230708P - THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Presented at the IIUM course on Quran and Sunnat on 8th July 2023 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

 

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Reproduction

• Reproduction is the process of replication of living organisms. It is essential for the survival of a species. 
• Reproduction occurs at various levels. At the chemical level, it is molecular replication and reproduction under the control of DNA. At the cellular level, it is cellular reproduction by the processes of mitosis or meiosis. The highest level is the reproduction of a whole organism.
• Reproduction is asexual in some animals and plants. In humans, it is sexual with two exceptions: the birth of Adam (PBUH) and Isa (PBUH). Qur’an, Al Imran: 59. 

• إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ ۖ خَلَقَهُۥ مِن تُرَابٍۢ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ. سورة آل عمران‎: ٥٩

• Sexual reproduction, involving a combination of characteristics from 2 parents, provides an opportunity for diversity in the offspring, unlike many forms of asexual reproduction. 
• Reproduction is a cyclic phenomenon. The young grow and mature and in turn, produce young ones. The life cycle is longer and more complex in the larger animals. 

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Change and constancy 

• The human organism undergoes many changes. Some phenomena change whereas others stay constant. The changes and constancy have predictable patterns. Change is governed by natural laws, sunan llah.

• فَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ ٱللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًۭا ۖ وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ ٱللَّهِ تَحْوِيلًا .سورة فاطر: ٤٣

• There is a balance between constancy and change. There is constant change in biology; nothing remains static for any length of time. The changes are consistent despite their diversity because they follow Allah’s laws. 
• Changes are associated with dynamic equilibrium. The level of equilibrium can change. 

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Change and constancy, con’t. - 1

• The law of change also covers fixed unvarying phenomena. There are a few things that are fixed and do not change and these are usually pre-determined prenatally. An example is the fixed lifespan birth, fixed lifespan, ‘umr.

• أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ.  يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّى ۚ إِنَّ أَجَلَ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا جَآءَ لَا يُؤَخَّرُ ۖ لَوْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ. سورة نوح: ٣-٤

• The human organism undergoes change over time. These changes do not amount to a change from one species to another as the theory of evolution stipulates. 

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Change and constancy, con’t. - 2

• Adam was for example 70 feet tall

• فقد روى الإمام أحمد في مسنده عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:  كان طول آدم ستين ذراعاً في سبعة أذرع عرضاً. وفي رواية: فلم يزل الخلق ينقص حتى الآن

• Recorded heights of Europeans in the past 5 centuries have shown increasing stature. There is recorded increased average stature of Japanese over the past 50 years.

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Incomparability by failure of competitors, ‘ajz al shurakaa: 

• The pretension to divine attributes has happened in two ways: worship of others other than Allah and the pretense of humans to create new life forms or to take life. Worship of many gods causes much confusion because it is not logical. If there were more than one creator for the complex universe, the order and harmony that we see would not have happened. 
• Although humans know that none besides Allah can create and perfect, they persist in worshipping things other than Allah as if they also are creators. 
• Thus, the human body cannot be compared with any other biological system. 

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Incomparability by the failure of competitors, ‘ajz al shurakaa, con’t. - 1

• The Qur’an challenged humans and other creations to create like Allah’s creation and proved them incapable of facing the challenge.

• قال تعالى : {يا أَيُّهَا النّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثلٌ فَاستَمِعُوا لَهُ إِنَّ الّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ لَنْ يَخْلُقُوا ذُباباً وَلوِ اجْتَمعُوا لَهُ وَإِنْ يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبابُ شَيئاً لا يَسْتَنْقِذُوه مِنْهُ ضَعُفَ الطّالِبُ وَالمَطْلُوبُ * ما قَدَرُوا اللهَ حقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِنَّ اللهَ لَقَوِيّ عَزِيز. سورة الحج : ٧٣-٧٤

• Cloning, genetic engineering, and selective breeding are not de novo creations and cannot be compared to Allah’s creations. 

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Incomparability by the failure of competitors, ‘ajz al shurakaa, con’t. - 2

• No human or any other being can create new life, ‘ajz al shuraka ‘an al khalq.

• قُلۡ هَلۡ مِن شُرَكَآئِكُم مَّن يَبۡدَؤُاْ ٱلۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ يَبۡدَؤُاْ ٱلۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤۡفَكُونَ. سورة يونس: ٣٤

• Human actions are imperfect.  A comparison of the human body and the human-made machine shows this clearly.

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Futile Attempts at Comparability

• Humans have not been able to produce an independent biological system to compare with Allah’s creation. 
• The only comparison that can be conceived of is between Allah’s creation and the machines that humans assemble. 
• A closer examination reveals that human-assembled physical systems do not come anywhere near the perfection of Allah’s creation. 
• The human ear is far superior to the recording microphone. 
• The human nostrils and lungs are far superior to air-conditioning systems. 
• The human eye is far superior to the camera.

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Futile attempts at comparability, con’t. - 1

• Liver metabolism is far superior to chemical reactions in the laboratory. 
• The motions of the human musculoskeletal system are far superior to human-assembled pulleys and levers. 
• Human energy systems are more efficient than the energy systems of human-assembled machines.
• The human eye and the video camera have similar processes. In both, the mage is focused on a spot in the case of the eye the fovea centralis. In both, the image is converted into electrical impulses. The impulses are stored in the human brain and on magnetic tape in the video. The brain decodes the image. The videotape can also be decoded in order to visualize the images. However, the video camera beyond these few similarities cannot in any way approach the sophistication of the human senses. 

THE QUR’AN AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Futile attempts at comparability, con’t. - 2

• Human DNA in one cell if stretched out would measure about 1 meter. It is responsible for the tight control of so many metabolic processes. Nothing like this can be quoted in human-made chemical systems. 
• The human musculoskeletal system is far superior to the pulley and lever systems when we consider criteria of mechanical advantage and mechanical efficiency (work done/energy expended). The mechanical efficiency of muscles is 50%. Muscle contraction produces heat which is not lost energy because it is needed to maintain body temperature. 
• The heart is a very efficient mechanical pump that operates for decades without rest or the need for repair.