Archeology and Modern Science Testify Veracity of Qur’anic concept of history

By: Moulana Aneesur Rahman Nadvi

Modern scientific discoveries
In November 2018, a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, based on archeological evidence, discovered a major impact event in the northern part of the Dead Sea. According to them, this incident took place 3700 years age (1700 BC), resulting in a sudden collapse of an ancient thriving human civilization that lived in this region for the past around 2500 years.

These discoveries are based on the evidence obtained during the excavation of Tall el-Hammam area. Tall el-Hammam is located about 30 km west of the Jordanian capital, Amman, on the Jordan-Israel border. This study was jointly conducted by archaeologists Phillip J. Silvia and Steven Collins. These archeologists believe that the present Tall al-Hammam area in fact itself is the ruined city of Sodom, the largest and principal city of the people of Lot. A team of archaeologists had been digging this area since the year 2005. According to them, an explosion of a meteor in the atmosphere was to be blamed for this devastation, burning an area of about 500 Sq. km to ashes and termination of an ancient civilization catastrophically.(11)

According to these experts, Sodom was a fortified city and was protected by a perimeter wall up to 30m (100 ft) thick and up to 15m (50 ft.) high, for a linear distance of over 2.5 km. The wall held multiple gates, towers, and likely other defensive features. But all that was obliterated when the meteor pierced the atmosphere and exploded over the area. Evidence gathered from the Tall al-Hammam tells the story of the devastation: when the meteor airburst occurred, there was an intense hot and powerful shockwave which wiped out all the settlements in the area and completely destroyed an area of 500 sq. km. The event was so powerful that the area remained uninhabited for a remarkable 700 years after this event.

In the past, archaeologists have proposed that an earthquake could have caused the collapse of the region, but according to Silvia and Collins, an earthquake would not have caused the type of directional damage that the remaining structures and fortifications display. Archaeologists have long speculated from presence of thick layer of ash in Tall al-Hamam that the quake may have been accompanied by a volcanic eruption, but the large-scale absence of tumbled mudbrick that would be typical of earthquake damage, have rejected the idea of eruption of an earthquake.

A pottery shard was found in the city that had one side melted to glass. Only extreme heat can do that. The research team concluded that the shard was exposed to temperatures between 8,000°C and 12,000°C for less than a few milliseconds. That certainly supports the idea of an airburst. Experts have also found some molten rocks from this place which have been formed by melting at almost the same extreme temperature.

The area of Tall el-Hamam was once a place full of fresh water, extremely fertile, and lush area. Experts wondered then why the entire area remained uninhabited and desolate for almost seven hundred years after the area of Tall al-Hamam was destroyed. To answer this, the experts geochemically analyzed the soil layer of the area from the time of the event. The results showed “salt and sulfate levels > 6% (60,000 ppm) in the ash layer and > 5% (50,000 ppm) in the soil layers immediately above and below the ash layer. These scientists say that the massive shockwaves and heat wave not only destroyed the settlements, but the shock wave also deposited a thick layer of salt and sulfate on to the top soil, making it unable to support agriculture for hundreds of years and the entire region to collapse.

Terrible destruction of the Dead Sea and its environs
The researchers concluded that an airburst with a yield equivalent to a 10 mt nuclear warhead occurred about 1 km above northeast corner of the Dead Sea. They say this adequately explains all of the evidence gathered at Tall el-Hammam. Such a powerful explosion devastated an area of around five hundred square kilometers and was burnt to ashes and was wiped off the face of the earth. The blast killed between 40,000 – 65,000 inhabitants of the area at once. It should be noted that this explosion was almost one thousand times bigger and more powerful than the American atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

These scientific discoveries about the catastrophic destruction of the prople of Lot (AS) clearly support the Qur’anic statement in this regard, in which the cause of the destruction of the people of Lot has been attributed to the heavenly stones. It should be borne in mind that the celestial objects whether they be comets, asteroids or meteorites, all are composed of rocks, clays, and various minerals. These objects sometimes collide with the earth’s surface, wreaking havoc, sometimes they explode in the atmosphere of the earth raining fire.

Dead Sea Craters
The above scientific and archeological discoveries on the destruction of the people of Lot are only one side of the picture, which shows only one side of the catastrophic destruction of the people of Lot, not the whole truth. In recent years, more studies and discoveries have come to light regarding the Dead Sea which have revealed many more aspects of the destruction of the people of Lot, which confirms and corroborates several other statements of the Qur’an in this regard bringing more miraculous aspects to the fore. Among these studies is discovery of impact craters in the southern part of the Dead Sea.

In fact, the Dead Sea and its environs are silently telling the story of their catastrophic destruction. The Dead Sea area is the lowest point on Earth at 420 meters (1378 feet) below sea level. The water of Dead Sea is saltiest water in the world. It is ten times saltier than the sea water, despite the fact that the Dead Sea is not connected to the sea by any means. Its main tributary is the Jordan River. Due to its salinity, no living organisms (plants and animals) are found in it. It is in fact a large pond or lake. Another important feature of the Dead Sea is that its water is very dense (1.24 kg per liter) due to which no one drowns in it instead keeps on floating on its surface.

So many unnatural features of the Dead Sea are enough to indicate that something must have happened in this region in the recent past or in the distant past, which all these features suggest. Therefore, researchers have long been suspected the presence of impact craters on the floor of the Dead Sea. The researchers’ fears came true when the Max Planck Institute of Germany announced the discovery of large and massive impact craters in the lower (southern) part of the Dead Sea. According to this research, divers in recent days have discovered at least 30 impact craters on the floor of Dead sea which are found at a depth of about 100 feet in the Dead Sea. The width of these craters has been found to be between 33 to 43 feets.

As mentioned above, the presence of craters in an area is proof that impact events have taken place in this area in the past. Through the discovery of these impact craters and the usage of carbon dating technique to know the date of their occurrence, scientists today have compiled a history of interplanetary collisions across the globe. However, the presence of such a large number of impact craters on the floor of the Dead Sea is an important proof that the catastrophe that has occurred in this region in the past has not been caused by the collision of only one or two celestial objects. Rather it was caused by the collision of a lot of such objects, which has been described in the Holy Qur’an as a rain of stones. Further geological evidences in this regard have been provided in later pages.

Discovery of freshwater springs on the floor of the Dead Sea
In addition to the impact craters, another amazing phenomenon has been discovered on the floor of the Dead Sea. It is the discovery of freshwater springs on the floor of the Dead Sea. During their diving expedition, divers have found large freshwater springs on the Dead Sea floor, along with impact craters, where fresh water is constantly being discharged. Due to the high salinity of the surface of the Dead Sea, there is no possibility of life there. In contrast, many bacteria and other species have been found in and around these freshwater springs which have surprised and amazed the researches. It points out that the Dead Sea (especially its southern part) used to be a spring of fresh water in the past, but later changes made it salty and dead.

Dead Sea Sink Holes
In the same way, another strange and terrifying phenomenon is happening in the Dead Sea these days. It is the sudden appearance of a sinkhole around the Dead Sea. Due to the appearance of these pits, the surface of the ground, including the structures and objects on it, suddenly sinks into the ground, posing a serious threat to the safety of the tourists and people living here. As a result, the people living here have been forced to evacuate their homes and flee. These sinkholes are quite large in number. More than 3,000 sinkholes have appeared here so far, and new ones are being discovered on a daily basis. This has created terror and panic in the entire region.

The reason for the appearance of these sinkholes in the Dead Sea is the decrease in the water level of the Dead Sea. Due to the diversion of Jordan River by Israel and Jordan for domestic and industrial use, the water level in the Dead Sea has been steadily declining. Due to its low water level, fresh water is spewing rapidly from freshwater springs on the floor of the Dead Sea. This fresh water is melting the stagnant salt layer in the Dead Sea sinkholes and craters, causing these sinkholes to re-emerge on a large scale.

Wide Scenario of the destruction of the Dead Sea and corroboration of the Qur’anic statements
Seen in this light, this whole area of the Dead Sea is telling a different story of its own destruction! Why are such strange changes taking place in and around the Dead Sea? Scientists are completely silent on this issue. No one wants to talk about it. This may be due to the fact that it supports the Islamic view and narrative in this regard. From an objective point of view, all these modern scientific researches seem to support the Qur’anic statements in this regard. A brief analysis of the Qur’anic statements and their connotations are presented here.

The first is that in the past, this whole area of the Dead Sea was a very fertile and lush area abundant with fresh water. Evidence of this is the discovery of freshwater springs on the floor of the Dead Sea. The Bible also mentions that in the time of Lot, this whole area was full of fresh water and full of greenery. Not only freshwater springs but many kinds of life have also been found there.

Secondly, when this area came under the torment of God, not one or two but innumerable stones were rained down there which has been described in the Qur’an as rain of stones. Evidence of this is the discovery of dozens of large impact craters and thousands of small sinkholes in the Dead Sea. New sinkholes are appearing here on daily basis. These sinkholes are similar to impact craters in their shape, but the only difference is that they are smaller in size (a few meters wide) while impact craters are 30-50 meters wide.

Thirdly, on the basis of the above two scientific facts, it can be concluded that the immense salinity of the Dead Sea was due to the chemical reaction of these collisions after the occurrence of inter-planetary collisions in and around this sea. After this event, the water of the Dead Sea became so dense that its freshwater springs were buried under its weight on its floor. Allah Almighty protected these craters and sinkholes in this way by covering them from salty layers for thousands of years. These signs of God are now reappearing in the form of a horrible phenomenon, as if the evil of the destruction of the people of Lot is still haunting humans and wants to teach man a lesson.

The Bible mentions only two settlements of the people of Lot – Sodom and Gomorrah. Although the number of settlements of Lot’s people is not mentioned in the Qur’an, but according to the hadiths, they consisted of five or more settlements. Archaeologists have so far discovered the remains of at least two ruined cities – Bab edh-Dhra and Tall al-Hamam. Western scholars first claimed that Bab edh-Dhra was Sodom, the central city of the people of Lot, while now they claim it is Tall al-Hammam. But regardless of the final demarcation of the city of Sodom, it is clear from our discussion that inter-planetary collisions affected the Dead Sea and a large area around it. It is also possible that the southern part of the Dead Sea may have been landlocked in the past, and the people of Lot may have been inhabited here, and this region may have become part of the Dead Sea after the impact events. This is supported by the archeological investigations of twentieth-century described above. Also to note in this regard is that all the major impact craters have been discovered in the southern part of the Dead Sea. From this point of view, it is clear that there is still a lot of room for further investigations into the devastation of the Dead Sea, and it is possible that future archeological investigations will shed more light on this.

The Qur’anic depiction of the destruction of the people of Lot also states that their settlements were turned upside down. This phenomenon can be easily understood by having a look at the aftermath of impact evens. Celestial bodies (meteors, asteroids or comets) usually collide with the surface of the earth at a speed of 20 kilometers per second (72 thousand kilometers per hour). When these giants hit the earth at such a high speed, it is obvious that the objects on the earth’s surface, including the massive buildings, will rise in the air like dust in a single jolt and then fall to the ground again, like the objects placed on the table immediately rise above the table and fall on it again when an heavy object is dropped on it.

The nature of the stones sent down to the people of Lot
The Bible says that God destroyed the people of Lot with fire and brimstone (Genesis 19: 24-25). The English Bible has used these words, which limits the meaning of this great incident. That is to say, the burning of these celestial bodies in the atmosphere of the earth and raining fire could be just one of the many manifestations of this great incident. However, the words and terminology used in the Qur’an to depict the nature of these heavenly bodies confirm the comprehensive aspects of this great event. The various expressions that have been used in the Qur’an regarding the nature of the celestial objects that wiped out the people of Lot (AS) are as follows:

1- Hijaratun min sijjeel lin manzood.
2- Hasib
3- And somewhere it has been interpreted as “rain of stones”.

These words of the Qur’an have a very significant and profound meaning in the light of modern scientific researches. The purpose of these words and expressions is to highlight both the quality and quantity of these celestial bodies. The literal meanings of these words are as follows:

The literal meaning of (sijjeel) is “a mix of clay and stone.”(14)

Similarly, manzood means to be one above the other (layered).(15)

In this sense, (sajjeel lin manzood) means a mixture of stone and clay that is layered. According to modern scientific researches, the substance of meteorites and asteroid consists mainly of rock and minerals, while the outer shells of comets consist of dust, ice, and frozen carbon dioxide, but its nucleus consist of solid rock and other minerals. In comets, all of this matter is layered. Therefore, when a comet passes through outer space and enters our solar system, the dust, frozen gases and water around its nucleus due to the sun’s radiation melt away from it in the form of a tail. That’s why when they travel in the air; we see them as if they were having tails. But when they enter the atmosphere of the earth, they lose out their outer layer (layer of soil and ice) completely, and when they hit the earth, they are in the form of solid rocks. Therefore, terming them as a mixture of rock and clay and that they are layered is a characteristic of comets. It is quite possible that this terminology has been used in the Qur’an to refer to the fact that the destruction of the people of Lot was caused by the comets. In recent times, an interesting study has come to light which supports the Qur’anic view that the destruction of the people of Lot was caused by a comet. According to this research, a cluster of comets called Oort cloud is responsible for the destruction of the people of Lot. Oort cloud surrounds our solar system, which contains trillions of comets. These comets turn towards inner of our solar system and collide with the planets from time to time due to various reasons, and cause great destruction. Scientists believe that the wreckage of one of these comets, called the Taurid Complex, was responsible for the destruction of the nation of Lot about 4,000 years ago.(16)

The second word used in this regard in the Qur’an is Hasiba. It means ‘stone’. A strong wind that blows dust and stones is also called ‘Hasib’, and a cloud from which snow and hail falls is also called ‘Hasib’.(17)

Through the usage of the words ‘hasib’ and ‘rain of stones’ for these bodies in the Qur’an is in fact meant to indicate that these bodies were not one or two in number but were innumerable, showered like rain. This statement is scientifically supported by the existence of impact craters and sinkholes in and around the Dead Sea, which are found in thousands today and still new sinkholes are being discovered day by day. These impact craters are undeniable evidence of ‘rain of stones’, for which no other explanation is possible. If these celestial objects explode in the earth’s atmosphere, they rain fire from the air, and if they strike the earth, they strike with such speed and intensity that they wreak havoc forming craters on the surface of the earth.

The Qur’anic Prophecy of Preservation of Signs of Destruction of People of Lot
It is clear from the above discussion that each and every word of the Qur’an with regard to the catastrophic destruction of the people of Lot contains an ocean of knowledge. These connotations of the Qur’anic words are in complete harmony with modern scientific researches and discoveries. There is no contradiction or ambiguity between Qur’an and modern scientific research in this regard, which is a great proof that Qur’an is the world of the Creator of this universe.

Now let us look at another significant statement of the Qur’an in this regard which is full of scientific connotation. In the Holy Qur’an, where the destruction of the people of Lot is mentioned in detail, it is also pointed out there that the remnants of this horrific destruction of the people of Lot have been left by Allah in this area so that it could be a sign for the people in the later period. Therefore, after the story of the people of Lot in Surah Ash-Shu’ara ‘and Surah Ad-Dhariyat, the following statements are found in the Qur’an:

Surely, there is a sign in this, but most of them are not believers. (Qur’an: 26:174)

And We have left a sign there for those who fear the painful punishment. (Qur’an: 51:37)

This statement of the Qur’an is of great scientific importance in itself, because in this verse the tragic destruction of the nation of Lot has been foretold to be a sign for the later period. It has been discovered today by archeology and modern science. Through these investigations, today man has come to know about the true nature and significance of the horrific torment that befell the people of Lot and has gained access to its truth.

The last word
It should be noted that these investigations about the horrific destruction of the people of Lot are coming to light at a time when the so-called civilized nations are once again trying to legitimize the homosexuality (act of the people of Lot). They are forcing the countries of the world to legalize this heinous and evil act through carrot and stick policy. Despite the fact that all the Brahmanical religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) agree to some extent that Lot’s people were destroyed because of this heinous act and now modern science has also attested it.

An important sign of the Hour as described in the hadiths is the raining of heavenly stones on the people of the earth. Perhaps inflicting this specific punishment on the Ummah (people) of Prophet Mohammed is due to making this heinous act of the people of Lot lawful in the last days.

References:
11 – Times of Israel, 22/11/2018, Amanda Borschel-Dan.
12 – Ibid.
13 – www.nationalgeographic.com/
14-Al Mufradat fi Ghareebil Qur’an, Raghib Asfahani, P. 398.
15 – Al Kulliyat, Abul Baqa Al Hanafi, P. 881, Muassatur Risala, Beirut.
16 – For a detailed discussion on this topic, see Tameer-e-Fikr, Sept-Oct 2019 issue.
17-Tahzeebul Lugha, Abu Mansour Al Azhari, Dar Ihya al-Turas al-Arabi, Beirut, 2001; Lisan al-Arab, Ibn Manzoor, P. 320, Daru Sadir, Beirut, 1412 AH.
18 – For details on this, see the author’s book “Climate Change and Doomsday” (under print) and also see the magazine Tameer-e-Fikr, Issue Nos. 34, 35, 36, & 37.