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Birds and the air
Birds and the air
If a book lies on a table, would it be scientifically
correct to say that nothing upholds the book exept God?
Sure, were it not for God, there wouldn't be a table,
or even a book for that matter, but clearly it is
the table that carries the book when we look at it
scientifically.
In Surah al-Mulk 67:19 we read:
Have they not seen the birds above them
spreading out their wings and closing them?
Naught upholdeth them save the Beneficent.
Lo! He is Seer of all things. [Pickthall]
God is the ultimate cause of all life and movement.
In that respect the above is true. However, the verse
specifically speaks about the wing movement of the birds
and if it is Allah who upholds and NAUGHT else then there
would not be the need of wing movement. In fact, for birds
and airplanes it is the air that upholds them,
the difference between air pressure above and below the
wings. This air is created by God, but nevertheless it is
the air that holds them and lets them fly.
At the time of Muhammad that might not have been not known
at all. Certainly the mechanics of it was not clearly
understood. Even if we do not want to go as far as calling
this a plain scientific error, it nevertheless seems that
the author of the Qur'an at least missed the chance for
giving unknown scientfific insight by stating that it is
the air that upholds the birds in flight.
That would have been something to be impressed about to
a certain extent. Would it not? I am sure if this had
been stated it would be in the Muslims' collections of
scientific miracles of the Qur'an. However, the statement
that NOTHING but Allah upholds them is missing in such
scientific evaluations done by Muslims. Why?
We observe again: There is no consistent scientific insight
in the Qur'an, and looking at it with this standard, the
Qur'an falls short of the claims in many passages.
Further observations about this verse regarding its
differing translations.
Qur'an and Science
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