📖Quran 55:50
He answered, “Our Lord is the One Who has given everything its ˹distinctive˺ form, then guided ˹it˺.”

• This verse links directly to the natural guidance given to all creatures. The phrase “then guided it” can be understood as the innate abilities provided to organisms to survive and navigate in their environments. Modern science has identified magnetoreception, the ability of many species – such as birds, sea turtles, and certain bacteria- to detect the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation, migration, and movement. Although people 1,400 years ago could not understand this mechanism, the Quran mentions that every creature is given guidance appropriate to its form, which includes abilities like magnetic sensing. This shows that the “guidance” in the verse encompasses not only visible behaviors but also hidden natural faculties that science has only recently discovered.

Reference: Magnetoreception

Additional Information

The Quran is not a science book. It does not mention “magnetoreception” by name, this is a modern scientific term, but the verse includes the concept by referring to the guidance given to all living creatures. This guidance encompasses abilities beyond human perception, such as the way birds, sea turtles, and other animals use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate. The verse highlights that creatures are formally created and naturally guided, leaving it for humans to observe and discover the hidden mechanisms. Magnetoreception is one example of the unseen faculties that this verse points to, showing how the Quran mentions phenomena that science has only recently explored. Its purpose is to provide signs for reflection and understanding of Allah’s wisdom, not to serve as a detailed scientific textbook.