Bone loss in old age

“And said, ‘My Lord, my bones have gone frail and my head is crowned with white, but in calling on You, My Lord, I have never been disappointed’.”
(Surah Maryam, 4)

The Arabic word “wahana” in verse 4 of Surah Maryam means “relaxed, weakened or insufficient.” The use of this word in the context of aging and changes taking place in the bones is most wise. Bone scanning performed taking detailed measurements using modern technology makes it possible to image the disease known to the medical world as “osteoporosis,” or bone loss. 

Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease that leads to a loss of bone mass. The word osteoporosis come from the combination of the words osteo (bone) and porosis (full of holes). Bone, which rather resembles a honey comb, stores significant quantities of essential minerals such as calcium. Bone mass begins to gradually decline from around the age of 40. In its more advanced stages, this disease, which is mainly seen in the elderly and manifests itself as a loss of bone tissue mass, leads to eeasy bone breakage. 

Bearing in mind that x-rays were only discovered in the 1890s, it is clear how difficult obtaining any information regarding the bones would have been. The fact that the Qur’an contains such information, which is in exact agreement with modern medical science, is one of the clear signs that the Qur’an has come down from the presence of Allah.

Healthy bone tissue on the right, and bone tisse subject to wasting on the left.

Bone tissue from a healthy 30-year-old on the left, and weaker 
bone tissue from a 79-year-old on the right.