Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract

Islam teaches that the Qur’an is the final revelation and that its truth will ultimately prevail over all falsehood. Yet history and the present world stage pose a perplexing question: how can the Qur’an be the definitive guidance while political power and scientific dominance currently rest with non-Muslims? This comprehensive exploration reconciles this paradox by examining what “victory” truly means in the Qur’anic context and how the rise of modern science may itself be part of the divine plan to vindicate the Qur’an. Drawing on insights from contemporary Muslim scholars – especially Dr. Zia H. Shah MD – we find that the promised triumph of Islam is not a crude campaign of worldly conquest, but the gradual victory of its principles and truth in hearts and minds thequran.love. In a spiritual yet rational reflection, we discuss how knowledge and scientific progress, even when spearheaded by non-Muslims, can ultimately bring new honor to the Qur’an. Indeed, far from undermining the faith, science can act as an arbiter that separates enduring truth from fleeting falsehood themuslimtimes.info themuslimtimes.info. Through this lens, the Qur’anic promise that Islam will prevail becomes clearer: as humanity advances in understanding, it is poised to rediscover the harmony between Qur’anic revelation and the natural world. The immortal truths of Islam – like pure water – will remain and refresh humanity, while the froth of falsehood and ignorance subsides academyofislam.com academyofislam.com.

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Islam’s Final Message and the Promise of Triumph

From its very inception, the Qur’an proclaimed that Islam is destined to triumph as the culmination of divine guidance. Three oft-quoted verses – Qur’an 9:33, 48:28, and 61:9 – emphatically declare this prophecy. For example, “It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, to show that it is above all [other] religions, however much the idolaters may hate this.” thequran.love. Here, the Qur’an calls Islam al-haqq (the Truth) and foretells its ultimate ascendancy over all manmade systems of belief. Classical scholars understood these verses as a promise that Islam’s truth would prevail in the long run, even if at times the faithful would face setbacks. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself witnessed the nascent Muslim community go from persecution to remarkable success in his lifetime, which early Muslims saw as a sign of this promise being fulfilled in spirit. Yet, the Qur’an’s wording suggests a broader, ongoing process – an assurance that God’s guidance will outshine all falsehood in the fullness of time.

Importantly, the notion of “victory” (Arabic: ẓuhur or nasr) in these verses is not confined to military or political domination. Contemporary Muslim thinkers urge a deeper reading: Islam’s triumph is the triumph of truth, justice, and spiritual principles rather than the mere expansion of Muslim rule thequran.love. Dr. Zia H. Shah explains that Muslims have often misinterpreted these promises “merely in self-serving, parochial ways,” assuming it to mean simple numerical growth or political power thequran.love thequran.love. Instead, the victory foretold in the Qur’an is best understood as the ultimate success of Islam’s values and message.

Pure monotheism (tawḥīd), moral righteousness, compassion, and justice – these core Islamic teachings are meant to gradually win over humanity’s conscience. Indeed, whenever and wherever these values flourish, a believer sees the “religion of truth” prevailing. As Zia Shah observes, if a society upholds justice, family values, chastity, charity, honest governance, and rational thinking, then “that is victory of Islam,” even if the society is not nominally Muslim thequran.love thequran.love. In this view, Allah’s plan allows that non-Muslims, too, might carry the banner of certain Islamic virtues for a time. For example, when any nation establishes good governance, combats corruption, or values education and human dignity, it unknowingly manifests principles that the Qur’an taught for a righteous order thequran.love. Such developments are seen not as a negation of the Qur’an’s promise, but as subtle ways that Islam’s truth influences the world beyond formal religious labels.

It is true that in past centuries Muslim civilizations often led the world in knowledge, culture, and power – a phase many refer to as the “Golden Age” of Islam. In later eras, leadership in science and global affairs shifted to Western and non-Muslim nations. The Qur’an itself, however, provides perspective on these changing fortunes: “If a wound touches you, know that similar wounds have touched others. We alternate these days [of victory and defeat] among people so that God may know those who believe…” (Qur’an 3:140). Worldly dominance can cycle as a trial for all communities. The Qur’an never equates transient political power with ultimate truth, nor does it promise unbroken worldly supremacy for Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions faced defeats and hardships before eventual victories, underscoring that God’s promise unfolds in God’s timing. In fact, the Qur’an warns believers not to lose heart if they face setbacks, so long as they remain steadfast in faith (3:139).

Therefore, the current political or scientific ascendancy of non-Muslim societies does not invalidate Islam’s claim as the final true religion. What matters is how those advances are ultimately used and what worldview they affirm. If secular or non-Islamic powers champion justice, knowledge, and human welfare, they are unwittingly aligning with Islamic ideals – and Islam is “winning” in the sense of influencing human progress. Conversely, if Muslims themselves abandon those ideals, it is they who lose, not the Qur’an. As one Muslim writer put it bluntly, “There are so many Muslim-majority countries with Muslims governing them, yet a large majority there is dying to migrate to the West.” thequran.love This observation highlights that political leadership divorced from Islamic ethics is empty, whereas a non-Muslim society that upholds justice and reason has come closer to Islam’s spirit. In this nuanced sense, Allah’s promise is always true: it is Islam’s values – the “light of Allah” – that will ultimately prevail, often in ways we do not expect thequran.love.

The Role of Science as an Arbiter of Truth

If Islam is to prevail by truth, then knowledge and reason are the tools by which truth manifests. The Qur’an repeatedly invites reflection on the natural world, encouraging people to observe, contemplate, and use their intellect. It speaks of signs (āyāt) in the horizons and within ourselves that point to the Creator (Qur’an 41:53) and asks, “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” (39:9). Far from advocating blind faith, the Qur’an calls humanity to bring both heart and mind to the quest for truth. This ethos laid the foundation for a flourishing of science in early Islamic lands, as scholars saw no conflict between discovering Allah’s laws in nature and believing in His revelation.

Modern Muslim apologists emphasize that scientific inquiry is not an outsider to faith, but a natural ally of a religion based on truth. Dr. Zia H. Shah argues compellingly that Muslims must welcome science in religious discourse: “If we disallow science in the matters of religion, we have, as a matter of fact, disallowed reason and logic… and religion becomes no more than blind faith in a set of dogma.” themuslimtimes.info In other words, divorcing faith from reason undermines the universality of Islam’s message. Islam is meant to convince not by coercion, but by its inherent truth appealing to our God-given intellect. Science, when rightly understood, is a systematic extension of human reason and observation – essentially an organized search for truth in the physical world. How could such an endeavor not ultimately point back to the Author of all truth?

Indeed, the Qur’an contains verses suggesting that it holds knowledge known only to an All-Knowing Mind. It challenges skeptics by saying the book is not a fabrication, for “He Who knows every secret in the heavens and the earth has revealed it” (Qur’an 25:6) themuslimtimes.info. This implies that if the Qur’an is truly from the Creator, it will not conflict with the realities of His creation. Over the centuries, Muslim scholars and modern researchers alike have noted numerous points of harmony between Qur’anic statements and scientific discoveries – from astronomy and geology to embryology. Such observations gave rise to what is sometimes called “Bucailleism,” named after Dr. Maurice Bucaille, a French physician who wrote The Bible, the Qur’an and Science. Bucaille’s comparative study found no contradictions between the Qur’an and established scientific facts, a stark contrast to the scientific errors he noted in the Bible themuslimtimes.info themuslimtimes.info. His work so resonated in the Muslim world that “the study of correlating the Qur’an with modern science has been dubbed by some as ‘Bucailleism’” themuslimtimes.info. While scholars caution against overstating “scientific miracles” or forcing interpretations, the very enthusiasm for Bucaille’s approach reflects a hopeful expectation among Muslims: truth in nature will corroborate the truth in scripture.

Dr. Zia Shah builds on this idea, asserting that scientific progress has, ironically, eroded other religious worldviews while fortifying Islam’s position themuslimtimes.info. He notes, for example, that as biology and paleontology advanced, the biblical account of creation (like Eve being formed from Adam’s rib or a 6,000-year-old earth) lost credibility – causing many in the West to question their scriptures themuslimtimes.info. Christianity’s central doctrines (the Trinity, original sin, the literal Eucharist, etc.) have also struggled under rational scrutiny and scientific understanding of the human body and universe themuslimtimes.info. The result is a crisis of faith for some: highly educated societies have seen rising skepticism. Shah points out that while only ~10% of the general U.S. population are atheists, among elite scientists the figure is as high as 93% – a testament to how traditional Christianity has been “refuted” in the eyes of many by science themuslimtimes.info. Yet, in the same breath, he argues that if those atheistic scientists and truth-seekers were to debate Muslims on God’s existence and on foundational theology, Islam would win themuslimtimes.info. Why? Because Islamic creed has nothing to fear from scientific facts or logical inquiry. The Qur’an’s pure monotheism and its accounts of nature don’t hinge on myths disproven by modern data. On the contrary, Islam often anticipated a universe of lawful order and marvels: “We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this [revelation] is the Truth” (Qur’an 41:53).

Shah and like-minded scholars see divine wisdom in the current scenario: science has become the de facto arbiter among religions. It tests each faith’s claims against reality. Islam, when freed from later accretions and folk superstitions, passes this test – a point that even some non-Muslim thinkers have acknowledged. Conversely, materialist science also has limits: it can describe the how of nature but not the ultimate why. As the edifice of materialism shows cracks (with scientists now pondering consciousness, fine-tuning of the universe, etc.), a space opens for a worldview that is both rational and transcendent. This is where Islam’s opportunity lies. It can shine as a faith that embraces knowledge (`ilm) as part of faith, not an enemy to it. The Qur’an extols scholars and thinking people, saying “Only those of His servants who have knowledge truly fear God” (35:28). Dr. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a 19th-century Muslim sage, beautifully wrote: “The God of Islam is the same God who is visible in the mirror of the laws of nature and is discernible in the book of nature. Islam has not presented a new God, but has presented the same God who is [revealed] by the light of man’s heart, by the conscience of man, and by the universe.” themuslimtimes.info. In short, the Qur’anic worldview integrates the spiritual and the scientific, holding that every new discovery in nature is another page in the divine book of signs.

With this perspective, one can argue that Allah allowing others to achieve political and scientific dominance is not a negation of Islam, but part of a larger plan wherein those very developments set the stage for Islam’s intellectual and spiritual resurgence. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ reportedly said, “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer; wherever he finds it, he has the greatest right to it.” If Muslims have fallen behind in some fields, they are encouraged to reclaim wisdom no matter who currently holds it. The secular West’s advances in science, its championing of human rights and rational governance, can be seen as God’s way of pushing Muslims to re-discover Qur’anic principles that might have been neglected. Rather than harbor resentment, visionary Muslims like Zia Shah urge learning from these successes and recognizing the hand of Allah in them. For example, when nations emphasize evidence-based policymaking or scientific education, they unknowingly mirror the Qur’anic imperative to seek knowledge. When societies abandon racial segregation or hereditary privilege in favor of merit and equality, they approach the Quranic ideal that “the noblest of you in God’s sight is the most righteous” (49:13), not any ethnic or national superiority. These are victories of truth that Islam announced, even if those implementing them don’t realize the Islamic origin.

Ultimately, the Qur’an’s final victory may manifest through the convergence of faith and reason. As science answers many “how” questions, humanity increasingly hungers for “why” – for meaning, purpose, and moral guidance that pure materialism cannot provide. Islam offers a balanced path: it honors reason and empirical truth while providing timeless values and spiritual fulfillment. The more honestly science examines reality, the more it uncovers complexity and order that point beyond random chance – from the fine-tuning of physical constants to the coded information in DNA. In the Qur’anic view, none of this is accidental: “Allah shows you His signs; which then of Allah’s signs will you deny?” (40:81). Thus, every true scientific discovery can be understood as a testament to the Quran’s vision of a purposeful universethequran.love. Rather than seeing the non-Muslim scientific prowess as an embarrassment, believers can view it as an avenue through which God will “complete His light” (61:8) – by making evident to all that the principles embedded in the Qur’an (unity of truth, harmony of creation, use of reason, the call to justice) were right all along. In this way, science may well “bring new honor to the Qur’an”, as the question posits, by vindicating its insights in the global arena of ideas.

A Spiritual Reflection: Truth Amidst the Foam of Falsehood (Epilogue)

In the 13th chapter of the Qur’an (ar-Ra’d, “The Thunder”), verse 17 offers a profound parable that speaks to our question. It likens truth and falsehood to water and foam: when rain falls and torrents flow, frothy foam forms on the surface, but eventually it dissipates, while the beneficial water sinks into the earth, nourishing life. “Thus Allah compares truth and falsehood: as for the foam, it vanishes, being cast off; but as for that which benefits people, it remains on the earth.” (Qur’an 13:17) academyofislam.com academyofislam.com. This vivid image invites us to adopt a longer perspective. The flashy “foam” may dominate the surface for a time – it is loud, attention-grabbing, and seems substantial, but it is in fact hollow and temporary academyofislam.com. The water beneath – clear, weighty, life-giving – symbolizes truth: often quiet and unassuming, yet ultimately indispensable academyofislam.com.

If today the might of empires, the glare of media, or the pride of scientific materialism appears as that froth on the surface, Muslims are reminded not to lose heart. Falsehood, no matter how ascendant it appears, is by nature fleeting “like the foam [that] passes away as a worthless thing” academyofislam.com. Truth, like water, has staying power – it penetrates hearts and endures. The Qur’an assures us elsewhere, “Indeed, falsehood is bound to perish” (17:81). In God’s unfolding plan, untruth cannot forever masquerade as truth, just as foam cannot forever ride high once the rainstorm is over.

Our task, as people of faith and seekers of knowledge, is to align ourselves with that water of truth. This means cultivating the Qur’anic virtues and pursuing knowledge with integrity, trusting that each will reinforce the other. Patience is vital: “Truth will always overcome falsehood, even if it takes some time… Wise people, however, are content to wait. They know that truth will ultimately emerge the winner.” academyofislam.com. Such optimism is not naive; it is rooted in tawakkul (trust in God). After all, history provides examples of unexpected reversals: who could imagine in the darkest hours of Makkah that a small persecuted band of believers would triumph and bring enlightenment to much of the world? Yet it happened by God’s promise.

In our era, the “victory of Islam” may unfold not as a dramatic military conquest or a sudden mass conversion, but as a gradual dawning of recognition – a “rising of the sun from the West,” as one hadith metaphorically suggests themuslimtimes.info. This could mean that Western nations, leaders in science and philosophy, come to affirm truths that Islam taught all along. It could mean that the very scientific enterprise which some thought would disprove religion will instead, in coming decades, highlight the uniqueness and wisdom of the Qur’an. As hearts everywhere seek meaning beyond material progress, the Qur’an’s message of oneness of God, ethical living, and harmony with creation offers answers that were there all along, waiting to be rediscovered.

In conclusion, Allah’s promise that the Qur’an and Islam will prevail is alive and active, but we must understand prevail in the richest sense. It is a triumph of enlightenment over ignorance, unity over division, and spirit over matter – a triumph that unfolds within souls and intellects as much as in society. The current dominance of non-Muslims in worldly spheres is but a chapter in a longer story. Through the spread of knowledge, the “foam” of false ideologies and injustices is gradually being skimmed off, inching humanity toward the pure water of truth. Each scientific insight that reveals the magnificence of creation, each social reform that mirrors Islamic ethics, each individual discovery of the Qur’an’s wisdom is a step in this divinely guided process.

Believers are thus called to a stance of humility and hope: humility, because truth may manifest through unexpected people and places (even those we consider “other”); and hope, because God’s word is true and will “complete its light,” no matter how much opponents may try to dim it (61:8). The Qur’an’s final word is not one of despair, but of confident faith in the triumph of goodness. “Say, ‘Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is ever bound to vanish!’” (17:81). In that spirit, we look to the future not with anxiety, but with reflective faith that the advance of science and the arc of history will, in time, bring new honor to the Qur’an – illuminating it as the guiding light from the Almighty that it has always been.

Sources: The Glorious Quran thequran.love academyofislam.com; Reflections by Zia H. Shah MD in The Muslim Times and The Quran and Science blog thequran.love thequran.love themuslimtimes.info themuslimtimes.info; Academy of Islam Commentary on Qur’an 13:17academyofislam.com academyofislam.com; Maurice Bucaille’s science-faith research noted in Zia Shah’s writings themuslimtimes.info themuslimtimes.info; themuslimtimes.info; and other contemporary Muslim scholarly perspectives on religion and science themuslimtimes.info.