid today was accepted by everybody in 1974.

However, the Quran indicates in verse 6 of az-Zumar in an obvious way that the creation of human happens in three dark areas by saying:

“He (Allah) created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)?”

Thus, it is clearly stated that human development takes place in three dark regions. These regions, which fully conform to the latest findings of embryology, are: the uterine wall, the peritoneum (the mother’s abdominal lining), and the amniochorionic membrane, formed by the fused embryo and croyons. These three anatomical regions protect the embryo from external influences and harm. Verses 12-14 of al-Mu’minun, while describing the developments in the first weeks, also provide a complete description of the human embryo, stating that it transforms from a climbing, leech- like form into a morsel of flesh.

“We created man from clay, from a lineage. Then We made his offspring into fluid poured out in the womb, a secure dwelling place. Then We made that fluid into a clot of blood, and that blood into a piece of flesh. From that piece of flesh We made bones, and We covered the bones with flesh. Then We made him into another form. Allah is Most High in Knowledge, Power, and Might, the Most Excellent of Creators.”

Despite the fact that we did not understand these verses at first, we were thunderstruck when we compared the shape of the 24-day old human embryo with the Arab leeches. That shape of the embryo looked like the leeches very much. And this stage was the stage when the embryo climbs the wall of the womb, which is in compliance with the phrase climbing leech, one of the lexical meanings of the word alaqa.

For centuries, people believed that a miniature shape of human was in the sperms of male and that it grew up in the womb without changing its shape. In the same way, the other group alleged that the ovum of female contained the model of human in it. So, for centuries, the cells of sperm and ovum were dealt with separately. We learned the fact that man was created from a single cell called zygote, and that zygote came into existence by the insemination of the ovule only in the 18th century by the results of the experiments of Spallanzani. However, verse 37 of the chapter of al-Qiyamah and verse 8 of the chapter of as-Sajda state how the zygote -mentioned as “Nutfa”- came into existence eleven centuries earlier than this discovery; and verse 19 of the chapter of Abasa stated clearly that the zygote carried the characteristics and life program of the developing human. This fact which was discovered at the end of the 19th century was stated in the Quran centuries ago and it is interesting that those verses were in the form that could be understood even by the people of that century.

Although it was discovered in the last century that the sperm was the factor that provided insemination in recent centuries, the verses of the Quran did not only describe insemination but also stated the properties of the sperm centuries ago. The fact that only very few of the millions of ejaculated sperms were able to reach the womb where the ovum waited and that only one of them united with the ovum was discovered in the 18th century. However, Allah explained this creation stage of human 1200 years ago by saying, “Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in lowly form)?” in verse 37 of the chapter of al-Qiyamah and “And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised” in verse 8 of the chapter of as-Sajda. It is stated that not all semen result in making a child in a hadith related to this.

Dr. Moore narrates his other similar determinations which he qualifies as miracles as follows:

“According to research, the embryo descends to the womb after ten days. It resembles to a human in the 8th week. 50-55 days after arriving in the womb, the embryo becomes a human with everything. However, the ears and eyes start to shape up in the 4th week. 6 weeks later, they become quite distinct.”

In a hadith, Prophet (pbuh) states the following: When forty-two nights pass after the semen gets into the womb, Allah sends the angel and gives him shape. Then he creates his sense of hearing, sense of sight, his skin, his flesh, his bones, and then says: My Lord, would he be male or female? The Prophet (pbuh) described the event that would be discovered after 1100 years by giving even the correct number of the days; which word can describe this other than the word miracle?

“There is one more subtlety in this hadith. Why does the angel ask the gender of the baby? It is very stunning to view the answers of this hadith by the scientific knowledge of today: For, until the forty-second day, even though the embryo’s bones and flesh are completed, and the character and senses are settled, the gender of it is not specified at that time and this was stated perfectly in the hadith 1200 years ago.”

“The Qur’an also clarifies the implantation process of the human’s blastocyst. Verse 223 of the chapter al-Baqara likens the state of the blastocyst in the womb to a seed thrown into ground by saying ‘Your wives are as a tilth unto you’. This verse is also very meaningful. For, as ground conceals seed, the epithelium of the womb conceals the blastocyst which clings to it. And blastocyst immediately starts to generate the fibrils named chorionic villi in order to feed itself. Just like the seeds taking root under the ground in order to feed themselves.”

Dr. Moore narrates another astonishing finding of him as follows:

Why do the verses we quoted before mention the shape of the four-week-old human embryo as “chewed flesh” (mudgha)? When we examine this 4-week-old embryo, named as mudgha by the Quran, we see that a pattern like a chain of beads appear on it and we noticed with astonishment that the structure actually looked like teeth marks. We made a model of four-week-old human embryo out of plastic and we chew it, leaving our teeth marks on it. The shape looked extremely like the real embryo and it explained very well why the Quran mentioned it as mudgha (chewed flesh). The conformity between the information given in the Quran and the result of the embryological researches today about mudgha does not consist of this only. The following is stated in verse 14 of the chapter of al-Muminun:…We made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature… These changes, which are stated to have been made in mudgha, were determined to be in the same way as it is stated in the verse as a result of the embryological studies that were made; it was even observed that the organs like the brain and heart started to form in this stage.”

The Canadian Professor Keith L. Moore, who attracts attention to the miracles in the Quran and hadiths through a press conference and his books by comparing the findings of the science of embryology today and the Quran and hadiths, states the following as a conclusion:

“I think I will be able to evaluate better the facts of the verses of the Quran and hadiths confirmed by today’s exact sciences as my knowledge increases. I believe that the gap that has formed between science and religion for years can be bridged as the truths of the Quran and hadiths are understood.”

We do not know whether Professor Keith L. Moore embraced Islam or not. If he viewed those miracles related to his professorship in the Quran and hadiths only from a purely scientific perspective, and did not go beyond that, and did not embrace Islam, then that is his problem; servitude in this world is a test. His lack of belief, despite these proofs, does not weaken our belief. On the contrary, according to the principle “The most certain truth is that which even its enemies are compelled to acknowledge,” even an enemy of Islam will acknowledge the truth of the belief we adhere to, thus strengthening our faith.

Believers do not actually need to take lessons from a Canadian professor to believe in Allah (SWT), that Islam is the true religion, that the Quran is the word of Allah (swt), and that our Prophet (pbuh) is the messenger of Allah (swt), the envoy He sent to us, and to strengthen this belief. It is because a true believer believes that the Quran is “the most authentic guide.”

6. Life is not limited to this earthly life alone.

As we mentioned earlier, in verse 28 of al-Baqara, while the answers to the questions of what life is and how it came into being are given, the answers to the most important questions regarding where man comes from and where he is going are also given. This verse states that life is given by Allah (swt), that death in this worldly life is not caused by the passage of time but by Allah (swt), that after death in this world, life will be given a second time in the hereafter by Allah (swt), that when the process of purification takes place on the Day of Resurrection, opposites will be separated from each other, causes and means will disappear, and after the veil and covering in between are lifted, everyone will see their Creator and know their true Master. Let us reread this verse, each word of which conveys very important truths about what life and man are, where man comes from and where he is going, and what his duty is in this world, in a very short and concise way:

“How can ye reject the faith in Allah- seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return.” (al-Baqara, 2/28)

Belief is the highest truth in the universe. The six pillars of belief were revealed to our Prophet (pbuh) by the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) and summarized in the sacred hadith of “Amantu”, which we memorized in childhood. As we transition from childhood to adulthood and maturity, our duty is to engage with this highest truth of the universe in a manner commensurate with its value. We must use our developing intellect, feelings, and abilities to grasp the subtleties and depths of truth, and in our immediate environment, family, work, friends, etc., we must take a stand against unnecessary, useless, and harmful pursuits, living, explaining, and striving to ensure that matters of belief are prioritized.

I would like to conclude this with the second verse of al-Baqarah, which states that Allah has sent the Quran as a guide for us mankind:

“This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah.”

No, Doomsday is not contrary to science because Allah is the owner of the universe and the owner of science in this universe. The one who will make Doomsday strike and resurrect people is not science but the owner of that science.

If there are those who object to Doomsday by using science as an excuse, it may be because they deny the owner of knowledge.

First of all, we should state that Doomsday will strike through Allah’s creation. Just as a person who is healthy in all aspects dies, it is possible for the universe, whose system continues in all aspects, to die because Allah is the owner of man, the universe, and everything in it; and He can make Doomsday strike whenever He wishes.

It should not be forgotten that both the owner of knowledge and the owner of the universe are Allah. We will definitely acquire all kind of knowledge, but we need to illuminate this knowledge with belief. Otherwise, it is against both reason and logic as well as belief to think that knowledge is unowned and to attribute it to nature or to oneself.

Besides, Doomsday can be thought of as follows: The owner of a factory that works with everything and is thought to continue in terms of knowledge can close down that factory.

There are many verses describing the horror of the first blowing of the Trumpet (Sur) and hence of the changes that will occur in the cosmic order. According to the declaration of such verses,

- When the Trumpet is blown once, the earth will be removed from its orbit together with its mountains, and they will be crushed to powder; on that day, the Great Event will definitely take place and the sky will be rent asunder; it will be flimsy. (see al-Haqqa 69/13-16)

- On that day, the sun will be folded up, the stars will fall, losing their luster, the mountains will vanish, wild beasts will be herded together and the oceans boil over with a swell. (see at-Takwir 81/1-6)

- People will be like moths scattered about, and the mountains will be like carded wool. (see al-Qaria 101/4-5)

Although the nature of the cosmic change that these verses describe by emphasizing that it will definitely happen is not known, a realm consisting of matter and having volume will be formed as it is declared in the Quran. The verse in the chapter of Ibrahim (14/48), which states that the earth will be another earth and the heavens will be other heavens, is partially clarified by the following verses in the chapter of Taha. (20/105-107):

“They ask thee concerning the Mountains: say, ‘My Lord will uproot them and scatter them as dust; He will leave them as plains smooth and level; Nothing crooked or curved wilt thou see in their place.’”

“When the sun (with its spacious light) is folded up; When the stars fall, losing their luster.” (at-Takwir, 81/1-2)

It is indicated in the verses above that the solar system will be destroyed. What is meant by the sun’s being folded up is either the sun’s light going out or the complete dispersion of its mass, losing its form that we know and function.

The stars’ falling and losing their luster, on the other hand, indicates that other stars, some of which get their brightness from the Sun, will also die out.

In addition, it can be thought that when the cosmic system is destroyed due to Doomsday, the stars will lose their current order and functions and scatter into the space due to colliding with one another, moving away from their orbits, getting rid of gravity, etc. (Ibn Ashur, 30/141-142; see also al-Infitar, 82/2)

First of all, it is certain based on experience that the predictions of science are not always correct. Therefore, the divine revelation coming from Allah’s infinite knowledge is always more accurate than scientific data. The opposite is incompatible with the consciousness of belief.

If this determination of exact sciences turns out to be correct, there will still be no objection to the Quran because, two nafkh as-sur (blowing the trumpet) is mentioned in Islam. In the first blowing, everything will disappear and in the second one, everything will come into being again.

a) Is it permissible to play the game?

The ruling on a game depends on its content. If a game promotes symbols of polytheism or wrong faiths, offends religious sensibilities, or encourages haram elements, it is not considered permissible to play that game.

The Quran instructs believers to stay away from falsehood:

“They turn away from falsehood.” (al-Muminun 3)

b) Is playing it regarded as indirect support?

Yes, it is, and the earnings are not halal (permissible).

If an action directly aids a haram deed, it is necessary to avoid it. The following is stated in the Quran:

“Do not help one another in sin and aggression.” (al-Maida, 2)

Therefore, if a game explicitly aims to promote or encourage polytheistic symbols, it is not considered appropriate to support it.

c) Using deceased individuals as digital characters

The mere inclusion of an individual (for example, a historical or athletic figure) as a character in a game does not, in itself, constitute polytheism because it does not involve worship or deification; it is merely a representation (depiction).

If it does not contradict Islamic beliefs, decrees, and ethics, it is not a sin.

Conclusion:

- If the game promotes wrong faiths or polytheistic symbols, it is better not to play it.

- We should not support things that spread this kind of content.

- However, the mere existence of deceased individuals as digital characters is not, in itself, considered a sin or polytheism.

There was no technology like today at that time; a lifestyle based on agriculture and animal husbandry was common. Since Makkah was not suitable for agriculture, the people there were engaged in trade.

Before the Quran was sent down, people did not know that the sky had seven layers. The news given by the Quran related to the sky and the earth was not studied scientifically in that period. However, studies started in the following periods.

Since the Quran is a book that addresses all centuries, people who lived when it was revealed did not conduct scientific studies but they were freed from the wrong beliefs when they read the cosmological verses

"Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars ..." (ar-Ra'd, 13/2)

The verse above eliminated the wrong belief that "the skies remained stable thanks to mountains".

People thought the sun remained fixed. However, the Quran stated that the sun was not fixed but that it was a celestial body that always moved at a certain speed. Science approved the Quran after many centuries passed:  

 "Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see." (Yasin, 36/38)

1) The pre-eternal being is either one or infinite. There cannot be anything in the middle because when you attribute pre-eternity to some beings other than Allah, it will be necessary to attribute pre-eternity to billions of atoms, molecules, cells and elements; all of them have the same characteristic. All of them are mindless, unconscious, lifeless, blind, deaf and weak. No atom has a superior aspect to other atoms – in terms of the ability to create. Either all of them are pre-eternal or none of them is pre-eternal. It has been proved scientifically that matter is not pre-eternal and that it was created afterwards.   

The being that is pre-eternal is the creator, educator and manager of all other beings. That is, He is their Lord. The Lord is the deity, the only being that is worth worshipping.

Since there are beings and since it was proved scientifically that they were created afterwards and that some of them are even visible, there is definitely a creator that created those beings. Common sense considers it necessary. This chain of logic necessitates the existence, pre-eternity, deity/divinity of Allah obligatory. (If you really want to comprehend this issue, please read the Risale-i Nur Collection or its relevant parts; then, your mind, heart, soul and feelings will be satisfied like us inshallah.) 

2) Allah created the whole universe in unity, makes all beings help one another, connects everything with everything, makes billions of living beings breathe at the same time, gives them oxygen, keeps the whole universe active, makes mindless bees in different regions produce honey and silkworms produce silk at the same time links all living beings to the oxygen tube in the atmosphere, etc.… It means Allah's power is infinite. It is a mental contradiction that an infinite power be weak.

Nevertheless, a pre-eternal power has no rival that will interfere Him. Weakness is the opposite of infinite power. It is not possible for day and night to exist at the same time, for something to be both white and black; similarly, it is impossible for a power to be both pre-eternal and weak at the same time.

What is weak cannot be a deity because what is meant by being a deity is to be the being to whom the whole universe submits.

It is necessary to have created the whole universe in order to be the true deity of it because to be the deity of the universe means to gain the glorification, love and respect of the whole universe expressed with the tongue of the mouth and disposition. It is unthinkable for a being who does not create and does not do the beings favors to gain their love, respect and worship. Man is a servant/slave of good deeds. There is nothing more absurd than a weak being who cannot do any good deeds to claim to be a deity.

The first condition of being a true deity is to create the universe out nothing, to establish a certain system after creating it, to make it function with wisdom, to ensure its maintenance, and to be able to fulfill the specific needs of everything. Those who are weak cannot do these things and hence they cannot be deities. (It will be useful to refer to the Risale-i Nur for detailed information.)

3) Although Parmenides is regarded as one of the natural philosophers, he was one of the first philosophers of the tradition of rationalism in Ancient Greek philosophy. He is estimated to have lived between 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. He is thought to have played a role not only as a thinker but also as a legislator and statesman. According to Parmenides, nothing changes in the universe. Reality, that is, being, is One in the absolute sense; it is everlasting and permanent; it was not created and it cannot be eliminated. It is pre-eternal and post-eternal; there is no movement and change in it

In our opinion, this thought is no more than an ordinary guess, like the similar thoughts of many ancient Greek philosophers. As Imam Rabbani states, philosophers who were not enlightened by the light of revelation could not get rid of foolishness because human mind is limited even if one is a philosopher. Trying to use limited intellect in an unlimited field is a sign of stupidity. Therefore, the words of philosophers are full of contradictions. Many of them spent their lives refuting one another. 

We will cut it short and quote from the greatest scholar of the last century Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, who said, 

“For through the strength of the All-Wise Qur’an, I challenge all Europe including your irreligious people. Through the lights of belief I have published I have razed the sturdy bastions they call the physical sciences and nature. I have cast down lower than animals their greatest irreligious philosophers.” (Mektubat, p. 72)

His following statements are very profound and true and can eliminate the questions in the minds of those who try to read them sincerely:  

“The Third Question: The former enemy and now rightly-guided friend then asked: Philosophers, who have made many advances these days claim: nothing is created out of nothing, and nothing is annihilated and goes to nothing; there is only composition and decomposition, and this makes the factory of the universe run.'"

"The Answer: Since the most advanced philosophers who did not consider beings in the light of the Qur’an saw that the formation and existence of beings by means of nature and causes was so difficult as to be impossible – in the manner proved above, they diverged into two groups:"

"One group became Sophists; abdicating reason, which is exclusive to human beings, and falling lower than mindless beasts, they found it easier to deny the universe’s existence and even their own existences, than to follow the way of misguidance, which claims that causes and nature have the power to create. They therefore denied both themselves and the universe and descended into absolute ignorance."

"The second group saw that in misguidance, according to which causes and nature are creator, the creation of a fly or a seed, even, entails innumerable difficulties and requires a power unacceptable to reason. They were therefore compelled to deny the act of creation and to say: ‘Nothing can exist out of nothing.’ Seeing total annihilation also to be impossible, they declared: ‘What exists cannot go to nothing.’ They fancied an imaginary situation in which combining and decomposition, gathering together and dispersion, occur through the motion of particles and the winds of chance. Now, see! Those who consider themselves to be the most intelligent are the most profoundly ignorant and stupid. Understand just how ludicrous, debased, and ignorant misguidance makes man, and take a lesson."

"Indeed, a Pre-Eternal Power created the heavens and the earth in six days, every year creates four hundred thousand species simultaneously on the face of the earth, and in six weeks every spring constructs a living world more full of art and wisdom than the world itself. Thus, it is more foolish and ignorant than the Sophists, the first group above, to deny the act of creation and deem it unlikely that, like a chemical that when applied shows up invisible writing, Pre-Eternal Power should give external existence to beings, which, though externally non-existent, exist as knowledge, and whose plans and measures are determined in the realm of a Pre-Eternal Knowledge. Those unfortunates are absolutely impotent and have nothing at their disposal apart from the faculty of will. Although they are inflated like Pharaohs, they can neither annihilate anything nor create anything from nothing, even a minute particle. And so, although nothing comes into existence out of nothing at the hand of causes and nature on which they rely, out of their stupidity they say: ‘Nothing comes from non-being, and nothing goes to non-being.’ And they even extend this absurd and erroneous principle to the Absolutely All-Powerful One.” (Asa-yı Musa, p. 175-176)

That science sees millions of light years away with telescopes does not mean that it lives 1400 years ahead of human beings. Besides the people who deal with science are also human beings.

Moreover, religion does not reject scientific facts; on the contrary, it accepts them. For, the sciences are the laws of Allah. For example, the law of gravity had existed before it was discovered; and it will exist after it was discovered.

Science does not invent new things; on the contrary, it discovers the system Allah placed in the universe.

The Quran mentions scientific facts in many verses. Science discovered them fourteen centuries later.

Today science accepts that the universe is expanding. This fact is expressed in the Quran as follows:

 “With the power and skill did We construct the Firmament: for it is We Who create the vastness of Space." (adh-Dhariyat, 51/47)

The word "sama (sky)" is used in the sense of space and universe in many places in the Quran. It is used in this sense in this verse too. That is, it is stated in the Quran that the universe is expanding. The conclusion science reached today is the same as the one stated in the Quran.