Religion and science shouldn't be at odds

[PsychoDad]

Interesting article with a Muslim perspective on ID.

Consistency between the Quran and Modern Science

The Big Bang Theory and the Unity of Creation

Most cosmologists today have accepted the Big Bang Theory in describing the origin of the universe. This theory states that the universe began at a single hot, dense point, or 'singularity'. Out of this point developed what is often referred to as 'cosmic soup', a constant interchange between matter and energy with no separation between stars and planets or the heavens and the Earth as we recognise them.
The Noble Quran appears to be consistent with this theory; Allaah says what means: "Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them..." This verse clearly describes the initial unity of all creation and subsequent division of the universe into the phenomena we observe. Abdullaah Yusuf Ali, in the notes to his English translation of the twenty first Quranic chapter, points out, that as man acquires more knowledge about the physical world, he is also bound to expand his awareness of the overriding unity in the cosmos. As an example, he cites the discovery of the direct correlation between measurements of sunspot activity and changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. There are many other examples in our daily life, including the influence of the moon on the tides and women's monthly cycle, the influence of the Earth’s magnetic field on the migration of birds, gravitational and centrifugal forces that keep the solar system bound together in harmony, preventing planets from flying away and crashing into each other.

In essence, the initial unity of creation continues to exist, not in the form of a singularity, but through various bonding relationships that allow multiple forms of creation to maintain their linkage to the initial 'oneness' of the universe.

The Expansion and Structure of the Universe

The Quran points to the continued expansion of the universe in the verse which means: "And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are expander." In 1929, American astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that the farther a galaxy was from the Earth, the greater the speed of its outward movement. In fact, he found the movement of a galaxy to be directly proportional to its distance. This means that if a galaxy is ten times as far away as another galaxy, it is moving at ten times the speed.
...

The Relativity of Time


Dr. Mansour Hassab-Elnaby, in a paper entitled: 'A New Astronomical Quranic Method for the Determination of the Greatest Speed C', asserts that the Quran establishes a time/space reference system, which is indicative of the relativity of time and the constancy of the speed of light (represented by 'C' in scientific notation). Albert Einstein used these concepts to establish his well-known 'field equations' which provide the mathematical explanation for the interaction of matter, energy, space and time in the universe. The basis of Dr. Hassab-Elnaby’s paper is the Quranic verse which means: "He arranges matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count."

Thus, the Quran suggests that time is not absolute in the universe, a discovery made only in the early part of the twentieth century. The abovementioned Quranic verse, according to Dr. Hassab-Elnaby, implies a 'cosmic affair' of extremely high speed, making it possible to travel, in one day, the distance the moon travels around the Earth over a period of 1,000 years. The use of the lunar calendar in reckoning Earth time is explicitly stated in the following verse, which means: "… the moon a derived light and determined for it phases – that you may know the number of years and account …"

Much much more here:
http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/engblue/article.php?lang=E&id=102297
and related info
http://islam.speed-light.info/relativity_quran.htm

I've never seen the Christian creationists ever present anything simular. What do you think? Any thoughts?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I find it interesting that Muslims

have always appeared to embrace science. During the Middle Ages, in fact, it was Islamic scholars who kept the knowledge of the ancient Greeks from being lost, I believe. Hazrat Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, late head of the Sufi Order International, spoke often of the connection between science and spirituality, and I know of at least one physicist who said that in his scientific work he had found God.

[plasticwidow]

2. What many don't realize...

Salaam alaykum.

What many do not realize, is that the Arabic/Muslim world is behind much of Modern Science and has affected our everyday lives in very significant and impressive ways.

Just to list a few:

1. The Arabs borrowed our numerical system from the Hindus and made it widespread throughout the world. Venetian traders picked up on it from the Arabs. Have you ever tried to do math with Roman Numerals? :)

2. Paper was a Hindu invention, but the Muslims latched onto this very quickly. Paper was easy to make, cheap to manufacture, and soon became widespread throughout the Islamic empire, when many European monasteries were lucky to have one or two books, there were booksellers with hundreds of books for sale in the bazaars of Northern Africa and the Middle East.

3. European Nobles would send their children not to European Universities but to places such as Cordoba in Muslim Spain and Baghdad in the Middle East for learning.

4. Muslim scholars also kept reproduced and translated many of the works of ancient Greek scholars at a time when such works were considered blasphemy in Christian Europe.

5. The Renaissance would have never happened if it were not for Muslim contributions. Consider the words, Alchemy, Algebra, and look at the nams of stars, Algenon, Aldeberon, Beetleguise. These are all Arab names.

Just to list a few significant areas Muslims have had made a major contribution in furthering knowledge for everyone.

Peace!
:hi: