The Qur'an and Modern Science...
Compatible or Incompatible? (From the book, Part 7)
4. HYDROLOGY
THE WATER CYCLE
In 1580, Bernard Palissy was the first person to
describe the present day concept of ‘water cycle’. He
described how water evaporates from the oceans
and cools to form clouds. The clouds move inland
where they rise, condense and fall as rain. This
water gathers as lakes and streams and flows back
to the ocean in a continuous cycle. In the 7th century
B.C., Thales of Miletus believed that surface spray
of the oceans was picked up by the wind and carried
inland to fall as rain.
In earlier times people did not know the source of
underground water. They thought the water of the
oceans, under the effect of winds, was thrust towards
the interior of the continents. They also believed that
the water returned by a secret passage or the Great
Abyss. This passage is connected to the oceans and
has been called the ‘Tartarus’, since Plato’s time.
Even Descartes, a great thinker of the eighteenth
century, subscribed to this view. Till the nineteenth
century, Aristotle’s theory was still prevalent.
According to this theory, water was condensed in cool
mountain caverns and formed underground lakes
that fed springs. Today, we have come to know that
the rainwater that seeps into the cracks of the
ground is responsible for this.
This is described by the Qur’an in the following
verses:
“Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain
from the sky, and leads it through
springs in the earth? then He causes to grow,
therewith, produce of various colours.”
[Al-Qur’an 39:21]
“He sends down rain from the sky
and with it gives life to the earth after it is dead:
Verily in that are Signs for those who are wise.”
[Al-Qur’an 30:24]
“And We send down water from the sky
according to (due) measure, and We cause it
to soak in the soil; and We certainly are able
to drain it off (with ease).”
[Al-Qur’an 23:18]
No other text dating back 1400 years ago gives such
an accurate description of the water cycle.
Compatible or Incompatible? (From the book, Part 7)
4. HYDROLOGY
THE WATER CYCLE
In 1580, Bernard Palissy was the first person to
describe the present day concept of ‘water cycle’. He
described how water evaporates from the oceans
and cools to form clouds. The clouds move inland
where they rise, condense and fall as rain. This
water gathers as lakes and streams and flows back
to the ocean in a continuous cycle. In the 7th century
B.C., Thales of Miletus believed that surface spray
of the oceans was picked up by the wind and carried
inland to fall as rain.
In earlier times people did not know the source of
underground water. They thought the water of the
oceans, under the effect of winds, was thrust towards
the interior of the continents. They also believed that
the water returned by a secret passage or the Great
Abyss. This passage is connected to the oceans and
has been called the ‘Tartarus’, since Plato’s time.
Even Descartes, a great thinker of the eighteenth
century, subscribed to this view. Till the nineteenth
century, Aristotle’s theory was still prevalent.
According to this theory, water was condensed in cool
mountain caverns and formed underground lakes
that fed springs. Today, we have come to know that
the rainwater that seeps into the cracks of the
ground is responsible for this.
This is described by the Qur’an in the following
verses:
“Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain
from the sky, and leads it through
springs in the earth? then He causes to grow,
therewith, produce of various colours.”
[Al-Qur’an 39:21]
“He sends down rain from the sky
and with it gives life to the earth after it is dead:
Verily in that are Signs for those who are wise.”
[Al-Qur’an 30:24]
“And We send down water from the sky
according to (due) measure, and We cause it
to soak in the soil; and We certainly are able
to drain it off (with ease).”
[Al-Qur’an 23:18]
No other text dating back 1400 years ago gives such
an accurate description of the water cycle.
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