Science in the Glorious Quran: The Universe According to the Qur’an

The Qur’an encourages us to think and ponder over the creation of God.

“إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ”

 (آل عمران: 190).

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the Earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.” (Qur’an, 3:190)

The Qur’an is not a book of science; therefore, it makes no extended effort to describe the cosmos. Yet, the facts about the universal creation, its purpose and fate, and some other aspects of cosmology are revealed as signs of God’s creation.

While, as demonstrated previously, the Biblical hypothesis of the Earth and the Universe were primitive, obscure and contrasted with recent scientific discoveries, the Qur’an amazingly refers in an accurate scientific way to different phenomena concerning the Universe. These phenomena include the creation of the universe, its expansion, the nature and orbits of heavenly bodies like the sun and the moon, the shape of the Earth, etc. All these topics are going to be reviewed in this chapter.

The prophet Muhammad (PBUH), lived in the seventh century, in an illiterate Society. How would these phenomena — which scientists have discovered fairly recently using complicated and advanced technological and scientific methods– have been known to him unless he was inspired by God?

“وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُو مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن كِتَابٍ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ ۖ إِذًا لَّارْتَابَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ” (العنكبوت:48).

“You did not read any scripture before this, nor did you write it down with your right hand; otherwise the falsifiers would have doubted.” (Qur’an, 29:48)

On the other hand, is it possible that the Qur’an was copied from the Bible as some people have claimed?

“سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ” (فصلت: 53).

“We shall certainly show them Our signs in the Universe and in their own selves, till it will be very obvious to them that this (Qur’an) is the Truth.” (Qur’an, 41:53)

In this chapter, we are going to briefly review several subjects about cosmology, found in the Qur’an.