Here is pioneering research paper by Sheikh Mohammed Shihabuddin Nadvi,
 a leading Islamic luminary of the present Muslim world.


                      Cloning Testifies Resurrection
    Man has confirmed the Islamic belief by this experiment and refuted
                                materialism
 Does a buried man be raised again? Is the resurrection possible when all
 the parts of the dead body have been either scattered, destroyed or have
 turned into dust alone? Right from the yore to the present day, all men
 who do not believe in God and His powers have been refuting the very
 idea of resurrection as it was advocated by religion. The atheists and
 the materialists have been condemning this concept as mere human fantasy
 and religious innovation. They claim that they have no rational basis at
 all.

 Resurrection is Inevitable Truth

 A great blow has been hurled on to the claims of these so-called
 rationalists. Cloning has successfully produced a replica of an animal
 through a process which does not involve any sexual intercourse. This
 development of a cell into a full-fledged living entity does provide an
 irrefutable proof of the claim of resurrection by religion. Whatever
 might be the purpose and aim of such an experiment, none can dare
 dismiss the happening of the Resurrection Day now!

 Sowing Human Beings

 The possible happening of the Doom's Day has been made light of or even
 laughed at by scientists themselves and others enamoured by science
 equally! Reviving a dead after complete destruction was a far-fetched
 myth. And now when the Scot scientist Ian Wilmut has produced a carbon
 copy of the mother by taking a cell from her and developing it in the
 laboratory, they are holding their breath! Such successful experiments
 have been carried on frogs and monkeys too! It is now possible to
 manufacture an exact replica of a human being by developing the cell in
 a laboratory and then implanting it in a foetus taken on hire. And all
 this would be without involving any sexual process. Ian Wilmut does
 claim that production of such human beings might be possible in about
 another two years.

 The `"Clone Ewe" has been christened as Dolly. It is seven months old
 while its cell is claimed to be six and a half years old. This means the
 cell was obtained 6 1/2 years ago and preserved in the laboratory to be
 developed into a living body later. Cloning thus does not involve any
 sexual intercourse at all! This newly developed process of Genetical
 Engineering is a highly complicated and costly process involving
 millions of dollars.

 What would be the moral and social effects of such a development? Hot
 discussions have started all around. That these experiments should not
 be extended to humans is the view propounded and propagated by religious
 bodies. In fact such experiments have been banned even in some of the
 western countries. But for how long?

 Basic Biological System

 The production of the exact replica of a man from a single cell
 indicates that innumerable persons can be brought out from the cells
 present in his body. Cells, as is known, are the building units of all
 living bodies. Each of these units function as an organised factory
 since a dynamic matter namely protoplasm is present in it. In addition
 chromosomes and DNA present in them constitute genetic material. One of
 the characteristics of these genetic matter is the preservation of
 parental and species characteristics. And these characteristics pass on
 from parent to the progeny. It is for this reason that the offsprings
 have close resemblance in colour, facial features and other physical
 characteristics as well as their behaviour and actions. It can safely be
 surmised that the complete personality lays hidden in the tiny cell. The
 formation of the child starts from two cells one of which will be the
 contribution of the father and the other belongs to the mother. When
 these two unite the process of fertilisation starts through continuous
 cell division within a matter of minutes and this process leads to the
 formation of the embryo in about 120 days within in the womb of the
 mother.

 Copying Divine Creation

 So now man has become successful in deciphering the process of creation.
 Starting from a single cell without the help of any sexual process, he
 has discovered the process of artificial creation. Although for him this
 whole process has been a conscious effort, unknowingly he has produced
 irrefutable proof of the resurrection of the life on the Doomsday. The
 materialistic scientists have, thus, themselves certified the veracity
 of the teachings of the great Prophets. Of course this they have done
 unconsciously. So now it is established scientifically that even if a
 single cell of a body survives after the death, the person can be
 revived. Revival of life, thus, is not an impossibility.

 Revelation through a Tradition

 Arriving at the truth scientifically, let us go back to the study of a
 few Traditions of the holy Prophet (Pbuh). This will shed light on the
 revival of life from a fresh angle and certain new facts would be
 revealed. According to certain Traditions, when the whole body is
 perished — flesh and bones and all, on burying of the dead under
 mud, everything is perished except the coccyx through which the
 recreation takes place. (Sahih Bukhari, V.6, P.79 & Sahih Muslim, V.4,
 P.2271) In another Tradition this vestigial bone is described to be as
 big as a mustard seed. (Ibne Hajar Asqalani, Fathul Bari, V.8, P.552)
 This indicates that it is a very tiny body. Being a devoted student of
 biological processes I was bold enough to equate this body to a
 ‘cell’ and had discussed in detail in some of my earlier
 books the resurrection of life utilizing this cell. The present
 discoveries have established my conjecture as a fact. What this author
 had conjectured nearly ten to fifteen years ago has turned out to be a
 reality, i.e., the same person can be brought out alive from the single
 surviving cell. From this count a great revolution is contemplated in
 the field of philosophy and thought and that will be the Islamic
 Revolution. It would be an extraordinary revolution which would bury all
 old theories, corollaries and material philosophies for ever.

 A New Life after Death

 How does the single cell survive for ages together? New light has been
 thrown on this aspect by modern researches. As is known, various
 bacteria are single cell bodies that remain alive lying dormant
 physically for thousands of years under unfavourable conditions and then
 suddenly rise alive when favourable conditions become available. These
 microscopic bodies have their existence spread all over in earth, water
 and atmosphere. Similar single cell systems are also present in all
 animals and plants. Every living body is a conglomeration of innumerable
 tiny cells. Bacteria are single cell bodies. Insects comprise of
 hundreds and thousands of cells. Bigger animals have millions of these
 cells, while still larger animals like tiger, sheep and even man do
 possess billions and billions of these cells. These facts lead to the
 conclusion that the cell system is similar in the whole of biological
 world and that there will be a continuous process of fragmentation and
 synthesizing taking place all through. The worn out cells fade out,
 while fresh ones would be formed. A human cell resembles bacteria in
 form and constitutes a single unit of life.

 According to modern researches certain bacteria would lie buried dead
 under heavy mud for thousands of years and then get revived as soon as
 favourable conditions become available. The bacteria are said to be
 under “dormancy” during this period and are referred as
 Spores. (Vide Encyclopedia Britannica, 1983, V. 10, P. 893)

 The Dead in Dormant Condition

 This condition is a great witness on the resurrection. Even if one cell,
 which resembles a bacteria, gets preserved without undergoing decaying,
 it is possible to reproduce the man who will be the exact copy of the
 first. This means, ‘death’ is only an apparent condition. In
 reality it is in a dormant condition which is akin to deep sleep.
 Referring to the resurrection, the glorious Qur’an and the holy
 Traditions relate that when the men are raised alive again, then
 everyone would feel that he has waken from deep slumber:

 The trumpet shall be sounded, when behold! From the sepulchers (men)
 will rush forth to their Lord! They will say, Ah! Woe unto us! Who hath
 raised us up from our beds of repose?(A voice will say) This is what
 (God) Most Gracious had promised. And true was the word of the apostles!
 It will be no more than a single Blast. When lo! they will all be
 brought up before Us!  (Quran, 36:51-53)

 Divine and Human Creations

 Cloning involving the production of a replica of an animal is not a
 simple or ordinary affair. It is quite complex and complicated. For
 example, to get the above clone of the sheep the experiment had to be
 repeated about 300 times i.e., 300 embryos were destroyed to obtain one
 clone. There is no such ‘waste’ in case of the creations
 carried out by the Creator of the universe. His one single commandment
 is enough to make the whole creation to rise up, as is seen in the above
 verse.

 The reference to coccyx in the holy Traditions quoted earlier is only
 for the reflection of man. The creator is not bound by anything for
 expression of His Powers. It is only He Who creates things from nothing,
 For Him it is only enough to utter "Be" and that thing happens.

 And whenever He willeth to create anything, He simply orderth it, `Be
 and there, it is. So glory be to Him Whose hand holdeth sovereignty over
 everything and to Him shall ye all have to return. (Quran, 36:82-83)

 The successful creation of a whole animal from a single cell clearly
 unravels the nature of resurrection. It has also come to be known that
 man can repeat this process a number of times. Then will the Creator of
 the heavens and the earth fail to revive His creations? The fact is that
 this successful experiment of cloning by the scientists has certified
 the veracity of the belief in the Resurrection Day!

 This process of Creation through a single cell is a common observance
 for man, since he comes across it in the form of embryo formation.
 Similar would be the creation of man through the single cell on the
 Resurrection Day.

 And ye certainly know already the first form of creation. Will ye not
 then reflect that you will be raised again like this. (Quran, 56:62)

 Has Man Become God?

 Apart from the religious faith, let us view this unique achievement of
 man through another angle. Has man become God through producing this
 clone? Is this human achievement a reflection on the divinity of God?
 Some persons do feel that man has superseded God. Such thinking is
 merely a fallacy. In reality these achievements strengthen man’s
 faith in Almighty God, because although this production appears to be a
 miracle, it is certainly not unnatural. The scientists have only studied
 the principles of nature more closely and deeply and have merely
 repeated the natural process. They have imitated the process of divine
 creation. If man were to perform this feat starting from dead bodies or
 mud, it would have certainly been a great miracle. He has now taken a
 cell already created by God and produced the clone. When he is not the
 creator of the cell, he cannot be the creator of this cloning also. He
 can never reach the realms of creation. He can only be an imitator

 Challenge from the Glorious Qur’an

 The Glorious Qur`an challenges in very clear terms that even if all men
 of the world or the false gods join together, they can never be able to
 create even a fly:

 O people! an idea to ponder on is set forth to you. Pay heed to it. Note
 that they whom you invoke beside god, cannot create even a fly though
 all of them join to do it.       (Qur’an, 22:73)

 This parable was then applicable to the false gods of the polytheists.
 But now it is true of the scientists whom the common man elevates to the
 status of gods. The present day belief is that scientists can achieve
 anything!? If science does think or claim that it can occupy the berth
 of creation, let it perform such a feat taking dead bodies. It can never
 accomplish this task! Hence the creator of this whole universe is only
 one and will remain so for ever!

 Such is God, your Lord, the Creator of all things, There is no god but
 He: Then how ye are deluded away from the Truth. (Quran, 40:62)

 Bungling with Divine Creation is Satanic

 This process cannot be taken as a creative act. It can well be referred
 as a destructive act since it bungles with divine creations. This fact
 was placed before the humanity by the All-knowing God right at the time
 when Satan was cursed and abandoned from the heavens when the devil
 declared:-

 ... I will command them to disfigure God`s creation. (Qur;an, 4:119)

 The verse is followed by:

 Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires (hopes).
 But Satan’s promises are nothing but deception. (Quran, 4:120)

 The word used here is Ghuroora which indicates that one is prone to
 deceiving others and to raising false hopes. The present action by being
 devilish in character is akin to deceiving humanity rising in them false
 hopes. In this there is hidden threat for the entire humanity.

 Moral and Cultural Impact of Cloning

 What is the solution for social problems and complications that would
 arise because of this process? To find the solution would be the
 responsibility of the persons who might be bent to commit the crime of
 reducing the best of the creations to the lowest of beastly level and to
 transgressing all the levels of morality. They might turn men into
 guinea pigs. All this would be for the simple reason that man has
 forgotten his creator and master, has sought refuge in materialism and
 looks for solace through indulgence in material pleasures. For him
 nothing but matter exists. There is no room for the existence of any
 supreme power in the universe before whom he is answerable. Hence he has
 become his own master and overlooking the divine cues, he has closed his
 eyes from the hard facts of life. He feels quite independent and never
 allows anyone to restrict, reprimand or advice him.

 However it is time that he can no more overlook God, Soul and Belief in
 the Doomsday. There is no go but for believing in Islamic faith and
 commandments. God willing, He will be presenting miraculous proofs of
 His existence repeatedly.

 Soon will We show them Our Signs in the (farthest) regions (of the
 earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that
 this is the Truth.     (Quran, 41:53)

 End of Material Philosophies

 Cloning is going to bring a great revolution in the realm of philosophy
 and thought which would prove the veracity of religion and religious
 thought and end all materialistic and atheistic philosophies. This is so
 because scientists themselves, through their successful experiments,
 have hit hard on the material philosophies which propagate that religion
 is a farce and declare that all knowledge that is not obtained through
 senses has no standing at all because only such knowledge has a standing
 which is based on the outcome of naturalism and experimentation,
 Materialism, rationalism, scientism, logical positivism etc. are all
 brain children of such thinking process. But now, after the successful
 outcome of cloning, all these philosophies are proved out of date. The
 veracity of religious declarations has been proved. It has been
 established that knowledge is not merely the one that is arrived at
 through sensory experimentation but also that which is got through
 revelation and inspiration. Is it not strange that human knowledge
 itself is testifying and proving the validity and truth of Divine
 Knowledge; and Revelation through its experiments, researches and
 activities. What would be more exciting and surprising than
 contradicting its own declarations! Such a contradiction of words
 through the actions does not stand the tests of rationality itself!

 And He shows you (always) His Signs; then which of the Signs of God will
 ye deny? (Quran, 40:81)

 Stop and Ponder!

 Do the above arguments not prove the existence of an All-powerful and
 Supreme Being in the universe Whose knowledge is perennial and events
 are happening in accordance with His planning? And that the Day of
 Judgment would be an inevitable and irrefutable fact wherein the whole
 humanity, after resurrection, would be gathered for final interrogation
 and judgment.

 The coming Event (Judgment) is drawing nigh: There is none beside God to
 ward it off. Do ye wonder at such an announcement, and laugh and weep
 not, and continue trifling (with the thought of it)? So in utmost
 humility, bow down before God and pray to Him.      (Quran, 53:57-62)


  >>

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