6 Common Scientific Errors In The Quran

Around one-sixth of the Quran talks about facts, whose accuracy can be tested using scientific methods. More than 1000 verses in the Quran discuss scientific topics like mountain formation, sun motion, embryology, cloud formation, creation of the universe, and much more. What would you do if you found such verses accurate and in harmony with the latest scientific discoveries? Isn’t that mind-blowing that a 1400-year-old book talks in that way?

However, some critics claim that there are scientific errors in the Quran. In this article, we will shed light on some common examples and refute them. 

What Is A Scientific Error In The Quran?

A scientific mistake in the Quran is a verse at odds with established science. What is meant by established science here is any empirical observation or scientific conclusion that is extremely unlikely to change. It does not refer to scientific conclusions or theories that may change over time due to new data or observations. To discover more about other types of mistakes, please refer to this article: How many mistakes are in the Quran? (Link needed)

Error 1: The Sun Sets Into A Muddy Spring!

Some repeat a famous objection: in chapter 18, the Quran says the sun goes down into a spring of muddy water! Let’s examine the verse:

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ ٱلشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِى عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍۢ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًۭا ۗ قُلْنَا يَـٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًۭا

“until he reached the setting ˹point˺ of the sun, which appeared to him to be setting in a spring of muddy water, where he found some people. We said, “O Zul-Qarnain! Either punish them or treat them kindly.”

[Quran 18-86]

Have you ever watched the sunset while standing on the beach?

Similarly, the above verse talks about the scene of the sun setting as it appeared to the eyes of the seer (Zul-Qarnain) when he reached a certain point near the Atlantic Ocean. 

In other verses, the Quran talks in technical terms about the motion of the sun:

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّۭ فِى فَلَكٍۢ يَسْبَحُونَ

“And He is the One Who created the day and the night, the sun and the moon—each floating in an orbit.”

[Quran 21:33]

How can the sun, which is very big and moves in its orbit, be setting in a spring on the surface of the earth? Therefore, the setting of the sun in the spring can never be taken literally.

The Bible Does The Same!

In the Bible, we can find verses talking about the sun setting as it appeared to the eye:

“So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gib′e-ah, which belongs to Benjamin.”

[Judges 19:14]

Nasa Does The Same!

Even NASA finds no problem in using a similar description of the sunset on their website:

“On May 19, 2005, Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this stunning view as the sun sank below the rim of the Gusev crater on Mars.” 

Error 2: The Sun And The Moon Are Swimming In Space!

When reading the verse that describes the motion of the sun and the moon, one is astonished that the Quran describes their motion as being floating in their orbitals. 

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّۭ فِى فَلَكٍۢ يَسْبَحُونَ

“And He is the One Who created the day and the night, the sun and the moon—each floating in an orbit.”

[Quran 21:33]

The Quran uses the verb “yasbahon”  (in Arabic: يسبحون). , which means to float or to swim.

Floating or swimming requires a materialistic medium through which the body moves. Isn’t that a clear mistake since the sun and moon are revolving in empty space?

What Does Modern Science Say About The Emptiness Of Space?

It was wrongly believed that space is empty (there is nothing out there). Space seems empty to humans because we can’t see most of the stuff there, and because there is much less air than we are used to. However, it is now known that space is full of both energy and matter. While scattered compared to Earth, space contains gas, dust, and plasma – predominantly hydrogen and helium. 

Moreover, space is filled with electromagnetic radiation like light and cosmic rays, as well as magnetic fields and mysterious entities like dark matter and dark energy. Therefore, celestial bodies like the sun and moon are moving through a medium, not in empty space, and describing the motion as being floating is surprisingly accurate!

Error 3: Invasion Of Space Is Impossible!

Is the invasion of space impossible according to the Quran? That’s one question that arises when reading the following verse:

يَـٰمَعْشَرَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ إِنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَن تَنفُذُوا۟ مِنْ أَقْطَارِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنفُذُوا۟ ۚ لَا تَنفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَـٰنٍۢ

“O assembly of jinn and humans! If you can penetrate beyond the realms of the heavens and the earth, then do so. ˹But˺ you cannot do that without ˹Our˺ authority.”

[Quran 55:33]

This verse says nothing about our inability to explore space. It states our inability to penetrate beyond the realms of the heavens and the earth without God’s authority. 

How Big Is The Universe?

The latest discoveries in astronomy tell us that the universe is 92 billion light-years across. This is the current best estimate of the diameter of the observable universe, the part we can see with our telescopes. This is still an immense size, with 1 light-year being the distance light travels in a year (nearly 10 trillion kilometers). Can you imagine how big the number is? 

If the Milky Way Galaxy were the size of a marble, the observable universe would be roughly the size of the United States.

More Importantly, the universe is constantly expanding, so this 92 billion light-year figure is growing. How easy is it to penetrate through that huge universe?! Now, we can better understand the nature of the Quranic challenge proposed in the verse.

Error 4: Meteorites Made From Copper!

In the same chapter (Al-Rahman), two verses later, we read what will happen when trying to go beyond the realm of the heavens and earth:

يُرْسَلُ عَلَيْكُمَا شُوَاظٌۭ مِّن نَّارٍۢ وَنُحَاسٌۭ فَلَا تَنتَصِرَانِ

“Flames of fire and ˹molten˺ copper will be sent against you, and you will not be able to defend one another.”

[Quran 55:35]

Some readers conclude that the Quran here is talking about meteorites made from copper, which is clearly not the case. The verse is not talking about meteorites at all. It is talking about going beyond the realms of the heavens and earth, a place we know nothing about, and thus, we cannot judge the nature of such flames waiting for us there.

More interestingly, recent studies tell us that copper exists in space in two ways:

1. As part of interstellar dust and gas: This is the most abundant form of copper in the universe.

2. As part of celestial objects: Stars, planets, asteroids, and even comets can all contain copper.

So, there is no wonder when the Quran talks about such copper flares in space.

Error 5: Does The Qur’ān Make A Mistake On Where Semen Is Produced?

A widespread misconception says that the Quran, in chapter 86, contradicts science on where semen is produced. Here are the verses:

فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍۢ دَافِقٍۢ يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ ٱلصُّلْبِ وَٱلتَّرَآئِبِ

“Let people then consider what they were created from! ˹They were˺ created from a spurting fluid, stemming from between the backbone and the ribcage.”

[Quran 86:5-7]

What does modern science say about semen production?

About 70% of the sperm-containing ejaculatory fluid originates from the seminal vesicles, which run parallel to the spine; the remaining 20% and 5% come from the prostate and bulbourethral gland, respectively, which are located in the loin region. It is significant to remember that the Arabic term for backbone also refers to the coccyx or tailbone. 

As shown below, the testicles, prostrate, and bulbourethral glands are situated between the ribs and the backbone or loins, as well as the seminal vesicles. This is consistent with the Quranic description.

Error 6: The Sky Is A Ceiling!

Some critics claim that the Quran is wrong as it describes the sky as a solid dome, which contradicts modern science. Here are the quoted verses:

وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ سَقْفًۭا مَّحْفُوظًۭا ۖ وَهُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِهَا مُعْرِضُونَ

“And We have made the sky a well-protected ceiling, still they turn away from its signs.”

[Quran 21:32]

ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ فِرَٰشًۭا وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءًۭ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۭ فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزْقًۭا لَّكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًۭا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

“Who has made the earth for you (as) a bedding, and the heaven an edifice, (Literally: a building) and has sent down out of heaven water so He has brought out with it (all kinds of) products as provision for you. So do not set up compeers to Allah and you know (He has no compeers).”

[Quran 2:22]

ءَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُ ۚ بَنَىٰهَا

“Which is harder to create: you or the sky? He built it”

[Quran 79:29]

Firstly, we should note that the Arabic word “Samaa”, which is translated as “sky”, refers to everything that’s above us. The great Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya (who died in 1328 AD) explained that “Samaa” can be used to talk about the clouds, or the space, or what’s outside the universe, or absolute highness.

Secondly, as we mentioned before in mistake 2, the Samaa (the sky and outer space) is not empty. It is actually a building that consists of matter and energy. Thus, describing the samaa as a building is perfectly concise.

Different Layers Of Meanings In The Quran

One of the powerful characteristics of the Quranic words is having several layers of meanings. Each layer fits the understanding of certain people at certain times. During the time of the revelation of the Quran, people had a limited understanding of cosmology. They thought of the sky as a ceiling or roof which surrounds the earth and thus, the Quranic description was acceptable. Now, thanks to the huge advances in science, we are continuously discovering more and more about the sophisticated structure of the sky and the outer universe, which is also in full harmony with the Quranic description of the sky as a building. So, although the Quranic touched the heart and the mind of the primitive Bedouin 14 centuries ago, it continues to dazzle scientists today.

A Book Of Signs Not Science!

“The Quran is a book of signs, not a book of science” Zakir Naik.

This quotation means that the Quran is not meant to be a book in Biology, Cosmology, or Physics. The main theme of the Quran is to inform us about Allah, the one true God. Therefore, the Quran talks about scientific facts in a way to direct our attention to ِAllah, who created these natural phenomena. Such numerous verses should make us stop and ponder, who designed such beautiful, highly accurate systems?

سَنُرِيهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فِى ٱلْـَٔافَاقِ وَفِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ شَهِيدٌ

“We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this ˹Quran˺ is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a Witness over all things?”

[Quran 41:53]

Some of such verses were subjected to criticism but with the proper understanding of the context and the language of the Quran, such misconceptions can be easily refuted.

The final question now is: how can the Quran, which contains such scientific facts, be authored by an illiterate man who lived more than 14 centuries ago?

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