Bismillah hir Rehman nir Raheem

Editorial International Journal of Pathology (IJP) 10th issue.

Creating Science out of Fiction!

Anwar Ul Haque

In this issue of International Journal of Pathology (IJP), there is a brief communication by Dr. Khalid Mehmood titled "Creating Science out of Fiction". This brief communication is in fact initially  written in response to an article by Dr. Solomon H Snyder titled "Seeking God in the Brain- Efforts to localize Higher Brain Functions" published  in January 3, 2008 issue of New England Journal of Medicine.¹  Dr. Snyder is a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA. It is rather deplorable that the New England Journal of Medicine did not publish this letter and thus deprived its esteemed readers of truth. We are publishing this brief communication in order to bring forward the truth and noting but pure and simple truth. The truth is the sweetest thing although at times it may taste little bitter.

No doubt that deep thinking, observations and ideas played key role in evolution and progress of sciences. But what about the Author and Creator of the material and methods and the ideas! The Creator who gave the man the ability to gain, retain and reproduce the knowledge of all things and made all forces to bow down and obey the man, the viceroy of the God on earth. (Ref: Quran, Surah Al-Baqrah {The Cow; titled after some children of Israel who secretly started worshipping a cow and tried to deceive Moses when the God order them to slaughter the cow, the killing of the cow brought fortune as it settled the despite over a murder which would other otherwise could have caused lot more bloodshed} It is not science to ignore and reject the Creator after seeing the beautiful and prefect immensely complex and superbly organized creation and creatures in all respects. It would be only folly and idiocy to do so and to term this as science would be the greatest insult to sciences.  How can we ignore the Creator? When we see a simple thing like needle, we know that someone has built it from iron But what about iron itself which is zillion times more complex than just giving a shape to the iron! And if we don't know a thing, is it right to deny it altogether? How insane a person would be if he says that a Toyota car is built itself and then it is producing millions of cars from that car automatically! No body would believe that in the world but when we it comes to cells which are trillions times more complex and more sophisticated than a car so called men of knowledge not only accept but propagate it. This shows the other side of the coin. All forces bowed down to man except the Satan, the rejected one. He was able to deceive Adam and Eve (Peace be upon them). Today also many men are deceived by Satan and they cover (The word derived from Arabic word Kafr meaning to conceal, hide and reject).

Once you deny the Creator of Cells and Universe then you are in trouble because for proving one lie you will have to create thousands of lies. To present such lies as scientific fact is among the worst forms of disinformation, yellow journalism and media & medical terrorism.  And if this happens in a medical journal of such high repute as New England Journal of Medicine it is nothing but simple brutal mutilation of truth. Because of such mutilations the science has not grown and has caused humanity enormous sufferings. The sciences must be based on solid and verifiable direct or indirect evidences. Mere wishful thinking of events must not be presented as scientific evidences. We must understand very clearly that man is very weak despite being the viceroy of the God All Mighty (In Arabic Allah) on earth. Our five senses are not all encompassing. Our eyes can see only limited wave lengths of light and our ears can hear only a short spectrum of sounds. To say that the objects and the sounds do not exist simply because we can't catch them is not wisdom but idiocy plain and simple. A few decades back we were not able to see viruses and bacteria but were they not present? Tomorrow we may have some more refined techniques and instruments or other ways and means available and we may detect something more which was present in our universe from the very beginning but we had not seen so far. When you consciously deny Allah you will have to deny the prophets like Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismaeel (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), Ya'qoob (Jacob), Yousuf (Joseph), Moosa (Moses), Dawood (David), Sulaiman (Solomon) Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and then you have to explain all their great works and teachings and accomplishments on some fabricated fictions which will be termed as "science". This is what happened when he blamed Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) having epilepsy originating from a "religiosity center in brain". In this regard, Dr. Solomon H Snyder appears to be no less than Salman Rushdie. The latter wrote a notorious novel full of foul language and blatant and baseless attacks on the Prophet Muhammad and his family.  Dr. Snyder actually goes one step further because he tries to give his false and baseless allegations and fabrications a color of science and hence truth. Dr. Khalid Mehmood has replied briefly to his baseless allegations.

The gay and lesbian sympathizers went to the extent suggesting rather "proving" that gay and lesbians have special form of brain since birth. The pre-determined anatomy and physiology of their brains thus can be held responsible for their behaviors. Of course such behaviors which started from the time of the Prophet Lot are not due to some physical defect detectable on CT scan or MRI but rather from Satanic temptations and so far we don't have any imaging technique to show the defects in the brains of these people or the so called scientists who shamelessly propagate falsehood in the name of Science. In this regard their behavior is quite similar to satanic cult of Scientology. Same can be said about Darwin's theory of evolution which despite all powerful propaganda through powerful media still neither stands on its four or two legs or hold water.  

No one knows what is sprit & soul except what is described in the divine books e.g. Quran. Quran clearly says that Soul is the order of the God All Mighty and man is given little knowledge. This shows that we can not comprehend the exact nature of soul and sprit and we should not debate issues which we can not handle or can't have our hands on. At least we must refrain from branding our own stupid and silly thoughts as "Science". When these are done to belittle and defame someone these actually becomes criminal. Not only was the writing of Salman Rushdie's novel fully financed by such people but also some hostile reaction to it.  It is a win win situation! You have your own created friends as well as enemies! Enemies do exactly what you want to in order to legitimize your "spontaneous retaliation".   

There are no centers for truth or lies, truth or fictions and religiosity or secularism in the brain which can be seen with x-rays, CT scans and MRIs. Even definition of religiosity and secularism are quite vague. Islam for example does not recognize or approve clergy class and consider all right thing as worship to the God. Islam grants complete protection to the Churches, Synagogues and Temples and not every thing is halal or kosher in war and love in Islam. You are not permitted to commit excesses even in wars. In this regard Islam appears to be more secular than many champions of secularism. Thoughts can not be seen through x-rays! We have to be humble enough to say that we don't know. Arrogance and tight necks are alien to the science just like honesty and sincere work. And this perhaps explains the massive explosion of sciences in the Muslim world in the dark ages of the Europe about 1000 years back when the real foundations of all sciences were laid down. Without those we would simply in dark ages today, not having universities, hospitals, glasses, watches, scopes, astronomy etc. etc. When Muslims adhered to Quran firmly and as a result all aforementioned qualities, they were the right people to accomplish all that.

 Many times you have to adopt indirect method of sensing the things. Allah (The God All Mighty) is like a light which can't be seen but can be seen indirectly through its reflections on various objects. You can't see the God but you can see Him through every thing He created. When the God spoke to Moses (PBUH) He showed that if He wanted he could have talked direct to all of us but that is not His desire and plan. The great messengers of the God were role model for humanity and their mental status was most healthy and balanced as they had to carry a lot of stress and strain. They didn't suffer from any sort of weaknesses or diseases in those areas. You simply can't explain the miracles of Ibrahim (Abraham) being jumping in fire and remaining untouched, the water of Zam, Zam gushing from the feet of Ismaeel (Ishmael) in desert of Makkah, creation of path in the water by Moosa (Moses) through his stick, raising of dead by authority of Allah by Isa (Jesus), and finally the Quran, the final and the last edition as well as protector of all previous divine books. You have to simply accept these. They happened and you yourself can check the Quran. How can you explain that the book is today as modern and fresh, as motivating and as enjoyable in its original language as was 1400 years back with no contradiction to sciences and new discoveries? The famous French Surgeon Maurice Bucicalle while doing his PhD research was struck by this irrefutable fact.

The World has seen the fallacies of Darwin and frauds of Sigmund Freud in many respects. Despite the massive and planned campaigns, deceptions and constant bombardment of lies not an iota of truth could be created.  Although man is created in the best form and with the most potential he can be the lowest of the low if he uses his wisdom in the negative and destructive direction. We request and expect from New England Journal of Medicine and others to observe the moral, ethical codes and must not propagate non-science in the name of Science. The science to us is truth, nothing but truth; any things short of it is simply not science.

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Brief Communication: IJP 10th Issue

Creating Science out of Fiction

Dr Khalid Mahmood

Dr. Solomon H Snyder, who is a professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, has written an article titled "Seeking God in the Brain- Efforts to localize Higher Brain Functions" in January 3, 2008 issue of New England Journal of Medicine¹. In this article he has discussed the role of novel imaging techniques such as positron emission tomographic scanning and functional magnetic resonance imaging, in defining higher mental functions like religiosity and efforts to localize such functions to particular areas in the brain. He says by quoting Linden that religious ideation is based upon confabulations in persons with split brain. He also quoted British neurologist Michael Trimble that "some of the greatest religious figures in history had what were probably complex partial seizures". He then goes on to give a few examples of such religious figures and one of them is Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (PBUH). I shall endeavor to put forward a different evidence based perspective that religiosity is not a semiconscious or subconscious pathological state like complex partial seizures and that Muhammad PBUH never suffered from epilepsy.

I shall first take up the issue that Muhammad PBUH never suffered from epilepsy. The onset of idiopathic epilepsy is almost always in childhood or at the most in adolescence whereas the revelations started on Muhammad PBUH at the age of 40. The secondary cause for epilepsy was extremely unlikely in his case because he lived an absolutely healthy life for 23 years after the start of revelations on him. Secondary causes of epilepsy like cerebrovascular disease, tumours or an infective cause would have resulted in disability and/or death much earlier. In primary epilepsy there is a significant genetic predisposition. In case of Muhammad PBUH, there is no evidence to suggest that any one amongst his forefathers, off spring or close relatives suffered from an illness that could be interpreted as epilepsy. Dr Snyder has further quoted Michael Trimble that "Muhammad described falling episodes accompanied by visual and auditory hallucinations". The details of Prophet Muhammad's life are very well preserved. The process of revelations on him had been observed by many of his companions and family members on many occasions. It is true that while receiving a revelation, he would become still with profuse sweating but he never fell unconscious or lost control of his body while receiving the revelation. At one occasion he was holding a piece of meat in his hand while taking meal and the revelation started but the piece of meat did not fall from his hand. At occasions he was riding on the back of a camel when revelation came but he never fell from the camel².

According to Oxford Student's Current English Dictionary, the meanings of the word Hallucination are; "seeming to see something not actually present"³. According to this definition we can only call the revelations on Muhammad PBUH as hallucinations if what he used to see and hear during the revelations actually did not exist. During the revelations, He used to see the Archangel Gabriel and hear from him the message of God to the mankind. This message has been fully preserved in its original form and is available with us even today in the form of Quran, the Muslim religious book. If one can prove that the data present in Quran is incorrect or is lacking in any aspect whatsoever, then it might be logical to say that Muhammad PBUH had hallucinations.  It is against the basic principles of research and natural justice to pass on judgement without critically analyzing the available data, which is Quran in this case. To many in the west, it will be a surprise to know that Muhammad PBUH is not the author of Quran and neither did he ever make such a claim. Quran is basically the word of God. If one can prove just one mistake in Quran, then it can not be the word of God because humans may commit scores of mistakes but they shall still remain humans but if God commits one mistake, He can not be The God. Thus the task appears to be very easy. By proving one mistake in Quran, one may prove that Muhammad PBUH probably had hallucinations. In Quran, God has challenged the mankind to create a single Surah or Chapter like it. The shortest Surah or Chapter in Quran comprises only three sentences. No one has accepted this challenge to date. Moreover, God has taken the responsibility on Himself that nothing shall change in the Quran for the times to come (Quran, chapter 15, verse 9). It is a fact that, miraculously, not a single word has changed in Quran over the past 1400 years when one compares today's Quran with that written in 7^th century AD. Even the Arabic language unlike any other language in the world has remained preserved largely due to preservation of Quran over such a long time.

The contents of the hallucinations are obviously not based upon the logic and therefore can not withstand the challenge of critical analysis. In Quran God says that this is a book of true miraculous knowledge through which the mankind should recognize the presence of the creator (Quran, chapter 2, verse 118-119). Quran openly challenges the scholars of all times, to come forward and critically analyze the facts mentioned in Quran. Rather for those who don't make optimum utilization of their thinking abilities, God says "Those who don't make use of their listening, speaking and thinking faculties are worst of the animals" (Quran chapter 8, verse 22). In Quran, God has narrated many scientific facts. Maurice Bucaille in his well known book, The Bible, Quran and science, writes that "Quran is in complete agreement with modern scientific data. Many statements connected to science are found in Quran, yet it is unthinkable that a man of Muhammad's time (7^th century A.D) could have been the author of them" ⁴. The scientific statements mentioned in Quran are universal and beyond the limitations of time and space. There are many verses in Quran, the meanings of which were not understood till the scientific discoveries of modern times. For example Quran said 1400 years ago that initially the whole universe was a single mass when it was forcibly torn apart into its components and that God created all life from water (Quran, chapter 21, verse 30). That the moon and stars are moving in their respective orbits (Quran, chapter 36, verse 40).The universe is expanding (Quran, chapter 51, verse 47). All the planets of solar system (including sun) are moving (Quran, chapter 13, verse 41). Three stages of development of human embryo have been described (Quran, chapter 23, verses 12-14). One gets breathless (due to decreasing concentration of oxygen) as one ascends in the skies (Quran, chapter 6, verse 125). Deep burns are painless (Quran, chapter 4, verse 56). There are scores of other examples.

In the book The 100, a Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History
by Michael H. Hart, Muhammad PBUM has been graded as the most influential person in the history on the grounds that "he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels"⁵. The major force behind his great influence on mankind was the teachings of the Quran. Do we have any parallel example of an epileptic in recent times who has produced anything logical and useful during an epileptic fit that has significantly influenced the life of the people and thus changed the course of the history?

Now coming back to the topic discussed by Dr. Snyder, Seeking God in the brain, I feel that we must first define religiosity. Religiosity means astute observation of all the creations of God by making full use of your wisdom, intellect and thought process, thereby reaching to a logical conclusion that there is a creator behind the creation of the universe. There is someone who is perfectly managing the affairs of the universe. Religiosity means to think and find an answer to questions like who we are, why were we created and where shall we go? In summary conscious recognition of God and complete submission to Him is called "religiosity". Religiosity being one of the highest mental functions involves perception of auditory, visual and other sensory stimuli in the respective areas of sensory cortex followed by their integration, critical analysis, drawing a logical conclusion; leading to a change in the behavior and way of life. Therefore it is unlikely that it shall be represented by a specific religiosity centre in the higher cortex. It rather appears to be a global cortical process involving auditory areas in the temporal cortex, visual areas in occipital cortex, sensory areas in precentral gyrus, the parietal lobes for integration and analysis of sensory inputs, yet unknown opinion making centers, frontal lobes for modification in behavior and limbic system for changes in emotion and memory. Therefore, such a complex and integrated analytical thought process can not be attributed to a pathological semiconscious state like that of complex partial seizures. This rather has to be a truly conscious, highly intellectual state.

References:

1. Solomon H. Snyder. Seeking God in the Brain-Efforts to Localize Higher Brain Functions. N ENGL J MED 2008; 358 (1): 6-7.

2. Hameed Ullah. Khutbat-e-Bhawalpur, Deen, Islamabad, Idara-e-Tehkeek-e-Islami, 1985.

3. S Hornby. Oxford Student's Dictionary of Current English. London, The English Language Book Society, 1978.

4. Maurice Bucaille. The Bible, The Quran and Science, The holy scriptures examined in the light of modern knowledge. General Conclusions. New Dehli, Idara Ishat-e-Dinyat, 1990.

5. Michael H. Hart. The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. New York, A Citadel Press Book/Carol Publishing Group, 1978.

For Contact: Dr Khalid Mahmood, FCPS, MRCP. Consultant Dermatologist, PAF Hospital, Sector E-9, Islamabad, PAKISTAN

Tel: 0092 302 5318979

E mail: kmahmood@doctors.org.uk