Islam and Evidence

As with all disbelieving nations, the Prophet Muhammad’s(saas) people also attempted to argue about Allah. Against his nation who assumed such an ugly attitude, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) communicated them that he submitted himself to Allah:

Say, “Do you argue with us about Allah when He is our Lord and your Lord? We shall both be judged by our actions. To Him alone we are devoted.” (Surat al-Baqara,139)

If they argue with you, say, “I have submitted myself completely to Allah, and so have all who follow me.” Say to those given the Book and those who have no Book, "Will you surrender yourselves to Allah?” If they become Muslim, they shall be rightly guided. If they give no heed, you are responsible only for warning them. Allah is watching all His servants. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 20)

The Qur'an provides advice to Prophet Ayyub (peace be upon him) to "stamp the foot" in the face of exhaustion and suffering inflicted by Satan. This movement is beneficial for health, as it increases blood flow and oxygen to cells, eliminates fatigue, and increases resistance to microbes, prevents heart disease, regularizes blood sugar, and raises good cholesterol. Additionally, walking barefoot is a great way to release static electricity from the body, washing reduces stress and tension, and drinking water cleanses the body of impurities and combats fatigue, tiredness, and drowsiness.

Notes:

153. Prof. Fehmi Tuncel, Bilim Teknik, January 1993.

154. Barbara A. Brehm, "Your Health and

Fitness," Fitness Management Magazine, 1990.

155. Kathleen Mullen, Some Benefits of Exercise, (Medical Times C. Brown Publishers: 1986).

Coronary By-Pass Surgery is a modern day medical procedure to treat hardening of the arteries in the coronary artery which can lead to chest pains and heart attacks due to insufficient blood flow to the heart. The procedure involves splitting the breastbone and removing blockages, allowing the blood to flow again and eliminating chest pain. The verse "Didn't we open up and expand your breast for you" may be a sign of heart disorders and present-day coronary by-pass surgery. Allah then swore by the olive, which is beneficial to the heart.

Out of pride, non-God fearing people decline to obey a human being or accept that he could be superior to them, in spite of their own certainty about him. As we have also seen in the case of the past nations to whom messengers were sent, such people believe that messengers should possess attributes beyond ordinary human ability and power; in order not to obey them, they offer many excuses, saying that he could not have been a Prophet, for he was an ordinary person “walking in the market place.

" The Prophet Muhammad (saas) told people who had such expectations that he was only a human being and that those who had any intention of attaining salvation should turn to Allah alone.

Say: “I am only a human being like yourselves. It is revealed to me that your god is One God. So let him who hopes to meet his Lord act rightly and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.” (Surat al-Kahf, 110)

Say: “Had the Earth been safe enough for angels to dwell in, We would have sent down to them an angel from heaven as a messenger.” Say: “Allah is a sufficient witness between me and you. He is certainly aware of and sees His servants.” (Surat al-Isra’, 95-96)

Again, in the face of such expectations on the part of his people, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) told them that he was only a reminder, that he only fulfilled his Lord’s commands and that those following him would find salvation:

Say: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. Then if they turn away, he is responsible only for what he is charged with just as you are responsible for what you are charged with. If you obey him, you shall be rightly guided.” The Messenger is responsible only for giving a clear warning. (Surat an-Nur, 54)

“I have simply been ordered to worship the Lord of this land which He has declared sacred—everything belongs to Him—and I have been ordered to be one of the Muslims and to recite the Qur’an.” Whoever is guided is only guided for his own good; if someone is misguided, just say, “I am only a warner.” Then say: “Praise be to Allah. He will show you His Signs and you will recognise them. Your Lord is not unaware of what you do.”(Surat an-Naml, 91-93)

Olive oil is an important source of health, as mentioned in the Qur'an. It is high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which do not contain cholesterol and help keep levels under control. Research has revealed that consuming olive oil lowers LDL and raises antioxidant levels, which helps prevent cell damage. Studies have also shown that olive oil prevents heart and artery disease, as well as breast and prostate cancer. The University of Oxford has also found that olive oil has a protective effect against intestinal cancer.

Riccardi, S. Giacco. Olive oil is beneficial for health, particularly for health of bones, the elderly, and babies. It also has a positive effect on rheumatic arthritis and high blood pressure, and can reduce the risk of cancer and strengthen the immune system.

It contains vitamins E, A, D and K and minerals which support bone development and mineralisation, and act as anti-oxidants that protect the body from damage, delay aging and support hormones. Olive oil is a natural source similar to mother's milk, and is recommended for mothers and their babies. Olive oil is an excellent health choice, as research has shown it to help reduce insulin resistance and improve glucose control. It also lowers the risk of certain diseases, and is more effective than a low-fat diet for controlling and treating obesity. Scientists suggest that an olive oil-based diet is the ideal nutrition model, as its properties have been praised in the Qur'an.

Therefore, including olives and olive oil in one's daily nutrition programme is beneficial for health.

Notes.

138. Scientific Encyclopedia, 207.

139. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2002, 56: 114-120.

140. Archives of Internal Medicine 1998; 158: 1181-1187.

141. Keys A, Menotti A, Karvonen MJ, "The diet and 15-year death rate in the Seven Countries Study," Am J Epidemiol 124: 903-915 (1986); Willett WC, "Diet and coronary heart disease," Monographs in Epidemiology and Biostatistics 15: 341-379 (1990); World Health Organization, "Diet, nutrition, and the prevention of chronic diseases," Report of a WHO Study Group. WHO Technical Report Series 797, Geneva 1990.

142. "The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids;"

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12442909&dopt=Abstract

143. Journal of the American Heart Association, September 1999.

144. Archives of Internal Medicine 1998; 158: 41-45.

145. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999; 70: 1077-1082.

146. Ibid.

147. Diane H. Morris, PhD., RD., "Importance of Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Adults and Infants," A Health and Nutrition Primer, 28-34.

148. Dr. Joseph Mercola, "Infant Formula Fortification Protocol;"

www.mercola.com/2000/oct/22/infant_formula.htm

149. Muammer Kayahan, "Saglikli Yasam ve Zeytinyagi," (Healthy Life and Olive Oil) Bilim Teknik, April 1995, 48.

150. Ibid.

151. Ibid.

152. The Olive Tree World; www.olivetree.eat-online.net/framehealth.htm

Although the signs of Allah’s existence are obvious, disbelivers find pretexts not to believe and ask for miracles from Allah. The Prophet Muhammad’s (saas) people also asked him to work miracles in order not to adhere to him; the reason why such people asked for miracles was not to have faith or to deepen their faith; it was simply a pretext for their unwillingness to submit themselves to Allah. Allah commanded the Prophet Muhammad (saas) to say the following to these people:

They have solemnly sworn by Allah that if a Sign be given them, they will believe in it. Say: “The Signs are vouchsafed by Allah alone.” How can you tell that even if a Sign be given them, they will indeed believe in it?(Surat al-An’am, 109)

Every man is destined to die on a certain day, which is decided in Allah’s sight. When that time comes, angels assigned by Allah descend on man to take his soul. If it is the death of a faithful person, then angels greet him, giving him the good news of Paradise and take his soul with ease. If it is the death of a disbeliever, on the other hand, then angels inform him that he will be exposed to a degrading torment. At that very moment, seeing what should have been obvious to them, those who disbelieve will submit themselves. However, after that point, nothing, not even having faith, will avail the disbeliever, for the time granted to him is already up. Allah conveyed this fact to those seeking excuses for their disbelief and commanded the Prophet Muhammad (saas) to address the people as follows:

Are they waiting for the angels to come to them or for your Lord Himself to come, or for one of your Lord's Signs to be given to them? On the day that one of your Lord's Signs does come, faith shall not avail the soul that had no faith or did not put its faith to good uses. Say: "Wait, then if you will; we too are waiting.”(Surat al-An’am, 158)

The Qur'an reveals that eating pork is forbidden and provides complete protection from the harmful effects of pork under any conditions. This commandment of our Lord's provides complete protection from the harmful effects of pork under any conditions. Until the 20th century, it was impossible to be aware of the danger posed to human health by pork. The fact that the Qur'an, revealed fourteen centuries ago, warns against this harm which has been incontrovertibly revealed with modern medical equipment is remarkable.

The wisdom behind the prohibition on the consumption of pork is to protect human health. Eating pork is harmful to health in a great many regards, and no matter how clean the farms and environments on which it is raised may be, the pig is not by nature a clean-living animal. The pig produces much higher levels of antibodies and growth hormone compared to other animals and human beings, which can pass across to and collect in the pig's muscle tissue. Pork meat also contains high levels of cholesterol and lipids. It has been scientifically proven that these significant amounts of antibodies, hormones, cholesterol and lipids in pork represent a serious threat to human health. Additionally, the trichina worm found in pork can settle directly in the muscles of the heart and represents a potentially fatal threat.

As all other messengers, the Prophet Muhammad (saas),stated first and foremost that he did not ask for any recompense in return for his communicating Allah’s message. He stated that he did everything to earn Allah’s approval and that he awaited his reward from Allah alone. Some of the verses through which Allah commanded the Prophet Muhammad (saas) to tell people that he did not ask for any rewards from them are as follows:

They were the ones whom Allah guided, so follow their guidance. Say, “I do not ask you for any recompense for this. It is simply a reminder to all mankind.” (Surat al-An’am, 90)

Say: “I have not asked you for any recompense: Keep it for yourselves. My reward is the responsibility of Allah alone. He is the witness of all things.” (Surah Saba’, 47)

In another verse, on the other hand, the Prophet Muhammad(saas), who told his people that he did not expect any rewards, made his main goal clear, saying:

"I do not ask you for any recompense for it—only let anyone who will, take the right path to his Lord.” (Surat al-Furqan, 57)