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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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A comment on the claim that the Qur'an preceded many scientific theories that science only recently confirmed

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Question:
Perhaps you have a comment, Honorable Shaykh, regarding those who say that the Noble Qur'an preceded many scientific theories in various matters, and that science did not confirm them until recently. Do you have a comment on this topic as a whole? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
There is no doubt that the Noble Qur'an is a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy, who created this universe and knows what is in it, (Glorified and Exalted is He).
Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ
[Al-Mulk 67:14]
? So there is no doubt that what the Qur'an brought is the truth, whether modern science has discovered it or not. If modern science discovers something of it, there is nothing strange in that, because the Qur'an is a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy. We believe in it and that it is the truth, whether modern science agrees with it or not. If modern science does not agree with it, that indicates that this science is incorrect, and what agrees with the Qur'an indicates that it is correct science. It is obligatory to subject these experiments and these experimental sciences to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, not to subject the Qur'an and the Sunnah to these sciences and these experiments as some students say. The obligation is the opposite: the Qur'an is the truth, and what agrees with it is the truth, while what contradicts the Qur'an is invalid. We are certain that what contradicts the Qur'an is invalid, even if it is from the words of skilled doctors, skilled craftsmen, or skilled experimenters. We believe that their experiments and their knowledge are all wrong, as evidenced by the fact that the Qur'an contradicted them, and as evidenced by the fact that the Sunnah contradicted them. The Qur'an is the speech of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), and the Sunnah is the report of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who does not speak from whim.
So it is obligatory for us to say that what of these modern sciences agrees with the Book and the Sunnah is correct and is the truth, and what contradicts them is invalid, no matter who said it. It is obligatory for us to subject these things to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and not to subject the Qur'an and the Sunnah to these rational experiments. This is the obligation.
Although I do not encourage exaggerating in these matters and saying "this is the scientific miracle" and such. We bring these modern theories, and if it appears to us that they agree with the Qur'an, we rejoice in that and accept it immediately. No, but we say "perhaps," perhaps, and we do not assert it, because these theories may differ, and a day may come when these theories are incorrect, and we may have been deluded. So we do not interpret the Qur'an and the Sunnah with them. It is not obligatory to make them an interpretation of the Qur'an and the Sunnah ever. But if it appears to us that they support the Qur'an and the Sunnah, we say "this appears to indicate that it is the truth," but we do not assert it, because it may change, and other theories may come that contradict them. The works of humans, whatever they are, are always subject to error. Likewise, those who interpret the Qur'an with modern theories are wrong, because it has become clear that many other theories contradict them. We interpreted the Qur'an with them and said that this is the meaning of the Noble Qur'an; this is considered a sin against the Qur'an. But there is no harm in this reference, in saying "perhaps it agreed with the Qur'an or agreed with the Sunnah," and "perhaps this is the intended meaning of the verse or the meaning of the hadith," but we do not assert this. May Allah reward you with good.
Source قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، تعليق حول قول أن القرآن سبق الكثير من النظريات العلمية التي لم يثبتها العلم إلا مؤخرا- الشيخ الفوزان — youtube.com

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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