Some of the scientific information referring to numbers in the Qur'an

(This chapter is based on Ömer Çelakıl's Kur'an-ı Kerim'in Sırları [Merkez Gazete Dergi Basım Press, 2003] and Kur'an-ı Kerim'in Şifresi [Sınır Ötesi Press 2002])

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- THE DATE OF THE LUNAR LANDINGS
- THE ORBIT OF THE MOON
- THE RATIO OF THE SEA TO THE LAND
- THE STAR SIRIUS
- THE ATOMIC NUMBER OF IRON
- THE ROTATION OF THE EARTH AROUND THE SUN: 365 DAYS
- GENDER AND THE 23rd CHROMOSOME PAIR
- THE SPUTNIK RISING TO THE SKIES
- THE GENETIC CODE OF THE BEE

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THE DATE OF THE LUNAR LANDINGS

The Hour (of Doomsday) has drawn near and the Moon has split. (Surat al-Qamar, 1)

The word “Qamar” means “Moon,” and the word “Moon” appears in the first verse of Surat al-Qamar. There are 1390 verses from that verse to the end of the Qur’an. The year 1390 in the Islamic calendar corresponds to 1969 AD, the date of the lunar landings. This, one of the greatest landmarks in human history, was indicated 14 centuries beforehand. (Allah knows the truth.)

In addition, the word “inshakka,” meaning “split,” is used in this verse. The word is derived from the root “shakka,” meaning “to plow, dig up, to turn the soil...” In the same way, the Apollo 11 spacecraft that went to the Moon also took specimens of lunar dust back to Earth. In that sense, the term “the Moon has split” is consistent with developments in the present day.

Number of verses from the first verse of Surat al-Qamar to the end of the Qur’an = 1390 Date of the lunar landings (Islamic calendar) = 1390

THE ORBIT OF THE MOON

The word “Qamar,” referred to as a heavenly body in the Qur’an and meaning “Moon” appears 27 times. The elliptical orbit of the Moon around the Earth also takes 27 days. But this is not a number that someone looking from Earth could determine. Because since there is a 29-day between full moons, it used to be thought it took the Moon 29 days to travel around the Earth. The fact is, however, that as the Moon revolves around the Earth, the Earth is also travelling round the Sun. Because of the movement of the Earth, the Moon completes its orbit with a 2-day delay. This is another reference in the Qur’an consistent with modern astronomical findings. (Allah knows the truth.)

Number of times the word "Moon" appears in the Qur’an = 27 Time it takes the Moon to travel round the Earth (in days) = 27

THE RATIO OF THE SEA TO THE LAND

The ratio of the appearances of the words "sea" and “land" in the Qur’an is identical to the ratio between sea and land in modern science. The continents had not yet been discovered at the time the Qur’an was sent down, and it was impossible to determine the ratio between the land and sea. Even such a large continent as America was only discovered in the 15th century.

The word "land" appears 13 times in the Qur’an, while “sea” appears 32 times. These numbers total 45. If we divide the number of references to land in the Qur’an, 13, by 45, the result is 28.8888888889%. When we divide the number of references to sea in the Quran, 32, by 45, the result is 71.1111111111%. these ratios are the exact ones that apply between water and dry land on Earth.

The repetition of these words in the Qur’an may be an indication that the Earth is 71% covered in water and 29% in dry land. (Allah knows the truth.) It has only been possible to arrive at this ratio in the present day, thanks to satellite photos and computer calculations.

Number of times the word “land” appears in the Qur’an = 13 Number of times the word “sea” appears in the Qur’an = 32 Proportion of dry land to sea covering the Earth = 13/45 = 29% Proportion of sea to dry land on Earth = 32/45 = 71%

THE STAR SIRIUS

"Sirius", the brightest star in the night sky, appears as “Shi’ira,” meaning “star” in verse 49 of Surat an-Najm:

That it is He Who is the Lord of Sirius [Shi’ira]. (Surat an-Najm, 49)

The fact that the word “Sirius,“ or “Shi’ra” in Arabic, appears only in the 49th verse is particularly noteworthy. Because, based on the irregularities in Sirius’ orbit, scientists discovered it is actually a binary star. Therefore, Sirius is actually two stars, known as Sirius A and Sirius B. One feature of Sirius B is that is cannot be seen by telescope.

The stars in Sirius system follow a course toward one another in the shape of a bow, and hang in the sky by approaching one another every 49.9 years. These scientific data have been unanimously confirmed by the astronomy departments at the universities of Harvard, Ottawa and Leicester.1 Yet this scientific fact that only emerged toward the end of the 20th century was miraculously referred to in the Qur’an 1400 years ago. This miracle appears when we read verses 9 and 49 of Surat al-Najm together.

That it is He Who is the Lord of Sirius. (Surat an-Najm, 49)

He was two bow-lengths away or even closer. (Surat an-Najm, 9)

The term "kane kabe kavseyni ev edna,” in verse 9 of Surat al-Najm, translated as “two bow-lengths away or even closer,” may be a reference to these two stars drawing closer to one another in their courses. (Allah knows the truth.) This scientific fact, which could not possibly have been known at the time of the revelation of the Qur’an, proves once again that the Qur’an is the word of our Almighty Lord.

The star Sirius appears in the Surah called an-Najm, meaning “Star.” The stars comprising Sirius approach one another in their courses once every 49.9 years. This astronomic phenomenon is indicated in verses 49 and 9 of Surat an-Najm.

THE ATOMIC NUMBER OF IRON

Iron is one of the elements mentioned in the Qur’an. Allah says this in the Surah called “al-Hadid,” or “Iron:”

... And We sent down iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind, ... (Surat al-Hadid, 25)

The word "enzelna," meaning “to send down,” may also be thought of in the figurative sense of being placed at the service of human beings. But bearing in mind the true meaning of the word, which is “physically descending from the sky,” used for rain and solar rays, then the verse can be seen to contain a hugely significant scientific miracle. Because modern astronomical findings have revealed that the iron on Earth came from giant stars in outer space.2 (For details see, Miracles of the Qur’an, 4th edition, Harun Yahya)

In addition, Surat al-Hadid also refers to the chemical symbol for iron. Because verse 15, in the exact middle of the Surah, begins with the Arabic letter "Fe," which is how iron is known to chemists.

In addition, the number emerging from a numerological [abjad] calculation of the words “al-Hadid,” the 57th Surah of the Qur’an, is the same as the number of the Surah: "57." A calculation of the word "hadid" alone produces the number 26. And this corresponds to the number of iron in the periodic table. The Qur’an, which contains the revelation of our Omniscient Lord, refers both to the formation of iron and to its atomic number. (Allah knows the truth.)

Al-Hadid is the 57th Surah of the Qur’an, and the numerical value of the words al-Hadid is also 57. The value of the word "hadid" alone is 26, and this is also the atomic number of iron.

THE ROTATION OF THE EARTH AROUND THE SUN:
365 DAYS

The word "day, “yavm” in Arabic appears 365 times in the Qur’an. It also takes the Earth 365 days to orbit the Sun.

The fact that the word “day” appears 365 times in the Qur’an is very important in terms of its providing information about the Earth’s orbit hundreds of years ago. The repetition of the word “day” 365 times may be a reference to the 365-day relationship between the Earth and Sun. (Allah knows the truth.)

The word “day (yavm)" appears 365 times in the Qur’an. It takes the Earth 365 days to orbit the Sun.

GENDER AND THE 23^rd CHROMOSOME PAIR

The genetic make-up of human beings and other living things depends on their chromosomes and the genetic data in these chromosomes in DNA. Gender is dependent on the 23rd chromosome pair. In other words, the difference between a man and a woman stems from the 23rd chromosome pair. If a person’s 23rd chromosome id expressed in the form XX she is female, and if in the form XY, then he is male.

The Qur’an makes reference to the 23rd chromosome that determines the difference between male and female thus: The word “man” and the word “woman” both appear 23 times in the Qur’an. This discovery about chromosomes made only recently was reported hundreds of years beforehand in the Qur’an by way of the number 23, that which concerns the basic difference between male and female. (Allah knows the truth.)

The words “man” and “woman” both appear 23 times in the Qur’an. The 23rd chromosome is the main element that determines an individual’s gender.

THE SPUTNIK RISING TO THE SKIES

The first ever satellite, "Sputnik 1," was launched in 1957. Verse 19;57 (Surah Maryam, 57) of the Qur’an amazingly refers to rising and being raised.

We raised him up to a high place. (Surah Maryam, 57)

The term "Refa'nahu" in this verse is derived from the verb “refea,” meaning “to raise, lift up or elevate.” On the other hand, the word "aliyyen" in the verse bears the meaning of “high, very high” in addition to “great.” When we consider this verse by itself, therefore, it means “being raised into a very high place.” In that respect, verse 19:57 may be a reference to the launching into the sky of the spacecraft Sputnik 1 in 1957. (Allah knows the truth.)

Verse 19:57 of the Qur’an speaks of “raising to a high place.” "Sputnik 1," the first unmanned satellite, was launched in 1957.

THE GENETIC CODE OF THE BEE

All the bees in the world have the same number of chromosomes, and that never changes. Male and female animals generally have the same number of chromosomes. But the bee is slightly different. Because the male bee has 16 single chromosomes and the female bee 16 pairs.3

The bee is thus different in this respect, that of chromosome number. This difference is indicated in the Qur’an thus: (Allah knows the truth.) The Surah “Nahl,” meaning bee, is the 16th Surah of the Qur’an. And 16 is the number of chromosomes these animals possess.

Surat an-Nahl, meaning “Bee,” is the 16th Surah. The bee has 16 chromosomes.

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1 http://www.star.le.ac.uk/astrosoc/whatsup/stars.html (Leicester edu dept of Physics & astronomy); http://www.site.uottawa.ca:4321/astronomy/index.html#Sirius (University of Ottowa); http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~hrs/ay45/Fall2002/ChapterIVPart2.pdf (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)

2 Dr. Mazhar, U. Kazi, 130 Evident Miracles in the Qur’an, Crescent Publishing House, New York, 1997, p. 110-111; http://www.wamy.co.uk/announcements3.html; from Prof. Zighloul Raghib El-Naggar’s speech.

3 Malcolm T. Sanford, APIS /Apicultural Information and ISsues from IFAS/University of Florida, Vol. 14, no. 4, April 1996; http://apis.ifas.ufl.edu/apis96/apapr96.htm