What would happen if an established scientific fact, upon which a claim of scientific miraculousness in the Qurʾān is based, were later shown to be invalid?

Quite simply, this objection loses its force once the methodological guiding principles for examining the scientific miracles in the Qurʾān are properly understood, for the purpose of studying the scientific signs or indications in the Qurʾān is merely to take them into consideration, not to establish or validate scientific findings themselves. By analogy, the leading scholars of Qurʾānic exegesis made use of al-isrāʾīliyyāt—that is, Judeo-Christian traditions—in their commentaries. Such traditions appear frequently in Qurʾānic works of exegesis because Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) permitted their transmission when he said, “relate [traditions] from the Children of Israel, and there is no sin in doing that.”¹ However, specific principles govern the narration of Judeo-Christian traditions, and these principles are likewise applicable when engaging with scientific findings. Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) instructed that such traditions should neither be affirmed as true nor rejected as false, lest one accept falsehood as truth or reject truth as falsehood. As he (PBUH) stated, “Whatever the People of the Book relate to you, neither affirm it nor reject it; rather, say: ‘We believe in Allāh and His Messenger.’ If it is false, do not affirm it, and if it is true, do not reject it.”² In fact, Judeo-Christian traditions can be classified into three categories: those affirmed as true because the Qurʾān confirms them, those rejected as false because the Qurʾān disproves them, and those whose truth or falsehood is unknown. Accordingly, it is entirely appropriate to accept what is known to be true and reject what is known to be false, while withholding judgment on what is uncertain. In a similar manner, basing the scientific miraculousness of the Qurʾān on scientific findings is a commendable effort, yet it should not be regarded as infallible. As noted earlier, scientific exegesis represents only one interpretation of the Qurʾānic text and is not the exclusive framework for understanding it. Moreover, the signs of Allāh’s power and majesty revealed to humankind thus far are certainly not His only signs. Allāh says: {We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this ˹Qurʾān˺ is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a Witness over all things?} (Qurʾān 41:53). The phrase “We will show them Our signs” indicates that Allāh will continue to manifest His signs both in the external world—all that exists in the universe—and within human beings—the organs, limbs, and intricate mechanisms and systems functioning within them—up to the Day of Judgment. In other words, the Qurʾān foretold, over 1,400 years ago, that subsequent facts and events would continue to attest to its truth. Thus, the Qurʾān will not only preserve its veracity across the ages but will also become increasingly evident and rationally established. This prediction has been fully realized, as centuries of scientific research and historical events have continually corroborated the Qurʾān, to the extent that some non-Muslim researchers have testified that the Qurʾān itself provides proof of its divine origin, and consequently embraced Islam. Consequently, the verse (41:53) encompasses all future scientific discoveries attainable by humankind till the end of time, ensuring that the Qurʾān will always be “the book of the hour”—a timeless quality possessed only by a divine Book, and never by human writing.