Mathematical Miracle in the Quran

111:42

5 Jul 2010

Numerology, Miracles / Ijaz

Shabir Ally

Shabir Ally, in a video from the first Islam Awareness Event at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England on 25-27 May 2005, discusses apparently miraculous numerical correspondences in the Qurʾān.  He includes some material common to most iʿjāz / miracles of the Qurʾān discussions, such as embryology and the non-mixing of fresh and salt water, but he also includes a cautionary discussion of Rashad Khalifa, who, in addition to developing a discussion on the number 19 in the Qurʾān, claimed to be a prophet.  He cautions Muslims to stick to the actual facts and not create far-fetched connections.

Topics mentioned:  fitna, Edwin Hubble and the expanding universe, Einstein, background radiation, the Big Bang, embryonic development, Keith Moore, Jesus, Adam, Noah, Moses, the Gospel of Matthew, the Hebrew Bible.

The lecture includes the introduction (first 4 minutes), Ally’s lecture (4:53-1:16:33), and then a question and answer session (the remaining 35 minutes).

Please excuse the relatively poor quality of the video; it is long and old for an internet video.

Evaluation:

The material on Islam is within the bounds of what Muslims have historically understood as acceptable.  Ally is generally careful to discuss Qurʾānic material in terms of the Arabic text rather than only translations.

There are a few concrete mentions of material from the natural sciences, most of which are acceptable, with one exception:  suggesting that fresh and salt water when they meet do not mix, which he claims has been confirmed by oceanographers.

There is insufficient historical material on which to base an evaluation.