NATURE AND ISLAM

1. NATURE AND ISLAM By: AMAL KAMAL

2. Two Approaches • Broad Topic- 2 different approaches • Using verses in the Quran to prove that Allah created nature • Using nature to prove the existence of Allah and the accuracy of the Quran

3. SURAT AR-RAD(first approach) Juz 13 Verse 3-4

4. AR-RAD • وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى مَدَّ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَجَعَلَ فِيہَارَوَٲسِىَ وَأَنۡہَـٰرً۬ا‌ۖ وَمِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٲتِ جَعَلَ فِيہَا زَوۡجَيۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ‌ۖ يُغۡشِى ٱلَّيۡلَ ٱلنَّہَارَ‌ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَأَيَـٰتٍ۬ لِّقَوۡمٍ۬ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

5. AR-RAD • وَفِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ قِطَعٌ۬ مُّتَجَـٰوِرَٲتٌ۬ وَجَنَّـٰتٌ۬ مِّنۡ أَعۡنَـٰبٍ۬ وَزَرۡعٌ۬ وَنَخِيلٌ۬ صِنۡوَانٌ۬ وَغَيۡرُ صِنۡوَانٍ۬ يُسۡقَىٰ بِمَآءٍ۬ وَٲحِدٍ۬ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعۡضَہَا عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ۬ فِى ٱلۡأُڪُلِ‌ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَأَيَـٰتٍ۬ لِّقَوۡمٍ۬ يَعۡقِلُونَ

6. Translation of verse 3 • He is the one who has spread out the earth and placed thereon mountains and rivers, created fruits of every kind in pairs, two and two, and made the night cover the day. Certainly in these things, there are signs for those who use their common sense.

7. Recollection • Allah (swt) created the universe which includes nature: mountains, rivers, fruits, etc. • Common sense referring to the obvious proof of Allah’s power • Non-believers are ignorant to the proof that surrounds them

8. Translation of Verse 4 • In the earth there are tracts side by side: gardens of grapes, cornfields and palm trees with single and double trunks-they are all watered with the same water, yet, We make some of them excel others in taste. Surely, in this, there are signs for the people of understanding.

9. Recollection • Allah created grapes, cornfields, and palm trees, etc • The miracle of how such different plants could come out of tiny seedlings • While the plants used the same water (soil and sun) to grow they still have different tastes

10. Evidence (second approach) • In addition to the Quran stating that Allah created all of nature • There is evidence through nature that proves Allah’s existence and the truth mentioned in the Quran

11. Mountains • Discovered in the 1960’s, the theory of plate tectonics states that mountains work as stabilizers for the earth • (And He has set firm mountains in the earth so that it would not shake with you…)quran 16:15

12. Mountains (cont.) • Scientists have recently found out that mountains have deep underlying roots embedded in the ground which make the mountains shaped like a peg. • (Have We not made the Earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs?) 78:6-7

13. Seas and Rivers • Modern science has discovered that in places where two seas meet, there is a barrier between them • (He is the one who has set free the two kinds of water, one sweet and palatable, and the other salty and bitter. And He has made between them a barrier and a forbidding partition) 25:53

14. Deep Seas • (Or [the unbeliever’s state] is like the darkness in a deep sea. It is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds. Darknesses, one above another. If a man stretches out his hand, he can not see it…)24:40

15. Deep Seas (cont) • Scientists have discovered the extreme darkness of the deep seas • Also, internal waves, or waves under the surface, have recently been discovered

16. Clouds • (Have you not seen how God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a stack, and then you see the rain come out of it…)24:43 • This verse describes the perfect system of how a cumulonimbus cloud forms (pushed by wind-------joining together------stacking caused by updrafts--------rain

17. Conclusion • There is evidence all around about the existence of Allah • Many modern scientific discoveries have already been mentioned in the holy Quran • Therefore, non-believers (atheists) choose to not accept the obvious proof that surrounds them

18. Credits • Books: A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam (second edition) I.A. Ibrahim • English Translation of the Meaning of Al-Quran Muhammed Faroog-i-Azam Malik • http://www.quranexplorer.com/