Is the Qur'an a book of science? Part of the "Scientific miracles in Islam" series

 

بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The phrase “the Qur’an is not a book of science but is a book of guidance” is often used to argue against understanding certain Qur’anic verses as including scientific miracles. This statement should be critically analysed as part of the discussion about “scientific miracles in the Qur’an”.

Whilst the statement is true, it can be argued that “the Qur’an is not a book of law” because it rarely gives detailed legal rulings (e.g. it doesn’t mention 5 prayers or the amount of raka’ats or the details of the Azan etc), and therefore the legal scholars (fuqaha) have been incorrect in deducing fiqh (through simple and complex interpretations) per such an proponent. According to some scholars, the Qur’an only has around 500 verses that include legal matters, which is less than the 700+ verses that include matters of nature (i.e. science). I have never come across anyone who has been consistent in the implications of this claim and this shows how irrational and emotional the discussion about “scientific miracles in the Qur’an” has become. For example, one academic even condemned a tafsir scholar for simply mentioning that there are 700+ verses relating to nature!

The Qur’an is a book of guidance but is a miracle and from the Lord of the worlds, Allah Most High. He can mention whatever He wants in His Books. It is natural to expect that He would describe His creation in order for people to ponder over them, realise that the Qur’an is miraculous and from Allah Most High, and to accept Islam (i.e. be guided). One also expects that since He created and sustains the universe, then the universe would not contradict the Qur’an i.e. the “Work of Allah Most High” and the “Words of Allah Most High” agree with each other. None of the major mufassirs (tafsir scholars) argued that Allah Most High cannot or does not talk about the natural world. It is a modern bid’a (innovation) to argue that He cannot or does not and amounts to trespassing over the limits of Allah Most High by arrogating oneself to judge over what Allah Most High “can or cannot do”. In fact, there are numerous clear verses in the Qur’an that talk about nature (hence science).