Islam says that Man is made up of soil/dust. And I was wondering, can that mean *STAR DUST?
*Because, Man or for that matter all living things are created from heavy elements, especially carbon. Now, all these elements are formed in the cores of stars and in supernovae.
As a star nears the end of it’s life, it’s hydrogen fuel starts to dwindle. Finally, the star will start contracting under it’s own gravity and after a while, temperatures become hot enough for the star to start the fusion of helium. The fusion of helium creates **CARBON. **In super massive stars, this process continues, up till Iron. Even heavier elements are created when the star explodes in a supernova.
I was watching a episode of History Channel’s *Universe *last night about the life cycle of stars. And one of the scientists on the show said that *“we are literally made from star dust” *
Immediately, it came into my mind that maybe Islam is saying the same thing. What say?
Very Interesting indeed.
My favorite web is Nasa & Nasa’s Hubble Scope. I read such reviews with interest and relate them to Quran which are so
mind boggling some times. Dil chata hai kay Allah kay samnay sajday say sir na uthaay !!
and i hv been thinking about this exact thing these days…the beginning of life was from these “elements” and perhaps clay-like substances…it all started from abiotic elements. it just had to be able to replicate itself. this also bring in the question of what qualifies as life or living.
infact, people have designed experiments and tried to run them in labs in hopes of making what the earliest form of life must have looked like.
I think it’s a simple verse. All it means is that we are made from the same basic elements as the rest of the universe is. It’s a reason to marvel at God’s ability to create such different entities from the same elements. It’s also a reason to humble us humans. That’s all.
Sometimes I feel that the Quran is extrapolated too much by us when it comes to comparing religion and science.
However, there are some things which are more obvious and awe inducing, like the verse about the sun being on its own course (or something like that, I fail to remember) and the fact that God often mentions how his one day is equivalent to several of our days.
Diwana, did you think I was replying to your post? I was replying to the OP ‘only’ and in reference to the verse(s) the OP was referring to.
I haven’t discredited any Quranic verses at all. If I’m questioning anything at all, then it is ‘our’ effort to find ‘reason’ for everything stated in the Quran.
My basic point is that not everything stated in the Quran (about how our world is) needs to be explained by science or matched with latest scientific knowledge, especially when it might take more than one step (which is what I meant when I said extrapolation) to reach that conclusion.
Yes, you are absolutely right, I do need to study all the verses and Quran itself more. Although in this thread, I’m not sure what verse I’m expected to provide, in general I’m not knowledgeable enough to provide verses. Your advice is well received.
I still hold my opinion that there are times when we try to find too much meaning in things that might have a simpler meaning. I’m sure the same can be done with other religious texts as well.
I guess you diwana ^ are not related to any teaching profession, which is GOOD! sigh of relief
But I like your “Hunter’s instinct” just waiting for some one to say some thing ODD like there are times when we try to find too much meaning in things that might have a simpler meaning. or Sometimes I feel that the Quran is extrapolated too much by us when it comes to comparing religion and science And your likely instict would be to shout ‘Foul against Quran and Deen’ and go hay-wired.
Can you not for once hold your ‘itch’ (khurruck)??
Indirectly yes … All of the heavier elements have come to us from other star systems in the way of dust and meteors. However, that dust had been settling on the Earth way before man came on the scene.
In effect we are made from the dust/soil/clay from the Earth. This very Earth, which itself constitutes dust from the stars.
We know that we were made from this Earth because … this world was pointed out to the Angels by Allah (SWT) when Adam (AS) was Created. It is in the Qur’an. We are made from the same substance as the Earth. The Earth has been around before us and many animals that resembled us have lived on the Earth before us. The rest is elementary. If you are trying to connect the word “star dust” with “dirt/soil” that we have been made from then you will need an argument to show that “Earth dust” is somehow fundamentally different to “star dust” and that our composition is more like “star dust” than “Earth dust” then you may have a case.
Um, actually, the Earth itself is made from star dust. Ours is a second generation star, born from the ashes of a bigger star before it and everything else in the solar system is made from the same cloud of gas.
Good pondering.
