The Quran contains a wide range of knowledge. Some types of knowledge are unique to God; however, He wishes and allows certain special people, such as prophets and infallible leaders, to be aware of some of them. In this article, we will look at some of the different types of knowledge mentioned in the Quran, but we will discuss only Ilm-i Ladunnī (علم لدنّی) and scientific knowledge in the Quran.
The Quran contains many examples of scientific knowledge being explained, and these explanations date back centuries before human scientists came to the same conclusions. Take a look at these instances.
The Two Oceans
It is He who merged the two seas: this one sweet and agreeable, and that one briny and bitter, and between the two, He set a barrier and a forbidding hindrance.
This verse explains that an invisible barrier separates the sweet and salty sea waters, preventing them from mixing, and it shows how powerful God is in creation.
Science now knows that the barrier separating them is the different substances' specific weights or their differences in water densities, which keep them from combining for a long time.
Indeed, We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him a drop of [seminal] fluid [lodged] in a secure abode. Then, We created the drop of fluid as a clinging mass. Then, We created the clinging mass as a fleshy tissue. Then, We created the fleshy tissue as bones. Then We clothed the bones with flesh. Then We produced him as [yet] another creature. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators!
When it comes to the creation of humans, the first two verses seem to point to a two-stage process: Adam was created from clay, and his progeny continued through his sperm. The method of conception is described in the second verse.
The fetus's development up until it is endowed with a soul and becomes a new creation is finally described in the final verse. 10
A narration explains that verse 11 also speaks of the three veil of darkness covering the fetus during pregnancy—the night of the abdomen, womb, and ovaries. 12
More than 1400 years ago, the Quran explained this; however, it was not until centuries later that humans and scientists finally discovered these realities.
ʿIlm-i Ladunnī (علم لدنّی) Knoweldge in the Quran
[There] they found one of Our servants whom We had granted mercy from Ourselves and taught him knowledge from Our own.
There is no other knowledge in which God is involved, and neither the senses nor the mind can mediate. The verse states that it cannot be acquired by acquisition or argumentation because it is said to be "from Our own." This verse section clarifies that this knowledge is called ilm-i ladunn and that only Imams and extremely high-status individuals—saints—can acquire it. It is clear from the following verses that it alludes to an understanding of event interpretation.
