A simple image of Earth and the interior layers. Windows
to the Universe, at (http://www.windows.ucar.edu) at the University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). ©1995-1999, 2000 The Regents of
the University of Michigan; ©2000-05 University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research.
The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad is the second revealed
source of Islam. Like the Quran, it contains scientific information
unavailable 1400 years ago. From these miracles is the “seven” earths,
mentioned by the Prophet in several of his sayings. From them are the
following two:
Hadith 1
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Salamah that a
dispute arose between him and some other people (about a piece of land). When
he told Aisha (the Prophet’s wife) about it, she said, ‘O Abu Salamah! Avoid
taking the land unjustly, for the Prophet said:
“Whoever usurps even one span of land of somebody, its
depth through the seven earths will be collared to his neck.” (Saheeh
Al-Bukhari, ‘Book of Oppression.’)
Hadith 2
Salim narrated on the authority of his father that the
Prophet said:
“Whoever takes a piece of land of others unjustly,
he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari,
‘Book of Oppression.’)
The aforementioned hadith prohibits oppression in
general, especially the taking of a piece of land belonging to others unjustly. What might the seven earths refer to?
Studies in geology have proven that the earth is
composed of seven zones, identified from the inner to the outer layers as
follows:
(1) The Solid Inner Core of Earth: 1.7% of the
Earth’s mass; depth of 5,150 - 6,370 kilometers (3,219 - 3,981 miles)
The inner core is solid and unattached to the mantle,
suspended in the molten outer core. It is believed to have solidified as a
result of pressure-freezing which occurs to most liquids when temperature
decreases or pressure increases.
(2) The Liquid Outer core: 30.8% of Earth’s mass;
depth of 2,890 - 5,150 kilometers (1,806 - 3,219 miles)
The outer core is a hot, electrically conducting liquid
within which convective motion occurs. This conductive layer combines with Earth’s
rotation to create a dynamo effect that maintains a system of electrical
currents known as the Earth’s magnetic field. It is also responsible for the
subtle jerking of Earth’s rotation. This layer is not as dense as pure molten
iron, which indicates the presence of lighter elements. Scientists suspect
that about 10% of the layer is composed of sulfur and/or oxygen because these
elements are abundant in the cosmos and dissolve readily in molten iron.
(3) The “D” Layer: 3% of Earth’s mass; depth of
2,700 - 2,890 kilometers (1,688 - 1,806 miles)
This layer is 200 to 300 kilometers (125 to 188 miles)
thick and represents about 4% of the mantle-crust mass. Although it is often
identified as part of the lower mantle, seismic discontinuities suggest the “D”
layer might differ chemically from the lower mantle lying above it. Scientists
theorize that the material either dissolved in the core, or was able to sink
through the mantle but not into the core because of its density.
(4) Lower Mantle: 49.2% of Earth’s mass; depth of
650 - 2,890 kilometers (406 -1,806 miles)
The lower mantle contains 72.9% of the mantle-crust mass
and is probably composed mainly of silicon, magnesium, and oxygen. It probably
also contains some iron, calcium, and aluminum. Scientists make these
deductions by assuming the Earth has a similar abundance and proportion of
cosmic elements as found in the Sun and primitive meteorites.
(5) Middle Mantle (Transition region): 7.5% of
Earth’s mass; depth of 400 - 650 kilometers (250-406 miles)
The transition region or mesosphere (for middle mantle),
sometimes called the fertile layer, contains 11.1% of the mantle-crust mass and
is the source of basaltic magmas. It also contains calcium, aluminum, and
garnet, which is a complex aluminum-bearing silicate mineral. This layer is
dense when cold because of the garnet. It is buoyant when hot because these
minerals melt easily to form basalt which can then rise through the upper
layers as magma.
(6) Upper Mantle: 10.3% of Earth’s mass; depth of
10 - 400 kilometers (6 - 250 miles)
The upper mantle contains 15.3% of the mantle-crust mass.
Fragments have been excavated for our observation by eroded mountain belts and
volcanic eruptions. Olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 and pyroxene (Mg,Fe)SiO3 have been
the primary minerals found in this way. These and other minerals are
refractory and crystalline at high temperatures; therefore, most settle out of
rising magma, either forming new material or never leaving the mantle. Part of
the upper mantle called the asthenosphere might be partially molten.
(7) Lithosphere
Oceanic crust: 0.099% of Earth’s mass; depth of 0-10
kilometers (0 - 6 miles)
The rigid, outermost layer of the Earth comprising the
crust and upper mantle is called the lithosphere. The oceanic crust contains
0.147% of the mantle-crust mass. The majority of the Earth’s crust was made
through volcanic activity. The oceanic ridge system, a 40,000-kilometer
(25,000 mile) network of volcanoes, generates new oceanic crust at the rate of
17 km3 per year, covering the ocean floor with basalt. Hawaii and Iceland are two examples of the accumulation of basalt piles.
This image shows a cross section through the earth’s crust
and upper mantle showing lithosphere plates (made of the crust layer and the
top part of the mantle) moving over the asthenosphere (upper mantle). Windows
to the Universe, at (http://www.windows.ucar.edu) at the University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). ©1995-1999, 2000 The Regents of
the University of Michigan; ©2000-05 University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research. Continental crust: 0.374% of
Earth’s mass; depth of 0-50 kilometers (0 - 31 miles)
The continental crust contains 0.554% of the
mantle-crust mass. This is the outer part of the Earth composed essentially of
crystalline rocks. These are low-density buoyant minerals dominated mostly by
quartz (SiO2) and feldspars (metal-poor silicates). The crust (both oceanic
and continental) is the surface of the Earth; as such, it is the coldest part
of our planet. Because cold rocks deform slowly, we refer to this rigid outer
shell as the lithosphere (the rocky or strong layer).
This image shows the divisions of the Earth’s interior into
7 layers. (Adapted from Beatty, 1990).
Conclusion
The layers of the earth coincide with the above mentioned
hadith of the Prophet. The miracle is in two matters:
(1) The expression of the hadith, ‘He will sink
down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection,’ indicates the
stratification of these “earths” around one center.
(2) The accuracy with which the Prophet of Islam
referred to the seven inner layers of earth.
The only way for a desert dweller to have known these
facts 1400 years ago is through revelation from God.
References
Beatty, J. K. and A. Chaikin,
eds. The New Solar System. Massachusetts: Sky Publishing, 3rd Edition, 1990.
Press, Frank and Raymond Siever.
Earth. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1986.
Seeds, Michael A. Horizons. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 1995.
El-Najjar, Zaghloul. Treasures
In The Sunnah: A Scientific Approach: Cairo, Al-Falah Foundation, 2004.
The following are some comments of scientists
on the scientific miracles in the Holy Quran. All of these comments have been
taken from the videotape entitled
This is the Truth. In this videotape,
you can see and hear the scientists while they are giving the following
comments. (To view the RealPlayer video of a comment, click on the link at the
end of that comment. For a copy of this videotape, please visit
this page.)
1)
Dr. T. V. N. Persaud is Professor of
Anatomy, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Professor of
Obstetrics,
Gynecology, 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 distinguished 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 Quran 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.” (
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the RealPlayer video of this comment)
Professor
Persaud has included some Quranic verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, may
the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, in some of his books. He has also
presented these verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad at several
conferences.
2)
Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is the Chairman
of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics
and
Gynecology, 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 Professors of
Obstetrics
and Gynecology Public Recognition Award in 1992. Professor Simpson
studied the
following two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad:
“
In every one of you,
all components of your creation are collected together in your mother’s womb by
forty days...”
“
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....”
He studied
these two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad 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. Then, during one conference, he gave the following
opinion:
“So that the two
hadeeths
(the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad)
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
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
Quran shown centuries later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Quran having
been derived from God.” (
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video of this comment)
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 Anatomy, and the Director of the
Daniel Baugh
Institute. He was also the President of the Teratology Society. He has
authored more than 200 publications. In 1981, during the Seventh
Medical
Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Johnson said in the
presentation
of his research paper:
“
Summary: The Quran
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.” (
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video of this comment)
Also he said:
“As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically see. I
can understand embryology and developmental biology. I can understand the
words that are translated to me from the Quran. 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.”
(
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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 Rosenstiel
School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami,
Miami, Florida, USA. After a discussion with Professor Hay about the
Quran’s mention of
recently discovered facts on seas, he said:
“I find it very
interesting that this sort of information is in the ancient scriptures of the
Holy Quran, 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 Quran, he replied: “Well, I would think it must
be the divine being.” (
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5)
Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer is Course
Director and Associate Professor of Medical Embryology at the Department
of
Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC,
USA. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia, Professor
Goeringer stated the following in the presentation of his research
paper:
“In a relatively few
aayahs
(Quranic 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 centuries the recording
of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal development recorded in the
traditional scientific literature.” (
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6) Dr. Yoshihide Kozai is Professor
Emeritus at Tokyo University, 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] Quran, 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] Quran and by answering to the
questions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the
universe.” (
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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 Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia, Professor Tejasen stood up and said:
“During the last three
years, I became interested in the Quran . . . . From my study and what I have
learned from this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded
in the Quran fourteen 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 think this is the time to say
La ilaha
illa Allah, there is no god to worship except Allah (God),
Muhammadur
rasoolu Allah,
Muhammad 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.” (
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the RealPlayer video of this comment)
After all these
examples we have seen about the scientific miracles in the Holy Quran 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
Quran, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago?
·
Could this Quran have been authored by Muhammad, may
the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, or by any other human being?
The only possible answer is that this Quran must
be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.
