
THE MIRACLE OF IRON
Iron is one of the elements highlighted in the Qur'an. In Surat
al-Hadid, meaning Iron, 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)
Iron ingot
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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 consideration the literal meaning
of the word, which is, "being physically sent down from the 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.38
Not only the iron on earth, but also the iron
in the entire Solar System, comes from outer space, since the temperature
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 a
few 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.39
One scientific source provides the following information on this
subject:
There is also evidence for older supernova events:
Enhanced levels of iron-60 in 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 enhanced presence
of this isotope in a geologic layer indicates the recent nucleosynthesis
of elements nearby in space and their subsequent transport to
the earth (perhaps as part of dust grains).40
Surat al-Hadid is the 57th in the Qur’an. The numerical
value of the word “al-Hadid” in Arabic is 57.
The numerical value of “hadid” on its own is 26.
As can be seen from the periodic table to the side, 26 is
the number of the iron atom. With the verse revealed in Surat
al-Hadid Almighty Allah indicates how iron formed, and with
the mathematical code contained in the verse He reveals to
us a scientific miracle.
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All this shows that iron did not form on the Earth, but was carried
from Supernovas, and was "sent down," 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 mentions iron 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 life than 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 the crucial ozone layer from cosmic
ray destruction�
Without the iron atom, there would be no carbon-based
life in the cosmos; no supernovae, no heating of 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 only indicates the relevance of metals to biology but also
the biocentricity of the cosmos�41
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. In addition, there
is another hidden truth in the Qur'an which draws attention to the
importance of iron: Surat al-Hadid 25, which refers to iron, contains
two rather interesting mathematical codes.
"Al- Hadid" is the 57th sura in the Qur'an. The abjad
of the word "Al-Hadid" in Arabic, when the numerological values
of its letters are added up, is also 57. (For abjad calculations
see the section on Numerological Calculations (Abjad) in
the Qur'an.)
The numerological value of the word "hadid" alone is 26.
And 26 is the atomic number of iron.
Moreover, iron oxide particles were used in a cancer treatment
in recent months and positive developments were observed. A team
led by Dr. Andreas Jordan, at the world famous Charit� Hospital
in Germany, succeeded in destroying cancer cells with this new technique
developed for the treatment of cancer-magnetic fluid hyperthermia
(high temperature magnetic liquid). As a result of this technique,
first performed on the 26-year-old Nikolaus H., no new cancer cells
were observed in the patient in the following three months.
This method of treatment can be summarised as follows:
1. A liquid containing iron oxide
particles is injected into the tumour by means of a special syringe.
These particles spread throughout the tumour cells. This liquid
consists of thousands of millions of particles, 1,000 times smaller
than the red blood corpuscles, of iron oxide in 1 cm3 that can easily
flow through all blood vessels.42
2. The patient is then placed in a machine with
a powerful magnetic field.
3. This magnetic field, applied externally, begins
to set the iron particles in the tumour in motion. During this time
the temperature in the tumour containing the iron oxide particles
rises by up to 45 degrees.
In a few minutes the cancer cells, unable to protect
themselves from the heat, are either weakened or destroyed. The
tumour may then be completely eradicated with subsequent chemotherapy.43
In this treatment it is only the cancer cells that are affected
by the magnetic field, since only they contain the iron oxide particles.
The spread of this technique is a major development in the treatment
of this potentially lethal disease. In the treatment of such a widespread
disease as cancer, the use of the expression "iron in which
there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind"
(Qur'an, 57:25) in the Qur'an is particularly noteworthy. Indeed,
in that verse, the Qur'an may be indicating the benefits of iron
for human health. (Allah knows best.)

38.
Kazi, 130 Evident Miracles in the Qur’an, 110-111; and www.wamy.co.uk/announcements3.html,
from Prof. Zighloul Raghib El-Naggar’s speech
39. Ibid.
40. Priscilla Frisch, “The Galactic Environment of the Sun,”
American Scientist, January-February 2000, www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/21173?fulltext=true.
41. Michael J. Denton, Nature’s Destiny (The Free Press: 1998),
198.
42. www.inm-gmbh.de/cgi-bin/frame/frameloader.pl?sprache=en&url=http://www.inm-gmbh.de/htdocs/technologien/highlights/highlights_en.htm.
43. "Nanotechnology successfully helps cancer therapies,"
IIC Fast Track, Nanotech News from Eastern Germany, Industrial Investment
Council, October 2003; www.iic.de/uploads/media/NANO_FT_Nov2003_01.pdf
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