Here is another thread -
Quran & Science, started by FearGod, in which another (Muslim) member (FearGod, of course) believe that a SINGLE VERSE (51:47) think that the heaven is referring to the "universe", and believe the verse referred to the Big Bang.
Here is the quote FearGod used:
Qur'an 51:47 said:
"And it is We who have constructed the heaven with might, and verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it."
And here, is the quote for the OP of Quran & Science:
FearGod said:
i can understand from the verse that god is speaking about the universe that he constructed it and steadily expanding it.
That fact was first known in the 20th century and of course it has no meaning before 1400 years for the believers because saying expanding universe got no evidence to be confirmed at that specific time,but only nowadays the verse is very well understood according to modern science.
My question here,can anyone interpret the verse in other way to show that it doesn't mean the expanding universe,such to mean a simpler thing that can be known to anyone on that previous times,do the verse mean anything other than the universe,do the verse mean anything other than expanding.
Please i want explanation and not just words like saying that make no sense ,forer effect .......etc
Like the other Muslims who have posted topics about the Qur'an and Science, FearGod tried to connect a single verse to some sorts of modern science. And like the other Muslims in this forum, FearGod completely ignore the context of the verse.
Like the other verses on this topic (my topic), I believe that the heaven only referred to the SKY (that is the Earth's sky), and not the universe as FearGod believes.
The sky has many different names, which include "heaven". Other names that could be used is FIRMAMENT, DOME, VAULT, and the most important of all, EXPANSE.
FIRMAMENT has been used for the sky in the Bible, like in KJV translations of Genesis 1:6-8 (2nd day of creation) & 1:14-18 (4th day), while the EXPANSE was used for the NIV translations.
And this 51:47 from the Qur'an, there is also Yusuf Ali' translation, which also used the word FIRMAMENT to denote the sky.
Qur'an 51:47 said:
With power and skill did We construct the Firmament: for it is We Who create the vastness of pace.
Here is the definition of FIRMAMENT:
Merriam-Webster said:
1: the vault or arch of the
sky : heavens
And for the EXPANSE:
Merriam-Webster said:
1
: firmament
2
: great extent of something spread out <an
expanse of calm ocean>
The Hebrew word used in Genesis 1 for this heaven or firmament or sky, is
raqia or
raqija. They saw the sky as a dome or vault. And
raqia is very similar to another word
raqa, "to spread out", hence "to expand" expanse.
And these are not only explanation to refute FearGod's heaven-universe & supposed Big Bang in verse 51:47.
Regardless, if we use the word "heaven", "firmament" or "expanse", to refer to the SKY, the fact of matter is that there are no other evidences to support FearGod's claim of the UNIVERSE.
If heaven means the UNIVERSE, then why doesn't this verse (47) say anything about the STARS?
If FearGod actually understood the Big Bang, (which I find "highly doubtful"), he would know that the Big Bang would be the formation from the singularity to expansion of universe, which would include the formation of the first element - hydrogen, and to the 1st formation of the earliest stars in our universe.
Verse 47 says ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the stars, so how can it (that verse) be referring to the UNIVERSE.
In fact, I don't see anywhere, where STARS are mentioned in this chapter 51 - Adh-Dhariyat, which you would all no doubt know that it is translated into English as "The Winnowing Wind".
All literary evidences, or direct references to "heavens" (in chapter 51), point to the SKY, not to the UNIVERSE. In the beginning of chapter 51, the Qur'an speaks of the WIND (verse 1), cloud & rain (2), sailing (3, you can't sail without wind), thunderbolt (44), and Flood that destroyed people in Noah's time (46).
Our scientific knowledge with weather patterns and predictions with the help of technology (eg satellites) are pretty accurate. We know how it rain, and how atmospheric pressures affect the wind, that we can make prediction or forecast of what the weather would be like. And the universe have absolutely NO BEARING on the wind and rain.
If you read FearGod's, you can see he only concentrate on that SINGLE VERSE (47), and completely ignored all other implied evidences to the SKY, in those other verses that I've mentioned (about the wind, rain, etc).
If there are no references to the stars, but there are to cloud, rain and wind, then it is quite obvious that heaven means Earth's sky in chapter 51. His argument and points are weak.
Why are some Muslims so desperate to make a single verse more than what they actually are? Why twist verse to suit their religious agenda?
And there is clearly religious agenda coming from FearGod, and from what I can see in FearGod's argument it is deceive others. I don't trust his interpretation. And if he is not lying deliberately, then is lying to himself and fooling himself.
I don't blame the Qur'an, but some Muslims' interpretations of some verses. And I know that I'm not wrong in my interpretation of the chapter (51) and verses (47 & others).