6. The miracle of iron

6.
Iron is one of the elementshighlighted in the Qur'an. In Surat
al-Hadid, meaningIron, we are informed:
And We also sent down iron in which there lies great force and which
has many uses for mankind… (Qur'an, 57:25)
The word " anzalna ," translated as "sent down" and used for iron in
the verse, could be thought of having a metaphorical meaning to
explain that iron has been given to benefit people. But, when we take
into considerationthe literal meaning of the word, which is, "being
physically sent down fromthe sky," as in the case of rain and Sun
rays, we realize that this verse implies a very significant scientific
miracle. Because, modern astronomical findings have disclosed that the
iron found in our world has come from giant stars in outer space. 1
Not only the iron on earth,but also the iron in the entire Solar
System, comesfrom outer space, since thetemperature in the Sun is
inadequate for the formation of iron. The sun has a surface
temperature of 6,000 degrees Celsius, and a core temperature of
approximately 20 million degrees. Iron can only be produced in much
larger stars than the Sun, where the temperature reaches afew hundred
million degrees. When the amount of iron exceeds a certain level in a
star, the star can no longer accommodate it, and it eventually
explodes in what is called a "nova" or a "supernova." These explosions
make it possible for iron to be given off into space. 2
One scientific source provides the following information on this subject:
There is also evidence for older supernova events: Enhanced levels of
iron-60in deep-sea sediments have been interpreted as indications that
a supernova explosion occurred within 90 light-years of the sun about
5 million years ago. Iron-60 is a radioactive isotope of iron, formed
in supernova explosions, which decays with a half life of 1.5 million
years. An enhancedpresence of this isotope in a geologic layer
indicates the recent nucleosynthesisof elements nearby in space and
their subsequent transport to the earth (perhaps as part of dust
grains). 3
All this shows that iron didnot form on the Earth, but was carried
from Supernovas, and was "sentdown," as stated in the verse. It is
clear that this fact could not have been known in the 7th century,
when the Qur'an was revealed. Nevertheless, this fact is related in
the Qur'an, the Word of Allah, Who encompasses all things in His
infinite knowledge.
Astronomy has also revealed that other elements also formed outside
the Earth. In the expression "We also sent down iron" in the verse,
the word "also" may well be referring to that idea. However, the fact
that the verse specifically mentionsiron is quite astounding,
considering that these discoveries were made at the end of the 20th
century. In his book Nature's Destiny, the well-known microbiologist
Michael Denton emphasizes the importance of iron:
Of all the metals there is none more essential to lifethan iron. It is
the accumulation of iron in the center of a star which triggers a
supernova explosion and the subsequent scattering of the vital atoms
of life throughout the cosmos. It was the drawing by gravity of iron
atoms to the center of the primeval earth that generated the heat
which caused the initial chemical differentiation of the earth, the
outgassing of the early atmosphere, and ultimately the formation of
the hydrosphere. It is molten iron in the center of the earth which,
acting like a gigantic dynamo, generates the earth's magnetic field,
which in turn creates the Van Allen radiation belts that shield the
earth's surface from destructive high-energy-penetrating cosmic
radiation and preserve thecrucial ozone layer from cosmic ray
destruction…
Without the iron atom, there would be no carbon-based life in the
cosmos; no supernovae, no heatingof the primitive earth, no atmosphere
or hydrosphere. There would be no protective magnetic field, no Van
Allen radiation belts, no ozone layer, no metal to make hemoglobin [in
human blood], no metal to tame the reactivity of oxygen, and no
oxidative metabolism.
The intriguing and intimate relationship between life and iron,
between the red color of blood and the dying of some distant star, not
onlyindicates the relevance of metals to biology but also the
biocentricity of the cosmos… 4
This account clearly indicates the importance of the iron atom. The
fact that particular attention is drawn to iron in the Qur'an also
emphasises the importance of the element.:->

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