Surah Fatir, 8
The Retina: The Layer of the Eye
The retina is a layer of the eye that contains cells that allow us to see. At the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, this layer that made sight possible was unknown and the term “retina” was not in use.
The retina is a layer of the eye that contains cells that allow us to see. At the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, this layer that made sight possible was unknown and the term “retina” was not in use. Yet the letters that comprise the word "retina" appear - side by side - in only one place in the Qur'an, in verse 8 of Surah Fatir. This verse also refers to "seeing," for which reason there is a strong possibility that it refers to the retina. (Allah knows the truth.)
أَفَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُۥ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ فَرَءَاهُ حَسَنًۭا ۖ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ فَلَا تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَٰتٍ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ٨
And what of him the evil of whose actions seem fine to him so that he sees them as good? Allah misguides whoever He wills and guides whoever He wills. So do not let yourself waste away out of regret for them. Allah knows what they do…
This verse, which contains the word "retina", refers to the Arabic verb "raa," meaning "to see." The 19th verse contains the sentence "The blind and seeing are not the same."Damage to the retina can lead to permanent blindness. The following verse refers to "nor are darkness and light."That term is highly significant in terms of the formation of the retina's light-sensitive calls. All these terms regarding sight are very rare in the Qur'an. The fact that the word "retina" appears only in these verses out of thousands, is another of Allah's Miracles in the Qur'an.
◉ The Arabic alphabet consists of consonants alone. The letter alif is used to influence the way words are read.
