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Prof. Durga Rao is an
expert in the field of Marine Geology and was a professor at King Abdul
Aziz University in Jeddah. He was asked to comment on the following verse:
Or (the
Unbelievers state) Is like the depths of darkness In a vast deep ocean,
Overwhelmed with billow Topped by billow, Topped by (dark) clouds: Depths
of darkness, one Above another: if a man Stretches out his hand, He can
hardly see it! For any to whom Allah Giveth not light, there is no light!
[Al-Quraan 24:40]
Prof. Rao said
that scientists have only now been able to confirm, with the help of modern
equipment that there is darkness in the depths of the ocean. Humans are
unable to dive unaided underwater for more than 20 to 30 meters, and cannot
survive in the deep oceanic regions at a depth of more than 200 meters.
This verse does not refer to all seas because not every sea can be
described as having accumulated darkness layered one over another. It
refers especially to a deep sea or deep ocean, as the Qura'an says,
darkness in a vast deep ocean. This layered darkness in a deep ocean is the
result of two causes:
A light ray is
composed of seven colours. These seven colours are Violet, Indigo, Blue,
Green, Yellow, Orange and Red (VIBGYOR). The light ray undergoes refraction
when it hits water. The upper 10 to 15 metres of water absorb the red
colour. Therefore if a diver is 25 metres under water and gets wounded, he
would not be able to see the red colour of his blood, because the red colour
does not reach this depth. Similarly orange rays are absorbed at 30 to 50
metres, yellow at 50 to 100 metres, green at 100 to 200 metres, and
finally, blue beyond 200 metres and violet and indigo above 200 metres. Due
to successive disappearance of colour, one layer after another, the ocean
progressively becomes darker, i.e. darkness takes place in layers of light.
Below a depth of 1000 meters there is complete darkness.
The suns rays
are absorbed by clouds, which in turn scatter light rays thus causing a
layer of darkness under the clouds. This is the first layer of darkness.
When light rays reach the surface of the ocean they are reflected by the
wave surface giving it a shiny appearance. Therefore it is the waves which
reflect light and cause darkness. The un-reflected light penetrates into
the depths of the ocean. Therefore the ocean has two parts. The surface
characterized by light and warmth and the depth characterized by darkness.
The surface is further separated from the deep part of the ocean by waves.
The internal waves cover the deep waters of seas and oceans because the
deep waters have a higher density than the waters above them. The darkness
begins below the internal waves. Even the fish in the depths of the ocean
cannot see; their only source of light is from their own bodies.
The Qura'an
rightly mentions: Darkness in a vast deep ocean overwhelmed with waves
topped by waves. In other words, above these waves there are more types of
waves, i.e. those found on the surface of the ocean. The Quraanic verse
continues, topped by (dark) clouds; depths of darkness, one above
another.
These clouds as
explained are barriers one over the other that further cause darkness by
absorption of colours at different levels.
Prof. Durga Rao
concluded by saying, 1400 years ago a normal human being could not explain
this phenomenon in so much detail. Thus the information must have come from
a supernatural source.
(Oceans, Elder and Pernetta, p. 27)
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