﷽"
Created from Nothing or Divine Cause?
Based on Quranic verses and classical interpretations, celestial signs—including the sun, moon, and stars—are presented as deliberate creations of Allah, designed with purpose and serving as signs of divine power and wisdom rather than being random or self-created phenomena. The Qur'an emphasizes that these bodies are "subjected" to divine command, moving in ordained orbits, and are meant for human benefit, such as navigation and timekeeping.
Key Perspectives on Celestial Signs in the Qur'an
Created in Truth and Purpose:
The Qur'an explicitly states that the heavens and earth, including the sun and moon, were not created in vain or for amusement, but rather in truth (3:191, 10:5). They are part of a designed, purposeful cosmos.
اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ mentioned in Al Quran:
﷽"
إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمُ ۗ وَمَا ٱخْتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْعِلْمُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ ١٩
"Certainly, Allah’s only Way is Islam.1 Those who were given the Scripture did not dispute ˹among themselves˺ out of mutual envy until knowledge came to them.2 Whoever denies Allah’s signs, then surely Allah is swift in reckoning".
[Surah Al Imran: Verse 19]
﷽"
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ ٱلشَّمْسَ ضِيَآءًۭ وَٱلْقَمَرَ نُورًۭا وَقَدَّرَهُۥ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا۟ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ ٥
"He is the One Who made the sun a radiant source and the moon a reflected light, with precisely ordained phases, so that you may know the number of years and calculation ˹of time˺. Allah did not create all this except for a purpose. He makes the signs clear for people of knowledge."
[Surah Yunus: Verse 5]
Subservient to Divine Command (Divine Cause): Celestial bodies are described as musakhkharat (subjugated or subservient) to Allah's command:
﷽"
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُۥ حَثِيثًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ وَٱلنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍۭ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ٥٤
"Indeed your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days,1 then established Himself on the Throne. He makes the day and night overlap in rapid succession. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars—all subjected by His command. The creation and the command belong to Him ˹alone˺. Blessed is Allah—Lord of all worlds!
[Surah Al Ar'af: Verse 54]
They move in predetermined orbits and are not self-governing.
Signs for Reflection (Ayat): The alternation of night and day, and the existence of the sun, moon, and stars, are labeled as Ayat (signs) for people of understanding to ponder:
﷽"
ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًۭا وَقُعُودًۭا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلًۭا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ١٩١
"They are˺ those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth ˹and pray˺, “Our Lord! You have not created ˹all of˺ this without purpose. Glory be to You! Protect us from the torment of the Fire."
[Surah Al Imran: Verse 190]
﷽"
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ وَٱلنُّجُومُ مُسَخَّرَٰتٌۢ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْقِلُونَ ١٢
"And He has subjected for your benefit the day and the night, the sun and the moon. And the stars have been subjected to His command. Surely in these are signs for those who understand."
[Surah An Nahl: Verse 12]
Functional Purpose: The stars are described as guides for navigation in the darkness of land and sea (6:97, 16:16).
﷽"
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلنُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُوا۟ بِهَا فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ ٩٧
"And He is the One Who has made the stars as your guide through the darkness of land and sea. We have already made the signs clear for people who know."
[Surah An An'am: Verse 97]
﷽"
وَعَلَـٰمَـٰتٍۢ ۚ وَبِٱلنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ ١٦
Also by landmarks and stars do people find their way.
[Surah An Nahl: Verse 16]
The moon is described as having phases for calculating time (10:5).
﷽"
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ ٱلشَّمْسَ ضِيَآءًۭ وَٱلْقَمَرَ نُورًۭا وَقَدَّرَهُۥ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا۟ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ ٥
"He is the One Who made the sun a radiant source and the moon a reflected light, with precisely ordained phases, so that you may know the number of years and calculation ˹of time˺. Allah did not create all this except for a purpose. He makes the signs clear for people of knowledge."
[Surah Yunus: Verse 5]
Creation "From Nothing": While the Qur'an emphasizes that Allah originated the creation (30:27), it also refers to the heavens and earth previously being a "joined entity" before being separated (21:30)
﷽"
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يَبْدَؤُا۟ ٱلْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ ۚ وَلَهُ ٱلْمَثَلُ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٢٧
"And He is the One Who originates the creation then will resurrect it—which is even easier for Him.1 To Him belong the finest attributes in the heavens and the earth. And He is the Almighty, All-Wise."
[Surah Ar Rum: Verse 27]
Key Quranic Verses
Surah Al-Furqan (25:61): "Most Blessed is He Who made constellations in the sky, and placed in it a lamp (sun) and a shining moon."
﷽"
تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ بُرُوجًۭا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَٰجًۭا وَقَمَرًۭا مُّنِيرًۭا ٦١
"Blessed is the One Who has placed constellations in the sky, as well as a ˹radiant˺ lamp1 and a luminous moon."
[Surah Al Furqan: Verse 61]
Surah Al-Anbiya (21:33): "And He is the One Who created the day and the night, and the sun and the moon—all swimming in an orbit."
﷽"
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّۭ فِى فَلَكٍۢ يَسْبَحُونَ ٣٣
"And He is the One Who created the day and the night, the sun and the moon—each travelling in an orbit."
[Surah Al Anbiya: Verse 33]
Surah Al-A'raf (7:54): "...He created the sun, the moon, and the stars—all subjected by His command. The creation and the command belong to Him alone."
﷽"
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُۥ حَثِيثًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ وَٱلنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍۭ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ٥٤
Indeed your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days,1 then established Himself on the Throne. He makes the day and night overlap in rapid succession. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars—all subjected by His command. The creation and the command belong to Him ˹alone˺. Blessed is Allah—Lord of all worlds!
[Surah Al Ar'af Verse 54]
In summary, the Qur'an presents the cosmos as a finely tuned creation resulting from divine purpose. In the Qur'anic worldview, celestial signs are understood through a synthesis of creation ex nihilo (from nothing) and divine causation. While God is the ultimate Originator (Al-Badi') who brings the universe into being from non-existence, He also governs it through established natural laws and "divine causes".
1. Creation from Nothing (Ex Nihilo)
The Qur'an emphasizes that before the universe existed, there was only God.
The Divine Command: The phrase Kun fayakūn ("Be, and it is") signifies that God does not require pre-existing materials or effort to create.
The Originator: As Al-Badi' (The Originator), God brought the heavens and earth into existence without any prior model.
The First Cause: Theological arguments (Kalam) posit that, since the universe has a beginning (as supported by the Big Bang theory), it must have a transcendent cause beyond space and time.
2. Divine Cause and Natural Law
Once created, celestial bodies do not operate randomly but are "subjected" (musakhkharāt) to God's command through fixed physical laws.
Order and Balance: The sun, moon, and stars follow "rounded courses" (orbits) and "appointed terms".
Invisible Pillars: The Qur'an mentions the heavens are raised "without pillars that you can see"
﷽"
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى رَفَعَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍۢ تَرَوْنَهَا ۖ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّۭ يَجْرِى لِأَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّۭى ۚ يُدَبِّرُ ٱلْأَمْرَ يُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّكُمْ تُوقِنُونَ ٢
"It is Allah Who has raised the heavens without pillars—as you can see—then established Himself on the Throne. He has subjected the sun and the moon, each orbiting for an appointed term. He conducts the whole affair. He makes the signs clear so that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord."
[Surah Ar R'ad : Verse 2]
which many modern commentators link to the invisible force of gravity.
Purposeful Design: Celestial signs are not accidental; they are designed for human benefit—providing navigation, timekeeping, and light.
3. Reconciling the "Six Days" and Instant Command
A common theological question is why a universe commanded to "Be" took "six days" (epochs) to form.
Phased Creation: Scholars suggest that while the command is instant, the materialization follows a specific process or stages designed by God.
Temporal Relativity: The Qur'anic "days" are often interpreted as long periods or epochs rather than 24-hour periods, potentially aligning with the billions of years estimated by modern cosmology.
Summary Table of Celestial Signs: Refer to the above Ayat/Verses:
Sign Quranic Reference Function/Significance
Stars 6:97, 16:16 Guidance in darkness; markers for navigation
Sun/Moon 10:5, 21:33 Timekeeping (years/reckoning) and light
Orbits 36:40 Precise, balanced movement in a "rounded course."
Expansion 51:47 Continual widening of the "heaven" (the universe)
Would you like to explore how the expansion of the universe mentioned in Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:47) is interpreted alongside? modern astrophysics?
Translation: “Or were they created from nothing, or are they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain.”
﷽"
أَمْ خُلِقُوا۟ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُونَ ٣٥أَمْ خَلَقُوا۟ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۚ بَل لَّا يُوقِنُونَ ٣٦
"Or were they created by nothing, or are they ˹their own˺ creators?Or did they create the heavens and the earth? In fact, they have no certainty."
(Surah At Tur: Verses 35–36)
Reflection: These rhetorical questions in Surah at-Tūr challenge the listener to ponder the origin of existence. They present a logical trilemma: Either humans (and by extension everything) popped into being without any cause (“from nothing”), or we are self-caused (“themselves the creators”), or there is an external Creator (implied by dismissing the first two). The next verse extends the argument to the entire cosmos: did you create the heavens and earth? Obviously, the answer expected is no – we did not create ourselves or the universe. Thus, by elimination, the only coherent answer is that a transcendent Creator brought everything into existence. “Rather, they are not certain” points out that those who deny God have no firm answer to these questions; their disbelief isn’t built on a satisfying alternative explanation but on uncertainty or avoidance of the question.
This is a classic argument for God’s existence known in theology as the argument from creation or contingency. Spiritually, it awakens the fitrah (innate intuition): deep down, we recognize that nothing comes from nothing, and something cannot create itself if it didn’t exist to begin with. By stirring this basic logic, the Qur’an guides people from heedlessness to realizing the necessity of a First Cause – an uncreated Creator. It’s notable that the Qur’an doesn’t delve into complex philosophy here; it uses simple, almost child-like clarity: “Did X come from nothing? No. Did X make itself? No. Then someone made X.”
This straightforward reasoning
is accessible to everyone. The verses encourage humility – we are created, not
self-sovereign – and gratitude to our Originator. They also indirectly critique
the arrogance of those who act as if they are independent of any higher power.
By referencing “heavens and earth,” it ties personal existence to the entire
universe’s existence: both require an ultimate cause beyond themselves. This
cosmic perspective broadens one’s thinking – our existence isn’t an isolated question
but part of the grand question of why anything exists at all.
Scientific Insight: Science, especially cosmology, grapples with the question: “How did the universe originate?” Currently, the Big Bang theory describes the development of the universe from an extremely hot, dense initial state, but it doesn’t claim to answer what (if anything) came before the Big Bang or what caused it. Some physicists propose that time itself began with the Big Bang, making the question “what was before?” meaningless in their models. Others have speculative models of a prior state, such as oscillating or cyclic universes, vacuum fluctuations, multiverses, etc.
But none of these models truly gets around the fundamental question posed by 52:35–36: Why is there something rather than nothing? – or – Could existence arise without any cause? As theoretical physicist (and Nobel laureate) Steven Weinberg said, “the ultimate question… why these laws rather than some other laws… seems to lie beyond science.” In modern discourse, one hears debates: some atheists like Lawrence Krauss have argued the universe could come “from nothing” by quantum mechanics – but their “nothing” often isn’t truly nothing; it’s a quantum vacuum, which is actually something (a realm with laws, fields, potentialities). The Qur’an’s question “were they created from nothing?” pre-empts this, forcing clarity on what nothing means: sheer non-existence cannot produce existence because non-existence has no potential, no power, no being.
This aligns with the philosophical
principle ex nihilo nihil fit – from nothing, nothing comes.
Scientists largely operate under the assumption that events have causes
(causality), though at quantum scales causality can be probabilistic. Even in
quantum physics, events (like virtual particles appearing) occur within the
framework of quantum fields and energy-time uncertainty – not absolute
nothingness. So science has not found a true example of something arising from
absolute nothing without any underlying laws or conditions. In fact, the more
science uncovers about the universe’s origin, the more finely-tuned conditions
it finds that had to be in place (like specific quantum states, densities,
etc.). That can push the question back (e.g., “what set those conditions?”) but
not remove it.
The Qur’an’s second
question, “or are they themselves the creators?”, is interestingly
mirrored in some modern thought where humans think they can “create” new forms
of life (through genetic engineering, synthetic biology, AI, etc.). But even in
those endeavors, we are not creating from scratch; we are rearranging existing
matter and using existing natural laws. We have not created a single atom of
matter from nothing, nor given life to truly non-living matter without using
life-derived components. The verse is more pointed at self-creation paradox:
for something to create itself, it would have to exist before it
existed – a logical impossibility. No scientific theory suggests self-creation
either, because it’s logically untenable. Stephen Hawking once wrote in The
Grand Design that the universe could spontaneously create itself from
nothing because of the law of gravity. Critics pointed out the flaw: gravity is
not “nothing,” it’s something (a law, a field). So even brilliant scientists
sometimes blur the distinction, but logic snaps it back: either something
beyond the universe exists to bring it forth, or one falls into irrational
positions like self-causation or causeless existence. The Qur’an, in these
compact verses, catches that logical ball very cleanly.
Another aspect is the anthropic
coincidences: the heavens and earth (i.e., the universe’s fundamental constants
and Earth’s properties) are such that they permit life. Science notes dozens of
these fine-tuned parameters (strength of forces, masses of particles, expansion
rate, etc.) that if slightly different, no stars, planets, or life as we know
it could exist. Some scientists posit a multiverse to explain this (if
countless universes exist with random parameters, we’d find ourselves in the
one that supports life). But a multiverse just pushes the need for an
explanation up one level (who or what generated the multiverse and set its
rules?). The Qur’anic rhetorical questions cut to the chase: either it’s nothing, the
thing itself, or a transcendent Creator. The fine-tuning argument in modern
apologetics basically adds detail to “did you create the heavens and earth?” –
obviously we did not, nor did we set their finely-tuned constants. As the verse
says, “Rather, they are not certain” – science can quantify
the fine-tuning but doesn’t claim to know why those specific values. There is
an uncertainty or resort to chance or unprovable multiverses.
Thus, these verses highlight
an area where science reaches an epistemological boundary. Science excels
at explaining how processes unfold within the universe, but
the ultimate origin (the “initial singularity” or “why these
laws”) edges into metaphysics. The Qur’an invites the reader to not shy away
from that ultimate question. Historically, when this verse was revealed, it
challenged Arab polytheists who weren’t providing any coherent account of
creation (they mostly inherited a vague idea that Allah created but then
associated others with Him). Today, it challenges the modern skeptic or
materialist who might say “the universe just exists” or “came from a quantum
fluctuation” – it calls that out as an uncertain and
inadequate answer.
On a human level, it also humbles us. We are makhlooq (created beings), not khaaliq (creators) in the fundamental sense. Psychology research shows humans have a tendency for “illusory control”, sometimes overestimating their independence or effect. These verses correct that: you did not bring yourself here, and you do not hold up the sky. A scientist might think of it this way: every atom in our bodies, every law our life depends on (like gravity keeping us on Earth, electromagnetic force holding our molecules together) – we didn’t invent any of that. We awaken as consciousness into a universe already running by rules we had no hand in making.
That realization can inspire either existential angst
or, as the Qur’an urges, remembrance of the Creator and gratitude. The
phrase “they are not certain” is also an invitation to seek
certainty – the Qur’an positions faith in God as a rational certainty
once these alternatives are dismissed. And interestingly, many great scientists
(past and present) do end up with a sense of awe and even faith precisely
because they confront the profound contingency of the universe. As physicist
Gerald Schroeder put it, “Science will not eliminate God. It will draw
us closer to God by understanding His creation.” The Qur’an, ahead of
its time, sets the philosophical framework that still resonates in discussions
about the origin of the universe in cosmology and philosophy today.
In summary, verses 52:35–36 make a succinct case for the necessity of a Creator. Science in all its advancements has not found a more logical explanation for the origin of all things – it either leaves the question open (saying “we don’t know yet”) or sometimes inadvertently echoes one of the two rejected options (like implying a quantum void “created” or the universe “popped into existence spontaneously” – which really doesn’t escape the conundrum). Thus, these Qur’anic questions remain deeply relevant, serving as a checkpoint where science meets philosophy and theology. They urge the reflective person, whether in the desert 1400 years ago or in a modern physics lab, to acknowledge that behind the grand tapestry of existence, there must be an uncaused Cause.
The humility and curiosity
that realization brings are exactly “remembering” (dhikr)
and “reflecting” (fikr), as the Qur’an constantly encourages.
In the spirit of these verses, one famous scientist, astronomer Allan Sandage
(who discovered quasars), said upon accepting faith, “It was my science
that drove me to the conclusion that the world is much more complicated than
can be explained by science… It is only through the supernatural that I can
understand the mystery of existence.” Such a sentiment is precisely
what Surah at-Tūr is aimed at eliciting – moving from uncertainty to certainty
in the belief that we and the cosmos have a Creator.
references:
The Glorious Quran and Science.
Federal MInistry Religous Department,Malaysia
https://thequran.love/2025/07/17/proving-god-as-the-first-cause-creation-ex-nihilo-and-the-origin-of-everything/#:~:text=This%20verse%2C%20which%20opens%20Surah,all%2Dpowerful%2C%20uncreated%20being.
https://www2.nau.edu/~gaud/bio301/content/iscrst.htm#:~:text=The%20Qur'an%20says%20that,%22%20(7:54).
https://www.muftiwp.gov.my/en/artikel/irsyad-fatwa/irsyad-fatwa-umum-cat/1236-irsyad-al-fatwa-ke-129-penciptaan-langit-bumi#:~:text=%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%B0%D9%90%D9%8A%20%D8%AE%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%82%D9%8E%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8E%D9%91%D9%85%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%8E%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%90%20%D9%88%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%92%D8%A3%D9%8E%D8%B1%D9%92%D8%B6%D9%8E%20%D9%88%D9%8E%D9%85%D9%8E%D8%A7,Meanwhile%2C%20Ibn%20'Abbas%20r.
https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/jqs.2014.0133#:~:text=When%20God%20generates%20contingent%20entities%20through%20the,to%20this%20notion%20of%20God's%20creative%20activity.
https://www.islam-guide.com/bqs/17astronomy.htm#:~:text=%2D%2Dsura%206%2C%20verse%2097,not%20absolutely%20identical%20'lights'?
https://muslimandquran.com/islamic-terms/kun-faya-kun#:~:text=Kun%20Faya%20Kun%20%E2%80%93%20Understanding%20the,Al%2DImran%2C%20Allah%20says:
https://thequran.love/2025/04/08/celestial-signs-in-the-quran-a-spiritual-and-scientific-reflection-2/#:~:text=Reflection:%20These%20verses%20present%20a,meaningful%20order%20rather%20than%20chaos.
