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C. - On the dual
nature of iron

[57:25]
...And We sent down iron in which is mighty
harm, as well as many benefits for mankind...

Iron is one of two
metals found abundantly on the earth (aluminum being
the other). It was known to many ancient
civilizations, and is the most important metal we
use today. The general description of it in the
Quran was accurate in the time of the ancients, and
it is even more so today: iron is the basis for most
weapons of war and most of the everyday tools which
we work with.

D. - On the origin of
life in water

[21:30]
...And We made every living thing from water...

[24:45]
And Allah has created every animal from water...

Modern scientific
theory on the origin of life was not firmly
established up until the last two or three
centuries. Prior to that, the predominant theory on
the origin of life was based on a concept called
"spontaneous generation" where living creatures
literally popped out of inanimate matter
spontaneously and continuously. This view was
discredited with the work of many Renaissance
scientists including Harvey and Redi, and in the
1850's, Louis Pasteur's research on bacteriology
sealed the coffin on this theory. Starting with the
work of Huxley up to the present day, an alternative
theory has been proposed where life is understood to
have emerged from a long, increasingly complex chain
of chemical reactions. These reactions are believed
to have begun in the depths of the oceans because
the atmosphere was not sufficiently developed to
protect living organisms from ultraviolet radiation:

"...it is believed
that early forms of life developed in oceans or
pools...It has been suggested that the
colonization of land, about 425,000,000 years
ago, was possible only because enough ozone was
then produced to shield the surface from
ultraviolet light for the first time." [20]

This idea of life
originating in the oceans is strongly supported by
the two Quranic verses quoted above.

It is important to
note however that the Quran does NOT contain an
exclusive endorsement for evolution. While the
verses quoted above indicate beyond any doubt that
Allah created all living things from water, there
are many other verses that emphasize His Absolute
power over everything.

[41:39]
"...For He (Allah) has power over all things."

[3:47]
"...when He has decreed a matter, He only says
to it, 'Be', and it is."