Micheal Cranford
----------------

  "Here are some of the passages from the Qur'an which Leonard
  Newnham wanted to be cited as a proof of existence of scientific
  facts in the Qur'an:"

You are apparently suffering from extreme scientific illiteracy.  Nowhere
in your posting have you provided any corresponding scientific evidence
or theory to match your claims.  I shall address your points one at a time.

  "1. On the creation of the universe: [ ... ]
	Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were
	joined together as one unit of creation befor We clove them
	asunder?"

There are (at least) several hundred religious creation myths. [1]  The
fact that the Koran has creation myths (note the plural) is not unique.
What does "the heavens and the earth were joined together as one unit of
creation" mean in scientific terms?  Heaven (as a physical place) is a
religious invention and the Koran clearly states that there are seven
heavens and seven earths. [2]

The heavens, by the way, were made from smoke (no mirrors?). [4] Also note
that the phrase "befor [sic] We clove them asunder" is polytheistic.
The Koran endorses a major diety (Allah) and minor dieties (all others).
As is usually the case with revealed religions, theirs is the one true
god and the one true religion.

  "2. On the motion of sun and moon: [ ... ]
  And it is He (God) who created the night and the day and the
  sun and the moon all celestial bodies swim along, each in its
  rounded courses."

The above is clearly a primitive geocentric view.  Note that "the night
and the day" were separately created things and our solar system is
heliocentric not geocentric.  Also note that the phrase "all celestial
bodies swim along" implies that these bodies are alive and moving
through water (both ideas are very common in near eastern mythology).
It is quite well known that "celestial bodies" do not follow "rounded
courses".  All of the planets and many comets in this solar system
follow elliptical orbits around the sun (not the earth). The only
"celestial body" orbiting the earth is the moon and not the "all"
stated above.  According to the Koran, stars and guardian angles are
located in the lowest of the seven heavens. [3]  Scientific evidence
is lacking.

  "3. Creation of living beings from water: [ ... ]
  And we made (created) from water every living thing.  Will they
  then not believe?"

"We made" is polytheistic and do you have any scientific evidence that
"every living thing" is made entirely of water.  Water plays an important
part in near eastern creation myths (for obvious reasons).  Also note
that the Koran clearly states that men were created from dust. [5]

Islamic doctrine asserts that the Koran is "the eternal word of God",
written on a tablet in heaven, and divinely revealed to the prophet
Mohammed by the archangel Gabrial.  This doctrine falls somewhat short
of being scientifically verifiable.  Mohammed (570-632 C.E.) was
largely ignored in his native Mecca so he moved to Medina where he
discovered a large number of eager believers.

If you try to interpret any of the writings of the "prophets" of the
various religions as scientifically valid, you will have a lot of (self)
contradictory junk.  The only consistency to be found is irrationalism
(primitiveness is a close second).  There are intelligent religious
people who recognize that religious mythology isn't (and never can be)
a substitute for science.

Anyone interested in reading about creation mythologies should consult
[1], which covers over 100 different creation myths including several
in the Bible (not just the two some claim), the Koran, Greek, Roman,
Indian (both American and Eastern), African, Japanese, Eskimo, etc.


REFERENCES

  [1] Primal Myths: Creating the World  by Barbara C. Sproul.  Harper
  and Row (USA), also Fitzhenry and Whiteside (Canada), 1979.  ISBN
  0-06-067501-2 Sproul is director of the Program in Religion at Hunter
  College of the City University of New York.

NOTES

  Koran = Qur'an; there are several different spellings.

  [2] Sura LXV, Divorce : 12.  "IT IS GOD who hath created seven heavens and
  as many earths. [ ... ]"

  [3] Sura XLI, The Made Plain.  "[ ... ] And we furnished the lower heaven
  with lights and guardian angles. [ ... ]"

  [4] Sura XLI, The Made Plain.  "[ ... ] Then He applied himself to the
  Heaven, which then was but smoke; [ ... ]"

  [5] Sura XL, The Believer : 69.  "[ ... ] He it is who created you of the
  dust, then of the germs of life, then of thick blood, [ ... ]"