The Big Bang Theory In the Qur'an

What you can learn about the Big Bang @Jane Dughatir

Someone asked about the proof in the Qur’an of the Big Bang.

ON page, 136 of the translation of Ibn Al Qayyim’s book, Men & the Universe, it reads, as in the translation of the Quranic verse about the beginning of the Universe or the “Heaven and the genesis of planets”,

“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.”

Al-Qur’an (41:11)

There was no earth or oceans, yet, and the heavens were not the clouds which we have, but probably means the beginning of everything, before planets, or even space; in the beginning there was “smoke”.

Further explanation of this verse can be had, I believe. You can find out where the links (I could find and provide later).

But there is another verse which is explained in the book This is the Truth by a Saudi Arabian Capt. Abdullah M. Al-Rehaili.

Read this “…the fact that this universe had its beginnings in one single entity.”

Professor Alfred Kroner said”…and that many of the statements made at the time could not be proven, but that modern scientific methods are now in a position to prove what Muhammad said 1400 years ago.”

He is one of the worlds’ famous geologists.

Al-Rehaili, p.34, This is the Truth, 1999.

Prof. Kroner said, “…I think it is almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe…”(Ibid)

Specifically, the verse, as an example which Professor Kroner chose is a description in the Qur’an of the fact that this universe had its beginnings in one single entity.” P.34-35, Ibid

.http://onceinalife-diamondraw.blogspot.com/2012/12/reply-to-moral-atheist-part-one.html

“Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together [raqtan, before We clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing…” [Quran 21:30]

“The meaning of raqtan, in this verse, as Ibn Abbas, Mujaahid, and others said, may Allah be pleased with all of them, is that the heavens and the earth were stuck together or blended together, and that they were later separated from each other.”(p.35, Ibid).

Here, the Capt. Mentions the name of two of the companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be unto him, his uncle was Abbas, and Ibn Abbas was therefore his cousin, and Mujaahid is also a famous Sahabi (companion, someone who had met the Prophet Muhammad, or lived with him and accepted Islam).

(Chat room for new Muslims and non-Muslims http://www.chatislam.com/)

Another example, “”was Arabia full of orchards and rivers?’ He said: During the Snow Age, and it is further known that the north Polar icebergs are slowly moving southwards. When those …the weather will change and Arabia will become one of the greenest and wettest parts of the world.. We asked him: ‘Will /Arabia become the land of orchards and rivers?’He said: Yes, it is a scientific fact.’” (p.35, Ibid)

And “’We can see the signs of this in the snow blizzards striking northern parts of Europe and America every winter.’“ Here the Muslims asked the Professor (Kroner) about the changing weather, because they knew that the Qur’an speaks in the future tense about a time when the Arabian Peninsula will have green orchards, and much vegetation, and it will be tropical, not like it is today.

Then the Muslims mentioned a hadeeth (saying) of Muhammad, pbuh, that reads, “The Last Hour will not come upon us until the lands of the Arab are once again pasture lands and filled with rivers.”(p.36, Ibid)

So the hadeeth (tradition) is not in contradiction to what will happen in the future in the Arabian Peninsula according to scientists of today.

At the time of Muhammad,pbuh, and until present day, the Arabian Peninsula is mostly desert. Anyone can see this by watching some travel videos, if not going to the region himself. Also, the news is full of such scenes all the time, and Iraq, as well as Libya, which is in North Africa, are barren desert, for the most part. Saudi Arabia is desert, I have travelled there, and everybody in any case, knows this.

It is true that in recent years, as recently as two years ago, and even this year, Libya, has had snowfall. There was snow a couple of years ago, in other areas of the world where there has not been snow previously. This is a sign of the Hour, according to the Prophet’s, pbuh, saying.

There is more scientific evidence, as we like to call it, in the Qur’an, such as the mention of a homogenizing barrier between the two seas; the salty and sweet. This happens deep in the oceans, (or seas, as the Qur’an calls it generally, from what I have understood. I could read the Arabic to find the actual word, (Bihar is seas) but the Arabic language has many different words with several meanings at the same time. I don’t think if it meant “seas”, or “oceans” is the most important point here at any rate…

In the same book, it speaks about this phenomenon, which has been proven by science only in our times, with advanced technology.

For example, on page 44, Ibid, The author Al-Rehaili writes, “These partitions that can only be seen and perceived by scientific research and modern technology. Allah has informed us in the Qur’an that: He has let free (maraja) the two seas meeting together: Between them is a barrier which they do not transgress. [Qur’an 55:20] Pickthall’s version, as well has the same Chapter and Verse; 55:20. I can assure you that this is what the Qur’an says, as I have memorized this verse myself. In the Arabic Qur’an the verse is 55:20 Chapter (Al Rahman), or The Merciful, in the English translation,(Yusuf Ali’s The Noble Qur’an),as well as another copy I have (Marmaduke Pickthall),reads pretty much the same in each English version.)

He explains, lower down the page how the exegesis, or Muslim scholars wondered about this verse as follows: “Traditionally, there have been two major interpretations of this verse. One opinion states that according to the literal meaning of the term maraja, seas do meet and mix with each other. But the fact the Qur’an goes on to state that there is barrier between them, means that this barrier will simply prevent the seas from encroaching upon each other…”

“Proponents of the second opinion ask how can there be a barrier between the seas so that they do not encroach upon each other, while the verse indicates that the seas meet together? They concluded that the seas do not meet and sought another meaning for the term maraja, but now modern science provides us with enough information to settle this issue.”(p.44, Ibid)

Muslims are not afraid, as proven here by their own discussions and debates that although they didn’t have the scientific wherewithal at the time, they had “blind faith” that the verse was true, and there must be an explanation.

Muslims today, can point to this as proof that Muslim scholars of old, as well as today, should be open-minded, not shun debate, where it is done within Islamic guidelines of belief in Allah’s book, and seeking proofs or evidence for the verse. We believe the Qur’an to be true, and science is now determining that as well.

See this important link: http://www.chatislam.com/ for everybody.

Or www.shareislam.com for more information about Islam, this is American Muslim Yusuf Estes’ site, with information by real scholars, and the brother/sheikh Estes, who was a Christian minister, a long time ago, before accepting Islam.

“The seas do meet together, as we have seen, for example, in the picture of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean”

“Even thought there is a slanted water barrier between them, we now know that through this barrier the water from each sea passes to the other. But when the water form one sea enter the other sea, it loses its distinctive characteristics and becomes homogenized with the other water. In a way, this barrier serves as a transitional homogenizing are for the two waters.” (Ibid)

When I gave this explanation to an Indian man on YouTube, he began asking me another question; something about Adam and Eve. He also began to insult the Prophet Muhammad, with profanities which I won’t go into; most are aware of some of these which are widespread on the internet. I believe questioning needs an open mind, as one modern Islamic scholar wrote, thinking leads to remembrance, and remembrance and thinking go on, otherwise a person is just thinking to no end. (revising, soon).

ON page 38 of the book, a Prof. Palmer, geologist, concedes that the lowest point on the earth is in the area of the Dead Sea, as in the Qur’an it is stated that the lowest, or in Arabic it can also mean nearest place, was where a battle where the Romans were defeated “When we investigated the lowest part of the earth, we found that it was exactly the same spot that witnessed the battle in which the Romans were defeated. We informed Professor Palmer about this, he contested saying that there were many other areas…He turned the globe with his hands and focused his sign on the area near Jerusalem To his astonishment, there was a small arrow sticking out towards that area with words: “the lowest part on the face of the earth”. (p.38, Ibid)

Muslims used to think that Allah meant that the area was the nearest to the Arabian Peninsula, which of course is not what the verse meant, as Prof. Palmer himself said, “So it certainly is supported by the interpretation of that critical word.” i.e. he said, “’the world’s lowest point.’” (Ibid)

I find it quite interesting to read these explanations as a Muslim, and hope it has helped shed some light on the verses, and also shows that Muslims generally do not fear anything between science and faith, with regards to their Holy Book. It is only the weak or cowering people that would deny the words of Allah to please the nonbelievers. I don’t think this is too harsh a judgment about those who would deny the verses just to gain the pleasure of this life, in exchange forgoing lasting happiness in the Hereafter.

Thanks for your time,

D,j.