MOUNTAINS FOR FOOD & WATER

Abstract

In addition to oxygen, every living being and in particular humans, animals, and birds need food and drinkable water to exist in this world. Most food types are derived from varying types of crops (plants and trees), roots, herbs, flowers and so on. But to grow all of them soil and water (directly from rain, rivers and streams, and indirectly from underground fresh water reservoirs) are needed, without which their existence cannot be imagined. Mineral assemblages comprising the rocks of mountains are the only source for the creation of soil and also the sediments comprising the fresh water reservoirs. It is only in mid-19th century, when geoscientists started acquiring the understanding of the chemical and physical disintegration processes that transform minerals and rocks into soil for the growth of food providing crops. But Allah had revealed this information in the Holy Qur’an more than 1400 years ago. It is mentioned in its chapter 16, verse 16: “He placed mountains in the earth so that they provide you food, rivers and routes so that you may find the way to your destination” In conclusion; if there were no mountains, there would have been no vegetation (vegetables, grains, flowers, fruits...) of any sort and, there would have been no river / drainage system and fresh water reservoirs. So, mountains are Allah’s great blessing for all living creatures of this world. This presentation is first of its kind that will elaborate the above-mentioned Qur’anic foreknowledge using the most recent (May 2018) volcanic eruptions of Hawaii as an example.