The Islamic Forum on Science and Arts has held an overall lecture scientific signs of on the Quran for the City Circle and started its series of seven lectures of which the first one was on Astronomy in the Quran (notes can be seen on this website and in the archive of the IFSA, http://www.egroups.com/group/ifsa)

This second lecture dealt with Geology in the Quran.

Although the Quran is not a purely scientific book but rather a book of spiritual guidance, there are clear descriptions of natural phenomena in it which have been discovered by science only very recently. This can be seen as one proof of it being the true word of the divine Creator, who knows all about the past, the present and the future.

As in every lecture about science in the Quran it has to be established first that the Quran is an authentic source, meaning that it has come into being 1400 years ago, even from a secular sceptical point of view. This is certainly the case, since even non-Muslim Orientalists agree to this. There are manuscripts everywhere in the world, even in non-Muslim possession and in museums which exceed 1000 years of age. In the archive of the IFSA there is a reference to a website which contains many pictures of old manuscripts.

Furthermore, the instruments needed for measuring and discovering the natural phenomena described in the Quran are inventions of the late 20th century. There have been speculations on the Earth having spherical form before but that was based on theories. Many theories have only recently become established scientific facts.

The geological signs dealt with mentioned in the Quran are manifold. This lecture deals with the atmosphere of the Earth, the mountains, the continental plates, the water cycle and the ocean.

There are two words in the original Arabic Quran which are translated as "heaven". These are taraiq and asma. Taraiq can be seen as the tracts or zones of the universe. They have been dealt with in the first lecture on Astronomy. Asma however can be defined as the seven layers of the atmosphere which are  troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere.

These are defined in all modern encyclopaedia according to their density and substance. Allah mentions in the Quran that they all have their duty and role and that they reflect (or return). Now these layers are responsible for keeping back hazardous material and waves in the universe as well as keeping essential gasses on planet Earth, such as oxygen and air-pressure. The UV-light of the sun is being reflected back to 98% by the Ozonosphere, a sub-fraction of the stratosphere and 2% which are let through are essential for photosynthesis of plant and life on Earth. The Ozone layer has been destroyed partly through pollution. The seven layers being gaseous and having a certain mass are kept back (or returned) on Earth due to it's gravity.

The Earth's interior is subdivided into seven different zones according to the density and substance of the layers by modern scientists. This is due to the measurement of sound reflections during earthquakes with seismographs. There are 2 crusts, interior and exterior, three semi liquid molten mantles, interior, intermediate and exterior and 2 cores, solid iron and iron-nickel mixture. These in fraction to each other build up the magnetic field of the Earth which reflects back microscopic meteors and helps birds find their way around. These are discoveries of the late 20th century. The surface layers of the earth, the Crust, is cracked into several plateaus or continents, as Allah swears the oath in the Sura Tariq, "by the earth which is cracked". These shift on the semi liquid molten rock in the mantle and mountains are formed where they meet. In between the plateaus there are cracks or faults which open towards the interior.

Mountains are up to 10 times deeper than they are high and they reach through the crust into the mantle and stabilise the Earth not only in it's axis and journey around the sun but also its surface. They act literally like as "pegs" as Allah says and their stability is interconnected with the stability of the earth. When they are crumbled to dust or when they vanish, the Earth "shall be shaken". Furthermore, they offer nourishment and expose rare metals from the earth's interior. But it is also mentioned that they drift away, thus the continental drift is described.

The Quran also mentions: Thermonuclear vents inside the Ocean, oceanic waves, darkness at the bottom, seven oceans, the shape of the Earth being like that of an Ostrich egg, the water cycle and purifying role of water for life, the separation of sweet and salt water, different fauna in sweet and salt water and much more, visit the archive of the IFSA for a reference.

Seculars are sceptical because their emotions are caught by Satan. Also Muslims have fallen victim to their emotions and thus they are disunited and subjugated to the non-Muslims. Learning across disciplines and improved communication are a solution. Promoting the scientific signs among  Muslims and non-Muslims is equally important and scientific learning needs to be established side by side with the learning of Quran, Hadith , Fiqh, Muslim/non-Muslim history, comparative theology and general languages. Muslims should enter more different areas. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) has said that the best people after him would be the ones to acquire and disseminate knowledge.

Doctors should learn alternative medicine, not only pharmaceutical, engineers should learn to protect the environment and save energy, not only optimisation of profits, business and finance people should learn non-ribhaih ways of business and avoid exploiting the poor.

Muslims made great advancement as long as they were multidisciplinary and kind to nature. Pollution is to be avoided and opposed by Muslims, our role on Earth is being the Khalifah of the Creator. As such we need to consume less, eat healthier, drive less car, more bicycle and be the first ones to fight against pollution. Mother Earth (as our Prophet, peace be upon him said) is the source of life , purification and rest. We need to protect her from exploitation. That is our test and she will soon declare her feelings.