The Miracle of Iron in Quran
The Quran seems to imply that the iron was something “sent down” and not
from this earth, an idea not foreign to 20th century science.
Iron is one of the elements highlighted in the Quran. In the chapter known Al-Hadeed, meaning Iron, we are informed:
“And We also sent down iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind…” (Quran 57:25)
The word “anzalna,” translated as “sent down” and used for iron in the
verse, could be thought of having a metaphorical meaning to explain that iron has been given to benefit people. But, when we take into
consideration the literal meaning of the word, which is, “being
physically sent down from the sky, as this word usage had not been
employed in the Quran except literally, like the descending of the rain
or revelation, we realize that this verse implies a very significant
scientific miracle. Because, modern astronomical findings have disclosed that the iron found in our world has come from giant stars in outer
space.[1]
Not only the iron on earth, but also the iron in the
entire Solar System, comes from outer space, since the temperature in
the Sun is inadequate for the formation of iron. The sun has a surface
temperature of 6,000 degrees Celsius, and a core temperature of
approximately 20 million degrees. Iron can only be produced in much
larger stars than the Sun, where the temperature reaches a few hundred
million degrees. When the amount of iron exceeds a certain level in a
star, the star can no longer accommodate it, and it eventually explodes
in what is called a “nova” or a “supernova.” These explosions make it
possible for iron to be given off into space.[2]
One scientific source provides the following information on this subject:
“There is also evidence for older supernova events: Enhanced levels of
iron-60 in deep-sea sediments have been interpreted as indications that a supernova explosion occurred within 90 light-years of the sun about 5
million years ago. Iron-60 is a radioactive isotope of iron, formed in
supernova explosions, which decays with a half life of 1.5 million
years. An enhanced presence of this isotope in a geologic layer
indicates the recent nucleosynthesis of elements nearby in space and
their subsequent transport to the earth (perhaps as part of dust
grains).”[3]
All this shows that iron did not form on the
Earth, but was carried from Supernovas, and was “sent down,” as stated
in the verse. It is clear that this fact could not have been known in
the 7th century, when the Quran was revealed. Nevertheless, this fact is related in the Quran, the Word of God, Who encompasses all things in
His infinite knowledge.
The fact that the verse specifically
mentions iron is quite astounding, considering that these discoveries
were made at the end of the 20th century. In his book Nature’s Destiny,
the well-known microbiologist Michael Denton emphasizes the importance
of iron:
“Of all the metals there is none more essential to
life than iron. It is the accumulation of iron in the center of a star
which triggers a supernova explosion and the subsequent scattering of
the vital atoms of life throughout the cosmos. It was the drawing by
gravity of iron atoms to the center of the primeval earth that generated the heat which caused the initial chemical differentiation of the
earth, the outgassing of the early atmosphere, and ultimately the
formation of the hydrosphere. It is molten iron in the center of the
earth which, acting like a gigantic dynamo, generates the earth’s
magnetic field, which in turn creates the Van Allen radiation belts that shield the earth’s surface from destructive high-energy-penetrating
cosmic radiation and preserve the crucial ozone layer from cosmic ray
destruction…
“Without the iron atom, there would be no
carbon-based life in the cosmos; no supernovae, no heating of the
primitive earth, no atmosphere or hydrosphere. There would be no
protective magnetic field, no Van Allen radiation belts, no ozone layer, no metal to make hemoglobin [in human blood], no metal to tame the
reactivity of oxygen, and no oxidative metabolism.
“The
intriguing and intimate relationship between life and iron, between the
red color of blood and the dying of some distant star, not only
indicates the relevance of metals to biology but also the biocentricity
of the cosmos…”[4]
This account clearly indicates the
importance of the iron atom. The fact that particular attention is drawn to iron in the Quran also emphasizes the importance of the element.
Moreover, iron oxide particles were used in a cancer treatment in
recent months and positive developments were observed. A team led by Dr. Andreas Jordan, at the world famous Charité Hospital in Germany,
succeeded in destroying cancer cells with this new technique developed
for the treatment of cancer—magnetic fluid hyperthermia (high
temperature magnetic liquid). As a result of this technique, first
performed on the 26-year-old Nikolaus H., no new cancer cells were
observed in the patient in the following three months.
This method of treatment can be summarized as follows:
1. A liquid containing iron oxide particles is injected into the tumour by means of a special syringe. These particles spread throughout the
tumour cells. This liquid consists of thousands of millions of
particles, 1,000 times smaller than the red blood corpuscles, of iron
oxide in 1 cm3 that can easily flow through all blood vessels. [5]
2. The patient is then placed in a machine with a powerful magnetic field.
3. This magnetic field, applied externally, begins to set the iron
particles in the tumour in motion. During this time the temperature in
the tumour containing the iron oxide particles rises by up to 45
degrees.
4. In a few minutes the cancer cells, unable to
protect themselves from the heat, are either weakened or destroyed. The
tumour may then be completely eradicated with subsequent
chemotherapy.[6]
In this treatment it is only the cancer cells
that are affected by the magnetic field, since only they contain the
iron oxide particles. The spread of this technique is a major
development in the treatment of this potentially lethal disease. Iron
has also been found to be a cure for people suffering from anemia. In
the treatment of such a widespread diseases, the use of the expression
“iron in which there lies great force and which has many uses for
mankind” (Quran, 57:25) in the Quran is particularly noteworthy. Indeed, in that verse, the Quran may be indicating the benefits of iron even
for human health. (God knows best.)
____________
Footnotes:
[1] Dr. Mazhar U. Kazi, 130 Evident Miracles in the Qur’an (New York, USA: Crescent Publishing House: 1998), 110-111; and www.wamy.co.uk/announcements3.html, from Prof. Zighloul Raghib El-Naggar’s speech.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Priscilla Frisch, “The Galactic Environment of the Sun,” American Scientist, January-February 2000, www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/21173?fulltext=true.
[4] Michael J. Denton, Nature’s Destiny (The Free Press: 1998), 198.
[5] www.inm-gmbh.de/cgi-bin/frame/frameloader.pl?sprache=en&url=http://www.inm-gmbh.de/htdocs/technologien/highlights/highlights_en.htm.
[6] “Nanotechnology successfully helps cancer therapies,” IIC Fast
Track, Nanotech News from Eastern Germany, Industrial Investment
Council, October 2003; www.iic.de/uploads/media/NANO_FT_Nov2003_01.pdf
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