by Ansar Raza, Canada
Prophecy is foretold news about any future event. In religious world, a prophecy, quite distinct from an educated and wise guess, is considered the most authentic criterion and a vital proof for the truthfulness or otherwise of a prophet. The Bible has also mentioned this test and claims that the prophecies mentioned in it shall be definitely fulfilled.
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” (Isaiah 42:8-9)”I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.” (John 13:19)
In modern era atheists put the religions on trial by presenting criteria to check the genuine-ness or otherwise of the prophecies mentioned in the religious scriptures. Mr. Douglas E. Krueger, an atheist, on Pages 96-98 of his book, “WHAT IS ATHEISM – A Short Introduction” has presented the following five criteria to judge a prophecy. He wrote:
“Some criteria are needed in order to distinguish cases of lucky guesses from those of true prophecy. Let us define a genuine prophecy as one that satisfies the following five criteria:
- The prophecy must be clear, and it must contain sufficient detail to make its fulfillment by a wide variety of possible events unlikely.
- The event that can fulfill the prophecy must be unusual or unique.
- The prophecy must be known to have been made before the event that is supposed to be its fulfillment.
- The event foretold must not be of the sort that could be the result of an educated guess.
- The event that fulfills the prophecy cannot be staged, or the relevant circumstances manipulated, by those aware of the prophecy in such a way as to intentionally cause the prophecy to be fulfilled.”
According to these criteria, we see that the Quranic prophecies, some of which are presented here, prove to be quite genuine and true. No one can ever imagine that an unlettered person living in a nomadic society of Arabia 1400 years ago can predict such amazing scientific events, as mentioned hereunder, to happen. It is very well beyond the human capacity to foretell or even visualize such incredible incidents. The only conceivable source of these prophecies and predictions is purely divine. Interestingly, all such prophecies are fulfilled by those who were not Muslims, rather many of them are atheists. Thus no question of staging the prophecy and manipulating the circumstances arises.
Finger Prints
“Their skins will bear witness against them as to what they have been doing” (41:21)
The finger prints system at borders, criminal investigation cells and immigration centres prove the fulfillment of this Quranic prophecy.
Pollution
“Corruption has spread on land and sea because of what men’s hands have wrought” (30:42)
One of the interpretations of the above verse of the Holy Quran is the environmental pollution, caused by human being. And that is spread both in land and sea due to our own inventions, i.e., fumes from chimneys of factories, chemical and nuclear waste, huge traffic in the cities, noise and creation of ozone hole are manifest testimonies of the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Establishment of Israel
And after him We said to the Children of Israel, ‘Dwell Ye in the promised land; and when the time of the promise of the Latter Days come, We shall bring you together out of various people.” (17:105)
Creation of Israel and gathering of Sephardic, Ashkenazi and the Jews of many other different races in Israel proves the authenticity of this prophecy and hence Quran.
Genetic Engineering
“They will alter Allah’s creation.” (4:120)
The holy Quran has prophesied the plastic surgery, genetic engineering and cloning in this short and concise sentence.
Roads in Mountains
“And when the mountains are made to move.” (81:4)
Centuries before the invention of dynamite, the holy Quran prophesied the blowing up and moving of the mountains.
New Transport Systems
“And when the she-camels, ten months pregnant are abandoned.” (81:5)“And He has created horses and mules and asses that you may ride them, and as a source of beauty. And He will create what you do not yet know.” (16:9)
As we know people, specially those living in deserts, have now abandoned camels and other animals for travelling. But this prophecy of invention and emergence of new transport systems is on-going as we witness new and faster modes of transportation emerging all the time.
Zoo
“And when the wild beasts are gathered together.” (81:6)
Nobody could ever imagine that one day wild beasts shall be captured, tamed and put together in closed and open parks. The establishment of zoo have fulfilled this prophecy.
Oceans Linked
“And when the rivers are made to flow into each other.” (81:7)“He has made the two bodies of water flow. They will one day meet. Between them there is a barrier; they cannot encroach one upon the other.” (55:20-21)
“And He it is Who shall merge the two seas together. This palatable and sweet, that saltish and bitter. And between them He has (presently) placed a barrier and a massive partition.” (25:54)
This phenomenal prophecy is an excellent proof of truthfulness of Quran. It was beyond imagination of any one living 1400 years ago to even think of linking of oceans which we see today in Panama and Suez canals.
Modern Communication Systems
“And when various people are brought together.” (81:8)
Fast transport systems, telephone, satellite systems and internet have brought so close to each other proving the truthfulness of the holy Quran.
Women’s Rights
“And when the female-infant buried alive is questioned about – For what crime was she killed.” (81:9-10)
Modern-day women rights and liberation associations may be brain-child of freedom-loving and egalitarian humanist / feminist people but foretold by Quran centuries ago.
Books Published and Spread
“And when books are spread abroad.” (81:11)
The invention of printing press and publication houses and consequently spread of books every where is one of the marvellous prophecies of the Quran made in the dark ages of ignorance and illiteracy.
Extra-Terrestrial Life
“And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and of whatever living creatures He has spread forth in both. And He has the power to gather them together whenever He pleases.” (42:30)
Having discourse with aliens is still an unrealized dream, but science is progressing in that direction. The presence of extra-terrestrial life has been proved by scientists. The next step is to see them and making a link with them. No religious scripture, except Quran, even hints about this great scientific discovery.
Air Traffic System
“And by the heaven full of tracks” (51:8)
While prophesying about modern transport systems, Quran also foretold the air-traffic system which is an essential part of aviation. A person living in desert 1400 years ago cannot talk about such advance technologies unless revealed to him by God Almighty.
Aids
“It never happens that permissiveness overwhelms a people to the extent that they display their acts of sex shamelessly and they are not uniquely punished by God. Among them, invariably, pestilence is made to spread and such other diseases, the like of which have never been witnessed by their forefathers.” (Ibn-e-Majah, Kitab-ul-Fitan)* see footnote
You need at least a doctor of medicine and an expert of social behaviour at the same time to talk about such behaviours and their fatal consequence. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was neither of them, but a Prophet of God who didn’t copy from the Bible and paste in the Quran and foretell the same fate of perverts of Sodom and Gomorrah for the future perverts, but a unique disease never heard or known by earlier people, AIDS! The medical scientists are unanimous that this disease is never recorded in the annals of history.
*. Hadith alongwith Sunnah is the secondary source of Islamic Sharia consisted of the deeds and sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny). The Holy Quran emphatically describes the position and status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as an ideal and best exampler (33:22) and not a mere post man who just delivers the message. The Muslims are enjoined to follow the way of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Allah says, “And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from that.”(59:8). The holy Quran states that his assertions are not based upon his own desires but on the revelations from God. (53:4-5)
In the light of these Quranic injunctions, the deeds and sayings of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) the prophecies mentioned in Hadith are also very important and proves the truthfulness of the person upon whom this Holy Book (Quran) was revealed. There are many prophecies of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) which have been fulfilled during the past centuries. We are mentioning here only one of his prophecies which has been fulfilled in the modern times.