Nuclear Technology: Harm and Benefit from the Qur'anic Perspective

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala says:

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ(الحديد [٥٧]: ٢٥)

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Indeed, We sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and with them We sent down the Scripture and the balance ˹of justice˺ so that people may administer justice. And We sent down iron with its great might, benefits for humanity, and means for Allah to prove who ˹is willing to˺ stand up for Him and His messengers without seeing Him. Surely Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty. (QS Al-Hadid [57]: 25).

Contemporary Qur’anic exegetes highlight the profound meaning behind the mention of iron in the Qur’an. In his tafsir, Sayyid Qutb, in his work Fi Zilalil Qur’an, states that iron (الْحَدِيدَ) is a vital element in building civilization. This ranges from agricultural tools that support basic human life to weapons of war that safeguard the continuity of a nation.

Professor Wahbah Az-Zuhaili echoes this sentiment in his Tafsir Al-Munir. He emphasizes that the benefits of iron encompass basic necessities and cutting-edge technology. In daily life, iron is a material that supports various activities, from kitchen utensils, construction, and transportation tools, to weaponry in the military.

The Qur’an describes the word الْحَدِيدَ as possessing great strength. This not only refers to the physical strength of iron as a robust metal but also includes its symbolic power. Iron becomes a metaphor for authority, might, and courage, especially in protecting rights and fulfilling the social functions of society.

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In the context of modern technology, Professor Muhammad Quraish Shihab’s tafsir in Tafsir Al-Mishbah offers an interesting perspective. He connects iron with advanced technology, including its role in military and energy technologies.

Iron is a primary material in the construction of nuclear reactors, especially as radiation shielding. Although it’s not the main raw material in the nuclear fission process (atom splitting), strong steel structures based on iron are used to ensure the safety and stability of reactors under high pressure and extreme temperatures.

In the Qur’an, the mention of iron is not merely a symbol of strength but also a reminder of humanity’s responsibility to utilize natural resources for well-being, rather than as a tool to destroy humankind.

In an increasingly advanced world, nuclear technology is often debated. On one hand, it’s considered a milestone of modern scientific achievement, capable of moving civilization to a new, better level. On the other hand, it harbors significant risks that could lead to the destruction of humanity.

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Nuclear technology is one of humanity’s greatest achievements in modern science and technology. From nuclear reactors that generate clean energy to radioisotopes that can be a means of medical treatment.

However, behind these benefits, nuclear technology has also become a source of global fear. If it falls into the hands of irresponsible individuals, nuclear technology can transform into weapons of mass destruction that threaten the survival of humanity.

History has recorded the destructive power of atomic bombs, which utilized nuclear elements, through the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945. This horrific impact has served as a warning to the world that nuclear technology not only has the potential as a defense tool but also as an instrument of massive destruction for a nation.

Nevertheless, major powers continue to develop nuclear technology, ostensibly to maintain security, but often using it to strengthen their hegemony in the international arena. The United States (US), Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom are the five official nuclear-weapon states under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

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The dominance of the US and its allies is one of the main issues in the global nuclear controversy. Under the pretext of maintaining world peace, Western countries continue to increase their nuclear arsenals for weaponry. Yet, at the same time, they forbid other countries from developing nuclear technology through the NPT.

This paradox reflects a global power imbalance deliberately maintained by superpowers to perpetuate their dominance. This double standard becomes even more striking and apparent when they allow Zionist Israel to develop nuclear weapons, despite it clearly violating international law.

Meanwhile, countries like Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, and others, which openly state that their nuclear programs are for peaceful purposes, face immense international pressure. Iran has faced economic embargoes, military threats, and even attempts at technological sabotage, which have become Western tools to ensure these countries do not advance further.

The world explicitly witnesses this injustice. Countries that adhere to the international legal framework are still suspected, while Israel, which has not signed the NPT, is allowed to develop nuclear weapons unhindered.

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The pretext of peace often championed by Western countries becomes a boomerang when their actions actually create instability. The existence of Israeli nuclear weapons in the Middle East has triggered a dangerous power imbalance, increasing the risk of armed conflict.

Clear evidence of this is the arrogance of Zionist Israel in showcasing its actions of genocide in Gaza and other Palestinian territories to the world, while no Arab country is capable or brave enough to stop their crimes.

Zionist Israel has never officially admitted to possessing nuclear weapons. However, US scientist Edward Teller provided direct evidence that the extremist Jewish state had achieved nuclear capability.

Teller’s statement is corroborated by other scientists such as Avner Cohen and Mordechai Vanunu, who have meticulously documented that Israel’s nuclear program developed into ready-to-use weapons designed to maintain its dominance in the Middle East.

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Other researchers, like Alicia Sanders-Zakre and Professor Heinz Gartner, sharply criticize the double standards of Western countries that support Israel’s nuclear development. This highlights global injustice in nuclear policy, which is used to strengthen the political and military dominance of certain countries.

This double standard then fuels tension in the Middle East. Countries like Iran are often targets of sanctions and international pressure over their nuclear programs, even if these programs are declared for peaceful purposes.

This tension escalated when Zionist Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities on June 13, 2025. Not stopping there, the US also attacked Iran under the cliché pretext of protecting Arab countries from the Iranian threat, when in reality, it was only protecting Israel.

Nuclear Technology as a Kauniah Science

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According to Indonesia’s first Muslim nuclear expert, Professor Achmad Baiquni (1923-1998), nuclear technology is not solely about weapons of mass destruction. Rather, nuclear technology is an integral part that can be utilized for human well-being.

Nuclear technology can be a solution to major human problems, as long as it is managed with proper knowledge and ethics. Nuclear technology can be utilized from clean energy to medical treatment.

However, Baiquni also issued a warning. Nuclear technology must not be detached from an ethical framework. He emphasized that the development of nuclear technology must be based on a high moral responsibility. Nuclear technology should not be an instrument to oppress or destroy, but rather a means to build justice and public good (maslahah).

Baiquni emphasized that nuclear technology is a symbol of scientific progress that must be approached scientifically and wisely, not to be controlled and dominated by certain groups for hegemony and economic, political, and power monopolies.

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In Baiquni’s view, the principle of maslahah teaches that every action, including technological innovation, must produce greater benefits than harms. Meanwhile, the principle of justice ensures that technology is used proportionally, without harming others.

Nuclear technology, like any other science, is merely a tool. Its impact depends on who controls and utilizes it. If managed by people with knowledge, ethics, and an understanding of the principles of public good and justice, it will bring great benefits to humanity.

However, if managed by evil people, far from religion and solely oriented towards worldly gains, then it will become an instrument of domination, hegemony, and even weapons of mass destruction that destroy generations and human civilization.

Namun, jika dikelola oleh orang-orang jahat, jauh dari agama dan hanya beroriaentasi kepada duniawi semata, maka ia akan menjadi alat dominasi, hegemoni, bahkan senjata pemusnah massal yang menghancurkan generasi dan peradaban umat manusia.

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Thus, Great is Allah Ta’ala, that iron, which is an element in the creation of nuclear technology, possesses tremendous power and destructive capability. Yet, it also holds immense benefits for human life. May humanity be able to maximize the positive benefits of nuclear technology and minimize its negative impacts as much as possible. [Shibgho]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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