In Surah Al-Mulk (The Sovereignty, 67:19), the Quran declares: "Do they not see the birds above them, spreading and folding their wings? None holds them up except the Most Merciful. Indeed He is, of all things, Seeing."
This invitation to observe bird flight is repeated in several verses of the Quran, notably in Surah An-Nahl (16:79) and Surah Al-Mulk (67:19).
The historical context
In the 7th century, bird flight was a mystery. No one understood how birds could fly, glide, and remain in the air. The physics of flight was only understood from the 19th century onward with work on aerodynamics.
The scientific confirmation
Modern science has revealed the extraordinary complexity of bird flight:
- Aerodynamics: Bird flight relies on complex aerodynamic principles (lift, drag, thrust). The shape of the wings, their curvature, and their movement create lift that allows the bird to remain in the air.
- Soaring flight: Some birds, like albatrosses, can glide for hundreds of kilometers without flapping their wings, exploiting updrafts and wind gradients.
- Migration: Migratory birds travel thousands of kilometers, navigating using the Earth's magnetic field, stars, and sun. The Arctic tern migrates each year from the Arctic to the Antarctic, about 70,000 km per year.
- Hovering flight: Some birds, like the hummingbird, can hover in place, beating their wings up to 80 times per second.
The Quran affirms that it is "the Most Merciful" who holds up the birds in the air. This affirmation emphasizes that bird flight, with all its aerodynamic complexity, is made possible by divine design.
The scientific significance
The Quranic verse uses the Arabic term saffat (صافات) meaning "spreading the wings" and yaqbidna (يقبضن) meaning "folding the wings." This precise description of the two phases of flight (spreading and folding the wings) corresponds exactly to the mechanism of bird flight.