Though the Qur'an is not a scientific book it does contain many scientific facts, many of which have only been realized in the last few hundred years.  Perhaps as time moves forward and humans learn more about this incredible universe, even more facts of science will be realized in the Qur'an.

I do not pretend to understand why Allah placed these in His beautiful book, but I would venture a guess that they are there to help people believe that it is indeed a book that could only have come from Him.

One of my favorite examples (because I had just heard it recently on a science program on T.V. when I read it in the Qur'an) is about mountains acting as "pegs" on the earth.

an-naba' 78:6-7 -"Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse, And the mountains as pegs?"

al-anbiya' 21:31 - "And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them, and We have made therein broad highways (between mountains) for them to pass through: that they may receive guidance."

The scientific fact is that the earth's crust is very thin and the folding of the crust into mountains does indeed help stabilize the earth, like pegs!  This would not have been known in the time Muhammad (pbuh) was receiving the revelation.

This and other scientific facts in the Qur'an are indeed signs for those who use their reason!

Peace, ummziba.

As Salamu Alaikum 

Insha Allah I will repost some of my favorite Ayat on science here

"Yes we are able to put together in perfect order the tips of his fingers."

Surah Al-Qiyamah 75:4

Isn't this a recent discovery that we all have different and unique fingerprints.

In the Holy Surah Al-Anbiya' 21: 30 Allah states:

"Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, then I split them apart".

According to scientist this Ayah refers to the "Big Bang" theory.

Surah Luqman 31:29 Allah says "Have you not seen how Allah merges the night into the day and merges the day into the night."

The use of the word "merges" emphasizes a slow gradual change, and
this is not possible if the earth is flat.

Man thought that the Earth was flat, until Sir Frances Drake in 1607 finally proved it to be spherical.

In answer to Unity 1, 

After the 26 December 2004 tsunami, I saw a scientist explaining on television that, in fact, earthquakes are absolutely necessary.  They release the energy produced by plate tectonics, other wise the earth's very thin crust would crumble to pieces and be overwhelmed by the magma it sits on.  And he did say the mountains of the earth act as a stabilizer for this thin crust we live on.  The energy must be released, therefore, there must be earthquakes, but the mountains stabilize the earth's crust

I don't remember the exact scientific terminology or the entire explaination, I just remember being struck with awe at the fact that Allah planned everything for every eventuality! 

As far as disputing scientific facts, that is not an unusal human reaction.  Scientists are in dispute about many things!

As far as understanding the Qur'an 1400 years ago (or for that matter, 1400 years from now), I don't believe we will ever entirely and completely understand Allah's beautiful book.  It is full of so many layers upon layers of meaning.  As long as something does not contradict what is written in the Qur'an (can you state a scientific fact that the Qur'an disagrees with?), then what is the problem?

Perhaps it is more a matter of faith than of science?  I am not a scholar of either, this is all just my humble opinion, based on what I have read, heard, seen.  I will always take the word of Allah over the word of any mere mortal!

Peace, ummziba.

Unity 1,

I don't for a minute pretend to know what exactly Dr. Zakir Naik means in his statement.  Myself, I would think that the second part, the part you have a problem with, might mean that blind faith is not a good thing.  

In other words, we shouldn't believe or follow our religion just by blind faith, we should use our reason and knowledge and thinking brain to challenge and thereby afirm our beliefs.  Science is one of the ways to do that.  Does Allah not challenge us to think and use our reason many times in the Qur'an?

As for the early followers of the prophet (pbuh), I think that his perfect example is what convinced them about Islam, more so than any proofs from the Qur'an.  Even without looking at anything "scientific", there is still lots in the Qur'an to convince people that Islam is the way to worship Allah.  This is all, of course, only my opinion!

Peace, ummziba.

Oh, and sorry it took so long to get back on this.  Sometimes I forget where I have posted until I happen upon it again!  Sorry about that.

Peace, ummziba.

Found this today on the net.  Thought it quite appropriate to this topic!

"And verily, the exterior of the Qur'an is elegant and its esoteric (meaning) is deep.  Its wonders cannot be enumerated, and its marvels will not cease; and the darkness cannot be removed except by it."  (Imam 'Ali ibn Abi-Talib)

Layers and layers of meaning, the full of which is known only to Allah and the Prophet!  What a gift of endless discovery for us all!

Peace, ummziba.

As Salamu Alaikum

Interesting topic.

I agree with Ummziba that the Glorious Qur'an is not a scientific book and why Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala chose to include these facts in His Book is anyone's guess.

The same applies to many aspects of the Glorious Qur'an. Take for instance the case with Parables in the Qur'an. Why did Allah include parables in His Book. As sister ummziba  "Quote: we shouldn't believe or follow our religion just by blind faith, we should use our reason and knowledge and thinking brain to challenge and thereby afirm our beliefs" Unquote

Allah states in the Qur'an : �And these similitudes We put forward for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge (of Allah and His Signs)� [al-�Ankabut 29:43]

The Qur'an is a miracle of all miracles that will last to the Day of Judgment. The miracles of the other Prophets like Musa and Isa (Alayhuma Salam) were time related to their period of Prophethood.

Having studied and examined the Arabic text of the Qur'an, Dr. Bucaille marvels:

I could not find a single error in the Qur'an. I had to stop and ask myself: if a man were the author of the Qur'an, how could he (referring here to Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) have written facts in the Seventh century AC. that today are shown to be in keeping with modern scientific knowledge? I had to acknowledge the evidence in front of me: the Qur'an did not contain a single statement that was assailable from a modern scientific point of view. I repeated the same test for the Old Testament and the Gospels, always preserving the same objective outlook. In the former, I did not have to go even beyond the first book, Genesis, to find statements totally out of keeping with what modern science considers to be indisputable facts. (Macropaedia, Vol. 18, p. 1008, of the Encyclopedia Britannica)

Many scientists have reverted to Islam after studying the Qur'an. Most scientific theories of the past have been refuted by the scientists of today.

If today scientists are refuting that the mountains are not "pegs" that stabilize the earth's crust, tomorrow we will have scientist who will prove this claim made in the Glorious Qur'an. Insha Allah!

Salams

So sorry, unity 1, I got that quote from the net somewhere (I cannot remember where, sorry).  If it comes to me, or I come across it again, I'll let you know.  I do love the quote though!

Peace, ummziba.