Sunday, May 24, 2009

Iron

In the Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Most Merciful

"And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people."
[Al-Hadid (Iron) 57:25]

"Iron" is the title of this Surah and it is an element which has been highlighted in the Qur'an. At first glance this verse metaphorically suggests that, Allah SWT has given mankind iron for our own benefit. But if we look at the literal meaning of the Arabic words used in this verse, we find that it means "being physically sent down from the sky." With this knowledge we realize that, this verse is actually talking about a very important scientific miracle in the Qur'an.

The heavy metals on earth did not originate on the surface of our planet. Heavy metals, such as iron, are produced in the nucleus of much bigger stars than our sun, where the temperature reaches a few hundred million degrees. Our own solar system, however, does not have suitable sized structures to produce heavy metals. When the amount of iron exceeds a certain level in the gigantic star, the star can no longer bear the load. It eventually explodes in what is called a nova or a super nova. As a result of the explosion, meteors containing iron are scattered throughout space and they travel through the void until attracted by the gravitational force of a celestial body (Earth). That is how we find Iron on the surface of our planet today. Iron was literally sent down from the sky as the Qur'an states.

This discovery of modern science could not have in no way been confirmed at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an over 1400 years ago. It is truly a blessing that we have been given a religion that is so perfect that it even confirms the findings of modern science, not the other way around.

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