Evidence Islam is the truth

THE QURAN ON THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE AND THE BIG BANG THEORY









Hubble’s Law

For thousands of years, astronomers wrestled with basic questions concerning the universe. Until the early 1920’s, it was believed that the universe had always been in existence; also, that the size of the universe was fixed and not changing. However, in 1912, the American astronomer, Vesto Slipher, made a discovery that would soon change astronomers’ beliefs about the universe. Slipher, noticed that the galaxies were moving away from earth at huge velocities. These observations provided the first evidence supporting the expanding-universe theory.[1]


Before the invention of the telescope in 1608, man could do little more than wonder about the origin of the universe. (Courtesy: NASA)

In 1916, Albert Einstein formulated his General Theory of Relativity that indicated that the universe must be either expanding or contracting. Confirmation of the expanding-universe theory finally came in 1929 in the hands of the well known American astronomer Edwin Hubble.
By observing redshifts[2] in the light wavelengths emitted by galaxies, Hubble found that galaxies were not fixed in their position; instead, they were actually moving away from us with speeds proportional to their distance from earth (Hubble's Law). The only explanation for this observation was that the universe had to be expanding. Hubble’s discovery is regarded as one of the greatest in the history of astronomy. In 1929, he published the velocity-time relation which is the basis of modern cosmology. In the years to come, with further observations, the expanding-universe theory was accepted by scientists and astronomers alike.


With the Hooker Telescope, Hubble discovered that the galaxies were moving away us. Above are photos of known galaxies. (Courtesy: NASA)

Yet, astonishingly well before telescopes were even invented and well before Hubble published his Law, Prophet Muhammad used to recite a verse of the Quran to his companions that ultimately stated that the universe is expanding.
“And the heaven We created with might, and indeed We are (its) expander.” (Quran 51:47)
At the time of the revelation of the Quran, the word “space” was not known, and people used the word “heaven” to refer to what lies above the Earth. In the above verse, the word “heaven” is referring to space and the known universe. The verse points out that space, and thus the universe, happens to be expanding, just as Hubble’s Law states.
That the Quran mentioned such a fact centuries before the invention of the first telescope, at a time when there was primitive knowledge in science, is considered remarkable. This is more so considering that, like many people in his time, Prophet Muhammad happened to be illiterate and simply could not have been aware of such facts by himself. Could it be that he had truly received divine revelation from the Creator and Originator of the universe?
The Big Bang Theory

Soon after Hubble published his theory, he went on to discover that not only were galaxies moving away from the Earth, but were also moving away from one another. This meant that the universe happened to be expanding in every direction, in the same way a balloon expands when filled with air. Hubble’s new findings placed the foundations for the Big Bang theory.
The Big Bang theory states that around 12-15 billion years ago the universe came into existence from one single extremely hot and dense point, and that something triggered the explosion of this point that brought about the beginning of the universe. The universe, since then, has been expanding from this single point.
Later, in 1965, radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson made a Noble Prize winning discovery that confirmed the Bing Bang theory. Prior to their discovery, the theory implied that if the single point from which the universe came into existence was initially extremely hot, then remnants of this heat should be found. This remnant heat is exactly what Penzias and Wilson found. In 1965, Penzias and Wilson discovered a 2.725 degree Kelvin Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) that spreads through the universe. Thus, it was understood that the radiation found was a remnant of the initial stages of the Big Bang. Presently, the Big Bang theory is accepted by the vast majority of scientists and astronomers.


A microwave map of the leftover from the Big Bang that gave birth to the universe. (Courtesy: NASA)

It is mentioned in the Quran:
“He (God) is the Originator of the heavens and the earth…” (Quran 6:101)
“Is not He who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the likes of them? Yes; and He is the Knowing Creator. His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (Quran 36:81-82)
The above verses prove that the universe had a beginning, that God was behind its creation, and all that God needs to do inorder to create is to say “Be,” and it is. Could this be an explanation as to what triggered off the explosion that brought about the beginning of the universe?
The Quran also mentions:
“Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, then We separated them, and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?” (Quran 21:30)
Muslim scholars who have explained the previous verse mention that the heavens and earth were once one, and then God caused them to separate and form into the seven heavens and Earth. Yet, due to the limitations of science and technology at the time of the revelation of the Quran (and for centuries to follow), no scholar was able to give much detail about how exactly the heavens and earth were created. What the scholars could explain was the precise meaning of each word in Arabic in the verse, as well as the overall meaning of the verse.
In the previous verse, the Arabic words ratq and fataq are used. The word ratq can be translated into “entity” “sewn to” “joined together” or “closed up”. The meaning of these translations all circulate around something that is mixed and that has a separate and distinct existence. The verb fataq is translated into “We unstitched” “We clove them asunder” “We separated” or “We have opened them”. These meanings imply that something comes into being by an action of splitting or tearing apart. The sprouting of a seed from the soil is a good example of a similar illustration of the meaning of the verb fataq.
With the introduction of the Big Bang theory, it soon became clear to Muslim scholars that the details mentioned with regards to the theory go identically hand in hand with the description of the creation of the universe in verse 30 of chapter 21 of the Quran. The theory states that all the matter in the universe came into existence from one single extremely hot and dense point; that exploded and brought about the beginning of the universe, matches what is mentioned in the verse that the heaven and Earth (thus the universe) where once joined together, and then split apart. Once again, the only possible explanation is that Prophet Muhammad had truly received divine revelation from God, The Creator and Originator of the universe.

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FOOTNOTES:[1]The First Three Minutes, a Modern View of the Origin of the Universe, Weinberg.
[2]When the light an object emits is displaced toward the red end of the spectrum. (http://bjp.org.cn/apod/glossary.htm)

format_quote Originally Posted by eesa the kiwi

:
and please if you are non muslim dont hesitate to ask if you have any questions, we're here for you

Well, OK... First, though, I'm not a Muslim, and I don't speak Arabic. You can consider me, then, a completely blank slate.

In your second post, you ask:

How would it be possible for a fourteenth century desert dweller to describe the sky in a manner so precise that only recent scientific discoveries have confirmed it? The only way is if he received revelation from the Creator of the sky.

What precision? Both verses you cite say that rain comes from the sky; the latter adds the equally obvious fact that rain makes plants grow. I honestly don't see how you apparently consider this comparable to modern meteorology or some sort of secret knowledge. I would even go further in my questioning of your interpretation by arguing that contemporary farmers and seamen, including Arabic sailors, knew far more meteorology than is hinted at in these verses, and that they considered clouds to be nothing more than clouds, rain to be rain and wind to be wind. They were especially knowledgeable about the relationship between these phenomena even without understanding the actual causes. Finally, the commentaries I have consulted (especially at http://www.***********/english-quran/quran.htm) make no similar claim that these passages constitute divine proof.

BTW, 2:22 is almost the same language as is contained in several American cowboy songs. It's not surprising that people who live largely outdoors, even though separated by hundreds of years and thousands of miles, would speak of the sky as a roof and the ground as a bed.

I'm sorry, but your interpretation, as you have presented it, appears to me to be an unjustifiable overreach. It further seems to conflict with at least one established commentary. Because of this, I am deferring an exploration of the remainder of this thread until you have had an opportunity to respond to my concerns.

Edit

I'm no scientist and if you want a complex argument about the complexities of the earths atmosphere you will have to look elsewhere. I simply do not have the knowledge to expand on the science contained in the article. Maybe another member here can help. I'd much rather way I don't know than to speak without knowledge

This thread is still in its early stages, I'm planning to cover much more than scientific miracles in the Quran. If you have an issue with this scientific explanation of this verse fine I'm not expecting everyone to become instantly convinced Islam is true because of one post. Rather I am hoping that the information contained in this thread will provide an indication to the sincere seekers of truth that Islam is from the creator

I know you were probably hoping for an argument where you can show off your intellectual prowess but I'm really not interested. My job as a Muslim is not to make people believe rather my job is to convey the message. What is an unjustifiable overreach to you could inshaAllah be enough for a sincere truth seeker to sit back and question did this Quran come from the creator
Defer the thread or not I don't really care

format_quote Originally Posted by eesa the kiwi

I know you were probably hoping for an argument where you can show

No. I simply do not see the connection that you claim exists between what the Quran says and the science you cite.

I am not a scientist, either; my education is in history and journalism, two fields which require the ability to question and research what other people have written and said. I consulted three different online Quran and their commentaries while working on my post, and none of them made the claims that you did, although they appeared to agree among themselves on the meaning of the passages.

I also noticed that the verses you quote appear to have been taken out of context. They are phrases and clauses which are mere parts of entire sentences, and it is the sentences as a whole which express complete thoughts. In the Quran, these sentences are strung together into chapters/surahs, thus forming ideas out of thoughts.

This brings up a question. If the Quran is the unaltered word of God, and if you are combining incomplete parts of God's thoughts and ideas as expressed in the Quran in order to produce entirely new thoughts and ideas, isn't that Blasphemy?

In any event, you appear to be speaking on God's behalf. I don't doubt your sincerity, only your methodology. Don't you owe it to God to do more than some internet cut-and-paste? And, having opened up the thread to questions, aren't you honor - bound to engage your questioners?

FWIW, my original post was considerably longer, and perhaps I should have published that version.

format_quote Originally Posted by ___

@jabeady - what you don't understand (and can't understand) about the Qur'anic Arabic language is that it cannot be translated into English. Why? Because there are 10+ words for 'rain', the same goes for 'cloud', and countless other words. They cannot simply be translated from Arabic to English. When the Qur'an says 'sent down rain' these three words are simple enough in English, but each of them can have multiple meanings in Arabic. Sent from where, to who? Down where? What kind of rain? The answers to these questions would be clear if you were reading the Arabic, but not if you were reading the English. Anyways, if you are truly interested in this topic, and not just looking for an argument, I suggest you dig a little deeper into the Arabic language of the Qur'an. And Allah knows best.

I'm 67 years old and, I'm sorry, but learning an entirely new language, and a special dialect at that, is almost certainly beyond my abilities. That's what the commentaries and hadeeth are for. Besides, if three commentaries agree with one another while apparently bearing no relation to an online post based upon the same passages, isn't it proper to question the online post?

Folks here have told me they want me to con/revert. That's not going to happen if my questions don't get answered.

Also, the commentary authors presumably speak with some authority. If an online post is at variance with the commentaries, isn't it proper to question the authority of the post's author?

format_quote Originally Posted by jabeady

No. I simply do not see the connection that you claim exists between what the Quran says and the science you cite.

I am not a scientist, either; my education is in history and journalism, two fields which require the ability to question and research what other people have written and said. I consulted three different online Quran and their commentaries while working on my post, and none of them made the claims that you did, although they appeared to agree among themselves on the meaning of the passages.

I also noticed that the verses you quote appear to have been taken out of context. They are phrases and clauses which are mere parts of entire sentences, and it is the sentences as a whole which express complete thoughts. In the Quran, these sentences are strung together into chapters/surahs, thus forming ideas out of thoughts.

This brings up a question. If the Quran is the unaltered word of God, and if you are combining incomplete parts of God's thoughts and ideas as expressed in the Quran in order to produce entirely new thoughts and ideas, isn't that Blasphemy?

In any event, you appear to be speaking on God's behalf. I don't doubt your sincerity, only your methodology. Don't you owe it to God to do more than some internet cut-and-paste? And, having opened up the thread to questions, aren't you honor - bound to engage your questioners?

FWIW, my original post was considerably longer, and perhaps I should have published that version.

I am happy to engage questioners but only when I have sufficient knowledge to do so. Speaking about Islam without knowledge is dangerous. Perhaps another member here will be able to adress you queries. If I were to answer you it would be from my own opinion not the Islamic position on the issue and I'm not willing to do that

As for speaking on God's behalf I never claimed to do so nor have the arrogance to presume so. I'm just a slave and my efforts are weak. Do I owe it to Allah to do more than a copy paste? Absolutely but please bear in mind this thread is only on its early stages and I'm planning to cover much more than scientific miracles in the Qura

Yes, I am almost 67 (March 25th). I have studied Christianity for most of my life, and rejected it. I did not come to IB looking for a god, but to become acquainted with Muslims. As far as Islam, itself, I see the same things happening for which I rejected Christianity.

I guess it shouldn't be surprising; people are the same all over, and they do the same things for the same reasons. Even so, it can be downright discouraging.

In the early 7th century, the two most powerful empires at the time were the Byzantine[1] and Persian Empires. In the years 613 - 614 C.E the two Empires went to war, with the Byzantines suffering a severe defeat at the hands of the Persians. Damascus and Jerusalem both fell to the Persian Empire. In the chapter, The Romans, in the Holy Quran, it is stated that the Byzantines had met with a great defeat but would soon gain victory:
“The Romans have been defeated in the lowest land, but after their defeat they will soon be victorious. Within three to nine years. The decision of the matter, before and after, is with God.” (Quran 30:2-4)
These verses, above, were revealed around 620 C.E, almost 7 years after the severe defeat of the Christian Byzantines at the hands of the idolater Persians in 613 – 614 C.E. Yet it was related in the verses that the Byzantines would shortly be victorious. In-fact, Byzantine had been so heavily defeated that it seemed impossible for the Empire to even maintain its very existence, let alone be victorious again.
Not only the Persians, but also the Avars, Slavs and Lombards (located to the North and West of the Byzantine Empire) posed serious threats to the Byzantine Empire’s sovereignty. The Avars had come as far as the walls of Constantinople and had nearly captured the Emperor, himself. Many governors had revolted against Emperor Heraclius, and the Empire was on the point of collapse. Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Armenia, which had earlier belonged to the Byzantine Empire, were invaded by the Persians. In short, everyone was expecting the Byzantine Empire to be destroyed, but right at that moment the first verses of the chapter, The Romans, were revealed announcing that the Byzantines would regain triumph in a few years time. Shortly after this revelation, the Byzantine Emperor proceeded to order the gold and silver in churches to be melted and turned into money in order both to meet the demanding expenses of the army, and finance his drive to regain the lost territories.
Around 7 years after the revelation of the first verses of The Romans, in December, 627 C.E, a decisive battle between The Byzantine Empire and the Persian Empire was fought in the area around the Dead Sea,[2] and this time it was the Byzantine army which surprisingly defeated the Persians. A few months later, the Persians had to make an agreement with the Byzantines which obliged them to return the territories they had taken from them. So, in the end, the victory of the Romans proclaimed by God in the Quran miraculously came through.
Another miracle revealed in the mentioned verses is the announcement of a geographical fact that no-one would have been able to discover in that period. In the third verse of The Romans, it was mentioned that the Romans were defeated “in the lowest land” (Quran 30:3). Significantly, the places where the main battles took place (in Damascus and Jerusalem) lie in a vast area of low-lying land called the Great Rift Valley. The Great Rift Valley is a huge 5,000 km fault line in the earth’s crust that runs from northern Syria in the Middle-East of Asia to central Mozambique in East Africa. The northernmost extension runs through Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordon. The rift then extends south to the Gulf of Aden, makes its way through East Africa, then finally ends at the lower Zambezi River valley in Mozambique.
An interesting fact that has been discovered recently, with the help of satellite images, is that the area around the Dead Sea (located in the Great Rift Valley) has the lowest altitude on Earth. In fact, the lowest point on Earth is the shoreline of the Dead Sea, with an altitude of around 400 meters[3] below sea level. The fact that it lies at the lowest point means that water does not drain from the sea. No land point on earth has a lower altitude than the shoreline of the Dead Sea.[4]


Dead Sea Rift Valley, Israel and Jordan October 1984. Seen from an altitude of 190 nautical miles (350 kilometers) in this near-vertical photograph, the Dead Sea Rift Valley slices south-north through the Middle East. The surface of the Dead Sea, 1292 feet (394 meters) below sea level, is the lowest point on Earth. (Courtesy: The Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, Photo #: STS41G-120-56, http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov)

Therefore it becomes clear that the country or prefecture which occupies the rift valley in the vicinity of the Dead Sea is what is meant in the Quran by “the lowest land.” This is a true miracle of the Quran because no-one could have known or foreseen such a fact in the 7th century due to the fact that satellites and modern day technology were not available at the time. Once again, the only possible explanation is that Prophet Muhammad had truly received divine revelation from God, The Creator and Originator of the universe.

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FOOTNOTES:[1]The Arabs also refer to the Byzantines as the Romans.
[2]The History of Persia Part I: Ancient Persia by Scott Peoples
[3](http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/SanjeevMenon.shtml)
[4](http://www.elnaggarzr.com/index.php?l=ar&id=51&cat=6)

Ok so im moving on to things other than science, not that i have issues with the articles Alhamdulilah i found them beneficial but i simply do not have the scientific knowledge to discuss them with those who question as it is not really my area of expertise
im know inshaAllah going to move onto Muhammed sallaho alayhi wa sallam in other scriptures


inshaAllah you will find the below video beneficial