If the Koran contains prophetic scientific knowledge why did Christians not Muslims end up making most of these discoveries by themselves?

[Helm]

With all that encoded scientific knowledge contained in the Koran how was it it that Islam ended up losing ground to the West? Why didn't the Koran further scientific discovery in the Islam world in a more direct fashion by enabling Muslim scientists to make new discoveries? Why aren't there Muslim bases on the moon by now?

[Phier]

While this thread feels a bit trolly, the obvious answer is that the scientific knowledge of the Koran was simply the knowledge known at the time to the classical world, 500 years after Christianity.

It also makes some of the mistakes of the age saying the Sun sets in a muddy spring, and implying that the earth is flat. Some have tried to fudge the translation to make it seem somehow acceptable.

[Blaze86420]

While this thread feels a bit trolly, the obvious answer is that the scientific knowledge of the Koran was simply the knowledge known at the time to the classical world, 500 years after Christianity.

It also makes some of the mistakes of the age saying the Sun sets in a muddy spring, and implying that the earth is flat. Some have tried to fudge the translation to make it seem somehow acceptable.

Where does it say that?

[Phier]

Where does it say that?

http://quran.com/18/85-86

[Blaze86420]

http://quran.com/18/85-86

"Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."

Come on Phier, you can do much better than that. The sun sets in a spring of dark mud? Yeah its called the dark ages but people weren't that stupid.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

"Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."

Come on Phier, you can do much better than that. The sun sets in a spring of dark mud? Yeah its called the dark ages but people weren't that stupid.

well many people of hte time thought they could hear the sun setting into the Atlantic when they stood on the westernmost point "in the world" in Spain, so it's not that hard to beleive and the evidence suggests it is true.

[Phier]

"Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."

Come on Phier, you can do much better than that. The sun sets in a spring of dark mud? Yeah its called the dark ages but people weren't that stupid.

Apparently Muhammad was, but if you look around some translations try to white wash it into being an ocean.

[Gromovnik]

Here are some interesting links about the subject: http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Science/index.htm

[Blaze86420]

I've already been through some of these; answering Islam is the most popular site when it comes to debating this subject. The verses are clearly misinterpreted, anybody with a grasp of the Arabic language and actually owns a Quran would know this. You'd think if the Quran truly did contradict scientific facts like these more critics would be all over it, this is actually the first time I've ever heard someone claim the Quran contradicts science.

[Gromovnik]

Ah yes, the old "bad translation" story...

[Blaze86420]

Ah yes, the "I'm going to stick with my one sentence remarks because I can't actually argue" story. If you think you can interpret the Quran better than someone who's native tongue is Arabic then by all means set me on the right path.

[Copperknickers II]

With all that encoded scientific knowledge contained in the Koran how was it it that Islam ended up losing ground to the West? Why didn't the Koran further scientific discovery in the Islam world in a more direct fashion by enabling Muslim scientists to make new discoveries? Why aren't there Muslim bases on the moon by now?

I think you'll find the Muslims made thousands upon thousands of innovations in philosophy and science. Then their empires collapsed and the centre of power shifted to Europe. Simples.

[cenkiss]

Because there is no scientific discovery in quran.It is now only being written to make the book more important.Falsely when a new thing was invented people say 'it was written in quran but it was secret'.Muslim scientists did not make discoveries based on quran.They based them on laws of nature like everyone else.

[Blaze86420]

Actually, the Quran can't be edited. Nice try though.

[(s)AINT]

Actually, the Quran can't be edited. Nice try though.

That's what Christians & Jews say about their holy book.

[Their Law]

Actually, the Quran can't be edited. Nice try though.

That's a tadd naive to say the least.

[Blaze86420]

That's what Christians & Jews say about their holy book.

That's a tadd naive to say the least.

This isn't like the bible, they don't release new editions every other century. There's a Quran still lying about in some museum that was written sometime around the early middle ages, check it out for yourself.

[thelionheart]

This isn't like the bible, they don't release new editions every other century. There's a Quran still lying about in some museum that was written sometime around the early middle ages, check it out for yourself.

There are copies of the Quran much older than that and still contain the same text. I believe the earliest copy we have was written somewhere around late 700s.

[boofhead]

There are copies of the Quran much older than that and still contain the same text. I believe the earliest copy we have was written somewhere around late 700s.

You forget the Koran(s) found in Yemen, from around 700, in which beneath the latest texts is quite apparently former texts that have been altered.

Studies of these have been banned, surprise surprise.

[Phier]

Actually, the Quran can't be edited. Nice try though.

Who said anything about edited, I'm talking mistranslated. They do the same thing when they talk about the breasts of the houri, with some translations removing the whole 'swelling breasts' thing.