II.1.1. The creation of the universe:
The first thing we notice, when we study the Qur’anic verses which deal with the creation of the universe, is that the Qur’an does not state which came first into existence, the earth or the heavens. God states in some verses that He created the earth before the heavens.
{It is He Who hath created for you all that are on earth; moreover, His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge.}
[II: 29]
In other verses the heavens preceded the earth.
{God created heavens and the earth in true (proportions): verily that is a Sign for those who believe.}
[XXIX: 44]
Of course, this is only an illustration. There are a lot of verses that deal with this problematic; that is to say, which came first, the heavens or the earth? Dr Bucaille (1985, p.144) says that the number of verses in which earth is mentioned before the heavens (e.g. [II:29], [XX:4]) is quite small if compared with that wherein the heavens are mentioned first (e.g. [VII:54], [X:3], [XI:7], [XXV:59], [XXXII:4], [L:38], [LVII:4], [LXXIX:27-33], [XCI:5-10]). This abundance of verses which show the creation of the heavens before the earth draws our attention to the fact that the latter was but a part of the former that are the basis. In fact, among all these verses mentioned above there is, as Dr Bucaille (Ibid.) points out, “only one passage in the Qur’an where a definite sequence is plainly established between different events in the creation”:
{What! Are ye the more difficult to create or the heaven (above)? (God) hath constructed it: on high hath He raised its canopy, and He hath given it order and perfection. Its night doth He endow with darkness, and its splendour doth He bring out (with light). And the earth, moreover, hath He extended (to a wide expanse); He draweth out therefrom its moisture and its pasture; and the mountains hath He firmly fixed.}
[LXXIX: 27-32]
Dr Bucaille (1985, pp.144-45) explains that:
“The reference made here [in the above verse] implies that the earth must necessarily have existed before being spread out and that it consequently existed when God created the heavens….One must not look for any special significance in the reference in the Qur’anic text of the creation of the earth before the heavens or the heavens before the earth: the position of the words does not influence the order in which the creation took place, unless, it is specifically stated.”
Moreover, the Qur’an states that God created the heavens and the earth in six days. What is, then, the meaning of the “six days” of Creation? This is what we shall see in the coming paragraphs. God Almighty says:
{Say: is it that ye deny Him Who created the earth in two Days? And do ye join equals with Him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds. He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measured therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days, in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (sustenance). Moreover, He comprehended in His design the sky and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: ‘come ye together, willingly or unwillingly’. They said: ‘We do come (together), in willing obedience’. So He completed them as seven firmaments in two Days, and He assigned to each heaven its duty and command. And We adorned the lower heaven with lights, and (provided it) with guard. Such is the Decree of (Him) the Exalted in Might, full of knowledge.}
[XLI: 9-12]
You can also check [VII:54], [X:3], [XI:7], [XXV:59], [XXXII:4], [L:38], [LVII:4] for further information.
Indeed the six days of Creation provoked a problem, in the past, for commentators who “…could not have any idea of the day as defined astronomically in terms of the Earth’s rotation, thought that for the Creation a division must be considered that was not into days as we usually understand the word, but into ‘events.” (Bucaille: 1985, p.141)
{On a Day, the space whereof will be (as) a thousand years of your reckoning.}
[XXXII: 5]
{In a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years.}
[LXX: 4]
If we take into consideration these two verses, we will notice that the Qur’an refers to the relativity of time. This means that the six days of Creation are not, in length, similar to those we count on earth. A day may equal a thousand years or fifty thousand years or even more. Ali, in his commentary, dealing with verses [XLI: 9-12], assures that:
“This is a difficult passage, describing the primal creation of our physical earth and the physical heavens around us. If we count the two Days mentioned in verse 9, the four Days mentioned in verse 10, and the two Days mentioned in verse12, we get a total of eight Days, while in many passages the creation is stated to have taken place in Six Days….The commentators understand the ‘four Days’ in verse 10 to include the two Days in verse 9, so that the total for the universe comes to six Days. This is reasonable, because the processes described in verses 9 and 10 form really one series…” (1938,fn. 4470, p.1288)
God Almighty says:
{We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in Six Days, nor did any sense of weariness touch us.}
[L: 38]
In this verse there is a clear and crucial line, which separates the Qur’anic conception of Creation from that of the Biblical one. The latter claims that when God created the heavens and the earth, He took rest on the seventh Day, the Sabbath. But the Qur’an assures the falsity of the Christian conviction, which is based on no convincing evidence.
What is also worth noting is that the Qur’an states that the heavens and the earth were joined together before being separated:
{Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one Unit of Creation) before We clove them asunder?}
[XX: 30]
In order to understand the previous verse, we shall see another one, which describes the characteristics of this universe-the Unity of Creation. The Qur’an states that the universe was a sort of a big cosmic cloud of gas, or “smoke”, according to the Qur’an.
{Moreover, He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke…}
[XLI: 11]
Mr Tabbarah (1988, pp.457-58) states what modern astronomy says about this particular point:
“…The universe at the beginning was a Unity made of gas, then divided into a number of masses, and that the solar system we are part of resulted from this process of division. This has been confirmed by modern scientific research which now says that the sun contains 67 elements of the 92 which the earth contains…”
The phenomena of the cleavage gave birth to millions of galaxies, each of which contains thousands of constellations, a sun, several moons and planets. What is marvellous is that there is not a single error in this universe. Each component moves in its course, without transgressing the general law on which the universe works. This negates the idea of the absurdity and disorder of its creation.
{He created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions).}
[XXXIX: 5]
{Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between.}
[XXXVIII: 27]
{Seest thou not that God created the heavens and the earth in Truth.}
[XIV: 19]
The Holy Qur’an says that God created the universe in “true proportion” and with a definite aim-for the use of human beings.
{He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the Sun and the Moon; and the stars in subjection by His command: verily in this are Signs for men who are wise.}
[XVI: 12]
The definite purpose of God’s creation of the universe destroys the flimsy claims of some atheists-one of these is Julian Huxley-who tried to prove that this universe was created only by a mere chance. But the Glorious Qur’an came with a trenchant and definite truth about the creation of the universe, stating that:
{Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth, and all that is between.}
[XXI: 16]
In the verse I have just mentioned, the Holy Qur’an also states a very recent scientific truth; what is between the heavens and the earth. In this connection, we can refer to other verses.
{To Him belongs what is in the heavens and on earth, and all between them, and all beneath the soil.}
[XX: 6]
{He Who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between, in six days.}
[XXV: 59]
Dr Bucaille (1985, p.148) states that among the observations “which may surprise the Twentieth century reader of the Qur’an is the fact that verses refer to three groups of things created, i.e.
§Things in the heavens
§Things on the earth
§Things between the heavens and the earth.”
Then he comments on the last point and assures that:
“This creation outside the earth, mentioned several times, is a priori difficult to imagine. To understand these verses, reference must be made to the most recent human observations on the existence of cosmic extra-galactic material and one must indeed go back to ideas established by contemporary science on the formation of the universe, starting with the simplest and proceeding to the most complex.” (Ibid.)
Moreover, the Holy Qur’an draws our attention to the heavens, and how God raised them “without any pillars”:
{God is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority): He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law). Each one Runs (its course) for a term appointed -He doth regulate all Affairs, explaining the Signs in detail.}
[XIII: 2]
{God holds back the sky from falling on the earth unless by His leave.}
[XXII: 65]
If we take into consideration these two verses, we note that the Qur’an states an important truth that was discovered during the Renaissance by Isaac Newton: the Law of Gravitation. It organizes and keeps order in this huge universe, of course by God’s command.
The Qur’an, while talking about cosmic phenomena, always invites us to observe the universe and its mysteries.
{He Who created the Seven heavens one above another: no want of proportion wilt thou see in the creation of (God) Most Gracious. So turn thy vision again: seest thou any flaw? Again turn thy vision a second time: (thy) vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited, in a state worn out. And We have (from of old) adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps.}
[LXII: 3]
In this verse, the Qur’an, besides affirming that flaws and disorder are not the characteristics of this universe, states that the latter is so large and huge that man could not detect its boundaries. Now, even with the help of a sophisticated telescope, astronomers failed to trace the limits of our universe. The more they study it deeply, the more they discover new galaxies, moons, constellations and new mysteries that were unknown to them in the past.
Among the most imposing discoveries of modern science, says Dr Bucaille, is:
“…the expansion of the universe. Today it is a firmly established concept and the only debate centres around the way this is taking place….The regular movement towards the red section of their spectrum may be explained by the distancing of one galaxy from another. Thus the size of the universe is probably constantly increasing and this universe will become bigger the further away galaxies are from us…” (1985, p.173)
The Holy Qur’an states this new scientific truth, which truly made an upheaval in the field of astronomy, more than fourteen centuries ago.
{With power and skill did We construct the Firmament: for it is We Who create the vastness of Space.}
[LI: 47]
For more details, I think we shall check up what Dr Khidr says:
“The universe cannot remain stable, without change. It is continuously expanding. But since any movement is a relative one (as Einstein said), in comparison with which thing does the universe expand? If Einstein’s theory was saying: verily the movement of the light of the stars towards the red (section) is the evidence that the stars move away from us, and that the universe extends, why does not Einstein answer this question? In comparison with what does the universe Expand? Here, no matter what man does, all his efforts stop.”(1983: p.354)
God Almighty says:
{Of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!}
[XVII: 85]