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 translations, 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 circumstantial clause 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.
The ‘hal’ clause, i.e. circumstantial clause (sometimes: adverbial clause), in Arabic grammar indicates
that the action in the circumstantial clause occurs at the same time as the action in the main clause.
According to this reading of the verse, both clauses are linked by the conjunction Wāw.

“A hal clause is a special kind of Arabic construction that allows you to indicate that the action (or
event or state) mentioned in the hal clause is occurring at the same time as the action (or event or
state) mentioned in the main clause. It can be translated many ways into English, but most often you
can use the conjunctions while or when at the beginning of the English subordinate clause.”
https://faculty.washington.edu/tdeyoung/HalClause.pdf

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 (from the Department of Near Eastern Languages and
Civilizations at the University of Chicago):

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

Dr. Maḥmūd al-Qāḍī, Professor of Language and Literature in Cairo, writes in his Iʿrāb al-Qurʾān al-
Karīm Bi Riwāyat Ḥafṣ ʿan ʿĀṣim, p. 1042:

‫ حالية‬:‫ الواو‬:‫وإنا‬
wa'iina: the ‘waw’: circumstantial

Professor Ahmed Muhammad Al-Kharrat, respected grammarian of Syrian origin, writes:

َّ
‫وجملة «وإنا لموسعون» حالية من فاعل «بنيناها‬
And the clause ‘wainna lamoosiAAoona’ is circumstantial of the subject ‘banaynaha’ (we built it).
https://shamela.ws/book/9617/4672
https://corpus.quran.com/grammar.jsp?chapter=51&verse=47

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:

َّ ‫ِعَّ قَد َُرهَُّ} َي ْعنِي ْالقَ ِو‬

‫ي‬ ْ
ِ ‫علَى ال ُموس‬ ََّ ‫ َ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 لم‬
َ َ
‫] 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 broadly 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:‬‬
‫َ‬
‫وس ُعون } ف المستقبل وأنها كل مدى تتسع فهذا شء ل نعلمه‪ ،‬بل ظاهر اللفظ أن هللا أوسعها اآلن‪ ،‬وأما أنها‬ ‫َُ‬
‫أما أن نقول‪ { :‬لم ِ‬
‫‪.‬تتسع كلما مض زمن فالل أعلم‬
‫)…(‬
‫السائل ‪ :‬موجود اآلن ف بعض المقررات أنها تتوسع اآلن؟‬

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

‫‪(…) 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-‬‬
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‫‪%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 َّ‬ ‫َّقولهَّتعالى‪:‬وإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ َ‬
‫َ‬ ‫َّهذاَّالذيََّّقالهَّالحافظَّابنَّكثيرَّ‪َّ-‬رحمهَّللاَّ‪َّ-‬هوََّّالذيَّعليهََّّعامةََّّأهلَّالتفسير‪َّ،‬عامةَّأهلَّالعلمََّّعلىَّأنَّ‬
‫ََّّو ِإنا‬
‫ِ َ‬‫د‬
‫ٍ‬ ‫ي‬
‫ْ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫أ‬‫ب‬ ‫َاَّ‬
‫ه‬ ‫َا‬
‫ن‬ ‫ي‬
‫ْ‬ ‫ن‬
‫َ‬ ‫ب‬
‫َ‬ ‫اءَّ‬ ‫م‬‫الس‬
‫َ َ‬ ‫َّو‬
‫َّواسعةَّاألرجاء‪،‬‬ ‫َّخبرَّعنَّخلقها‪َّ،‬عنََّّالماضي‪ََّّ،‬خلقناهاَّووسعناَّأرجاءها‪ََّّ،‬فصارتَّكماََّّترون‪َّ،‬خلقناهاَّقويةَّ‬
‫ونَّ‪َّ،‬خبرََّّعنَّخلقهاََّّفيََّّالزمنَّالماضيََّّوصفتهََّّأنهََّّخلقََّّشاسعَّواسع‪َّ،‬وماََّّفيََّّضمنَّذلكَّمنََّّاألفالكََّّوالنجوم‪ََّّ،‬والكواكب‬ ‫َّلَ ُمو ِسعُ َ‬
‫ََّّهو‬
‫منَّالوسْعََّّالذي َّ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫َ‬
‫َّوماَّأشبهََّّذلك‪ََّّ،‬فهذاَّكلهََّّخلقََّّهائلََّّواسعَّلََّّيحيطََّّبهَّإلََّّللاََّّ‪-‬تباركََّّوتعالى‪َّ،-‬وبعضهمََّّيفسر َوإِناَّل ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬
‫ون‬
‫ََّّوسْعَّأوََّّصاحبََّّوسعَّبمعنىَّالقوةََّّوالقدرة‪ََّّ،‬تقولَّ‪َّ:‬فيََّّوسعيََّّأنَّأفعلََّّكذا‬ ‫ون أي‪َّ:‬أصحاب ُ‬ ‫َّ‪،‬القدرةَّوالطاقة‪ََّّ،‬خلقناهاَّبقوة َوإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬
‫ون أيَّ‪ََّّ:‬ألقوياءَّقادرونَّمتمكنونَّمن‬ ‫ََّّوإمكاني‪،‬وإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬
‫َ‬ ‫َّماَّيسعنيَّأنَّأفعلَّكذا‪ََّّ،‬ماَّفيََّّوسعيَّصناعةََّّهذاَّيعنيَّليسََّّفيََّّقدرتي‬
‫ون أنهََّّمنَّالسعة‪ََّّ،‬وهيََّّضد‬ ‫َّ‪:‬وإِناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬
‫َ‬ ‫ََّّ‪-‬تباركَّوتعالى‪-‬‬ ‫َّوالمتبادرَّمنَّقوله‬ ‫َّذلك‪َّ،‬هكذاَّفسرهَّبعضََّّالسلف‪َّ،‬ولكنَّالمعنىَّاألشهرَّ‬
‫ون يعني‪َّ:‬الرزقََّّبالمطر‪ََّّ،‬وهذاَّبعيد‪َّ،‬وسعَّعليهََّّالرزق‪َّ،‬بسطَّرزقه‬ ‫ون ‪ََّّ،‬ومنَّأهلََّّالعلمَّمنَّفسر َو ِإناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬ ‫َّ‪،‬الضيق‪،‬و ِإناَّلَ ُمو ِسعُ ََّ‬
‫َ‬
‫ََّّبالمطر‪َّ،‬هذاَّبعيد‪َّ،‬هذهَّأقوالَّأهلَّالعلمَّفي َو ِإناَّلَ ُ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 ‫َّ‪:‬و ِإناَّلَ ُ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 ّماَّ‬‫ّ‬ ‫َّ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