Source: The Study Quran: A New Translation And Commentary By Seyyed Hossein Nasr

By Muzaffar Iqbal: A Pakistani-Canadian Islamic scholar

The Quran invites its readers to reflect on various aspects of the three manifest realms from which it draws most of its arguments: the cosmos (āfāq), the human self (nafs), and history (āthār). This Quranic invitation is directed toward instilling an unshakable certitude about its message in the hearts and minds of its readers. The first and foremost message of the Quran is tawḥīd, the uncompromising Oneness of God—the Originator (al-Mubdiʾ) of everything, the absolute Sovereign, Who has set signs (āyāt) throughout His creation, so that Truth (al-ḥaqq) can be distinguished from falsehood (al-bāṭil): We shall show them Our signs upon the horizons and within themselves till it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. Does it not suffice that thy Lord is Witness over all things? (41:53).

All that exists, the Quran tells us, exists because of God, because unto God belongs sovereignty over the heavens and the earth (e.g., 2:107; 3:189; 9:116). This ontological dependence on the Creator ennobles existing things; they become signs (āyāt) of a transcendent Real (al-Ḥaqq), Who, nevertheless, remains beyond them. Thus the “sign verses” of the Quran have an irresistible urgency,1 drawing our attention to what lies beyond the phenomena they mention. Viewed from the Quranic perspective in this way, the rhythmic alternation of the day and the night (2:164) and the regularities in the movement of the sun and the moon traversing their courses by the decree of the Mighty, the Knowing (36:38–39) are not merely cosmic processes; rather, these are signs pointing toward the existence of the Compassionate (al-Raḥmān) and the Merciful (al-Raḥīm), Who made neither the night nor the day perpetual, for if God should make night come over you unceasingly until the Day of Resurrection, the Quran asks rhetorically, what god other than God would bring you light? (28:71). Likewise,

If God should make day come over you unceasingly until the Day of Resurrection, what god other than God would bring you night, that you might rest therein? Will you not, then, see? Out of His Mercy He made for you night and day, that you may rest therein, and that you may seek of His Bounty, and that haply you may give thanks. (28:72–73)

The Quran presents the entire cosmic order as proof for its message. Observable processes of the manifest cosmos—such as the movement of stars and planets—are not orderly merely because they observe certain laws of nature, but rather because the One Who created them has set a specific course for them. In fact, the concept of “laws of nature” independent of a Lawgiver is essentially a secular concept, because it makes “nature” a giver of law or at least imbues nature with some inherent order independent of the Creator. The Quran asserts, however, that authority to make laws rests with God alone —the Sovereign and Ruler of the Cosmos:

The sun runs to a dwelling place of its own. That is the decree of the Mighty, the Knowing. And for the moon, We have decreed mansions, till it returns like an old palm stalk. It befits not the sun to overtake the moon, nor the night to outstrip the day. Each glides in an orbit. (36:38–40)

Thus placed within the broader thematic structure of the Quran, these references to nature have traditionally been understood as integrally linked to its overall message. These signs were considered worthy of deep reflection, and it was understood also that one cannot fathom the mysteries of these signs without understanding their scientific content in the traditional sense. The sign verses, therefore, remained a central focus of scientific activity in Islam, and generations of scientists and commentators of the Quran wrote on their significance.

Read further on page 2936/3800 of the PDF file:

Comments by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times

The above is one of the 15 articles at the end of the above commentary and it nicely summarizes the scientific commentary of the Quran till the 20th century.

I believe, it serves as a good foundation for my work of the last two decades, as I continue the never ending task of understanding the word of God, the Quran, in light of His works or creation, which is the cosmos. In my endeavor, I am not only learning from the Muslim theologians and scholars but also the Jewish, Christian, agnostic and atheist philosophers and scientists.

Given all my sources, I believe that the 21st century travelers will find it a useful resource. With this in mind and seeking Allah’s Grace, I am presenting my collection on the following themes, to be read in continuity of the above:

 ABRAHAMIC – FAITHS MONOTHEISM

QURAN AFTERLIFE  COSMOLOGY  EVOLUTION 

RELIGION & SCIENCE