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Published on 4th
June, 2002
The Protected Roof
By Harun
Yahya
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The atmosphere only lets rays required for life reach the
Earth. Ultraviolet rays, for example, make it to the world
only partially. This is the most appropriate range to
allow plants to make photosynthesis and eventually for all
living things to survive. |
In the Qur'an, God calls our
attention to a very interesting attribute of the sky:
"We made the sky a preserved and protected
roof yet still they turn away from Our Signs."
(The Qur'an, 21:32)
This attribute of the sky has been proved by scientific
research carried out in the 20th century. The atmosphere surrounding the earth serves crucial functions
for the continuity of life. While destroying many meteors big and
small, as they approach the earth, it prevents them from falling to
earth and harming living things. In addition, the atmosphere filters the light rays coming from
space that are harmful to living things. Interestingly, the
atmosphere lets only harmless and useful rays- visible light, near
ultraviolet light and radio waves pass through. All of this
radiation is vital for life.
Near ultraviolet rays, which are only
partially let in by the atmosphere, are very important for the
photosynthesis of plants and for the survival of all living
beings. The majority of the intense ultraviolet rays emitted from
the sun are filtered out by the ozone layer of the atmosphere and
only a limited-and essential-part of the ultraviolet spectrum
reaches the Earth.
The protective function of the atmosphere does not end here.
The atmosphere also protects the earth from the freezing cold of space, which is about minus 270° C.
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 This illustration shows meteors that are about to crash
into the earth. The celestial bodies wandering in space
could pose a serious threat to the Earth. Yet, Allah (swt)
Who
creates most perfectly, has made the atmosphere a
protective roof. Thanks to this special protection, most
meteoroids do not harm the Earth, as they fall to pieces
in the atmosphere.
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Most people looking at the sky do not think about the
protective aspect of the atmosphere. They almost never
think what kind of a place the world would be like if this
structure did not exist. The above photo belongs to a
giant crater caused by a meteor that fell in Arizona, in
the USA. If the atmosphere did not exist, millions of
meteoroids would fall to the Earth and the Earth would
become an inhabitable place. Yet, the protective aspect of
the atmosphere allows living things to survive in safety.
This is certainly God's protection of people, and a
miracle proclaimed in the Qur'an.
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Sun Burst
The energy released in a Sun
burst is so powerful that the human mind would hardly
comprehend it: A single burst is equivalent to 100 billion
atomic bombs similar to the one dropped on Hiroshima. The
world is protected from the destructive effects of this
energy by the atmosphere and the Van Allen Belts.
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As we move from the Earth,
which is perfectly fitted for human life, beyond the
atmosphere into the space, we come across a freezing cold.
The world is protected from the freezing cold of space,
which is around -270 degrees, by the help of the
atmosphere.
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The Magnetosphere Layer |
top |
The magnetosphere layer, formed by the magnetic field of
the Earth, serves as a shield protecting the earth from
celestial bodies, harmful cosmic rays and particles. In
the above picture, this magnetosphere layer, which is also
named Van Allen Belts, is seen. These belts at thousands
of kilometres above the earth protect the living things on
the Earth from the fatal energy that would otherwise reach
it from space.
All these scientific findings prove that the world is
protected in a very particular way. The important thing is
that this protection was made known in the Qur'an in the
verse 1,400 years ago:
"We made the sky a preserved and protected
roof"
(The Qur'an, 21:32)
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It is not only the atmosphere that protects the Earth from
harmful effects. In addition to the atmosphere, the Van Allen
Belt, a layer caused by the magnetic field of the Earth, also
serves as a shield against the harmful radiation that threatens
our planet. This radiation which is constantly emitted by the Sun
and other stars is deadly to living things. If the Van Allen belt
did not exist, the massive outbursts of energy called solar flares
that frequently occur in the Sun would destroy all life on Earth.
Dr. Hugh Ross has this to say on the importance of Van Allen
Belts to our lives:
In fact, the Earth has the
highest density of any of the planets in our Solar System. This
large nickel-iron core is responsible for our large magnetic
field. This magnetic field produces the Van-Allen radiation
shield, which protects the Earth from radiation bombardment. If
this shield were not present, life would not be possible on the
Earth. The only other rocky planet to have any magnetic field is
Mercury - but its field strength is 100 times less than the
Earth's. Even Venus, our sister planet, has no magnetic field. The
Van-Allen radiation shield is a design unique to the Earth.(1)
 The energy
transmitted in just one of these bursts detected in recent years
was calculated to be equivalent to 100 billion atomic bombs
similar to the one dropped on Hiroshima. Fifty-eight hours after
the burst, it was observed that the magnetic needles of compasses
displayed unusual movement and 250 kilometres above the earth's
atmosphere, the temperature suddenly increased to 2,500° C.
In short, a perfect system is at work high above the Earth. It
surrounds our world and protects it against external threats.
Scientists only learned about it recently, yet centuries ago,
Allah (swt) informed us in the Qur'an of the world's atmosphere functioning as
a protective roof. |
