The subject-matter of the Qur’an is not science but man. Nevertheless, there are more than 350 scientific verses in the Qur’an dealing with Allah’s creations and the law perfectly and harmoniously governing them in the Cosmic Universe. Many of them have been proved in agreement with the modern science with advancement of science and technology in the world. Man is frequently invited by Allah to reflect on them so that it generates fear, love and gratitude in his mind to Him. The Qur’an mentions two scientific verses dealing with life and sex in the plants: “Glory to Him Who has created all sexual pairs of those which the earth grows.” (36:36). “Allah brings forth pairs of plants each separate from each other.”(20: 53)
Here the Qur’an says that the earth grows plants in sexual pairs indicating the presence of the male-sex and the female-sex in plants which are attracting each other. Sex can’t exist in the plant (or anything) without its life. That means whenever there is sex, there is life and each sex attracts its opposite sex. Moreover, the sexual pair of plants signifies two opposite sexes coupled resulting in its reproduction on earth. Thus, it proves the existence of life and sex in plants. Indian scientist Dr. JC Bose won the Nobel Prize in Botany in 1933 for his research on the existence of life and sex in plants.
Muhammad Abdus Samad
Ambari Dhupdhara, Assam
Congrats to Archbishop Poola Anthony
According to news published in the media, the first Dalit Cardinal of India and Archbishop of Hyderabad, Poola Anthony has been elected as the new President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) during its 37th general body meeting. The 64-year-old is the first Dalit prelate to head India’s nearly two crore Catholics. (Source: The Sunday Express, Ahmedabad Edition, 8 February 2026)
Congrats to respected Archbishop Poola Anthony for his election as the President of the CBCI. I hope that he will use his good offices for not only Christians but all the marginalised and excluded communities of India also. I, respectfully, appeal to him to raise his voice against inhuman caste system, gender discrimination, racial inequality, religious inequality without any fear.
As a member of a minority community (Muslims), I consider Christian as our elder brother. Let us fight together against the parochialism prevailing in our country.
May Allah grant him a longer, healthier and happier life to serve humanity.
Farooq AbdulgafarBawani
Rajkot, Gujarat
Was M.A. Jinnah Right?
This is a reference to a letter by Mr. Farooq Bawani Sahib as published in Radiance, Issue No. 45.
I confess I had not read the article by M Iqbal Siddiqui that his letter has referred to but read it just now for context. Yes, indeed, this is very much the kind of thing that Mr Jinnah warned about, and specifically he said that the issues of his day were down to the prejudices of Upper Caste Hindus. It hardly needs to be said that anti-Muslim bias was fairly rampant in the British Raj period, and was designed to hinder Muslims in all respects. It was a direct factor in the evolving Muslim politics of the late Raj period. His letter captures the point perfectly.
While one hopes that the situation does not continue to deteriorate, I fear that this is not an isolated incident. Rather it is a known pattern, and an old one.
Saleena Karim, London, UK
Via Email