Apostate prophet questions divine ingenuity; Allah "makes" ships?

In answer to the video "43 Scientific Mistakes in the Quran"

Despite the apparent simplicity, again, once one scratches the surfaces of any Quranic passage, a most intricate discourse transpires. I will get to Allah making ships, just before an explanatory introduction to a pervasive concept in the Grand Quran.

The Quranic concept of attributing to Allah the consequence of a man's actions, even for the most insignificant things like the clothes man wears, as will be shown later, is in the same spirit. It reminds man that the laws of the universe are caused then allowed by Him, He is the only Independent Cause

11:56"there is no creature except that He is holding its forelock".

Nothing happens, good or bad, unless Allah wills it/allows it, and it is as a clear reminder of this supreme reality that in some instances speaking of human will, Allah's will immidiately follows

81:28-29,76:29-30"Surely this is a reminder, so whoever pleases takes to his Lord a way, And you do not please except that Allah please, surely Allah is Knowing, Wise".

This basically is one of the pillars of Quranic teachings, striking a balance between divine will and human effort. The sequence in the verses of sura takwir above make it clear, in the system of causality established, allowed and sustained at each instant by God, and which intricately integrates moral responsibility, humans need to be resolved upon an action, then God either allows or not that intent to be executed. Similarily it states in the HB in

Prov16:9"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord prepares his step".

The system of causality being dependant upon Allah's will negates the implicit notion that His hands are 5:64"tied up" as some fatalists would taunt the prophet. Nothing passes out of His control, not even man's freewill, and he is judged according to the level of freewill he is granted. Therefore when Allah causes one's heart to turn away and be sealed, it is the same as saying that one has done it to himself, as stated in 41:4-5. They first turn away in such a manner that they become heedless to the Quran. They themselves ackowledge the immunity of their spiritual senses to it. But even then, their choices only happens if Allah wills it, ie allows it

9:127"..Then they turn away: Allah has turned away their hearts because they are a people who do not understand".

The same process is echoed by the psalmist in the HB, in the context of the Israelites' straying from the right path, repeatedly rebelling despite receiving Moses' prophetic guidance and witnessing all kinds of miracles

Ps81:13"So I let them go after their heart's fantasies; let them go in their counsels".

Again David would invoke God to guide those who willfuly stray from the path, into the evil ways they have themselves chosen

Ps125:5"And those who turn their crooked ways-may the Lord lead them away with the workers of iniquity".

It is a fundamental concept with which God interacts with humanity, leading people in the direction that they want to go, enlightening those that seek light, blinding those that seek obscurity 

Isa63:17"O Lord why did you makes us err from your ways, and hardenned our hearts from your fear?"

Many other verses in the Quran describe the process

6:110"And We will turn their hearts and their sights, even as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on"  

61:5"when they turned aside, Allah made their hearts turn aside"  

51:9"He is turned away from it who would be turned away".

The Quranic concept of Allah being the indirect cause of all things because of the laws of causality established and allowed by Him is reflected in many instances. In the language of the Quran everything is with God and is sent down to men 15:21. From the rain falling from the clouds 16:65 to even the most insignificant things like the clothes man wears 7:26,16:80-1 that are found in the cattle 16:5 which were themselves sent down 39:6. The same is the case with iron 57:25, the prime symbol used in the Quran to denote God's having endowed mankind with the ability to engineer, convert to his use the natural resources of his natural environement. Allah is thus

57:3"the Apparent and the Hidden".

He is the transcendental cause of all that exists and at the same time inherently operating in every phenomenon. That higher reality is beautifuly pictured in the opening verses of sura hadid, the chapter of the iron. It is Allah Who holds the birds up in the air, yet they are themselves expanding and contracting their wings 16:79,24:41,67:19. He is the "splitter" of the seed grain 6:95. He is the One to have multiplied the humans on earth 23:79.

He established, allows and sustains the reproductive system resulting in us multiplying. He makes people laugh or cry because He controls and allows all the processes of causality from birth till death, and beyond 53:43-8. This higher principle present in every aspect of life, of which the God-conscious is always aware of, is mentionned by Ibrahim to his people

26:78-81"Who created me then He has shown me the way, and He who gives me to eat and gives me to drink, and when i am sick, He restores me to health, and He who will cause me to die and give me life".

The laws of the universe, on a micro and macro level, are therefore caused then allowed by Him, He is the only Independent Cause and the Creator. Every automated process we know in this world is designed by many engineers working hard at it. If anyone claims automation can exist without a designer, onus is on him to prove this speculation. Science has no way of knowing if something happened accidentally or there was a planner behind it. Any such claim is as big a superstition as many of the superstitious ideas primitive people used to have. Allah is the Creator of all things in the universe which is why He is consequently 13:16"the One, the Supreme". He is unique and encompassing every thing that exists, and what humans "create" (the verb is used for humans too 29:17) is nothing more than the combination and reshaping of what Allah has already created. That is why He is the best of creators 37:125,23:14.

He is 2:117"badeeu/Innovator and initiator of the heavens and the earth"

meaning that in His case, contrary to all creative endeavours, He creates without any blueprint, preexisting inspiration, experience, simply through His word

"and if HE decreed an order done, He only says be and it is".

The possibility to create/al khalq is attributed to others than Allah but can never be possible without Allah's permission 3:49,5:110.

This is illustrated in 43:12 or 55:24. Man is told that Allah "made" the ships on the sea, including the ship built by Noah 54:13, and other similar things man rides 36:42. He is the Creator of all the elements that make the ship, the One in Whose entire power is the accessibility and manageability (dhalul) of the Earth's resources, who made it provide for us and be hospitable for human life. Everything we see around us cannot be an accident 67:15-16. And just as He has created, then put all these means at our disposal, then gave us the ingenuity to make use of them, He finally allows that creativity to expess itself. Then, after that ship is assembled, He allows it to speed and float on the waters He created in the first place 14:32,17:66,22:65,36:41. The Quran sums it up this way

37:96"And Allah has created you and what you make"

making Him the actual owner of what we make

55:24"And His are the ships reared aloft in the sea like mountains".

The philosophical notion of Allah being the ultimate cause of all things such as the preceding example of Him encompassing all angles allowing the ship to come into existence, including by puting in mankind the intellectual capacity to build and engineer, as well as allowing the ship to properly perform through various natural phenomena, is demonstrated in other cases. He allows one of the most essential natural phenomenon for human advancement to exist, by creating its energy source

56:71-2"Have you considered the fire which you strike? Is it you that produce the trees for it, or are We the producers?".

And then, the fire itself keeps on burning by Allah's will 36:80.

In the same vein, He has taught writing to the scribe 2:282, taught all of humanity what it knew not 96:4-5 through their senses of perception as they came out not knowing a thing from the womb 16:78. And when humans domesticate animals such as birds of prey the Quran says

5:4"you teach them of what Allah has taught you".

Just as God "makes" for us shelters from the sun by creating in us the knowledge to make such shelters 16:81-3 He could equally make us unable to build any protection from the sun 18:90.

Allah "guides" mankind in the darkness

27:63"of the land and the sea"

since He has created the cosmic bodies that help humans navigate and locate themselves in the night 6:97. He is the source of all things and Ultimate Provider,

15:21"And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure".

Apostate prophet is bloated; Quran unaware of milk allergy? Milk comes from blood?

In answer to the video "43 Scientific Mistakes in the Quran"

16:66 directs the audience to a process it can recognize using basic observation and deduction. It says the animal milk drank by humans comes from the batn of the animal. Batn means the hidden part, ie the inside of the animal's body. It then says this milk is something in between "farthin" and blood. f-r-th means the contents of the gut in process of digestion. It isnt speaking in terms of location, it doesnt say milk comes from between THE farthin and the THE blood. In the Arabic, there is no definite article. It is speaking in terms of substance.

Milk is a substance that is between gut nutrients and blood because it contains elements from both without being completely one or the other, and could not exist without the interraction between the 2. Again, the Quran is pointing to an observable phenomenon that isnt beyond common sense. The blood is involved because of the appearance of the udder full of veins and the farthin because it is the absorbed nutrients in the process of digestion.

And by the way, except for extremely rare cases, one isnt born lactose intolerant but becomes so due to the drop in production of lactase by the body as it adapts to a more varied diet that is less and less reliant on milk.

Also, the precise cause of food allergies is unknown, but emerging evidence suggests that the phenomena may be due to modern changes in diet, and the environement, such as excessive hygiene, widespread use of antibiotics, high-fat and low-fiber diets, reduced exposure to diseases, caesarian births and formula feeding, all being among the factors that have altered the beneficial relationship betweens humans and the bacteria living in the gastrointestinal tract.

Every microbiome carries with it different enzymes, which determines what kinds of food one can digest and how a diet interacts with one's health. It is known for example that the Westernization of the microbiome is associated with obesity. New studies have also demonstrated that the introduction of certain gut bacteria in food can actually reverse milk allergies in infants. A stark difference in gut-bacterial diversity and population has been noted between healthy and allergic individuals. The gut microbiota is a complex community of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. Children are essentially born without microbes in their gut, and they are immediately colonized upon birth. 

Their gut microbiota is strongly affected by eventual breastfeeding duration and composition of the complementary diet. The next several years are critical in establishing a person's endogenous gut microbiota. Later in life, our own microbiota can change significantly from day to day, or even within hours, in response to what we've been eating. An interesting new study has shown that while depriving mice of dietary fiber greatly reduced their gut-microbial species diversity, this diversity was restored when the dietary-fiber restriction was lifted. But if this fiber deprivation was maintained for four generations, microbial species that had initially bounced back robustly became permanently lost. This could be a major cause of the sharp increase in human food alergies.

Apostate prophet agrees with Islamic science; Quran's general stance on evolution?

In answer to the video "43 Scientific Mistakes in the Quran"

The Quran doesnt give a timeframe for Adam's creation, as seen from the previous posts, but does speak of a process that led to his completion, from basic inorganic elements to a physically complex and spiritually aware human being. The verses read as a whole certainly give credence to "a" theory of evolution, not necessarily "the" theory currently generally accepted and which is in constant review.

The primary opposition to the theory of evolution, from religious dogmatists, is that they hold that it challenges the dignity of man. The proponents of this idea fail to recognize that all scriptures speak of man's origins from dust, and other earthly insignificant lifeless materials whose combination by the Best and Wise Creator resulted in a wonderful being endowed with consciousness.

The Quran in multiple places argues from the angle that man, whether at his origins or when he became able to reproduce as a completed specie, is not made from some rare or invaluable material.

There was a time where he was

19:67,76:1"nothing worth mentioning".

This as a side note, doesnt say he came from nothing, but that he was of insignificant importance and complexity compared to his fully developped stage. Somewhere else he is reminded how he came

77:20"from contemptible water"  

36:77,80:19-22,16:4"He created man from a small seed and lo! he is an open contender".

Besides humbling man's arrogance and pride, these verses point to the notion that nothing distinguishes mankind from the rest of creation, except for the spiritual component. When he neglects it, he returns to his base nature but when he nurtures it, he is elevated even above the angels in merit.

Man is ultimately defined by his will and desire. It is not the origin of a thing that matters per the Quran, but the final reach of a thing

49:13"We have created you of a male and a female..the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is he who is most righteous of you". 

As John the Baptist said, when rebuking the Rabbis, God can create children of Abraham out of stone. The Grand Quran is a book of spiritual guidance and all of its statements are meant at stimulating spiritual growth, not scientific knowledge so the idea that it must provide a detailed description of the origin of life is misplaced. When it does allude to such process, its spiritual aim, as is clear from the context, includes the humbling of mankind by pointing to the earthly elements and water at its origins, as well as providing an argument for the simplicity of the concept of resurrection

22:5,20:55"From it (the earth) We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you a second time"

None of its statements however, no matter the subject treated, are at odds with factual information, whether historical, archeological, scientific etc.

Apostate prophet negates causality; instant or gradual creation?

In answer to the video "43 Scientific Mistakes in the Quran"

The act of "creation" did not immidiately result in a fully developped, completed human being. "Creation" of man in the Quran is used in reference to the earliest stages, explicitly putting God at the forefront of the event, when inorganic compounds were involved. It is the stage referred to prior as impossible to perform without involving an intelligent cause.

That stage is then followed by the action of fashioning and molding before reaching the stage of man's completion

7:11"And certainly We created you, then We fashioned you, then We said to the angels: Prostrate to Adam".

This verse, addressing the whole human race, says there was first creation, then fashionning, prior to the presentation of the completed creature to the angels

18:32-7"Have you disbelieved in the One Who created you from dust then from a drop then fashioned you into a man".

Mankind has known 2 types of origins, a unique one that never repeated itself again, that sprung from inorganic matter, and the other that is ongoing, from a drop

40:67-8,35:11,32:7-9"and He began the creation of man from dust. Then He made his progeny of an extract of water held in light estimation. Then He made him complete and breathed into him of His spirit".

These set of verses consistently and literally say, the progeny of an entity that originated from inorganic material, spread through some "lowly fluid" i.e. the sperm. It was spreading this way until a point came where it was made complete and simultaneously filled with God's spirit. A period therefore existed when an "incomplete" species reproduced through the sperm-drop before it developped physically into a fully, complete human being. The first one of those was Adam, who then received the spirit from

God 38:71-2"When your Lord said to the angels; Surely I am going to create a mortal from dust: So when I have made him complete and breathed into him of My spirit, then fall down making obeisance to him".

It isnt difficult to imagine that this evolutionary process, creation from inorganic material, propagation through sexual reproduction, completion and injection with the spirit of God was simultaneouly ongoing with other humans than Adam. This was an entirely new specie, complete both physically and spiritually, varied and numerous enough in order to reproduce among themselves.Adam already had a mate before entering the garden 2:35 as opposed to the convoluted biblical account where God realizes after some time seeing Adam in the garden that

Gen2:18"it is not good for the man to be alone, so i will make him a suitable helper".

So in the Quran, Adam's mate was already there, but was only completed with a spirit after him, since Adam was the first whom God completed with a spirit and subsequently commanded reverence to him due to his superiority above the angels 2:34. This corroborates what was just said concerning multiple elements being completed and infused with a spirituality very close to the time of Adam's completion.

In 71:17-8 the Quran parallels the growth of man out of the earth like a plant does, in a context of providing reasonable proof for the Resurrection. Just as he was originally raised from dust into an elaborate and wonderful creation, so to will he be brought back to life to face his reckoning. As said in 38:71-2, Allah announces to the angels that He will create a mortal, and that when this mortal becomes complete with the spirit from God, to prostrate before him. The last step of human evolution is thus linked in the Quran not only to its physical completion but also to mankind having being filled with a spirit to become God's vicegerent 2:30.

Man has both a principal and a secondary nature. His secondary nature returns to dust and his essence is related to Allah. This is why the Quran attributes the spirit to Allah and the body to the earth 38:71-72. A similar notion can be found in the Hebrew Bible in

Ecc12:7"The body reverts to the dust that it was before, and the ru'ah returns to God who gave it".

The soul therefore does not die, only the nafs, the self does 3:185,21:35. It is this spirit coming from Allah, infused into Adam for the first time, to inspire him the understanding of good and evil that creates the human thirst for guidance and worship

91:7-10"And (by) a soul and He Who proportioned it. And inspired it with its wickedness and its virtue. One has succeeded whoever purified it. And one has failed whoever corrupted it".

This is the spark, when nurtured and developed, leads one to fulfil the goal of human creation; the worship of God.

Apostate prophet denies science; Life started from dust?

In answer to the video "43 Scientific Mistakes in the Quran"

Adam is generally taken to be the first man, but nowhere does the Quran say so, or that there were no creations before him. It only says he was the first human entrusted to be a vicegerent on Earth. In fact when citing names and lineages in the history of mankind that were chosen for prophethood above other nations, Adam is included in the list 3:33. As the most recent studies have shown, the genetic variation observed among the world's population loses its power the further we go back in time. The current human population can be traced to a single man and woman, if that couple is placed, according to estimates anywhere between 100.000 to 500.000 years ago. This does not rule out that they were part of a larger population with whom their descendants could mate. As ancient modern humans dispersed, some groups settled and grew, while others became extinct.

When the Quran speaks of the creation of the human race, it consistently implies the action of fashioning, molding, forming, perfecting 40:64,64:3,87:2 starting with an extract/sulala of various inorganic, earthly elements 15:26,23:12,32:7,37:11,55:14 and water 21:30,24:45,25:54. Obviously the absence of organic life entails it originated from inorganic compounds. In some of these verses it speaks of dust, dry clay at others of muddy, sticky clay, indicating that a combination of elements (the aforementionned water and dry matter) was involved at the beginning of the process.

All languages inherently accept exceptions unless the statement is clearly absolute, or that no other statements from the same source exist to allow the exclusion. The Quran speaks in several places of different non organic compounds at mankind's origins and in none of these verses does it make an absolute assertion.

There is an impressive amount of theories to explain the great mystery of how the very first gene and self replicating molecule originated, among them one that focuses on montmorillonite clay. This abundant, inorganic blend of minerals is known to be a chemical catalyst, the crucial precursor to RNA formation, as well as a means by which chemical reactions can be confined and protected until the possible development of cellular membranes. But until now science has been unable to test and repeat any of those suggestions, including the clay model, to produce the first living cell. Even on a theoretical level, the attempts to explain the pathway from non-living to living matter have so far not achieved the states of complexity that are anywhere near that of the simplest known living systems. In fact some have began arguing that the "p-value" (calculated probability for a hypothesis to be true) for nature to produce the complexity of the genetic code is so small that it should be soundly rejected by science.

The only counter to this inevitable conclusion is the multiverse theory, the existence of an infinite number of unseen, untestable entities, which is actually just a way of conceding that the only alternative to obvious reality is utter absurdity. Only intelligent minds can produce significant levels of functional information. Since even the simplest lifeforms require high levels of information, the scientific evidence for intelligent design becomes impressive. Even then, one still has to explain how does intelligent design initiate an information without any previous examples, references, experiences. This, the Quran answers through the phrase

2:117"badeeu/Innovator and initiator of the heavens and the earth".

The connotation of the word is that, contrary to all creative endeavours, He creates without any blueprint, preexisting inspiration, experience. He does so through His word

"and if HE decreed an order done, He only says be and it is".

This is why God is the "best of creators" as often stated in the Quran.

Apostate prophet inadvertently explores higher realities; opposites attract?

In answer to the video "43 Scientific Mistakes in the Quran"

The more profound message of the verses speaking of the "azwaj" in creation is understood by their context, which is always that of divine justice and providing proof for the resurrection of the dead and judgement in the next life.

The Quran is essentially saying that everything in this varied nature has a complement, without which it is incomplete. If such a thing is the case and that all things have a complement, then how can one deny that this world has its complement in the next life?

In this world, the believers may suffer harm and hardship for adhering to the call of their morality, while the disbelievers profit. That reality can not always last, otherwise this world would be incomplete. Such verses pointing to the universal notion of inter-dependancy also make the believers heed to their own needs and vulnerabilities, whether from a physical/material sense or a spiritual sense, and how Allah alone is independent, self-sufficient 35:15,6:14. Everything is in need of Allah, the Qayyum (Self-subsisting) standing by Himself, the Hayy (Everliving) and all the universe stands because of His eternal endurance, maintainance of life in each instant 2:255,3:2. 

The prophet Daniel states in the Aramaic in which the text was recorded 

Dan6:26"elaha hayya qayyam". 

The words carry several implications, including the pervasive pattern throughout the Quran of God being the sole self-sufficient, uncreated, independant entity. He relies on none other than Himself to subsit and will perdure even when all things perish 55:26-7,28:88. Al hayy/the ever living is also a description meant at distinguishing Allah from false deities, as is done in the HB Joshua3:10,1Sam17:26,1Sam17:36,Jer10:9-10,etc., whether they be inanimate entities or living creatures that made themselves or were made into objects of worship 16:20-1. They are neither alive nor are able to keep others alive, they do not exist of their own accord nor can keep others into existence. Their existence depends at all times on the self-sustaining source of all life, Allah.

This divine unity, self-sufficiency and uniqueness from the point of view of his attributes, is captured in sura ikhlas

112:1-4"He is Allah, AHAD/One".

HE is ahad (or echad as the HB says) in the midst of diversity 30:22, complementarity, and polarity amongst the various kinds in the universe that work in interconnection. It is one of the major signs man is asked to ponder upon

51:49"And of everything We have created azwaj (different kinds) that you may be mindful"  

2:164,89:3"Consider the multiple and the One". 

These verses speaking of things made in "azwaj" end with "there are signs in this for a people who understand". Only those devoid of the correct mindframe; intellectual observation through spiritual insight, are unable to appreciate the portent of the signs which the verses direct them to, unable to see the singularity and unity of the Creator opposite the interdependant diversity of creation.

The Quran uses simple logical deductions based on the signs in the heavens and earth testifying to the unity of a Single, uncreated and independent Cause. On a philosophical level, the implication from the observance of the universe is that there must have been a single, uncaused cause of all things. This denies the simultaneous existence of several gods. Multiple deities would naturally compete with oneanother, affecting the order of the universe. Having different needs and interests, they would issue contradicting commands

17:111"And say: ‘(All) Praise is Allah’s, Who has not taken unto Him a son; nor has He got any partner in the Sovereignty; and there is not for Him any helper out of humbleness.’ And magnify Him with all magnificence". 

A quick look at the mythologies of polytheist beliefs all throughout the history of mankind, confirms this

21:22"If there had been in them any gods except Allah, they (the heavens and the earth) would both have certainly been in a state of disorder"  

17:42"If there were with Him gods as they say, then certainly they would have been able to seek a way to the Lord of power"  

23:91"never was there with him any (other) god-- in that case would each god have certainly taken away what he created, and some of them would certainly have overpowered others; glory be to Allah above what they describe!".

If Allah had partners and more than one god had ruled over the world, each of these gods would have managed and established his control over the realm of his own creations. Consequently different parts of the universe would end up being managed under different laws and systems. Disorder in the universe would ensue but this does not accord with the unity of creation that we witness around us, governed by laws that are the same everywhere in the heavens and the earth.

This incredible coordination is known by the most atheists of physicists as being on the thinest of razor edges, where the slightest variation will throw the entire system into disarray. The only conclusion, for those endowed with the proper knowedge, one that works side by side with spiritual awareness, is that the whole thing is designed and in constant control, maintenance and sustenance by a Unique, and Sole Creator 15:21,20:50,25:2,59:1,80:19,87:2-3.

Multiplicity inevitably leads to differences and in such a vast, intricately related universal system, as described throughout the verses pointing to complementarity in creation, these differences would lead to chaos and opposition instead

27:64"Is He [not best] who begins creation and then repeats it and who provides for you from the heaven and earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Say, "Produce your proof, if you should be truthful". 

Here the Quran states a powerful truth; as the imprint of intelligent design becomes more apparent with every scientific advancement, so to is the fact that the uncaused cause beyond contingency must be singular. Every attempt to explain the existence of the universe in such an evidently planned and deliberate state without acknowledging God’s existence and oneness has proven logically unsustainable.

Apostate prophet back from the Zoo and reflects; Quran says All things made in pairs?

In answer to the video "43 Scientific Mistakes in the Quran"

Verses speaking of things created in 43:12,36:36,51:49"azwaj" means "in pairs". This refers to the complementarity prevalent in every single thing. This may include but is not exclusive to, sexual complementarity as in 30:21,16:72. There the Quran addresses the human specie, saying the availability of azwaj (maleor female) from among ourselves is meant as a source of security, love and compassion. "azwaj" may be used interchangibly between male and female spouses 2:232,234.

In the context of creation, some verses 53:45,92:3 mention the creation of the sexual pairs by specifying both genders created; male/dhakar and female/untha. But such verses do not make an absolute assertion that all things have been created that way -in opposite genders- or that all living things reproduce sexually. All languages inherently accept exceptions unless the statement is clearly absolute (see for eg. 7:25 vs 55:33 or 100:6 vs 2:152,14:7,54:35 or 6:59 vs 2:255,72:26-27 or 39:44 vs 20:109,34:23,21:28). The Original Creator may create whatever He wills then modify His original creation as He pleases and deems fit 24:45,35:1. He may even create without the mating of sexual pairs as with Jesus' case.

The primary meaning of zawj (plur.azwaaj) in the Quran, is alien to the sexual pairs, as seen in many instances where it is used 13:3,15:88,20:53,131,26:7,38:58,56:7-10. It denotes the kinds or types -some of them unkown to us 36:36- having common points, linked in a way or the other when used in the plural form. This is just as in any language that speaks of pairs without specifying if the pairing is gender based. The root is Z-W-J and it means when two or more things or people form a unit. The use of azwaj in those verses is one of the devices used by the Quran to emphasize the concept of interconnection and complimentarity between all kinds created, even when these thing seem to be opposites.

The context of pairing in 43:12 for example has God saying how He made the earth a "resting place" for us, water coming down from the sky to allow life, ships, that man ingenuisly builds using the material put at his disposal by Allah, and cattle for mobility among other uses. In 15:88 and others, the Quran tells the believers not to grieve or pay much attention to some kind (azwaj) of people -having in common their unbelief and hatred for Islam-. In 13:3-4 Allah says He made from all that the earth produces (thamaraat), 2 types. Just as day and night are 2 opposites but remain complimentary, the earthly products come in 2 opposites but complementary types. Those better than others, remain, from a higher viewpoint complementary although apparently opposites. The better one is apreciated thanks to its lesser counterpart it can be compared to, which in turn is the result of a process the plant goes through so as to reduce competition and bring the crop to fruition. Even among opposites there is interconnection on all levels, physical or spiritual, and that is the pervasive notion in all the verses speaking of pairing in nature.

Apostate prophet watches Discovery Channel; All animals are comunities?

In answer to the video "43 Scientific Mistakes in the Quran"

This verse is just one of the many verses calling mankind to be considerate towards the animal kingdom and grateful for the Creator who has given us dominion over them. Their similarity with us in the most basic of traits and needs should create in us a sense of empathy in our dealings with them

6:38"there is not a moving entity in the land nor a flying entity flying with its two wings except (part of) nations/groupings similar to you. We have not neglected in the book a thing. Then towards their Sustainer they will be gathered".

The verse does not restrict their grouping among elements of the same specie. Just as humans, even those most solitary and recluse, still need, willingly or not, to form a community and interract with living entities for survival, the animals too, need to live in communities, sometimes with entirely different species, for their survival. The repeated notion that all of creation, animate and inanimate, worships the same Creator that mankind is called to worship, connects us with them on a spiritual level, forcing the God-conscious to be considerate towards this nature entrusted to him 2:58,13:13-15,16:48-50,17:44,22:18,24:41,45:37,55:6,29,62:1,64:1,21:79,34:10,38:17-9. The whole earth becomes a fellow worshiper of the same Creator, making the animal kingdom more particularily as among the wordly devices put at mankind's disposal to reflect on the higher meanings of things

45:4"And in your creation and in what He spreads abroad of animals there are signs for a people that are sure".

That is why they will be resurrected and gathered back to their Sustainer 6:38. Not for their own judgement but as devices by which the humans will be judged, just as many other wordly creations, animate and inanimate will be made to testify as to our use of them 99:4-5,16:78,17:36,24:24,36:65,41:20-21. This is just a glimpse of the Quran's overall argument to attracts mankind's empathy not only to the sentient beings but to every creature, sentient or not, which is part of our direct environement and affected by our actions.

Islam critiqued opens ultimate criteria; from Israel's brothers?

In answer to the video "A Prophet Like Moses"

As shown earlier, after Moses's death and Joshua's appointment for prophethood Deut31, the HB says there never arose a Prophet like unto Moses, who in addition spoke to God face to face and performed great wonders Deut34. This means that him being "like unto Moses" is an indicator still awaiting fulfillment, even after an Israelite prophet appeared on the scene. The word "brethren" used to qualify the prophet like unto Moses it is a general term especially in semitic languages. It implies the real brothers, first cousins, the remotest cousins, or anyone else sharing a specific particularity with the addressees.

In the Torah itself, in Deut23:7 or Numb20:14 and Deut2:4, the word brehtren is used in the broader sense, in the context of the lengthy instructions being delivered to the Israelites. God orders regarding the Edomites who are non-Israelites, non-Jewish descendants of Jacob's elder brother Esau and calls them Israel' brethren. What this means is the tribal affiliation of brethren that exists between the tribes of Israel, such as between the Levites and other tribes, is the same affiliation that exists between the Israelites, Ishmaelites and Edomites.

In 1Kings11:1 Edomites are designated as foreigners to Israel yet the Edomites were clearly brothers, designated as such by a much earlier scriptural document, that of Genesis. The Book of Kings is from a totally different era as the Torah and the forbiddance of marrying them is not because of lineage, but because

"they will surely turn your hearts away after the gods".

The Edomites in the beginning were clearly worshippers of YHWH and the designation by the writer of Kings as a foreigner is clearly a racial slant against them. Kings was written after the exile of the Jews from Babylonia and it was the Edomites who helped Nebuchadnezzar II slaughter the Jews and send them into exile. Besides, the Ishmaelites are not included as foreigners in this particular passage, and the very scriptures tell us that Ishmael lived in the presence of all his "brethren".

At the beginning of the chapter in which the prophecy is found, in Deut18:2, it plainly shows how "brethren" can be used for people outside the tribe for whom the word applies. It says the priests are excluded from sharing in their brethren's inheritance. The priests are Levites. It isnt saying the Levitic priests are excluded from sharing in their Levite brethren's inheritance but in the other Israelite tribe's inheritance.

So, just like "brethren" here is used for the Levites but doesnt mean the brethren from within the same tribe, in the same way, "brethren" in the prophecy of Deut18:18 is used for the entire ISraelites but doesnt mean the brethren from within the same tribe. As is seen from the language, let alone the use of the word throughout the HB and even within the same chapter of the prophecy, if the promised prophet was to come from among the Israelites, the wording of the prophecy should have been clear cut, leaving no possibility for any alternate rendering:

"I will raise them up a prophet from among themselves".

In this regard in this interesting to note the gloss in the masoretic text that attempts precisely that. It contains the extra words "from among themselves" to restrict the word brethren to the Israelites. The addition was noted by critical scholars and is in fact absent from several texts, including the Septuagint, the Samaritan Torah, the NT in Acts3 and 7.

Rabbinic literature recognizes the prophethood of 7 non-Israelite, non-Jewish men (Talmud, B. B. 15b) besides those whom they did not recognize but were nevertheless true prophets. That is not to speak of the others they rejected or murdered throughout their history, more notoriously during the near collapse of their nation's spirituality as they vastly reverted to idol worship after Solomon's reign. They began slaying any person claiming prophethood and speaking against their practices. They had done the same under the reign of Ahab.

These non-Israelite prophets they recognize are Job (Ayyub in the Quran, Iyov in Hebrew), as well as several other men mentioned in the book of Job. They also recognize the prophethood of Balaam and his father. Jonah or Nahum were Israelite prophets who preached to non israelites. Obadiah was, according to tradition, an Edomite convert to Judaism who admonished his own non-Jewish people.

The Israelites Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophecied to the non-Jewish nations that had destroyed and plundered the Jews, announcing the inevitability of their doom.

All this to corroborate that even within accepted JEwish tradition, prophethood to non-Jews or by non-Jews isnt a strange thought.

It is also to be noted that God in the Torah is reported to have announced several covenants with Abraham, and none of them is related to prophethood being the sole prerogative of one branch or another. Many Jews therefore, including the most learned among them, as related in both Quranic and non Quranic sources, accepted the prophethood of Muhammad and those that rejected him didnt do so for racial reasons.

Although the bestowal of prophethood outside of their fold did cause them anger and jealousy, their essential opposition consisted in that he, like Jesus and countless others as related in both the Hebrew Bible and the NT, brought a message that wasnt to their liking. Others could not but admit the prophethood of Muhammad in light of the Biblical criteria of what constitutes a prophet or not, but are not ready to heed his message and so invent the excuse that although he is a true prophet, his message does not concern them; he is a prophet to the Ishmaelites only.

Continuing with the analysis of that ambiguous "brethren" term. While Deut17:15 says that Israel's brethren cannot be non-Israelites, it is speaking of the appointment of Kings above them and it is obvious that the appointed Ruler must be from the same nation as his subjects, not a foreigner. The Quran echoes that reality, through its linguistic precision. Moses reminds the Israelites that they were made rulers over their own fate by people of authority among their own ethnic group, while in contrast, prophets were sent among them, which doesnt entail similar ethnicity 

5:20” And [mention, O Muhammad], when Moses said to his people, "O my people, remember the favor of Allah upon you when He appointed among you prophets and made you possessors/kings and gave you that which He had not given anyone among the worlds”. 

In their biblical history, even that clear criteria of authority among their own ethnic group was subject to their deeply rooted inter tribal prejudices. They disliked the appointment of Saul/Talut over them as king, even though he was selected by a prophet in their midst, because of his humble tribal lineage from the Benjamites.

By specifying in which case a brethren to the Israelites is not a foreigner, the HB shows that -unless specified otherwise- when the word "brethren" is used to relate them to another people, these people must be considered by default Israel's brethren and it has already been shown above how the HB makes use of the word repeatedly to relate them with Israelites and non-Israelites alike.

In 18:18 the context is entirely different than 17:15, it is speaking of prophethood and it is obvious that a messenger of God's lineage to his addressees is irrelevant, and even more so if we consider the demographics at the time of Islam's advent. Nations, cultures and religions intermingled and lived in the same areas. In the Hijaz, Ishmaelite pagans and Ishmaelite monotheists, the hanifs, as well as Israelites and Christians closely coexisted, speaking the same language even. A prophet therefore "to" any of those groups did not necessarily need to be a native of any of them to deliver God's communications effectively and in fact Muhammad the Ishmaelite is repeatedly described as carrying a universal mission, bringing mercy to all the worlds, starting with the mother city/Mecca and its surroundings.

The geographical location of the Hijaz, at the crossroad of the major civilizations of the time, was all the more appropriate for the fulfillment of that universal mission.

As already seen, even Judaism recognizes the prophethood of non-Israelites and this is precisely why the Deuteronomy prophecy does not stress that such "brother" must be from within Israel contrary to 17:15 speaking of the necessity of appointing an Israelite king.