Quran not science book Fatwa No: 328441
- Fatwa Date:18-7-2016
Is there a part of the Quran that talks about magnetic fields and polar shifts? Thank you.
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
We have already mentioned in fataawa 116831 and 92211 that the Quran is a book of guidance for the people and that its main message is focused on bringing the people out of the darkness of disbelief to the light of faith and from the misguidance of the Jaahiliyyah (Pre-Islamic Era of Ignorance) to the guidance of Islam. Its main message is not about experimental sciences, but it may include some scientific facts that support its miraculousness, so it contains some indications and concepts in some branches of experimental science, but this is stated in general.
As for what you have specifically asked about, we are not aware that the Quran refers to magnetic fields or polar shifts, but this does not undermine the status of the Quran. Here, we deem it appropriate to quote the statement of Sayyid Qutb which he wrote in his book Fi Thilaal al-Quran :
“I am amazed by the naivety of some people who are enthusiastic about this Quran and who are trying to add to it what is not part of it or say about the Quran what it did not say or deduct from medicine, chemistry, astronomy, and so on what the Quran did not say so that they could honor the Quran by doing so! The Quran is a comprehensive book in its theme, and its theme is more comprehensive than all those sciences. Every attempt to make general Quranic indications apply to the achievements of science, such as new different theories, or even scientific truths that are not absolute, then, first of all, this involves an essential methodological error as well as three meanings, all of which are not befitting the Quran:
1- Internal defeatism, which makes some people believe that science is predominant and that the Quran is subsequent to it.
2- Misunderstanding the nature of the Quran and its role, which is that it is the absolute and final truth that addresses the formation of the human being.
3- Continuous excessive misinterpretations of the texts of the Quran."
Allaah knows best.