The Quran mentions stones as fuel for fire, a concept that puzzled people 1400 years ago. At the time, Arabs relied on wood for fire and were unaware of coal or other combustible rocks. However, modern geology identifies coal as a sedimentary rock that burns, serving as a major energy source today.

In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:24), the Quran states:

This description of stones as fuel aligns remarkably with our modern understanding of coal, a rock capable of intense combustion.

Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock formed from plant material over millions of years under heat and pressure. Classified as one of the primary fossil fuels, coal is widely used for electricity generation and heating due to its high energy output.

Coal's use dates back thousands of years, with evidence of its use in China around 4000 years ago. However, its significance as an energy source became widely recognized only during the Industrial Revolution in Europe. In contrast, 7th-century Arabia, lacking coal deposits, had no knowledge of this fuel.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, living in a region without coal and lacking access to geological knowledge, could not have known about combustible rocks like coal through natural means. The Quran’s reference to “stones” as fuel in Surah Al-Baqarah reflects extraordinary insight that aligns with discoveries made centuries later. The Quran’s mention of stones as fuel demonstrates a remarkable alignment with modern scientific knowledge about coal. This detail, beyond the understanding of 7th-century Arabs, serves as yet another example of the Quran’s divine knowledge and prescience.