Scientific Miracles in the Quran: Difference between revisions

Some modern Muslims scholars are of the opinion that the Quran had already told that universe has been constantly expanding even before this was discovered by modern science.   

Critics point out that the term “lamūsi‘ūn لَمُوسِعُونَ ” in this verse is a noun and not a verb, and it describes "God" and not the "heaven" (i.e. the term “wa-innā lamūsi‘ūn وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ” means "God is the Expander", and not "the Universe is Expanding").

Thus the earlier Quran translators translated it as:

Moreover, the root word of لَمُوسِعُونَ (lamūsiʿūna) is و س ع (waw-sin-ayn).<ref name="LexiconExpanders" /> However in the Quran, this word and its derivatives have been used in the meanings of "'''Encompassing"'''.

This is seen in the following verses:

{{Quote|{{Quran|6|80}}|'''وَسِعَ''' رَبِّى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمًا </br>'''Sahih Intl:''' My Lord '''encompasses''' all things in knowledge}}

Also see verses {{Quran|7|89}} and {{Quran|20|98}}.

In another verse the word "'''احاط'''" (encompass) has been used instead of "wasi'a"

{{Quote|{{Quran|65|12}}|وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ '''أَحَاطَ''' بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمًۢا</br>'''Sahih Intl:''' and that Allah has '''encompassed''' all things in knowledge.}}

ٖFor this reason, a few translators used this figurative meaning:

{{Quote|{{Quran|51|47}}|'''Maududi:''' And heaven – We made it with Our Own Power ''and We have the Power to do so''.</br>

{{Quote|{{Quran|51|48}}|'''Yusuf Ali:''' And We have spread out the (spacious) earth: ''How excellently We do spread out!''}}

In this verse, the word الْمَاهِدُونَ (spreader/smoother) has exactly the same grammar <ref>Active Participle Form I [https://corpus.quran.com/wordbyword.jsp?chapter=51&verse=48 Corpus Quran] Verse 51:48</ref> as the word لَمُوسِعُونَ (i.e. expander) in the previous verse, but no one translated it as "earth is steadily spreading out".  

Critics point out that some modern Quran translations have altered the meaning of 51:47 in three ways:

*They have taken the Arabic noun “We are the expander”, but turned it into the verb “The Universe is expanding,”

====Universe consists of "Space", while Quranic heaven is a solid canopy which could not expand====

Critics also point out that according to science, the universe consists of space and galaxies are travelling away from each other in this space and thus it is considered as an expansion of the universe.  

However, the Quran heaven is a solid canopy: {{Quote|{{Quran|2|22}}| الذي جعل لكم الارض فراشا والسماء بناء وانزل من السماء ماء فاخرج به من الثمرات رزقا لكم فلا تجعلوا لله اندادا وانتم تعلمون </br>Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto Allah when ye know (the truth). }}The word translated as canopy is binaa or binaan ( بِنَاء ). This word means "building"<ref>بِنَاء binaa - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume1/00000298.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 261</ref>. Here, the heavens are described as a multi-story building over the earth. There are seven layers or stories to this building called the heavens. The heavens are built on a foundation called "the earth". The tafsir of Ibn Kathir, among others, elaborates this<ref>[https://tafsir.app/2/22 Tafsirs 2:22]</ref>:{{quote |[http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid&#61;2&tid&#61;1494 Tafsir Ibn Kathir]| These Ayat indicate that Allah first created the earth, then He made heaven into seven heavens. This is how building usually starts, with the lower floors first and then the top floors}}

And according to the tradition in {{Bukhari|4|56|557}}, prophets are residing upon these solid heavens along with their nations, and solid things don't expand.