ENGINEERING AND QURAN

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE: THE BIG BANG AND QURAN

The creation of the universe is explained by astrophysicists as a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly known as The Big Bang. It is supported by observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists for decades. According to The Big Bang, the whole universe was initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a Big Bang (Secondary Separation) which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These then divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc. The origin of the universe was unique and the probability of it happening by chance is nil. The Quran contains the following verse regarding the origin of the universe:

The above verse clearly agrees with the present day knowledge of the beginning of the universe. No other scripture has this vivid description of the creation of the universe. It was Edwin Hubbles observations in 1929, which suggested that there was a time when the universe was infinitesimally small and dense. He discovered that wherever one looked, it appeared that the

distant galaxies are moving rapidly away from each other. If this was the case then it indicated that at earlier times objects would have been closer together.

INITIAL GASEOUS MASS BEFORE CREATION OF GALAXIES

Scientists agree that before the galaxies in the universe were formed, celestial matter was Initially in the form of gaseous matter. In short, huge gaseous matter or clouds were present Before the formation of the galaxies. To describe initial celestial matter, the word smoke is moreappropriate than gas. The following Quranic verse refers to this state of the universe by the worddukhaanwhich means smoke.

Again, this fact is a corollary to the Big Bang and was not known to anyone before the prophet hood of Muhammad (Peace be upon him). What then, could have been the source of this knowledge?

SHAPE OF THE EARTH IS SPHERICAL

In early times, people believed that the earth was flat. For centuries, men were afraid to venture out too far, for fear of falling off the edge! Sir Francis Drake was the first person who proved that the earth is spherical when he sailed around it in 1597. Consider the following Quranic verse regarding the alternation of day and night:

Merging here means that the night slowly and gradually changes to day and vice versa. This Phenomenon can only take place if the earth is spherical. If the earth was flat, there would have been a sudden change from night today and from day to night. The following verse also alludes to the spherical shape of the earth:

The Arabic word used here is Kawwarameaning to overlap or to coil the way a turban is wound around the head. The overlapping or coiling of the day and night can only take place if the earth is spherical. The earth is not exactly round like a ball, but geo-spherical, i.e. it is flattened at the poles. The following verse contains a description of the earths shape:

The Arabic word for egg here is dahaahaa which means an ostrich-egg. The shape of an ostrich-egg Resembles the geo-spherical shape of the earth. Thus the Quran correctly describes the shape of the Earth, though the prevalent notion when the Quran was revealed was that the earth was flat.
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MOONLIGHT IS REFLECTED LIGHT

It was believed by earlier civilizations that the moon emanates its own light. Science now tells us

that the light of the moon is reflected light. However this fact was mentioned in t he Quran 1,400 years ago in the following verse:

The Arabic word for the sun in the Quran, is shams. It is also referred to as siraajwhich means a torch or as wahhaajmeaning a blazing lamp or as diya which means shining glory. All three descriptions are appropriate to the sun, since it generates intense heat and light by its internal combustion. The Arabic word for the moon is qamarand it is described in the Quran as muneerwhich is a body that gives noori.e. reflected light. Again, the Quranic description matches perfectly with the true nature of the moon which does not give off light by itself and is an inactive body that reflects the light of the sun. Not once in the Quran, is the moon mentioned as siraaj, wahhaajor diyanor the sun a nooror muneer. This implies that the Quran recognizes the difference between the nature of sunlight and moonlight. The following verses relate to the nature of light from the sun and the moon:

The Glorious Qur'an and modern science, are thus in perfect agreement about the differences in the nature of sunlight and moonlight.

METALLURGY AND QURAN

Metallurgy is a domain of materialsscience that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements or metal. Metals are deeply discussed in Quran and following verses
are the approval of above statement.

"Give me pieces (blocks) of iron," then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said: "Blow," till when he had made it (red as) fire, he said: "Bring me molten copper to pour over it." (Quran 18:96)

So they (Yajooj and Majooj (Gog and Magog)) were made powerless to scale it or dig through it. (Quran 18:97) Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance (justice) that mankind may keep up justice. And We brought forth iron wherein is mighty power (in matters of war), as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help Him (His religion), and His Messengers in the unseen. Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty. (Quran 57:25) He knows that which goes into the earth and that which comes forth from it, and that which descend from the heaven and that which ascends to it. And He is the Most Merciful, the OftForgiving. (Quran 34:2) He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and the valleys flow according to their measure, but the flood bears away the foam that mounts up to the surface, and (also) from that (ore) which they heat in the fire in order to make ornaments or utensils, rises a foam like unto it, thus does Allah (by parables) show forth truth and falsehood. Then, as for the foam it passes away as scum upon the banks, while that which is for the good of mankind remains in the earth. Thus Allah sets forth parables (for the truth and falsehood, i.e. Belief and disbelief). (Quran 13:17)

THE SUN ROTATES

For a long time European philosophers and scientists believed that the earth stood still in the center of the universe and every other body including the sun moved around it. In the West, this geocentric concept of the universe was prevalent right from the time of Ptolemy in the second century B.C. In 1512, Nicholas Copernicus put forward his Heliocentric Theory of Planetary Motion, which asserted that the sun is motionless at the center of the solar system with the planets revolving around it. In 1609, the German scientist YohannusKeppler published the Astronomia Nova. In this he Concluded that not only do the planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun, they also rotate upon their axes at irregular speeds. With this knowledge it became possible for European scientists to explain correctly many of the mechanisms of the solar system, including the sequence of night and day. After these discoveries, it was thought that the Sun was stationary and did not rotate about its axis like the Earth. I remember having studied this fallacy from Geography books during my school days. Consider the following Quranic verse:

The Arabic word used in the above verse is yasbahoon. This word is derived from the word sabaha. It carries with it the idea of motion that comes from any moving body. If you use this word for a person on the ground, it would not mean that he is rolling but would imply that he is walking or running. If you use this word for a person in water, it would not mean that he is floating but would imply that he is swimming. Similarly, if you use the word yasbahfor a celestial body such as the sun, it would not only mean that it is flying through space but would also mean that it is rotating as it goes through space. Most school textbooks have now incorporated the fact that the sun rotates about its axis. The rotation of the sun about its own axis can be proved with the help of an equipment that projects the image of the sun on the top of a table, so that one can examine the image of the sun without being blinded. It is noticed that the sun has spots which complete a circular motion once every 25 days i.e. the sun takes approximately 25 days to rotate round its axis. The sun travels through space at roughly 240 km per second, and takes about 200 million years to complete one revolution around the centre of our Milky Way Galaxy.

This verse mentions an essential fact discovered only recently by modern astronomy, i.e. the existence of the individual orbits of the Sun and the Moon, and their journey through space with their own motion. The fixed place towards which the sun travels, carrying with it the solar system, has been located preirsely by modern astronomy. It has been given a name, the Solar Apex. The solar system is indeed moving in space towards a point situated in the constellation of Hercules (alpha Lyrae) whose exact location is now firmly established4. The moon rotates around its axis in the same duration that it takes to revolve around the earth. It takes approximately 29 days to complete one rotation. One cannot help but be amazed at the scientific accuracy of the Quranic verses. Should we not ponder over the question: What is the source of knowledge contained in the Quran?

THE SUN WILL EXTINGUISH

The light of the sun is due to a chemical process on its surface that has been taking place continuously for the past five billion years. It will come to an end at some point of time in the future, when the sun will be totally extinguished, leading to extinction of all life on earth. Regarding the impermanence of the suns existence, the Quran says:

It would be ridiculous for anyone to even suggest that the presence of interstellar galactic materialwas known 1400 years ago!

THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE

The discovery of the expanding universe has been the greatest landmark in the scientific field. Newton and others should have realized that a static universe would mean that it would soon start to contract under the influence of gravity. If the universe was expanding at a slower rate, then the force of gravity would eventually cause it to stop and the universe would start contracting. If instead, it was expanding at a rapid

rate, then gravity would never be strong enough to stop it, and thus the universe would be expanding forever.
In 1925, American astronomer Edwin Hubble, provided observational evidence that all galaxies are moving away from one another, which implies that the universe is expanding. The expansion of the universe is now an established scientific fact. This is what the Quran says regarding the nature of the universe:

The Arabic word musioonis correctly translated as expanding it, and it refers to the creation of the expanding vastness of the universe. One of the greatest astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, in his book, A Brief History of Time, says, The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the 20th century. The Quran mentioned the expansion of the universe, before man even learnt to build a telescope! Some may say that the presence of astronomical facts in the Quran is not surprising since the Arabs were advanced in the field of astronomy. They are correct in acknowledging the advancement of the Arabs in the field of astronomy. However they fail to realize that the Quran was revealed centuries before the Arabs excelled in astronomy. Moreover many of the scientific facts mentioned above, such as the origin of the universe with a Big Bang, were not known to the Arabs even at the peak of their scientific advancement. The scientific facts mentioned in the Quran are therefore not due to the Arabs advancement in astronomy. Indeed, the reverse is true: they advanced in astronomy, because astronomy occupies a place in the Quran.

And the heaven We built with Our own powers and indeed We go on expanding it. [51:48]
It was only as recent as the 1920s when Edwin Hubble made the discovery that the galaxies were speeding away from each other. The above verse, which was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) some 1400 years ago, clearly confirms what Hubble observed. This concept of the expanding universe is unique to the Quran and no other scripture comes even close to describing such a

phenomenon. The knowledge of the expanding universe is of vital importance to scientists as this helps create a better understanding of the creation of the universe. Hubbles data suggested that the farther a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away! This meant that the universe could not be static as was thought to be, but rather it is expanding. Therefore the distance between the different galaxies is growing all the time.

Learning Industrial Engineering from The Quran Industrial engineering focuses mainly on the design and management of factories, and there is a continuing research to find the optimal specificationsfor the design of factories and their management. This topic shows how tofind these optimal specifications from the guidance of the last revelation of Allah (God) to people (i.e. The Quran) instead of Muslims running to strangersto get knowledge.Learning the design and management of factories from the Quran: The key to understand industrial engineering from the Quran is found in verse88 of chapter 27 of the Quran which states(And you see the mountains and think them solid but they pass by as the passing of
the clouds, the manufacturing of ALAH (God) who perfected every thing.Verily,He is well acquainted with what you do), Such that Allah (God) describes His creation in this

verse by a process of manufacturing (the manufacturing of Allah (God)and any manufacturing process needs a manufacturer who is Allah (God) andany manufacturing process also needs a factory. T h u s t h e q u e s t i o n n o w i s : w h a t a r e t h e f a c t o r i e s i n t h e c r e a t i o n o f A l l a h (God)? The answer can be known by pondering upon verse 21 of chapter 51which states: (A n d i n y o u r o w n s e l v e s w i l l y o u n o t t h e n s e e ? ) , t h u s i f w e ponder upon how Allah (God) created our b o d i e s w e f i n d t h a t t h e r e a r e objects in our bodies that raw materials (Amino acids) enter and products(proteins) exist and this is the function of a factory. Thus the cells are thefactories in the

creation of Allah (God) as shown in figures 1 and 2

If we ponder upon how Allah (God) created the cell we find that it is a complete factory which contains management department, assembl y line,quality control, power stations, etc. and if we ponder upon the design of Allah( G o d ) f o r t h e s e d e p a r t m e n t s a n d t h e i r m a n a g e m e n t w e d i s c o v e r t h e following points

If we ponder upon how Allah (God) created the cell we find that it is a complete factory which contains management department, assembl y line,quality control, power stations, etc. and if we ponder upon the design of Allah( G o d ) f o r t h e s e d e p a r t m e n t s a n d t h e i r m a n a g e m e n t w e d i s c o v e r t h e following points: Management and assembly line in the cell: We find that Allah (God) placed the management department of the cell (which is founding the nucleus which contains the DNA molecule that in turns contains the engineering specifications for any product in the cell) near to the assembly line as shown in figure 3. Figure 3:

Management and as sembly line locations in the cell. We can learn from the proximity of these two departments th a t i t ensures fast communication between the management and production departments, such that if an error occurs in the assembly line then themanagement department can evaluate and fix the problem quickl y.Also if it is needed to increase or decrease the speed of production then this can be accomplished quickly and efficiently.2. Copying of main specifications: We find that when any production order is started in the cell then a messenger copies the engineering specifications for the product from the main location in the nucleus(DNA molecule), whereas this copy is used in production operationsa n d n o t t h e m a i n f i l e a s shown in figure 4. Among

the numerousa d v a n t a g e s o f t h i s i s t h a t i f t h e r e i s d a m a g e t o t h e c o p y d u r i n g production then there would be a main file in the factory which canbereferred to. Figure 4: The process of copying the original information in the cell. 3. Quality control of the cell: We find that any product in the cell mustpass through certain conduits before existing the cells walls and thesec o n d u i t s h a s a s h a p e i d e n t i c a l t o t h e f i n a l p r o d u c t , a n d t h u s t h i s represents a quality control system for the cell such that products mustmeet optimal specifications to exist.4. Power stations: We find that Allah (God) placed objects in the cellw h i c h g e n e r a t e e n e r g y t o a c t i v a t e t h e a s s e m b l y l i n e , a n d w e a l s o notice that Allah (God) placed more than one power station in the cella s s h o w n i n f i g u r e 5 . T h u s w e l e a r n t h a t i n a n y f a c t o r y w e n e e d t o place more than one power station such that if one of these stations ist u r n e d o f f t h e n t h e r e w o u l d b e b a c k u p s t a t i o n s t h a t e n s u r e t h e continuation of production. Also having more than one station reduces

the load on each one which reduces the fatigue on these stations andincreases the lifetime of the factory. Figure 5: Power stations within the cell.

5. Recycling: If a certain disease occurs and the assembled protein onthe assembly line is not according to optimal specifications then itwould not exit the wall of the cell and in this case it goes to a certainp l a c e i n t h e c e l l t o b e d i s a s s e m b l e d a n d t h e n t h e r e s u l t i n g r a w materials are used once more in production. Thus there is a recyclingd e p a r t m e n t i n t h e c e l l , s o w e l e a r n t h a t w e n e e d t o h a v e r e c y c l i n g department in the cell to increase the efficiency of production. Thus we see that when a believer thinks more and more about the cell hed i s c o v e r s i n f o r m a t i o n a n d d e s i g n c o n c e p t s t o b e u s e d i n t h e d e s i g n a n d management of factories. Thus Allah (God) wants for the believer to be theteacher of others and to show the superiority of the Quran to the main themeof the people of this age which is knowledge to draw people closer to theQuran and that this kind of knowledge would be a reason for people to beguided to the path of Allah (God).