God Arises
The Challenge of The Qur’an
~ 356 ~
at the Strait of Gibraltar. The Mediterranean is
saltier than the North Atlantic because its
evaporation exceeds its replenishment by rivers; the
more saline water of the Mediterranean thus flows
at depth over the sill into the North Atlantic, where
it sinks to a depth of 1,000 metres; and less saline
water from the North Atlantic flows near the
surface. Current speeds as high as two metres per
second have been recorded.
22
It is as if there were a barrier between the waters of
different densities, and ‘barrier’ is the exact
expression used by the Quran.
EXAMPLES FROM ASTRONOMY
The firmament is another aspect of the universe
which is described in the Quran in terms which are
quite consistent with modern science: ‘It was God
who raised the heavens without visible pillars’
(13:2).
Such was human observation in ancient times. Man
could see that above his head the sun, moon and
stars had no visible supports. And these words are
equally meaningful for the scientific man of today,
