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Friday, October 2, 2009
download Miracle of atom Book a bot Miracle of Quran writing by Haroun yahya
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Saturday, September 19, 2009
LAYERS OF EARTH
12- It is God who created the seven heavens and of the earth the same number. The commands flow among them that you may know that God has power over everything and everything is held within the knowledge of God.
65-Divorce, 12
The 12th verse of sura 65 mentions the seven heavens and as many layers in the earth. We already saw that the seven layers of the heavens were in perfect harmony with each other, each performing its duty impeccably. The 12th verse of the 65th sura establishes a similarity between the heavens and the earth.
Our earth is also stratified as the heavens are, and our life on earth depends on these layers. In the Arabic community of the Prophet’s time, the surface of the earth was an expanse full of mystery. The knowledge prevalent at the time did not permit man to have an inkling of the stratigraphy. The fact that the statement in the Quran of the atmospheric layers is almost a replica of this stratification of the earth is another miracle.
LIFE DEPENDENT ON TERRESTRIAL STRATA
As I have already pointed out in previous chapters, the Quran’s statements are not meant to be miracles as such. But the fact that these statements reflect at the same time actualities beyond the grasp of the scientific lore of the Prophet’s time points to announcements of miraculous dimensions. Our aim is not only to establish truths expressed therein, but rather to meditate upon the wonderful designs of God. Thanks to the matter forming the substance of the core that is one of the layers of our sphere, a magnetic field is produced around our world, making life on earth possible. Had the dynamo in the center of the earth been a little bit weaker, the magnetic field around the earth known as the Van Allen belts (belts of intense radiation in space about the earth formed by high-energy charged particles which are trapped by the geomagnetic field) would fail to form an obstacle sufficient enough to stop the lethal radiation threatening our world. The harmony in the concentration of such substances as nickel and iron in liquid form within the core of the earth renders possible the function of the Van Allen belts. All these minutely calculated designs are created in perfect order by our Creator in preparation for man’s emergence upon the earth.
It took our earth billions of years to cool (it is estimated that the earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago). Despite this fact, the core of the earth contains lava, the temperature of which is extremely high. The proportion of the upper crust of the earth, of the soil - on which we live - to the world, may be likened to the ratio of the peel of an apple to its mass. The proportion of the crust of the earth to the diameter of the world is less than 1%. We are far from being conscious of this fact as we read our book, go on a walk, eat and talk. The terrific phenomena occurring in the core of our earth have little unwanted effect on our condition upon the earth where we continue to live as if by the side of a calm lake. These occurrences we qualify as terrific because the high temperatures and magnetic phenomena are in actual fact necessary for our survival. Our existence depends on these phenomena without being adversely effected. The phenomena in question
are far from fortuitous and beyond our control. God is the Author of all these correlated phenomena. It is incumbent upon us to give thanks to our Creator in full consciousness of our human frailty for all the beauties and perfection we are witnessing.
NUMBER OF LAYERS
The earth is made of many different and distinct layers. The deeper layers are composed of heavier metals; they are hotter, denser and under much greater pressure than the outer limits. One of the layers is the Oceanic Crust (1), and another one is the Continental Crust (2). Beneath is the Upper Mantle (3). Another layer is the Asthenosphere (4) that exhibits plastic properties. Beneath is the Lower Mantle (5). The Outer Core (6) is underneath; its liquid content with the dynamo effect generated by the rotating of the earth forms the protective magnetic field around it. And the last layer is the Inner Core (7).
We see that our world is made of layers whose raw material and function vary. The figure 7 is again indicated in the Quran for the layers of the earth. If the two layers are integrated into a single layer for study purposes, changing the figure 7, then the meaning of 7 in the Arabic language must be taken as a plurality. A detailed examination of God’s wonderful world shows that God has power over all things and that God comprehends all things in His knowledge, as it is said in the verse which we examined in this chapter.
65-Divorce, 12
The 12th verse of sura 65 mentions the seven heavens and as many layers in the earth. We already saw that the seven layers of the heavens were in perfect harmony with each other, each performing its duty impeccably. The 12th verse of the 65th sura establishes a similarity between the heavens and the earth.
Our earth is also stratified as the heavens are, and our life on earth depends on these layers. In the Arabic community of the Prophet’s time, the surface of the earth was an expanse full of mystery. The knowledge prevalent at the time did not permit man to have an inkling of the stratigraphy. The fact that the statement in the Quran of the atmospheric layers is almost a replica of this stratification of the earth is another miracle.
LIFE DEPENDENT ON TERRESTRIAL STRATA
As I have already pointed out in previous chapters, the Quran’s statements are not meant to be miracles as such. But the fact that these statements reflect at the same time actualities beyond the grasp of the scientific lore of the Prophet’s time points to announcements of miraculous dimensions. Our aim is not only to establish truths expressed therein, but rather to meditate upon the wonderful designs of God. Thanks to the matter forming the substance of the core that is one of the layers of our sphere, a magnetic field is produced around our world, making life on earth possible. Had the dynamo in the center of the earth been a little bit weaker, the magnetic field around the earth known as the Van Allen belts (belts of intense radiation in space about the earth formed by high-energy charged particles which are trapped by the geomagnetic field) would fail to form an obstacle sufficient enough to stop the lethal radiation threatening our world. The harmony in the concentration of such substances as nickel and iron in liquid form within the core of the earth renders possible the function of the Van Allen belts. All these minutely calculated designs are created in perfect order by our Creator in preparation for man’s emergence upon the earth.
It took our earth billions of years to cool (it is estimated that the earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago). Despite this fact, the core of the earth contains lava, the temperature of which is extremely high. The proportion of the upper crust of the earth, of the soil - on which we live - to the world, may be likened to the ratio of the peel of an apple to its mass. The proportion of the crust of the earth to the diameter of the world is less than 1%. We are far from being conscious of this fact as we read our book, go on a walk, eat and talk. The terrific phenomena occurring in the core of our earth have little unwanted effect on our condition upon the earth where we continue to live as if by the side of a calm lake. These occurrences we qualify as terrific because the high temperatures and magnetic phenomena are in actual fact necessary for our survival. Our existence depends on these phenomena without being adversely effected. The phenomena in question
are far from fortuitous and beyond our control. God is the Author of all these correlated phenomena. It is incumbent upon us to give thanks to our Creator in full consciousness of our human frailty for all the beauties and perfection we are witnessing.
NUMBER OF LAYERS
The earth is made of many different and distinct layers. The deeper layers are composed of heavier metals; they are hotter, denser and under much greater pressure than the outer limits. One of the layers is the Oceanic Crust (1), and another one is the Continental Crust (2). Beneath is the Upper Mantle (3). Another layer is the Asthenosphere (4) that exhibits plastic properties. Beneath is the Lower Mantle (5). The Outer Core (6) is underneath; its liquid content with the dynamo effect generated by the rotating of the earth forms the protective magnetic field around it. And the last layer is the Inner Core (7).
We see that our world is made of layers whose raw material and function vary. The figure 7 is again indicated in the Quran for the layers of the earth. If the two layers are integrated into a single layer for study purposes, changing the figure 7, then the meaning of 7 in the Arabic language must be taken as a plurality. A detailed examination of God’s wonderful world shows that God has power over all things and that God comprehends all things in His knowledge, as it is said in the verse which we examined in this chapter.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Look in the deterioration of love, where human
Is still here, the street ran This large garment complex in White Dariush Riahi Lal |
Monday, September 7, 2009
Imam Ali advices
Imam Ali Said:
The one who teaches me but a single word makes me his servant.
One who asks questions learns.
Every thing is good when it is new but friends who are good when they are old.
Don’t speak when you find it untimely.
The best of all men is one who is the most useful to the people.
If you love God clear from your heart the love of the world.
Don’t close a door that you are unable to open.
One who is content with little needs not much.
A true believer will not eat fully as long as his brother is hungry.
How can you be happy in this life than grows shorter with the passage of every hour?
The one who is unable to keep his own secrets will never be able to keep the secrets of others.
Be in such term with your friend as if he may turn against you one day and treat your enemy as if he may become a friend one day.
Entrust your friend with anything but your secrets.
Don’t let God see you away from His obedience and occupied with sins; and, consequently hate you.
Fear God who hears when you speak; and knows what you think.
By thinking you can find the way and by negligence you lose it.
One who gives advice and does not practice it himself is like a bow without string.
How bad it is to have a troublesome neighbor.
Health cannot be obtained expect by abstinence
All people are defective and deficient except those whom God saves.
Live in peace with people so that you may a peaceful life.
Jealously cannot enter the heart of a pure-hearted person
http://namazisarsharazniaz.persianblog.ir
The one who teaches me but a single word makes me his servant.
One who asks questions learns.
Every thing is good when it is new but friends who are good when they are old.
Don’t speak when you find it untimely.
The best of all men is one who is the most useful to the people.
If you love God clear from your heart the love of the world.
Don’t close a door that you are unable to open.
One who is content with little needs not much.
A true believer will not eat fully as long as his brother is hungry.
How can you be happy in this life than grows shorter with the passage of every hour?
The one who is unable to keep his own secrets will never be able to keep the secrets of others.
Be in such term with your friend as if he may turn against you one day and treat your enemy as if he may become a friend one day.
Entrust your friend with anything but your secrets.
Don’t let God see you away from His obedience and occupied with sins; and, consequently hate you.
Fear God who hears when you speak; and knows what you think.
By thinking you can find the way and by negligence you lose it.
One who gives advice and does not practice it himself is like a bow without string.
How bad it is to have a troublesome neighbor.
Health cannot be obtained expect by abstinence
All people are defective and deficient except those whom God saves.
Live in peace with people so that you may a peaceful life.
Jealously cannot enter the heart of a pure-hearted person
http://namazisarsharazniaz.persianblog.ir
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Orbits
While referring to the sun and the moon in the Qur’an, it is emphasized that each moves in a certain orbit.( It is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon.They swim along, each in an orbit.) (Surat al-Anbiya, 33)
It is mentioned in another verse too that the sun is not static but moves in a certain orbit:
( And the sun runs to its resting place. That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.) (Surah Ya Sin, 38)
These facts communicated in the Qur’an have been discovered by astronomical observations in our age. According to the calculations of experts on astronomy, the sun is traveling at the enormous speed of 720 thousand kilometers an hour in the direction of the star Vega in a particular orbit called the Solar Apex. This means that the sun travels roughly 17 million and 280 thousand kilometers a day. Along with the sun, all planets and satellites within the gravitational system of the sun also travel the same distance. In addition, all the stars in the universe are in a similar planned motion.
That the entire universe is full of paths and orbits such as this one, is inscribed in the Qur’an as follows:
( By the sky full of paths and orbits.) (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 7)
There are about 200 billion galaxies in the universe consisting of nearly 200 billion stars in each. Most of these stars have planets and most of those planets have satellites. All of these heavenly bodies move in very precisely computed orbits. For millions of years, each has been “swimming” along in its own orbit in perfect harmony and order with all the others. Moreover, many comets also move along in the orbits determined for them.
The orbits in the universe do not only belong to celestial bodies. The galaxies also travel at enormous speeds in computed, planned orbits. During these movements, none of these celestial bodies cut across another’s path, or collide with another. Indeed, it has been observed that some galaxies pass through each other with none of their components touching each other.
Surely at the time the Qur’an was revealed, humankind did not possess today’s telescopes or advanced observation technologies to observe space in a range of millions of kilometers, nor the modern knowledge of physics or astronomy. Therefore, at that time, it was not possible to determine scientifically that space is “full of paths and orbits” as stated in the verse. However, this was openly declared to us in the Qur’an that was revealed at that time:–because the Qur’an is the word of God.
Like many other comets in the universe, Halley's comet, seen above, also moves in a planned orbit. It has a specific orbit and it moves in this orbit in a perfect harmony with other celestial bodies. All celestial bodies including planets, satellites of these planets, stars, and even galaxies have their own orbits that have been determined with very delicate computations. The One Who established this perfect order and maintains it is God, Who created the entire universe.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
THE MIRACLES OF THE QUR'AN A Documentary Film Based on the Books of Harun Yahya
for downloading films going to this Link
Watch the movie "THE MIRACLES OF THE QUR - Miracles of the Qur'an
Watch the movie "THE MIRACLES OF THE QUR - Miracles of the Qur'an
Friday, September 4, 2009
Who makes foetus laugh and weep?
DIRECT LINK:http://www.quranandscience.com/
Foetus smiling
In a very significant verse in surat Al-Najm Allah says about him self: "And that He it is who maketh laugh, and maketh weep," (Quran 53:43)
This verse contains a very nice scientific indication about the lately-discovered fact that foetus has facial expressions while he is in his mother's womb, without being taught to do so.
The miracle of man creation reveals itself in the stages of foetal development which is described by the holy Quran and begins with the creation of germ cells in his parents, then when the sperm meets the ovum fertilizing it and they form the zygote (Nutfa Amshaj) which then becomes a leech-like clot (Alaqah) then chewed-like lump of flesh (Mudgha) which turns into bones covered with flesh, then at the decisive moment this foetus is converted from just some growing cells into another creature full of life and moves in his mother's womb and his facial expressions appears clearly. As after this large technological revolution which occurred lately in scanning embryos, we can now see embryos smiling and crying in their mothers' wombs before they see light on earth.
3D and 4D ultrasound scanning
3D ultrasound is a medical ultrasound technique, often used during pregnancy, providing three dimensional images of the foetus. Often these images are captured rapidly and animated to produce a "4D ultrasound".
There are several different scanning modes in medical and obstetric ultrasound. The standard common obstetric diagnostic mode is 2D scanning. In 3D foetal scanning, however, instead of the sound waves being sent straight down and reflected back, they are sent at different angles. The returning echoes are processed by a sophisticated computer program resulting in a reconstructed three dimensional volume image of foetus's surface or internal organs; in much the same way as a CT scan machine constructs a CT scan image from multiple x-rays. 3D ultrasounds allow one to see width, height and depth of images in much the same way as 3D movies but no movement is shown. 4D ultrasounds involve the addition of movement by stringing together frames of 3D ultrasounds in quick succession.
3D ultrasound was first developed by Olaf von Ramm and Stephen Smith at Duke University in 1987.
Clinical use of this technology is an area of intense research activity especially in fetal anomaly scanning but there are also popular uses that have been shown to improve fetal-maternal bonding. 4D baby scans are similar to 3D scans except that they show fetal movement as shown in the video clip.[1]
Facial expressions are not copying of the mother's ones
Pioneering scanning techniques have produced astonishing images from inside the womb which show babies apparently smiling and crying. Up to now, doctors did not think infants made such expressions until after birth and believed they learned to smile by copying their mother. Babies do not normally smile after birth until they are about six weeks old.[2]
 |
| A foetus having a wide smile very close to laugh |
Scientists are not the only who were astonished by these picture but normal people were more astonished. These pictures truly excite in the human soul a state of matchless admiration to Allah's creation. And they trigger the emotions of mercy of parents and the emotions of delight when you see the foetus smiles and the emotions of compassion when you see the foetus cries.
 |
| A foetus crying |
And at these emotions, an essential question must be asked, if the foetus is still in his mother's womb and it did not see the light yet, it did not see its mother cry or smile, then who taught this foetus to cry and who taught it to smile? This question is asked even by scientists, Professor Stuart Campbell says : "What's behind the smile? Of course, I can't say, but the corners turn up and the cheeks bulge ... I think it must be some indication of contentment in a stress-free environment."[3]
But the answer comes from the holy Quran as Allah says "And that He it is who maketh laugh, and maketh weep," (Quran 53:43). Allah is one who makes embryos smile and it is the one who makes them weep. The advance in science does not only coincide with Quran, but also the holy Quran answers the questions that confuse scientists.
Crying and Life
This verse is a strong indication to all people that the one gives us the ability to laugh and cry is Allah (SWT). But if we can think of our ability to laugh is favour from God to us, how could our ability to cry be also a favour from God?
If we think in a certain moment of our life, we will find that the greatest blessing of Allah upon us is crying……. Yes, it is the first moment in our life, the moment at which we arrive to this earth and without crying at this moment our life ends.
Smiles, relief, congratulations and applause do not start when a child is born – they start when it cries. Without crying, the room becomes increasingly silent and the mood increasingly apprehensive; and for good reason – crying is a very positive sign of a new, healthy life. Many factors and complex interactions go into the production of the sound that announces joyful, healthy childbirth.[4]
Why the baby should cry?
The oxygen exchange in the lungs takes place across the membranes of small balloon-like structures called alveoli attached to the branches of the bronchial passages. These alveoli inflate and deflate with inhalation and exhalation.[5]
 |
| A lung consists basically from alveoli |
Everyone knows that it is much more difficult to blow up a balloon for the first time. Why is that? For one thing, the applied pressure does not create much tension in the walls of a small balloon to start the stretching process necessary for inflation. According to Laplace's law, the wall tension will be twice as large for a balloon of twice the radius. If it takes a certain applied pressure to overcome the elasticity of the large balloon and cause it to expand further, it will take twice as much pressure to start to expand the smaller balloon. All this makes it difficult for the baby to take its first breath -- all the balloons are small! The alveoli of the lungs are collapsed in the fetus and must be inflated in the process of inhalation. Thus the traditional spank on the bottom of the newborn to make him/her mad enough to make the effort for the first breath. Further difficulties are encountered by premature infants because the surfactant fluid which coats the alveoli to give them the appropriate wall tensions is formed in the later stages of pregnancy. Until that point, the alveoli are coated with fluid which has essentially the surface tension of water, much higher than that of the normal surfactant.[6]
So it is a great blessing of Allah (SWT) to give us the ability to laugh and cry "And that He it is who maketh laugh, and maketh weep," (Quran 53:43)
By: Chem. Gamal Abdel-Nasser
Chem.gamal@hotmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_ultrasound
- Three-dimensional ultrasound is increasing our knowledge of the fetus little by little (http://www.springerlink.com/content/t57177166622807x/)
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3105580.stm
- http://www.cordclamp.com/Why%20Do%20Babies%20Cr1.htm
- http://health.howstuffworks.com/question98.htm
- http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/HBASE/ptens3.html
THE CONQUEST OF SPACE
Dr. Maurice Bucaille
From this point of view, three verses of the Qur'an should command our full attention. One expresses, without any trace of ambiguity, what man should and will achieve in this field. In the other two, God refers for the sake of the unbelievers in Makka to the surprise they would have if they were able to raise themselves up to the Heavens; He alludes to a hypothesis which will not be realized for the latter.
1) The first of these verses is sura 55, verse 33: "O assembly of Jinns and Men, if you can penetrate regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate them save with a Power."
The translation given here needs some explanatory comment: a) The word 'if' expresses in English a condition that is dependent upon a possibility and either an achievable or an unachievable hypothesis. Arabic is a language which is able to introduce a nuance into the condition which is much more explicit. There is one word to express the possibility (ida), another for the achievable hypothesis (in) and a third for the unachievable hypothesis expressed by the word (lau). The verse in question has it as an achievable hypothesis expressed by the word (in). The Qur'an therefore suggests the material possibility of a concrete realization. This subtle linguistic distinction formally rules out the purely mystic interpretation that some people have (quite wrongly) put on this verse.
b) God is addressing the spirits (jinn) and human beings (ins), and not essentially allegorical figures.
c) 'To penetrate' is the translation of the verb nafada followed by the preposition min. According to Kazimirski's dictionary, the phrase means 'to pass right through and come out on the other side of a body' (e.g. an arrow that comes out on the other side). It therefore suggests a deep penetration and emergence at the other end into the regions in question.
d) The Power (sultan) these men will have to achieve this enterprise would seem to come from the All-Mighty.' There can be no doubt that this verse indicates the possibility men will one day achieve what we today call (perhaps rather improperly) 'the conquest of space'. One must note that the text of the Qur'an predicts not only penetration through the regions of the Heavens, but also the Earth, i.e. the exploration of its depths. 2) The other two verses are taken from sura 15, (verses 14 and 15). God is speaking of the unbelievers in Makka, as the context of this passage in the sura shows: "Even if We opened unto them a gate to Heaven and they were to continue ascending therein, they would say: our sight is confused as in drunkenness. Nay, we are people bewitched." The above expresses astonishment at a remarkable spectacle, different from anything man could imagine. The conditional sentence is introduced here by the word lau which expresses a hypothesis that could never be realized as far as it concerned the people mentioned in these verses. When talking of the conquest of space therefore, we have two passages in the text of the Qur'an: one of them refers to what will one day become a reality thanks to the powers of intelligence and ingenuity God will give to man, and the other describes an event that the unbelievers in Makka will never witness, hence its character of a condition never to be realized. The event will however be seen by others, as intimated in the first verse quoted above. It describes the human reactions to the unexpected spectacle that travelers in space will see: their confused sight, as in drunkenness, the feeling of being bewitched... This is exactly how astronauts have experienced this remarkable adventure since the first human space flight around the world in 1961. It is known in actual fact how once one is above the Earth's atmosphere, the Heavens no longer have the azure appearance we see from Earth, which results from phenomena of absorption of the Sun's light into the layers of the atmosphere. The human observer in space above the Earth's atmosphere sees a black sky and the Earth seems to be surrounded by a halo of bluish color due to the same phenomena of absorption of light by the Earth's atmosphere. The Moon has no atmosphere, however, and therefore appears in its true colors against the black background of the sky. It is a completely new spectacle therefore that presents itself to men in space, and the photographs of this spectacle are well known to present-day man. Here again, it is difficult not to be impressed, when comparing the text of the Qur'an to the data of modern science, by statements that simply cannot be ascribed to the thought of a man who lived more than fourteen centuries ago.
direct link
http://www.islam101.com
From this point of view, three verses of the Qur'an should command our full attention. One expresses, without any trace of ambiguity, what man should and will achieve in this field. In the other two, God refers for the sake of the unbelievers in Makka to the surprise they would have if they were able to raise themselves up to the Heavens; He alludes to a hypothesis which will not be realized for the latter.
1) The first of these verses is sura 55, verse 33: "O assembly of Jinns and Men, if you can penetrate regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate them save with a Power."
The translation given here needs some explanatory comment: a) The word 'if' expresses in English a condition that is dependent upon a possibility and either an achievable or an unachievable hypothesis. Arabic is a language which is able to introduce a nuance into the condition which is much more explicit. There is one word to express the possibility (ida), another for the achievable hypothesis (in) and a third for the unachievable hypothesis expressed by the word (lau). The verse in question has it as an achievable hypothesis expressed by the word (in). The Qur'an therefore suggests the material possibility of a concrete realization. This subtle linguistic distinction formally rules out the purely mystic interpretation that some people have (quite wrongly) put on this verse.
b) God is addressing the spirits (jinn) and human beings (ins), and not essentially allegorical figures.
c) 'To penetrate' is the translation of the verb nafada followed by the preposition min. According to Kazimirski's dictionary, the phrase means 'to pass right through and come out on the other side of a body' (e.g. an arrow that comes out on the other side). It therefore suggests a deep penetration and emergence at the other end into the regions in question.
d) The Power (sultan) these men will have to achieve this enterprise would seem to come from the All-Mighty.' There can be no doubt that this verse indicates the possibility men will one day achieve what we today call (perhaps rather improperly) 'the conquest of space'. One must note that the text of the Qur'an predicts not only penetration through the regions of the Heavens, but also the Earth, i.e. the exploration of its depths. 2) The other two verses are taken from sura 15, (verses 14 and 15). God is speaking of the unbelievers in Makka, as the context of this passage in the sura shows: "Even if We opened unto them a gate to Heaven and they were to continue ascending therein, they would say: our sight is confused as in drunkenness. Nay, we are people bewitched." The above expresses astonishment at a remarkable spectacle, different from anything man could imagine. The conditional sentence is introduced here by the word lau which expresses a hypothesis that could never be realized as far as it concerned the people mentioned in these verses. When talking of the conquest of space therefore, we have two passages in the text of the Qur'an: one of them refers to what will one day become a reality thanks to the powers of intelligence and ingenuity God will give to man, and the other describes an event that the unbelievers in Makka will never witness, hence its character of a condition never to be realized. The event will however be seen by others, as intimated in the first verse quoted above. It describes the human reactions to the unexpected spectacle that travelers in space will see: their confused sight, as in drunkenness, the feeling of being bewitched... This is exactly how astronauts have experienced this remarkable adventure since the first human space flight around the world in 1961. It is known in actual fact how once one is above the Earth's atmosphere, the Heavens no longer have the azure appearance we see from Earth, which results from phenomena of absorption of the Sun's light into the layers of the atmosphere. The human observer in space above the Earth's atmosphere sees a black sky and the Earth seems to be surrounded by a halo of bluish color due to the same phenomena of absorption of light by the Earth's atmosphere. The Moon has no atmosphere, however, and therefore appears in its true colors against the black background of the sky. It is a completely new spectacle therefore that presents itself to men in space, and the photographs of this spectacle are well known to present-day man. Here again, it is difficult not to be impressed, when comparing the text of the Qur'an to the data of modern science, by statements that simply cannot be ascribed to the thought of a man who lived more than fourteen centuries ago.
direct link
http://www.islam101.com
Thursday, September 3, 2009
LAYERS OF HEAVENS
http://www.quranmiracles.com
LAYERS OF HEAVENS
3- He created the seven heavens (skies) in layers. You do not see any imperfection in the creation by the Gracious. Turn your eyes again. Do you see any flaw? 67-The Kingdom, 3 The statement in the Quran about seven heavens may be interpreted as seven different strata, seven different dimensions or seven different fields of attraction. A closer analysis of the atmosphere, which, to the naked eye may present uniformity, makes it clear that it is not actually so. The different layers of our atmosphere could not have been known at the time of the Prophet. This fact cannot have been established fortuitously. The Quran refers to different layers in the atmosphere in perfect accord with each other. One can also conjecture that such layers can exist in space. The creation of these harmonious layers is a phenomenon visible from the microcosm of the atom to the macrocosm of the universe. Let us remember the layers and orbits of the electron around the nucleus of the atom. The fact that the maximum number of orbits in the atom is seven may also be significant. The number seven has special connotations in the Quran. As a matter of fact, “seven” in Arabic, also expresses a plurality; the expression “seven heavens,” may either mean the number seven as the actual number of heavens, or a plurality of heavens. This usage of “seven” in the Arabic has been commented upon throughout history by many exegetics. In the sura Luqmaan, 27th verse, the expression “seven seas” is used and in the sura Repentance, verse 80 states that: “Even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, God will not forgive them.” So, it is said that both “seven” and “seventy” express a plurality. A similar usage of the number “seven” expressing a plurality may also be seen in ancient Greek and Roman.
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE OBJECTIVES THEY SERVE We know now that atmosphere is made of layers that make life on earth possible. The absence of any one of these layers would be the end of life on earth. God, whose flawless art is conspicuous everywhere, displays once again His design by drawing attention - in the Quran - to atmospheric layers. Each of these layers dutifully performs its function contributing to the perfect performance of the whole. The fact that the lifeless atoms of the atmosphere are in the service of man, as if forming a conscious entity, is a consequence of God’s compassion. The atmosphere is divided into layers, of which the (1) Troposphere is the lowest layer, closest to the surface of the earth. The Troposphere, which is as low as six km, extends to a height of 12 km at the equator. Atmospheric phenomena take place within the portion of three to four kilometers from the surface. 75% of atmospheric gases are in this layer. Above the Troposphere is the (2) Stratosphere extending about 50 km up. The third is (3) the Ozonosphere, the ozone layer in other words, which is the protector from ultraviolet rays having lethal effects on living beings. Above lies the (4) Mesosphere which in turn, is topped by the (5) Thermosphere followed by the (6) Ionosphere, the upper layer reaching to a height of 500 km from the earth. Radio waves are reflected from this layer, rendering communication possible. Above 500 km lies the fringe region known as the (7) Exosphere, extending up to 10,000 km. The proportion of gases in this layer is very low and divided into ions. We can thus divide the atmosphere into 7 layers. The number 7 may change of course, if researchers prefer examining these layers by different groupings. However it is interesting to find that the commonly agreed classification of atmospheric layers supports the Quranic information and it is beyond mere interest when we evaluate it together with all other scientific remarks in the Quran. Even if the reader does not find this classification persuasive, then he or she may subscribe to the alternative understanding that the figure seven expresses a plurality, without bringing any change in the miraculous significance of the verse. This double meaning of “seven layers” thus leaves no loopholes. Separating the atmosphere into harmonious layers is a modern discovery. The level of scientific knowledge at the time of the descent of the Quran did not permit making differentiation between the layers of atmosphere. Verse 12 of sura 41 reads: “So He ordained them seven heavens (skies) in two days (periods) and revealed in every heaven its affair...” making it clear that every layer served a different purpose, thanks to which life on earth was possible.
LAYERS OF HEAVENS
3- He created the seven heavens (skies) in layers. You do not see any imperfection in the creation by the Gracious. Turn your eyes again. Do you see any flaw? 67-The Kingdom, 3 The statement in the Quran about seven heavens may be interpreted as seven different strata, seven different dimensions or seven different fields of attraction. A closer analysis of the atmosphere, which, to the naked eye may present uniformity, makes it clear that it is not actually so. The different layers of our atmosphere could not have been known at the time of the Prophet. This fact cannot have been established fortuitously. The Quran refers to different layers in the atmosphere in perfect accord with each other. One can also conjecture that such layers can exist in space. The creation of these harmonious layers is a phenomenon visible from the microcosm of the atom to the macrocosm of the universe. Let us remember the layers and orbits of the electron around the nucleus of the atom. The fact that the maximum number of orbits in the atom is seven may also be significant. The number seven has special connotations in the Quran. As a matter of fact, “seven” in Arabic, also expresses a plurality; the expression “seven heavens,” may either mean the number seven as the actual number of heavens, or a plurality of heavens. This usage of “seven” in the Arabic has been commented upon throughout history by many exegetics. In the sura Luqmaan, 27th verse, the expression “seven seas” is used and in the sura Repentance, verse 80 states that: “Even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, God will not forgive them.” So, it is said that both “seven” and “seventy” express a plurality. A similar usage of the number “seven” expressing a plurality may also be seen in ancient Greek and Roman.
LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE OBJECTIVES THEY SERVE We know now that atmosphere is made of layers that make life on earth possible. The absence of any one of these layers would be the end of life on earth. God, whose flawless art is conspicuous everywhere, displays once again His design by drawing attention - in the Quran - to atmospheric layers. Each of these layers dutifully performs its function contributing to the perfect performance of the whole. The fact that the lifeless atoms of the atmosphere are in the service of man, as if forming a conscious entity, is a consequence of God’s compassion. The atmosphere is divided into layers, of which the (1) Troposphere is the lowest layer, closest to the surface of the earth. The Troposphere, which is as low as six km, extends to a height of 12 km at the equator. Atmospheric phenomena take place within the portion of three to four kilometers from the surface. 75% of atmospheric gases are in this layer. Above the Troposphere is the (2) Stratosphere extending about 50 km up. The third is (3) the Ozonosphere, the ozone layer in other words, which is the protector from ultraviolet rays having lethal effects on living beings. Above lies the (4) Mesosphere which in turn, is topped by the (5) Thermosphere followed by the (6) Ionosphere, the upper layer reaching to a height of 500 km from the earth. Radio waves are reflected from this layer, rendering communication possible. Above 500 km lies the fringe region known as the (7) Exosphere, extending up to 10,000 km. The proportion of gases in this layer is very low and divided into ions. We can thus divide the atmosphere into 7 layers. The number 7 may change of course, if researchers prefer examining these layers by different groupings. However it is interesting to find that the commonly agreed classification of atmospheric layers supports the Quranic information and it is beyond mere interest when we evaluate it together with all other scientific remarks in the Quran. Even if the reader does not find this classification persuasive, then he or she may subscribe to the alternative understanding that the figure seven expresses a plurality, without bringing any change in the miraculous significance of the verse. This double meaning of “seven layers” thus leaves no loopholes. Separating the atmosphere into harmonious layers is a modern discovery. The level of scientific knowledge at the time of the descent of the Quran did not permit making differentiation between the layers of atmosphere. Verse 12 of sura 41 reads: “So He ordained them seven heavens (skies) in two days (periods) and revealed in every heaven its affair...” making it clear that every layer served a different purpose, thanks to which life on earth was possible.
THE SUN ALSO MOVES ALONG
http://www.quranmiracles.com
THE SUN ALSO MOVES ALONG
38- And the Sun moves on to its destination. That is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knower. 36-Ya-Seen, 38 For a long time in the past men thought that the earth was stationary and that the sun revolved around the earth. Later Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo postulated the theory that the sun was stationary and that the earth revolved about the sun. It was even later, thanks to sophisticated telescopes and the accumulation of cosmological data, that it was concluded that the sun was moving as well and the earth revolved about the sun in motion. Despite the fact that it took science this long, this motion of the sun had already been told 1400 years ago in the Quran. Contrary to the assertion that the sun traced a vicious circle about the earth or that it was stationary, the 38th verse of the sura Ya-Seen stated correctly that it moved on to its destination. As in other subjects, in this one also the Quran is the source that gave a correct account of the sun’s motion.
THE METHOD OF THE QURAN AND THE METHOD OF SCIENCEA book of science purports to demonstrate the theses it advances and the points of reference. The Quran is the message from the Creator of the Universe and describes the Universe in the word of its Creator, in a style different from that of a book on science. The fact that basic statements about the universe in the Quran were destined to come to light after the lapse of more than a millennium, that none of its statements referring to various scientific issues contained errors, shows that the Quran is the book of the Creator of the Universe. Unlike a scientific treatise that tries to find answers to such inquiries into the whys, wherefores and hows and seeks corroborative proofs to theories advanced, the Quran makes final statements. The scientific method has to follow a well-known path before it formulates the postulates toward which the Quran draws a beeline. We see that the methodological ways of science differ from the direct communications of the Quran. Regardless of statements made, science must follow its own path consisting of stages. This is a consequence of the structure of scientific knowledge. As a matter of fact, the Quran promotes scientific research both upon the earth and in space. On the other hand, I am not trying to create a contest between science and the Quran by juxtaposing the Quranic statements and the secular scientific conclusions. What I have been trying to do is to draw attention to the fact that the straightforward statements made in the Quran tally with the conclusions of science arrived at by following predetermined stages of research, thus proving the realization of what has been predicted in the Quran. The Quran’s origin is the Creator, who is the Knower of Everything. The information directly communicated by the Quran was inaccessible through scientific methods which would have recourse to the accumulation of data, formulas, observations and technical findings. The Creator of both the universe and the rules governing it had already communicated the findings of science in the Quran.
THE SPEED OF THE SUNThe sun moves at a speed of 700,000 km/h in the direction of the star Vega, following its orbital path referred to as the Solar Apex. The Earth rotates around its own axis while revolving about the sun, moving along with the Solar System. The sun rises every morning and sets every night. However, the points where it rises and sets are never the same. The earth travels around the sun, which moves in the universe without ever passing through the same point. To imagine that in the course of time elapsed from the time at which we started reading our book until now that we are reading this very page, the sun, along with our world, have traveled a few million kilometers, and that we have not been adversely affected by this motion in any way whatsoever, may give use a clue of God’s system.
RISING POINTS OF THE SUN5- The Lord of the heavens, and the earth, and all that lies between them, and the Lord of the easts (places where the sun rise). 37-Who Stand in Row, 5 Because the earth has a spherical shape, the sun that rises somewhere sets simultaneously somewhere else. Night and day chase each other. Therefore we cannot speak of a given point from which the sun rises, but rather of different points. The hour of dawn is different at every single point of our sphere. Every spot on the earth expects the rise of the sun while it is “rising” at different spots in space. The sun we behold every morning is a giant nuclear reactor. This reactor, generated by the conversion of hydrogen atoms into helium, performs its task marvelously. We continue our journey in space unaware of the immense speed of our source of life toward our predestined point. God’s omnipotence and the Quran’s miracles will unfold to those who take heed, who have an inquiring mind and are truthful in their approach to the Quranic verses. 43- And such are the parables we set forth for the people, but only those understand them who have knowledge. 29-The Spider, 43 80
THE SUN ALSO MOVES ALONG
38- And the Sun moves on to its destination. That is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knower. 36-Ya-Seen, 38 For a long time in the past men thought that the earth was stationary and that the sun revolved around the earth. Later Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo postulated the theory that the sun was stationary and that the earth revolved about the sun. It was even later, thanks to sophisticated telescopes and the accumulation of cosmological data, that it was concluded that the sun was moving as well and the earth revolved about the sun in motion. Despite the fact that it took science this long, this motion of the sun had already been told 1400 years ago in the Quran. Contrary to the assertion that the sun traced a vicious circle about the earth or that it was stationary, the 38th verse of the sura Ya-Seen stated correctly that it moved on to its destination. As in other subjects, in this one also the Quran is the source that gave a correct account of the sun’s motion.
THE METHOD OF THE QURAN AND THE METHOD OF SCIENCEA book of science purports to demonstrate the theses it advances and the points of reference. The Quran is the message from the Creator of the Universe and describes the Universe in the word of its Creator, in a style different from that of a book on science. The fact that basic statements about the universe in the Quran were destined to come to light after the lapse of more than a millennium, that none of its statements referring to various scientific issues contained errors, shows that the Quran is the book of the Creator of the Universe. Unlike a scientific treatise that tries to find answers to such inquiries into the whys, wherefores and hows and seeks corroborative proofs to theories advanced, the Quran makes final statements. The scientific method has to follow a well-known path before it formulates the postulates toward which the Quran draws a beeline. We see that the methodological ways of science differ from the direct communications of the Quran. Regardless of statements made, science must follow its own path consisting of stages. This is a consequence of the structure of scientific knowledge. As a matter of fact, the Quran promotes scientific research both upon the earth and in space. On the other hand, I am not trying to create a contest between science and the Quran by juxtaposing the Quranic statements and the secular scientific conclusions. What I have been trying to do is to draw attention to the fact that the straightforward statements made in the Quran tally with the conclusions of science arrived at by following predetermined stages of research, thus proving the realization of what has been predicted in the Quran. The Quran’s origin is the Creator, who is the Knower of Everything. The information directly communicated by the Quran was inaccessible through scientific methods which would have recourse to the accumulation of data, formulas, observations and technical findings. The Creator of both the universe and the rules governing it had already communicated the findings of science in the Quran.
THE SPEED OF THE SUNThe sun moves at a speed of 700,000 km/h in the direction of the star Vega, following its orbital path referred to as the Solar Apex. The Earth rotates around its own axis while revolving about the sun, moving along with the Solar System. The sun rises every morning and sets every night. However, the points where it rises and sets are never the same. The earth travels around the sun, which moves in the universe without ever passing through the same point. To imagine that in the course of time elapsed from the time at which we started reading our book until now that we are reading this very page, the sun, along with our world, have traveled a few million kilometers, and that we have not been adversely affected by this motion in any way whatsoever, may give use a clue of God’s system.
RISING POINTS OF THE SUN5- The Lord of the heavens, and the earth, and all that lies between them, and the Lord of the easts (places where the sun rise). 37-Who Stand in Row, 5 Because the earth has a spherical shape, the sun that rises somewhere sets simultaneously somewhere else. Night and day chase each other. Therefore we cannot speak of a given point from which the sun rises, but rather of different points. The hour of dawn is different at every single point of our sphere. Every spot on the earth expects the rise of the sun while it is “rising” at different spots in space. The sun we behold every morning is a giant nuclear reactor. This reactor, generated by the conversion of hydrogen atoms into helium, performs its task marvelously. We continue our journey in space unaware of the immense speed of our source of life toward our predestined point. God’s omnipotence and the Quran’s miracles will unfold to those who take heed, who have an inquiring mind and are truthful in their approach to the Quranic verses. 43- And such are the parables we set forth for the people, but only those understand them who have knowledge. 29-The Spider, 43 80
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
About Rain in the Quran
About Rain in the Quran
The article, "About Rain in the Quran", attempts to convince us that the Qur'an contains statements of scientific fact concerning clouds and rain. The author reaches his conclusions by simply searching for Suras which mention rain then attempts to attach scientific meaning to these passages through a great deal of extrapolation.
The article cites three Quranic passages which, the author [Harun Yahya] believes, is proof that the Quran contains statements of scientific facts which were unknown 14 centuries ago. The first passage provides us with an excellent example of how several fairly elaborate concepts can be extrapolated, from a single term, by pouring a variety of meanings and interpretations into the term, without regard for the author's original intent. In other words, the term means whatever we wish. However, the main purpose of science is to explain and predict natural phenomena. Mr. Yahya is not using the methodology of science - he simply throws out a number of textbook explanations whose definitions he then attempts to force into a single phrase in order to prove his claims.
The second passage is an example of how some Muslim apologists attempt to attach elaborate scientific theories to statements which are no more than observations which any reasonably intelligent human could have easily made 14 centuries ago.
The interpretation of the third passage is simply incorrect, contradicting the author's initial premise.
The article begins:
Rain, which carries great importance for all living things including human beings, is mentioned in various verses of the Qur'an where substantial information is given about the formation of rain, its proportion and effects. The fact that it was not possible for any of this information to have been discovered at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an shows us that the Qur'an is the word of Allah.
Rain is important for all societies on this planet. Water is especially valuable in the arid regions of the world, such as Arabia, therefore, it is not surprising that the Qur'an, which was written in Arabia, places so much emphasis on water - even to the point of mentioning the abundant presence of water in paradise.
I. The Proportion of Rain
In the eleventh verse of Surat az-Zukhruf, rain is defined as water sent down in due measure. The verse is as follows:
"And He who sends down (from time to time) water from the sky in due measure, and We raise to life therewith a land that is dead. Even so will you be raised (from the dead) (Surat az -Zukhruf, 11)
This "measure" mentioned in the verse has to do with a couple of characteristics of rain.
Now the elusive search for the "meaning" of "measure" begins.
Measure 1 : The Water Cycle
First of all, the amount of rain that falls on the earth is always the same. It is estimated that in one second, 16 million tones of water evaporates from the earth. This number is equal to the amount of water that drops on the earth in one second. This means that water continuously circulates in a balanced cycle according to a "measure".
No, the amount of precipitation varies, and has varied, throughout history. As the earth becomes warmer, precipitation increases globally, as does evapo-transpiration.
In respect to the water cycle, if the Qur'an were scientifically accurate, it would say:
"And He who sends down water from the sky in due measure, is equal to evapo-transpiration minus the precipitation that is stored as frozen on the ground"
Clearly, the Qur'an does not say this and this meaning does not fit the idea which this passage is attempting to convey.
Measure 2 : The Speed of a Raindrop
Another measure related with rain is about its falling speed. The minimum altitude of rain clouds is 1200 meters. When dropped from this height, an object having the same weight and size as a rain drop, would continuously accelerate and fall on the ground with a speed of 558 km/h........
Once again, Mr. Yahya is trying to impose his ideas on the text of the Qur'an. This passage is not talking about the speed on a raindrop, or the damage that it would cause if at fell at a faster speed!
Measure 3 (In case you are not convince by 1 or 2) : A Super-cooled Liquid at 400C ?!!
This is not all about the "measures" of rain. For instance, in the atmospheric layers where it starts to rain, the temperature may fall so low as 400 C degrees. Despite this, rain drops never turn into ice particles*. (This would certainly mean a fatal threat for the living things on the earth). The reason is that the water in the atmosphere is pure water. As known, pure water hardly freezes even in very low temperatures.
Yet again, the author attempts to impose his meaning on the text! How can we derive the idea of a super-cooled liquid from this passage? In other words, is the Qur'an telling us:
"And He who sends down water from the sky as a super-cooled liquid [due measure],"?
Also, if rain were 400 C, it would not be a super-cooled liquid, it would be super-heated steam!
II The Formation of Rain
How rain forms remained a great mystery for people for a long time. Only after air radars were discovered, could it have been possible to learn by which stages rain formed. The formation of rain takes place in three stages: First, the "raw material" of rain rises up in the air. Later, clouds are formed and lastly, rain drops appear. These stages are clearly defined in the Qur'an in which precise information was given about the formation of rain centuries in advance;
"It is Allah Who sends the Winds, and they raise the Clouds: then does He spread them in the sky as He wills, and break them into fragments, until you see rain-drops issue from the midst thereof: then when He has made them reach such of his servants as He wills behold, they do rejoice!"
Mr. Yahya continues by cutting and pasting textbook explanations of how rain clouds form, however, the Qur'an says nothing of the sort. The passage presented to us is nothing more than a human observation. The Arabs were, and are, an intelligent people who were aware of the environment around them. I am certain that the scarcity of precipitation in Arabia probably led the Arabs to regard precipitation as a very significant event, worthy of notice and description.
III Pure water from the sky?
" We send down pure water from the sky. That with it We may give life to a dead land, and slake the thirst of things We have created,- cattle and men in great numbers. Surat al-Furqan, 48- 49)
Salts that fall with rain are small examples of some fertilizers (calcium, magnesium, potassium etc.) used for increasing fertility. The heavy metals found in these types of aerosols, on the other hand, are other elements that increase fertility in the development and production of plants. Forests also develop and are fed with the help of these sea-originated aerosols. In this way, 150 million tons of fertilizer falls on the total surface of lands every year. If there was not a natural fertilization like this, there would be very little vegetation on the earth, and the ecological balance would be damaged. What is more interesting is that this truth, which could only be discovered by modern science, was informed by Allah in the Qur'an centuries ago.
The problem with this explanation is that it contradicts what the Qur'an tells us. According to this passage, God is sending pure water, yet the author claims that this water contains impurities, including heavy metals! The author is correct that rain water does indeed contain impurities, therefore, we can conclude that the Qur'an makes a scientific error when it claims that rain water is "pure".
Qur'an and ScienceAnswering Islam Home Page
http://www.answering-islam.org
The article, "About Rain in the Quran", attempts to convince us that the Qur'an contains statements of scientific fact concerning clouds and rain. The author reaches his conclusions by simply searching for Suras which mention rain then attempts to attach scientific meaning to these passages through a great deal of extrapolation.
The article cites three Quranic passages which, the author [Harun Yahya] believes, is proof that the Quran contains statements of scientific facts which were unknown 14 centuries ago. The first passage provides us with an excellent example of how several fairly elaborate concepts can be extrapolated, from a single term, by pouring a variety of meanings and interpretations into the term, without regard for the author's original intent. In other words, the term means whatever we wish. However, the main purpose of science is to explain and predict natural phenomena. Mr. Yahya is not using the methodology of science - he simply throws out a number of textbook explanations whose definitions he then attempts to force into a single phrase in order to prove his claims.
The second passage is an example of how some Muslim apologists attempt to attach elaborate scientific theories to statements which are no more than observations which any reasonably intelligent human could have easily made 14 centuries ago.
The interpretation of the third passage is simply incorrect, contradicting the author's initial premise.
The article begins:
Rain, which carries great importance for all living things including human beings, is mentioned in various verses of the Qur'an where substantial information is given about the formation of rain, its proportion and effects. The fact that it was not possible for any of this information to have been discovered at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an shows us that the Qur'an is the word of Allah.
Rain is important for all societies on this planet. Water is especially valuable in the arid regions of the world, such as Arabia, therefore, it is not surprising that the Qur'an, which was written in Arabia, places so much emphasis on water - even to the point of mentioning the abundant presence of water in paradise.
I. The Proportion of Rain
In the eleventh verse of Surat az-Zukhruf, rain is defined as water sent down in due measure. The verse is as follows:
"And He who sends down (from time to time) water from the sky in due measure, and We raise to life therewith a land that is dead. Even so will you be raised (from the dead) (Surat az -Zukhruf, 11)
This "measure" mentioned in the verse has to do with a couple of characteristics of rain.
Now the elusive search for the "meaning" of "measure" begins.
Measure 1 : The Water Cycle
First of all, the amount of rain that falls on the earth is always the same. It is estimated that in one second, 16 million tones of water evaporates from the earth. This number is equal to the amount of water that drops on the earth in one second. This means that water continuously circulates in a balanced cycle according to a "measure".
No, the amount of precipitation varies, and has varied, throughout history. As the earth becomes warmer, precipitation increases globally, as does evapo-transpiration.
In respect to the water cycle, if the Qur'an were scientifically accurate, it would say:
"And He who sends down water from the sky in due measure, is equal to evapo-transpiration minus the precipitation that is stored as frozen on the ground"
Clearly, the Qur'an does not say this and this meaning does not fit the idea which this passage is attempting to convey.
Measure 2 : The Speed of a Raindrop
Another measure related with rain is about its falling speed. The minimum altitude of rain clouds is 1200 meters. When dropped from this height, an object having the same weight and size as a rain drop, would continuously accelerate and fall on the ground with a speed of 558 km/h........
Once again, Mr. Yahya is trying to impose his ideas on the text of the Qur'an. This passage is not talking about the speed on a raindrop, or the damage that it would cause if at fell at a faster speed!
Measure 3 (In case you are not convince by 1 or 2) : A Super-cooled Liquid at 400C ?!!
This is not all about the "measures" of rain. For instance, in the atmospheric layers where it starts to rain, the temperature may fall so low as 400 C degrees. Despite this, rain drops never turn into ice particles*. (This would certainly mean a fatal threat for the living things on the earth). The reason is that the water in the atmosphere is pure water. As known, pure water hardly freezes even in very low temperatures.
Yet again, the author attempts to impose his meaning on the text! How can we derive the idea of a super-cooled liquid from this passage? In other words, is the Qur'an telling us:
"And He who sends down water from the sky as a super-cooled liquid [due measure],"?
Also, if rain were 400 C, it would not be a super-cooled liquid, it would be super-heated steam!
II The Formation of Rain
How rain forms remained a great mystery for people for a long time. Only after air radars were discovered, could it have been possible to learn by which stages rain formed. The formation of rain takes place in three stages: First, the "raw material" of rain rises up in the air. Later, clouds are formed and lastly, rain drops appear. These stages are clearly defined in the Qur'an in which precise information was given about the formation of rain centuries in advance;
"It is Allah Who sends the Winds, and they raise the Clouds: then does He spread them in the sky as He wills, and break them into fragments, until you see rain-drops issue from the midst thereof: then when He has made them reach such of his servants as He wills behold, they do rejoice!"
Mr. Yahya continues by cutting and pasting textbook explanations of how rain clouds form, however, the Qur'an says nothing of the sort. The passage presented to us is nothing more than a human observation. The Arabs were, and are, an intelligent people who were aware of the environment around them. I am certain that the scarcity of precipitation in Arabia probably led the Arabs to regard precipitation as a very significant event, worthy of notice and description.
III Pure water from the sky?
" We send down pure water from the sky. That with it We may give life to a dead land, and slake the thirst of things We have created,- cattle and men in great numbers. Surat al-Furqan, 48- 49)
Salts that fall with rain are small examples of some fertilizers (calcium, magnesium, potassium etc.) used for increasing fertility. The heavy metals found in these types of aerosols, on the other hand, are other elements that increase fertility in the development and production of plants. Forests also develop and are fed with the help of these sea-originated aerosols. In this way, 150 million tons of fertilizer falls on the total surface of lands every year. If there was not a natural fertilization like this, there would be very little vegetation on the earth, and the ecological balance would be damaged. What is more interesting is that this truth, which could only be discovered by modern science, was informed by Allah in the Qur'an centuries ago.
The problem with this explanation is that it contradicts what the Qur'an tells us. According to this passage, God is sending pure water, yet the author claims that this water contains impurities, including heavy metals! The author is correct that rain water does indeed contain impurities, therefore, we can conclude that the Qur'an makes a scientific error when it claims that rain water is "pure".
Qur'an and ScienceAnswering Islam Home Page
http://www.answering-islam.org
Nominating Muhammad for the Nobel Prize in Medicine?
http://www.answering-islam.org/
Responses to Osama Abdallah
Nominating Muhammad for the Nobel Prize in Medicine?
Or: How many joints do YOU want the human body to have?
Osama Abdallah is one of many Muslims who seek to convince people that Islam is the religion of the true and only God by making claims regarding scientific miracles in the Qur'an and even in the sayings of Muhammad. The claim is that there are statements that give information which is only recently confirmed by science and could not have been known at the time they were made. This is taken as proof that this information could only have come through divine revelation. Most of these claims are found on many Muslim sites, but Mr. Abdallah is quite creative and has some that seem to be only his own. One of the most bizarre examples of amazing scientific claims will be discussed in this present article. It is bizarre not only because of the topic chosen but it may well be THE WORST Muslim argument we have ever seen.
Since 3 June 2001 and to this day (12 December 2003) Osama Abdallah propagates the following claim on his website:
[ Update: After being pressured from many sides, Abdallah finally removed this article from his site on 27 May 2004. See the article, Osama Abdallah: Spreading Hoaxes for the Advancement of Islam?, for more on the story. The below article will remain on our site for two reasons: 1. historical documentation, 2. the claim is still part of the sayings of Muhammad, so that the refutation is still relevant. More than two years later, the issue takes a new turn. On 12 September 2006, O. Abdallah published a totally new interpretation of the hadith. It has now a spiritual instead of a scientific meaning. Read all about these new insights in The 360 Joints Issue Revisited. ]
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
"Aisha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, Glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty-four, will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat), Book 005, Number 2199)"
Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: "I heard the Apostle of Allah peace_be_upon_him) say: A human being has three hundred and sixty joints for each of which he must give alms. The people asked him: Who is capable of doing this? He replied: It may be mucus in the mosque which you bury, and something which you remove from the road; but if you do not find such, two rak'ahs in the forenoon will be sufficient for you. (Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab), Book 41, Number 5222)"
Beside from the beautiful teachings about Worshiping the One True Living GOD Almighty and removing obstacles from the paths of people, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him made a very important scientific claim, and that is: Our human bodies have 360 joints in them.
Prior to 1995 it was thought that there are 340 joints in the human body. In 1995 a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this.
In this article we will evaluate the specific science-related claims made by Abdallah. The foundation of all science is to bring solid evidence for every claim made. Thus, we will ask: What exactly are the claims, and what is the evidence presented for each one of Abdallah's claims?
Before we begin with our discussion of the particular topic of the number of joints in the human body, we want to point out a methodological problem. Abdallah and all Muslims who refer to "scientific miracles" as proof of the validity of their faith should answer for themselves this question if they desire to be intellectually honest: What do you do with those statements of the Qur'an and Muhammad that are proven wrong by science? If a true statement is evidence for Islam, is a wrong statement evidence against Islam? If not, why not? The current claim regarding the "360 joints" perfectly illustrates the great danger for the Muslims: If it was possible to find another 20 joints just a few years ago, what do you do if in another 10 years time a couple of further joints are found and Muhammad's statement turns out to be wrong after all? If wrong statements about science don't lead you to disbelieve Islam, why should a couple of correct statements convince anyone that Islam is true ... particularly since there are so many scientifically wrong statements? The question whether this whole approach has any validity, is discussed in some details in the article Can "Modern Science" be found in the Qur’an?
Let's now turn to Abdallah's particular claims. He states that the reader may refer to ANY medical encyclopedia on this. We searched in a medical school library, with the aid of the librarian on duty using a computer in attempting to find references, and could not find a source that mentioned the number of joints in the human body.
No evidence that prior to 1995 the medical literature taught that there are 340 joints in the human body.
No evidence that in 1995 a "scientific institute" proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints.
No evidence that current medical literature teaches that the human body consists of 360 joints.
Question to Mr. Abdallah: Have you yourself consulted ANY medical encyclopedia before publishing this article to confirm your statement as true? If so, please quote the relevant passage and provide the full bibliographical reference. If you have not done so, shame on you. We believe you have not, and have acted very irresponsibly and unscientifically by not providing any reference to the scholarly literature to back your claim. Did you simply make up that claim trusting that your readers will be too lazy to check up on your claims and will just believe you? Or, if you were not the inventor of this claim, were you so gullible that you took this claim from whatever source and are spreading it without caring about validating it first?
In fact, Abdallah's last paragraph is worded so badly that this alone is reason for suspicion that all of it is mere fiction:
Prior to 1995 it was thought that there are 340 joints in the human body. In 1995 a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this.
Taken literally, this means that the total number of joints in the internal ear is 10. And, that all ten of them were unknown before 1995. Otherwise, not all of them could be added to raise the number from 340 to 360. Only those can be added that were newly discovered, since the others would already have been included in the previously known 340. It may be possible that one or two more tiny bones (and their joints) are discovered even today, but Abdallah's claim implies that until 1995 not even one of these joints (and bones, as there are no joints without bones) was known. This is rather ridiculous. 1995 is not a date from the Dark Ages. Thus, the whole claim seems to be mere fantasy and is now also listed in our section on Muslim Hoaxes. Perhaps we should invent a new term for articles like these calling this genre "islamo-fiction". Nevertheless, let's pursue the issue further.
Medical encyclopedias and textbooks on human anatomy usually list joints in a number of different categories (there are several kinds of joints) and according to the region of the body in which they are located, but we have so far not found even one book that provides a sum total of all joints. We will give in this paper a detailed overview of the kinds and numbers of joints, but since this section is very technical it is placed into an appendix. Only this much for now: Our count did not come out as 360. However, it is not our duty to prove how many joints there are; it is the duty of Abdallah who claims that there 360 of them to give valid evidence for his claim. The burden of proof is on him.
Wait a minute! Why are we talking as if Abdallah had not given any evidence? After all, he writes:
Scientific sites that prove the Islamic claim:
Please do a word search and read the returned paragraphs/sentences in the following official sites on the word "360" without the double quotes:
http://www.iberr.co.za/biologyfr1.htm (Islamic Studies: Biology)
http://www.iiu.edu.my/medic/islmed/Lecmed/musskel98.jul.html (By Prof.Dr.Omar Hassan Kasule Sr.)
http://www.kennewickgeneral.com/telmed.html (Tel-Med Official Medical Site)
Fair enough! Let's examine what Osama Abdallah considers to be scientific proof. Visiting the first of the above sites, and searching for "360", yields exactly one location on that page, stating:
8. SKELETAL SYSTEM
8.1 Muslim contributions to Human anatomy and physiology8.2 Islamic perspectives on organ transplants8.3 Structure, position and functions of:8.3.1 Axial skeleton - “skull” vertebral column and ribs *Hawa - creation from left rib of Adam u8.3.2 Appendicular skeleton - pectoral and pelvic girdles8.4 Joints - categories, examples, structure. SADAQAH - 360 joints -good deeds8.5 Locomotion - lever action and role of muscles. Islamic perspective on exercise8.6 Islamic perspective on bone marrow transplants
It is true; that page contains the expression "360 joints" and from the context we can infer that this refers to the human body. But where is the proof? Does Mr. Abdallah seriously believe that a repetition of the same claim by a second person or webpage constitutes scientific proof? After all, he had promised that these are "scientific sites that prove" his claim. This page provides neither a list of these alleged 360 joints, nor a reference to the scientific literature, so that it cannot serve as a proof in any way. In order to understand the above quoted list better, let us ask what kind of page this is. Scrolling upwards a bit, we find the heading for this section which is: "BIOLOGY SYLLABUS ... GRADE 10". Is this a website publishing the results of scientific research in medicine? Not at all, we are looking at a highschool syllabus for 10th grade Biology. Let's ask further. What kind of highschool is this? The title of the page is "Islamic Studies: Biology", and when we open the homepage of that site[*], the title is even clearer, "Islamisation of the curriculum, Muslim school". The above quoted section on the skeletal system makes it already very clear that the topic is not science but Islamic studies. Three times in this short section of the syllabus we find entries beginning with "Islamic perspective(s) on ..." Also, the statement that "Hawa (Eve) was created from the left rib of Adam" is certainly one of faith and not of science. This syllabus is teaching "What Islam says about biology". It is definitely NOT a scientific page giving proof for Islamic claims. It is exactly the opposite of what Mr. Abdallah promised. If any student in this class would raise the question, "How do we know that the human body has 360 joints?", the answer would invariably be: "Because our prophet said so!" and the basis for this answer would be the same hadiths that Mr. Abdallah quoted in his article.
What about O. Abdallah's second "scientific site"? This time let's look at the homepage first: http://www.iiu.edu.my is the website of the "International Islamic University Malaysia" established with the goal of "Integration and Islamicization of human knowledge". This is now a university and no longer a highschool, i.e. the theme is playing out one level higher, but it seems to be still the same overall purpose of teaching an Islamic perspective in all areas of human education. There is no objection against this in principle. The bottom line will be whether the site will provide scientific proof of Mr. Abdallah's claim. If it gives actual proof, then the religious foundation of the institution will not be an argument against it.
What does the particular page say that was referenced by Abdallah? The title is "MUSCULO-SKELETAL SYSTEM (‘IDHAAM & ‘ADHALAAT) and PHYSICAL EXERCISE", and at the beginning of that page we find:
OUTLINE
EXTERNAL ORGANS MENTIONED IN THE QUR'AN
Head and Neck
Upper limb
Trunk and abdomen
Lower limb
The bones
Muscles
Joints
Uses of organs
Significance of wudhu
One could wonder why Muslim students in their Islamic education have to learn that bones, muscles and joints are considered organs, let alone external organs, but that is not our topic here. This page makes no claim to report about recent scientific research. According to the subheading it is apparently simply a list of body parts that are mentioned in the Qur'an. The question is merely: "What is the teaching of the Islamic sources?" What then does this page tell us in the section on joints? Let's quote the paragraph before and after as well to get the context:
Muscles are mentioned in the Qur'an as meat (lahm, 23:14, 49:12): Human civilisation is based on the energy produced by contractions of human and animal muscles.
Joints: A human has 360 joints (KS p.105)
Uses of organs for worship, work, aggression, sinning. Prostration in salat on 17 bones (MB # 464 p 252, KS p. 274). Organs can also be misused to commit sins. Zina of organs other than the genitalia eg the eye, ear, and the leg was mentioned by the prophet (KS p. 264, MB #2061 p 968). Organs will act as witnesses against the owner on the last day so that he or she can not deny their sins.
No surprise here, we find merely a repetition of the same claim. The abbreviated reference (KS p. 105) is not defined anywhere on this page, but probably refers to some Islamic textbook, and this in turn will give a quotation of the hadith that we have already been introduced to.
"Scientific sites that prove the Islamic claim", was Osama Abdallah's promise for these links. What did we get so far? We have only Islamic sites repeating the claim, and no proof at all. It seems that Islamic institutions, even "universities" teach this claim as true based merely on Muhammad's authority with little or no concern whether or not this is objectively true.
Finally, we now turn to Abdallah's last reference for scientific proof, called by him the "Tel-Med Official Medical Site", and find indeed one instance of the number 360 in the line "360 Muscles, Joints & Bones". Even discounting all context, this can hardly be interpreted as informing us that the human body has 360 joints. Or did Muhammad also claim that the human body has no muscles and no bones so that the total of this number has to refer to the joints only? However, if we look closer, then we discover that this page is not even telling us that the human body has a total of 360 muscles, joints and bones. It means something different altogether. Here are some excerpts from that page:
353
Foot Care
117
Athlete's Foot
116
Common Foot Problems
115
Ingrown Toenails
359
Mental Health
613
Anorexia Nervosa
379
Attention Deficit Disorder
434
Child Abuse
432
Upset Emotionally? Help is Available
360
Muscles, Joints & Bones
741
Are You Ready for the Skiing Season?
204
Arthritis and Diet
131
Arthritis and Quackery
600
Fractured and Broken Bones
270
Hip Replacement
201
Neck Pains
203
Osteoarthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease
461
Newborn & Infants
535
Addicted Babies
310
Baby Teeth
208
Bottle Feeding Your Baby
849
Circumcision
748
Thumbsucking-How Serious is it?
Got a clue already what "360" is about? Not yet? Let's quote a few more pieces of the same "Tel-Med Medical Site", which is actually the website of Kennewick General Hospital in Kennewick, Washington, U.S.. At least we are finally looking at a website of medical experts. However, do they publish on research into the number of joints? Definitely not! The explanation for the above number is found on the page titled "KGH Programs and Services":
Tel-Med is a directory of health and medical information available to the community at no charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Dial (509) 586-5850, then enter the number of the adult or child library. Next, listen to the category listings and enter the 3 digit number you wish to hear. Each contains several related messages.
Adult Category Listing
AIDS/HIV 494Alcohol & Drug Abuse 342Arthritis 343...Illnesses 358Mental Health 359Muscles, Joints & Bones 360Newborn & Infants 461Plastic Surgery 462...
Can you believe it? The ‘360’ is part of a telephone number! To be precise, an extension number in an automated information system at a hospital offering medical help to the community via telephone. Whatever else you want to say about it, Abdallah's article is hardly a piece of high-quality research ... Actually, which of the following implications would be worse? (a) Osama Abdallah genuinely believes that this phone number is scientific proof that the ‘360 joints’ hadith is true. (b) He knows exactly what he is doing, but he only writes for such a readership that will believe basically anything if only he adds a few references that mention something about "360 joints", whatever this ‘something’ actually is. (c) He should dial (509) 586-5850, then 359, then 379.
Seriously, if Mr. Abdallah can't distinguish between a phone book and a scientific text, what business does he have with writing articles about Science? (He has published dozens of them!) And who wants to trust his sociological, historical, scientific and theological arguments if he is not able to tell the difference between the statement of a claim and providing evidence for a claim?
Actually, there is some truly mind-boggling miraculous knowledge in the above hadith which Mr. Abdallah has seemingly overlooked: Muhammad predicted part of the Tel-Med phone number for joint problems (360 joints) at a time when nobody even knew what a telephone is!
Interestingly, when Abdallah first published his article, and for about one year, it contained an even longer "bibliography":
Scientific sites that prove the Islamic claim:
Please do a word search and read the returned paragraphs/sentences in the following official sites on the word "360" without the double quotes:
http://www.iberr.co.za/biologyfr1.htm (Islamic Studies: Biology)
http://www.iiu.edu.my/medic/islmed/Lecmed/musskel98.jul.html (By Prof.Dr.Omar Hassan Kasule Sr.)
http://www.therapy360.com/Therapeutic.htm (An official Medical site that provides therapy to the 360 human joints)
http://organix.net/organix/supp.htm (Organix Vitamins)
http://www.kennewickgeneral.com/telmed.html (Tel-Med Official Medical Site)
http://www.war-thai.org/gibbon.htm (Even Apes have 360 joints)
http://pages.zdnet.com/seangler/basicseaangling/id31.html (New Product Review, from an official Medical Organization)
At some time he must have done a review of his evidence for the claim, and realizing that some of these sites are actually not supporting his claim, he then removed those links and kept only three of the originally seven links. Given that he went through a "critical review" of the evidence about one year after the first publication, it is all the more embarrassing that he still kept the link to the telephone directory.
Conclusion: Osama Abdallah's amazing "Islamic claim" was not proven but has failed in every respect. Even more, the fact that he presents two Islamic sites teaching Muslims the content of Muhammad's sayings and a hospital phone directory as three "scientific sites that prove the Islamic claim" is the ultimate disqualification of his own credibility. If the publication date of Abdallah's article had been the first of April, then it would have been a superb and very humorous April Fools story, an exhortation and reminder to his audience to read critically and not believe simply everything they read on his site or in other publications. In that case it would have deserved to be listed together with Holy Qur'an and Genetics and other satirical writings on the site Freethought Mecca. However, Abdallah's site is not known for parody or deliberate humor. This article was published on 3 June 2001, and there is not even a hint of a disclaimer found in this article. Mr. Abdallah was and is very serious about it, and he expects his audience to believe him. Just how serious he is about it can be seen from the fact how often he links to this article in other places (a list of these is provided in the Appendix 2).
Finally, this whole thing may be as much an indictment of the Muslim readership as it disqualifies the author of the article. We need to ask a question similar to that which was posed in response to Shibli Zaman's article, Lifecyle of the Universe Foretold in the Qur'ân: Is the Muslim audience in general so gullible that they believe everything, if only it appears to support Islam? Doesn't anybody look deeper to confirm such claims with solid evidence and if he finds that the alleged evidence is no evidence at all, he will then alert his Muslim brother that he made a mistake? Or do Muslims think that promoting Islam on the basis of false claims is acceptable? This most ridiculous claim has been online for more than two and a half years already. It is hard to imagine that not even one Muslim among the readership cared to check the evidence. However, in the case that some have checked up on it, found the evidence lacking, and then have informed the author/webmaster that his claim about scientific evidence is wrong, but the article still remained unchanged, does this mean that Abdallah did not care whether or his articles are based on deception, and he deliberately propagates what he knows to be wrong?
This last question becomes even more pressing since we are not the first people to respond to this article. Many ideas in our response were inspired by the contributions found in this discussion thread on the "Qur'an and Science" discussion forum at the website Faith Freedom International. This is a major website and many Muslims are frequenting it and are using its discussion forums. Even if there were no Muslim believer who cared to verify this claim for himself, certainly some of them must have seen that a number of ex-Muslims have exposed this article as a fraud on 8 October 2003, already two months ago. The Muslims did not even have to check the evidence for themselves; it was done for them, and still nobody cared about correcting it? Neither Abdallah nor any other Muslim? [Even more, on 30 November 2003 Denis Giron published another rebuttal on a Muslim-Christian Dialogue Forum with lots of Muslim participation!]
You, the present reader, may never before have seen this particular article by Osama Abdallah, but you may still ask yourself: "Do I usually try to confirm claims promoted on Muslim (and Christian) websites or in other publications? Or do I usally simply believe what my fellow believers write in support of my religion?" You may want to resolve that from this day forward, you will diligently ask for evidence and carefully evaluate claims instead of blindly accepting what, at first sight, seems to support your own convictions or desires. Because if you don't, you are in grave danger of falling for many deceptions.
There is another small "number problem" in the first of the hadiths quoted by Abdallah:
"Aisha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and SIXTY joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, Glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and SIXTY-FOUR, will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat), Book 005, Number 2199)"
Obviously, 360 is not equal to 364, so there is a contradiction even within this one hadith. When looking up this hadith in the Arabic original, we find that it says 360 both times, i.e. this is not a contradiction but merely a translation error. The only reason to mention this observation here is that it constitutes further evidence of Abdallah's shoddy research. He merely copied the quotation from either the notoriously unreliable online hadith database or some other source (see below) and neither checked his foundational text for logical consistency nor did he bother to compare it against the Arabic original before issuing claims about its miraculous nature. [Below we will discover that the translation of this hadith also contains another quite serious error that has major implications for Abdallah's claim.]
Before we conclude this section, let's take another look at Osama Abdallah's first paragraph following his quotations of the two narrations of Muhammad:
Beside from the beautiful teachings about Worshiping the One True Living GOD Almighty and removing obstacles from the paths of people, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him made a very important scientific claim, and that is: Our human bodies have 360 joints in them.
This statement is a perfect example of Abdallah's "fluff and bluff" rhetoric. Even if Muhammad's claim that the human body has 360 joints had been true, what exactly is so "very important" about it? Does O. Abdallah know of even one Muslim doctor in the history of 1,400 years of Islamic Medicine who on the basis of this "very important" information was able to find a cure for any illness of his patients? The very fact that we have not been able to find even one medical encyclopedia or textbook of human anatomy at a university library that mentions the number of joints is certainly a good indication of how unimportant and irrelevant this number is for doctors and scientists.
In medicine it is important to know how certain organs, bones or joints function and how they can be cured or repaired should they get damaged. But what exactly is the importance of their number? Would knowing the mere number of joints be any more important than the mere number of the hairs on your head? The number of joints is really only interesting for people who play "Trivial Pursuit" or want to become a candidate in some quiz show, but not for medical doctors. It is on the level of "How many peas are in that bottle?" questions. Such information is only to satisfy the curiosity of people who have nothing better to do, but it has little practical value.
[ In fact, the impatient who don't want to wait until we give the solution later in this article, may go to www.UselessKnowledge.com (which redirects to a "Cool Quiz" trivia page), put the phrase "joints in the human body" (including the quotation marks) into their search engine to find out that Muhammad was more than 50% off the mark according to the most commonly given answer. ]
Only somebody who has no clue about science could call such a statement "a very important scientific claim". O. Abdallah probably sees this right next to the importance of Einstein's theory of relativity, or a cure for cancer. Maybe he even thinks that Muhammad has earned a nobel prize for this breakthrough in medical research. No, the importance of this statement is not in medicine or science, but in psychology. Let me illustrate: One unimportant stick in the woods, merely lying there in the wilderness to rot or to be eaten by worms, can suddenly become very important, if you broke your leg and need this stick as a crutch enabling you to hobble home. As we will see in Appendix 2, it is exactly this crutch function that makes these trivia so very important to Abdallah.
Let's ask again: If Muhammad made indeed "a very important scientific claim", what consequence will Abdallah draw from the fact that Muhammad's "very important scientific claim" is wrong? Personally, I do not believe that Muhammad intended this statement to be understood as a divine revelation about human anatomy. Those, however, who make such steep claims, will have to honestly face the consequences of their chosen methodology, or otherwise will expose themselves as hypocrites.
Although our rebuttal could end here, we are not satisfied to merely state the complete failure of Osama Abdallah's claim. There are some other aspects in these traditions that are worthy to be investigated. Most importantly, we will ask the question where the idea that the human body has 360 joints may have originated.
What is the Source of Muhammad's belief that the human body has 360 joints?
If Muhammad's statement had been true, the next step of a proper ‘miracle test’ would have to be that we find out whether Muhammad was the first one to say that the human body has 360 joints. Getting this fact right could be amazing or even miraculous only if he had said something new or contrary to general opinion, not if he merely repeated what was a common belief at his time. Thus, although Abdallah didn't deem it important to investigate this question, we will ask: Have others made this claim before the time of Muhammad?
A quick search on the internet yields the answer effortlessly. In fact, we wonder how Osama was able to find his three alleged "scientific sites" without at the same time finding those other pages mentioning "360 joints" that should have made him suspicious. Why did he just ignore those? Roughly 850 years before the time when Muhammad claimed prophethood, we are told that the following was taught in Chinese philosophy:
In the Springs and Autumns of Lü Pu-wei (Lü shih ch'un-ch'iu, ca. 239 B.C.), ...
The next two examples of relations between the cosmos and the body are perhaps two centuries earlier, and are more general. They come from Lü shih ch'un-ch'iu. They are not particularly early in the history of microcosmic correspondences, but rather exhibit their full development in philosophical writing.
Human beings have 360 joints, nine body openings, and five yin and six yang systems of function. In the flesh tightness is desirable; in the blood vessels (hsueh mai) free flow is desirable; in the sinews and bones solidity is desirable; in the operations of the heart and mind harmony is desirable; in the essential ch'i regular motion is desirable. When [these desiderata] are realized, illness has nowhere to abide, and there is nothing from which pathology can develop. When illness lasts and pathology develops, it is because the essential ch'i has become static. ...
(Nathan Sivin, State, Cosmos, and Body in the Last Three Centuries B.C. [For Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies]; bold emphasis ours)
According to Nathan Sivin, this was already common teaching in the third century B.C., i.e. it is apparently documented even earlier. We find that this correspondence is also part of (at least some forms of) Buddhism (Buddha lived roughly 500 B.C.).
Buddhism and the Heaven-Human Relationship
Under Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty, Confucianism was adopted as the official creed of the state. The most influential Confucian thinker of the time was Dong Zhongshu (195?–105? BCE), who in his writings argued clearly and forcefully for the view that Heaven and human beings combine to form a single entity.
In his Chunqiu fanlu or Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn Annals, in the section entitled "How human Beings Second the Numbers of Heaven," he states: "Human beings have 360 joints because this exactly matches the number of Heaven’s [days]. Their bodies, their bones and flesh, match the thickness of the earth. Their ears and eyes are bright and keen like the qualities of the sun and moon, and in their bodies there are hollows and veins like the configurations of the rivers and valleys."
And in speaking of the forces of the yin and yang, he says: "Heaven too has its moods of joy and anger, and its heart filled with sorrow or delight which second those of human beings. In the ways in which these likenesses match up, we see that Heaven and human beings are one."
These passages are clear examples of the concept of "Heaven and humankind as one" in the thought of Dong Zhongshu. ... (Dialogues on Eastern Wisdom (1), http://www.iop.or.jp/0111/special.pdf, page 47; bold emphasis ours)
And:
The Mystic Law Leads You to Absolute Happiness
... Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that our existence is identical to the universe as a whole, and the universe as a whole is identical to our existence. Each individual human life is a microcosm. ... There are some 360 joints in the human and they stand for the days of the year. The twelve major joints signify the twelve months. (http://www.gakkaionline.net/ST390/Gongyo.html)
On pages about Martial Arts (which originated in East Asia and are not merely "sports" but are built on this religious/philosophical foundation) one can find that they still teach today:
Chinese Martial Arts ... Chin Na Joint-locking is a useful addition to the Pa-Kua Chang arsenal making use of all 360 joints. Whilst it is practical against an inexperienced fighter ... (http://www.pa-kua-chang.com/training.htm)
However, this number 360 is a mystical one. It has a numerologial significance. It was not derived by counting the joints in autopsies of dead bodies, and it was usually not understood as being scientific information. At the same time period (third century B.C.) when Chinese philosophy speaks of 360 joints of the human body matching the 360 days of the year, various local states were already using a 365.25-day calendar (I received this information via private communication from Nathan Sivin). The number 360 is found in many contexts. A wheel consisting of 360 joints plays a role in the Hindu Vedas (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.21.18).
Your wheel, which has three naves, rotates around the axis of the imperishable Brahman.
It has thirteen spokes, 360 joints, six rims and numberless leaves carved upon it.
Though its revolution cuts short the life-span of the entire creation, this wheel
of tremendous velocity cannot touch the life-span of the devotees of the Lord.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.21.18;
online Veda data base) -->The angle of the full circle is 360°, and the Meccan Kaaba is said to have housed 360 idols [*, *; perhaps one for every day?].
The Muslim sources claim that Mecca was a major trading center. Traders, however, brought not only material goods but also stories and ideas from far-away countries. Given that the "360 joints in the human body" was widely believed in the Far East, there is a high probability that this belief migrated also to Arabia and was either common knowledge or at least known to Muhammad, who himself was a caravan trader for some time of his life. The report that the Kaaba had 360 idols is itself evidence that the number 360 had some significance in Arabia at the time of Muhammad. Given that a considerable number of details from Galen's embryology were taken over by Muhammad (see the article Embryology in the Qur'an), it would not be a surprise to learn that the at least 850 years older belief of 360 joints in the human body was adapted into Muhammad's "knowledge base" in a similar way.
In fact, in the hadith collections one can find several more similar narrations besides the two quoted by Abdallah, and in none of them is any indication that the people around Muhammad were in any way surprised about the claim that the human body has 360 joints. That idea seemed not to be new to them. None of them said: "Excuse me, Messenger of Allah, but our doctors tell us that we have 230 joints. Why are you now saying that we have 360 of them?" No, nothing like this is reported. They were startled only by the conclusion that Muhammad drew from this assumed fact. The exhortation to do good deeds and act charitably toward others is found in all religions. It is the incredible exaggeration in Muhammad's demand to do 360 charitable acts every day which righly shocked his followers. It's very simple math: 360 good deeds per day means one good deed every four minutes. Given that everyone has to sleep, eat and tend to a few other necessities in life, like earning a living to feed the family, that leaves precious little time for all those 360 good deeds that Muhammad demanded here. No wonder his followers were shocked and asked him: Who is capable of doing this? Apart from the scientific problems contained in this claim, this appears to have been one of the most thoughtless and unrealistic statements Muhammad ever made. After having become aware of the total impossibility of his command, the prophet then trivialized the obligation by saying: "Don't worry, ‘two rak'ahs in the forenoon will be sufficient for you’ instead of all this." We may investigate this aspect in more detail in the future in a separate article.
To summarize: So far Muhammad's statement already failed two essential criteria of any reasonable ‘miracle test’. His statement about "360 joints in the human body" is neither true nor was it new. Furthermore, the Muslims produced many dead bodies in their wars against the unbelievers. At one time they slaughtered a whole Jewish tribe of at least 600 men in one day (see the article about the Banu Qurayza). It would have been easy, and perfectly feasible even at that time, to take a few of these bodies, carefully take them apart, and count all the joints. Autopsies of dead people have been performed for centuries even before the time of Muhammad. No supernatural revelation is necessary for finding the number of joints in a human body.
The Source of Abdallah's claim?
We will shortly discuss some more problems found in these hadiths. However, in the last section we investigated the source of Muhammad's belief that there are 360 joints in the human body. So let's also ask for the source of Abdallah's claim that science supposedly confirmed Muhammad's opinion. It is somewhat unlikely that Abdallah cooked that up entirely by himself. Indeed, we found one other webpage stating:
360 Joints in the Human Body "Aisha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, Glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty-four, will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat), Book 005, Number 2199)" Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: "I heard the Apostle of Allah (S) say: A human being has three hundred and sixty joints for each of which he must give alms..." (Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab), Book 41, Number 5222)" However this fact was not known until just recently. In 1995 it was thought that there were 340 joints in the human body. Yet in that year a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. (Source: http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/commodity/1089/id170.htm)
Not only is the notation in the reference to the hadiths identical ("Book 005", while the printed edition of Sahih Muslim has "Book V"), and both pages contain the translation error in the first hadith ("to the number of those three hundred and sixty-FOUR"), but most importantly, compare the last paragraph above to the statement found on Abdallah's page (underlined emphasis ours):
Beside from the beautiful teachings about Worshiping the One True Living GOD Almighty and removing obstacles from the paths of people, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him made a very important scientific claim, and that is: Our human bodies have 360 joints in them.
Prior to 1995 it was thought that there are 340 joints in the human body. In 1995 a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this.
The formulation is so similar that it is clear that there is a relationship of dependency between them. Since Islam supposedly puts such a strong emphasis on "isnad", i.e. chain of transmitters for its narrations, it is striking that both of these Muslim webpages containing this claim do not give a source for it. Did O. Abdallah plagiarize the above page? Or did the webmaster of the above page plagiarize Abdallah's article? Or do they both have a common source which neither of them acknowledges? We may never know for sure. Personally, however, I consider it unlikely that somebody would have taken the article from Abdallah's site but remove the sentence, "Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this", as well as his links to the ‘scientific sites’, i.e. removed all references for the credibility of the claim. [How likely would you think that somebody checks several medical encyclopedias, but can't find any support for the claim, checks those internet links, but realizes they are all bogus, and still designs a webpage to propagates the claim for which he could not find any evidence?] It is much more likely that Abdallah (believing the claim to be true since Muhammad said so), plagiarized this page (or some other Muslim publication containing these statements) without acknowledging the source, but adding a couple of sentences (this being a beautiful teaching) and the claim that people may "refer to any medical encyclopedia on this". After all, since it is true, one will certainly find it there. In addition, he made a hasty search of the web for "360 joints", found three webpages that looked to him like scientific proof (the two Islamic ones, plus the telephone directory!), added these links to his page as proof of the claim, and then quickly published it.
Yet another scientific error
Finally, since Abdallah's claim was about scientific accuracy of Muhammad's statement, let's give these hadiths even more scientific scrutiny. As it turns out, the claim of 360 being the number of joints in the human body is not the only scientific error in these hadiths! Muhammad suppposedly said: "A human being has three hundred and sixty joints ..." and this was clearly a general statement about ALL human beings, not merely about one exceptional human being. This is proven by the formulation in the other hadith stating, "Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; ..." as well as by the fact that the obligation to do 360 sadaqa applied to everyone. Where is the problem? Well, Muhammad apparently did not know that not all human beings have the same number of bones and joints. Not even all adult people have the same number. Particularly, however, the number of bones and joints changes while growing up. After birth they first increase for a number of years, and later they decrease again. [Some details will be given at the end of Appendix 1.] Muhammad's statements were clearly made under the assumption that all people have the same number of joints. Thus, he is not only wrong about the number 360, but also in the assumption that the number is constant and equal in all human beings.
Confusion and contradiction: Did Muhammad speak about joints or about bones?
Let's have another look at the first hadith quoted by O. Abdallah as basis for his claim of Muhammad's statement being scientifically true. In the following we quote first the original Arabic version, and then give the translation in which we are going to highlight two important words:
إنه خلق كل إنسان من بني آدم على ستين وثلاث مائة مفصل فمن كبر الله وحمد الله وهلل الله وسبح الله واستغفر الله وعزل حجرا عن طريق الناس أو شوكة أو عظما عن طريق الناس وأمر بمعروف أو نهى عن منكر عدد تلك الستين والثلاث مائة السلامى فإنه يمشي يومئذ وقد زحزح نفسه عن النار
Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty mefsal; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty salama, will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith Number 2199; emphasis ours)
Comparing our rendering of this hadith with the official Muslim translation by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui (see above), we observe that Siddiqui left the word salama simply untranslated (whether intentionally or unintentionally). However, for our discussion this word is rather important.
What are the meanings of the two words mefsal and salama? The Arabic-English online dictionary at ajeeb.com provides the following meanings:
mefsal:
[a number of different meanings in other contexts that are not relevant here]in the context of human anatomy: knuckle, articulation, joint
salama:
digital bone, phalange, phalanx
Some of the words in the second entry may not be familiar to readers who are not native English speakers. Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language defines "digit" as "a finger or toe", and states that in the context of anatomy or zoology "phalange" is a synonym of "phalanx" and both denote "any of the bones of the fingers or toes".
Before we return to the above hadith from Sahih Muslim, it will be instructive to look at two consecutive narrations found in the Sunan Abu Dawud. The first of these was quoted by Abdallah, the second was (deliberately?) ignored, since it would have undermined his case. In the translation by Prof. Ahmad Hasan we read:
Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: A human being has three hundred and sixty joints (Arabic: mefsal) for each of which he must give alms. The people asked him: Who is capable of doing this? He replied: It may be mucus in the mosque which you bury, and something which you remove from the road; but if you do not find such, two rak'ahs in the forenoon will be sufficient for you. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5222; emphasis ours)
Narrated AbuDharr: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: In the morning alms are due from every bone (Arabic: salama) in man's fingers and toes. Salutation to everyone he meets is alms; enjoining good is alms; forbidding what is disreputable is alms; removing what is harmful from the road is alms; having sexual intercourse with his wife is alms. The people asked: He fulfils his desire, Apostle of Allah; is it alms? He replied: Tell me if he fulfilled his desire where he had no right, would he commit a sin? He then said: Two rak'ahs which one prays in the forenoon serve instead of all that. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5223; emphasis ours)
Both hadiths obviously deal with the same topic, but in the first tradition Muhammad speaks about the JOINTS, while in the second one he speaks about the BONES. However, joints are not bones and bones are not joints. Furthermore, does he speak about all the joints/bones in the whole human body, or does he speak only about the joints/bones in the fingers and toes? Fingers and toes are obviously only a small part of the human body. On a spiritual level both hadiths are similar enough. They speak about the obligation of giving alms (sadaqa), and give definitions of what can be counted as sadaqa, and even give the same conclusion that two rak'ahs in the morning are sufficient sadaqa for the whole day. However, the topic of this article is the alleged scientific accuracy of Muhammad's claims in regard to human anatomy.
On the scientific level, however, these two hadiths contradict each other, since bones and joints are different entities and concepts. If we do not even know whether Muhammad talked about bones or about joints, the statement is useless for scientific evaluation because it is not precise. Is one of the hadith corrupted? How would we know which is the corrupted one and which one is correct? Moreover, if it is possible that one is corrupted, how do we know that they are not both corrupted? Alternatively, we could assume that Muhammad at one occasion spoke what is reported in the first version and at another occasion said what is found in the second version. If these are narrations about separate events, then it is possible that both are historical. However, this interpretation is rather strained, and this would raise a number of different questions: Do the two rak'ahs substitute for the alms due for the joints or for the alms due for the bones? Should a Muslim maybe pray four rak'ahs in the morning: two rak'ahs for the joints and two for the bones — just to be on the safe side? Or are the two rak'ahs covering both obligations simultaneously although Muhammad never said so? Also, this ‘solution’ would imply that Muhammad himself is confused and forgetful.
Although not very credible, this interpretion that they are reporting two different events is perhaps a possibility in regard to the two narrations found in the Sunan Abu Dawud. More precisely: This suggestion would be a possibility if these were the only narrations on the topic, but there are several more which is further complicating the matter. Whatever the impact of those other traditions, this ‘solution’ is definitely NOT possible for the tradition found in Sahih Muslim:
Aisha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty JOINTS (mefsal); so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty DIGITAL BONES (salama), will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith Number 2199)
What is it, Muhammad? Make up your mind! Are we supposed to count the joints or the bones? Or is the true meaning of this statement that we have both: 360 joints in all of the body AND 360 bones in our fingers and toes? This would be completely wrong and utterly ridiculous. Moreover, this interpretation is impossible since the word "those" in the last part of the sentence points back to the first mention of "360" and the statement as recorded is really identifying bones with joints as if they were the same. This is a gross scientific error.
[ Now we also know why the Muslim translator of the hadith left the word salama untranslated. A correct translation would have revealed immediately that Muhammad's statement is complete nonsense. Therefore, he decided to cover up the error by a dishonest translation. This advice proves to be true again: if you need to know the exact meaning of a verse in the Qur'an, of a saying of Muhammad, or of other Muslim source materials, never simply trust the Muslim translations. Always get a second opinion. ]
The above discoveries now leave us with the following two alternatives:
Muhammad is confused, contradicting himself, and making completely unscientific statements.
These canonical collections of hadiths are confused, contradictory, and unreliable. Therefore they are (not only) scientifically useless.
In either case, Abdallah's attempted argument for the divine inspiration and authority of Muhammad is dead. The discussion in this last section provides even more evidence of how shoddy and untrustworthy Osama Abdallah's ‘research’ truly is.
Summary on the scientific aspects covered in this paper
First, O. Abdallah claimed that Muhammad's statement was scientifically proven in 1995. Every part of the alleged scientific evidence turned out to be bogus, being not only unscientific but plainly ridiculous.
Second, this particular statement by Muhammad cannot serve as proof for the divine origin of the teachings of Islam since it fails the test for being a genuine ‘scientific miracle’ on several counts:
The belief that the human body has 360 joints was already nearly a millenium old at the time of Muhammad and may even have been common knowledge in Muhammad's environment.
No supernatural revelation is needed to determine the number of joints. A complete and detailed autopsy may be a tedious task, but it was perfectly possible to do so in Muhammad's time.
Muhammad's claim about the number of joints is wrong in two respects:
Muhammad's assumption that all humans have the same number of joints is wrong.
Muhammad's claim that the human body has 360 joints is wrong also for the average adult person.
Muhammad's statements on the issue are at best very imprecise, but more likely they are plain contradictory. Therefore they can hardly be considered as scientific statements. We do not even know whether he is talking about bones or joints.
This concludes our rebuttal to Osama Abdallah's propaganda that "Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true" by recent scientific research. If these narrations have any implication for the credibility of Islam, then they are evidence that Islam is wrong.
Jochen Katz (German, mathematician)together with "Wildcat" (American, medical student) and Khaled (Iraqi Arab Christian, formerly Muslim)
Appendix 1: The number of joints in the adult human body
Before we get into the nitty-gritty and rather technical details, let us first present the rather amazing result of searching the internet with Google for the expression "joints in the human body" (i.e. without specifying any number beforehand). We want to share with you a quite amusing collection of quotes that should get you into the right mood for this section:
There are 230 joints in the human body. (Source, and many more)
187 joints in the human body. (Source)
There are 143 different joints in the human body (Source 1, 2, 3, and more)
100 joints in the human body (Source)
There are roughly 640 muscles and 100 joints in the human body. (Source)
Most of the ~150 bone joints in the human body are ... (Source)
three hundred sixty five joints in the human body (Source)
Altogether there are 68 joints in the human body. (Source)
about 70 moveable joints in the human body. (Source)
There are hundreds of joints in the human body. (Source 1, 2)
There are hundreds ( far too many to count! ) of joints in the human body ... (Source)
There are 147 joints in the human body (Source)
There are nearly 200 joints in the human body. (Source)
248 joints in the human body (Source)
Conclusion? Anyone who used to simply believe something that he "found on the internet" without carefully checking up on the facts should be cured now. The above listed sources are largely not even amateur sites, but include university pages, news agencies and pages of professional health care organizations! Some webpages simply and more wisely state:
There are many joints in the human body. (Source 1, 2)
The two most commonly claimed numbers are "230 joints" (usually found on "Did you know that ...", "Amazing facts ...", etc. trivia pages) and "143 joints" (mainly found on pages about arthritis). One thing should be obvious: If you only search for "360 joints" you will find those sites that claim that the human body has 360 joints. If you only search for "230 joints" you will find those sites that confirm what you searched for. It is very easy to get your intended result ‘confirmed’ with a certain number of webpages. It holds true in many areas that the form of a question often determines the answer. True knowledge is all about asking the right questions. Furthermore, it is essential to develop the ability to distinguish between credible and untrustworthy sources.
Before we discovered the extent of confusion on this issue and compiled the above list, we did what Abdallah should have done before publishing his nonsense: We checked out his claims in a medical school textbook on human anatomy. For the list of joints given below we refer to the 4th edition of "Clinically Oriented Anatomy" by Keith L. Moore and Arthur F. Dalley. The Fourth Edition was published in 1999 and is still in use by medical schools in the United States. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find statements anywhere that indicate the exact number of joints found in the human body. However, the textbook we have in our possession lists the joints of the body. Below we will actually list these by name according to body part and give the total number in each part. Finally, we will add up all of the numbers to determine approximately how many joints there are in the human body. The great differences in the above listed numbers may in part be explained that different authors are using different definitions for what is to be counted as "a joint". For example, if one would only count those "bone connections" that allow at least some movement this would then exclude the sutures of the skull. Since those above listed pages mostly do not make their definitions explicit, we are left guessing. However, for our own list, we want to be precise and first ask: What is a joint? Furthermore, to be as fair as possible, we will use the widest definition that is still reasonable in order to allow a greater number of joints to be found. In addition, note that the author of the textbook we are using is Keith L. Moore, who is referred to by many Muslims as a prime authority in anatomy and is their "main witness" to another alleged scientific miracle (cf. the articles on embryology in the section on Qur'an and Science).
Let's begin. Our source defines "joint" as ...
Within a couple of weeks we will publish here our result of counting the joints of the human body. This is a tedious work, and we just discovered that not all joints are listed in the above mentioned textbook. Therefore we have to check a couple of further sources.
In the meantime, the reader is invited to do his own research. We particularly admonish Osama Abdallah to visit a medical library, count joints, and finally do some serious research to back up his claims before we publish our result.
There is one essential question that O. Abdallah and everyone should answer before starting to count: What would Muhammad and his companions have understood under the term mefsal (joint)? Does this refer to each and every kind of connection or contact between two bones? What about the sutures in the skull where two bone plates are connected like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and this connection is so tight that it does not allow movement ... Is this to be counted as a joint or not? In common understanding a joint is something that allows movement to some extent in at least one direction. In some medical textbooks sutures are listed as a kind of joint. In others they are a separate category. What about the teeth? Are teeth to be counted as bones and the locations where they are implanted in the jawbone as joints? Different answers to all of these foundational questions will obviously lead to greatly differing numbers of bones/joints. The definitions will determine the answers. However, honesty demands to make the definitions FIRST and to count afterwards. Otherwise, the same will happen as in the other miracle claim that the Quran supposedly contains the word "day" exactly 365 times (the number of days in the year). Actually, the word is there more than 400 times, but the decision whether to count the word only in the singular and/or in the plural and/or with or without a certain preposition preceding it ... gives so many parameters to manipulate that one can arrive at nearly every number one likes. For details, please see the article How many days are there in a year according to the Qur'an?
Osama Abdallah's response so far:
12/25/2003- A message for the answering Islam web site. I have not ignored nor forgotten about your latest so-called "rebuttal" to my "360 joints in the human body" article. Once my computer science graduate school (Ph.D.) starts again on January 20th insha'Allah (if Allah Almighty is Willing), I will do extensive research in the human anatomy research section in the university's library (in the Ph.D. research section) and shut your lousy mouths and site once and for all insha'Allah. You said that you have given me the "worst Muslim argument" award. My response to you is: An insult from the disgraced is a compliment by itself. I will once again insha'Allah debunk your mantras and prove you to be clearly in the wrong. (What's new on Answering Christianity?)
We are looking forward to Abdallah's count of joints. However, even if there should accidentally be 360 joints, his argument is still incredibly bad. The verdict will remain: repetitions of claims is not a proofs and phone numbers are not scientific evidence either. The expression "worst argument" was not awarded for the choice of the topic (the claim), but for the argument by which the claim was supposedly substantiated. As of today, 28 December 2002, Abdallah still continues to present the same links as evidence. Somehow, despite of our discussion of the alleged evidence, he still seems convinced that this is evidence (it is neither removed from the article nor has he added a note of caution!), although he announced that he will attempt to find further evidence. He should at least have added this above announcement to his "360 joints" article instead of his "what's new" page.
In case you missed it ...
There is one more intersting aspect to Abdallah's specific claims. He wrote:
Prior to 1995 it was thought that there are 340 joints in the human body. In 1995 a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this.
As observed above, one can find a good number of webpages to support each of the opinions that the human body has 230 joints (trivia pages) or 143 joints (arthritis pages) or 360 joints (Muslim pages and Chinese philosophy pages). But is there anyone who shares Abdallah's claim that before 1995 it was believed that the human body had 340 joints? Searching for "340 joints" yields (currently) only those two Muslim pages making the claim under discussion here. Thus, the claim that before 1995 people believed that the human body had 340 joints seems to be completely unknown otherwise and is simply a Muslim hoax.
We found one Arabic webpage mentioning a similar claim:
ولم يثبت إلا بعد 1996 ميلاديا أن عدد المفاصل 360 مفصل، وهذا يدل على ان هذا العلم جاء من قبل ربه.
Approximate translation of the meaning of the above quotation: "It has never been proven before that there are 360 joints until after 1996. That proves that this knowledge came from his lord (i.e. was revealed to Mohamed by God)." Although being close, "until after 1996" is obviously different from "in the year 1995". Apparently, there are a number of different (independent?) hoaxes that are circulating among Muslims on this issue. The above source knows nothing about the alleged earlier belief of 340 joints, nor does it make any statement about a recent discovery of ten joints in the internal ear. It seems to be a more primitive version of the hoax which later was extended with further invented details. According to the Arabic source, this statement was made by an Egyptian medical doctor under the name Abdel Baset Sayed in answer to a question during an interview in 5/8/2003.
Why did we so far speak only about the ADULT human body?
The whole discussion is further complicated by the fact that the number of bones and joints in our bodies does not remain constant during our lifetime, nor do all people have the same number of bones (and thus joints) even as adults. The teeth are the most obvious example. Newborn babies have no teeth. In the first years children usually grow 20 teeth. Adults usually have 32 teeth (though not everyone gets the wisdom teeth). Thus the number of teeth (bones) and their sockets (joints) clearly changes. But there is more:
The total number of bones varies at different ages. At birth, the human body contains ~270 bones. This number declines slightly during infancy as a few separate segments join to form single bones. From young childhood through puberty, the bone count increases as wrist and ankle bones develop. Post-adolescence, the bone count steadily declines again with the gradual union of independent bones. (Source)
... Babies are born with bones that are soft and flexible. Babies' bones have lots of cartilage, the flexible material that will later harden into bone material. In fact, babies have around 300 bones at first. Later, as the bones harden, some of these will fuse together until the adult number of 206 bones is reached. (Source)
Of the 206 bones in the average adult human body, ... (Source)
One in 20 people has an extra rib. (Source)
As observed above, Muhammad apparently assumed that the number of bones/joints in the human body is the same for all people and that it remains constant. Thus, this constitutes another error on his part. We will not go into any detail on this issue. Apart from noting that this is another error, it is not important to our discussion to determine the exact number of bones and joints at each age. We leave this exercise to Abdallah if he thinks he could get any mileage out of it.
Appendix 2: Why the ‘Scientific Miracles’ are so VERY IMPORTANT to Osama Abdallah
The following is just a sample of what is found on Abdallah's website. In the article Muhammad and Dogs many superstitious beliefs of Muhammad were discussed. O. Abdallah did little but simply deny that they are superstitious, and concludes his defense of Islam with:
Islam is not about superstition. Islam is about purity, cleanliness and having the best manners toward Allah Almighty's Prayers. Your article above did not disprove Islam in anyway. ...
The Noble Quran did prove itself to be a Divine Revelation from Allah Almighty, because of its Everlasting Miracle that exists within it. Let's look at a sample of the Noble Quran's Miracles and proofs of Divine Truthfulness:
Science in Islam: ...
Embryology, Human Anatomy, Formation and Creation from the time of sexual intercourse to the time of birth: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall.
Note that throughout this section emphasis by underlining is ours. The above is only a small excerpt since Abdallah's long list of ‘miracles’ actually takes up about six screens/pages. Let's look into a few more of his articles. Muhammad serious contradicted himself on the issue of inheritance and the making of wills, breaking several of the commands he had given to be observed by all Muslims. O. Abdallah wrote a response to our article in which he writes again:
The Living and Everlasting Miracle in the Noble Quran is a whole a lot stronger than giving narrations like this in an attempt to disprove Islam. The Noble Quran had proven itself to be the Divine Truth from Allah Almighty: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Again, Abdallah does little more than brushing the problem aside and instead points to the miracle of science confirming Islam. Even if all else fails, for him this seems to be the proof that overpowers all other problems.
Among other difficult issues, Sam Shamoun pointed out one problem in Surah 37:147 regarding Jonah and the city of Niniveh, to which Osama Abdallah responds in his article, My rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's "Allah's Guessing Game, Is Allah an All-Knowing GOD?" article:
I personally don't care what the Bible claims. But as to the Noble Quran, I honestly don't have an answer as to why Allah Almighty chose to say "or more". It is probably referring to ... But I am not certain if that's what it really means. ...
I know onething for certain: Even though the use of "or more" in Noble Verse 37:147 is really difficult to explain; at least for now, but this still doesn't mean that Allah Almighty doesn't know about every atom of things that occurs in the Heavens and Earth: ...
It also doesn't mean that the Noble Quran's Miracle is not an everlasting one. Please check out the following links to see the True Miracles of the Noble Quran: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Further down in the very SAME article he repeats the whole lengthy list (six pages!) of scientific miracles again as proof for the truth of Islam (including the link to the 360 joints article).
Responding to the arguments in a paper discussing Muhammad's Suicide Attempts, Abdallah gives this impressive rebuttal:
All of these doubts and uncertainties about Islam's Truth would fall when you objectively read the Noble Quran and examine it's Holy Claims. All you have is conclusions and theories about Muhammad being this and Muhammad being that. Muhammad might have thought about committing suicide, but HE NEVER ACTUALLY DID TRY TO COMMIT IT, like for instance actually throwing himself from the mountain, or cutting his wrist, etc...
Again, please view the Noble Quran's Miracles to see the real Divine Truth of Islam: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Does anyone besides Abdallah consider this an answer to the issue?
In another article on Osama's Mantras, Sam Shamoun showed how irrational Abdallah's arguments really are (on the topic of the deity of Jesus). What is Abdallah's "answer"? You are probably able to guess it by now ... He writes:
The Miracle of the Noble Quran is within it. If the Noble Quran was a bunch of narartions, conversations and nonsense as most of the Bible is, then I would be the first to attack it.
My favorite Miracles in the Noble Quran are ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Does Abdallah not realize that he completely misses the mark? Whether or not Adam was 90 feet tall will not make any one of Abdallah's arguments on the deity of Christ any more rational than before. If anything, with this answer he only proved that his arguments are indeed completely irrational. And yet again, the whole six-page list is included TWICE in this "rebuttal" as well.
In reaction to Sam Shamoun's rebuttal to Jamal Badawi's claims, Abdallah writes:
My rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's "The Seven Wonders of the Quran" article:
This article is a rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's article, which is located at: http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/wonders.htm. All of the material of the article had been refuted at: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Abdallah simply lists nearly the same six pages of alleged scientific miracles instead of directly interacting with even one of Sam Shamoun's arguments. Talk about a mantra! NO, sorry Mr. Abdallah, these do not refute Shamoun's arguments in the least.
Even into the debate with Sam Shamoun on the relationship of baptism, salvation and sanctification, Abdallah manages to insert his favorite but completely unrelated argument:
The Noble Quran's Miracle is an inner and everlasting one that will continue to exist until the Day of Judgement. Every Prophet's miracle died when he died or left. Today, we no longer see people splitting seas in half, creating snakes from wooden sticks, raising the dead, and curing the blind. These Miracles no longer exist today. But the Noble Quran's Miracle exists within it. Let us look at some of those Miracles: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
That certainly helped to clarify the issue under discussion, right?
In his response to Silas' article on Muhammad and the Snakes, arguing against Muhammad's superstition that many snakes are evil spirit beings, we find:
So far you have presented nothing of substance to argue about here, because Jinns are mentioned in the Noble Quran: ...
Now, if you ask how I would know that Jinns do exist, then I would tell you that I believe the Noble Quran's Holy Claims, because the Noble Quran had proven itself to me that it is the True Revelation of Allah Almighty: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Again, Abdallah does not really interact with the argument. He certainly does not care whether or not it is "scientific" to believe that snakes are spirit beings which only look like snakes. Despite the fact that Islam is full of unscientific elements, he derives all his confidence in Islam from some alleged congruences between Islam and science. This is again an article where it was not enough for Abdallah to quote the same six pages of links only once. No, he included them twice, since later in the same article we find:
Your conclusion is bogus, and your lack of information about snakes in the Middle East prompted you to write this ridiculous article that proved absolutely nothing about Islam being a false religion. Islam is not about superstition. The Noble Quran did prove itself to be a Divine Revelation from Allah Almighty, because of its Everlasting Miracle that exists within it. Let's look at a sample of the Noble Quran's Miracles and proofs of Divine Truthfulness:
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
There is no longer a surprise, that Abdallah's reaction to the article, Muhammad and the Animals, is exactly the same as all the others when he states:
So far, nothing of substance is presented here. Not everything in the Noble Quran needs to be proven by facts, especially the historical statements. The Noble Quran did, however, prove itself to be a Divine Revelation from Allah Almighty, because of its Everlasting Miracle that exists within it. Let's look at a sample of the Noble Quran's Miracles and proofs of Divine Truthfulness:
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Again, he needs no proof where the claims of Islam are "difficult", but will believe Islam is true because Muhammad said there are 360 joints in the human body which is wrong as well. And Abdallah never becomes tired to repeat the same six pages of science claims another time in this same article as well (and a thousand and one times on his site):
What the Prophet peace be upon him here is doing is trying to keep the Muslims constantly praying within themselves and to always remember Allah Almighty. Using animals as reminders or incentives does not hurt. This does not nullify Islam in anyway, even if it looks a little strange.
Again, the Noble Quran did prove itself to be a Divine Revelation from Allah Almighty, because of its Everlasting Miracle that exists within it. Let's look at a sample of the Noble Quran's Miracles and proofs of Divine Truthfulness:
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
And it continues in this way without end.
It is obvious that Osama Abdallah bases his faith in Islam primarily on these alleged scientific miracles supposedly found in the Qur'an and sayings of the prophet.
The article, Muhammad the Sinner, apparently caused him even more problems than others, since he included his six-page mantra about the scientific miracle THREE TIMES in his response to that one. On the same grounds, another hard one for him seemed to be his rebuttal to "60 Questions Muslims Don't Like to Be Asked!, since we find it included three times in that article as well. I will only quote one of them. In response to this theological question:
60- Muslims reject the gospel story of Jesus being a substitute for our sins, the just for the unjust. They use the illustration of a man having to pay for a speeding ticket he did not commit. My question is: How do you explain that in the Muslim view of the cross, someone completely innocent died in Jesus place, after God made him appear to be Jesus? Was not this a Substitutionary sacrifice?
Abdallah "answers" with these words:
GOD Almighty does what He Wills, and the Ultimate reward is in the Day of Judgement and not in this life. Also, the Noble Quran doesn't necessarily suggest that Jesus was substituted by someone else. It could be referring to Jesus not dying nor getting crucified, nor feeling pain, but it was made appear to his enemies.
What ever the case is, it is Allah Almighty's Divine Wisdom and Decission. Islam had proven itself to be Divine and Miraculous, and the Bible had proven itself to be corrupted and altered by men. ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
In other words: I don't really have an answer, but I know Islam is true because "Science" has proven Islam to be true. This article may beat all his other ones. Not only is the complete six-page list of links repeated three times in it, but parts of the list are repeated even more often. In particular the link "Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!" is included in this one paper as a proof of Islam SIX TIMES! Certainly this is sufficient proof of just how important this particular claim is for Abdallah's confidence in Islam. Too bad for him that Muhammad's "very important scientific claim" IS COMPLETELY WRONG.
There are probably even more articles on his site that contain the same references and claims over and over again. In these two articles, The human embryonic development and Embryology in the Noble Quran:, the link to the "360 joints" article is part of a different short list of links. However, the point is made and we finish our investigation at this point.
In the end, the most interesting question will be this: Is Osama Abdallah going to draw any consequence from the fact that Muhammad was wrong? Only removing this one claim from his long list would be too simple and too cheap. The question is whether or not Abdallah will finally start to rethink his whole approach and if a list of alleged scientific miracles can really be a secure foundation for his confidence in Islam, particularly since there are at the same time so many scientific errors in Islam, starting with this claim of 360 joints in the human body.
Rebuttals to Answering-ChristianityQur'an & ScienceAnswering Islam Home Page
Responses to Osama Abdallah
Nominating Muhammad for the Nobel Prize in Medicine?
Or: How many joints do YOU want the human body to have?
Osama Abdallah is one of many Muslims who seek to convince people that Islam is the religion of the true and only God by making claims regarding scientific miracles in the Qur'an and even in the sayings of Muhammad. The claim is that there are statements that give information which is only recently confirmed by science and could not have been known at the time they were made. This is taken as proof that this information could only have come through divine revelation. Most of these claims are found on many Muslim sites, but Mr. Abdallah is quite creative and has some that seem to be only his own. One of the most bizarre examples of amazing scientific claims will be discussed in this present article. It is bizarre not only because of the topic chosen but it may well be THE WORST Muslim argument we have ever seen.
Since 3 June 2001 and to this day (12 December 2003) Osama Abdallah propagates the following claim on his website:
[ Update: After being pressured from many sides, Abdallah finally removed this article from his site on 27 May 2004. See the article, Osama Abdallah: Spreading Hoaxes for the Advancement of Islam?, for more on the story. The below article will remain on our site for two reasons: 1. historical documentation, 2. the claim is still part of the sayings of Muhammad, so that the refutation is still relevant. More than two years later, the issue takes a new turn. On 12 September 2006, O. Abdallah published a totally new interpretation of the hadith. It has now a spiritual instead of a scientific meaning. Read all about these new insights in The 360 Joints Issue Revisited. ]
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
"Aisha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, Glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty-four, will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat), Book 005, Number 2199)"
Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: "I heard the Apostle of Allah peace_be_upon_him) say: A human being has three hundred and sixty joints for each of which he must give alms. The people asked him: Who is capable of doing this? He replied: It may be mucus in the mosque which you bury, and something which you remove from the road; but if you do not find such, two rak'ahs in the forenoon will be sufficient for you. (Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab), Book 41, Number 5222)"
Beside from the beautiful teachings about Worshiping the One True Living GOD Almighty and removing obstacles from the paths of people, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him made a very important scientific claim, and that is: Our human bodies have 360 joints in them.
Prior to 1995 it was thought that there are 340 joints in the human body. In 1995 a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this.
In this article we will evaluate the specific science-related claims made by Abdallah. The foundation of all science is to bring solid evidence for every claim made. Thus, we will ask: What exactly are the claims, and what is the evidence presented for each one of Abdallah's claims?
Before we begin with our discussion of the particular topic of the number of joints in the human body, we want to point out a methodological problem. Abdallah and all Muslims who refer to "scientific miracles" as proof of the validity of their faith should answer for themselves this question if they desire to be intellectually honest: What do you do with those statements of the Qur'an and Muhammad that are proven wrong by science? If a true statement is evidence for Islam, is a wrong statement evidence against Islam? If not, why not? The current claim regarding the "360 joints" perfectly illustrates the great danger for the Muslims: If it was possible to find another 20 joints just a few years ago, what do you do if in another 10 years time a couple of further joints are found and Muhammad's statement turns out to be wrong after all? If wrong statements about science don't lead you to disbelieve Islam, why should a couple of correct statements convince anyone that Islam is true ... particularly since there are so many scientifically wrong statements? The question whether this whole approach has any validity, is discussed in some details in the article Can "Modern Science" be found in the Qur’an?
Let's now turn to Abdallah's particular claims. He states that the reader may refer to ANY medical encyclopedia on this. We searched in a medical school library, with the aid of the librarian on duty using a computer in attempting to find references, and could not find a source that mentioned the number of joints in the human body.
No evidence that prior to 1995 the medical literature taught that there are 340 joints in the human body.
No evidence that in 1995 a "scientific institute" proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints.
No evidence that current medical literature teaches that the human body consists of 360 joints.
Question to Mr. Abdallah: Have you yourself consulted ANY medical encyclopedia before publishing this article to confirm your statement as true? If so, please quote the relevant passage and provide the full bibliographical reference. If you have not done so, shame on you. We believe you have not, and have acted very irresponsibly and unscientifically by not providing any reference to the scholarly literature to back your claim. Did you simply make up that claim trusting that your readers will be too lazy to check up on your claims and will just believe you? Or, if you were not the inventor of this claim, were you so gullible that you took this claim from whatever source and are spreading it without caring about validating it first?
In fact, Abdallah's last paragraph is worded so badly that this alone is reason for suspicion that all of it is mere fiction:
Prior to 1995 it was thought that there are 340 joints in the human body. In 1995 a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this.
Taken literally, this means that the total number of joints in the internal ear is 10. And, that all ten of them were unknown before 1995. Otherwise, not all of them could be added to raise the number from 340 to 360. Only those can be added that were newly discovered, since the others would already have been included in the previously known 340. It may be possible that one or two more tiny bones (and their joints) are discovered even today, but Abdallah's claim implies that until 1995 not even one of these joints (and bones, as there are no joints without bones) was known. This is rather ridiculous. 1995 is not a date from the Dark Ages. Thus, the whole claim seems to be mere fantasy and is now also listed in our section on Muslim Hoaxes. Perhaps we should invent a new term for articles like these calling this genre "islamo-fiction". Nevertheless, let's pursue the issue further.
Medical encyclopedias and textbooks on human anatomy usually list joints in a number of different categories (there are several kinds of joints) and according to the region of the body in which they are located, but we have so far not found even one book that provides a sum total of all joints. We will give in this paper a detailed overview of the kinds and numbers of joints, but since this section is very technical it is placed into an appendix. Only this much for now: Our count did not come out as 360. However, it is not our duty to prove how many joints there are; it is the duty of Abdallah who claims that there 360 of them to give valid evidence for his claim. The burden of proof is on him.
Wait a minute! Why are we talking as if Abdallah had not given any evidence? After all, he writes:
Scientific sites that prove the Islamic claim:
Please do a word search and read the returned paragraphs/sentences in the following official sites on the word "360" without the double quotes:
http://www.iberr.co.za/biologyfr1.htm (Islamic Studies: Biology)
http://www.iiu.edu.my/medic/islmed/Lecmed/musskel98.jul.html (By Prof.Dr.Omar Hassan Kasule Sr.)
http://www.kennewickgeneral.com/telmed.html (Tel-Med Official Medical Site)
Fair enough! Let's examine what Osama Abdallah considers to be scientific proof. Visiting the first of the above sites, and searching for "360", yields exactly one location on that page, stating:
8. SKELETAL SYSTEM
8.1 Muslim contributions to Human anatomy and physiology8.2 Islamic perspectives on organ transplants8.3 Structure, position and functions of:8.3.1 Axial skeleton - “skull” vertebral column and ribs *Hawa - creation from left rib of Adam u8.3.2 Appendicular skeleton - pectoral and pelvic girdles8.4 Joints - categories, examples, structure. SADAQAH - 360 joints -good deeds8.5 Locomotion - lever action and role of muscles. Islamic perspective on exercise8.6 Islamic perspective on bone marrow transplants
It is true; that page contains the expression "360 joints" and from the context we can infer that this refers to the human body. But where is the proof? Does Mr. Abdallah seriously believe that a repetition of the same claim by a second person or webpage constitutes scientific proof? After all, he had promised that these are "scientific sites that prove" his claim. This page provides neither a list of these alleged 360 joints, nor a reference to the scientific literature, so that it cannot serve as a proof in any way. In order to understand the above quoted list better, let us ask what kind of page this is. Scrolling upwards a bit, we find the heading for this section which is: "BIOLOGY SYLLABUS ... GRADE 10". Is this a website publishing the results of scientific research in medicine? Not at all, we are looking at a highschool syllabus for 10th grade Biology. Let's ask further. What kind of highschool is this? The title of the page is "Islamic Studies: Biology", and when we open the homepage of that site[*], the title is even clearer, "Islamisation of the curriculum, Muslim school". The above quoted section on the skeletal system makes it already very clear that the topic is not science but Islamic studies. Three times in this short section of the syllabus we find entries beginning with "Islamic perspective(s) on ..." Also, the statement that "Hawa (Eve) was created from the left rib of Adam" is certainly one of faith and not of science. This syllabus is teaching "What Islam says about biology". It is definitely NOT a scientific page giving proof for Islamic claims. It is exactly the opposite of what Mr. Abdallah promised. If any student in this class would raise the question, "How do we know that the human body has 360 joints?", the answer would invariably be: "Because our prophet said so!" and the basis for this answer would be the same hadiths that Mr. Abdallah quoted in his article.
What about O. Abdallah's second "scientific site"? This time let's look at the homepage first: http://www.iiu.edu.my is the website of the "International Islamic University Malaysia" established with the goal of "Integration and Islamicization of human knowledge". This is now a university and no longer a highschool, i.e. the theme is playing out one level higher, but it seems to be still the same overall purpose of teaching an Islamic perspective in all areas of human education. There is no objection against this in principle. The bottom line will be whether the site will provide scientific proof of Mr. Abdallah's claim. If it gives actual proof, then the religious foundation of the institution will not be an argument against it.
What does the particular page say that was referenced by Abdallah? The title is "MUSCULO-SKELETAL SYSTEM (‘IDHAAM & ‘ADHALAAT) and PHYSICAL EXERCISE", and at the beginning of that page we find:
OUTLINE
EXTERNAL ORGANS MENTIONED IN THE QUR'AN
Head and Neck
Upper limb
Trunk and abdomen
Lower limb
The bones
Muscles
Joints
Uses of organs
Significance of wudhu
One could wonder why Muslim students in their Islamic education have to learn that bones, muscles and joints are considered organs, let alone external organs, but that is not our topic here. This page makes no claim to report about recent scientific research. According to the subheading it is apparently simply a list of body parts that are mentioned in the Qur'an. The question is merely: "What is the teaching of the Islamic sources?" What then does this page tell us in the section on joints? Let's quote the paragraph before and after as well to get the context:
Muscles are mentioned in the Qur'an as meat (lahm, 23:14, 49:12): Human civilisation is based on the energy produced by contractions of human and animal muscles.
Joints: A human has 360 joints (KS p.105)
Uses of organs for worship, work, aggression, sinning. Prostration in salat on 17 bones (MB # 464 p 252, KS p. 274). Organs can also be misused to commit sins. Zina of organs other than the genitalia eg the eye, ear, and the leg was mentioned by the prophet (KS p. 264, MB #2061 p 968). Organs will act as witnesses against the owner on the last day so that he or she can not deny their sins.
No surprise here, we find merely a repetition of the same claim. The abbreviated reference (KS p. 105) is not defined anywhere on this page, but probably refers to some Islamic textbook, and this in turn will give a quotation of the hadith that we have already been introduced to.
"Scientific sites that prove the Islamic claim", was Osama Abdallah's promise for these links. What did we get so far? We have only Islamic sites repeating the claim, and no proof at all. It seems that Islamic institutions, even "universities" teach this claim as true based merely on Muhammad's authority with little or no concern whether or not this is objectively true.
Finally, we now turn to Abdallah's last reference for scientific proof, called by him the "Tel-Med Official Medical Site", and find indeed one instance of the number 360 in the line "360 Muscles, Joints & Bones". Even discounting all context, this can hardly be interpreted as informing us that the human body has 360 joints. Or did Muhammad also claim that the human body has no muscles and no bones so that the total of this number has to refer to the joints only? However, if we look closer, then we discover that this page is not even telling us that the human body has a total of 360 muscles, joints and bones. It means something different altogether. Here are some excerpts from that page:
353
Foot Care
117
Athlete's Foot
116
Common Foot Problems
115
Ingrown Toenails
359
Mental Health
613
Anorexia Nervosa
379
Attention Deficit Disorder
434
Child Abuse
432
Upset Emotionally? Help is Available
360
Muscles, Joints & Bones
741
Are You Ready for the Skiing Season?
204
Arthritis and Diet
131
Arthritis and Quackery
600
Fractured and Broken Bones
270
Hip Replacement
201
Neck Pains
203
Osteoarthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease
461
Newborn & Infants
535
Addicted Babies
310
Baby Teeth
208
Bottle Feeding Your Baby
849
Circumcision
748
Thumbsucking-How Serious is it?
Got a clue already what "360" is about? Not yet? Let's quote a few more pieces of the same "Tel-Med Medical Site", which is actually the website of Kennewick General Hospital in Kennewick, Washington, U.S.. At least we are finally looking at a website of medical experts. However, do they publish on research into the number of joints? Definitely not! The explanation for the above number is found on the page titled "KGH Programs and Services":
Tel-Med is a directory of health and medical information available to the community at no charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Dial (509) 586-5850, then enter the number of the adult or child library. Next, listen to the category listings and enter the 3 digit number you wish to hear. Each contains several related messages.
Adult Category Listing
AIDS/HIV 494Alcohol & Drug Abuse 342Arthritis 343...Illnesses 358Mental Health 359Muscles, Joints & Bones 360Newborn & Infants 461Plastic Surgery 462...
Can you believe it? The ‘360’ is part of a telephone number! To be precise, an extension number in an automated information system at a hospital offering medical help to the community via telephone. Whatever else you want to say about it, Abdallah's article is hardly a piece of high-quality research ... Actually, which of the following implications would be worse? (a) Osama Abdallah genuinely believes that this phone number is scientific proof that the ‘360 joints’ hadith is true. (b) He knows exactly what he is doing, but he only writes for such a readership that will believe basically anything if only he adds a few references that mention something about "360 joints", whatever this ‘something’ actually is. (c) He should dial (509) 586-5850, then 359, then 379.
Seriously, if Mr. Abdallah can't distinguish between a phone book and a scientific text, what business does he have with writing articles about Science? (He has published dozens of them!) And who wants to trust his sociological, historical, scientific and theological arguments if he is not able to tell the difference between the statement of a claim and providing evidence for a claim?
Actually, there is some truly mind-boggling miraculous knowledge in the above hadith which Mr. Abdallah has seemingly overlooked: Muhammad predicted part of the Tel-Med phone number for joint problems (360 joints) at a time when nobody even knew what a telephone is!
Interestingly, when Abdallah first published his article, and for about one year, it contained an even longer "bibliography":
Scientific sites that prove the Islamic claim:
Please do a word search and read the returned paragraphs/sentences in the following official sites on the word "360" without the double quotes:
http://www.iberr.co.za/biologyfr1.htm (Islamic Studies: Biology)
http://www.iiu.edu.my/medic/islmed/Lecmed/musskel98.jul.html (By Prof.Dr.Omar Hassan Kasule Sr.)
http://www.therapy360.com/Therapeutic.htm (An official Medical site that provides therapy to the 360 human joints)
http://organix.net/organix/supp.htm (Organix Vitamins)
http://www.kennewickgeneral.com/telmed.html (Tel-Med Official Medical Site)
http://www.war-thai.org/gibbon.htm (Even Apes have 360 joints)
http://pages.zdnet.com/seangler/basicseaangling/id31.html (New Product Review, from an official Medical Organization)
At some time he must have done a review of his evidence for the claim, and realizing that some of these sites are actually not supporting his claim, he then removed those links and kept only three of the originally seven links. Given that he went through a "critical review" of the evidence about one year after the first publication, it is all the more embarrassing that he still kept the link to the telephone directory.
Conclusion: Osama Abdallah's amazing "Islamic claim" was not proven but has failed in every respect. Even more, the fact that he presents two Islamic sites teaching Muslims the content of Muhammad's sayings and a hospital phone directory as three "scientific sites that prove the Islamic claim" is the ultimate disqualification of his own credibility. If the publication date of Abdallah's article had been the first of April, then it would have been a superb and very humorous April Fools story, an exhortation and reminder to his audience to read critically and not believe simply everything they read on his site or in other publications. In that case it would have deserved to be listed together with Holy Qur'an and Genetics and other satirical writings on the site Freethought Mecca. However, Abdallah's site is not known for parody or deliberate humor. This article was published on 3 June 2001, and there is not even a hint of a disclaimer found in this article. Mr. Abdallah was and is very serious about it, and he expects his audience to believe him. Just how serious he is about it can be seen from the fact how often he links to this article in other places (a list of these is provided in the Appendix 2).
Finally, this whole thing may be as much an indictment of the Muslim readership as it disqualifies the author of the article. We need to ask a question similar to that which was posed in response to Shibli Zaman's article, Lifecyle of the Universe Foretold in the Qur'ân: Is the Muslim audience in general so gullible that they believe everything, if only it appears to support Islam? Doesn't anybody look deeper to confirm such claims with solid evidence and if he finds that the alleged evidence is no evidence at all, he will then alert his Muslim brother that he made a mistake? Or do Muslims think that promoting Islam on the basis of false claims is acceptable? This most ridiculous claim has been online for more than two and a half years already. It is hard to imagine that not even one Muslim among the readership cared to check the evidence. However, in the case that some have checked up on it, found the evidence lacking, and then have informed the author/webmaster that his claim about scientific evidence is wrong, but the article still remained unchanged, does this mean that Abdallah did not care whether or his articles are based on deception, and he deliberately propagates what he knows to be wrong?
This last question becomes even more pressing since we are not the first people to respond to this article. Many ideas in our response were inspired by the contributions found in this discussion thread on the "Qur'an and Science" discussion forum at the website Faith Freedom International. This is a major website and many Muslims are frequenting it and are using its discussion forums. Even if there were no Muslim believer who cared to verify this claim for himself, certainly some of them must have seen that a number of ex-Muslims have exposed this article as a fraud on 8 October 2003, already two months ago. The Muslims did not even have to check the evidence for themselves; it was done for them, and still nobody cared about correcting it? Neither Abdallah nor any other Muslim? [Even more, on 30 November 2003 Denis Giron published another rebuttal on a Muslim-Christian Dialogue Forum with lots of Muslim participation!]
You, the present reader, may never before have seen this particular article by Osama Abdallah, but you may still ask yourself: "Do I usually try to confirm claims promoted on Muslim (and Christian) websites or in other publications? Or do I usally simply believe what my fellow believers write in support of my religion?" You may want to resolve that from this day forward, you will diligently ask for evidence and carefully evaluate claims instead of blindly accepting what, at first sight, seems to support your own convictions or desires. Because if you don't, you are in grave danger of falling for many deceptions.
There is another small "number problem" in the first of the hadiths quoted by Abdallah:
"Aisha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and SIXTY joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, Glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and SIXTY-FOUR, will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat), Book 005, Number 2199)"
Obviously, 360 is not equal to 364, so there is a contradiction even within this one hadith. When looking up this hadith in the Arabic original, we find that it says 360 both times, i.e. this is not a contradiction but merely a translation error. The only reason to mention this observation here is that it constitutes further evidence of Abdallah's shoddy research. He merely copied the quotation from either the notoriously unreliable online hadith database or some other source (see below) and neither checked his foundational text for logical consistency nor did he bother to compare it against the Arabic original before issuing claims about its miraculous nature. [Below we will discover that the translation of this hadith also contains another quite serious error that has major implications for Abdallah's claim.]
Before we conclude this section, let's take another look at Osama Abdallah's first paragraph following his quotations of the two narrations of Muhammad:
Beside from the beautiful teachings about Worshiping the One True Living GOD Almighty and removing obstacles from the paths of people, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him made a very important scientific claim, and that is: Our human bodies have 360 joints in them.
This statement is a perfect example of Abdallah's "fluff and bluff" rhetoric. Even if Muhammad's claim that the human body has 360 joints had been true, what exactly is so "very important" about it? Does O. Abdallah know of even one Muslim doctor in the history of 1,400 years of Islamic Medicine who on the basis of this "very important" information was able to find a cure for any illness of his patients? The very fact that we have not been able to find even one medical encyclopedia or textbook of human anatomy at a university library that mentions the number of joints is certainly a good indication of how unimportant and irrelevant this number is for doctors and scientists.
In medicine it is important to know how certain organs, bones or joints function and how they can be cured or repaired should they get damaged. But what exactly is the importance of their number? Would knowing the mere number of joints be any more important than the mere number of the hairs on your head? The number of joints is really only interesting for people who play "Trivial Pursuit" or want to become a candidate in some quiz show, but not for medical doctors. It is on the level of "How many peas are in that bottle?" questions. Such information is only to satisfy the curiosity of people who have nothing better to do, but it has little practical value.
[ In fact, the impatient who don't want to wait until we give the solution later in this article, may go to www.UselessKnowledge.com (which redirects to a "Cool Quiz" trivia page), put the phrase "joints in the human body" (including the quotation marks) into their search engine to find out that Muhammad was more than 50% off the mark according to the most commonly given answer. ]
Only somebody who has no clue about science could call such a statement "a very important scientific claim". O. Abdallah probably sees this right next to the importance of Einstein's theory of relativity, or a cure for cancer. Maybe he even thinks that Muhammad has earned a nobel prize for this breakthrough in medical research. No, the importance of this statement is not in medicine or science, but in psychology. Let me illustrate: One unimportant stick in the woods, merely lying there in the wilderness to rot or to be eaten by worms, can suddenly become very important, if you broke your leg and need this stick as a crutch enabling you to hobble home. As we will see in Appendix 2, it is exactly this crutch function that makes these trivia so very important to Abdallah.
Let's ask again: If Muhammad made indeed "a very important scientific claim", what consequence will Abdallah draw from the fact that Muhammad's "very important scientific claim" is wrong? Personally, I do not believe that Muhammad intended this statement to be understood as a divine revelation about human anatomy. Those, however, who make such steep claims, will have to honestly face the consequences of their chosen methodology, or otherwise will expose themselves as hypocrites.
Although our rebuttal could end here, we are not satisfied to merely state the complete failure of Osama Abdallah's claim. There are some other aspects in these traditions that are worthy to be investigated. Most importantly, we will ask the question where the idea that the human body has 360 joints may have originated.
What is the Source of Muhammad's belief that the human body has 360 joints?
If Muhammad's statement had been true, the next step of a proper ‘miracle test’ would have to be that we find out whether Muhammad was the first one to say that the human body has 360 joints. Getting this fact right could be amazing or even miraculous only if he had said something new or contrary to general opinion, not if he merely repeated what was a common belief at his time. Thus, although Abdallah didn't deem it important to investigate this question, we will ask: Have others made this claim before the time of Muhammad?
A quick search on the internet yields the answer effortlessly. In fact, we wonder how Osama was able to find his three alleged "scientific sites" without at the same time finding those other pages mentioning "360 joints" that should have made him suspicious. Why did he just ignore those? Roughly 850 years before the time when Muhammad claimed prophethood, we are told that the following was taught in Chinese philosophy:
In the Springs and Autumns of Lü Pu-wei (Lü shih ch'un-ch'iu, ca. 239 B.C.), ...
The next two examples of relations between the cosmos and the body are perhaps two centuries earlier, and are more general. They come from Lü shih ch'un-ch'iu. They are not particularly early in the history of microcosmic correspondences, but rather exhibit their full development in philosophical writing.
Human beings have 360 joints, nine body openings, and five yin and six yang systems of function. In the flesh tightness is desirable; in the blood vessels (hsueh mai) free flow is desirable; in the sinews and bones solidity is desirable; in the operations of the heart and mind harmony is desirable; in the essential ch'i regular motion is desirable. When [these desiderata] are realized, illness has nowhere to abide, and there is nothing from which pathology can develop. When illness lasts and pathology develops, it is because the essential ch'i has become static. ...
(Nathan Sivin, State, Cosmos, and Body in the Last Three Centuries B.C. [For Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies]; bold emphasis ours)
According to Nathan Sivin, this was already common teaching in the third century B.C., i.e. it is apparently documented even earlier. We find that this correspondence is also part of (at least some forms of) Buddhism (Buddha lived roughly 500 B.C.).
Buddhism and the Heaven-Human Relationship
Under Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty, Confucianism was adopted as the official creed of the state. The most influential Confucian thinker of the time was Dong Zhongshu (195?–105? BCE), who in his writings argued clearly and forcefully for the view that Heaven and human beings combine to form a single entity.
In his Chunqiu fanlu or Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn Annals, in the section entitled "How human Beings Second the Numbers of Heaven," he states: "Human beings have 360 joints because this exactly matches the number of Heaven’s [days]. Their bodies, their bones and flesh, match the thickness of the earth. Their ears and eyes are bright and keen like the qualities of the sun and moon, and in their bodies there are hollows and veins like the configurations of the rivers and valleys."
And in speaking of the forces of the yin and yang, he says: "Heaven too has its moods of joy and anger, and its heart filled with sorrow or delight which second those of human beings. In the ways in which these likenesses match up, we see that Heaven and human beings are one."
These passages are clear examples of the concept of "Heaven and humankind as one" in the thought of Dong Zhongshu. ... (Dialogues on Eastern Wisdom (1), http://www.iop.or.jp/0111/special.pdf, page 47; bold emphasis ours)
And:
The Mystic Law Leads You to Absolute Happiness
... Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism teaches that our existence is identical to the universe as a whole, and the universe as a whole is identical to our existence. Each individual human life is a microcosm. ... There are some 360 joints in the human and they stand for the days of the year. The twelve major joints signify the twelve months. (http://www.gakkaionline.net/ST390/Gongyo.html)
On pages about Martial Arts (which originated in East Asia and are not merely "sports" but are built on this religious/philosophical foundation) one can find that they still teach today:
Chinese Martial Arts ... Chin Na Joint-locking is a useful addition to the Pa-Kua Chang arsenal making use of all 360 joints. Whilst it is practical against an inexperienced fighter ... (http://www.pa-kua-chang.com/training.htm)
However, this number 360 is a mystical one. It has a numerologial significance. It was not derived by counting the joints in autopsies of dead bodies, and it was usually not understood as being scientific information. At the same time period (third century B.C.) when Chinese philosophy speaks of 360 joints of the human body matching the 360 days of the year, various local states were already using a 365.25-day calendar (I received this information via private communication from Nathan Sivin). The number 360 is found in many contexts. A wheel consisting of 360 joints plays a role in the Hindu Vedas (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.21.18).
Your wheel, which has three naves, rotates around the axis of the imperishable Brahman.
It has thirteen spokes, 360 joints, six rims and numberless leaves carved upon it.
Though its revolution cuts short the life-span of the entire creation, this wheel
of tremendous velocity cannot touch the life-span of the devotees of the Lord.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.21.18;
online Veda data base) -->The angle of the full circle is 360°, and the Meccan Kaaba is said to have housed 360 idols [*, *; perhaps one for every day?].
The Muslim sources claim that Mecca was a major trading center. Traders, however, brought not only material goods but also stories and ideas from far-away countries. Given that the "360 joints in the human body" was widely believed in the Far East, there is a high probability that this belief migrated also to Arabia and was either common knowledge or at least known to Muhammad, who himself was a caravan trader for some time of his life. The report that the Kaaba had 360 idols is itself evidence that the number 360 had some significance in Arabia at the time of Muhammad. Given that a considerable number of details from Galen's embryology were taken over by Muhammad (see the article Embryology in the Qur'an), it would not be a surprise to learn that the at least 850 years older belief of 360 joints in the human body was adapted into Muhammad's "knowledge base" in a similar way.
In fact, in the hadith collections one can find several more similar narrations besides the two quoted by Abdallah, and in none of them is any indication that the people around Muhammad were in any way surprised about the claim that the human body has 360 joints. That idea seemed not to be new to them. None of them said: "Excuse me, Messenger of Allah, but our doctors tell us that we have 230 joints. Why are you now saying that we have 360 of them?" No, nothing like this is reported. They were startled only by the conclusion that Muhammad drew from this assumed fact. The exhortation to do good deeds and act charitably toward others is found in all religions. It is the incredible exaggeration in Muhammad's demand to do 360 charitable acts every day which righly shocked his followers. It's very simple math: 360 good deeds per day means one good deed every four minutes. Given that everyone has to sleep, eat and tend to a few other necessities in life, like earning a living to feed the family, that leaves precious little time for all those 360 good deeds that Muhammad demanded here. No wonder his followers were shocked and asked him: Who is capable of doing this? Apart from the scientific problems contained in this claim, this appears to have been one of the most thoughtless and unrealistic statements Muhammad ever made. After having become aware of the total impossibility of his command, the prophet then trivialized the obligation by saying: "Don't worry, ‘two rak'ahs in the forenoon will be sufficient for you’ instead of all this." We may investigate this aspect in more detail in the future in a separate article.
To summarize: So far Muhammad's statement already failed two essential criteria of any reasonable ‘miracle test’. His statement about "360 joints in the human body" is neither true nor was it new. Furthermore, the Muslims produced many dead bodies in their wars against the unbelievers. At one time they slaughtered a whole Jewish tribe of at least 600 men in one day (see the article about the Banu Qurayza). It would have been easy, and perfectly feasible even at that time, to take a few of these bodies, carefully take them apart, and count all the joints. Autopsies of dead people have been performed for centuries even before the time of Muhammad. No supernatural revelation is necessary for finding the number of joints in a human body.
The Source of Abdallah's claim?
We will shortly discuss some more problems found in these hadiths. However, in the last section we investigated the source of Muhammad's belief that there are 360 joints in the human body. So let's also ask for the source of Abdallah's claim that science supposedly confirmed Muhammad's opinion. It is somewhat unlikely that Abdallah cooked that up entirely by himself. Indeed, we found one other webpage stating:
360 Joints in the Human Body "Aisha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, Glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty-four, will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat), Book 005, Number 2199)" Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: "I heard the Apostle of Allah (S) say: A human being has three hundred and sixty joints for each of which he must give alms..." (Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab), Book 41, Number 5222)" However this fact was not known until just recently. In 1995 it was thought that there were 340 joints in the human body. Yet in that year a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. (Source: http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/commodity/1089/id170.htm)
Not only is the notation in the reference to the hadiths identical ("Book 005", while the printed edition of Sahih Muslim has "Book V"), and both pages contain the translation error in the first hadith ("to the number of those three hundred and sixty-FOUR"), but most importantly, compare the last paragraph above to the statement found on Abdallah's page (underlined emphasis ours):
Beside from the beautiful teachings about Worshiping the One True Living GOD Almighty and removing obstacles from the paths of people, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him made a very important scientific claim, and that is: Our human bodies have 360 joints in them.
Prior to 1995 it was thought that there are 340 joints in the human body. In 1995 a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this.
The formulation is so similar that it is clear that there is a relationship of dependency between them. Since Islam supposedly puts such a strong emphasis on "isnad", i.e. chain of transmitters for its narrations, it is striking that both of these Muslim webpages containing this claim do not give a source for it. Did O. Abdallah plagiarize the above page? Or did the webmaster of the above page plagiarize Abdallah's article? Or do they both have a common source which neither of them acknowledges? We may never know for sure. Personally, however, I consider it unlikely that somebody would have taken the article from Abdallah's site but remove the sentence, "Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this", as well as his links to the ‘scientific sites’, i.e. removed all references for the credibility of the claim. [How likely would you think that somebody checks several medical encyclopedias, but can't find any support for the claim, checks those internet links, but realizes they are all bogus, and still designs a webpage to propagates the claim for which he could not find any evidence?] It is much more likely that Abdallah (believing the claim to be true since Muhammad said so), plagiarized this page (or some other Muslim publication containing these statements) without acknowledging the source, but adding a couple of sentences (this being a beautiful teaching) and the claim that people may "refer to any medical encyclopedia on this". After all, since it is true, one will certainly find it there. In addition, he made a hasty search of the web for "360 joints", found three webpages that looked to him like scientific proof (the two Islamic ones, plus the telephone directory!), added these links to his page as proof of the claim, and then quickly published it.
Yet another scientific error
Finally, since Abdallah's claim was about scientific accuracy of Muhammad's statement, let's give these hadiths even more scientific scrutiny. As it turns out, the claim of 360 being the number of joints in the human body is not the only scientific error in these hadiths! Muhammad suppposedly said: "A human being has three hundred and sixty joints ..." and this was clearly a general statement about ALL human beings, not merely about one exceptional human being. This is proven by the formulation in the other hadith stating, "Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; ..." as well as by the fact that the obligation to do 360 sadaqa applied to everyone. Where is the problem? Well, Muhammad apparently did not know that not all human beings have the same number of bones and joints. Not even all adult people have the same number. Particularly, however, the number of bones and joints changes while growing up. After birth they first increase for a number of years, and later they decrease again. [Some details will be given at the end of Appendix 1.] Muhammad's statements were clearly made under the assumption that all people have the same number of joints. Thus, he is not only wrong about the number 360, but also in the assumption that the number is constant and equal in all human beings.
Confusion and contradiction: Did Muhammad speak about joints or about bones?
Let's have another look at the first hadith quoted by O. Abdallah as basis for his claim of Muhammad's statement being scientifically true. In the following we quote first the original Arabic version, and then give the translation in which we are going to highlight two important words:
إنه خلق كل إنسان من بني آدم على ستين وثلاث مائة مفصل فمن كبر الله وحمد الله وهلل الله وسبح الله واستغفر الله وعزل حجرا عن طريق الناس أو شوكة أو عظما عن طريق الناس وأمر بمعروف أو نهى عن منكر عدد تلك الستين والثلاث مائة السلامى فإنه يمشي يومئذ وقد زحزح نفسه عن النار
Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty mefsal; so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty salama, will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith Number 2199; emphasis ours)
Comparing our rendering of this hadith with the official Muslim translation by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui (see above), we observe that Siddiqui left the word salama simply untranslated (whether intentionally or unintentionally). However, for our discussion this word is rather important.
What are the meanings of the two words mefsal and salama? The Arabic-English online dictionary at ajeeb.com provides the following meanings:
mefsal:
[a number of different meanings in other contexts that are not relevant here]in the context of human anatomy: knuckle, articulation, joint
salama:
digital bone, phalange, phalanx
Some of the words in the second entry may not be familiar to readers who are not native English speakers. Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language defines "digit" as "a finger or toe", and states that in the context of anatomy or zoology "phalange" is a synonym of "phalanx" and both denote "any of the bones of the fingers or toes".
Before we return to the above hadith from Sahih Muslim, it will be instructive to look at two consecutive narrations found in the Sunan Abu Dawud. The first of these was quoted by Abdallah, the second was (deliberately?) ignored, since it would have undermined his case. In the translation by Prof. Ahmad Hasan we read:
Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: A human being has three hundred and sixty joints (Arabic: mefsal) for each of which he must give alms. The people asked him: Who is capable of doing this? He replied: It may be mucus in the mosque which you bury, and something which you remove from the road; but if you do not find such, two rak'ahs in the forenoon will be sufficient for you. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5222; emphasis ours)
Narrated AbuDharr: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: In the morning alms are due from every bone (Arabic: salama) in man's fingers and toes. Salutation to everyone he meets is alms; enjoining good is alms; forbidding what is disreputable is alms; removing what is harmful from the road is alms; having sexual intercourse with his wife is alms. The people asked: He fulfils his desire, Apostle of Allah; is it alms? He replied: Tell me if he fulfilled his desire where he had no right, would he commit a sin? He then said: Two rak'ahs which one prays in the forenoon serve instead of all that. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5223; emphasis ours)
Both hadiths obviously deal with the same topic, but in the first tradition Muhammad speaks about the JOINTS, while in the second one he speaks about the BONES. However, joints are not bones and bones are not joints. Furthermore, does he speak about all the joints/bones in the whole human body, or does he speak only about the joints/bones in the fingers and toes? Fingers and toes are obviously only a small part of the human body. On a spiritual level both hadiths are similar enough. They speak about the obligation of giving alms (sadaqa), and give definitions of what can be counted as sadaqa, and even give the same conclusion that two rak'ahs in the morning are sufficient sadaqa for the whole day. However, the topic of this article is the alleged scientific accuracy of Muhammad's claims in regard to human anatomy.
On the scientific level, however, these two hadiths contradict each other, since bones and joints are different entities and concepts. If we do not even know whether Muhammad talked about bones or about joints, the statement is useless for scientific evaluation because it is not precise. Is one of the hadith corrupted? How would we know which is the corrupted one and which one is correct? Moreover, if it is possible that one is corrupted, how do we know that they are not both corrupted? Alternatively, we could assume that Muhammad at one occasion spoke what is reported in the first version and at another occasion said what is found in the second version. If these are narrations about separate events, then it is possible that both are historical. However, this interpretation is rather strained, and this would raise a number of different questions: Do the two rak'ahs substitute for the alms due for the joints or for the alms due for the bones? Should a Muslim maybe pray four rak'ahs in the morning: two rak'ahs for the joints and two for the bones — just to be on the safe side? Or are the two rak'ahs covering both obligations simultaneously although Muhammad never said so? Also, this ‘solution’ would imply that Muhammad himself is confused and forgetful.
Although not very credible, this interpretion that they are reporting two different events is perhaps a possibility in regard to the two narrations found in the Sunan Abu Dawud. More precisely: This suggestion would be a possibility if these were the only narrations on the topic, but there are several more which is further complicating the matter. Whatever the impact of those other traditions, this ‘solution’ is definitely NOT possible for the tradition found in Sahih Muslim:
Aisha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty JOINTS (mefsal); so he who declares the Glory of Allah, praises Allah, declares Allah to be One, glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins what is good and forbids from evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty DIGITAL BONES (salama), will walk that day having removed himself from Hell. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith Number 2199)
What is it, Muhammad? Make up your mind! Are we supposed to count the joints or the bones? Or is the true meaning of this statement that we have both: 360 joints in all of the body AND 360 bones in our fingers and toes? This would be completely wrong and utterly ridiculous. Moreover, this interpretation is impossible since the word "those" in the last part of the sentence points back to the first mention of "360" and the statement as recorded is really identifying bones with joints as if they were the same. This is a gross scientific error.
[ Now we also know why the Muslim translator of the hadith left the word salama untranslated. A correct translation would have revealed immediately that Muhammad's statement is complete nonsense. Therefore, he decided to cover up the error by a dishonest translation. This advice proves to be true again: if you need to know the exact meaning of a verse in the Qur'an, of a saying of Muhammad, or of other Muslim source materials, never simply trust the Muslim translations. Always get a second opinion. ]
The above discoveries now leave us with the following two alternatives:
Muhammad is confused, contradicting himself, and making completely unscientific statements.
These canonical collections of hadiths are confused, contradictory, and unreliable. Therefore they are (not only) scientifically useless.
In either case, Abdallah's attempted argument for the divine inspiration and authority of Muhammad is dead. The discussion in this last section provides even more evidence of how shoddy and untrustworthy Osama Abdallah's ‘research’ truly is.
Summary on the scientific aspects covered in this paper
First, O. Abdallah claimed that Muhammad's statement was scientifically proven in 1995. Every part of the alleged scientific evidence turned out to be bogus, being not only unscientific but plainly ridiculous.
Second, this particular statement by Muhammad cannot serve as proof for the divine origin of the teachings of Islam since it fails the test for being a genuine ‘scientific miracle’ on several counts:
The belief that the human body has 360 joints was already nearly a millenium old at the time of Muhammad and may even have been common knowledge in Muhammad's environment.
No supernatural revelation is needed to determine the number of joints. A complete and detailed autopsy may be a tedious task, but it was perfectly possible to do so in Muhammad's time.
Muhammad's claim about the number of joints is wrong in two respects:
Muhammad's assumption that all humans have the same number of joints is wrong.
Muhammad's claim that the human body has 360 joints is wrong also for the average adult person.
Muhammad's statements on the issue are at best very imprecise, but more likely they are plain contradictory. Therefore they can hardly be considered as scientific statements. We do not even know whether he is talking about bones or joints.
This concludes our rebuttal to Osama Abdallah's propaganda that "Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true" by recent scientific research. If these narrations have any implication for the credibility of Islam, then they are evidence that Islam is wrong.
Jochen Katz (German, mathematician)together with "Wildcat" (American, medical student) and Khaled (Iraqi Arab Christian, formerly Muslim)
Appendix 1: The number of joints in the adult human body
Before we get into the nitty-gritty and rather technical details, let us first present the rather amazing result of searching the internet with Google for the expression "joints in the human body" (i.e. without specifying any number beforehand). We want to share with you a quite amusing collection of quotes that should get you into the right mood for this section:
There are 230 joints in the human body. (Source, and many more)
187 joints in the human body. (Source)
There are 143 different joints in the human body (Source 1, 2, 3, and more)
100 joints in the human body (Source)
There are roughly 640 muscles and 100 joints in the human body. (Source)
Most of the ~150 bone joints in the human body are ... (Source)
three hundred sixty five joints in the human body (Source)
Altogether there are 68 joints in the human body. (Source)
about 70 moveable joints in the human body. (Source)
There are hundreds of joints in the human body. (Source 1, 2)
There are hundreds ( far too many to count! ) of joints in the human body ... (Source)
There are 147 joints in the human body (Source)
There are nearly 200 joints in the human body. (Source)
248 joints in the human body (Source)
Conclusion? Anyone who used to simply believe something that he "found on the internet" without carefully checking up on the facts should be cured now. The above listed sources are largely not even amateur sites, but include university pages, news agencies and pages of professional health care organizations! Some webpages simply and more wisely state:
There are many joints in the human body. (Source 1, 2)
The two most commonly claimed numbers are "230 joints" (usually found on "Did you know that ...", "Amazing facts ...", etc. trivia pages) and "143 joints" (mainly found on pages about arthritis). One thing should be obvious: If you only search for "360 joints" you will find those sites that claim that the human body has 360 joints. If you only search for "230 joints" you will find those sites that confirm what you searched for. It is very easy to get your intended result ‘confirmed’ with a certain number of webpages. It holds true in many areas that the form of a question often determines the answer. True knowledge is all about asking the right questions. Furthermore, it is essential to develop the ability to distinguish between credible and untrustworthy sources.
Before we discovered the extent of confusion on this issue and compiled the above list, we did what Abdallah should have done before publishing his nonsense: We checked out his claims in a medical school textbook on human anatomy. For the list of joints given below we refer to the 4th edition of "Clinically Oriented Anatomy" by Keith L. Moore and Arthur F. Dalley. The Fourth Edition was published in 1999 and is still in use by medical schools in the United States. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find statements anywhere that indicate the exact number of joints found in the human body. However, the textbook we have in our possession lists the joints of the body. Below we will actually list these by name according to body part and give the total number in each part. Finally, we will add up all of the numbers to determine approximately how many joints there are in the human body. The great differences in the above listed numbers may in part be explained that different authors are using different definitions for what is to be counted as "a joint". For example, if one would only count those "bone connections" that allow at least some movement this would then exclude the sutures of the skull. Since those above listed pages mostly do not make their definitions explicit, we are left guessing. However, for our own list, we want to be precise and first ask: What is a joint? Furthermore, to be as fair as possible, we will use the widest definition that is still reasonable in order to allow a greater number of joints to be found. In addition, note that the author of the textbook we are using is Keith L. Moore, who is referred to by many Muslims as a prime authority in anatomy and is their "main witness" to another alleged scientific miracle (cf. the articles on embryology in the section on Qur'an and Science).
Let's begin. Our source defines "joint" as ...
Within a couple of weeks we will publish here our result of counting the joints of the human body. This is a tedious work, and we just discovered that not all joints are listed in the above mentioned textbook. Therefore we have to check a couple of further sources.
In the meantime, the reader is invited to do his own research. We particularly admonish Osama Abdallah to visit a medical library, count joints, and finally do some serious research to back up his claims before we publish our result.
There is one essential question that O. Abdallah and everyone should answer before starting to count: What would Muhammad and his companions have understood under the term mefsal (joint)? Does this refer to each and every kind of connection or contact between two bones? What about the sutures in the skull where two bone plates are connected like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and this connection is so tight that it does not allow movement ... Is this to be counted as a joint or not? In common understanding a joint is something that allows movement to some extent in at least one direction. In some medical textbooks sutures are listed as a kind of joint. In others they are a separate category. What about the teeth? Are teeth to be counted as bones and the locations where they are implanted in the jawbone as joints? Different answers to all of these foundational questions will obviously lead to greatly differing numbers of bones/joints. The definitions will determine the answers. However, honesty demands to make the definitions FIRST and to count afterwards. Otherwise, the same will happen as in the other miracle claim that the Quran supposedly contains the word "day" exactly 365 times (the number of days in the year). Actually, the word is there more than 400 times, but the decision whether to count the word only in the singular and/or in the plural and/or with or without a certain preposition preceding it ... gives so many parameters to manipulate that one can arrive at nearly every number one likes. For details, please see the article How many days are there in a year according to the Qur'an?
Osama Abdallah's response so far:
12/25/2003- A message for the answering Islam web site. I have not ignored nor forgotten about your latest so-called "rebuttal" to my "360 joints in the human body" article. Once my computer science graduate school (Ph.D.) starts again on January 20th insha'Allah (if Allah Almighty is Willing), I will do extensive research in the human anatomy research section in the university's library (in the Ph.D. research section) and shut your lousy mouths and site once and for all insha'Allah. You said that you have given me the "worst Muslim argument" award. My response to you is: An insult from the disgraced is a compliment by itself. I will once again insha'Allah debunk your mantras and prove you to be clearly in the wrong. (What's new on Answering Christianity?)
We are looking forward to Abdallah's count of joints. However, even if there should accidentally be 360 joints, his argument is still incredibly bad. The verdict will remain: repetitions of claims is not a proofs and phone numbers are not scientific evidence either. The expression "worst argument" was not awarded for the choice of the topic (the claim), but for the argument by which the claim was supposedly substantiated. As of today, 28 December 2002, Abdallah still continues to present the same links as evidence. Somehow, despite of our discussion of the alleged evidence, he still seems convinced that this is evidence (it is neither removed from the article nor has he added a note of caution!), although he announced that he will attempt to find further evidence. He should at least have added this above announcement to his "360 joints" article instead of his "what's new" page.
In case you missed it ...
There is one more intersting aspect to Abdallah's specific claims. He wrote:
Prior to 1995 it was thought that there are 340 joints in the human body. In 1995 a scientific institute proved that the internal ear consists of 10 joints each. Thus 20 joints were added and the discovery was made that the human body consists of 360 joints. Please refer to any medical encyclopedia on this.
As observed above, one can find a good number of webpages to support each of the opinions that the human body has 230 joints (trivia pages) or 143 joints (arthritis pages) or 360 joints (Muslim pages and Chinese philosophy pages). But is there anyone who shares Abdallah's claim that before 1995 it was believed that the human body had 340 joints? Searching for "340 joints" yields (currently) only those two Muslim pages making the claim under discussion here. Thus, the claim that before 1995 people believed that the human body had 340 joints seems to be completely unknown otherwise and is simply a Muslim hoax.
We found one Arabic webpage mentioning a similar claim:
ولم يثبت إلا بعد 1996 ميلاديا أن عدد المفاصل 360 مفصل، وهذا يدل على ان هذا العلم جاء من قبل ربه.
Approximate translation of the meaning of the above quotation: "It has never been proven before that there are 360 joints until after 1996. That proves that this knowledge came from his lord (i.e. was revealed to Mohamed by God)." Although being close, "until after 1996" is obviously different from "in the year 1995". Apparently, there are a number of different (independent?) hoaxes that are circulating among Muslims on this issue. The above source knows nothing about the alleged earlier belief of 340 joints, nor does it make any statement about a recent discovery of ten joints in the internal ear. It seems to be a more primitive version of the hoax which later was extended with further invented details. According to the Arabic source, this statement was made by an Egyptian medical doctor under the name Abdel Baset Sayed in answer to a question during an interview in 5/8/2003.
Why did we so far speak only about the ADULT human body?
The whole discussion is further complicated by the fact that the number of bones and joints in our bodies does not remain constant during our lifetime, nor do all people have the same number of bones (and thus joints) even as adults. The teeth are the most obvious example. Newborn babies have no teeth. In the first years children usually grow 20 teeth. Adults usually have 32 teeth (though not everyone gets the wisdom teeth). Thus the number of teeth (bones) and their sockets (joints) clearly changes. But there is more:
The total number of bones varies at different ages. At birth, the human body contains ~270 bones. This number declines slightly during infancy as a few separate segments join to form single bones. From young childhood through puberty, the bone count increases as wrist and ankle bones develop. Post-adolescence, the bone count steadily declines again with the gradual union of independent bones. (Source)
... Babies are born with bones that are soft and flexible. Babies' bones have lots of cartilage, the flexible material that will later harden into bone material. In fact, babies have around 300 bones at first. Later, as the bones harden, some of these will fuse together until the adult number of 206 bones is reached. (Source)
Of the 206 bones in the average adult human body, ... (Source)
One in 20 people has an extra rib. (Source)
As observed above, Muhammad apparently assumed that the number of bones/joints in the human body is the same for all people and that it remains constant. Thus, this constitutes another error on his part. We will not go into any detail on this issue. Apart from noting that this is another error, it is not important to our discussion to determine the exact number of bones and joints at each age. We leave this exercise to Abdallah if he thinks he could get any mileage out of it.
Appendix 2: Why the ‘Scientific Miracles’ are so VERY IMPORTANT to Osama Abdallah
The following is just a sample of what is found on Abdallah's website. In the article Muhammad and Dogs many superstitious beliefs of Muhammad were discussed. O. Abdallah did little but simply deny that they are superstitious, and concludes his defense of Islam with:
Islam is not about superstition. Islam is about purity, cleanliness and having the best manners toward Allah Almighty's Prayers. Your article above did not disprove Islam in anyway. ...
The Noble Quran did prove itself to be a Divine Revelation from Allah Almighty, because of its Everlasting Miracle that exists within it. Let's look at a sample of the Noble Quran's Miracles and proofs of Divine Truthfulness:
Science in Islam: ...
Embryology, Human Anatomy, Formation and Creation from the time of sexual intercourse to the time of birth: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall.
Note that throughout this section emphasis by underlining is ours. The above is only a small excerpt since Abdallah's long list of ‘miracles’ actually takes up about six screens/pages. Let's look into a few more of his articles. Muhammad serious contradicted himself on the issue of inheritance and the making of wills, breaking several of the commands he had given to be observed by all Muslims. O. Abdallah wrote a response to our article in which he writes again:
The Living and Everlasting Miracle in the Noble Quran is a whole a lot stronger than giving narrations like this in an attempt to disprove Islam. The Noble Quran had proven itself to be the Divine Truth from Allah Almighty: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Again, Abdallah does little more than brushing the problem aside and instead points to the miracle of science confirming Islam. Even if all else fails, for him this seems to be the proof that overpowers all other problems.
Among other difficult issues, Sam Shamoun pointed out one problem in Surah 37:147 regarding Jonah and the city of Niniveh, to which Osama Abdallah responds in his article, My rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's "Allah's Guessing Game, Is Allah an All-Knowing GOD?" article:
I personally don't care what the Bible claims. But as to the Noble Quran, I honestly don't have an answer as to why Allah Almighty chose to say "or more". It is probably referring to ... But I am not certain if that's what it really means. ...
I know onething for certain: Even though the use of "or more" in Noble Verse 37:147 is really difficult to explain; at least for now, but this still doesn't mean that Allah Almighty doesn't know about every atom of things that occurs in the Heavens and Earth: ...
It also doesn't mean that the Noble Quran's Miracle is not an everlasting one. Please check out the following links to see the True Miracles of the Noble Quran: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Further down in the very SAME article he repeats the whole lengthy list (six pages!) of scientific miracles again as proof for the truth of Islam (including the link to the 360 joints article).
Responding to the arguments in a paper discussing Muhammad's Suicide Attempts, Abdallah gives this impressive rebuttal:
All of these doubts and uncertainties about Islam's Truth would fall when you objectively read the Noble Quran and examine it's Holy Claims. All you have is conclusions and theories about Muhammad being this and Muhammad being that. Muhammad might have thought about committing suicide, but HE NEVER ACTUALLY DID TRY TO COMMIT IT, like for instance actually throwing himself from the mountain, or cutting his wrist, etc...
Again, please view the Noble Quran's Miracles to see the real Divine Truth of Islam: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Does anyone besides Abdallah consider this an answer to the issue?
In another article on Osama's Mantras, Sam Shamoun showed how irrational Abdallah's arguments really are (on the topic of the deity of Jesus). What is Abdallah's "answer"? You are probably able to guess it by now ... He writes:
The Miracle of the Noble Quran is within it. If the Noble Quran was a bunch of narartions, conversations and nonsense as most of the Bible is, then I would be the first to attack it.
My favorite Miracles in the Noble Quran are ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Does Abdallah not realize that he completely misses the mark? Whether or not Adam was 90 feet tall will not make any one of Abdallah's arguments on the deity of Christ any more rational than before. If anything, with this answer he only proved that his arguments are indeed completely irrational. And yet again, the whole six-page list is included TWICE in this "rebuttal" as well.
In reaction to Sam Shamoun's rebuttal to Jamal Badawi's claims, Abdallah writes:
My rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's "The Seven Wonders of the Quran" article:
This article is a rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's article, which is located at: http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/wonders.htm. All of the material of the article had been refuted at: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Abdallah simply lists nearly the same six pages of alleged scientific miracles instead of directly interacting with even one of Sam Shamoun's arguments. Talk about a mantra! NO, sorry Mr. Abdallah, these do not refute Shamoun's arguments in the least.
Even into the debate with Sam Shamoun on the relationship of baptism, salvation and sanctification, Abdallah manages to insert his favorite but completely unrelated argument:
The Noble Quran's Miracle is an inner and everlasting one that will continue to exist until the Day of Judgement. Every Prophet's miracle died when he died or left. Today, we no longer see people splitting seas in half, creating snakes from wooden sticks, raising the dead, and curing the blind. These Miracles no longer exist today. But the Noble Quran's Miracle exists within it. Let us look at some of those Miracles: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
That certainly helped to clarify the issue under discussion, right?
In his response to Silas' article on Muhammad and the Snakes, arguing against Muhammad's superstition that many snakes are evil spirit beings, we find:
So far you have presented nothing of substance to argue about here, because Jinns are mentioned in the Noble Quran: ...
Now, if you ask how I would know that Jinns do exist, then I would tell you that I believe the Noble Quran's Holy Claims, because the Noble Quran had proven itself to me that it is the True Revelation of Allah Almighty: ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Again, Abdallah does not really interact with the argument. He certainly does not care whether or not it is "scientific" to believe that snakes are spirit beings which only look like snakes. Despite the fact that Islam is full of unscientific elements, he derives all his confidence in Islam from some alleged congruences between Islam and science. This is again an article where it was not enough for Abdallah to quote the same six pages of links only once. No, he included them twice, since later in the same article we find:
Your conclusion is bogus, and your lack of information about snakes in the Middle East prompted you to write this ridiculous article that proved absolutely nothing about Islam being a false religion. Islam is not about superstition. The Noble Quran did prove itself to be a Divine Revelation from Allah Almighty, because of its Everlasting Miracle that exists within it. Let's look at a sample of the Noble Quran's Miracles and proofs of Divine Truthfulness:
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
There is no longer a surprise, that Abdallah's reaction to the article, Muhammad and the Animals, is exactly the same as all the others when he states:
So far, nothing of substance is presented here. Not everything in the Noble Quran needs to be proven by facts, especially the historical statements. The Noble Quran did, however, prove itself to be a Divine Revelation from Allah Almighty, because of its Everlasting Miracle that exists within it. Let's look at a sample of the Noble Quran's Miracles and proofs of Divine Truthfulness:
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
Again, he needs no proof where the claims of Islam are "difficult", but will believe Islam is true because Muhammad said there are 360 joints in the human body which is wrong as well. And Abdallah never becomes tired to repeat the same six pages of science claims another time in this same article as well (and a thousand and one times on his site):
What the Prophet peace be upon him here is doing is trying to keep the Muslims constantly praying within themselves and to always remember Allah Almighty. Using animals as reminders or incentives does not hurt. This does not nullify Islam in anyway, even if it looks a little strange.
Again, the Noble Quran did prove itself to be a Divine Revelation from Allah Almighty, because of its Everlasting Miracle that exists within it. Let's look at a sample of the Noble Quran's Miracles and proofs of Divine Truthfulness:
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
And it continues in this way without end.
It is obvious that Osama Abdallah bases his faith in Islam primarily on these alleged scientific miracles supposedly found in the Qur'an and sayings of the prophet.
The article, Muhammad the Sinner, apparently caused him even more problems than others, since he included his six-page mantra about the scientific miracle THREE TIMES in his response to that one. On the same grounds, another hard one for him seemed to be his rebuttal to "60 Questions Muslims Don't Like to Be Asked!, since we find it included three times in that article as well. I will only quote one of them. In response to this theological question:
60- Muslims reject the gospel story of Jesus being a substitute for our sins, the just for the unjust. They use the illustration of a man having to pay for a speeding ticket he did not commit. My question is: How do you explain that in the Muslim view of the cross, someone completely innocent died in Jesus place, after God made him appear to be Jesus? Was not this a Substitutionary sacrifice?
Abdallah "answers" with these words:
GOD Almighty does what He Wills, and the Ultimate reward is in the Day of Judgement and not in this life. Also, the Noble Quran doesn't necessarily suggest that Jesus was substituted by someone else. It could be referring to Jesus not dying nor getting crucified, nor feeling pain, but it was made appear to his enemies.
What ever the case is, it is Allah Almighty's Divine Wisdom and Decission. Islam had proven itself to be Divine and Miraculous, and the Bible had proven itself to be corrupted and altered by men. ...
Science in Islam: ...
Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!
The Jewish Scientists confirm Islam's claims about Adam was 90 feet tall. ...
In other words: I don't really have an answer, but I know Islam is true because "Science" has proven Islam to be true. This article may beat all his other ones. Not only is the complete six-page list of links repeated three times in it, but parts of the list are repeated even more often. In particular the link "Islam's claim about the 360 joints in the human body was proven to be true!" is included in this one paper as a proof of Islam SIX TIMES! Certainly this is sufficient proof of just how important this particular claim is for Abdallah's confidence in Islam. Too bad for him that Muhammad's "very important scientific claim" IS COMPLETELY WRONG.
There are probably even more articles on his site that contain the same references and claims over and over again. In these two articles, The human embryonic development and Embryology in the Noble Quran:, the link to the "360 joints" article is part of a different short list of links. However, the point is made and we finish our investigation at this point.
In the end, the most interesting question will be this: Is Osama Abdallah going to draw any consequence from the fact that Muhammad was wrong? Only removing this one claim from his long list would be too simple and too cheap. The question is whether or not Abdallah will finally start to rethink his whole approach and if a list of alleged scientific miracles can really be a secure foundation for his confidence in Islam, particularly since there are at the same time so many scientific errors in Islam, starting with this claim of 360 joints in the human body.
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