INTRODUCTION

The universe, the Milky Way galaxy that is home to our solar system, and our planet Earth are all governed by countless factors. All these laws and balances have been specifically designed and miraculously ordered to produce an environment suitable for human life.
Examining our universe in detail reveals that everything-from the most fundamental cosmic laws to the most critical physical properties, from the smallest balances to the finest ratios therein-have been arranged to meet the highest level of exactness. We are astonished to realize that this precision is set at the ideal values for human existence to not only survive, but thrive.
From the universe's rate of expansion to our Earth's location in the Milky Way galaxy, from the spectrum of the Sun's radiation to the viscosity value of water, from the distance of the Moon to the Earth to the ratio of the gases that form the atmosphere, countless other such factors are just right for human existence. In fact, the slightest alteration to even one of them would make life on Earth impossible.
Not even a single one of these factors could have become so ideal for life by sheer coincidence. The fact that thousands of elements and conditions combined to create this order is miraculous beyond the limits of human comprehension.
In fact, each of the factors necessary for the existence of human life is a miracle in its own right, not to mention the millions of factors that must combine to make this chain of miracles possible. On the other hand, a miracle is self-evidently created by God. Every bit of the universe is a miracle, the unequalled work of God's wisdom, might, and artistry.
Recent calculations demonstrate that if the current physical laws and reactions responsible for the order in the universe were altered even slightly, life-and therefore, human life-would not be possible. In terms of probability, these physical norms could have had arisen with any given value. But each one of them is set independently at its current ideal value, enabling human life which, as stated above, cannot be described with any other word but miracle.
Whichever law, principle or physical property in the universe we consider, we see that it could not have been brought to its current ideal state by itself, or through coincidence. Eyes that can see are a clear miracle. Chains of miracles are at work in every location of the universe and in every single one of its governing laws; these chains of miracles are proof for God's existence and His might.
In recent years, cosmologists and theoretical physicists began to call this mind-blowing order that spawns necessary conditions for human life "fine-tuning." Concentrating on this subject, they discovered or calculated countless examples of "fine-tuning" throughout the universe. It's appropriate here to quote some of these scientists' expressions of astonishment and wonder over the results of their research:
NASA astronomer Professor John O'Keefe: "We are, by astronomical standards, a pampered, cosseted, cherished group of creatures. If the Universe had not been made with the most exacting precision, we could never have come into existence. It is my view that these circumstances indicate the universe was created for man to live in." 1
British astrophysicist Professor George F. Ellis: "Amazing fine tuning occurs in the laws that make this [complexity] possible. Realization of the complexity of what is accomplished makes it very difficult not to use the word 'miraculous'..." 2
British astrophysicist Professor Paul Davies: "the laws [of physics] ... seem themselves to be the product of exceedingly ingenious design…. The universe must have a purpose." 3
British Mathematician Professor Roger Penrose: "I would say the universe has a purpose. It's not there just somehow by chance." 4
All scientific data obtained to date shows that there is no room in the universe for chance or coincidence, anywhere or at any time. From the very first moment of the universe's inception, to its latest state at the moment when you are reading this website, it has been designed down to the last detail by the All-wise and Almighty God Who created man to witness, reflect on and appreciate His might and artistry.

In the creation of heavens and Earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit, and the water which God sends down from the sky-by which He brings the Earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind-and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and Earth, there are Signs for people who use their intellect. (Qur'an, 2:164)

This website contains examples of miracles that have occurred from the first creation of the universe and continue to occur to the present day. We have arranged these miracles into three main subjects:

• 1. The Universe
• 2. Our Solar System and the World
• 3. Living Things

The purpose of this website is to give the reader a feel for God's infinite power and artistry by showing some of the creation miracles in the universe. Also, it is also hoped that this website will lead to an awareness that everything around us, when looked at through the eyes of wisdom, is a miracle of God.

 Intelligent Design, in other words Creation

In order to create, God has no need to design
It’s important that the word “design” be properly understood. That God has created a flawless design does not mean that He first made a plan and then followed it. God, the Lord of the Earth and the heavens, needs no “designs” in order to create. God is exalted above all such deficiencies. His planning and creation take place at the same instant.
Whenever God wills a thing to come about, it is enough for Him just to say, "Be!"
As verses of the Qur’an tell us:

His command when He desires a thing is just to say to it, “Be!” and it is. (Qur'an, 36:82)

[God is] the Originator of the heavens and Earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, “Be!” and it is. (Qur'an, 2:117)

CHAPTER -1 - MIRACLES IN THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

THE INCREDIBLE ORDER THAT CAME WITH THE EXPLOSION

The whole scientific community acknowledges that the universe we live in began approximately 15 billion years ago with a huge explosion popularly called "the Big Bang" and expanded to take on its present state and dimensions. Space, galaxies, planets, the Sun, the Earth-in short, everything that combines to make up the universe was formed as a consequence.
Here lies a great secret: Since the Big Bang was an explosion, matter would be expected to have scattered itself randomly across space, as atoms or sub-atomic particles. But not so; on the contrary, the universe in all its incredible order emerged instead. "Randomly" scattered atoms concentrated in certain places and bonded to form stars, solar systems and galaxies-certainly an extraordinary situation. And to use an analogy used by scientist, even more extraordinary than a hand grenade thrown into a wheat field with the result that the effect of the blast collects the cut wheat, ties it into uniform bales, and piles up the bales in an orderly fashion.
Professor Fred Hoyle, who opposed the Big Bang theory for many years, expressed his wonder as follows:
The big bang theory holds that the universe began with a single explosion. Yet, . . . an explosion merely throws matter apart, while the big bang has mysteriously produced the opposite effect- with matter clumping together in the form of galaxies. 5

An explosion always disperses and disorders matter.

Obviously, such an explosion that contained the whole of the universe's mass, from which the most spectacular order emerged, can only be explained by a miracle. Astrophysicist Alan Sandage, winner of the Crawford prize in astronomy, explains the situation as follows:
I find it quite improbable that such order came out of chaos. There has to be some organizing principle. God to me is a mystery but is the explanation for the miracle of existence… 6
As scientists state, it is a fantastic miracle that atoms should bond in the most appropriate ways to create the infinitely coordinated order of the universe, comprising countless trillions of planets, billions of stars in billions of galaxies, and all without the slightest hitch. This is a miracle shown to us by the infinitely powerful God.

He to Whom the kingdom of the heavens and the Earth belongs. He does not have a son and He has no partner in the Kingdom. He created everything and determined it most exactly. (Qur'an, 25:2)

A MIRACLE IN THE UNIVERSE'S EXPANSION RATE

The universe we live in emerged some 15 billion years ago, as the result of a giant explosion from a single point. The result of this huge explosion, which contained all the matter in the universe, was the present, extraordinarily regular cosmos that expanded to assume its present form.

The universe's expansion is critical to the formation of its present state. Had it been a fraction slower, the whole of the universe would have contracted once again and collapsed on itself, before the fledgling solar systems had any chance to develop. Had its rate of expansion been only a fraction faster, matter would have been dispersed irretrievably in the vastness of space, unable to form neither stars nor galaxies.
Either situation would mean that living things, let alone we humans, could not exist.
However, neither scenario happened. Thanks to the actual rate of expansion, the universe as we know it emerged. But how sensitive is this rate, actually?
Paul Davies, a renowned Professor of Mathematics and Physics at Australia's Adelaide University, made a series of calculations in order to answer this question. The results he obtained were astonishing. According to Davies, had the expansion rate following the Big Bang been different by one in a billion billions (1/10¹⁸), the universe could not have formed! Another way of stating this figure is: "0,000000000000000001" Any divergence of such a tiny scale would have meant no universe at all. Davies interprets this result as follows:
Careful measurements put the rate of expansion very close to a critical value at which the universe will just escape its own gravity and expand forever. A little slower and the cosmos would collapse, a little faster and the cosmic material would have long ago completely dispersed. It is interesting to ask precisely how delicately the rate of expansion has been "fine tuned" to fall on this narrow dividing line between two catastrophes. If at time I S (by which the time pattern of expansion was already firmly established) the expansion rate had differed from its actual value by more than 10-18, it would have been sufficient to throw the delicate balance out. The explosive vigour of the universe is thus matched with almost unbelievable accuracy to its gravitating power. The big bang was not evidently, any old bang, but an explosion of exquisitely arranged magnitude. 7
An article published in the journal Science describes this extraordinary rate of expansion at the beginning of the universe:

The speed of the universe's expansion is a most sensitive figure. Were it as little as one billion billionth different, the universe we now live in could never have formed. This is like placing a pencil on its sharp end in such a way that it will still be upright a billion years later. Moreover, as the universe expands, this balance grows even more delicate.

If the density of the universe was a little bit more, in that case, according to Einstein's relativity theory, the universe would not be expanding due to the attraction forces of atomic particles but contracting, ultimately diminishing to a spot. If the initial density had been a little bit less, then the universe would rapidly be expanding, but in this case, atomic particles would not be attracting each other and no stars and no galaxies would ever have formed. Consequently, man would never come into existence! According to the calculations, the difference between the initial real density of the universe and its critical density, which is unlikely to occur, is less than one percent's one quadrillion. This is similar to place a pencil in a position so that it can stand on its sharp end even after one billion years… Furthermore, as the universe expands, this equilibrium becomes more delicate. 8
Regardless of how much Stephen Hawking tried to ascribe the origins of the universe to chance, he had to concede the extraordinary fact of its universe's expansion rate in his book, A Brief History of Time:

There is a crucial balance between the density of the universe and the speed at which it is expanding.

If the rate of expansion one second after the big bang had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million million, the universe would have recollapsed before it ever reached its present size. 9
Alan Guth, the father of the inflationary universe model developed as an extension to the standard Big Bang model of the universe, calculated in recent years an even more perplexing result for the fine-tuning of the universe's rate of expansion. He states that the margin of error was 1 in 1055. 10
What, then, does such a remarkable equilibrium indicate? Obviously this instance of "fine-tuning" cannot possibly be explained by chance; it must prove an intelligent design. Despite being a materialist, Paul Davies concedes:
It is hard to resist that the present structure of the universe, apparently so sensitive to minor alterations in the numbers, has been rather carefully thought out… The seemingly miraculous concurrence of numerical values that nature has assigned to her fundamental constants must remain the most compelling evidence for an element of cosmic design. 11
As we have seen, this conclusive data obtained by scientific means, led materialist Paul Davies to concede-whether he liked it or not-that the universe is the product of intelligent design. Or, in other words, that the universe was created.

DISTANCES BETWEEN COSMIC OBJECTS

As we know, our Planet Earth is part of a solar system of nine planets, the Earth being the third planet orbiting our medium sized star.
First, let's understand the scale of this system. The Sun's diameter is 103 times the Earth's. To enable a comparison, image the Earth (whose true diameter is 12,200 kilometers, or 7,500 miles) as the size of a marble. In comparison, our Sun would be a sphere twice the size of a football. But what is really interesting is the distance between the two. On this scale, it would be 280 meters (920 feet). Planets at the outer reaches of the system would be many kilometers away from the sphere representing the Sun.
Yet the solar system's huge size is actually modest when placed in context with the rest of our Milky Way Galaxy. It contains an estimated 250 billion stars (or suns), the nearest of which is Alpha Centauri. If Earth and Sun are 280 meters (920 feet) apart, as in the above example, then on the same scale, Alpha Centauri would be a whopping 78,000 kilometers (48,500 miles) away.
Let's shrink this scale down until the Earth becomes a dust particle barely visible to the naked eye. The Sun would then be the size of a walnut, three meters away from the Earth. On this new scale, Alpha Centauri would be 640 kilometers (400 miles) away. Yet the Milky Way Galaxy consists of 250 billion stars with even more phenomenal distances in between them. Our solar system is a mere speck in this spiral galaxy.

If we consider the Earth as the size of a marble, and the distance between it and the Sun as 280 meters (920 feet), then the star Alpha Centauri should be placed 78,000 kilometers (48,500 miles) away!

The Milky Way itself covers a relatively minute area within the universe, when we consider there are approximately 300 billion other such galaxies besides it, and that the distances between them are millions of times greater than between our Sun and Alpha Centauri.
The diffusion of heavenly objects throughout the universe and the spaces between them are necessary conditions for life on Earth. The distances between stars are arranged by cosmic forces in such a way as to make possible life on Earth. These distances have a direct effect on planets' orbits and even their very existence. Were they any closer, gravitational attraction between stars would destabilize the planets' orbits, causing extreme fluctuation in temperatures. Had they been any farther, the distribution of heavier elements, shooting into space from supernovas, would have never reached the density required to form planets like our solid Earth.
The existing distances between stars are just right to permit the existence of solar systems like ours.
Michael Denton, a renowned Professor of Biochemistry, writes in his book Nature's Destiny:
The distances between supernovae and indeed between all stars is critical for other reasons. The distance between stars in our galaxy is about 30 million miles. If this distance was much less, planetary orbits would be destabilized. If it was much more, then the debris thrown out by a supernova would be so diffusely distributed that planetary systems like our own would in all probability never form. If the cosmos is to be a home for life, then the flickering of the supernovae must occur at a very precise rate and the average distance between them, and indeed between all stars, must be very close to the actual observed figure. 12

In the vast depths of space, our Earth occupies no more room than a grain of sand on a beach. The universe is too large for human minds to comprehend. Bodies in space have been created at the ideal distances from one another. In our galaxy, the slightest increase or reduction in the average distances between heavenly bodies would mean that no planet would exist that is suitable for life.

In The Symbiotic Universe, astronomer George Greenstein writes about these mind-boggling distances:
Had the stars been somewhat closer, astrophysics would not have been so very different. The fundamental physical processes occurring within stars, nebulas, and the like would have proceeded unchanged. The appearance of our galaxy as seen from some far-distant vantage point would have been the same. About the only difference would have been the view of the night time sky from the grass on which I lie, which would have been yet richer with stars. And oh, yes-one more small change: There would have been no me to do the viewing…All that waster space! On the other hand, in this very waste lies our safety. 13
The universe's vast empty spaces, Greenstein explains, determine the value of physical variables that make human life on Earth possible and also prevent the Earth from colliding with other cosmic objects traveling through the universe.
In short, the distribution of stars in the universe is exactly as they must be for human existence on Earth. The vast empty spaces are not coincidental-they were created.
In many verses of the Qur'an, God reveals that the heavens and the Earth have been created for a purpose:

We did not create the heavens and Earth and everything between them, except with truth. The Hour is certainly coming, so turn away graciously. (Qur'an, 15:85)

We did not create the heavens and the Earth and everything between them as a game. We did not create them except with truth but most of them do not know it. (Qur'an, 44:38-39)

THE MIRACULOUS FORMATION OF CARBON

Carbon, the "element of life," is produced only by miraculous nuclear reactions taking place in the core of huge stars. If there were no such reactions, there would not be carbon-or any other elements-in the universe and therefore, no life. We say "miraculous" because these transformations cannot take place under normal conditions, but require a combination of the most improbable factors.
Carbon atoms are produced in the core of huge stars by a two-tier process. First, two helium atoms fuse to produce a transitional element with four protons and four neutrons called beryllium. When a third helium atom fuses with beryllium, they produce a carbon atom with six protons and neutrons.
The beryllium atom produced in the first stage of this process is different from the beryllium atoms found on Earth, since the element beryllium listed in our periodic table boasts one additional neutron. The unusual beryllium isotope found in red giants has long puzzled scientists, since it is extremely unstable, so much so that it disintegrates 0.000000000000001 (10^-15) seconds after it was formed.
So how can this beryllium isotope become carbon, if it is effectively destroyed in the same instant it is formed? Do the helium atoms that fuse with the beryllium isotope do so by chance? Most certainly not, as this is more improbable than two bricks blown apart within the space of 0.000000000000001 seconds being joined a third, thus eventually forming a whole building.
Paul Davies describes this miraculous process as follows:
While investigating the nuclear reactions that lead to the formation of carbon in the stellar cores, [Fred] Hoyle was struck by the fact that the key reaction proceeds only because of a lucky fluke. Carbon nuclei are made by a rather tricky process involving the simultaneous encounter of three high-speed helium nuclei, which then stick together. Because of the rarity of triple-nucleus encounters, the reaction can proceed at a significant rate only at certain well-defined energies (termed "resonances"), where the reaction rate is substantially amplified by quantum effects. By good fortune, one of these resonances is positioned just about right to correspond to the sort of energies that helium nuclei have inside large stars. 14

The element of carbon, which occurs naturally on Earth in the form of coal or diamond, actually formed in the nuclei of giant stars. As a result of these stars exploding as novas, masses of carbon and other elements were hurled into space, subsequently reaching other stars and planets, of which our Earth is one.

Such a chemical reaction is beyond by coincidence-it's impossible! But since Paul Davies is a sworn materialist, he tries to explain it away with a pointless and irrational reference to "good fortune." Davies is aware of this miracle and does not conceal his bewilderment when explaining this process, but nevertheless adopts such unscientific and irrational terms as "lucky fluke" or "good fortune," simply because he rejects Creation.
Inside red giants another miracle called double-resonance takes place. First, two helium atoms fuse to create beryllium, then within the space of 0.000000000000001 second, a third helium atom combines with the first two, to produce carbon.
George Greenstein explains why this double-resonance process is so extraordinary:
There are three quite separate structures in this story-helium, beryllium, and carbon-and two quite separate resonances. It is hard to see why these nuclei should work together so smoothly… Other nuclear reactions do not proceed by such a remarkable chain of lucky breaks…It is like discovering deep and complex resonances between a car, a bicycle, and a truck. Why should such disparate structures mesh together so perfectly? Upon this our existence, and that of every life form in the universe, depends.15
As we have seen, Greenstein (another materialist scientist), explains this miracle of Creation with "a remarkable chain of lucky breaks;" a wholly unscientific approach. Exactly because this is an impossibly unlikely thing to happen by chance, Greenstein makes the analogy of a very complex and crucial resonance between a car, a bicycle and a truck. He fails to call this a miracle because of his materialist credentials.
Further, some other elements like oxygen were formed by such extraordinary processes of resonance. Fred Hoyle discovered these extraordinary processes, and in his book Galaxies, Nuclei and Quasars, he concluded that such precisely structured processes could not have arisen through the work of coincidences. Despite being a sworn materialist, he conceded that such double resonances had to be the result of design. 16

Carbon is the main building block for all Earthly life. The organic molecules composing the bodies of living things-proteins, fats and carbohydrates-are all formed from different carbon compounds. The atoms of carbon in your body as you read this website are actually leftovers from a supernova explosion, billions of years ago in the depths of space.

In another article, he wrote:
If you wanted to produce carbon and oxygen in roughly equal quantities by stellar nucleosynthesis, these are the two levels you would have to fix, and your fixing would have to be just about where these levels are actually found to be…A commonsense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super intellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question. 17
This miraculous process so affected Hoyle that he was convinced other scientists could not possibly ignore this clear fact:
I do not believe that any scientist who examined the evidence would fail to draw the inference that the laws of nuclear physics have been deliberately designed with regard to the consequences they produce inside the stars.18

THE BALANCE OF GRAVITATIONAL FORCES

The physical laws of the universe are based on four primary forces: gravity, electromagnetism, and the so-called weak and strong nuclear forces. The values of each of the four have been fine-tuned to perfection for the universe as we know it to exist, and for human life.

One of the most important forces that affect the order of the universe is gravity. Newton declared this was an extraordinary force that not only caused apples to fall from trees, but also served to maintain the planets in their orbits.

Were the force of gravity any weaker, our Earth would escape the gravitational pull of the Sun and drift off into space. Were it just a little stronger, we would plunge into the Sun and be destroyed.

Gravity is one of the most important forces affecting the universe's order. Newton declared that this force was responsible not only for apples falling to the ground but also that this mysterious force kept the stars in their orbits. Einstein introduced a new and deeper perspective to this phenomenon, theorizing about how it forced huge stars to collapse and turn into black holes. Gravity also controls the expansion rate of the universe.
The force of gravity has a constant mathematical value that enabled the formation of the universe we live in.
Had this constant been a fraction greater than it is, the formation of stars in the universe would have accelerated to the point that where even the smallest stars would have reached a mass 1.4 times greater than that of our Sun. They would have then burned up so quickly and unpredictably that the necessary conditions for life on any planets orbiting them could not have developed. Life depends on stars as small as our own Sun.
Had the constant of gravity been a little greater than its current value, all stars of the universe would have already collapsed into black holes. Furthermore, gravitational forces acting on even the smallest planets would have been so great that no life forms larger than insects could have survived.
At the other extreme, had the force of gravity been a fraction weaker, the largest stars in the universe could never have exceeded 0.8 times the mass of our Sun. These smaller stars would have burned long enough and been stable enough to support life on the planets orbiting them, but the heavy elements essential for the formation of planets and life could never have emerged in the first place. Iron and the other heavier elements can be created only in the cores of huge stars. Only stars of huge mass can produce and scatter beryllium-and other elements, necessary for the formation of planets and life-into interstellar space.
As you can see, even very small fluctuations in gravitational forces would have prevented the formation of life-and therefore, humans. Fluctuation of a slightly higher magnitude in gravitational forces would have caused the collabpse of the universe within itself; a fraction smaller, and stars and galaxies could not have formed in the first place.
Obviously, since we do exist on Earth, none of these negative possibilities has taken place. Every detail of the universe has been designed and created according to a flawless plan, and in perfect order. Almighty God has created the universe we live in a series of extraordinary miracles and in unequalled harmony:

He Who created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look again-do you see any gaps? Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you dazzled and exhausted! (Qur'an, 67:3-4)

HARMONY BETWEEN THE OTHER FORCES IN THE UNIVERSE

Investigating the other forces acting on the universe besides gravity, we discover that they too have fine-tuned values balanced at crucially critical ratios.

Electromagnetic Forces

Were electromagnetic force just a little weaker or stronger, atoms could not combine or stay together. As a result, molecules essential to life could never form.

Electromagnetic force joins together the protons and electrons in the atom.

As we all know, all living and non-living things are formed of the building blocks called atoms, which in turn are composed of protons and neutrons in their nuclei, and electrons that orbit the nucleus at high speed. The number of an atom's protons determines its type. For instance, an atom with only one proton is hydrogen; an atom with two is helium, and one with 26 protons is called iron. The same is true for all other elements.
The protons in the atomic nucleus have a positive electrical charge, whereas the electrons orbiting it have a negative charge. This opposing electrical charge creates an attraction between protons and electrons, keeping the electrons in their orbit around the nucleus The force that binds the protons and electrons of opposing electrical charge is called the electromagnetic force.
The nature of electrons' orbit around the nucleus determines the type of bonds that can exist between individual atoms and what type of molecules they can form.
Had the value of the electromagnetic force been a fraction smaller, fewer electrons could have been retained in orbit around atomic nuclei. Had it been slightly greater, no atom could bond with any other. Either way, the molecules necessary for life could never have been assembled.

Strong Nuclear forces

One concrete example of nuclear power's impressive effects is the detonation of an atomic or hydrogen bomb.

The so-called "strong" nuclear force holds together the protons in the nuclei of atoms. As already mentioned, protons are particles with a positive electrical charge. According to the laws of electromagnetism, particles of opposing electrical charge attract one another, and those of the same charge repel each other. In other words, protons and electrons attract one another, while protons repel other protons-and electrons repel other electrons.
In the nuclei of many larger atoms, tens of protons are found clustered together. Under normal circumstances, any protons brought together should have repelled one another into space with great force. But not so: Protons stay clustered together with great consistency, because an even greater force acts on them than of electromagnetism, which would have them repel one another.

Strong nuclear force is the greatest universal force, which holds together neutrons and protons in the atomic nucleus.

This so-called strong nuclear force is the strongest force in the universe. Its great power can be unleashed by detonating atomic or hydrogen bombs. This source of energy has been fueling the Sun for the past 4.5 billion years and has been calculated to continue to do so for another five billion years. The mathematical value of this extraordinary force is one of the universe's most critical. Changes of a few percentage points to the value of the strong nuclear force's constant would have forestalled the formation of carbon, the building block of life. Slightly higher fluctuations would alter all present laws of physics and wreck the harmony and order in the universe.
The balance between the strong nuclear force holding atomic nuclei together and electromagnetism, rests on the most precise values.
Had the strong nuclear force been even slightly weaker, it could not have held together the cluster of protons in the nuclei. Because of electromagnetic forces acting on them, they would have repelled one another into space. That would have made impossible the formation of atoms with more than one proton. Therefore, the only possible element in the universe would have been hydrogen.
On the other hand, had the strong nuclear force been only a fraction larger in relation to the electromagnetic force, the element hydrogen with its single proton could never have been formed. The strong nuclear force would have dominated the electromagnetic force, so that every proton in the universe would have shown a tendency to cluster. As we have just said, hydrogen with its single proton could not have emerged. In this case, even if stars and galaxies had formed, they would have had totally different properties. Clearly, if these elementary forces were not balanced just as they are, no supernova, star, planet or atom could have been formed-and consequently, no life either.19

The Weak Nuclear Force

The weak nuclear force carried by subatomic particles was created with a very delicate balance to ensure the formation of the universe in which we live.

The remaining one of the four elementary forces also has a precisely determined constant value. This force is carried by some sub-atomic particles and causes a form of radioactive breakup. One example of this type of radioactive "split" is when a neutron breaks up to release three particles-one proton, one electron and one anti-neutron.
As you can see from this example, the neutron-one of the fundamental particles in the atomic nucleus-is actually comprised by the combination of three other, smaller particles. The weak nuclear force causes the neutron to break up into its component particles; and it too has a precise value that keeps this order and harmony intact.
If the weak nuclear force's value were even fractionally greater, neutrons would break up more readily and thus become a rarity throughout the universe. In such a case, hardly if any helium, with two neutrons in its nucleus, could have been created since the Big Bang. As we know, helium is the second lightest element after hydrogen, and so without the necessary helium, the heavier elements essential for life could not have been produced in the nuclear core of stars. As stated before, heavier elements like carbon, oxygen and iron are produced by the fusion of helium nuclei in the core of huge stars. In short, helium is the "raw material" of heavier elements. Without helium, no heavier elements necessary for the formation of life could have come about.
On the other hand, if the weak nuclear force were weaker by even a fraction, then most, if not all of the hydrogen from the Big Bang would have been transformed into helium. That, in turn would have increased to abnormal levels the quantity of heavier elements in the core of stars. This would have made life impossible.
One factor that makes the weak nuclear force so critical is its effect on the subatomic particles called neutrinos. These particles play a vital role in the supernova explosions that blast into space the heavier elements necessary for life. This weak nuclear force is the only force able to act on neutrinos.
If the "weak" nuclear force were any weaker, neutrinos could move freely without being affected by gravitational forces. During a supernova's explosion, consequently, they would be able to escape without reacting with the outer spheres of the star, thus preventing heavier elements from being ejected into space. But had the weak nuclear forces been greater, neutrinos would have remained trapped in the center of supernovas and again, couldn't have let the heavier elements be ejected into space.
Paul Davies states that the elementary laws of physics have been optimized for human existence, and that if their quantitative values had been slightly different, our universe would have become an altogether different place. He continues:
Had nature opted for a slightly different set of numbers, the world would be a very different place. Probably we would not be here to see it…Recent discoveries about the primeval cosmos oblige us to accept that the expanding universe has been set up in its motion with a cooperation of astonishing precision. 20
Arno Penzias, who, along with Robert Wilson detected the cosmic background radiation for the first time, which effort earned them the Nobel price in 1965, makes the following statement about this extraordinary design:
Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with the very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life, and one which has underlying (one might say "supernatural") plan. 21
Robert Astrow, founder and former director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, expresses this as follows:
Thus, according to the physicist and the astronomer, it appears that the Universe was constructed within very narrow limits, in such a way that man could dwell in it. This result is called the anthropic principle. It is the most theistic result ever to come out of science, in my view... 22
As we have explained elsewhere in great detail, the forces acting on the universe, within their own ratios as well as the balances existing between them are miracles that cannot be explained by chance. The numerical values, responsible for the harmonious balances in the universe, do not fluctuate by even one or two percentage points. And these extraordinary balances have been preserved without a hitch since the first day of the universe, making them even more remarkable. As Astrow points out, these facts all prove that the universe has been designed diligently and its precise order was given. Such a miraculous order certainly could not have come about by itself, coincidentally. To claim that it formed and organized itself would be irrational. This flawless order has been formed and organized by God, the infinitely Wise and Mighty Creator.

THE MAGNIFICENT HARMONY BETWEEN PROTONS AND ELECTRONS

The Harmony in Electric Charges

The masses of protons and electrons-the basic particles which make up the atom-are very different. Yet miraculously, their electrical charges have been created equally in number. This extraordinary harmony is most important to maintaining equilibrium in the universe in which we live.

In terms of both mass and volume, protons are much larger than electrons. A proton's mass is 1,836 times that of an electron. To make the comparison more visual, if an electron were the size of a hazelnut, a proton would be the size of a human being. In other words, electrons and protons are highly dissimilar. .
Interestingly, though, they carry equal electrical charges, except that one is positive the other negative, such that an atom's electrical charges are balanced. Nothing forces or requires this equality: If anything, their electric charges should reflect their respective physical characteristics; i.e., the electron's charge should be smaller than the proton's, in proportion to its smaller size.
But what would have happened if the electric charge of proton and electron were not equal?
Every atom in the universe would have carried a positive electric charge, because of their more massive protons. As a consequence, all atoms would have repelled one another.
What if this were to happen now, with all the atoms in the universe repelling one another?
The results would be extraordinary. Let's begin with the changes to your body that would take place. If such were to occur, your arms and the hands that hold a book would disintegrate at once. Not only your hands and arms, but also your legs, head, eyes, teeth-in short, every bit of your body would just disintegrate into thin air. The room you are in, as well as the world outside, would disappear-together with all the seas and mountains and the planets of the solar system. They all would be irretrievably lost. What we call the universe would be a chaos of atoms repelling each other..
What is the imbalance between the electric charges of protons and electrons needed for such a disaster to take place? If the difference were small as a percentage point, would this disaster still happen, or is the critical limit more like only one thousandth? In his book Symbiotic Universe, George Greenstein has the following to say:

The total number of protons and electrons in the universe has been calculated with the greatest precision. Both kinds of particles are practically identical in number. The equality is of crucial importance to ensure the universe's electromagnetic balance.

Small things like stones, people, and the like would fly apart if the two charges differed by as little as one part in 100 billion. Larger structures like the Earth and the Sun require for their existence a yet more perfect balance of one part in a billion billion. 23

The Harmony in Numbers

The proportion of protons to electrons in the universe is most important. This ratio permits the delicate balance between the mass gravitational and electromagnetic forces. While the universe was still less than one second old, anti-protons eliminated an equal number of protons-their oppositely-charged counterparts-, leaving behind a specific remaining number of protons, to form the building blocks of our present-day universe. The same thing happened between electrons and positrons (anti-electrons). Astonishingly, the numbers of protons and electrons remaining is the same, with only the very smallest difference between them: 1 in 10³⁷.
This equality is essential for the universe's electromagnetic equilibrium, because any imbalance in the number of protons and electrons would have caused same-charged particles to repel one another into the distance. Sub-atomic particles would not have been able to form atoms, which in turn could not have formed stars and the matter in the universe. Galaxies, stars and planets-including our Earth, so perfect for life-would never have come into existence.

A MIND-BOGGLING PROBABILITY

When all physical variables are considered together, what is the likelihood of a universe able to support life like ours to form by chance? Perhaps one in a billion billion, or one in a trillion trillion, or even less?
This number was calculated by renowned mathematician Roger Penrose, a close colleague of Stephen Hawking. He considered all physical variables, accounted for all their possible sequencing combinations, and among all the other possible outcomes of the Big Bang, he computed the probability of the formation of a life-sustaining environment.
Penrose's calculations yielded the following result: 10¹²³ over 10. What this number actually means is difficult to comprehend. The number expressed as 10¹²³ in mathematical terms has 123 zeros following the number 1. (This is already a number greater than the total of all the atoms in the universe, of which there are approximately 10⁷⁸). But the number calculated by Penrose is far greater for it has 10¹²³ zeros following the number 1.
We can try to make sense of this literally astronomical number with a few examples. 103 is another way to express the number 1,000. 103 over ten, on the other hand, is a number formed by 1,000 zeros placed to the right of the 1. Nine zeros next to the 1 make a billion. Twelve zeros following the 1 make a trillion, but a number with 10¹²³ zeros after the 1 is a number with no name or definition in mathematics.
In mathematics, a probability smaller than 1 in 10⁵⁰ is considered "zero probability," yet it is a number far greater than a trillion times trillion times trillion. In short, the statistic that Penrose calculated tells us that it is impossible to explain the universe by chance. About his number, which lies far beyond the limits of our comprehension, he says the following:
This now tells how precise the Creator's aim must have been, namely to an accuracy of one part in 10¹⁰¹²³ . This is an extraordinary figure. One could not possibly even write the number down in full in the ordinary denary notation: it would be 1 followed by 10¹²³ successive 0's. Even if we were to write a 0 on each separate proton and on each separate neutron in the entire universe-and we could throw in all the other particles for good measure-we should fall far short of writing down the figure needed. 24
The universe we live in was formed as a probability of 1 in a number way beyond mathematical definition, and in just the necessarily perfect proportions. This is a clear proof of creation. No doubt, the fact that we live in such a perfect universe is not the result of blind coincidences, nor the doing of senseless atoms. The entire universe, with all its flawless systems and all the things and beings it contains, came into existence by the perfect creation of our Lord God.

Professor Roger Penrose, the famous British mathematician, calculated the probability  of a universe that allowed life to come into being by chance. He included all physical  factors in his calculations, bore in mind the number of different ways they could be s trung together, and worked out the chances of an environment capable of sustaining  life emerging amidst all the other probable outcomes of the Big Bang. The probability that Penrose calculated was: 1 in 10123! It's hard even to imagine the significance of such a number. In mathematics, 10123  signifies a 1 followed by 123 zeroes . Even this number, representing a 1 followed by 123 zeroes, is a literally  astronomical figure, even greater than the total of all atoms in the universe (1078).  But the number calculated by Penrose is far greater for it has 10123 zeros following  the number 1. Penrose says, "Even if we were to write a 0 on each separate proton  and on each separate neutron in the entire universe-and we could throw in all  the other particles for good measure-we should fall far short of writing down the  figure needed."

CHAPTER -2 - THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND THE MIRACULOUS ORDER IN THE CREATION OF THE EARTH

THE LOCATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM IN THE GALAXY

The Solar System's location in the Milky War is the product of flawless design. Life on Earth would be impossible if it were elsewhere in the Galaxy.

The location of our solar system in the Milky Way is the product of awe-inspiring order and flawless design. Its trajectory is far from the center of the galaxy, and outside its spiraling arms.
Stars and planets in a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way are structured around the bloated core. The spiraling arms move away from the center of the galaxy at a consistent angle and plane. The spaces between these arms contain only a negligent number of solar systems-and our own solar system is one of these rare examples.
Is it somehow relevant that our solar system is located between the spiral arms of the galaxy?
First, it means that we are far removed from the gases and other debris contained in the spiraling arms, giving us a clean, clear view of the universe from where we are. Had our solar system been located inside these spiral arms, our view would have been considerably obscured. As Michael Denton writes in his book Nature's Destiny,
What is so striking is that the cosmos appears to be not just supremely fit for our own being and for our biological adaptations, but also for our understanding... Because of the position of our solar system on the edge of the galactic rim, we can gaze farther into the night to distant galaxies and gain knowledge of the overall structure of the cosmos. Were we positioned in the center of a galaxy, we would never look on the beauty of a spiral galaxy nor would we have any idea of the structure of our universe. 25
Normally, stars located between spiral arms cannot maintain their position for prolonged periods of time, since they are eventually absorbed into the spirals. Yet our solar system has maintained its orbit between the galaxy's spiral arms for the past 4.5 billion years.
Our location's stability is due to the fact that our Sun is one of very few stars positioned on the trajectory called "galactic co-rotation radius."
For a star to maintain its position between two spiral arms depends on its distance from the core of the galaxy. In other words, it needs to be on the co-rotation radius, so that it travels around the center at the same speed as do the spiral arms.26 Among our galaxy's billions of stars, only our Sun has both this special position as well as the required velocity.
Our position, outside of the spiral arms where stars cluster, is also the safest place in the universe, since here we are removed from gravitational forces that could destabilize the orbits of planets.
Also, we are out of reach of the deadly effects of supernova explosions. In any other part of the galaxy, our Earth could not have survived the 4.5 billion years it took to make it a place suitable for human life.
Thanks to the creation of our solar system in this special position, life-and human life-can be sustained on Earth. This is the reason why we can investigate the universe we live in and observe the unequalled, supreme, spectacular artistry in God's creation.
The location of our solar system, just like the laws of physics governing the universe, is proof that it was designed for human existence.

THE PRECISE ORDER IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

The solar system that is home to our Earth is one of the best places to observe the universe's precise order and harmony. The unequalled order that controls all planets, large or small, within the solar system has been responsible for its stability over the past 4.5 billion years.

The planet Jupiter, with its strong gravity, has been created as a protective shield, allowing for life on Earth. With its huge mass and strong magnetic field, Jupiter acts as a cosmic minesweeper for Earth. Thanks to Jupiter, thousands of meteors and comets are prevented from targeting the Earth and creating great damage.

In our solar system, there are nine planets, and orbiting them are the 54 satellites discovered so far. Beginning with the nearest to the Sun, these planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. Out of all these planets and their satellites, Earth is the only one with a surface and atmosphere suitable for life.
The balance between the Sun's gravity and any planet's centrifugal force prevents it from being flung out into space. The Sun's massive gravitational force attracts the planets, which can only withstand this force and not fall into the Sun's nuclear furnace because of the centrifugal forces their motion creates. If the planets' speed were a little slower in their orbits, however, they would be rapidly pulled into towards the Sun, which would swallow them up.
The opposite is also possible. Were the planets to rotate any faster, the Sun's gravitational forces would not be powerful enough to keep them in their orbits and they would be cast out into space. However, a fine balance between these forces exists, and the solar system preserves it.
This balance of forces differs separately for each planet in any solar system, since their respective distances to the Sun vary. Their masses are different too, which means that they must revolve around the Sun at different velocities in order to maintain their equilibrium. The same balanced forces exist for the Earth.
The latest discoveries in astronomy reveal that the existence of other planets in our solar system is vital for the Earth's safety and orbit. The system's largest planet, Jupiter, is a good example. With its exact location within the system, it plays a crucial role in maintaining the Earth's balance. Recent astrophysical calculations reveal that Jupiter's present orbit is partly responsible for the consistency of the other planets' orbits within the solar system
Huge planets like Jupiter have been discovered in many other solar systems, but they are far from having a stabilizing influence on their systems or from protecting any other, smaller planets therein. Peter D. Ward, a Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Washington, says:

All the masses, sizes, and distances between planets in the Solar System were created in a perfect equilibrium.

All the Jupiters seen today are bad Jupiters. Ours is the only good one we know of. And it's got to be good, or you're thrown out into dark space or into your sun.27
Another reason why Jupiter is so important for us is that if it did it not exist, there would be no life on Earth, due to the high number of meteorite impacts our planet would be exposed to. The magnetic field created by Jupiter's huge mass bends the trajectory of comets and meteorites entering the solar system and prevents them from targeting the Earth. Jupiter acts as a protective gravitational shield for the Earth.
Yet another way Jupiter protects the Earth is revealed by astronomer George Wetherhill in his article entitled "How Special Jupiter Is":
Without a large planet positioned precisely where Jupiter is, the earth would have been struck a thousand times more frequently in the past by comets and meteors and other interplanetary debris. If it were not for Jupiter, we wouldn't be around to study the origin of the solar system. 28
It has been calculated that the Earth-Moon planetary system also plays a vital role in preserving balance in the solar system. In the absence of this duo, Jupiter's huge mass would cause great instability to inner planets like Mercury and Venus; with the result that their orbits would approach one another closer and closer. This in turn would force Mercury out of the solar system and alter the orbit of Venus. Scientists developed a computer model of the solar system, clearly revealing that the order and consistency preserved for billions of years was only possible only by the ideal mass and positioning of planets within the solar system. With the slightest change to the existing order within this system, our solar system, including the Earth, could not exist.
The Astronomical Journal described the extraordinary design inherent in our solar system in its November, 1998 issue:
Our basic finding is nevertheless an indication of the need for some sort of rudimentary "design" in the solar system to ensure long-term stability… 29

These examples, just a few of the sensitive balances essential for life to emerge and survive on Earth, are sufficient to reveal that the universe and the Earth could not have come into existence by chance. 30

In short, our solar system's structure has been designed specifically for human life. God reveals His miraculous Creation in many verses of the Qur'an and commands us to ponder them:

He has made night and day subservient to you, and the Sun and Moon and stars, all subject to His command. There are certainly Signs in that for people who use their intellect. (Qur'an, 16:12)

THE SIZE OF THE EARTH AND THE IDEAL PROPORTIONS IN ITS INTERIOR

Equally as important as the Earth's distance from the Sun, and rate of rotation is its size and composition, just right for forming and sustaining life.

The type, proportion, and reaction speeds of heavy elements in the Earth's core play a highly important role in forming the protective magnetic field around the Earth, which protects us from all harmful rays and particles from outer space.

When we compare the Earth to Mercury (only 8% of the Earth's mass) and Jupiter (318 times the Earth's mass), we see that planets span a wide range in terms of size. Considering this it is obvious that the Earth couldn't be of just the right mass by coincidence.
Investigating the properties of the planet we live on,
American geologists Frank Press and Raymond Siever write the following:
And Earth's size was just about right-not too small as to lose its atmosphere because its gravity was too small to prevent gasses from escaping into space, and not so large that its gravity would hold on to too much atmosphere, including harmful gases. 31
Besides the mass of the Earth, its internal composition is also designed specifically to support life. Because of its inner core of iron, Earth has a magnetic field, which is crucial for the preservation of life. Press and Siever explain:
The earth's interior is a gigantic but delicately balanced heat engine fueled by radioactivity …Were it running more slowly, geological activity would have proceeded at a slower pace. Iron might not have melted and sunk to form the liquid core, and the magnetic field would never have developed…if there had been more radioactive fuel and a faster running engine, volcanic gas and dust would have blotted out the Sun, the atmosphere would have been oppressively dense, and the surface would have been racked by daily earthquakes and volcanic explosions. 32

The angle of tilt of the Earth's axis, 23 degrees and 27 minutes, prevents extreme heat which might afflict between the poles and the equator. Were it not for that tilt, the temperature differences between the poles and the equator would rise still further, making impossible a life-supporting atmosphere.

The magnetic field that Press and Siever describe is vital for our survival. It is caused by the core of the Earth which is composed of heavy, magnetic metals like iron and nickel. The inner core is solid and the outer core, liquid. These two layers rotate around one another, and their motion creates the magnetic field, which radiates far beyond the Earth's atmosphere and protects the planet from the dangers of outer space. Deadly cosmic radiation emitted from stars including our own Sun cannot penetrate this protective shield. The Van Allan belts, tens of thousands of kilometers above the Earth, provide more protection from such deadly radiation.
The Earth is sometimes exposed to massive bursts of cosmic radiation. These plasma clouds have been calculated to have energy equivalent to 100 billion Hiroshima bombs, but only 0.1% of it gets past the Earth's magnetic field and that is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere in any case. The electrical energy needed to produce this magnetic field is a current of 1 billion amperes, which is close to the total electrical energy produced by mankind since history began.
If not for the Earth's magnetic shield, life on Earth would be destroyed by deadly radiation or would never have formed in the first place. However, since the core of the Earth has just the right properties, as Press and Siever point out, the world we live in, is protected in this way.

THE EARTH'S TEMPERATURE IS WITHIN A NARROW BUT SPECIAL SPECTRUM

Frank Press and Raymond Siever also explain the fine-tuning of the Earth's surface temperature. As they say:
Life as we know it is possible over a very narrow temperature interval. This interval is perhaps 1 or 2 percent of the range between a temperature of absolute zero and the surface temperature of the Sun. 33
Preserving this temperature range depends as much on the heat emitted by the Sun as on the distance between the Sun and the Earth. It has been calculated that only a 10% decrease in the solar energy reaching the Earth would result in the Earth's surface being covered by a layer of ice covering, many meters thick. Likewise, if a little more energy reached the Earth, all living beings would roast.

Many independent factors, such as the Earth's distance from the Sun, its speed of rotation around its own axis, its angle of tilt, and surface features all let the planet be warmed in a manner suited to life, and for heat to be spread across the planet in a balanced way.

The Earth's ideal temperature is as crucial as its balanced diffusion; and this balance is achieved by special means. For instance, the Earth's axis is tilted by 23" 27'. This prevents the buildup of extreme heat that could prevent the formation of the atmosphere between the poles and the equator. If the axis was not tilted by this degree, the temperature difference between the equator and the poles would increase dramatically thus making the Earth an uninhabitable place.
The Earth's rotation around its own axis aids in the balanced distribution of heat. Each rotation takes only 24 hours, which factor is responsible for short days and nights. This is why the temperature difference between day and night is relatively small in comparison to Mercury's, where a single day is longer than one year. In other words, one rotation of Mercury around its axis takes longer than one rotation around the Sun. Temperature can fluctuate by as much as 1,000^o C (1,832 ^o F) between Mercurial day and night.
The Earth's shape, too, has been created to aid the heat distribution. The temperature difference between the poles and the equator is approximately 100^o C (212^o F). If such a difference were to occur on a smooth sphere, storms at speeds of up to 1,000 km/h (621 miles/hour) would wreak havoc across the Earth. However, the world has been provided with obstacles such as mountain chains and oceans to break up the path of such potential strong air currents. These are, from east to west, the Himalayas beginning in China, the Taurus Mountains in Anatolia, and the Alps in Western Europe; the Atlantic Ocean in the West, and the Pacific in the East. Excess heat produced around the equator is modified toward the north and south as the ocean waters balance temperature fluctuations in a gradual, controlled manner.
There are also self-regulating climate control mechanisms. For instance, if any particular area is exposed to excessive heat, water evaporation increases accordingly. Clouds condense in the sky, reflecting some of the Sun's radiation and thus preventing any further increase of surface temperatures.
Many independent factors such as the Earth's distance to the Sun, its speed of rotation, angle of axis, and surface structures all play their part in keeping surface temperature at levels necessary to sustain life as well as even out heat distribution.
Those who reject the notion that the distance between the Sun and the Earth is intentional argue that many stars in the universe, both larger and smaller than our own Sun, have their own planetary systems. If a star is much more massive than our Sun, than any planet ideal for life would need to be at a greater distance than is the Sun from the Earth. For instance, a planet orbiting a red giant at a distance of our Pluto could have a mild climate suitable for life, like the one we enjoy here on Earth.
But this proposition is invalid for one very important reason: It does not take into account that stars of different mass emit different radiation. A star's mass, correlated to its surface temperature, determines the wavelength of its emitted radiation. For instance, our Sun's surface temperature of around 6,000oC is responsible for the emission of ultraviolet, visible light and infrared radiation. Had its mass had been greater, its surface temperature should have been greater too.
This, in turn, would increase the energy value of the Sun's radiation resulting in higher emission of deadly ultraviolet waves. This reality demonstrates that stars emitting the kind of radiation able to support life as we know it must have a mass very similar to our Sun's. Also, if one of their planets is to support life, it must be at a distance equivalent as the Earth from our Sun. To put it differently, a planet orbiting a red or blue giant, or any other star of noticeably different mass, cannot provide a life-supporting environment. The only source of energy suitable for life is a star like ours, and the only ideal distance is that between us and the Sun.
From what we have related here thus far, you can gather that both Earth and Sun have been created by God, right down to the smallest detail, to support human life in the best possible way. The distance between Sun and Earth is perfect, which in itself is a miracle beside the hundreds, even thousands of other details that are exactly as they need to be. This magnificent life-supporting system exceeds human comprehension. It is impossible to have been the product of coincidences, that all the stars and planets formed by "senseless atoms" could be placed by chance exactly where they have to be, that they could accidentally, all by themselves, establish laws governing their behavior and, accordingly develop the appropriate systems. These flawless systems are all proof of God's unique creation and supreme might.
The Qur'an reveals God's supremacy, his total control over the universe and the Earth, and that mankind should be thankful to him for all this:

Your Lord is God, Who created the heavens and the Earth in six days and then settled Himself firmly on the Throne. He covers the day with the night, each pursuing the other urgently; and the Sun and Moon and stars are subservient to His command. Both creation and command belong to Him. Blessed be God, the Lord of all the worlds. (Qur'an, 7:54)

And He has made the Sun and Moon subservient to you holding steady to their courses, and He has made the night and day subservient to you. He has given you everything you have asked Him for. If you tried to number God's blessings, you could never count them. Man is indeed wrongdoing, ungrateful. (Qur'an, 14:33-34)

IDEAL RATIOS IN THE ATMOSPHERE

The Earth's atmosphere is a cocktail of different gases in the proper ratio (78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% carbon dioxide and other gases like argon), formed by a combination of extraordinary conditions and designed to support life.

Were the level of oxygen in the atmosphere only a little higher, the Earth would soon turn into an uninhabitable planet. The first tiny spark would give rise to giant conflagrations, and the dry land would soon be reduced to dead, ashen waste.

Let us begin with oxygen, the most important gas because life forms from simple one-called bacteria up to complex human beings depend on oxygen for the many chemical reactions that produce their energy. This is why we need to breathe continuously. Interestingly, the percentage of oxygen in the air we breathe is very carefully arranged. As Michael Denton says:
Could your atmosphere contain more oxygen and still support life? No! Oxygen is a very reactive element. Even the current percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere, 21 percent, is close to the upper limit of safety for life at ambient temperatures. The probability of a forest fire being ignited increases by as much as 70 percent for every 1 percent increase in the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere. 34

Were the level of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere any lower, the Earth could not maintain its surface temperature. The surface would lose heat constantly, all the oceans would freeze, and life on Earth would become impossible.

British biochemist James Lovelock further explores this critical ratio:
Above 25% very little of our present land vegetation could survive the raging conflagrations which would destroy tropical rain forests and arctic tundra alike... The present oxygen level is at a point where risk and benefit nicely balance. 35
The percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere is preserved by a perfect cycle. Animals continuously inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants, on the other hand, absorb carbon dioxide and give out life-sustaining oxygen. Every day, plants release billions of tons of oxygen into the atmosphere, even though they re-absorb some of it at night, when they are not photosynthesizing.
If these two life forms, plant and animal, were to use the same process, they'd turn the Earth into a lifeless planet. If both produced oxygen, for instance, in a very short time the atmosphere would acquire highly flammable properties, and the tiniest spark would cause fires on a massive scale. Most of the dry land would burn. If, on the other hand, both life forms produced carbon dioxide, oxygen in the atmosphere would quickly be used up and all life forms that continued to respire would suffocate.
However, God has balanced life forms so perfectly that the oxygen in the air remains constant, at the ideal ratio crucial to life. According to Lovelock, this ratio is "at a point where risk and benefit nicely balance."
The mix of atmospheric gases is balanced, with each occurring at its ideal quantity. Even carbon dioxide, useless to us, is a very important substance because it prevents some of the inf rared sunlight reflected by the Earth from escaping back into space, and thus assists heat retention. Biological and tectonic processes on the Earth preserve the balance of atmospheric gases vital for life, and have done so for millions of years. Yet another fact that proves the existence of God, Who has created this flawless order.
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been calculated to increase the average surface temperature by 35^o C (95^o F). This means that if there was no atmospheric CO₂, the Earth's average temperature would be -21^o C (-5.8 ^o F) instead of 14^o C (57.2^o F). All oceans would freeze over. Most larger life forms would cease to exist.

THE DENSITY OF AIR

The density of air, ideal for respiration, is yet another exactly perfect aspect of the atmosphere.
Air pressure is 760 mm Hg, and its density works out to be 1 gram per liter at sea level, where its viscosity is 50 times greater than water's. These values might appear irrelevant, but are actually vital for human life because, as Michael Denton puts it, "The overall composition and general character of the atmosphere-its density, viscosity, and pressure, etc.-must be very similar to what it is, particularly for air-breathing organisms." 36

If the atmosphere's density and viscosity were slightly different, we would find breathing air as difficult for our lungs as sucking honey up through a syringe.

When we breathe, our lungs use up energy in order to pump the air in and out. Like all forms of matter, air is resistant to movement. But thanks to the properties of the gaseous atmosphere, this resistance is very weak, making it easy for our lungs to inhale and exhale. If that resistance were stronger, our lungs would begin to struggle. You can easily grasp this with an experiment: It's easy to draw water into a syringe, but harder to draw honey, because honey has a higher density and lesser fluidity.
If the atmosphere's values of density, fluidity, and pressure were altered by even a fraction, inhaling would become as hard as drawing honey into a syringe. One could argue that the syringe's needle could be made wider, in other words, the lung's airways could be enlarged. But if we did that in the case of the capillaries in the lungs, the result would be to reduce the size of the area in contact with air, with the result that less oxygen and carbon dioxide would be exchanged in the same amount of time and the respiratory needs of the body would not be satisfied. The air we breathe in has the absolutely right density, fluidity and pressure and fits the bill just fine.
On this subject, Professor Michael Denton states the following:
It is clear that if either the viscosity or the density of air were much greater, the airway resistance would be prohibitive and no conceivable redesign of the respiratory system would be capable of delivering sufficient oxygen to a metabolically active air-breathing organism... By plotting all possible atmospheric pressures against all possible oxygen contents, it becomes clear that there is only one unique tiny area... where all the various conditions for life are satisfied... It is surely of enormous significance that several essential conditions are satisfied in this one tiny region in the space of all possible atmospheres. 37
Our atmosphere's properties must be right not only for respiration purposes, but also to keep our "blue planet" blue. If the pressure were to be decreased by as little as a fifth, water evaporation over the land and oceans would increase dramatically. Higher water vapor content in the atmosphere would create a global greenhouse effect, dramatically increasing the planet's average temperature. On the other hand, if the atmospheric pressure doubled, water vapor in the atmosphere would be greatly reduced, with most of the world's land area becoming desert.
None of these possibilities occur, however, because God has created the world, the solar system, and the whole universe flawlessly. He has created the whole of the Earth in order to provide us with suitable living conditions. God reveals this perfect creation in the Qur'an and demands that we reflect on these examples to appreciate his creation:

God is He Who raised up the heavens without any support-you can see that-and then established Himself firmly on the Throne. He made the Sun and Moon subservient, each running for a specified term. He directs the whole affair. He makes the Signs clear so that hopefully you will be certain about the meeting with your Lord. It is He Who stretched out the Earth and placed firmly embedded mountains and rivers in it and made two types of every kind of fruit. He covers over day with night. There are Signs in that for people who reflect. In the Earth there are diverse regions side by side and gardens of grapes and cultivated fields, and palm-trees sharing one root and others with individual roots, all watered with the same water. And We make some things better to eat than others. There are Signs in that for people who use their intellect. (Qur'an, 13:3-4)

THE MIRACLE OF VISIBLE LIGHT

Not all the stars and other sources of light in the universe emit the same type of radiation. Different types of radiation are classified according to their respective wavelengths. They fall along a huge spectrum, with gamma rays being the shortest and radio waves the longest. The difference between these shortest and longest waves is 10²⁵ (ten times billion times billion times billion). Miraculously, most of the Sun's radiation lies in the same bundle of wavelengths within this vast spectrum, because only that narrow band contains the radiation necessary to support life.

Visible light emitted by the Sun occupies just one single sector in the 1025 different wavelengths in the universe. Most interestingly, the rays that support life on Earth fall within that range of one in 1025. That rays emitted by the Sun are squeezed into such a narrow range, capable of supporting life on Earth, reveals an intelligent design that cannot be explained in terms of chance. The ideal type of rays emitted by the Sun were selected from among trillions of trillions of possible wavelengths.

The vastness of this spectrum becomes clearer when you realize that the shortest wavelength is 10²⁵ times shorter than the longest. 10²⁵ is written out as a 1 with 25 zeros following it, like this: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. To fully comprehend the magnitude of this number, it helps to make some comparisons. For instance, the 4.5 billion years that have passed since the Earth's creation can be converted to 10¹⁷ seconds. If you wanted to count to 10²⁵, you would have to count day and night for a period 100 million times longer than the age of the Earth. If we were to pile 10²⁵ playing cards on top of one another, we would leave the Milky Way behind and cover about half the distance of the known universe! 38
The different wavelengths in the universe are spread across that wide a spectrum, but within it, interestingly, our Sun covers only the narrowest bandwidth. 70% of the Sun's radiation has wavelengths between 0.3 and 1.5 microns. Within this narrow bandwidth are three different types of light; visible light, infrared, and some ultraviolet.
All three types of light combined make up an almost ,nsignificant section of the total spectrum. In other words, they would be represented by one of the 10²⁵ cards.
But why does the Sun's radiation lie within this narrow bandwidth?
The answer to that question is extremely important: It's the only type of radiation that can support life on Earth.
Addressing this question in Energy and the Atmosphere, British physicist Ian Campbell says that "the radiation from the sun (and from many sequence stars) should be concentrated into a minuscule band of the electromagnetic spectrum which provides precisely the radiation required to maintain life on earth is very remarkable." According to Campbell, this situation is "staggering."39

THE EXTRAORDINARY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUN LIGHT AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Plants have been doing something for hundreds of millions of years that no high-tech lab, run by scientific specialists, has yet been able to do: They produce their own nutrition by a process called photosynthesis, using sunlight. A precondition of this process, however, is that suitable light reach the plants in the first place.

As a result of photosynthesis, the cells in plant leaves store solar energy as food. All life obtains its energy from sunlight, either directly or indirectly. But only within a very specific range of light can any plant make photosynthesis. This range corresponds exactly to the spectrum emitted by the Sun.

Photosynthesis is made possible by the light-sensitive chlorophyll molecules in the plants' cells. But chlorophyll however can make use of light at a certain wavelengths only, and the ones emitted by the Sun are just right. (Interestingly, the one required for photosynthesis is one in the 10²⁵ different wavelengths.)
That sunlight identical to the light necessary for photosynthesis shows its perfect design. In The Symbiotic Universe, American astronomer George Greenstein writes as follows:
Chlorophyll is the molecule that accomplishes photosynthesis... The mechanism of photosynthesis is initiated by the absorption of sunlight by a chlorophyll molecule. But in order for this to occur, the light must be of the right color. Light of the wrong color won't do the trick.

A good analogy is that of a television set. In order for the set to receive a given channel it must be tuned to that channel; tune it differently and the reception will not occur. It is the same with photosynthesis, the Sun functioning as the transmitter in the analogy and the chlorophyll molecule as the receiving TV set. If the molecule and the Sun are not tuned to each other-tuned in the sense of color-photosynthesis will not occur. As it turns out, the sun's color is just right. 40

Those who examine this subject of plants and photosynthesis superficially could argue that if sunlight had different properties, plants would have adapted accordingly. But this is most certainly impossible. George Greenstein admits that this is, even though he is an evolutionist:

With regard to visible light, another interesting point is that its different colors can travel varying distances through water. Red light, for example, comes to an end below 18 meters (59 feet). Yellow light can travel up to 100 meters (328 feet). Green and blue light descend to 240 meters (787 feet). This design is most important, because the light necessary for photosynthesis is primarily blue and green. Since water can transmit light of these colors further than other wavelengths, plants that make photosynthesis can live at depths of up to 240 meters (787 feet).

One might think that a certain adaptation has been at work here: the adaptation of plant life to the properties of sunlight. After all, if the Sun were a different temperature could not some other molecule, tuned to absorb light of a different color, take the place of chlorophyll? Remarkably enough the answer is no, for within broad limits all molecules absorb light of similar colors. The absorption of light is accomplished by the excitation of electrons in molecules to higher energy states, and the same no matter what molecule you are discussing. Furthermore, light is composed of photons, packets of energy and photons of the wrong energy simply can not be absorbed… As things stand in reality, there is a good fit between the physics of stars and that of molecules. Failing this fit, however, life would have been impossible.41
Essentially, Greenstein says that for a plant to photosynthesize, it requires a definite bandwidth of light, which sunlight perfectly fulfills.
Greenstein states that the harmonies between the physical properties of stars and of molecules is so extraordinary that they cannot possibly be explained by coincidences. The fact that the Sun emits light at a certain wavelength from a possible range of 10²⁵ others, and that complex molecules on Earth can absorb this light, most certainly proves that this harmony was created consciously, by God.

When sunlight falls on a leaf, it is transmitted along the layers in the leaf. In the leaf cells, chlorophylls in the chloroplast organelles turn this light into chemical energy. The plant securing this chemical energy immediately uses it to create sugar as food. It took scientists until the mid-20th century to discover this process, which we have summarized in a few words. Pages of chemical reactions have been written in order to understand the process of photosynthesis, yet still there are missing links in the chain. Plants have been carrying out this process for hundreds of millions of years, thus providing the Earth with oxygen and food. Out of the 1025 different rays in the universe, only solar rays are suitable for photosynthesis in plant chlorophylls.