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)
The word " anzalna ," translated as "sent down" and used for ironin
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. 1
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 milliondegrees. 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 ina
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-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 halflife 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). 3
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, theWord 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 sentdown 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 throughoutthe 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 centerof the earth which,
acting like a gigantic dynamo, generates the earth's magnetic field,
which in turn creates theVan 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 ofblood and the dying of some distant star, not
only indicates the relevance of metals to biology but also the
biocentricity of the cosmos… 4
This account clearly indicates the importanceof 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 numerologicalvalues of its letters are
added up, is also 57.
The numerological valueof 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 Charité Hospital in Germany,
succeeded in destroying cancer cells with this new technique developed
forthe 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
tumourby 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. 5
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.
4. In a few minutes the cancer cells, unable to protect themselves
from the heat, are either weakened or destroyed. The tumour may then
becompletely eradicated with subsequent chemotherapy. 6
In this treatment it is only the cancer cells thatare 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 treatmentof 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, theQur'an
may be indicating the benefits of iron for human health. (Allah knows
best.)
1- Dr. Mazhar U. Kazi, 130Evident Miracles in the Qur'an (New York,
USA: Crescent Publishing House: 1998), 110-111; and
www.wamy.co.uk/announcements3.html, from Prof. Zighloul Raghib
El-Naggar's speech
2- Ibid.
3- Priscilla Frisch, "The Galactic Environment of the Sun," American
Scientist, January-February 2000,
www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/21173?fulltext=true.
4- Michael J. Denton, Nature's Destiny (The Free Press: 1998), 198.
5- www.inm-gmbh.de/cgi-bin/frame/frameloader.pl?sprache=en&url=http://www.inm-gmbh.de/htdocs/technologien/highlights/highlights_en.htm
.
6- "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