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  Quran is not a scientific textbook  

 

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As for what many people claim, in the past and in modern times, that the Qur'an contains sciences, industry, inventions etc. They ascribe to the Qur'an every science, mentioned by the ancient and modern authors, in terms of the natural and chemical sciences, logic and other subjects. It has not basis and the reality of the Qur'an refutes them. The Qur'an did not intend to establish any of the things they claim. All ayāt of the Qur'an is are but ; thoughts demonstrating the greatness of Allah the Exalted and ahkām to treat the actions of the servants of Allah the Exalted. As for what took place in terms of the sciences there is not a single ayah or part of an ayah (let alone verses) with the slightest indication of any one of the sciences.As for the ayāt which can be applied to theories or facts like the verse: ' Allah is He Who sends the winds, so they raise clouds.'(al-Rūm: 48) The ayah has come to demonstrate the power and ability of Allah the Exalted not to prove scientific viewpoints. As for His the Exalted saying: ' And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur'an) as an exposition (tibyan) of everything.' (al-Nahl: 89) What is intended is everything from the obligations and worships and whatever relates to that as evidenced by the text of the verse. It pertains to the subject of obligations which the Messengers conveyed to the people. And the text of the ayah is: ' And (remember) the Day when We shall raise up from every nation a witness against them from amongst themselves. And We shall bring you (O Muhammad (saw)) as a witness against these. And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur'an) as an exposition (tibyan) of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allah as Muslims).' (al-Nahl: 89) Allah the Exalted bringing a Messenger as a witness over his Ummah means he is a witness over them regarding that which he conveyed to them. And the fact that he revealed the Qur'an to clarify everything means it is a guidance, mercy and glad tidings for the Muslims. Which definitely means that the thing is not natural science, logic or geography or any other subject. But it is a thing that relates to the Message. that is, that the Book is an exposition of their ahkāms, worships and beliefs (aqa'id). A guidance by which people are guided and a mercy for them which saves them from misguidance and glad tidings for the Muslims of janna (Paradise) and the Good Pleasure of Allah the Exalted. It has no relationship to anything other than the deen and its obligations. So the meaning of 'exposition (tibyan) of everything': is designated as any issues of Islam. As for His the Exalted saying: ' We have neglected nothing in the Book.'(al-An’ām: 38) What is meant by 'Book' is the preserved tablet (al-lawh al-mahfuz) which is the knowledge of Allah ta'ala. The word 'kitab' (book) is a homonym which is explained by the setting in which it came. So, when Allah the Exalted says: ' This is the Book (the Qur'an), whereof there is no doubt.'(al-Baqarah: 2) it is the Qur'an that is meant. And when He the Exalted says: ' You knew not what is the Book.'(al-Shurā: 52) that is, how to write. But when He the Exalted said: ' And with Him is the Mother of the Book.'(al-Ra’d: 39)And He the Exalted says: ' That is written in the Book (of our decrees).'(al-Isrā’: 58)' We have neglected nothing in the Book.'(al-An’ām: 38)' Were it not a previous ordainment from Allah.'(al-Anfāl: 68)' But is written in a Clear Record (kitab mubin).'(al-An’ām: 59)' All is in a Clear Record (kitab mubin).'(Hūd: 6)' Nor is a part cut off from his life but is in a Book.'(Fātir: 11) All of this mean the knowledge of Allah the Exalted. And His the Exalted saying: ' Written in the Book (of our decrees).'(al-Isrā’: 58) that is, the preserved tablet (al-lawh al-mahfuz) which means His the Exalted knowledge. And His the Exalted saying: 'We have neglected nothing in the Book.'(al-An’ām: 38) has come clearly as the knowledge of Allah the Exalted. Since the complete ayah says: ' There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book.'(al-An’ām: 38) Similar to His the Exalted saying: ' What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing.' (al-Kahf: 49) As evidenced by the second ayah which came in the same sura (chapter) - sura al- An'am - which is: 'except it is written in a Clear Record (kitab mubin).'(al-An’ām: 59) So the verse came: ' And with Him are the keys of the ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea ; not a leaf falls, but he knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, except it is written in a Clear Record (kitab mubin).'(al-An’ām: 59) All of this indicates in this verse the word 'kitab' does not mean Qur'an. Rather, it means the preserved tablet (al-lawh al-mahfuz) which tantamount to the knowledge of Allah the Exalted. Thus, there is no indication in the ayah that the Qur'an contains sciences and other such topics. The Qur'an is devoid of any discussions about science because its vocabulary and construction (idioms) and also because the Messenger (saw) did not explain it and so it has no relationship to him. This is the reality of the Qur'an. It indicates explicitly and clearly that it consists of Arabic texts brought by the Messenger (saw) from Allah the Exalted which are not explained except without the Arabic language and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saw). As for its tafseer based on a shari'a evidence mentioned regarding a manner of tafseer. It is not real and it is without basis. Because the Qur'an itself did not clarify to us the manner in which its verses should be explained. And the Messenger (saw) has not been authentically reported to have clarified a specific way of tafseer. And the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) even though what they explained was the causes of revelation, but that was by way of a mawqūf hadīth and not by way of tafseer. even if it was by way of explanation and clarification they differed on the ayaats. Each one spoke according to his view which indicates that an ijma' (consensus) on a specific manner of tafseer did not take place. Among them there were those who used to take from then people of the Book certain israli'yyat which were narrated by the Tabi'un. And some used to reject their use. However, all of them used to understand the Qur'an according what they had in terms of knowledge of the Arabic language, and with what they understood from the Sunnah of theMessenger of Allah (saw). In terms of the saying, action, consent/silence, attribute of creation and moral character of the Messenger of Allah (saw). And this is a well known fact about all of them. Whoever used to refrain from explaining certain words andverses their restraint was due to their certainty of the meaning and not as a restriction to what the text has mentioned till he did not give an opinion except if he had reliable knowledge. But that is not called ijma' (consensus) because it does not reveal an evidence about the Messenger (saw) because the clarification of the Messenger (saw) constitutes a sunnah and not tafseer. However, since the Sahabah are the closest people to the correct opinion in the tafseer of the Qur'an due to their high rank in the Arabic language and their closeness to the one on whom the Qur'an was revealed. In what they used to agree on his (saw) behaviour, in terms of making the Arabic language such as the jahili poetry, speeches in jahiliyya and others as the only tool for understanding the vocabulary and construction of the Qur'an, and in terms of stopping at the limits of what has been mentioned about the Messenger (saw), and in terms of opening their minds in understanding the Qur'an according to those two tools. This is the best method to follow in understanding the Qur'an.

Therefore, we find that the method of explaining the Qur'an is that the Arabic language and the Prophet's (saw) Sunnah should be adopted as the only tool in understanding the Qur'an and its tafseer in terms of its vocabulary and construction, in terms of the Shari’ah meanings, Shari’ah rules, and the thoughts that have a legal reality. The method of explaining the Qur'an is that open our minds to understand the the texts to the extent that is indicated bythe speech of the Arabs and their customary usages. And whatever the words/expressions indicate in terms of Shari’ah meanings mentioned in a Shari’ah text of the Qur'an or Sunnah which is not restricted to the understanding of the previous forebears whether 'Ulama, Tabi'un or even the Sahabah. All of these are ijtihads which may be mistaken or correct. Maybe the mind is guided to the understanding of an ayah whose reality becomes conspicuous to the mufassir during an extensive perusal of the Arabic language or it becomes apparent to him during the changing of things, progress of material forms (ashkal madaniyya), realities, events. By opening the mind to creativity, by understanding not invention. The creativity in tafseer takes place within the limits demandedby the word 'tafseer' while at the same time protecting oneself from misguided invention of meanings which has absolutely no relationship to the text being explained. This conformity in understanding and giving the mind free reign by what his best understanding of the text, without restriction to the understanding of any human being except the person on whom the Qur'an was revealed, necessitates that all israiliyyat are rejected restricting oneself only to the stories mentioned in the Qur'an and rejecting what they claim to be sciences contained in the Qur'an and stopping at the limit of what the structures of the Qur'an means in terms of the ayaats which discuss the universe and whatever is intended by them in terms of clarifying the greatness of Allah the Exalted. This is the method of explaining the Qur'an, the mufassir has to adhere to it, and its burdens must be borne by whoever wishes to make tafseer of the Qur'an.


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