Hawl al-Ijaz al-Ilmi lil-Quran al-Karim fi al-Asr al-Hadith
- Author died
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- Editions
- al-Jāmi‘ah al-Islāmīyah
Hawl al-Ijaz al-Ilmi lil-Quran al-Karim fi al-Asr al-Hadith (On the Scientific Inimitability of the Noble Quran in the Modern Era) is a treatise by Muhammad al-Mahdi Mahmud Ali, an instructor at Dar al-Hadith affiliated with the university, examining modern scientific and medical confirmations of Quranic statements .
Purpose and Scope
The author states that the inimitability (i'jaz) of the Quran encompasses all branches of knowledge, addressing humanity across all eras regardless of advancements in culture or science . The work aims to provide concrete examples of how modern scientific discoveries elucidate Quranic verses, demonstrating the divine source of Islam to the wider world and urging Muslims to return to the guidance of the Quran in their beliefs, laws, and conduct .
Structure and Content
The author structures the study around specific Quranic texts and their medical and scientific correlations:
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Honey (al-Asal): Focusing on the verse فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِلنَّاسِ ("wherein is healing for men"), the author details the chemical composition of bee honey, categorizing its contents into:
- Enzymes: Active compounds that break down starches, sucrose, and fats, aiding digestive functions .
- Mineral salts: Including calcium, iron, chlorine, phosphorus, sulfur, iodine, manganese, aluminum, and boron, in proportions close to those found in human blood .
- Alkalinity: Alkaline minerals (potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium) that help neutralize excess acidity and counter fatigue .
- Vitamins: Including B vitamins (B1, B2, B3), E, K, and C, which contribute to vision, metabolic regulation, wound clotting, and immune defense .
The work discusses honey's historical and contemporary medical applications, citing early physicians such as Ibn Sina alongside modern research for treating wounds, respiratory ailments, tuberculosis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, hepatic conditions, nervous disorders, eye diseases, and diabetes, noting also the prophetic practice of drinking honey mixed with water . It lists reasons why medical researchers encourage substituting honey for refined sugar and encourages the widespread development of beekeeping .
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Fresh Ripe Dates (al-Rutab): Examining the verse concerning Maryam, وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا ("And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates"), the work references research by Dr. Abd al-Aziz Sharaf demonstrating that dates contain substances that lower blood pressure in pregnancy, stimulate uterine contractions to facilitate childbirth, regulate intestinal movements, and provide nutritional elements equivalent to meat, alongside essential minerals and vitamins .
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Prohibition of Intoxicants (Tahrim al-Khamr): Highlighting the hadith مَا أَسْكَرَ كَثِيرُهُ فَقَلِيلُهُ حَرَامٌ ("Whatever intoxicates in large amounts, a small amount of it is unlawful"), the treatise outlines medical findings on alcohol, including acute gastric inflammation, ulcers leading to cancer, nerve and renal damage, arteriosclerosis, and liver cirrhosis .
Sources
The author lists among his primary references the traditional works of Quranic exegesis (tafsir) and hadith, alongside modern scientific and medical studies, specifically Dr. Ahmad Lutfi Abd al-Salam's Nahl al-Asal wa-Shifa al-Amrad, Dr. Abd al-Khaliq Wafa's Nahl al-Asal, and the book al-Islam wal-Tibb .
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