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Can scientific advancement lead to interpretations of verses that were not previously available and are acceptable, such as the scientific interpretation of the noble verse: ﴿And We sent the winds fertilizing [or carrying pollen] and sent down rain from the sky, and We gave you drink from it, and you were not its storers﴾, meaning that the body does not store water because a person would die if it were stored?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is incorrect to interpret the verse: {And you are not its keepers} to mean that the human body does not store water. This is an interpretation without evidence, and it does not align with the apparent meaning of the verses or their context. Exegetes have differed on the meaning of "keepers" (khāzinīn) into two opinions:

1. The meaning is: "Its stores are not with you; rather, We are its keepers, sending it down whenever We wish." 2. The meaning is: "After We have sent it down to you, you are unable to preserve it in wells, springs, and ponds; rather, We are its preservers therein."

As for accepting modern scientific interpretations of Quranic verses, the following conditions must be met:

1. The interpretation must be correct in itself, indicated by the Arabic language, and not contradict anything definitively established in Islamic law. 2. The verse must accommodate this new interpretation by any mode of indication. 3. It must not invalidate the saying of the predecessors (Salaf) or completely dismiss it. 4. It must not restrict the meaning of the verse solely to the new, modern interpretation.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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