God Arises
The Challenge of The Qur’an
~ 353 ~
There were many aspects of the universe about
which ancient peoples had only partial knowledge,
this having been demonstrated by modern scientific
findings, but it should be made clear at this point
that the main purpose of the Quran was not to
expound scientific theories in order to explain
natural phenomena, but to elucidate the divine
symbolism of the workings of nature in order that
people should be purified in mind and soul and
become so imbued with feelings of awe and
reverence of God’s will, that a veritable moral
revolution would ensue. The Quran was never
meant to be just a book about the physical sciences.
And had it disclosed totally new and unheard of
scientific facts to the people, this would have
sparked off unending and quite irrelevant
discussions about the nature of these facts, while
the real aims of the Quran would have been thrust
into the background. It is little short of miraculous
that, centuries before science had made such
gigantic leaps forward, the Quran clarified for the
common people such scientific facts as illustrated
the highest moral principles without using
terminology which would in any way confuse them
or obscure the issue. And it is those very facts that
