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Reply to A.U.SIDDIQUI
This article is a response to some comments on one of the articles that I previously uploaded.
I thought that that the person who made the comments deserved a proper answer as he
raised an interesting point about several non-Muslim Western Scientists saying that the Koran
or Qur’an is in perfect harmony with modern science.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUUPYs0gElU

It was also suggested that the proper name for the Scriptures of Islam is “Qur’an” and not
“Koran.”

Furthermore, my suggestion that the Koran/Qur’an assumes the Earth to be Flat is incorrect.

I will reply to these last two points first and then get on to the main issue of Western Scientists
and the Koran/Qur’an.

1. Koran or Qur’an?

I would contend that there is no 100% correct spelling for the Islamic Scriptures in English
since Mohammed and the early Muslims did not speak English or use the Latin alphabet. All
modern English words such as “Koran” or “Quran” are approximations.

“Koran” is the traditional spelling in British English and “Qur’an” is a modern spelling in
American English. As a native English speaker in the UK, I speak and spell British English
and not American English, although there is nothing wrong with either spelling. No disrespect
is intended.

British Muslims and non-Muslims use both spellings, as can be seen from the two translations
below.

On the left is the Dawood

translation and on the right
is the Pickthall translation.
Pickthall was a Muslim.

Both use “Koran” rather than

“ Qur’an” although
there is nothing wrong with
either spelling.
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2. Does the Koran say that the Earth is Flat?

It is true that the Koran does not say, “The Earth is Flat”, but it does imply this in many
verses. For example look what Surah 36:37-38 says.

“A token unto them is night. We strip it of the day, and lo! they are in darkness. And the
sun runneth on unto a resting-place for him. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the
Wise”. (Pickthall)

Notice how the Koran speaks of Geocentric Cosmology and the Sun moving relative to a
stationary Earth. Furthermore, these verses say that at nighttime the Sun is resting. (And
therefore not shining.)

Nowadays we know that night is caused by the Earths rotation and that the sun is shining
24/7 somewhere on Earth. While it is night in the Middle East, it is daytime on the other side
of the World. The author of the Koran does not know this however. He thinks that the Sun is
just a little light in the Sky that switches off or rests at night and temporarily ceases to shine
again until dawn.

The Koran does not mention the Sun shining on the other side of the World when it is night in
Arabia because the books author does not know that the Earth has another side. In other
words, the Koran’s author assumes that the Earth is Flat and that day and night occur at the
same time everywhere.

This interpretation is supported by a number of authenticated Hadith.

Al-Bukhari
Volume 4, Book 54, Number 421:
Narrated Abu Dhar:
The Prophet asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of
sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels)
till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again,
and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself
but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but
it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will
rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: "And the sun
runs its fixed course For a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in
Might, The All-Knowing." (36.38)

Sahih Muslim Book 001, Number 0299:

Abu Dharr reported: I entered the mosque and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be
upon him) was sitting there. When the sun disappeared (from the sight) he said: O Abu
Dharr! Do you know where it goes? He (the narrator) said: Allah and His Apostle know
best. He (the Holy Prophet) said. Verily it goes and begs permission, for prostration (to
Allah) and the permission is granted to it. Once it would be said: Return to the place
whence you came, and then it would rise from its setting place. Then he, after the
recitation of 'Abdullah recited it: And that is its appointed term.
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Sahih Muslim Book 001, Number 0300:

Abu Dharr reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) the
(implication of the) words of Allah, the Exalted: The sun glides to its appointed resting
place. He replied: Its appointed resting place is under the Throne.

All this adds up to a picture of the Cosmos looking something like this:

How can a book, which assumes a Universe looking like this be from God?

3. Western Scientists and the Koran

Whenever somebody suggests that the Koran is in conflict with modern science, one of the
most common Muslim responses is to refer to non-Muslim Western Scientists who apparently
accept that the Koran is not only in harmony with modern science, but that it also anticipates it
by centuries.

We are told that there are 1400-year-old references in the Koran to things only discovered in
the last 100 years or so by modern science. Mohammed, an illiterate man, we are told could
not possibly have known about these statements in the Koran unless God or Allah had told
him.

This, we are told, proves that the Koran is divinely inspired and that Islam is true.
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Furthermore, we are told that the fact that non-Muslim Scientists accept this is proof that such
claims are true. In the following nine minute video clip from the early 1980’s, several non-
Muslim Western Scientists state openly that the Koran is in harmony with modern Science,
especially Astronomy and Embryology. In fact, most of the film is about several eminent non-
Muslim Embryologists praising the scientific accuracy of the Koran in the field of Embryology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUUPYs0gElU

The Scientists involved are:

1. Professor Yoshide Kozai (Astronomer)

2. Professor TVN Persaud (Embryologist)
3. Professor William Hay (Oceanographer)
4. Professor E Marshall Johnson (Embryologist)
5. Professor Gerald Goeringer (Embryologist)
6. Professor Keith Moore (Embryologist)
7. Professor Joe Simpson (Embryologist)
8. Professor Alfred Kroner (Astronomer)

Strangely, these Scientists have not converted to Islam. If they have studied the Koran and
found evidence of Scientific Miracles and Divine authorship, then you would expect them to
draw the logical conclusion and accept that Islam is true. After all, in Islam, non-Muslims such
as these Scientists are destined for Hellfire and damnation after death if they do not become
Muslims.
”Lo! Those who disbelieve, among the People of the
Scripture and the idolaters, will abide in fire of Hell.
They are the worst of created beings.”
(Surah 98:60 – Pickthall)

“Lo! Those who disbelieve Our revelations, We shall

expose them to the Fire. As often as their skins are
consumed We shall exchange them for fresh skins
that they may taste the torment. Lo! Allah is ever
Mighty, Wise.”
(Surah 4:56 – Pickthall)

Left: The Prophet Mohammed on a guided tour of

Hell with the Angel Gabriel.

Here, sinners are being shown undergoing eternal

torture for not accepting Allah.

This is where all non-Muslims, including Scientists

are supposed to end up if they do not convert to
Islam before death.
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Perhaps, these Western Scientists did not convert to Islam because they do not believe in it.
Perhaps, they do not actually believe their own words?

In a 2002 interview in the Wall Street Journal, several of these Scientists have recanted their
earlier comments. (Professors Hay, Goeringer and Simpson) See the text of the article by
following this link.

http://www.weatheranswer.com/public/wstjournal%20012302.txt

1. Professor Yoshide Kozai (Astronomer)

2. Professor TVN Persaud (Embryologist)
3. Professor William Hay (Oceanographer)
4. Professor E Marshall Johnson (Embryologist)
5. Professor Gerald Goeringer (Embryologist)
6. Professor Keith Moore (Embryologist)
7. Professor Joe Simpson (Embryologist)
8. Professor Alfred Kroner (Astronomer)

In the article, Professors Hay,

Goeringer and Simpson deny that
they think that there are any
Scientific Miracles in the Koran and
concede that their comments were
due to a mixture of bribery and
trickery by Muslim extremists.

Professor Moore declined to

comment or attempt to defend his
views. Could it be that he is too
embarrassed to do so?

4. Big Bang in the Koran?

“Have not those who disbelieve known that the Heavens and the Earth were of one piece,
then We parted them, and we made every living thing of water? Will they not then
believe?” (Surah 21:30 Pickthall)

This is supposed to be a reference to the Origin of the Universe in the Big Bang.

However, there is no reference to any such thing. The Surah just says that originally, Earth
was joined to Heaven or the Sky. This suggests that the Earth is at least as old as the rest of
the Universe.
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In reality, the Universe is now known to be 13.7 billion years old and the Earth is known to be
4.6 billion years old. Therefore the Earth did not exist until billions of years after the Big Bang.
Therefore the Koran is wrong on this issue.

The myth of the separation of Heaven and Earth is common in many ancient cultures. This is
just an Arab version of the same story.
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5. Modern Embryology in the Koran?

Out of the eight scientists mentioned above, five were embryologists. These scientists made
vague comments about the Koran being in harmony with modern Embryology.

1. Professor TVN Persaud (Embryologist)

2. Professor E Marshall Johnson (Embryologist)
3. Professor Gerald Goeringer (Embryologist)
4. Professor Keith Moore (Embryologist)
5. Professor Joe Simpson (Embryologist)

Considering that two of these scientists have recanted and that a third refuses to comment to
the media, we should be suspicious of the claims being made.

There is a very simple way to test the claims of modern Embryological information in the
Koran. This is to look for direct references to the Sperm and Ovum in the Koran. When you do
this, you find them completely missing.

Left: Sperm approaching an Ovum or Egg.

This was only discovered in modern times.

Nowhere in the Koran are there any direct

references to either Sperm or Ovum, as the
author of the Koran did not know that they
existed.

How can any book accurately describe

modern Embryology without mentioning
Sperm and Ovum directly?
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In reality, the Embryological information in the Koran is no more advanced than that of the
Ancient Greeks. There is nothing miraculous about this.

The Embryology of the

Koran is not in harmony with
modern science, but it is in
harmony with the incorrect
ideas of the Ancient Greeks.

This proves that the Koran is

a human book and not have
a vine origin.
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6. Conclusion

In conclusion, I contend that none of the criticisms of my views on the Koran can stand up to
scrutiny.

1. The name of the Islamic Scriptures may be spelt as either “Koran” or “Qur’an”. Both
spellings are equally valid.
2. Although the Koran does not explicitly state that the Earth is flat, it certainly implies that it
is flat.
3. Western Scientists do not really believe that the Koran is in harmony with modern science.
We can be sure of this as the scientists mentioned have not converted to Islam and
several have recanted their views.
4. The Big Bang is not mentioned in the Koran. In fact, the Koran incorrectly believes that the
Earth is older than the rest of the Universe.
5. The Koran does not contain any modern Embryological knowledge. It does however
contain many Ancient Greek Embryological ideas, which are now known to be wrong.