Qur'an and a Universe from Smoke

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‎ This article analyzes the apologetic claim that the Qur'an contains an accurate ‎account of the formation of stars and early phases of the Universe.‎ ‎==Introduction==‎

Prominent apologists such as Harun Yahya and I. A. Ibrahim have claimed that the ‎Qur'an contains an accurate account of the formation of stars and early phases of the ‎Universe. This claim has been widely disseminated and repeated on numerous websites ‎without any critical examination. The basis of the claim is a verse found in Surah Fussilat ‎‎(Signs Spelled Out), the 41st Surah of the Qur'an which says that the ‎‎"heavens" were once smoke. Apologists argue that this information about the early ‎universe could not have been known in 7th century Arabia and has only ‎come to light in the 20th and 21st centuries through modern ‎scientific investigation.‎

‎===Modern Cosmology===‎

Before evaluating the claim of a miracle, it is important to have an accurate ‎understanding of modern cosmology. In the 20th and 21st ‎century, theoretical physicists and cosmologists have given detailed models for the ‎formation of the early universe, stars, galaxies, and planets. These models, often referred ‎to as the Big Bang theory and the Nebular hypothesis, are widely supported by the ‎scientific community.[1][2]

In the initial expansion of the early Universe, all that existed was a dense, hot, mass of ‎energy. As the Universe rapidly increased in size, light chemicals like hydrogen and ‎helium began to form. For the first 380,000 years, the intense heat made it too hot for ‎light to shine. Atoms would bump into each with enough force to break up into a dense, ‎opaque plasma of protons, neutrons and electrons; this dense mass prevented any ‎photons from escaping. After this phase, the universe expanded and cooled enough for ‎electrons to combine with protons to form the first real elements. At this point, photons ‎could move freely, and the first light could be seen.[3]

This smooth, nearly featureless plasma of hydrogen and helium continued to cool and ‎expand until small imperfections formed. Then gravity drew the particles together to ‎form the earliest stars. This evolution of the universe continued to increase the contrast ‎of the matter distribution to create the intricate collection of galaxies, stars, and nebulae ‎observed in the night sky today.[4]

In the hot and dense cores of stars, heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen ‎and iron formed. When these stars would novae (i.e. explode) they would scatter these ‎heavier elements as debris across vast stretches of inter-stellar space. Eventually, gravity ‎from other stars would pull this debris together to form planets like the ones in the solar ‎system today.[5]

‎==Apologetic Claim==‎

The science of modern ‎cosmology, observational and theoretical, clearly indicates that, at one point in time, the ‎whole universe was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’ (i.e. an opaque highly dense and hot ‎gaseous composition). This is one of the undisputed principles of standard modern ‎cosmology. Scientists now can observe new stars forming out of the remnants of that ‎‎‘smoke’ (see figures 1 and 2).‎ ‎
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Figure 1: A new star forming out of a cloud of gas and dust (nebula), which is one ‎of the remnants of the ‘smoke’ that was the origin of the whole universe. (The Space ‎Atlas, Heather and Henbest, p. 50.)

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‎ ‎ ‎Figure 2: The Lagoon nebula is a cloud of gas and dust, about 60 light years in ‎diameter. It is excited by the ultraviolet radiation of the hot stars that have recently ‎formed within its bulk. (Horizons, Exploring the Universe, Seeds, plate 9, from ‎Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.)

The illuminating stars we see at night were, just as was the whole universe, in that ‎‎‘smoke’ material. God has said in the Quran:‎

‎:“Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke...” (Quran 41:11)

Because the earth and the heavens above (the sun, the moon, stars, planets, galaxies, ‎etc.) have been formed from this same ‘smoke,’ we conclude that the earth and the ‎heavens were one connected entity. Then out of this homogeneous ‘smoke,’ they formed ‎and separated from each other. God has said in the Quran:‎

‎:“Have not those who disbelieved known that the heavens and the earth were one ‎connected entity, then We separated them?...” (Quran 21:30)

Dr. Alfred Kroner is one of the world’s renowned geologists. He is Professor of Geology ‎and the Chairman of the Department of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, Johannes ‎Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. He said: “Thinking where Muhammad came from ‎‎. . . I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common ‎origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last few years, ‎with very complicated and advanced technological methods, that this is the case.” Also ‎he said: “Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics fourteen ‎hundred years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind, for ‎instance, that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.”

‎==Analysis==‎

‎===Definition of Smoke===‎

Since the entire argument rests on the Qur'anic description of the "heavens" as "smoke", ‎it is claimed this word is the best possible way to describe the early Universe:‎

The Arabic word for "smoke" ‎in the above verse is "dukhanun," which describes the hot, cosmic smoke in question. ‎This word in the Qur'an, in pinpoint fashion, describes this smoke very accurately for it is ‎a warm body of gas containing mobile particles connected to solid substances. Here, the ‎Qur'an has employed the most appropriate word from the Arabic language for describing ‎the appearance of this phase of the universe. Let us note that only in the ‎‎20th century have scientists discovered that the universe emerged from a ‎hot gas in the form of smoke.

This claim is based on a logical fallacy; a false ‎equivalence between "smoke" and their definition of the early universe: "an opaque ‎highly dense and hot gaseous composition" or just "hot gas". The actual definition of ‎smoke is presented below:‎

smoke noun \ˈsmōk\ ‎

‎:the cloud of black, gray, or white gases and dust that is produced by burning something.‎ ‎. . .

‎:the gaseous products of burning materials especially of organic origin made visible by ‎the presence of small particles of carbon.[6]

There is no similarities between the early universe and smoke. There was no burning of ‎material, especially of organic compounds in the early universe. Organic molecules ‎would not exist for another 10 billion years. Even carbon did not exist at this stage and it ‎would not exist for millions of years until it was first fused in the center of giant stars. ‎The early universe was extremely dense and smoke is not dense at all; in fact smoke is ‎completely vaporous. Smoke can be hot, but often is not. It is the hot gas close to the ‎burning material that can make smoke hot, but the carbon particles that linger in the air ‎can be quite cool.‎

‎===Single-Word Description===‎

The claim presupposes that the Qur'anic author must describe the earliest phase of the ‎universe using a single word. However, no one would be convinced if a scientist, ‎purporting to be an expert in cosmology, put together a paper on the formation of stars ‎and only described it in a single word. Even apologists realize that a single-word ‎description is not adequate to convey such a complex topic, which is why they use ‎multiple words to describe this state of the universe and even a short paragraph to make ‎their point. One has to wonder why the Qur'anic description is so sparse and inadequate ‎given how easy it would have been for Allah to have conveyed such information.‎

This lack of detail is further highlighted by the depth and number of words used by the ‎author of the Qur'an on other topics. The author explains in detail who you can and cannot marry and how an ‎inheritance can be divided. The Qur'an also retells stories multiple times. Based on ‎these facts, it is difficult to rationalize why such sparse details were used to describe ‎something as complex as the formation of the universe, especially when such ‎information could have validated the authenticity of the Qur'anic message.‎

‎===Nebulea and Milky Way===‎

The claim then makes use of images of distant nebulae only visible through the aid of ‎modern telescopes. These wispy, red and pink clouds of hydrogen gas are supposed to ‎provide a visual connection to smoke. In the absence of other imagery, one might make ‎the mental connection. However, smoke is a thick, billowing substance that is always ‎black, gray, or white. Given this fact, another image of the night sky is far more ‎reminiscent of smoke than the distant nebulae above, and it can be seen with the naked ‎eye right here on earth. It does not require divine revelation nor advanced scientific ‎instruments to imagine the Milky Way as a cloud of smoke in the night sky. It is easy to ‎see how someone in the 7th century looking up from the desert could have ‎invented this myth.‎ ‎ ‎

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‎ ‎

The Milky Way as observed from earth (fisheye ‎view)

‎ ‎

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‎ ‎

Cloud of smoke rising on the horizon

‎===Qur'anic Verse in Context===‎

After a description of the hot, dense, plasma of the early universe as "smoke" and the use ‎of images of distant nebulae, it is then shown that the Qur'an is describing this early ‎phase of the universe: ‎

The illuminating stars we see at night were, just as was the whole universe, in ‎that ‘smoke’ material. God has said in the Quran:‎

‎:“Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke...” (Quran 41:11)

Because the earth and the heavens above (the sun, the moon, stars, planets, galaxies, ‎etc.) have been formed from this same ‘smoke,’ we conclude that the earth and the ‎heavens were one connected entity. Then out of this homogeneous ‘smoke,’ they formed ‎and separated from each other. God has said in the Quran:‎

‎:“Have not those who disbelieved known that the heavens and the earth were one ‎connected entity, then We separated them?...” (Quran 21:30)

However, the entire Qur'anic verse nor any of the surrounding verses are quoted. Here is ‎the verse, in its proper context:‎

9. Say (O Muhammad, unto the idolaters): Disbelieve ‎ye verily in Him Who created the earth in two Days, and ascribe ye unto Him rivals? He ‎‎(and none else) is the Lord of the Worlds.
10. He placed therein firm hills rising ‎above it, and blessed it and measured therein its sustenance in four Days, alike for (all) ‎who ask;
11. Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it ‎and unto the earth: Come both of you, willingly or loth. They said: We come, ‎obedient.
12. Then He ordained them seven heavens in two Days and inspired in ‎each heaven its mandate; and We decked the nether heaven with lamps, and rendered it ‎inviolable. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Knower.

In verses 9-10, the Qur'an states that Allah created the earth before he created the ‎heavens. It provides a clear chronological account of the earth being formed first and ‎then the hills and sustenance are created upon it. Only after the earth has been created ‎does he look toward the heaven to create the stars. This is made apparent in the second ‎half of verse 11 when Allah speaks to both the heaven and the earth; unless the earth had ‎been created first, how could he speak to it? It is known from radiometric dating that the ‎earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago, almost 9 billion years after the Universe first ‎expanded.[7] The author of the Qur'an was ‎not aware of this fact and claims that the earth and this "smoke" were in existence at the ‎same time. In verse 12, the Qur'an says it is only then that the stars are created.‎

‎===Correct Arabic Word===‎ The Arabic word for "gas" is gaz or ghaz (‎غاز‎), not dukhan. It is this word which ‎should have been used to describe the state of the universe if the above verse were ‎correct.‎

‎===Support from Scientists===‎

The final piece of evidence is the claim that a renowned geologist supports the view that ‎the information in the Qur'an could not have been of human origin:‎

Dr. Alfred Kroner is one of the world’s renowned geologists. He is Professor of ‎Geology and the Chairman of the Department of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, ‎Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. He said: “Thinking where Muhammad ‎came from . . . I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like ‎the common origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within the last ‎few years, with very complicated and advanced technological methods, that this is the ‎case.” Also he said: “Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics ‎fourteen hundred years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own ‎mind, for instance, that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.”

While Dr. Alfred Kroner was a geology professor in Germany, he never endorsed the ‎Qur'an as being an accurate source of scientific information. A video interview conducted ‎with Kroner in 2011 confirms that his comments from the 80s were taken out of ‎context.[8] He currently does not endorse the Qur'anic view of creation nor did ‎he at the time of the original interview. He affirms that parts of the Qur'an are not ‎supported by modern scientific evidence and are completely unscientific and mythical.‎

‎==Conclusion==‎

The entire argument rests on the Qur'anic description of the "heavens" as "smoke"; a ‎claim which in-turn rests on a false equivalence made between smoke and the makeup of ‎the early universe. It also presupposes that the Qur'anic author must describe something ‎as complex as the earliest phase of the universe using only a single word. A ‎presupposition that makes little sense and is far from convincing when you consider how ‎such information could have validated the authenticity of the Qur'anic message.‎

The attempt to show that the Qur'an correctly describes the formation of stars (by ‎quoting a portion of Qur'an 41:11) and then the earth (by quoting Qur'an 21:30) is ‎shown to be disingenuous. When the whole of verse 41:11 and its surrounding verses ‎are read in context, it provides a clear chronological account of the earth being formed ‎first and then the hills and sustenance are created upon it. Only after the earth has been ‎created does Allah create the stars. The entire account in the Qur'an is not an accurate ‎reflection of the formation of the Universe.‎

Then there is the use of images of distant nebulae only visible through the aid of modern ‎telescopes that are meant to provide a visual connection to smoke. However, it does not ‎require divine revelation nor advanced scientific instruments to imagine the Milky Way, ‎something that can be seen with the naked eye right here on earth, as a cloud of smoke in ‎the night sky.‎

Finally, in an attempt to provide some much needed credibility, the apologist makes an ‎appeal to authority by claiming that a renowned geologist supports their views, when in ‎fact he has never endorsed the Qur'an as being an accurate source of scientific ‎information and was simply quote mined.‎

This page is featured in the core article, Islam and Science which serves as a starting point for anyone wishing to learn more about this topic
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‎==See Also==‎

‎*Scientific Miracles in the Quran

  • Creation - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Creation

  • I. A. Ibrahim - A hub page that leads to other articles related to I. A. Ibrahim

‎==External Links==‎

‎*Does Science ‎really prove the Quran? Heavens created as 'Smoke' - ‎‎, Answer-Islam ([‎http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.answer-‎islam.org%2FSmoke.html&date=2013-12-18 archived]), http://www.answer-islam.org/Smoke.html 

‎==References==‎

  1. Abby Cessna, "How Was the Solar System Formed ‎‎", Universe Today, August 23, 2009 ([‎http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.universetoday.com%2F‎38118%2Fhow-was-the-solar-system-formed%2F+&date=2013-12-‎‎20 archived]), http://www.universetoday.com/38118/how-‎was-the-solar-system-formed/. 
  2. Yuki D. Takahashi, "Big ‎Bang: How Did the Universe Begin?", California Institute of Technology ‎‎, Spring 2000 ([‎http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ugcs.caltech.edu%2F%‎‎7Eyukimoon%2FBigBang%2FBigBang.htm+&date=2013-12-20 archived]), http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~yukimoon/BigBang/BigBang.htm. 
  3. Denise Chow, ‎‎ "The Universe: Big Bang to Now in 10 Easy Steps", SPACE.com ‎‎, October 18, 2011 ([‎http://archive.is/gmEOH archived]), http://www.space.com/13320-big-bang-universe-10-steps-explainer.html ‎‎. 
  4. Sean Carroll, ‎‎ "Cosmology Primer: The Early Universe", Preposterous Universe ‎‎, accessed December 20, 2013 ([‎http://archive.is/HMAa5 archived]), http://preposterousuniverse.com/writings/cosmologyprimer/early.html ‎‎. 
  5. ‎ ‎Space ‎Telescope Science Institute, "How do Planets Form", HubbleSite, accessed December 20, 2013 ([‎http://archive.is/ZOyre archived]), http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/discovering_planets_beyond/how-‎do-planets-form. 
  6. ‎‎, "Smoke", Merrian-Webster, accessed December 19, 2013 ([‎http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.merriam-‎webster.com%2Fdictionary%2Fsmoke&date=2013-12-19 archived]), http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smoke. 
  7. ‎ ‎"Age of the Earth ‎‎", U.S. Geological Survey, July 9, 2007 ([‎http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpubs.usgs.gov%2Fgip%2Fgeotime%2Fage.html&date=2013-12-19 archived]), http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html. 
  8. TheRationalizer, "‎Alfred Kröner - Quote mined scientist denounces Quran miracle claims", ‎YouTube (video), March 21, 2011 ([‎‎ archived]), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClHuG880pqU. 

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