Surah Adh-Dhariyat, specifically verses (Surah Adh-Dhariyat: Ayat 47–49), contains profound references to cosmic phenomena that are frequently cited in discussions regarding the Quran and modern science. These verses highlight the creation of the heavens and earth, the continuous expansion of the universe, and the fundamental principle of duality in all things.
1. Expansion of the Universe (Verse 47)
"And the heaven We built with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander." (51:47)
Arabic Text: وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَـهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ
Scientific Correlation: Modern cosmology, beginning with Edwin Hubble's findings in the 1920s, confirmed that the universe is not static but continuously expanding, with galaxies moving away from each other.
Tafsir & Interpretation: The Arabic word lamusi'un (derived from wasi'a) translates directly to "we are expanding" or "we are makers of vastness." Scholars interpret this to mean that God is continuously expanding the universe, bringing its roof higher without pillars, which aligns with modern understandings of expanding space-time.
Historical Context: While some earlier commentators interpreted this as "We are able to expand its vastness," modern interpretation often emphasizes the continuous expansion, noting that this was unknown until the 20th century.
"And of everything We have created pairs, that you may remember."
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
٤٨وَمِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ ٤٩
((Surah Adh-Dhariyat: Ayat 49))
Universal Duality: This verse suggests that the entire creation—animate and inanimate—is built on a principle of duality.
Scientific and Biological Context: Beyond the obvious male/female pairs in biology, this verse is interpreted to cover all pairs, including:
Matter & Antimatter: Positive and negative charges.
Nature: Night/day, light/darkness, sun/moon, land/sea.
Concepts: Life/death, misery/happiness, faith/disbelief.
Significance: The purpose stated is "that you may remember" (or take heed), guiding humanity to realize that while all things have partners and are composite, the Creator alone is One, Unique, and without partners.
3. Contextual Understanding (Surah Adh-Dhariyat: Ayat 47–49),
"And the earth We have spread out, how excellent a spreader (thereof) are We!" (51:48)
This verse acts as a bridge, contrasting the vastness of the heavens (47) with the preparation of the earth as a comfortable, stable "resting place" or "cradle" (Firash) for life.
Summary of Divine Purpose
The passage ((Surah Adh-Dhariyat: Ayat 47–49), acts as an argument for:
Divine Power: The ability to construct the vast universe and create duality in all things proves God's omnipotence.
Monotheism: Everything has a pair, implying that only the Creator is unique (One).
Resurrection: The same Power that created this complex universe can undoubtedly recreate life.
The immediate subsequent verses (50-51) command humanity to "flee to Allah" and abandon polytheism, concluding that these celestial signs are meant to lead to faith and righteous action.
Verse 47: The Expanding Universe
"And the heaven We built with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander."
Classical Interpretation: Scholars like Ibn Kathir traditionally understood the term lamūsi'ūn (the expander) to mean that Allah made the cosmos vast and spacious, or that He possesses infinite power and means.
Scientific Perspective: Modern commentators often highlight this verse as a reference to the expansion of the universe, a discovery made in the 20th century by Edwin Hubble. The use of the active participle musi'un implies a continuous, ongoing action.
Verse 48: The Spread-Out Earth
"As for the earth, We spread it out. How superbly did We smooth it out!"
This verse describes the earth as a "cradle" or resting place (Firash) prepared by Allah to be stable and suitable for life to flourish.
Verse 49: Creation in Pairs
"And We created pairs of all things so perhaps you would be mindful."
General Meaning: Everything in creation exists in complementary pairs, such as male and female, night and day, life and death, or light and darkness.
Scientific Perspective: This "law of pairs" is seen throughout nature, from the dual electric charges (positive and negative) in atoms to the existence of matter and anti-matter.
Purpose: The existence of pairs in everything created highlights that only the Creator is One and Unique (Al-Wahid), needing no partner or match.
These signs culminate in the command of Verse 50: "So flee to Allah," urging humanity to seek refuge in the One who created this vast and intricate system.
Would you like to explore other scientific signs in the Qur'an or look deeper into the classical interpretation of these specific verses?
Surah Adh-Dhariyat Verse 47 (51:47 Quran) With Tafsir - My Islam
English Translation. ... As
Translation: “And the heaven – We built it with might, and indeed, We are expanding (the universe). And the earth – We have spread it out, and excellent is the preparer [of all things]. And of everything We have created pairs, that you may reflect (or remember).”
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بَنَيْنَـٰهَا بِأَيْي۟دٍۢ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ ٤٧وَٱلْأَرْضَ فَرَشْنَـٰهَا فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَـٰهِدُونَ ٤٨وَمِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ ٤٩
"We built the universe with ˹great˺ might, and We are certainly expanding ˹it˺.As for the earth, We spread it out. How superbly did We smooth it out!1And We created pairs of all things1 so perhaps you would be mindful."
(Surah Adh Dhariyat: Ayat 47–49)
Reflection: These
verses (from Surah adh-Dhāriyāt) contain two profound concepts: the expansion
of the heavens and the creation of all things in pairs. In reference (Surah Adh Dhariyat: Ayat 47), God
proclaims the sky (or universe) is built strongly and is in a state of
expansion. This emphasizes God’s ongoing power in sustaining and unfolding
creation. It counters any notion that the cosmos is static or that God created
it and left it; rather, the creation is active and dynamic under His watch. The
might (power) with which heaven is built also comforts the believer that the
cosmos is not fragile chaos, but robustly constructed by the Almighty.
In reference (Surah Adh Dhariyat: Ayat 49), the statement that
everything is created in pairs is understood in multiple ways by
Islamic scholars: male and female (for living creatures), two complementary
parts (like day and night, positive and negative, matter and anti-matter in
modern parlance), or pairs as in species and their complements. The purpose
given is “that you may reflect/remember”. There is a didactic
angle: by observing the pairing in nature, one may remember the Oneness of the
Creator (since pairing suggests an underlying unity and design). The concept of
pairs can also humble us, as it implies completeness lies only when pairs unite
(like male and female to propagate life), suggesting that creation is made with
interdependence, not self-sufficiency – ultimate self-sufficiency belongs only
to God (who is One, not part of a pair). Spiritually, one might see in pairs
the idea of duality that defines our experiences – we know light by
darkness, good by evil’s contrast, mercy by wrath, etc. Those dualities drive
home moral lessons and the need to choose one side of the pair (virtue over
vice).
These verses invite us to
marvel at both the cosmic scale (expanding universe) and the microscopic
or relational scale (pairs in everything). The phrase “that you
may reflect” (Surah Adh Dhariyat: Ayat 49) shows that these are meant to spur deep thought.
When revealed, the idea of the heavens expanding would have been mysterious –
perhaps understood figuratively as the vastness of sky or the way clouds seem
to expand. Today, it gains new depth with cosmology. The idea of universal
pairing, similarly, would prompt a believer to observe nature’s patterns (like
plant pollen and ovules, or the binary nature of many phenomena) and realize a
deliberate symmetry in creation that bespeaks of the Creator’s wisdom. In
essence, the verses teach that the cosmos is not random: it has purposeful
structure (built mightily, expanding under control, balanced in pairs) – and
recognizing this should lead one to remember God and align with the
harmony He embedded in creation.
Scientific Insight: The
statement “We are expanding it” about the heavens reference (Surah Adh Dhariyat: Ayat 47) is a striking parallel to the modern discovery that the universe is
indeed expanding. In 1929, Edwin Hubble observed that galaxies are
receding from us, with more distant galaxies moving faster away – implying
space itself is stretching (the Hubble Law). This was a revolutionary
confirmation of the Big Bang model: that the universe began from a compact
state and has been expanding since. The Qur’an’s original Arabic (wa innā
la-mūsi‘ūn) can be translated as “We are surely expanding (it)” or “We are
enrichers/extenters”. The most straightforward reading in the context of building
the heaven is expansion or widening. It’s jaw-dropping for Muslims that a hint
of cosmic expansion appears in a 7th-century text. Classical scholars
interpreted “expanding” as providing abundance or ample provision in the sky,
or making it spacious. But the primary meaning “expanding in size” fits
perfectly with what modern cosmology says: space itself is growing. Current
measurements (using distant supernovae, cosmic microwave background, etc.) show
the expansion is even accelerating (due to dark energy).
Of course, one must be
cautious; we shouldn’t claim the Qur’an taught Hubble’s law explicitly – it’s a
brief mention open to interpretation. But it is fascinating that no
contradiction exists; if anything, it aligns suggestively with a scientific
truth uncovered 1300 years later. Many Muslims see this as evidence of the
Qur’an’s divine origin, or at least a remarkable point of reflection. From a
secular viewpoint, one could chalk it up to a lucky guess or a metaphorical
flourish. Yet, considering that the default belief historically (until the 20th
century) was an eternal, static universe, the Qur’anic phrasing stands out. It
gave believers the flexibility to accept the expanding-universe concept without
theological conflict, which is noteworthy. It’s also scientifically accurate in
saying the “heaven” was built with might/power (bi-aydin – could
imply with power or hands metaphorically); indeed, tremendous energy (power)
was involved in the Big Bang expansion, and continues to drive expansion now
(dark energy pervading space).
Now, the concept of “pairs” in reference (Surah Adh Dhariyat: Ayat 49) has intriguing scientific echoes too. Virtually every system we look at shows some type of duality or pairing:
In biology, sexual reproduction is the norm for multicellular life – male and female pairs in animals and plants (and even many microorganisms exchange genetic material in pair-like processes). Only a few forms of life are truly asexual, and even those often have some exchange of genes. The discovery of eggs, sperm, pollination, etc., put concrete detail to “created everything in pairs of its kind”. Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century noted that plants have male stamens and female pistils, which was not widely known earlier (some ancient hints existed, but Linnaeus formalized plant sexuality).
The Qur’an in another verse:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَزْوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٦
Glory be to the One Who created all ˹things in˺ pairs—˹be it˺ what the earth produces, their genders, or what they do not know!
(Surah Yassin: Ayat 36)
also says God created “the pairs of all things which the earth produces, and of themselves (humans) and of that which they know not,” which many interpret to include plants having pairs.
In physics, a surprising development in the 20th century was the prediction and discovery of antiparticles – for each fundamental particle, there exists a corresponding antiparticle (with opposite charge). Paul Dirac theoretically predicted the positron (anti-electron) in 1928, and it was found in 1932. Now we know electrons have positrons, protons have anti-protons, neutrons have anti-neutrons, quarks have anti-quarks, etc. Matter and antimatter are “pairs” that were created together in the early universe (and mysteriously, slightly more matter survived, leading to our material universe). Some Muslims have likened Qur’an 51:49’s general phrase “everything in pairs” to anticipating matter-antimatter or other dualities in physics (like positive/negative charge, north/south magnetic poles). Those specific concepts are certainly modern, but, interestingly, the Qur’an used “everything” – not just living things – in pairs. This broadens the scope beyond the obvious male-female context. The verse invites discovering pairs “of that which they know not” (as Surah Yassin: Ayat 36), leaving open scientific exploration.
In chemistry, many elements come in molecular forms that are paired (like diatomic gases: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen come as H₂, O₂, N₂ – pairs of atoms). While Qur’an likely didn’t mean this specifically, it’s another pervasive pairing in nature.
Even abstract things come in pairs: matter and energy, space and time (unified in relativity), wave and particle (dual nature of quantum objects), etc. While these may be philosophical stretches of “pair,” it shows the theme of duality is deeply ingrained in our understanding of the universe.
From a scientific viewpoint,
not absolutely “everything” is in a male-female pair; for example, some animals
are hermaphrodites, some particles (like a photon is its own antiparticle) don’t
have a distinct different partner. But the language is general enough to cover
the vast majority of natural phenomena. One interesting scientific reflection:
by saying everything is in pairs, it subtly suggests complementarity as
a fundamental principle. Modern science indeed finds complementarity – e.g., in
quantum physics, certain properties (position/momentum, wave/particle) are
complementary pairs that together give a full description but cannot be
observed simultaneously. Niels Bohr’s principle of complementarity in the 1920s
could be philosophically linked to this idea – that reality often comes in
pairs of aspects.
Crucially, the verse says
the reason for the pairs is “that you may reflect/remember”. From a
scientific perspective, what do pairs teach us? They teach us to look for
symmetries and opposites in nature, which has been a guiding principle in
science (e.g., looking for the opposite charge, the other hemisphere, etc.).
Symmetry considerations have led to numerous discoveries (like Dirac predicting
positrons from requiring symmetry in his equations). So reflecting on pairs has
literally furthered science. Also, the prevalence of pairing in biology helps
us appreciate biodiversity and the need for both sexes – which has practical
implications for ecology (e.g., preserving pollinators so plants can
reproduce).
Another subtlety: “pairs” also resonates with the human experience that we find meaning in relationships – a solitary existence is not how we are built. Psychologically and socially, humans seek a partner or at least companionship (pairing in friendship, community). In a cosmic sense, perhaps everything being in pairs hints that creation itself is paired with the Creator – creation as one part, Creator as the other (not that God is a “pair” in the sense of equals, but meaning creation finds completeness only in relation to God). This might be going beyond literal science into metaphysics, but it’s a reflective thought that some theologians have expressed: all these pairs point to the ultimate unity (God), who is outside the pair system.
In science language, one could say the only thing not seeming to have a counterpart in observable nature is the universe as a whole, which raises the question of a “multiverse” (are there other universes as a pair/ensemble?). The Qur’an’s mention of “seven heavens and likewise earths.”
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَـٰوَٰتٍۢ وَمِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ ٱلْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمًۢا ١٢
Allah is the One Who created seven heavens ˹in layers˺, and likewise for the earth. The ˹divine˺ command descends between them so you may know that Allah is Most Capable of everything and that Allah certainly encompasses all things in ˹His˺ knowledge.
(Surah At Talaq: Ayat 12)
might hint at multiple worlds, but that’s
speculative. Interestingly, some scientific theories do entertain multiple
universes as pairs (like matter universe and antimatter universe mirror, etc.),
but we are firmly in theoretical territory there.
In conclusion, Qur’an reference (Surah Adh Dhariyat: Ayat 49) presents two grand ideas: cosmic expansion and universal
pairing. Science has validated the first robustly (the universe expanding) and
given much evidence for the second (from gender in biology to symmetry in
physics). These verses encourage a holistic reflection: from the expansion of
galaxies to the dualities in every atom, the universe’s fabric is intentional
and instructive. For the faithful scientist, this is both humbling and
thrilling: humbling because it suggests a wisdom far beyond ours behind it all,
and thrilling because it assures us that by studying these features (expansion,
pairs) we are indeed “remembering God” in a way, fulfilling the verse’s call to
reflect. Even for a non-believer, these verses show that the Qur’an was
engaging with profound natural phenomena that remain at the forefront of
scientific inquiry, which at least testifies to the Qur’an’s richness as a
text that doesn’t shy away from the grand questions of existence.
references:
https://qurangallery.app/topics/expanding-universe-quran
https://islamqa.info/en/answers/223457/meaning-of-and-of-everything-we-have-created-pairs
https://islamqa.info/en/answers/223457/meaning-of-and-of-everything-we-have-created-pairs
https://qurangallery.app/topics/expanding-universe-quran
https://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=51&verse=47&to=50#:~:text=46.,it%20would%20be%20absolutely%20fruitless.
