Islam guide

For this entire book online, for more information
on Islam, or for a printed copy, visit:
www.islam-guide.com

Front Cover Photo: More than one million Muslims from
all over the world praying together at
the Haram Mosque in Makkah.

Back Cover Photo: The Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque
in Madinah.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

A BRIEF
ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO
UNDERSTANDING ISLAM
Second Edition
I. A. Ibrahim

General Editors Science Editors
Dr. William (Daoud) Peachy Professor Harold Stewart Kuofi

Michael (Abdul-Hakim) Thomas Professor F. A. State

Tony (Abu-Khaliyl) Sylvester Professor Mahjoub O. Taha

Idris Palmer Professor Ahmad Allam

Jamaal Zarabozo Professor Salman Sultan

Ali AlTimimi Associate Professor H. O. Sindi

Darussalam
Houston

A Brief Illustrated Guide To Understanding Islam

Contents

Copyright
Copyright © 1997, 1996 I. A. Abu-Harb.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopy,
recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the author, except for the situation below which is permitted.

For Reprinting
Reprinting or reproducing this book as a whole on the condition that
absolutely no change, addition, or omission is introduced is permitted free of
charge. To make high quality reprints, you may contact the author to obtain free
copies of the computer print files of this book (address on page 70).

The Web Site of This Book
This entire book, as well as more information on Islam, is available online at:
www.islam-guide.com

2nd Edition - 3rd Printing

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 97-67654

ISBN: 9960-34-011-2

Published by Darussalam, Publishers and Distributors, Houston, Texas, USA.


Contents 1

contents
TITLE PAGE

PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chapter 1
Some evidence for the truth of islam . 5
(1) The Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an . . . . . . . . . . 5
A) The Qur’an on Human Embryonic Development . . 6
B) The Qur’an on Mountains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
C) The Qur’an on the Origin of the Universe . . . . . . 14
D) The Qur’an on the Cerebrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
E) The Qur’an on Seas and Rivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
F) The Qur’an on Deep Seas and Internal Waves . . . 20
G) The Qur’an on Clouds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
H) Scientists’ Comments on the Scientific Miracles
in the Holy Qur’an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
(2) The Great Challenge to Produce One Chapter Like the
Chapters of the Holy Qur’an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
(3) Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of Muhammad r,
the Prophet of Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
(4) The Verses in the Qur’an That Mention Future Events
Which Later Came to Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
(5) Miracles Performed by the Prophet Muhammad r . . . 36
(6) The Simple Life of Muhammad r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
(7) The Phenomenal Growth of Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Chapter 2
some benefits of islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
(1) The Door to Eternal Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
(2) Salvation from Hellfire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
(3) Real Happiness and Inner Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
(4) Forgiveness for All Previous Sins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44


Save Print

2 Contents

Chapter 3
general information on Islam. . . . . . . 45
What Is Islam? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Some Basic Islamic Beliefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
1) Belief in God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
2) Belief in the Angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
3) Belief in God’s Revealed Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4) Belief in the Prophets and Messengers of God . . . 48
5) Belief in the Day of Judgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
6) Belief in Al-Qadar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Is There Any Sacred Source Other than the Qur’an? . . . . . 49
Examples of the Prophet Muhammad’s r Sayings . . . . . . 49
What Does Islam Say about the Day of Judgment? . . . . . . 50
How Does Someone Become a Muslim? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
What Is the Qur’an About?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Who Is the Prophet Muhammad r? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
How Did the Spread of Islam Affect the Development of
Science? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
What Do Muslims Believe about Jesus? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
What Does Islam Say about Terrorism?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Human Rights and Justice in Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
What Is the Status of Women in Islam? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
The Family in Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
How Do Muslims Treat the Elderly? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
What Are the Five Pillars of Islam? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
1) The Testimony of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
2) Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3) Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy) . . . . . . . . . . 66
4) Fasting the Month of Ramadan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
5) The Pilgrimage to Makkah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Islam in the United States. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

For More Information on Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
For Suggestions and Comments on This Book . . . . . . . . . 70
For Further Reading on Islam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71


3

PREFACE

Preface
This book is a brief guide to understanding Islam. It consists
of three chapters.
The first chapter, “Some Evidence for the Truth of Islam,”
answers some important questions which some people ask:
§ Is the Qur’an truly the literal word of God, revealed by Him?
§ Is Muhammad r1 truly a prophet sent by God?
§ Is Islam truly a religion from God?
In this chapter, six kinds of evidence are mentioned:
1) The Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an: This section
discusses (with illustrations) some
recently discovered scientific
facts mentioned in the Holy
Qur’an, which was revealed
fourteen centuries ago.
2) The Great Challenge to Pro-
duce One Chapter Like the
Chapters of the Holy
Qur’an: In the Qur’an, God
challenged all human beings
to produce a single chapter
like the chapters of the
Qur’an. Ever since the
Qur’an was revealed, fourteen
centuries ago, until this day, no
one has been able to meet this chal-
lenge, even though the smallest chapter
in the Qur’an (Chapter 108) is only ten words.

(1) These Arabic words r mean, ‘May God exalt his mention and
protect him from imperfection.’


Contents

4
3) Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of Muhammad r, the
Prophet of Islam: In this section, some of the Biblical prophe-
cies on the advent of the Prophet Muhammad r are discussed.
Preface

4) The Verses in the Qur’an That Mention Future Events
Which Later Came to Pass: The Qur’an mentioned future
events which later came to pass, for example, the victory of
the Romans over the Persians.
5) Miracles Performed by the Prophet Muhammad r: Many
miracles were performed by the Prophet Muhammad r. These
miracles were witnessed by many people.
6) The Simple Life of Muhammad r: This clearly indicates that
Muhammad r was not a false prophet who claimed
prophethood to attain material gains, greatness, or power.
From these six kinds of evidence, we conclude that:
§ The Qur’an must be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.
§ Muhammad r is truly a prophet sent by God.
§ Islam is truly a religion from God.
If we would like to know if a religion is true or false, we should
not depend on our emotions, feelings, or traditions. Rather, we
should depend on our reason and intellect. When God sent the
prophets, He supported them with miracles and evidence which
proved that they were truly prophets sent by God and hence that
the religion they came with is true.
The second chapter, “Some Benefits of Islam,” mentions
some of the benefits that Islam provides for the individual, such as:
1) The Door to Eternal Paradise
2) Salvation from Hellfire
3) Real Happiness and Inner Peace
4) Forgiveness for All Previous Sins.
The third chapter, “General Information on Islam,” pro-
vides general information on Islam, corrects some misconceptions
about it, and answers some commonly asked questions, such as:
§ What does Islam say about terrorism?
§ What is the status of women in Islam?


Contents

(1) The Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an 5
Chapter 1

Some evidence
for the truth of islam

God has supported His last Prophet Muhammad r with many
miracles and much evidence which proves that he is a true Prophet
sent by God. Also, God has supported His last revealed book, the

Some Evidence for the Truth of Islam
Holy Qur’an, with many miracles that prove that this Qur’an is the
literal word of God, revealed by Him, and that it was not authored
by any human being. This chapter discusses some of this evidence.

Chapter 1
(1) The Scientific Miracles
in the Holy Qur’an
The Qur’an is the literal word of God, which He revealed to
His Prophet Muhammad r through the Angel Gabriel. It was
memorized by Muhammad r, who then
dictated it to his Companions. They, in
turn, memorized it, wrote it down, and
reviewed it with the Prophet Muham-
mad r. Moreover, the Prophet Mu-
hammad r reviewed the Qur’an with
the Angel Gabriel once each year and
twice in the last year of his life. From
the time the Qur’an was revealed, un-
til this day, there has always been a
huge number of Muslims who have The Holy Qur’an
memorized all of the Qur’an, letter by letter. Some of them have
even been able to memorize all of the Qur’an by the age of ten.
Not one letter of the Qur’an has been changed over the centuries.
The Qur’an, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago, men-
tioned facts only recently discovered or proven by scientists. This
proves without doubt that the Qur’an must be the literal word of


Contents

6 A) The Qur’an on Human Embryonic Development

God, revealed by Him to the Prophet Muhammad r, and that the
Qur’an was not authored by Muhammad r or by any other human
being. This also proves that Muhammad r is truly a prophet sent
by God. It is beyond reason that anyone fourteen hundred years
ago would have known these facts discovered or proven only
recently with advanced equipment and sophisticated scientific
methods. Some examples follow.

A) The Qur’an on Human Embryonic

Development:
In the Holy Qur’an, God speaks about the stages of man’s
embryonic development:
Chapter 1

( We created man from an extract of clay.
Then We made him as a drop in a place of
settlement, firmly fixed. Then We made the
drop into an alaqah (leech, suspended thing,
and blood clot), then We made the alaqah into
a mudghah (chewed substance)... )1 (Qur’an,
23:12-14)

Literally, the Arabic word alaqah has three meanings:
(1) leech, (2) suspended thing, and (3) blood clot.
In comparing a leech to an embryo in the alaqah stage, we find
similarity between the two,2 as we can see in figure 1. Also, the
embryo at this stage obtains nourishment from the blood of the
mother, similar to the leech, which feeds on the blood of others.3
The second meaning of the word alaqah is “suspended thing.”
This is what we can see in figures 2 and 3, the suspension of the
embryo, during the alaqah stage, in the womb of the mother.

(1) Please note that what is between these special brackets (...) in this
book is only a translation of the meaning of the Qur’an. It is not the
Qur’an itself, which is in Arabic.
(2) The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 8.
(3) Human Development as Described in the Qur’an and Sunnah,
Moore and others, p. 36.


Contents

A) The Qur’an on Human Embryonic Development 7

Figure 1: Drawings illustrating the similarities in appearance between a leech and a
human embryo at the alaqah stage. (Leech drawing from Human Development as

Chapter 1
Described in the Qur’an and Sunnah, Moore and others, p. 37, modified from
Integrated Principles of Zoology, Hickman and others. Embryo drawing from The
Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 73.)

Figure 2: We can
see in this diagram
the suspension of
an embryo during
the alaqah stage in
the womb (uterus)
of the mother.
(The Developing
Human, Moore
and Persaud, 5th
ed., p. 66.)

Figure 3: In this photomicrograph, we can
see the suspension of an embryo (marked B)
during the alaqah stage (about 15 days old)
in the womb of the mother. The actual size
of the embryo is about 0.6 mm. (The Devel-
oping Human, Moore, 3rd ed., p. 66, from
Histology, Leeson and Leeson.)


Contents


The third meaning of the word alaqah is “blood clot.” We
find that the external appearance of the embryo and its sacs during
the alaqah stage is similar to that of a blood clot. This is due to
the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the
embryo during this stage1 (see figure 4). Also during this stage,
the blood in the embryo does not circulate until the end of the third
week.2 Thus, the embryo at this stage is like a clot of blood.

Figure 4: Diagram of the

primitive cardiovascular
system in an embryo dur-
ing the alaqah stage. The
external appearance of
the embryo and its sacs
Chapter 1

is similar to that of a
blood clot, due to the
presence of relatively
large amounts of blood
present in the embryo.
(The Developing Human,
Moore, 5th ed., p. 65.)

So the three meanings of the word alaqah correspond accu-
rately to the descriptions of the embryo at the alaqah stage.
The next stage mentioned in the verse is the mudghah stage.
The Arabic word mudghah means “chewed substance.” If one
were to take a piece of gum and chew it in his or her mouth and
then compare it with an embryo at the mudghah stage, we would
conclude that the embryo at the mudghah stage is similar in
appearance to a chewed substance. This is because of the somites
at the back of the embryo that “somewhat resemble teethmarks in
a chewed substance.”3 (see figures 5 and 6).
How could Muhammad r have possibly known all this about
fourteen hundred years ago, when scientists have only recently
discovered this using advanced equipment and powerful
microscopes which did not exist at that time? Hamm and
(1) Human Development as Described in the Qur’an and Sunnah,
Moore and others, pp. 37-38.


Contents

A) The Qur’an on Human Embryonic Development 9

Figure 5: Photograph of
a 28-day-old embryo at
the mudghah stage. The
embryo at this stage is
similar in appearance to
a chewed substance,
because the somites at
the back of the embryo
somewhat resemble
teeth marks in a chewed

substance. The actual
size of the embryo is 4
mm. (The Developing
Human, Moore and
Persaud, 5th ed., p. 82,

Chapter 1
from Professor Hideo
Nishimura, Kyoto Uni-
versity, Kyoto, Japan.)

Figure 6: When comparing
the appearance of an embryo
at the mudghah stage with a
piece of gum that has been
chewed, we find similarity be-
tween the two.
A) Drawing of an embryo at
the mudghah stage. We can
see here the somites at the
back of the embryo that look
like teeth marks. (The Devel-
oping Human, Moore and Per-
saud, 5th ed., p. 79.)
B) Photograph of a piece of
gum that has been chewed.


Contents


Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm
cells (spermatozoa) using an improved microscope in 1677 (more
than 1000 years after Muhammad r). They mistakenly thought
that the sperm cell contained a miniature preformed human being
that grew when it was deposited in the female genital tract.1
Professor Emeritus Keith L. Moore is one of the world’s most
prominent scientists in the fields of anatomy and embryology and
is the author of the book entitled The Developing Human, which
has been translated into eight languages. This book is a scientific

reference work and was chosen by a special committee in the
United States as the best book authored by one person. Dr. Keith
Moore is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. There, he was Associate
Chapter 1

Dean of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and for 8 years
was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy. In 1984, he
received the most distinguished award presented in the field of
anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian
Association of Anatomists. He has directed many international
associations, such as the Canadian and American Association of
Anatomists and the Council of the Union of Biological Sciences.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam,
Saudi Arabia, Professor Moore said: “It has been a great pleasure
for me to help clarify statements in the Qur’an about human
development. It is clear to me that these statements must have
come to Muhammad from God, because almost all of this knowl-
edge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves
to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God.”2
Consequently, Professor Moore was asked the following ques-
tion: “Does this mean that you believe that the Qur’an is the word
of God?” He replied: “I find no difficulty in accepting this.”3
During one conference, Professor Moore stated: “....Because
the staging of human embryos is complex, owing to the continuous
process of change during development, it is proposed that a
(2) The source of this comment is This is the Truth (videotape). Visit
www.islam-guide.com/truth for a copy of this videotape or to view
the video clips of Professor Keith Moore’s comments online.
(3) This is the Truth (videotape).


Contents

B) The Qur’an on Mountains 11
new system of classification could be developed using the terms
mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah (what Muhammad r said,
did, or approved of). The proposed system is simple, comprehen-
sive, and conforms with present embryological knowledge. The
intensive studies of the Qur’an and hadeeth (reliably transmitted
reports by the Prophet Muhammad’s r companions of what he
said, did, or approved of) in the last four years have revealed a
system for classifying human embryos that is amazing since it was
recorded in the seventh century A.D. Although Aristotle, the
founder of the science of embryology, realized that chick embryos

developed in stages from his studies of hen’s eggs in the fourth
century B.C., he did not give any details about these stages. As
far as it is known from the history of embryology, little was known

Chapter 1
about the staging and classification of human embryos until the
twentieth century. For this reason, the descriptions of the human
embryo in the Qur’an cannot be based on scientific knowledge in
the seventh century. The only reasonable conclusion is: these
descriptions were revealed to Muhammad from God. He could not
have known such details because he was an illiterate man with
absolutely no scientific training.”1

B) The Qur’an on Mountains:
A book entitled Earth is a basic reference textbook in many
universities around the world. One of its two authors is Profes-
sor Emeritus Frank Press. He was the Science Advisor to former
US President Jimmy Carter, and for 12 years was the President of
the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC. His book
says that mountains have underlying roots.2 These roots are
deeply embedded in the ground, thus, mountains have a shape
like a peg (see figures 7, 8, and 9 on the next page).
This is how the Qur’an has described mountains. God has said
in the Qur’an:
( Have We not made the earth as a bed, and
the mountains as pegs? ) (Qur’an, 78:6-7)

(1) This is the Truth (videotape). See footnote no. 2, p. 10.
(2) Earth, Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see Earth Science, Tarbuck
and Lutgens, p. 157.


Contents

12 B) The Qur’an on Mountains

Figure 7:
Mountains
have deep
roots under the
surface of the
ground. (Earth,
Press and
Siever, p. 413.)
Chapter 1

Figure 8: Schematic section. The mountains, like pegs, have deep roots embedded in
the ground. (Anatomy of the Earth, Cailleux, p. 220.)

Figure 9: Another illustration shows how the mountains are peg-like in shape, due to their
deep roots. (Earth Science, Tarbuck and Lutgens, p. 158.)

Modern earth sciences have proven that mountains have deep
roots under the surface of the ground (see figure 9) and that these
roots can reach several times their elevations above the surface of


Contents

B) The Qur’an on Mountains 13
the ground.1 So the most suitable word to describe mountains on
the basis of this information is the word ‘peg,’ since most of a
properly set peg is hidden under the surface of the ground.
The history of science tells us that the theory of mountains
having deep roots was introduced only in 1865 by the Astronomer
Royal, Sir George Airy.2
Mountains also play an important role in stabilizing the crust
of the earth.3 They hinder the shaking of the earth. God has said

in the Qur’an:
( And He has set firm mountains in the earth
so that it would not shake with you... )

Chapter 1
(Qur’an, 16:15)

Likewise, the modern theory of plate tectonics holds that
mountains work as stabilizers for the earth. This knowledge about
the role of mountains as stabilizers for the earth has just begun to
be understood in the framework of plate tectonics since the late
1960’s.4
Could anyone during the time of the Prophet Muhammad r
have known of the true shape of moun-
tains? Could anyone imagine that
the solid massive mountain which
he sees before him actually extends
deep into the earth and has a root, as
scientists affirm? Modern geology
has confirmed the truth of the
Qur’anic verses.

(1) The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, El-Naggar,
p. 5.
(2) Earth, Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see The Geological Concept
of Mountains in the Qur’an, p. 5.
(3) The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, pp. 44-45.
(4) The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, p. 5.


Contents

14 C) The Qur’an on the Origin of the Universe

C) The Qur’an on the Origin of the Universe:
The science of modern cosmology, observational and theoreti-
cal, clearly indicates that, at one point in time, the whole universe
was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’ (i.e. an opaque highly dense
and hot gaseous composition).1 This is one of the undisputed
principles of standard modern cosmology. Scientists now can
observe new stars forming out of the remnants of that ‘smoke’ (see
figures 10 and 11). The illuminating stars we see at night were,

just as was the whole universe, in that ‘smoke’ material. God has
said in the Qur’an:
( Then He turned to the heaven when it was
smoke... ) (Qur’an, 41:11)
Chapter 1

Because the earth and the heavens above (the sun, the moon,
stars, planets, galaxies, etc.) have been formed from this same
‘smoke,’ we conclude that the earth and the heavens were one
connected entity. Then out of this homogeneous ‘smoke,’ they
formed and separated from each other. God has said in the Qur’an:
( Have not those who disbelieved known that
the heavens and the earth were one connected
entity, then We separated them?... ) (Qur’an,
21:30)
Dr. Alfred Kroner is one of the world’s renowned geologists.
He is Professor of Geology and the Chairman of the Department
of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg
University, Mainz, Germany. He said: “Thinking where Muham-
mad came from . . . I think it is almost impossible that he could
have known about things like the common origin of the universe,
because scientists have only found out within the last few years,
with very complicated and advanced technological methods, that
this is the case.”2 Also he said: “Somebody who did not know
(1) The First Three Minutes, a Modern View of the Origin of the
Universe, Weinberg, pp. 94-105.
(2) The source of this comment is This is the Truth (videotape). Visit
www.islam-guide.com/truth for a copy of this videotape or to view
the video clips of Professor Alfred Kroner’s comments online.


Contents

C) The Qur’an on the Origin of the Universe 15

Figure 10: A new star
forming out of a cloud
of gas and dust (neb-
ula), which is one of
the remnants of the
‘smoke’ that was the
origin of the whole
universe. (The Space
Atlas, Heather and

Henbest, p. 50.)

Chapter 1

Figure 11: The Lagoon nebula is a cloud of gas and dust, about 60 light years in diameter.
It is excited by the ultraviolet radiation of the hot stars that have recently formed within
its bulk. (Horizons, Exploring the Universe, Seeds, plate 9, from Association of Universi-
ties for Research in Astronomy, Inc.)


Contents

16 D) The Qur’an on the Cerebrum

something about nuclear physics fourteen hundred years ago could
not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind, for
instance, that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.”1

D) The Qur’an on the Cerebrum:
God has said in the Qur’an about one of the evil unbelievers
who forbade the Prophet Muhammad r from praying at the Kaaba:
( No! If he does not stop, We will take him

by the naseyah (front of the head), a lying,
sinful naseyah (front of the head)! ) (Qur’an,
96:15-16)
Chapter 1

Why did the Qur’an describe the front of the head as being
lying and sinful? Why didn’t the Qur’an say that the person was
lying and sinful? What is the relationship between the front of the
head and lying and sinfulness?
If we look into the skull at the front of the head, we will find
the prefrontal area of the cerebrum (see figure 12). What does
physiology tell us about the function of this area? A book entitled
Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology says about this area: “The
motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate movements occur
in the anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal area.
This is a region of association cortex...”2 Also the book says: “In
relation to its involvement in motivation, the prefrontal area is also
thought to be the functional center for aggression....”3
So, this area of the cerebrum is responsible for planning,
motivating, and initiating good and sinful behavior and is respon-
sible for the telling of lies and the speaking of truth. Thus, it is
proper to describe the front of the head as lying and sinful when
someone lies or commits a sin, as the Qur’an has said: “...A lying,
sinful naseyah (front of the head)!”

(1) This is the Truth (videotape).
(2) Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, Seeley and others, p. 211. Also
see The Human Nervous System, Noback and others, pp. 410-411.
(3) Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, Seeley and others, p. 211.


Contents

E) The Qur’an on Seas and Rivers 17

Chapter 1
Figure 12: Functional regions of the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex. The prefrontal
area is located at the front of the cerebral cortex. (Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology,
Seeley and others, p. 210.)

Scientists have only discovered these functions of the prefron-
tal area in the last sixty years, according to Professor Keith L.
Moore.1

E) The Qur’an on Seas and Rivers:
Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two
different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier
divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature,
salinity, and density.2 For example, Mediterranean sea water is
warm, saline, and less dense, compared to Atlantic ocean water.
When Mediterranean sea water enters the Atlantic over the Gibral-
tar sill, it moves several hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a
depth of about 1000 meters with its own warm, saline, and less

(1) Al-E’jaz al-Elmy fee al-Naseyah (The Scientific Miracles in the
Front of the Head), Moore and others, p. 41.
(2) Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.


Contents

18 E) The Qur’an on Seas and Rivers

dense characteristics. The Mediterranean water stabilizes at this
depth1 (see figure 13).
Chapter 1

Figure 13: The Mediterranean sea water as it enters the Atlantic over the Gibraltar sill with
its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics, because of the barrier that
distinguishes between them. Temperatures are in degrees Celsius (C°). (Marine Geology,
Kuenen, p. 43, with a slight enhancement.)

Although there are large waves, strong currents, and tides in
these seas, they do not mix or transgress this barrier.
The Holy Qur’an mentioned that there is a barrier between two
seas that meet and that they do not transgress. God has said:
( He has set free the two seas meeting to-
gether. There is a barrier between them.
They do not transgress. ) (Qur’an, 55:19-20)

But when the Qur’an speaks about the divider between fresh
and salt water, it mentions the existence of “a forbidding partition”
with the barrier. God has said in the Qur’an:
( 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. ) (Qur’an, 25:53)

(1) Principles of Oceanography, Davis, p. 93.


Contents

E) The Qur’an on Seas and Rivers 19
One may ask, why did the Qur’an mention the partition when
speaking about the divider between fresh and salt water, but did
not mention it when speaking about the divider between the two
seas?
Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh
(sweet) and salt water meet, the situation is somewhat different
from what is found in places where two seas meet. It has been
discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in
estuaries is a “pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity

separating the two layers.”1 This partition (zone of separation) has
a different salinity from the fresh water and from the salt water2
(see figure 14).

Chapter 1
Figure 14: Longitudinal section showing salinity (parts per thousand ‰) in an estuary.
We can see here the partition (zone of separation) between the fresh and the salt water.
(Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, p. 301, with a slight enhancement.)

This information has been discovered only recently, using
advanced equipment to measure temperature, salinity, density,
oxygen dissolubility, etc. The human eye cannot see the difference
between the two seas that meet, rather the two seas appear to us as
one homogeneous sea. Likewise, the human eye cannot see the
division of water in estuaries into the three kinds: fresh water, salt
water, and the partition (zone of separation).

(1) Oceanography, Gross, p. 242. Also see Introductory
Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.
(2) Oceanography, Gross, p. 244, and Introductory Oceanography,
Thurman, pp. 300-301.


Contents

20 F) The Qur’an on Deep Seas and Internal Waves

F) The Qur’an on Deep Seas and Internal
Waves:
God has said in the Qur’an:
( Or (the unbelievers’ state) is like the dark-
ness 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 cannot see

it.... ) (Qur’an, 24:40)

This verse mentions the darkness found in deep seas and
oceans, where if a man stretches out his hand, he cannot see it. The
Chapter 1

darkness in deep seas and oceans is found around a depth of 200
meters and below. At this depth, there is almost no light (see figure
15). Below a depth of 1000 meters there is no light at all.1 Human

Figure 15: Between 3 and 30 percent of the sunlight is reflected at the sea surface. Then
almost all of the seven colors of the light spectrum are absorbed one after another in the
first 200 meters, except the blue light. (Oceans, Elder and Pernetta, p. 27.)

(1) Oceans, Elder and Pernetta, p. 27.


Contents

F) The Qur’an on Deep Seas and Internal Waves 21
beings are not able to dive more than forty meters without the aid
of submarines or special equipment. Human beings cannot survive
unaided in the deep dark part of the oceans, such as at a depth of
200 meters.
Scientists have recently discovered this darkness by means of
special equipment and submarines that have enabled them to dive
into the depths of the oceans.
We can also understand from the following sentences in the

previous verse, “...in a deep sea. It is covered by waves, above
which are waves, above which are clouds....”, that the deep
waters of seas and oceans are covered by waves, and above these
waves are other waves. It is clear that the second set of waves are

Chapter 1
the surface waves that we see, because the verse mentions that
above the second waves there are clouds. But what about the first
waves? Scientists have recently discovered that there are internal
waves which “occur on density interfaces between layers of dif-
ferent densities.”1 (see figure 16). The internal waves cover the

Figure 16: Internal waves at interface between two layers of water of different
densities. One is dense (the lower one), the other one is less dense (the upper
one). (Oceanography, Gross, p. 204.)

(1) Oceanography, Gross, p. 205.


Contents

22 G) The Qur’an on Clouds

deep waters of seas and oceans because the deep waters have a
higher density than the waters above them. Internal waves act like
surface waves. They can also break, just like surface waves.
Internal waves cannot be seen by the human eye, but they can be
detected by studying temperature or salinity changes at a given
location.1

G) The Qur’an on Clouds:

Scientists have studied cloud types and have realized that rain
clouds are formed and shaped according to definite systems and
certain steps connected with certain types of wind and clouds.
Chapter 1

One kind of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud. Meteor-
ologists have studied how cumulonimbus clouds are formed and
how they produce rain, hail, and lightning.
They have found that cumulonimbus clouds go through the
following steps to produce rain:
1) The clouds are pushed by the wind: Cumulonimbus clouds
begin to form when wind pushes some small pieces of clouds
(cumulus clouds) to an area where these clouds converge (see
figures 17 and 18).
Figure 17: Sat-
ellite photo
showing the
clouds moving
towards the
convergence
areas B, C, and
D. The arrows
indicate the di-
rections of the
wind. (The Use
of Satellite Pic-
tures in
Weather Analy-
sis and Fore-
casting, An-
derson and
others, p. 188.)

(1) Oceanography, Gross, p. 205.


Contents

G) The Qur’an on Clouds 23

Chapter 1
Figure 18: Small pieces of clouds (cumulus clouds) moving towards a convergence
zone near the horizon, where we can see a large cumulonimbus cloud. (Clouds and
Storms, Ludlam, plate 7.4.)

2) Joining: Then the small clouds join together forming a larger
cloud1 (see figures 18 and 19).

Figure 19: (A) Isolated small pieces of clouds (cumulus clouds). (B) When the small
clouds join together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase, so the cloud is stacked
up. Water drops are indicated by Ÿ. (The Atmosphere, Anthes and others, p. 269.)

(1) See The Atmosphere, Anthes and others, pp. 268-269, and Elements
of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, p. 141.


Contents


3) Stacking: When the small clouds join together, updrafts
within the larger cloud increase. The updrafts near the center
of the cloud are stronger than those near the edges.1 These
updrafts cause the cloud body to grow vertically, so the cloud
is stacked up (see figures 19 (B), 20, and 21). This vertical
growth causes the cloud body to stretch into cooler regions of
the atmosphere, where drops of water and hail formulate and
begin to grow larger and larger. When these drops of water
and hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support them,

they begin to fall from the cloud as rain, hail, etc.2
Chapter 1

Figure 20: A cumulonimbus cloud. After the
cloud is stacked up, rain comes out of it.
(Weather and Climate, Bodin, p.123.)

( 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.... ) (Qur’an, 24:43)

Meteorologists have only recently come to know these details
of cloud formation, structure, and function by using advanced
equipment like planes, satellites, computers, balloons, and other

(1) The updrafts near the center are stronger, because they are protected
from the cooling effects by the outer portion of the cloud.
(2) See The Atmosphere, Anthes and others, p. 269, and Elements of
Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, pp. 141-142.


Contents

G) The Qur’an on Clouds 25

Chapter 1
Figure 21: A cumulonimbus cloud. (A Colour Guide to Clouds, Scorer and Wexler, p.
23.)

equipment, to study wind and its direction, to measure humidity
and its variations, and to determine the levels and variations of
atmospheric pressure.1
The preceding verse, after mentioning clouds and rain, speaks
about hail and lightning:
( ....And He sends down hail from mountains
(clouds) in the sky, and He strikes with it
whomever He wills, and turns it from whom-
ever He wills. The vivid flash of its lightning
nearly blinds the sight. ) (Qur’an, 24:43)

Meteorologists have found that these cumulonimbus clouds,
that shower hail, reach a height of 25,000 to 30,000 ft (4.7 to 5.7
miles),2 like mountains, as the Qur’an said: “...And He sends
down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky...” (see figure 21).

(1) See Ee’jaz al-Qur’an al-Kareem fee Wasf Anwa’ al-Riyah,
al-Sohob, al-Matar, Makky and others, p. 55.
(2) Elements of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, p. 141.


Contents


This verse may raise a question. Why does the verse say “its
lightning” in a reference to the hail? Does this mean that hail is
the major factor in producing lightning? Let us see what the book
entitled Meteorology Today says about this. It says that a cloud
becomes electrified as hail falls through a region in the cloud of
supercooled droplets and ice crystals. As liquid droplets collide
with a hailstone, they freeze on contact and release latent heat.
This keeps the surface of the hailstone warmer than that of the
surrounding ice crystals. When the hailstone comes in contact

with an ice crystal, an important phenomenon occurs: electrons
flow from the colder object toward
the warmer object. Hence, the
hailstone becomes negatively
Chapter 1

charged. The same effect
occurs when supercooled
droplets come in contact
with a hailstone and tiny
splinters of positively
charged ice break off.
These lighter positively
charged particles are then
carried to the upper part of
the cloud by updrafts. The
hail, left with a negative
charge, falls towards the
bottom of the cloud, thus the
lower part of the cloud becomes
negatively charged. These negative
charges are then discharged as lightning.1 We conclude from this
that hail is the major factor in producing lightning.
This information on lightning was discovered recently. Until
1600 AD, Aristotle’s ideas on meteorology were dominant. For
example, he said that the atmosphere contains two kinds of exha-
lation, moist and dry. He also said that thunder is the sound of the
collision of the dry exhalation with the neighboring clouds, and
lightning is the inflaming and burning of the dry exhalation with
(1) Meteorology Today, Ahrens, p. 437.


Contents

H) Scientists’ Comments on the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an 27
a thin and faint fire.1 These are some of the ideas on meteorology
that were dominant at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation, fourteen
centuries ago.

H) Scientists’ Comments on the Scientific
Miracles in the Holy Qur’an:
The following are some comments of scientists on the scien-
tific miracles in the Holy Qur’an. All of these comments have been

taken from the videotape entitled This is the Truth. In this vide-
otape, you can see and hear the scientists while they are giving the
following comments. (Please visit www.islam-guide.com/truth
for a copy of this videotape, to view it online, or to view the video

Chapter 1
clips of these comments online.)
1) Dr. T. V. N. Persaud is Professor of Anatomy, Professor of
Pediatrics and Child Health, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecol-
ogy, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. There, he was the Chairman of the
Department of Anatomy for 16 years. He is well-known in his
field. He is the author or editor of 22 textbooks and has published
over 181 scientific papers. In 1991, he received the most distin-
guished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the
J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists.
When he was asked about the scientific miracles in the Qur’an
which he has researched, he stated the following:
“The way it was explained to me is that Muhammad was a very
ordinary man. He could not read, didn’t know [how] to write. In
fact, he was an illiterate. And we’re talking about twelve [actually
about fourteen] hundred years ago. You have someone illiterate
making profound pronouncements and statements and that are
amazingly accurate about scientific nature. And I personally can’t
see how this could be a mere chance. There are too many
accuracies and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind
that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these
statements.”

(1) The Works of Aristotle Translated into English: Meteorologica,
vol. 3, Ross and others, pp. 369a-369b.


Contents

28 H) Scientists’ Comments on the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an

Professor Persaud has included some Qur’anic verses and
sayings of the Prophet Muhammad r in some of his books. He
has also presented these verses and sayings of the Prophet Muham-
mad r at several conferences.
2) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is the Chairman of the Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecol-
ogy, and Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. Formerly, he was
Professor of Ob-Gyn and the Chairman of the Department of

Ob-Gyn at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee,
USA. He was also the President of the American Fertility Society.
He has received many awards, including the Association of Pro-
fessors of Obstetrics and Gynecology Public Recognition Award
Chapter 1

in 1992. Professor Simpson studied the following two sayings of
the Prophet Muhammad r:
{ In every one of you, all components of your creation are
collected together in your mother’s womb by forty days... }1
{ If forty-two nights have passed over the embryo, God
sends an angel to it, who shapes it and creates its hearing,
vision, skin, flesh, and bones.... }2
He studied these two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad r
extensively, noting that the first forty days constitute a clearly
distinguishable stage of embryo-genesis. He was particularly
impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of those sayings
of the Prophet Muhammad r. Then, during one conference, he
gave the following opinion:
“So that the two hadeeths (the sayings of the Prophet Muham-
mad r) that have been noted provide us with a specific time table
for the main embryological development before forty days. Again,
the point has been made, I think, repeatedly by other speakers this
(1) Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2643, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3208.
Note: What is between these special brackets {...} in this book is a
translation of what the Prophet Muhammad r said. Also note that
this symbol # used in the footnotes, indicates the number of the
hadeeth. A hadeeth is a reliably transmitted report by the Prophet
Muhammad’s r companions of what he said, did, or approved of.
(2) Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2645.


Contents

morning: these hadeeths could not have been obtained on the basis
of the scientific knowledge that was available [at] the time of their
writing . . . . It follows, I think, that not only there is no conflict
between genetics and religion but, in fact, religion can guide
science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific
approaches, that there exist statements in the Qur’an shown cen-
turies later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Qur’an
having been derived from God.”
3) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy

and Developmental Biology at Thomas Jefferson University,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. There, for 22 years he was
Professor of Anatomy, the Chairman of the Department of Anat-
omy, and the Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute. He was also

Chapter 1
the President of the Teratology Society. He has authored more
than 200 publications. In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Con-
ference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Johnson said in the
presentation of his research paper:
“Summary: The Qur’an describes not only the development
of external form, but emphasizes also the internal stages, the stages
inside the embryo, of its creation and development, emphasizing
major events recognized by contemporary science.”
Also he said: “As a scientist, I can only deal with things which
I can specifically see. I can understand embryology and develop-
mental biology. I can understand the words that are translated to
me from the Qur’an. As I gave the example before, if I were to
transpose myself into that era, knowing what I knew today and
describing things, I could not describe the things which were
described. I see no evidence for the fact to refute the concept that
this individual, Muhammad, had to be developing this information
from some place. So I see nothing here in conflict with the
concept that divine intervention was involved in what he was able
to write.”1
4) Dr. William W. Hay is a well-known marine scientist. He is
Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado,
Boulder, Colorado, USA. He was formerly the Dean of the
(1) The Prophet Muhammad r was illiterate. He could not read nor
write, but he dictated the Qur’an to his Companions and commanded
some of them to write it down.


Contents

30 H) Scientists’ Comments on the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an

Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the
University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA. After a discussion
with Professor Hay about the Qur’an’s mention of recently discov-
ered facts on seas, he said:
“I find it very interesting that this sort of information is in the
ancient scriptures of the Holy Qur’an, and I have no way of
knowing where they would come from, but I think it is extremely
interesting that they are there and that this work is going on to
discover it, the meaning of some of the passages.” And when he

was asked about the source of the Qur’an, he replied:
“Well, I would think it must be the divine being.”
5) Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer is Course Director and Associate
Chapter 1

Professor of Medical Embryology at the Department of Cell Biol-
ogy, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington,
DC, USA. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Ri-
yadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Goeringer stated the following in
the presentation of his research paper:
“In a relatively few aayahs (Qur’anic verses) is contained a
rather comprehensive description of human development from the
time of commingling of the gametes through organogenesis. No
such distinct and complete record of human development, such as
classification, terminology, and description, existed previously. In
most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many cen-
turies the recording of the various stages of human embryonic and
fetal development recorded in the traditional scientific literature.”
6) Dr. Yoshihide Kozai is Professor Emeritus at Tokyo Univer-
sity, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan, and was the Director of the National
Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. He said:
“I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts
in [the] Qur’an, and for us the modern astronomers have been
studying very small pieces of the universe. We’ve concentrated
our efforts for understanding of [a] very small part. Because by
using telescopes, we can see only very few parts [of] the sky
without thinking [about the] whole universe. So, by reading [the]
Qur’an and by answering to the questions, I think I can find my
future way for investigation of the universe.”


Contents

7) Professor Tejatat Tejasen is the Chairman of the Department
of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Previously, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the same
university. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Ri-
yadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Tejasen stood up and said:
“During the last three years, I became interested in the Qur’an .
. . . From my study and what I have learned from this conference, I
believe that everything that has been recorded in the Qur’an four-
teen hundred years ago must be the truth, that can be proved by the

scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither read
nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth,
which was revealed to him as an enlightenment by the one who is
eligible [as the] creator. This creator must be God. Therefore, I

Chapter 1
think this is the time to say La ilaha illa Allah, there is no god to
worship except Allah (God), Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, Mu-
hammad is Messenger (Prophet) of Allah (God). Lastly, I must
congratulate for the excellent and highly successful arrangement
for this conference . . . . I have gained not only from the scientific
point of view and religious point of view but also the great chance
of meeting many well-known scientists and making many new
friends among the participants. The most precious thing of all that
I have gained by coming to this place is La ilaha illa Allah,
Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, and to have become a Muslim.”

After all these examples we have seen about the scientific
miracles in the Holy Qur’an and all these scientists’ comments on
this, let us ask ourselves these questions:
§ Could it be a coincidence that all this recently discovered
scientific information from different fields was mentioned in
the Qur’an, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago?
§ Could this Qur’an have been authored by Muhammad r or
by any other human being?
The only possible answer is that this Qur’an must be the literal
word of God, revealed by Him.
(For more information, online articles, books, or vide-
otapes on scientific miracles in the Holy Qur’an, please visit
www.islam-guide.com/science or contact one of the organi-
zations listed on pages 69-70.)


Contents

32 (2) The Great Challenge to Produce One Chapter Like the Chapters of the Holy Qur’an
(2) The Great Challenge to Produce
One Chapter Like the Chapters
of the Holy Qur’an
( And if you are in doubt about what We have
revealed (the Qur’an) to Our worshiper (Mu-
hammad r), then produce a chapter like it,

and call your witnesses (supporters and help-
ers) besides God if you are truthful. And if
you do not do it, and you can never do it, then
fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and
Chapter 1

stones. It has been prepared for disbelievers.
And give good news (O Muhammad) to those
who believe and do good deeds, that for them
are gardens (Paradise) in which rivers
flow.... ) (Qur’an, 2:23-25)

Ever since the Qur’an was revealed, fourteen centuries ago,
no one has been able to produce a single chapter like the chapters
of the Qur’an in their beauty, eloquence, splendor, wise legislation,
true information, true prophecy, and other perfect attributes. Also,
note that the smallest chapter in the Qur’an (Chapter 108) is only
ten words, yet no one has ever been able to meet this challenge,

The smallest chapter in the Holy Qur’an (Chapter 108) is only ten words, yet no one has
ever been able to meet the challenge to produce one chapter like the chapters of the Holy
Qur’an.


Contents

(3) Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of Muhammad , the Prophet of Islam 33
then or today.1 Some of the disbelieving Arabs who were enemies
of Muhammad r tried to meet this challenge to prove that Mu-
hammad r was not a true prophet, but they failed to do so.2 This
failure was despite the fact that the Qur’an was revealed in their
own language and dialect and that the Arabs at the time of
Muhammad r were a very eloquent people who used to compose
beautiful and excellent poetry, still read and appreciated today.

(3) Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of

Muhammad r, the Prophet of Islam
The Biblical prophecies on the
advent of the Prophet Muham-

Chapter 1
mad r are evidence of the truth of
Islam for people who believe in
the Bible.
In Deuteronomy 18, Moses
stated that God told him: “I will
raise up for them a prophet
like you from among their brothers; I will put
my words in his mouth, and he will tell them
everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my
words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call
him to account.” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)3
From these verses we conclude that the prophet in this proph-
ecy must have the following three characteristics:
1) That he will be like Moses.
2) That he will come from the brothers of the Israelites, i.e. the
Ishmaelites.
3) That God will put His words into the mouth of this prophet
and that he will declare what God commands him.
Let us examine these three characteristics in more depth.
(1) See Al-Borhan fee Oloom Al-Qur’an, Al-Zarkashy, vol. 2, p. 224.
(2) See Al-Borhan fee Oloom Al-Qur’an, Al-Zarkashy, vol. 2, p. 226.
(3) The verses of the Bible in this book have been taken from The NIV
Study Bible, New International Version.


Contents

34 (3) Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of Muhammad , the Prophet of Islam

1) A prophet like Moses:
There were hardly any two prophets who were so much alike
as Moses and Muhammad r. Both were given a comprehensive
law and code of life. Both encountered their enemies and were
victorious in miraculous ways. Both were accepted as prophets
and statesmen. Both migrated following conspiracies to assassi-
nate them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlook not only
the above similarities but other crucial ones as well. These include
the natural birth, the family life, and the death of Moses and

Muhammad r but not that of Jesus. Moreover, Jesus was regarded
by his followers as the Son of God and not exclusively as a prophet
of God, as Moses and Muhammad r were and as Muslims believe
Jesus was. So, this prophecy refers to Muhammad r and not to
Chapter 1

Jesus, because Muhammad r is more like Moses than Jesus.
Also, one notices from the Gospel of John that the Jews were
waiting for the fulfillment of three distinct prophecies: 1) The
coming of Christ, 2) The coming of Elijah, 3) The coming of the
Prophet. This is obvious from the three questions that were posed
to John the Baptist: “Now this was John’s testimony, when the
Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he
was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not
the Christ.’ They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you
Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He an-
swered, ‘No.’” (John 1:19-21). If we look in a Bible with cross-
references, we will find in the marginal notes where the words “the
Prophet” occur in John 1:21, that these words refer to the prophecy
of Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18:18.1 We conclude from this that
Jesus Christ is not the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18.
2) From the brothers of the Israelites:
Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (Genesis 21).
Ishmael became the grandfather of the Arab nation, and Isaac
became the grandfather of the Jewish nation. The prophet spoken
of was not to come from among the Jews themselves, but from
among their brothers, i.e. the Ishmaelites. Muhammad r, a de-
scendant of Ishmael, is indeed this prophet.
(1) See the marginal notes in The NIV Study Bible, New International
Version on verse 1:21, p. 1594.


Contents

(4) The Verses in the Qur’an That Mention Future Events Which Later Came to Pass 35
Also, Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the servant of God, His “chosen
one” and “messenger” who will bring down a law. “He will not
falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In
his law the islands will put their hope.” (Isaiah 42:4). Verse 11,
connects that awaited messenger with the descendants of Kedar.
Who is Kedar? According to Genesis 25:13, Kedar was the second
son of Ishmael, the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad r.
3) God will put His words in the mouth of this prophet:
The words of God (the Holy Qur’an) were truly put into

Muhammad’s r mouth. God sent the Angel Gabriel to teach
Muhammad r the exact words of God (the Holy Qur’an) and asked
him to dictate them to the people as he heard them. The words are
therefore not his own. They did not come from his own thoughts,

Chapter 1
but were put into his mouth by the Angel Gabriel. During the life
time of Muhammad r, and under his supervision, these words
were then memorized and written by his companions.
Note that God has said in the prophecy of Deuteronomy: “If
anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in
my name, I myself will call him to account.” (Deuteronomy,
18:19). This means that whoever believes in the Bible must be-
lieve in what this prophet says, and this prophet is Muhammad r.
(Please visit www.islam-guide.com/mib for more informa-
tion on Muhammad r in the Bible.)

(4) The Verses in the Qur’an That Mention
Future Events Which Later Came to Pass
An example of the events foretold in the Qur’an is the victory
of the Romans over the Persians within three to nine years after the
Romans were defeated by the Persians. God has said in the Qur’an:
( The Romans have been defeated in the near-
est land (to the Arabian Peninsula), and they,
after their defeat, will be victorious within
bedd’ (three to nine) years.... ) (Qur’an, 30:2-4)
Let us see what history tells us about these wars. A book
entitled History of the Byzantine State says that the Roman army


Contents

36 (5) Miracles Performed by the Prophet Muhammad

was badly defeated at Antioch in 613, and as a result, the Persians
swiftly pushed forward on all fronts.1 At that time, it was hard
to imagine that the Romans would defeat the Persians, but the
Qur’an foretold that the Romans would be victorious within three
to nine years. In 622, nine years after the Romans’ defeat, the
two forces (Romans and Persians) met on Armenian soil, and the
result was the decisive victory of the Romans over the Persians,
for the first time after the Romans’ defeat in 613.2 The prophecy
was fulfilled just as God has said in the Qur’an.

There are also many other verses in the Qur’an and sayings of
Muhammad r that mention future events which later came to pass.

(5) Miracles Performed by
Chapter 1

the Prophet Muhammad r
Many miracles were performed by the Prophet Muhammad r
by God’s permission. These miracles were witnessed by many
people. For example:
§ When the unbelievers in Makkah asked the Prophet Muham-
mad r to show them a miracle, he showed them the splitting
of the moon.3
§ Another miracle was the flowing of water through Muham-
mad’s r fingers when his companions got thirsty and had no
water except a little in a vessel. They came to him and told
him that they had no water to make ablution nor to drink except
for what was in the vessel. So, Muhammad r put his hand in
the vessel, and the water started gushing out between his
fingers. So, they drank and made ablution. They were one
thousand five hundred companions.4
There were also many other miracles that were performed by
him or which happened to him.

(1) History of the Byzantine State, Ostrogorsky, p. 95.
(2) History of the Byzantine State, Ostrogorsky, pp. 100-101, and
History of Persia, Sykes, vol. 1, pp. 483-484. Also see The New
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Micropaedia vol. 4, p. 1036.
(3) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3637, and Saheeh Muslim, #2802.
(4) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3576, and Saheeh Muslim, #1856.


Contents

(6) The Simple Life of Muhammad 37
(6) The Simple Life of Muhammad r
If we compare the life of Muhammad r before his mission as
a prophet and his life after he began his mission as a prophet, we
will conclude that it is beyond reason to think that Muhammad r
was a false prophet, who claimed prophethood to attain material
gains, greatness, glory, or power.
Before his mission as a prophet, Muhammad r had no finan-
cial worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, Muhammad r

drew a satisfactory and comfortable income. After his mission as
a prophet and because of it, he became worse off materially. To
clarify this more, let us browse the following sayings on his life:
§ Aa’isha, Muhammad’s r wife, said: “O my nephew, we

Chapter 1
would sight three new moons in two months without lighting
a fire (to cook a meal) in the Prophet’s r houses.” Her
nephew asked: “O Aunt, what sustained you?” She said: “The
two black things, dates and water, but the Prophet r had some
Ansar neighbors who had milk-giving she-camels and they
used to send the Prophet r some of its milk.”1
§ Sahl Ibn Sa’ad, one of Muhammad’s r companions, said:
“The Prophet of God r did not see bread made from fine flour
from the time God sent him (as a prophet) until he died.”2
§ Aa’isha, Muhammad’s r wife, said: “The mattress of the
Prophet r, on which he slept, was made of leather stuffed with
the fiber of the date-palm tree.”3
§ Amr Ibn Al-Hareth, one of Muhammad’s r companions, said
that when the Prophet r died, he left neither money nor
anything else except his white riding mule, his arms, and a
piece of land which he left to charity.4
Muhammad r lived this hard life till he died although the
Muslim treasury was at his disposal, the greater part of the Arabian

(2) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #5413, and Al-Tirmizi, #2364.
(4) Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2739, and Mosnad Ahmad, #17990.


Contents

Islam guide

More Related Content

Islam guide