The Reasons why Muslims believe that God exists – Part 16
Scientific facts in
the story of the flood of Nuh (Noah)
We sent Nuh to his
people and he remained among them for fifty short of a thousand years; yet the
Flood engulfed them while they were wrongdoers.
[Qur'an Surat
al-‘Ankabut 29, 14]
The Prophet Nuh (a.s)
spent many years advising the people to whom he was sent as a prophet to put an
end to ascribing partners to Allah (The One & Only God) and to abandon
their improper behavior.
Even though he warned
his people about the wrath of Allah (The One God) several times, they still did
not believe the Prophet Nuh (a.s) and continued in their polytheism.
At this, Allah (The
One God) told the Prophet Nuh (a.s) that He would punish those who denied Him
by drowning them, but that believers would be saved.
The destruction of the
people of Nuh and the salvation of those who believed is described as follows
in the Qur’an:
But they denied him
so We rescued him and those with him in the Ark. And We drowned the people who
denied Our signs. They were a blind people.[Qur'an Surat
al-A‘raf 7, 64]
The events that took
place when the time for Allah’s (The One God's) promised punishment came are described thus:
So when Our command
came, and water bubbled up from the earth, We said, “Load into it a pair of
every species, and your family – except for those against whom the Word was
preordained – and all who believe.” But those who believed with him were only
few.
[Qur'an Surat Hud
11, 40]
The beginning of the
punishment is described as when “water bubbled up from the earth.” The Arabic
word translated as “tannoor” is “alttannooru.” This describes a
kind of oven made by digging a hole in the ground, and therefore refers
to the volcanic fire inside a mountain. (Allah knows the truth.) The
Arabic word “wafara” in the verse means “burned strongly,
produced bubbles, boiled up, boiled over, produced a foam.” Therefore, the
reference in the verse would seem to be to the flowing, molten lava in the
mountain.
In another verse, the
time for the Prophet Nuh (a.s) to board the Ark is described as “when water bubbles
up from the earth” in another verse.
This may also be a reference to hot steam or smoke rising from a volcano
immediately before an eruption:
We revealed to him:
“Build the ship under Our supervision and as We reveal. When Our command comes
and water bubbles up from the earth, load into it a pair of every species, and
your family – except for those among them against whom the word has already
gone ahead. And do not address Me concerning those who do wrong. They shall be
drowned.
[Qur'an Surat
al-Muminun 23, 27]
The molten lava
flowing in the wake of the eruption may have caused the ice on the mountain to
melt; intense steam caused by the combination of heat and cold as the molten
lava flowed into the sea may have given rise to intense rains.
Flooding was the
result of these phenomena, and sources of water on land may also have
overflowed as a consequence of the severe rains: (Allah knows the truth.)
So We opened the
gates of heaven with torrential water and made the earth burst forth with
gushing springs. And the waters met together in a way which was decreed. We
bore him on a planked and well-caulked ship...
[Qur'an Surat
al-Qamar 54, 11-13]
Apart from those who
boarded the Prophet Nuh’s (a.s) Ark were drowned, including the prophet’s son
who imagined he could escape by seeking refuge on a mountain nearby:
It sailed with them
through mountainous waves, and Nuh called out to his son, who had kept himself
apart, “My son! Come on board with us. Do not stay with the unbelievers!” He
said, “I will take refuge on a mountain; It will protect me from the flood.” He
said, “There is no protection from Allah’s command today except for those He
has mercy on.” The waves surged in between them and he was among the
drowned.
[Qur'an Surah Hud
11, 42-43]
When the floodwaters
finally receded, the Ark settled on al-Judi as stated in the Qur’an, meaning a
very high place:
It was said,
“Earth, swallow up your water!” and, ‘Heaven, hold back your rain!” And the
water subsided and the affair was concluded and the Ark came to land on
al-Judi. And it was said, “Away with the people of the wrongdoers!”
[Qur'an Surat Hud
11, 44]
When the mountains
shortly after stopped churning forth lava, the waters resumed their former
equilibrium as the air cooled down and withdrew back underground; some of it
may also have risen into the air as water vapor.
The water level
returned to normal. Allah’s command to the earth to “swallow!” and to the sky to “hold back!” revealed in the
Qur’an, summarized this very concisely.
The Arabic word “belea,” which appears in
the verse in the form “iblaAAee,” means “swallow up and
eliminate, pull back.” The reference to the
earth swallowing up its water notes the formation of subterranean water sources
as the water on the surface retreats underground again.
The Arabic verb "aklaa," which takes the
form"aqliAAee" in the verse,
means “the dispersal of clouds, rain stopping, or abandoning a matter or course
of action.”
The description is
thus in a way, the cooling down of the air as lava stops flowing, the stopping
of rain as a result of the water vapor level in the air returning to normal,
and the dispersing of the remaining water vapor in the clouds into the air.
(Allah knows the truth.)
This chain of events,
in complete agreement with the scientific facts, is indicated in the wisest
possible terms in the Qur’an.
It is just one of the
proofs that the Qur’an, which contains such information, comprising many
branches of science, such as geography, geology and meteorology, is in complete
harmony with science.
Your sister
Mai
Mai
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