Alkur'ani da alakarsa da ilimin kimiyya ya kasance batun muhawara tsawon ƙarnuka, inda malamai ke sabani kan ko a yi amfani da ilimin kimiyya a matsayin kayan tafsiri don bayyana ma'anonin Alkur'ani. Malamin nan na karni na 14, Al-Shatibi, ya nuna adawa da amfani da ilimin kimiyya. Ya bayar da hujjar cewa Alkur'ani littafi ne na addini wanda babban abin da yake mayar da hankali a kai shi ne bayyanar nufin Ubangiji a fagen rayuwar ɗan Adam. Al-Shatibi ya rubuta cewa:

The Qur’an’s relationship with science has been discussed for centuries, with scholars debating whether to use science as an exegetical tool to elucidate its meanings. The 14th Century scholar Al-Shatibi was against using science. He argues the Qur’an is a religious book which is mainly focused on the manifestation of the Divine will in the human sphere of existence. Al-Shatibi writes:

Mutane da yawa sun wuce iyaka, sun kuma yi iƙirari marasa tushe game da Alƙur'ani, lokacin da suka danganta masa dukkan nau'o'in ilimin abubuwan da suka gabata da na yanzu, kamar ilimin halitta, lissafi da kuma ma'anar hankali (mantiƙi).15

Many people have overstepped all bounds and made undue claims about the Qur’an when they assigned to it all types of knowledge of the past and the present such as the natural sciences, mathematics and logic.15

Duk da haka, masanin tauhidi kuma masanin falsafa na karni na 11, Al-Ghazali, ya ba da shawarar yin amfani da kimiyya wajen bayyana ma'anonin Alkur'ani. Al-Ghazali yana ganin Alkur'ani a matsayin tushen dukkan nau'ikan ilimi. Ya bayyana, misali, cewa duk ilimi yana cikin "alamu da nuni da ke cikin Alkur'ani"16, kuma a littafinsa Jewels of the Qur'an ya yi bayani cewa ka'idojin ilimomi daban-daban "ba su waje da Alkur'ani ba."17

However, the 11th Century theologian and philosopher, Al-Ghazali advocates using science to elucidate the meanings of the Qur’an. Al-Ghazali views the Qur’an as providing the foundations to all types of knowledge. He states, for example, that all knowledge is implied “in the signs and indications in the Qur’an”16 and in his book The Jewels of the Qur’an he argues that the principles of various sciences “are not outside the Qur’an.” 17.

Malamai kuma sun yi ikirarin cewa Alkur'ani rubutu ne mai shiga cikin zukatan mutane, yana kuma magana da zurfin ran mutum. Dabarun sadarwa da Alkur'ani ke amfani da su wajen cimma wannan sun hada da dabarar yin tambayoyi da kuma ambaton alamomin da ke nuna Allah, watau kwatancinsa ga abubuwan halitta. Akwai kimanin ayoyi 750 da ke magana kan kimiyya da al'amuran halitta.18

Scholars also claim the Qur’an is an intrusive text engaging with the inner dimensions of man. Communicative strategies employed by the Qur’an to achieve this include the technique of asking questions and referring to sign-posts to God i.e. its allusions to the natural world. There are an estimated 750 verses concerning science and natural phenomena.18

Kimiyya, kamar yadda masanin falsafa Bertrand Russell ya ayyana ta, ita ce "ƙoƙarin gano, ta hanyar lura da tunani bisa ga abin da aka lura da shi, ... takamaiman gaskiyar duniya, da dokokin da ke haɗa gaskiya da juna..." 19.

Science, as defined by the philosopher Bertrand Russell, is “the attempt to discover, by means of observation and reasoning based upon it, ...particular facts about the world, and the laws connecting facts with one another...”19.

Duk da cewa babu yarjejeniya game da ma'anar kimiyya, ya bayyana cewa ma'anar Russell idan aka yi amfani da ita ga Alkur'ani tana bayar da jerin ayoyi da ke nuni zuwa binciken kimiyya. Ga wasu misalai:

Although there is no consensus over the definition of science, it seems that Russell's definition applied to the Qur’an offers an array of verses pointing to scientific study. Some examples include:

Kuma wanda ya halicci dukkan abubuwa kuma ya ƙayyade su da wani ƙayyadadden ma'auni.20

And who created all things and made them to an exact measure.20

Za Mu nuna musu ayoyinMu a cikin kowane yanki na duniya da kuma cikin kawunansu, har sai ya bayyana a gare su cewa wannan gaskiya ne.21

We shall show them Our signs in every region of the earth and in themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth.21

Lalle akwai alamu a cikin halittar sammai da ƙasa, da kuma sauyawar dare da rana, ga masu hankali.22

There truly are signs in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of the night and day, for those with understanding.22

A cikin halittar sammai da ƙasa; a cikin canjin dare da rana; a cikin jiragen ruwa da ke tafiya a teku da kayayyaki ga mutane; a cikin ruwan da Allah ke saukarwa daga sama don ya rayar da ƙasa bayan ta bushe, yana watsa dukkan nau'ikan halittu a cikinta; a cikin canjin iska da gizagizai da ke tafiya a hanyoyinsu da aka tsara tsakanin sama da ƙasa: akwai alamu a cikin dukkan waɗannan ga waɗanda ke amfani da hankalinsu.

In the creation of the heavens and earth; in the alternation of the night and day; in the ships that sail the seas with goods for people; in the water which God sends down from the sky to give life to the earth when it has been barren, scattering all kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the winds and clouds that run their appointed courses between the sky and earth: there are signs in all of these for those who use their minds.

23

23

Wannan, duk da haka, ba ya nufin cewa Alkur'ani littafin kimiyya ne; a maimakon haka, littafi ne na ayoyi, wanda aka fi fassara shi da "ayoyi" (verses), kuma a harshe yana da ma'anoni daban-daban, kamar: alama, hujja, shaida da mu'ujiza.24 Saboda haka, ayoyin Alkur'ani da suka shafi duniyar halitta ba a nufin su ba da cikakken bayanin yanayi ba ne, a maimakon haka suna ƙarfafa tunani da yin tunani mai zurfi.

This, however, does not imply the Qur’an is a book of science; rather it is a book of ayaat, which is commonly interpreted as ‘verses’ and linguistically conveys various meanings, such as: sign, proof, evidence and miracle.24 Thus, the qur’anic verses pertaining to the natural world are not meant to provide detailed descriptions of nature, but they encourage thinking and reflection.

Bugu da kari, matsayin akida ta Musulunci shi ne cewa Alƙur'ani ba ya musanta gaskiyar da aka tabbatar, kuma akwai ijma'in malamai cewa maganganunsa game da duniyar halitta ba a iyakance su ga fahimtar ƙarni na 7 game da yanayi ba. Shaikh Mohar Ali ya bayyana haka a cikin littafinsa The Qur'an and the Orientalists:

Moreover, the Islamic creedal position maintains that the Qur’an does not negate established realities, and there is a scholarly consensus that its statements pertaining to the natural world are not confined to a 7th century understanding of nature. This is explained by Shaykh Mohar Ali in his book The Qur’an and the Orientalists:

Nesa da nesa, Alkur'ani bai maimaita ko nuna ra'ayin duniya kuskure da ya mamaye Larabawa a karni na bakwai ba. Akasin haka, ya wuce ilimin kimiyya na lokacin, kuma yana magana kan gaskiyoyin kimiyya da mutum ya gano kwanan nan.25

Far from reproducing or reflecting the erroneous world-view prevailing in the seventh century Arabia, the Qur’an indeed goes far beyond the scientific knowledge of the time and speaks of scientific facts and truths that have only recently been discovered by man.25

Ta hanyar la'akari da wannan, gaskiyar cewa wata takarda ta karni na 7 tana ɗauke da maganganu da ke ƙin tabbatattun ra'ayoyin kimiyya na zamaninta, kuma tana dacewa da kimiyyar zamani da binciken da ta yi, tana nuna a fili yanayin Alkur'ani a matsayin alama da ke nuni zuwa ga abin da ya wuce fahimtar ɗan adam. Wannan yana ƙarfafa tunani, kuma yana taimakawa wajen isa ga matsaya cewa Allah Ɗaya ne kuma maganar Alkur'ani daga wurin Allah take. Wannan takarda za ta ɗauki ɗaya daga cikin waɗannan alamomi da ke cikin sura ta 23, ayoyi na 12 zuwa 14, kuma za ta yi nazarin harshe na kowace kalma mai muhimmanci tare da danganta ta da ilimin halittar tayi na zamani.

In considering this, the fact that a 7th century document contains statements rejecting the established scientific assertions of its time, and complying with modern-day science and its discoveries, makes evident the nature of the Qur’an as a sign-post to the transcendent. This encourages contemplation, and facilitates the arrival at a conclusion that God is One and qur’anic discourse is Divine. This paper will take one of these signs found in chapter 23 verses 12 to 14, and provide a linguistic breakdown correlating each key word with modern embryology.