In the following video, Zakir Naik displays his incredible facility for memorizing and quoting the Quran. He wants to "prove" that the Quran contains scientific miracles; one of them being the Water Cycle. His remarkable ability to recite numerous Quranic passages and cite them is impressive; and earns him copious applause from the audience. Here is the video:
On closer inspection of Zakir Naik's evidences, we find that he was just using his theatrics to fool his audience. The only thing Naik did in this speech is cite the verse numbers in Quran where he claims the Water Cycle has been explained in "great detail". He did not even recite the actual verses to explain where exactly this detail exists. Perhaps the reason is that there is no such detail.
The 'Water-cycle' verses
Below are the Quranic 'water-cycle' verses which Naik cited. We can see there is no detail in these verses about a Water Cycle. They are plain common sense and contain no new or 'hidden' knowledge. All that is contained, was already known by the people living in time the Quran was (allegedly) revealed:
[Shakir 24:43] Do you not see that Allah drives along the clouds, then gathers them together, then piles them up, so that you see the rain coming forth from their midst? And He sends down of the clouds that are (like) mountains wherein is hail, afflicting therewith whom He pleases and turning it away from whom He pleases; the flash of His lightning almost takes away the sight.
[Shakir 30:48] Allah is he Who sends forth the winds so they raise a cloud, then He spreads it forth in the sky as He pleases, and He breaks it up so that you see the rain coming forth from inside it; then when He causes it to fall upon whom He pleases of His servants, lo! they are joyful.
[Shakir 39:21] Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the cloud, then makes it go along in the earth in springs, then brings forth therewith herbage of various colors, then it withers so that you see it becoming yellow, then He makes it a thing crushed and broken into pieces? Most surely there is a reminder in this for the men of understanding.
[Shakir 23:18] And We send down water from the cloud according to a measure, then We cause it to settle in the earth, and most surely We are able to carry it away.
[Shakir 30:24] And one of His signs is that He shows you the lightning for fear and for hope, and sends down water from the clouds then gives life therewith to the earth after its death; most surely there are signs in this for a people who understand.
[Shakir 15:22] And We send the winds fertilizing, then send down water from the cloud so We give it to you to drink of, nor is it you who store it up.
[Shakir 7:57] And He it is Who sends forth the winds bearing good news before His mercy, until, when they bring up a laden cloud, We drive it to a dead land, then We send down water on it, then bring forth with it of fruits of all kinds; thus shall We bring forth the dead that you may be mindful.
[Shakir 13:17] He sends down water from the cloud, then watercourses flow (with water) according to their measure, and the torrent bears along the swelling foam, and from what they melt in the fire for the sake of making ornaments or apparatus arises a scum like it; thus does Allah compare truth and falsehood; then as for the scum, it passes away as a worthless thing; and as for that which profits the people, it tarries in the earth; thus does Allah set forth parables.
[Shakir 25:48] And He it is Who sends the winds as good news before His mercy; and We send down pure water from the cloud,
[Shakir 25:49] That We may give life thereby to a dead land and give it for drink, out of what We have created, to cattle and many people.
[Shakir 35:9] And Allah is He Who sends the winds so they raise a cloud, then We drive it on to a dead country, and therewith We give life to the earth after its death; even so is the quickening.
[Shakir 36:34] And We make therein gardens of palms and grapevines and We make springs to flow forth in it,
[Shakir 45:5] And (in) the variation of the night and the day, and (in) what Allah sends down of sustenance from the cloud, then gives life thereby to the earth after its death, and (in) the changing of the winds, there are signs for a people who understand.
[Shakir 50:9] And We send down from the cloud water abounding in good, then We cause to grow thereby gardens and the grain that is reaped,
[Shakir 56:68] Have you considered the water which you drink?
[Shakir 56:69] Is it you that send it down from the clouds, or are We the senders?
[Shakir 56:70] If We pleased, We would have made it salty; why do you not then give thanks?
[Shakir 67:30] Say: Have you considered if your water should go down, who is it then that will bring you flowing water?
He ends it all by saying, "In several places, the glorious Quran speaks about the Water Cycle in great detail."
On closer inspection of Zakir Naik's evidences, we find that he was just using his theatrics to fool his audience. The only thing Naik did in this speech is cite the verse numbers in Quran where he claims the Water Cycle has been explained in "great detail". He did not even recite the actual verses to explain where exactly this detail exists. Perhaps the reason is that there is no such detail.
The 'Water-cycle' verses
Below are the Quranic 'water-cycle' verses which Naik cited. We can see there is no detail in these verses about a Water Cycle. They are plain common sense and contain no new or 'hidden' knowledge. All that is contained, was already known by the people living in time the Quran was (allegedly) revealed:
[Shakir 24:43] Do you not see that Allah drives along the clouds, then gathers them together, then piles them up, so that you see the rain coming forth from their midst? And He sends down of the clouds that are (like) mountains wherein is hail, afflicting therewith whom He pleases and turning it away from whom He pleases; the flash of His lightning almost takes away the sight.
[Shakir 30:48] Allah is he Who sends forth the winds so they raise a cloud, then He spreads it forth in the sky as He pleases, and He breaks it up so that you see the rain coming forth from inside it; then when He causes it to fall upon whom He pleases of His servants, lo! they are joyful.
[Shakir 39:21] Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the cloud, then makes it go along in the earth in springs, then brings forth therewith herbage of various colors, then it withers so that you see it becoming yellow, then He makes it a thing crushed and broken into pieces? Most surely there is a reminder in this for the men of understanding.
[Shakir 23:18] And We send down water from the cloud according to a measure, then We cause it to settle in the earth, and most surely We are able to carry it away.
[Shakir 30:24] And one of His signs is that He shows you the lightning for fear and for hope, and sends down water from the clouds then gives life therewith to the earth after its death; most surely there are signs in this for a people who understand.
[Shakir 15:22] And We send the winds fertilizing, then send down water from the cloud so We give it to you to drink of, nor is it you who store it up.
[Shakir 7:57] And He it is Who sends forth the winds bearing good news before His mercy, until, when they bring up a laden cloud, We drive it to a dead land, then We send down water on it, then bring forth with it of fruits of all kinds; thus shall We bring forth the dead that you may be mindful.
[Shakir 13:17] He sends down water from the cloud, then watercourses flow (with water) according to their measure, and the torrent bears along the swelling foam, and from what they melt in the fire for the sake of making ornaments or apparatus arises a scum like it; thus does Allah compare truth and falsehood; then as for the scum, it passes away as a worthless thing; and as for that which profits the people, it tarries in the earth; thus does Allah set forth parables.
[Shakir 25:48] And He it is Who sends the winds as good news before His mercy; and We send down pure water from the cloud,
[Shakir 25:49] That We may give life thereby to a dead land and give it for drink, out of what We have created, to cattle and many people.
[Shakir 35:9] And Allah is He Who sends the winds so they raise a cloud, then We drive it on to a dead country, and therewith We give life to the earth after its death; even so is the quickening.
[Shakir 36:34] And We make therein gardens of palms and grapevines and We make springs to flow forth in it,
[Shakir 45:5] And (in) the variation of the night and the day, and (in) what Allah sends down of sustenance from the cloud, then gives life thereby to the earth after its death, and (in) the changing of the winds, there are signs for a people who understand.
[Shakir 50:9] And We send down from the cloud water abounding in good, then We cause to grow thereby gardens and the grain that is reaped,
[Shakir 56:68] Have you considered the water which you drink?
[Shakir 56:69] Is it you that send it down from the clouds, or are We the senders?
[Shakir 56:70] If We pleased, We would have made it salty; why do you not then give thanks?
[Shakir 67:30] Say: Have you considered if your water should go down, who is it then that will bring you flowing water?
He ends it all by saying, "In several places, the glorious Quran speaks about the Water Cycle in great detail."
