The Conquest of Space

"The Conquest of Space" is a document by that purports to show that the Qur'an contains scientific foreknowledge when it "predicted" that humans could enter space.

Maurice Bucaille
Bucaille's was a curious story: he was a successful gastroenterologist and amateur Egyptologist who was raised a Christian in France. Amongst his prestigious patients, a position as doctor to Egyptian president Anwar Sadat led to him making detailed study of mummies as well as exposure to Islam. He apparently concluded based on comparing Quranic accounts to the injuries inflicted on mummies that the Quran was historically and scientifically accurate, and wrote books including The Quran, the Bible and Science and The Origin of Man setting out his views about how the Quran prefigures scientific truth. Although his relation to scientific truth is questionable: he opposes Darwinism and particularly the idea that man evolved from apes. He seems particularly fond of arguing with people, whether egyptologists or Darwinists.

The Christian apologist William Campbell published a detailed critique of Bucaille's ideas, focused on The Quran, the Bible and Science. Some of Campbell's objections are questionable, such as Campbell's belief that Non-overlapping magisteria means the scientific truth of scriptures is irrelevant. However Campbell also sets out various examples of how claims such as "He turned to the heaven when it was smoke..." could be conceived as in accordance or contradiction with scriptures. He points out numerous problems with Bucaille's theories, from asking why God would stick random biological facts in the middle of unrelated narratives, to lengthy sections with headings like "The place of semen production".

It is commonly said that Bacaille converted to Islam as a result of his studies, but some people have contested that. . However there is no formal process to become a Muslim, or badge or certificate or public ceremony required, so the question may be hard to answer.

Rebuttal
The following is a side-by-side rebuttal of claims in "The Conquest of Space".

Interesting. I don´t remember NASA asking Allah for permission to go to the Moon, though.