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Quranic Viewpoint about the Sensory Characteristic of Skin
By: Mahdi La'li
Tehran, Iran
By paying a considerable amount of attention to the following verse, one can apprehend the existence of a wonderful scientific fact, deliberately implied by some simple but pithy words:
-Lo! Those who disbelieve Our revelations, We shall expose them to the fire. As often as their skins are consumed, We shall exchange them for fresh skins that they may taste the torment. Lo! Allah is ever Mighty, Wise 1. Chapter4: verse56
To provide a better understanding, we present a brief summary regarding the skin and its relationship to the nerves and the sense of touch. Then, we will analyze the corresponding Quranic viewpoint in this regard.
Scientific Viewpoint
What is Skin?
The skin is composed of several tissue layers. Located under the dermis is the layer of very loose connective tissue that joins the skin to the body. This layer, not technically part of the skin, houses many fat cells. The skin's inner layer or dermis consists of connective tissue surrounding several types of specialized structures, including hair follicles, sebaceous glands, sweat glands, capillary blood vessels, and nerves.
The skin's outer layer or epidermis, which is composed of stratified squamous cells, active cell division constantly occurs. The new cells push from deep within the layer toward the outside. The new cells continually replenish the epidermis's outermost layer, the stratum corneum, which consists of hardened, dead cells that are continually being sloughed off the body.
The skin's major tasks are to form a protective layer over the body to prevent injury and disease, keep moisture in the body (water retention), convert vitamin D to regulate body temperature and excrete wastes. The outer layer of skin is the epidermis. The inner layer is called the dermis. It contains hair follicles, nails, nerves (the body's sense of touch), sweat and oil glands and blood vessels.
Skin is the body's largest organ. An average square inch of skin contains 2,800 openings for sweat and oil glands, 72 feet of nerves, hundreds of pain and sense receptors and 15 feet of blood vessels. And skin is the body's most important barrier to infection. The new 3M(TM) Skin Health(SM) Program is designed for doctors and nurses to help their patients maintain healthy skin 2.
Quranic Viewpoint
Having considered the above scientific explanation, we can easily arrive at a conclusion that to experience pain (or any other sensations), it is necessary to have skin.
In a comparative analysis, we deduce many of the described functions of the skin from the mentioned corresponding verse in the Quran. The word “Leyazuqu” meaning, “In order to make them taste” implicitly clarifies the necessity of existence of skin in order to feel the sensation. This is because after consumption (burning) of the unbelievers’ skin in the fire, Allah replaces a new skin for them to taste (or to sense) the torment again and this happens repetitively to provide an eternal punishment for the unbelievers. Namely, since sensing the pain is at the skin, the doomed unbelievers will get fresh skin for their burnt out skin to taste it again.
Miracle in the Holy Quran3
A scientist became Muslim after reading about these facts in the Holy Quran. This man declared the Islamic creed (Shahaadah) and became Muslim during the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference, which was convened in Riyadh. He is Professor Tejatat Tejasen, Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University in Thailand. He was previously the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the same university.
Sheik Abdul Majid Zendani, a Professor of Islamic Studies in King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia says: “We presented to Professor Tejasen some Quranic verses and Prophetic Ahadeeth (narrations), which deal with his specialization in the field of anatomy.
Professor Tejasen, at first supposed that very accurate descriptions of embryonic developmental stages exist in their Buddhist books. We told him that we were very anxious and interested to see those descriptions and learn about these books. A year later, Professor Tejasen came to King Abdul Aziz University as an outside examiner. He was reminded of the statement that he made one year before. He apologized and said that he in fact had made that statement without researching the matter fully. Actually, when he checked the Buddhist resources he found that they contained nothing of relevance to the subject.
Upon this, he was presented a lecture written by Professor Keith Moore about the compatibility of modern embryology with what is contained in the Quran and the Sunnah. After reviewing it Professor Tejasen was asked if he knew of Professor Keith Moore’s reputation and accomplishments. He knew Professor Moore as one of the most world-renowned scientists in the field of embryology.
Professor Tejasen’s astonishment was observable after reviewing the article according to sources. He was presented with several questions in his own field of specialization, dermatology. One of the questions pertained to modern discoveries in dermatology about the sensory characteristics of the skin. Dr. Tejasen responded: Yes if the burn is deep.
Dr. Tejasen was told: “You will be interested to know that in this book, the Holy Book - the Quran was revealed 1400 years ago. This quote, which pertains to the moment of punishment of the unbelievers by the fire of Hell and it states that when their skin is destroyed, Allah makes another skin for them so that they perceive the punishment by a fire, indicating knowledge about the nerve endings in the skin, and the verse is as follows”:
-Those who reject our signs, We shall soon cast into the fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the chastisement. Truly Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.
Professor Tejasen was then asked: “Do you agree that this is a reference to the importance of the nerve endings in the skin in sensation, 1400 years ago?” Dr. Tejasen responded: “Yes I agree”.
Further explanation of this expert from the Quran reveals that this knowledge about sensation was supported by modern evidence. It states in the Quran that if somebody does sins, then he will be punished by burning his skin and then Allah puts a new skin on him, covers him, to make him know that the taste is painful again. It means that they knew it many years ago that the receptor of pain sensation must be on the skin, so they put a new skin on.
The skin is the center of sensitivity to burns. Thus, if the skin is completely burnt by fire, it looses its sensitivity. It is for this reason that Allah will punish the unbelievers on the Day of Judgment by returning to them their skins time after time, as He, the Exalted and Glorified, said in the Quran:
-Those who reject our signs, We shall soon cast into the fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the chastisement. Truly Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.
Professor Tejasen was presented with yet another question: ‘Is it possible that these verses came to the Prophet Muhammed, (Peace Be Upon Him), from a human source?’
Professor Tejasen conceded that they could have never come from any human source 14 hundred years ago. He remained unable to identify the source of that knowledge and from where could Muhammed have possibly received it.
It was told to him that this is ‘From Allah, the Most Glorified and Most Exalted.’ Then he asked: ‘But who is Allah?’
He was replied: “He is the Creator of all that is in existence.’ If you find wisdom then it is because it comes only from the one Who is Most Wise. If you find knowledge in the making of this universe, it is because the universe is the creation of the One Who has all the knowledge. If you find perfection in the composition of these creations, then it is proof to you that it is the creation of the One Who Knows Best; and if you find mercy, then this bears witness to the fact that it is the creation of the One Who is Most Merciful. In the same way, if you perceive creation as belonging to one unified order and tied together firmly, then this is proof that it is the creation of the Only Creator, May He be Glorified and Exalted.
Professor Tejasen agreed with what we said to him. He returned to his country where he delivered several lectures about his new knowledge and discoveries. We were informed that five of his students converted to Islam because of these lectures. Then at the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference held in Riyadh, Professor Tejasen attended a series of lectures on Medical signs in the Quran and Sunnah.
Professor Tejasen spent four days with several scholars, Muslims, and non-Muslims, talking about this phenomenon in the Quran and the Sunnah. At the end of those sessions, Professor Tejasen stood up and said, “In the last three years I became interested in the Quran, which Shaykh Abdul-Majeed Az-Zindani gave me. Last year, I got Professor Keith Moore’s latest script from the shaykh. He asked me to translate it into the Thai language and to give a few lectures to the Muslims in Thailand. I have fulfilled his request. You can see that in the videotape that I have given to the shaykh as a gift. From my studies and from what I have learned throughout this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Quran 1400 years ago must be the truth, which can be proven by scientific means.
He continued: “Since the Prophet Muhammed could neither read nor write, Muhammed must be a messenger who relayed this truth which was revealed to him as enlightenment by the One Who is an eligible Creator. This Creator must be Allah, or God. Therefore, I think this is the time to say ‘Laa ilaaha illallah’ (that there is no god to worship except Allah), ‘Muhammed Rasool Allah’ (Muhammed is the messenger of Allah...)
He continued on: “I have not only learned from the scientific knowledge in the conference, but also the great chance of meeting many new scientists and making many new friends among the participants. The most precious thing that I have gained by coming to this conference is ‘La ilaaha illallah, Muhammed Rasool Allah’, and to have become a Muslim.”
The truth verily comes from Allah who said in the Quran:
-And those to whom knowledge has come see that the (revelation) sent down to thee from thy Lord - that is the truth, and that it guides to the path of the Exalted (in Might), worthy of all praise.
Chapter34: verse6
References
1. Holy Quran translated by Marmaduke Pickthall, George Allen and Unwin Ltd., London, Fifth Edition, 1969.
2. Caduceus MCAT Review, a product of Scientia Inc.
3. http://www.islim-guide.com/.
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