SX43@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK (11/19/90)
" VERILY WE ARE EXPANDING IT !"
(The Qur'an on Cosmological Expansion, Big Bang and Space Travel)
By
F.R.Ellahi.
The expansion of the Universe must be one of the most striking
discoveries of modern science. It is now firmly established, not a
theory but as a 'fact' of life, which later improvements in understanding
are not likely to refute (a bit like there is not much chance of any
later theory disputing the 'fact' that things fall when you drop them, on
Earth.)
There is an ironical twist to the story of the discovery of the
cosmological expansion. Einstein's equations of General Relativity
actually predicted that the universe was either expanding or
contracting, but apparently the famous scientist could not accept this
fact.. well, put yourselves in his shoes, and look up at the sky on any
clear night : can you see any stars moving away from each other ?
Presumably he had done the very same thing many a time, and this may be
why Einstein apparently fiddled his equations by introducing his
Cosmological Constant, which allowed the equations to predict a
static Universe.
Of course he probably wanted to kick himself later when Edwin Hubble
(the boxer cum astronomer) discovered from red-shift
measurements that all the galaxies are flying apart from each
other at frightful speeds! (This doesn't show up on a cursory
inspection of the night sky simply because they are so stupendously far
away from each other already).
Dr Maurice Bucaille, in his book 'The Bible, the Qur'an and Science'
talks about these things in his chapter on Astronomy in the Qur'an. (Dr
Bucaille is an accepted expert on the relation between Scripture and
Science, and his books are well worth reading if you're looking for hard
facts backed up with in-depth analysis of scriptural references.)
On page 173, he explains how fourteen centuries ago this
expansion of the Cosmos was made clear to all humanity for all time to
come. He quotes the verse :
'The heaven, We have built it with power, Verily We are expanding it.'
(Verse 47 of Surah 51).
(Well if that doesn't knock you for six you probably aren't a
physicist!) This is a prime example of the way the Qur'an doesn't go only
for the heart and soul, but it also reaches the MIND, and declares a
challenge (like Bucaille says) to human explanation! But before you all
reach for your Yusuf 'Ali and other common English translations of
the Holy Book: don't bother. For some reason, most common English
translations have mistranslated this profoundly important verse.
Bucaille says on page 174 :
" 'We are expanding it' is the translation of the plural present
participle musi'una of the verb ausa'a meaning 'to make wider, more
spacious, to extend, to expand'.
^^^^^^
Some translators who were unable to grasp the meaning of the
latter provide translations that appear to me to be mistaken, e.g. 'We
give generously' (R. Blachere). Others sense the meaning, but are afraid
to commit themselves: Hamidullah in his translation of the Qur'an talks
of the widening of the heavens and space, but he includes a question
mark. Finally, there are others who arm themselves with an authorised
scientific opinion in their commentaries and give the meaning stated
here. This is true in the case of the Muntakab, a book of commentaries
edited by the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Cairo. It refers to
the expansion of the universe in totally unambiguous terms. "
I suppose if Einstein felt pressured enough to modify his
equations of General Relativity and make them fit with how he saw the
Universe, then Yusuf 'Ali and others can't be blamed too much for using
the secondary meanings of the verb, instead of the face meaning of 'to
expand'. Their translations were made long before Edwin Hubble even
came onto the scene. (But it would have been helpful if this was made
clear in the footnotes!)
Incidentally, the conclusion that the Universe came out of a Big
Bang comes from discoveries like the Cosmological Expansion and
others..all made principally by citizens of the modern western Kafir
states. This is intriguing, for the Qur'an specifically singles out the
Unbelievers in its mention of the Big Bang :
"Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were
joined together, then We clove them asunder and We got every living
thing out of the water. Will they not then believe ?" (Surah 21, verse
30 Quoted from page 145 of Bucaille.)
It seems that Allah is specifically targeting the Unbelievers,
and ticking them off, for despite having been given the great favour of
seeing some of the greatest of His Signs, they still reject Him.
After mentioning the expansion of the Universe, Bucaille goes on
to talk about what he considers is an UNAMBIGUOUS prediction of Man's
capability and ultimate achievement of space travel. I found his reasons
very enlightening.
The main verse in question is :
"O assembly of Jinns and Men, if you can penetrate regions of the
heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You shall not penetrate
them, except with a Power." (Surah 55, The Beneficent, verse 33.)
Bucaille goes on to give an interesting explanation of some
Arabic terms. To cut a long story short, he says that there are three
words used in Arabic for various explicit meanings of our English 'if'.
There is an 'if' to express a possibility in general : 'ida'. There is
another to refer to an achievable condition : 'in' (e.g. 'if it rains
tomorrow..'). And there is an 'if' for the impossible hypothesis : 'lau'
(as in 'if life was a bed of roses..'!). The verse quoted above uses
the Arabic word 'in' for our English 'if'..specifying the possibility of
a concrete realisation of this event, the penetration of the heavens and
the earth. He further says :
" 'To penetrate' is the translation of the verb 'nafada' followed
by the preposition 'min'. According to Kazimirski's dictionary, the
phrase means 'to pass right through and come out on the other side of a
body'..It therefore suggests a deep penetration and emergence at the
other end into the regions in question. " (P.175)
Indubitably this indicates that Man will one day be able to do
what we in our time have managed to see : penetration into outer space.
Technology seems ripe for exploration of deep space in our lifetimes.
Bucaille notes that the verse implies not only penetration of outer
space but also of the depths of the Earth.
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Disclaimer : Any good to be found in this is from Allah, Glorified and
High. Any mistakes are from me.
References :
----------
The Bible, the Qur'an and Science.
(The Holy Scriptures Examined in the Light of Modern Knowledge).
By Dr Maurice Bucaille.
Translated from the French by :
Alaistair D. Pannell and The Author.
Fifth Edition, revised and expanded (1987).
Published by :
Seghers,
6 Place Saint-Sulpice,
75006 PARIS,
France.
By the same author :
'What is the Origin of Man?'