Expanding Universe

Claim:

In Surah 51:47, Allah clearly says that he keeps expanding the universe. In 1929, it was discovered
that the universe expands. How could he have known about this 1400 years ago?

“And the universe—We constructed it with power, and We are surely expanding it.

• Surah 51:47

Response:

From a grammatical perspective, this is a valid interpretation. However, the problem with this claim is
that it is based on a possible meaning among others and there is no definite way to establish what
the author intended to express. If one wants to assert that multiple or all meanings were intended,
this would also require evidence. The claim thus remains unproven. It should be noted that the
understanding of a continuously expanding heaven cannot be found in classical Tafsīr literature.

Transliterated, the verse reads as follows:

“Waalssamaa banaynaha biaydin wainna lamoosiAAoona.”

The first part is usually understood as saying “And the heaven We constructed it with strength (or
hands)”. The second, underlined part of the verse is the critical part where understandings and
translations differ. Looking at English translation, one can, for instance, find these translations (note
that a translation is inevitably an interpretation):

- (…) and We are surely expanding it.

- (…) and We expanded it.
- (…) and verily We are powerful.

In reality, each understanding has its basis, as will be explained.

1) Verbal meaning
If you suppose that for mūsiʿ the verbal meaning of wassaʿa or ʾawsaʿa (both: expand) was intended,
then the verse can be understood to mean “we are expanding / we will expand”. A plain active
participle typically has an imperfective meaning; hence, it can be understood to express a continuous
expansion.

Supposing the same verbal meaning, it can also be understood to serve as adverb for the first part of
the verse (“the heaven We constructed [past] it”). The completion of the action of expanding hence
comes from "we built it" (perfective). Based on this understanding, it would mean that during the
construction of the heaven, Allah was being expansive in its making, or in simpler terms: he made it
vast, i.e. the expansion stopped. God built the sky (in the past) by expanding it (over a period of
time), but by the time we are reading it, that is done.
Abū Ḥayyān, foremost Arabic grammarian of his era, wrote in Tafsīr al-Baḥr al-Muḥīt 9/560:

Translation by Abū Iyaaḍ (Salafi preacher):

Alternative translation by Elon Harvey:

Agreeing with Abū Ḥayyān’s interpretation, Abū Iyaaḍ comments:

Dr. Marijn Van Putten comments:

Ibn Kathīr hence interprets it in its context to simply mean:

“means, `We made it vast and We brought its roof higher without pillars to support it, and thus it is
hanging independently.'”
https://www.alim.org/quran/tafsir/ibn-kathir/surah/51/47/

2) Adjective
The word mūsiʿ can also be understood to function as an adjective in this context. Looking at Surah
2:236 (wamattiAAoohunna AAala almoosiAAi qadaruhu), the active participle mūsiʿ simply functions
as an adjective in the meaning of "powerful" or "rich". Thus, Surah 51:47 can be understood to say
that Allah is powerful/capable.

Nicolai Sinai writes (translation from German):

“[wa-ʾinnā la-mūsiʿūn] The verb ʾausaʿa can be understood as a causative of wasiʿa (see Lane, vol. 8,
3053a; cf. Zirker: "we create vastness"). However, since there is no object here, it seems more
obvious to take an intransitive interpretation of ʾausaʿa in the sense of "to be powerful" (cf. Lisān, s. v.
w-s-ʿ : ʾausaʿa r-raǧul: ṣāra ḏā saʿatin wa-ġinan), which, however, is usually only supported by the
present Qur'anic verse in the Arabic lexicons.”
https://corpuscoranicum.de/de/verse-navigator/sura/51/verse/1/commentary#anmerkung_vers_47
Tafsir al-Jalalayn:

“And the heaven We built it with might and indeed We are powerful one says āda’l-rajulu or ya’īdu to
mean ‘he is strong’; and awsa‘a’l-rajulu to mean ‘he has become capable dhū sa‘a and strong’.”
https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=51&tAyahNo=47&tDisplay
=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2

Imām al-Bukhāri:

َّ ‫علَى ْال ُموسِعَِّ قَد َُرهَُّ} َي ْعنِي ْالقَ ِو‬

‫ي‬ ََّ ‫ َو َكذَل‬،ٍ‫سعَة‬
َ { ‫ِك‬ َّْ َ ‫ونَّ} أ‬
َ ‫ي لَذُو‬ َ ُ‫{لَ ُمو ِسع‬

“{lamusieuna} [Q51:47] that is, those with capacity, and likewise {ealaa almusie qadaruhu} [Q2:236]
meaning the Powerful.”
https://sunnah.com/bukhari/65

Al-Qurtubī, mentioning an opinion attributed to Ibn Abbas:

‫ لقادرون‬: ‫قال ابن عباس‬

“Ibn Abbas said: We are capable.”

https://quran.ksu.edu.sa/tafseer/qortobi/sura51-aya47.html

At-Tabarī:
ْ ْ َ ََ ُْ ََ َ َ َّ
‫وسع قد ُر ُه َو َعل ال ُمق ِت‬
ِ ‫قوله عل الم‬ ‫ ومنه‬.‫ لذو سعة بخلقها وخلق ما شئنا أن نخلقه وقدرة عليه‬:‫وس ُعون ( يقول‬
ِ ‫وقوله ) َو ِإنا ل ُم‬
َ َ
‫] يراد به القوي‬236 :‫قد ُر ُه [البقرة‬.

‫ " أوسع فالن فهو يوسع إيساعا وهو‬:‫ يقال منه‬,‫ فهو الذي قد صار من عيشه إىل سعة وغن‬," ‫ وأما " الموسع‬:‫قال أبو جعفر‬
‫" موسع‬.

And His saying (wa-ʾinnā la-mūsiʿūn) means: He has capacity in creating it, and creating whatever He
wanted to create, and in power over it. Among them is his saying: {…ealaa almusie qadaruhu…}.” [Al-
Baqarah: 236] means the wealthy one.

As for “almusie,” he is the one whose livelihood has become abundant and rich. It is said of him:
“'awsae fulan fahu yuasie 'iisaean wahu muasae”.
https://quran.ksu.edu.sa/tafseer/tabary/sura51-aya47.html#tabary
https://quran.ksu.edu.sa/tafseer/tabary/sura2-aya236.html#tabary
In summary, the verse can be understood to mean:
• We are expanding / we will expand (verbal)
• We expanded (verbal)
• We are capable (adjective)

There are also others ways to understand the verse. For a more comprehensive list of possible
interpretations, see page 35 onwards:
https://www.aqidah.com/creed/assets/docs/big-bang-cosmology-quran.pdf

Miscellaneous:

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin holds the opinion that the verse does not indicate an ongoing expansion:
َ
‫ وأما أنها‬،‫ بل ظاهر اللفظ أن هللا أوسعها اآلن‬،‫وس ُعون } ف المستقبل وأنها كل مدى تتسع فهذا شء ل نعلمه‬ َُ
ِ ‫ { لم‬:‫أما أن نقول‬
‫تتسع كلما مض زمن فالل أعلم‬.
(…)
‫ موجود اآلن ف بعض المقررات أنها تتوسع اآلن؟‬: ‫السائل‬

‫ اآلية ل تدل عل هذا‬،‫ ما يجزم بهذا‬،‫ ل‬: ‫الشيخ‬.

(…) in the future and that it expands to every extent, this is something that we do not know. Rather,
the apparent meaning of the wording is that God has expanded it, and as for it expanding as time
passes, God knows best.

Questioner: (…) is it expanding now?

Sheikh: No, this is not certain. The verse does not indicate this.
https://al-fatawa.com/fatwa/36691/%D9%85%D8%A7-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%82%D9%88%D9%84-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%89-
%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1-
%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A7-
%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7-
%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%87%D9%84-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%AA%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%B9-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%86-
%D8%B9%D8%AB%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86

Shaykh Khalid Al Sabt personally takes issue with people who make this claim, as they contradict
what the predecessors have said:
‫َّأنه‬،َّ
َّ ‫ون‬ َ ُ‫و ِإناَّلَ ُمو ِسع‬:‫َّقولهَّتعالى‬
َ َّ‫َّعامةَّأهلَّالعلمََّّعلىَّأن‬،‫َّهوََّّالذيَّعليهََّّعامةََّّأهلَّالتفسير‬-َّ‫َّرحمهَّللا‬-َّ‫َّهذاَّالذيََّّقالهَّالحافظَّابنَّكثير‬
‫ََّّو ِإنا‬
َ ِ‫د‬
ٍ ‫ي‬
ْ َ ‫أ‬‫ب‬ َّ‫َا‬
‫ه‬ ‫َا‬
‫ن‬ ‫ي‬
ْ ‫ن‬
َ ‫ب‬ َّ‫اء‬
َ َ َ ‫م‬‫الس‬ ‫َّو‬
،‫َّواسعةَّاألرجاء‬ َّ‫َّخلقناهاَّقوية‬،‫ََّّفصارتَّكماََّّترون‬،‫ََّّخلقناهاَّووسعناَّأرجاءها‬،‫َّعنََّّالماضي‬،‫َّخبرَّعنَّخلقها‬
‫ََّّوالكواكب‬،‫َّوماََّّفيََّّضمنَّذلكَّمنََّّاألفالكََّّوالنجوم‬،‫َّخبرََّّعنَّخلقهاََّّفيََّّالزمنَّالماضيََّّوصفتهََّّأنهََّّخلقََّّشاسعَّواسع‬،َّ‫ون‬ َ ُ‫َّلَ ُمو ِسع‬
‫ََّّهو‬
َّ ‫منَّالوسْعََّّالذي‬ ُ َ
ََّ ُ‫َّوبعضهمََّّيفسر َوإِناَّل ُمو ِسع‬،-‫تباركََّّوتعالى‬-ََّّ‫ََّّفهذاَّكلهََّّخلقََّّهائلََّّواسعَّلََّّيحيطََّّبهَّإلََّّللا‬،‫َّوماَّأشبهََّّذلك‬
‫ون‬
‫َّفيََّّوسعيََّّأنَّأفعلََّّكذا‬:َّ‫ََّّتقول‬،‫ََّّوسْعَّأوََّّصاحبََّّوسعَّبمعنىَّالقوةََّّوالقدرة‬ ُ ‫َّأصحاب‬:‫ون أي‬ ََّ ُ‫ََّّخلقناهاَّبقوة َوإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسع‬،‫القدرةَّوالطاقة‬،َّ
‫ََّّألقوياءَّقادرونَّمتمكنونَّمن‬:َّ‫ون أي‬ ََّ ُ‫وإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسع‬،‫ََّّوإمكاني‬
َ ‫ََّّماَّفيََّّوسعيَّصناعةََّّهذاَّيعنيَّليسََّّفيََّّقدرتي‬،‫َّماَّيسعنيَّأنَّأفعلَّكذا‬
‫ََّّوهيََّّضد‬،‫ون أنهََّّمنَّالسعة‬ ََّ ُ‫و ِإناَّلَ ُمو ِسع‬:َّ
َ -‫تباركَّوتعالى‬-ََّّ‫َّوالمتبادرَّمنَّقوله‬ َّ‫َّولكنَّالمعنىَّاألشهر‬،‫َّهكذاَّفسرهَّبعضََّّالسلف‬،‫َّذلك‬
‫ون يعني‪َّ:‬الرزقََّّبالمطر‪ََّّ،‬وهذاَّبعيد‪َّ،‬وسعَّعليهََّّالرزق‪َّ،‬بسطَّرزقه‬ ‫ون ‪ََّّ،‬ومنَّأهلََّّالعلمَّمنَّفسر َوإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬
‫َّ‪،‬الضيق‪،‬وإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬
‫َ‬
‫ََّّبالمطر‪َّ،‬هذاَّبعيد‪َّ،‬هذهَّأقوالَّأهلَّالعلمَّفي َوإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬
‫ون‬ ‫َّ‬ ‫َّ‪،‬وتقول‪َّ:‬هذاََّّقدرََّّعليهَّرزقهََّّوضيقَََّّّعليهَّرزقه‪ََّّ،‬وإناَّلموسعونَّالرزق‬
‫َّوإذاَّاختُلفََّّفيَّتفسيرََّّآيةَّعلىََّّمعنيينَّأوَّثالثةََّّأوََّّأكثرَّفإنهََّّلََّّيجوزََّّلمنَّجاءَّبعدهمَّأنََّّيأتيَّبقولَّيعودََّّعلىَّأقوالهمَّباإلبطال‬
‫َّوالتخطئة‪ََّّ،‬بمعنىَّكلَّاألمةَّماََّّفهمواََّّاآليةَّثمََّّنأتيَّنحنَّنقولَّ‪َّ:‬ل‪ََّّ،‬المعنىَّكذا‪َّ،‬كلََّّالذيََّّقالوهَّغلط‪َّ،‬هذاََّّلَّيمكن‪َّ،‬هذهَّمبادئَّأساسية‬
‫َّفيََّّطلبََّّالعلم‪َّ،‬يتربىَّعليهاَّطالبََّّالعلمَّمنذَّبدايةََّّطلبهمَّللعلم‪ََّّ،‬فمجالََّّالنظرَّوالختيارَّوالترجيحَّهوَّبينَّهذهَّاألقوالََّّالموجودة‪ََّّ،‬ومن‬
‫َّجاءَّباستنتاجَّواستنباطَّتحتملهَّاآليةََّّفالَّبأس‪َّ،‬بشرطَّأنََّّيكونَّهذاَّالستنباطَّوالمعنىَّغيرَّخارجَّعماََّّقالوه‪َّ،‬بمعنىَّأنَّيكونَّزيادةََّّفي‬
‫َّوبهذاَّنعرفَّبطالنَّقول‬
‫َّ‬ ‫َّالفهمَّدونَّأنََّّيعودَّبالتخطئةَّعلىََّّجميعَّاألقوال‪ََّّ،‬بمعنىَّأنَّاألمةََّّأجمعتَّعلىََّّالخطأََّّوإنَّتفرقتَّأقوالها‪َّ،‬‬
‫ون أيََّّأنَّالكونَّفيََّّاتساع‪َّ،‬وأنهَّتولدََّّمجراتََّّجديدةَّاآلن‪َّ،‬ولَّزال‬ ‫َّ‪:‬وإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬
‫َّأصحابََّّاإلعجازَّالعلميَّالذينَّيزعمونَّأنَّقوله َ‬
‫َّالكونَّيتمدد‪َّ،‬وأنَّهذهَّاآليةَّتدلَّعليه‪َّ،‬فمنََّّأدرىََّّمحمداََّّﷺَّبهذا؟‪َّ،‬نقولََّّلهم‪َّ:‬كالمكمَّهذاَّغيرََّّصحيح‪َّ،‬ولَََّّّتفسرَّبهَّاآلية؛َّألنََّّعندنا‬
‫َّمبادئَّوَّأصولََّّنمشيَّعليها‪َّ،‬لََّّيمكنَّلألمةَّأنََّّتجمعَّعلىَّالخطأََّّفيََّّتفسيرَّاآلية‪َّ،‬يمكنَّأنَّتخطئََّّطائفة‪َََّّّ،‬يمكنَّأنَّتقول‪َّ:‬قولََّّابن‬
‫َّ‪،‬جريرَّغلط‪ََّّ،‬قولََّّابنَّكثيرَّغلط‪َّ،‬يقولَّهذاََّّأهلََّّالعلمَّلََّّيقولهََّّإنسانَّتخصصهََّّرياضياتََّّويأتيَّويقولَّ‪َّ:‬هذاََّّغلط‪َّ،‬ابنََّّجريرَّأخطأ‬
‫َّقطعا‬ ‫ّ‬
‫َّأنَّتخطئََّّالجميع‪َّ،‬تقولَّ‪َّ:‬كلَّهؤلءََّّماَّفهمواََّّاآلية‪ََّّ،‬فهذاَّ َّ‬ ‫ّ‬
‫َّحتىَّتخطئَّابنَّجرير‪َّ،‬أ ّماَّ‬ ‫َّفاألرضيةََّّالتيَّعندكَّيمكنَّأنَّتنطلقَّمنهاَّ‬
‫‪.‬يحكمَّبغلطهََّّوأنهََّّغيرََّّصواب‪َّ،‬فهذاََّّأصلَّمنَّاألصولَّالتيََّّيبنىَّعليهاَّالتفسيرَّويعرفََّّفيهاَّصحيحَّاألقوالََّّمنَّباطلها‬

‫‪“means that it is a report about its creation, about the past‬‬

‫)…(‬
‫‪And if there is disagreement in the interpretation of a verse based on two, three, or more meanings,‬‬
‫‪then it is not permissible for those who came after them. To come up with a statement that‬‬
‫‪contradicts their words with invalidity and error, meaning that the entire nation did not understand‬‬
‫‪the verse, then we come and say: No, the meaning is such and such, everything they said is wrong,‬‬
‫‪this is not possible. These are basic principles in the pursuit of knowledge, upon which students of‬‬
‫‪knowledge are raised from the beginning of their pursuit of knowledge.‬‬
‫)…(‬
‫‪This statement of yours is incorrect, and the verse cannot be explained by it. Because we have‬‬
‫‪principles and principles that we follow. The nation cannot agree on a mistake in interpreting the‬‬
‫‪verse.‬‬
‫)…(‬
‫‪As for you making everyone wrong, saying: All of these people did not understand the verse, then this‬‬
‫‪is definitely ruled to be a mistake and that it is not correct. This is one of the principles upon which‬‬
‫”‪interpretation is built and is known.‬‬
‫‪https://khaledalsabt.com/audio-tafseer/51/47‬‬