SUPERMAN IN ISLAM (Part 3)

                                    

Theory of Rotation around the sun:

Imam Jaffer as Sadiq was 11 years old and was a student in his father’s school when he challenged the prevalent theory of Ptolemy about heavenly bodies that sun and the stars were revolving around the earth. Copernicus, a Polish scientist (1473-1543) said the same thing which the Imam had said about 1000 years earlier.

System of Medicine of Jaffer asSadiq:

His research and his theories had a great impact on science of medicine.

During the 2^nd and 3rdcenturies of Hijra, most of the physicians in the East followed the methods of diagnosis and treatment prescribed by him. In cases where the condition of the patient was such that a physician could not know whether he was dead or alive, Imam Jaffer asSadiq had suggested that a small incision should be made in his body, especially between his two fingers.

If blood comes out, it was a sign that he was alive. His theory was practically demonstrated during the 2^nd Hijra when the cousin of Abbasid caliph, Haroon Rashid was very sick and the royal physician told the caliph that his cousin will die before dawn. Another physician, Ibne

Behla assured the caliph of his sound health. Next morning, the cousin died and his body was washed and shrouded. The Caliph summoned Ibne Behla. Ibne Behla requested that his body be placed in normal clothing because when he was revived he may die after seeing himself in the traditional shroud. Ibne Behla then made an incision between his left two fingers. Blood started to flow and the patient opened his eyes.

Theory of Four Elements:

At the age of 12, Imam Jaffer asSadiq rejected the Aristotle’s theory of four elements-earth, water, fire and air. He said that earth was not an element but there were many elements in it.

About one thousand years after Aristotle, a young 12 years boy from Medina proved him wrong.

When Imam Jaffer asSadiq grew up and started teaching in his institute, he proved that water, air and fire were also not elements. One thousand one hundred years before the European scientists discovered that air was not an element, Imam Jaffer asSadiq said that air was a mixture of elements. He further said that there were many elements in the air which were essential for breathing. Now we know that there is oxygen and ozone in the air which helps in breathing. Imam Jaffer asSadiq was the first person in history who said that oxygen produces acidity. He said that this element is so active and strong that if it is separated from air in a pure form, it would burn even iron. It is now proved that if we take a piece of red hot iron and plunge it in pure oxygen, it will burn with a luminous flame. It is reported that Imam Jaffer asSadiq’s father had said that by using scientific methods we can produce fire from water. In 18^th century, this was proved by burning hydrogen with oxygen; a flame of fire with a temperature range of 667 degrees was produced. It is now called oxidation and is used in welding and cutting metals.

Imam Jaffer asSadiq had also said that the element which supports life is heavier than all other elements in the air. It was a very important discovery. The world had to wait for about 1000 years till Lavoisier proved that oxygen is so heavy that in 9 kilograms of water, there are 8 kilograms of oxygen.   

Theory of Earth’s Rotation on its Axis:

Imam Jaffer asSadiq had suggested that earth was revolving around its axis. There were people like Poincare, a great scholar who died in 1912, who did not believe in the axial movement of earth. This rotation can only be proved by observation. When astronauts landed on the surface of the moon and turned their telescope towards earth, they could see the earth was moving slowly.

There is no star in our galaxy which does not rotate around itself. Imam Jaffer asSadiq must have known the Laws of Mechanics which postulates that when two forces work on an object in such a way that one force pushes it away from the centre and other force pulls it towards the centre, then it starts to spin. This is called Centripetal Force and Centrifugal Force.