Q. There was a philosopher in six century B.C. who said that… ‘The Earth rotates about its own axis, and the planets move around the Sun’. The Qur’an also gives the indication of a similar scientific fact. Some people alleged that the Prophet copied these points from the philosopher – Please comment ?

A. (Dr.Zakir): The question posed was, that there  was a philosopher in six century B.C. who said…‘the planets and the Earth rotates around the Sun’ – May be the Prophet copied from this philosopher… Prophet Mohammed (peace be  upon him). I do agree that in the six century B.C… the Pythogorians – these people they defended the theory that…‘ the Earth and the planets they rotate and they revolved around the Sun’. But to say that… ‘Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) copied from them’- is illogical , because these people  failed to realize, that these same Pythogorians , that they also defended the theory… ‘that the Sun was the centre of the Universe’. The Sun was fixed – it did not rotate, neither did it revolve – so to say that Prophet Mohammed (SAWS) copied those two points… ‘Earth and planets rotate and they revolved’- and did not copy the point which says that… ‘the Sun was centre of the Universe the Sun was fixed, it did not rotate, it did not revolve’ is illogical. I do know that there are various Philosophers, whose works of antiqu­ity, gives us ideas… and they say several things. But if you analyze the works of Philosophers, of antiquity – their works is mixed with valid and invalid reasons… Invalid and valid ideas. People nor­mally quote the valid ideas – they forget that they even left behind invalid ideas. They were great thinkers – the difference between these Philosophers who predicted, the Qur’an is… these philosophers only thought and predicted…and they made even false statements. The Qur’an Alhamdulliah – more than 1000 verses speak about science…and not a single is wrong. The difference is Qur’an gives a challenge. To say that Prophet Mohammed (SWS) copied from these people… and did not copy the negative point – may be one or two, it is possible, it  was fluke – but to say, that all the thousands of verses the Qur’an speaks about Science were copied is illogical. Because Qur’an gives a challenge  (Arabic….) in Surah Nisa, Ch. 4, Verse No. 82,‘Do you not consider the Qur’an with care – had it been from anyone besides Allah, there would have been many contradictions’.