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MOUNTAINS AS PEGS
6- Have We not made the earth habitable?
7- And the mountains as pegs?
78-The Event, 6-7
Mountains are often mentioned in the Quran. The simile of pegs seems to be
preternatural in the light of geological findings of the last century. The
mountains we observe on the surface of the earth rest on immense strata that may
be ten to fifteen times as deep as the portion remaining on the surface of the
earth. For instance, the highest mountain on earth, whose peak attains an
altitude of 9 km from the ground, possesses a substratum that goes about 125 km
into the depths of the earth. For a peg to be able to fulfill its function, the
length of the portion stuck in the earth is important. The same holds true for
the mountain.
There also exist mountains rising from the bottom of seas that also possess
substratum. These substrata support the visible portion of the mountains in
accordance with the Archimedean principle. These substrata were unknown until a
few centuries back, let alone during the time of the Prophet. The simile in the
Quran is once again a miraculous statement.
FUNCTION OF MOUNTAINS
In geology textbooks that have not been updated, information is not available
about the role the mountains play, the role of stabilizing the crust of the
earth. However, there are some publications on this issue.
The book entitled ?Earth? is one of the many now on the market. Frank Press,
author of this book, is the president of the Academy of Sciences, adviser to
Jimmy Carter, ex-President of the USA. This author likens the mountains to
wedges, the greater part of which remain underneath the surface of the earth. In
this book, Dr. Press explains the functions of mountains, drawing special
attention to their important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth. This
information exactly matches the statement in the Quran:
31- ?And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm lest it should shake
with them.?
21-The Prophets, 31
Actually, the crust of the earth floats on a liquid. This outermost layer of the
earth extends 5 km from the surface. The depths of the mountain strata go as far
down as 35 km. Thus, the mountains are sort of pegs driven into the earth. Just
like the pegs used to stabilize a tent on the ground, so these pegs stabilize
the crust of the earth. Mountains are the outcome of collisions between strata
of the earth?s crust; the result of the encroachment of a given stratum on
another one. These strata that go deeper and deeper enable the crust layers to
integrate.
Isostasy is defined in the Webster?s Third New Twentieth Century Dictionary as
follows: ?Isostasy is the general equilibrium in the earth?s crust, maintained
by a yielding flow of rock material beneath the surface under gravitate stress,
and by the approximate equality in mass of each unit column of the earth from
the surface to a depth of about 100 km.? At a time when mountains were viewed as
mere prominences, the Quran?s reference to mountains? strata invisible to the
eye and their stabilization role leaves us in awe.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
Kamis, Desember 18, 2008
FAULTS ON THE EARTH?S SURFACE
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FAULTS ON THE EARTH?S SURFACE
12- By the fractured earth.
86-The Knocker, 12
In the verse preceding the above verse (The Knocker, verse 11), the returning
property of the sky was stressed; this refers to phenomena unknown to men 1400
years ago (Chapter 20 of the present book). In the above verse there are also
factual implications that the public during the Prophet?s time did not know. As
faults had not yet been discovered, the verse was believed to refer to the
opening of the earth for the sprouting of vegetation.
In the post-Second World War years, scientists intensified submarine research
activity with a view to having access to precious metals and minerals. During
this research work, they came across something quite unexpected; the bottom of
the seas were covered with fissures that came to be called ?faults? or ?cracks.?
If we draw an analogy between the period that has elapsed since the second world
war until today with the period that has elapsed from the time of the descent of
the Quran 1400 years ago, when there was reference to this information in the
Quran, we can better appreciate the value of this reference.
EVERYTHING IS INTERCONNECTED
The Quran now draws our attention to the sky, now to the earth, displaying the
hidden mysteries and inciting us to inquire into them. As is the case with the
sky, so it is with the depths of the earth-endless mysteries waiting to be
unraveled. The ?fractured earth? referred to in the verse is of towering
importance from the point of view of establishing a connection between the magma
under the ground and the surface. These cracks also play a decisive role in the
formation of the submarine topography.
Information about the faults is also important as it provides us with detailed
knowledge about earthquakes. Big earthquakes occur along the fault lines on the
crust. Differentiated movements in the huge masses of substrata form a strain
along the fault line. The rocks on each side of the cracks try to resist it
before the crust gives way.
In any single earthquake, the amount of slip, in other words the relative
displacement of the two fault surfaces, may be a few inches, it is so even in
big earthquakes. Studies have been carried out on faults to map out the regions
likely to suffer greater damages, the requirements for the construction of
edifices to resist the tremor.
The greatest fault upon the earth is the one that stretches from Greenland?s
offshore to Antarctica. The second largest one stretches along the Pacific Ocean
along the Western shore of North and South America. The third important fault
lies in the depths of the Asian continent under the Himalayas and follows the
South Asian direction. Along with these greater ones there are shorter ones as
well. The Quran directs our attention to places where earthquakes can be
expected to take place. If we give up our custom of reciting the Quran merely
for the souls of those who have departed, and take it as a guide for our life,
we can reach the truth hidden in it.
89- We have sent down to you a Book explaining all things, a guide, a mercy and
glad tidings for those who submit.
16-The Honeybee, 89
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
FAULTS ON THE EARTH?S SURFACE
12- By the fractured earth.
86-The Knocker, 12
In the verse preceding the above verse (The Knocker, verse 11), the returning
property of the sky was stressed; this refers to phenomena unknown to men 1400
years ago (Chapter 20 of the present book). In the above verse there are also
factual implications that the public during the Prophet?s time did not know. As
faults had not yet been discovered, the verse was believed to refer to the
opening of the earth for the sprouting of vegetation.
In the post-Second World War years, scientists intensified submarine research
activity with a view to having access to precious metals and minerals. During
this research work, they came across something quite unexpected; the bottom of
the seas were covered with fissures that came to be called ?faults? or ?cracks.?
If we draw an analogy between the period that has elapsed since the second world
war until today with the period that has elapsed from the time of the descent of
the Quran 1400 years ago, when there was reference to this information in the
Quran, we can better appreciate the value of this reference.
EVERYTHING IS INTERCONNECTED
The Quran now draws our attention to the sky, now to the earth, displaying the
hidden mysteries and inciting us to inquire into them. As is the case with the
sky, so it is with the depths of the earth-endless mysteries waiting to be
unraveled. The ?fractured earth? referred to in the verse is of towering
importance from the point of view of establishing a connection between the magma
under the ground and the surface. These cracks also play a decisive role in the
formation of the submarine topography.
Information about the faults is also important as it provides us with detailed
knowledge about earthquakes. Big earthquakes occur along the fault lines on the
crust. Differentiated movements in the huge masses of substrata form a strain
along the fault line. The rocks on each side of the cracks try to resist it
before the crust gives way.
In any single earthquake, the amount of slip, in other words the relative
displacement of the two fault surfaces, may be a few inches, it is so even in
big earthquakes. Studies have been carried out on faults to map out the regions
likely to suffer greater damages, the requirements for the construction of
edifices to resist the tremor.
The greatest fault upon the earth is the one that stretches from Greenland?s
offshore to Antarctica. The second largest one stretches along the Pacific Ocean
along the Western shore of North and South America. The third important fault
lies in the depths of the Asian continent under the Himalayas and follows the
South Asian direction. Along with these greater ones there are shorter ones as
well. The Quran directs our attention to places where earthquakes can be
expected to take place. If we give up our custom of reciting the Quran merely
for the souls of those who have departed, and take it as a guide for our life,
we can reach the truth hidden in it.
89- We have sent down to you a Book explaining all things, a guide, a mercy and
glad tidings for those who submit.
16-The Honeybee, 89
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
EARTHQUAKES? MESSAGE AND HEAVY BURDENS
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EARTHQUAKES? MESSAGE AND HEAVY BURDENS
1- When the earth is severely quaked.
2- And the earth throws out its heavy burdens.
3- And man enquires, ?What has come over it??
4- On that day, it will tell its information.
99-The Earthquake, 1-4
The Arabic word ?zilzal? means ?earthquake.? The above verses are quoted from
the sura The Earthquake. These verses are believed to refer justifiably to the
earthquake expected to occur in the end of the world; however, we should take
due notice of its wider sense, depicting earthquakes in general. The fourth
verse announces that men will be informed on that day. A terrible disaster like
an earthquake associates in one?s mind destruction in the first place causing
material damage and bodily injury, leading to a general terror and panic. This
announcement must have astounded the public.
To establish a link between earthquakes and knowledge of certain facts seemed
inconceivable to people up until the last century. Today we have a great many
data in our possession regarding the ground beneath our feet, thanks to
earthquakes. The shortest radius we could draw from where we might be to the
center of the earth is longer than 6000 km, a distance we can never cover. Yes,
an earthquake provides information about that portion of the earth inaccessible
to us. (During the earthquake to take place at the end of the world, it is
possible that men will be further enlightened on subjects beyond His prediction.
We certainly do not assert that the verse?s meaning is limited to our
interpretation.)
BURDENS OF THE EARTH
The second verse of the sura Earthquake is interesting in that it refers to the
burdens of the earth. Years have gone by and men have failed to understand what
those burdens might be. The widely accepted interpretation was that the sura
referred to the earthquake that was going to take place at the end of the world
when the dead would be resurrected and treasures hidden underground would rise
to the surface. No one could have guessed that the ground beneath was formed of
dense and heavy matter that would rise to the surface. References to earthquakes
in the Quran contribute to our better appreciation of them. Let us not forget
that people believed at the time that the earth rested on the horns of an ox or
on a fish whose tail, when it moved, produced earthquakes (The commentary of Ibn
Kethir is an example). The fact that the Quran made no reference to such false
beliefs is another indication of its miraculous character.
The more we know about the contents of the Quran and about the universe, the
more we appreciate God?s artistry and the perfection of his religion.
9- Say: ?Are those who know equal to those who do not know? Only men of
understanding take heed.?
39-The Throngs, 9
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
EARTHQUAKES? MESSAGE AND HEAVY BURDENS
1- When the earth is severely quaked.
2- And the earth throws out its heavy burdens.
3- And man enquires, ?What has come over it??
4- On that day, it will tell its information.
99-The Earthquake, 1-4
The Arabic word ?zilzal? means ?earthquake.? The above verses are quoted from
the sura The Earthquake. These verses are believed to refer justifiably to the
earthquake expected to occur in the end of the world; however, we should take
due notice of its wider sense, depicting earthquakes in general. The fourth
verse announces that men will be informed on that day. A terrible disaster like
an earthquake associates in one?s mind destruction in the first place causing
material damage and bodily injury, leading to a general terror and panic. This
announcement must have astounded the public.
To establish a link between earthquakes and knowledge of certain facts seemed
inconceivable to people up until the last century. Today we have a great many
data in our possession regarding the ground beneath our feet, thanks to
earthquakes. The shortest radius we could draw from where we might be to the
center of the earth is longer than 6000 km, a distance we can never cover. Yes,
an earthquake provides information about that portion of the earth inaccessible
to us. (During the earthquake to take place at the end of the world, it is
possible that men will be further enlightened on subjects beyond His prediction.
We certainly do not assert that the verse?s meaning is limited to our
interpretation.)
BURDENS OF THE EARTH
The second verse of the sura Earthquake is interesting in that it refers to the
burdens of the earth. Years have gone by and men have failed to understand what
those burdens might be. The widely accepted interpretation was that the sura
referred to the earthquake that was going to take place at the end of the world
when the dead would be resurrected and treasures hidden underground would rise
to the surface. No one could have guessed that the ground beneath was formed of
dense and heavy matter that would rise to the surface. References to earthquakes
in the Quran contribute to our better appreciation of them. Let us not forget
that people believed at the time that the earth rested on the horns of an ox or
on a fish whose tail, when it moved, produced earthquakes (The commentary of Ibn
Kethir is an example). The fact that the Quran made no reference to such false
beliefs is another indication of its miraculous character.
The more we know about the contents of the Quran and about the universe, the
more we appreciate God?s artistry and the perfection of his religion.
9- Say: ?Are those who know equal to those who do not know? Only men of
understanding take heed.?
39-The Throngs, 9
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
DIAMETERS OF THE EARTH AND SPACE
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DIAMETERS OF THE EARTH AND SPACE
33- O society of jinns and men, cross the diameters of the heavens and the earth,
if you have the ability, then pass beyond them. But you cannot, unless you
acquire an authorization.
55-Gracious, 33
The Arabic word for diameter is ?kutr? of which the plural is ?aktar;? this
refers to the fact that the heavens and the earth have a plurality of diameters.
The Arabic language has a special plural to express ?duality;? the word aktar
expresses a magnitude superior to one or two. We must be careful in the case of
three-dimensional objects; ?diameter? exists only in spheroid figures. In the
case of a perfect sphere we cannot speak of a plurality of diameters, for, in a
perfect sphere, there can be only one diameter. We observe in the verse the use
of the plural, which is remarkable.
This verse is particularly important, as it refers to the geoidal structure of
the world. Doubts about the spheroid structure of the world were dispelled by
the law of gravitation of Newton (1642-1724). Previously it was believed that
men, the living beings and the seas beneath the surface of the earth would have
fallen down had the world been a sphere. Isaac Newton?s law of gravitation
convinced men that their belief was false. Objections to the sphericity of the
world were henceforth withdrawn, although many people still adhered to their
former convictions. If you spoke of ?diameters? of the earth, Newton would have
corrected you saying: ?the diameter of the earth.? A sphere can have but one
diameter but in the geodesic sphere, which is the actual shape of the world,
this is possible.
CONFINES OF SPACE
The mention in the verse of ?the diameters of the heavens? is also significant.
Until man took cognizance of the primeval explosion and the
expanding universe, many scientists believed space to be infinite. Space
continuously expands and wherever it expands a new and still larger diameter is
formed (this was explained in Ch. 1, 2 & 3). As a matter of fact, scientists
have likened space to an inflating balloon in accord with the statement of the
verse. Measurements taken at various spots in space would give different
diametrical results, while even these measurements taken would change every
instant. The use of the plural for the diameter of the heavens is of towering
importance, since there is more than just one diameter and because the concept
of infinite space is refuted.
The equatorial axes and the diameters in between the equatorial axis will be the
longest, while the shortest diameter will be in the polar region. Other
diameters will range in between. The diameter measured from the level of the
poles to the end point of the atmosphere, the one drawn from the equator to the
end point of the atmosphere, and the diameters in between differ also.
We should like to draw your attention to a point. In a good many translations of
the Quran there are references to the confines of the earth and the heavens, to
its periphery and contours and frontiers, and the word ?diameters? is skipped.
Indeed, the extremities of the diameter of an area give the contour, the limits
and the periphery of that area. We draw the attention of translators to this
subtle point.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
DIAMETERS OF THE EARTH AND SPACE
33- O society of jinns and men, cross the diameters of the heavens and the earth,
if you have the ability, then pass beyond them. But you cannot, unless you
acquire an authorization.
55-Gracious, 33
The Arabic word for diameter is ?kutr? of which the plural is ?aktar;? this
refers to the fact that the heavens and the earth have a plurality of diameters.
The Arabic language has a special plural to express ?duality;? the word aktar
expresses a magnitude superior to one or two. We must be careful in the case of
three-dimensional objects; ?diameter? exists only in spheroid figures. In the
case of a perfect sphere we cannot speak of a plurality of diameters, for, in a
perfect sphere, there can be only one diameter. We observe in the verse the use
of the plural, which is remarkable.
This verse is particularly important, as it refers to the geoidal structure of
the world. Doubts about the spheroid structure of the world were dispelled by
the law of gravitation of Newton (1642-1724). Previously it was believed that
men, the living beings and the seas beneath the surface of the earth would have
fallen down had the world been a sphere. Isaac Newton?s law of gravitation
convinced men that their belief was false. Objections to the sphericity of the
world were henceforth withdrawn, although many people still adhered to their
former convictions. If you spoke of ?diameters? of the earth, Newton would have
corrected you saying: ?the diameter of the earth.? A sphere can have but one
diameter but in the geodesic sphere, which is the actual shape of the world,
this is possible.
CONFINES OF SPACE
The mention in the verse of ?the diameters of the heavens? is also significant.
Until man took cognizance of the primeval explosion and the
expanding universe, many scientists believed space to be infinite. Space
continuously expands and wherever it expands a new and still larger diameter is
formed (this was explained in Ch. 1, 2 & 3). As a matter of fact, scientists
have likened space to an inflating balloon in accord with the statement of the
verse. Measurements taken at various spots in space would give different
diametrical results, while even these measurements taken would change every
instant. The use of the plural for the diameter of the heavens is of towering
importance, since there is more than just one diameter and because the concept
of infinite space is refuted.
The equatorial axes and the diameters in between the equatorial axis will be the
longest, while the shortest diameter will be in the polar region. Other
diameters will range in between. The diameter measured from the level of the
poles to the end point of the atmosphere, the one drawn from the equator to the
end point of the atmosphere, and the diameters in between differ also.
We should like to draw your attention to a point. In a good many translations of
the Quran there are references to the confines of the earth and the heavens, to
its periphery and contours and frontiers, and the word ?diameters? is skipped.
Indeed, the extremities of the diameter of an area give the contour, the limits
and the periphery of that area. We draw the attention of translators to this
subtle point.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
SOIL THAT VIBRATES AND SWELLS AS IT COMES TO LIFE
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SOIL THAT VIBRATES AND SWELLS AS IT COMES TO LIFE
5- ...You see the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down water on it,
it vibrates, it swells and puts forth every kind of beautiful growth in pairs.
22-The Pilgrimage, 5
It is general knowledge that there is no life without air and water. Does it
ever occur to anyone that soil also is a prerequisite to life? The soil is in
continuous development. Throughout thousands of years, especially by the effect
of water, it has undergone transformation by erosion of the Lithosphere. As the
rate of this erosion is 0.01 mm per year in hard rocks, this transformation is
imperceptible (This rate rises up to 20 mm in warmer regions). In this
transition process, the earth rises from the inorganic world of minerals to an
organic sphere. In a fertile section of earth 1 m3 there are some 30 million
bacteria.
The above verse refers to reactions that occur in series after rainfall. The
vibrating and swelling of soil were at first believed to be literary expressions.
But Robert Brown?s discovery of the earth?s shaking referred to as ?Brownian
movement? was another proof of the Quran?s miraculous insight. Three stages are
mentioned in the Quran, namely:
1) Earth?s vibrating
2) Earth?s swelling and
3) Earth?s products in pairs.
1) In the first stage, particles in the soil begin moving upon the fall of
rainwater. Raindrops falling on the earth at random move in every direction. The
particles are ionized. They are positively ionized as there is a fall in the
electrical charge and negatively ionized as there is a rise in the electrical
charge. With the arrival of water the ionized molecules begin vibrating. Robert
Brown, who discovered this phenomenon in 1828, called this movement: ?Brownian
movement.?
2) The second point refers to the growth in size of the earth?s particles as
they absorb water. Soil particles are composed of joint layers. Between any two
layers, there are spaces that allow water particles and dissolved ions to enter.
When water and the nourishing elements dissolve in it, they diffuse between
layers, resulting in the swelling of the size of the soil particles. The soil?s
property of holding water prevents its penetration any deeper, and thus provides
for organisms and plants to live.
3) The third stage refers to the germination of seeds. As the verse points out,
the fertilization process has started. The soil that seemed dead comes to life
with water, giving in turn life to vegetation that begins to sprout.
There are many references to the creation of plants. Parallels are drawn between
the creation and restoration to life of plants and the resurrection raising from
the dead. The period when a plant begins to sprout is likened to youth, and the
period when the plant ripens to adolescence, and then to maturity. Just like a
man gets weaker and frailer as he grows older and wrinkles appear on his skin,
so do plants dry and lose their luster. When they die, they mix with the soil,
just like the corpse of a man. As plants grow again, so will man rise from the
dead. God, who causes plants to die every year and regenerates them, so will He
raise men from the dead.
33- One sign for them is the dead land. We revive it and produce from it grains
which they eat.
36-Ya-Seen, 33
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
SOIL THAT VIBRATES AND SWELLS AS IT COMES TO LIFE
5- ...You see the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down water on it,
it vibrates, it swells and puts forth every kind of beautiful growth in pairs.
22-The Pilgrimage, 5
It is general knowledge that there is no life without air and water. Does it
ever occur to anyone that soil also is a prerequisite to life? The soil is in
continuous development. Throughout thousands of years, especially by the effect
of water, it has undergone transformation by erosion of the Lithosphere. As the
rate of this erosion is 0.01 mm per year in hard rocks, this transformation is
imperceptible (This rate rises up to 20 mm in warmer regions). In this
transition process, the earth rises from the inorganic world of minerals to an
organic sphere. In a fertile section of earth 1 m3 there are some 30 million
bacteria.
The above verse refers to reactions that occur in series after rainfall. The
vibrating and swelling of soil were at first believed to be literary expressions.
But Robert Brown?s discovery of the earth?s shaking referred to as ?Brownian
movement? was another proof of the Quran?s miraculous insight. Three stages are
mentioned in the Quran, namely:
1) Earth?s vibrating
2) Earth?s swelling and
3) Earth?s products in pairs.
1) In the first stage, particles in the soil begin moving upon the fall of
rainwater. Raindrops falling on the earth at random move in every direction. The
particles are ionized. They are positively ionized as there is a fall in the
electrical charge and negatively ionized as there is a rise in the electrical
charge. With the arrival of water the ionized molecules begin vibrating. Robert
Brown, who discovered this phenomenon in 1828, called this movement: ?Brownian
movement.?
2) The second point refers to the growth in size of the earth?s particles as
they absorb water. Soil particles are composed of joint layers. Between any two
layers, there are spaces that allow water particles and dissolved ions to enter.
When water and the nourishing elements dissolve in it, they diffuse between
layers, resulting in the swelling of the size of the soil particles. The soil?s
property of holding water prevents its penetration any deeper, and thus provides
for organisms and plants to live.
3) The third stage refers to the germination of seeds. As the verse points out,
the fertilization process has started. The soil that seemed dead comes to life
with water, giving in turn life to vegetation that begins to sprout.
There are many references to the creation of plants. Parallels are drawn between
the creation and restoration to life of plants and the resurrection raising from
the dead. The period when a plant begins to sprout is likened to youth, and the
period when the plant ripens to adolescence, and then to maturity. Just like a
man gets weaker and frailer as he grows older and wrinkles appear on his skin,
so do plants dry and lose their luster. When they die, they mix with the soil,
just like the corpse of a man. As plants grow again, so will man rise from the
dead. God, who causes plants to die every year and regenerates them, so will He
raise men from the dead.
33- One sign for them is the dead land. We revive it and produce from it grains
which they eat.
36-Ya-Seen, 33
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
MAN AND POLLUTION
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MAN AND POLLUTION
41- Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of people
have earned, He thus lets them taste the consequences of their works that they
may return.
30-The Romans, 41
Man has been paying the cost of damages he has inflicted on his surroundings and
nature throughout centuries. Passion for more money, sloth and irresponsibility
have made man blind to the fact that he is part of his natural environment and
that the damage he causes it will unavoidably affect him. The development of
environmental consciousness in man, who has suffered from damages of his own
doing, is a recent event. Environmental awareness only received special emphasis
in the world after 1970.
In a century and place where environmental awareness cannot be said to have
existed, the reference made in the Quran to this fact, that is to the corruption
caused in the land and the sea on account of that which men?s hands have wrought,
is a lesson of great scope. We translate the Arabic word ?bahr? as ?sea? (However,
it may also designate large lake, reservoir, inland sea, waterway, etc.). We are
advised that we are not allowed to dispose as we like of nature?s endowments
since otherwise we shall have to pay for it. We are also informed that the
damage caused by man to his own environment will also affect the land and the
sea beyond his own limits. Therefore nobody is allowed to say, ?I am on my own.
No one can meddle with what I do.? Nature is our common heritage and it is
everybody?s duty to contribute to the checking of this transgression.
DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE ENVIRONMENT
It is correct to say that the industrial revolution in the 19th century highly
contributed to the growth of pollution. It is, however, not correct to say that
this was the beginning of pollution of the environment. This process had been
going on since ancient times. What is new, however, is the development of
ecology and the ecological consciousness. To begin with, the burning down of
forests is a happenstance that has been going on for ages. Forest fire was the
principal cause of such diseases as man often suffered in the past, like
antrakosis. These pyromaniacs had certainly no inkling of what they were
perpetrating with their own hands.
During the Middle Ages, environmental pollution seems to have been an important
problem. In the England of 1345, people who tossed feces out of their windows
were fined two shillings. In the 12th century, Philippe Auguste of France was
the first king to ordain the collection of abominable waste littering the
streets of the city. The public who disposed of their waste by channeling it
into waterways polluted the springs they drank from. The first law on pollution
that we know about was passed in 1388 by the British parliament; this law
prohibited the throwing of waste into the streets and waterways. Transgressors
were to be reported by the people residing in the precincts to the private
secretary to the king. Only after it reached extraordinary proportions was the
pollution made subject of the law.
The situation became even graver during the industrialization period in the 19th
century. Metallurgy and iron and steel works polluted the land, the water and
the air. This is reflected in the novels of Charles Dickens and writings of
Friedrich Engels that describe the pollution in London. In 1930, sixty-three
people died of pollution in the Mosa Valley in Belgium. The situation in London,
in 1952, was even more serious. Four thousand died of upper respiratory tract
diseases because of man?s ravages of nature.
The situation at present is hardly any rosier. There may not be such mass
mortality, but according to the World Health Organization, more than one billion
people are under threat from pollution. It is impossible to evaluate the degree
of damage the public has suffered from throwing garbage and waste to the sea.
This habit is still going on. Sea pollution that threatens the marine fauna and
flora, and the settlement in their tissues of noxious substances, is thought to
be the cause of many illnesses, including cancer. Carbon dioxide emissions from
cars and factories also contribute to the so-called ?greenhouse? effect, and it
is feared that drastic changes in global climate are causing catastrophic
disasters.
We see that environmental pollution is one of the greatest dangers for humankind.
This reference to pollution in the Quran at a time when there was no
environmental awareness is remarkably interesting. The Quran was not penned like
books that are products of the human mind under the influence of social and
sociological realities in due consideration of the current issues. It is sent by
God, Lord of all times and beings. Knowledge unavailable at the time of its
descent, problems of the past and of the future are all present in the Quran.
Man is the author of his own destruction. The verse serves as a warning to
redress his wrongdoings. The more we expend effort to counteract our past
shortcomings, the better we can protect ourselves against catastrophes. Ecology
must be our common concern.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
MAN AND POLLUTION
41- Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of people
have earned, He thus lets them taste the consequences of their works that they
may return.
30-The Romans, 41
Man has been paying the cost of damages he has inflicted on his surroundings and
nature throughout centuries. Passion for more money, sloth and irresponsibility
have made man blind to the fact that he is part of his natural environment and
that the damage he causes it will unavoidably affect him. The development of
environmental consciousness in man, who has suffered from damages of his own
doing, is a recent event. Environmental awareness only received special emphasis
in the world after 1970.
In a century and place where environmental awareness cannot be said to have
existed, the reference made in the Quran to this fact, that is to the corruption
caused in the land and the sea on account of that which men?s hands have wrought,
is a lesson of great scope. We translate the Arabic word ?bahr? as ?sea? (However,
it may also designate large lake, reservoir, inland sea, waterway, etc.). We are
advised that we are not allowed to dispose as we like of nature?s endowments
since otherwise we shall have to pay for it. We are also informed that the
damage caused by man to his own environment will also affect the land and the
sea beyond his own limits. Therefore nobody is allowed to say, ?I am on my own.
No one can meddle with what I do.? Nature is our common heritage and it is
everybody?s duty to contribute to the checking of this transgression.
DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE ENVIRONMENT
It is correct to say that the industrial revolution in the 19th century highly
contributed to the growth of pollution. It is, however, not correct to say that
this was the beginning of pollution of the environment. This process had been
going on since ancient times. What is new, however, is the development of
ecology and the ecological consciousness. To begin with, the burning down of
forests is a happenstance that has been going on for ages. Forest fire was the
principal cause of such diseases as man often suffered in the past, like
antrakosis. These pyromaniacs had certainly no inkling of what they were
perpetrating with their own hands.
During the Middle Ages, environmental pollution seems to have been an important
problem. In the England of 1345, people who tossed feces out of their windows
were fined two shillings. In the 12th century, Philippe Auguste of France was
the first king to ordain the collection of abominable waste littering the
streets of the city. The public who disposed of their waste by channeling it
into waterways polluted the springs they drank from. The first law on pollution
that we know about was passed in 1388 by the British parliament; this law
prohibited the throwing of waste into the streets and waterways. Transgressors
were to be reported by the people residing in the precincts to the private
secretary to the king. Only after it reached extraordinary proportions was the
pollution made subject of the law.
The situation became even graver during the industrialization period in the 19th
century. Metallurgy and iron and steel works polluted the land, the water and
the air. This is reflected in the novels of Charles Dickens and writings of
Friedrich Engels that describe the pollution in London. In 1930, sixty-three
people died of pollution in the Mosa Valley in Belgium. The situation in London,
in 1952, was even more serious. Four thousand died of upper respiratory tract
diseases because of man?s ravages of nature.
The situation at present is hardly any rosier. There may not be such mass
mortality, but according to the World Health Organization, more than one billion
people are under threat from pollution. It is impossible to evaluate the degree
of damage the public has suffered from throwing garbage and waste to the sea.
This habit is still going on. Sea pollution that threatens the marine fauna and
flora, and the settlement in their tissues of noxious substances, is thought to
be the cause of many illnesses, including cancer. Carbon dioxide emissions from
cars and factories also contribute to the so-called ?greenhouse? effect, and it
is feared that drastic changes in global climate are causing catastrophic
disasters.
We see that environmental pollution is one of the greatest dangers for humankind.
This reference to pollution in the Quran at a time when there was no
environmental awareness is remarkably interesting. The Quran was not penned like
books that are products of the human mind under the influence of social and
sociological realities in due consideration of the current issues. It is sent by
God, Lord of all times and beings. Knowledge unavailable at the time of its
descent, problems of the past and of the future are all present in the Quran.
Man is the author of his own destruction. The verse serves as a warning to
redress his wrongdoings. The more we expend effort to counteract our past
shortcomings, the better we can protect ourselves against catastrophes. Ecology
must be our common concern.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Quranic Research Group
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