Iron is one of the elements highlighted in the Qur'an. In Sura Hadid,
meaning Iron, we are informed:
The word "sent down," particularly used for iron in the verse, could be
thought of having a metaphorical meaning to explain that iron has been given
to benefit people.
But when we take into consideration the literal meaning of
the word, which is, "being physically sent down from the sky", we realize that
this verse implies a very significant scientific miracle.
This is because modern astronomical findings have disclosed that the iron
found in our world has come from the giant stars in outer space.
The heavy metals in the universe are produced in the nuclei of
big stars. Our solar system, however, does not
possess a suitable structure for producing
iron on its own.
Iron can only be
produced in much bigger stars than the
Sun, where the temperature reaches a
few hundred million degrees. When the
amount of iron exceeds a certain level in
a star, the star can no longer
accommodate it, and eventually it explodes
in what is called a "nova" or a "supernova". As a
result of this explosion, meteors containing iron are scattered
around the universe, and they move through the void until attracted by the
gravitational force of a celestial body.
All this shows that iron did not form on the Earth, but was carried from
exploding stars in space via meteors, and was "sent down to earth", in exactly
the same way as stated in the verse: It is clear that this fact could not have been
scientifically known in the 7th century, when the Qur'an was revealed.