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Index to Creationist Claims,  edited by Mark Isaak,    Copyright © 2004
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Claim CJ531:

The Qur'an speaks of an expanding universe. It says (51:47), "And it is We who have constructed the heaven with might, and verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it." This indicates the Qur'an's divine origin and thus its accuracy.

Source:

Yahya, Harun, n.d. Miracles of the Qur'an, http://www.harunyahya.com/miracles_of_the_quran_01.php

Response:

  1. The translation above is mistaken or at best forced. Better translations of the last clause are "we are the ones who enrich it" (Pangloss 2003) or "we it is who made the vast extent" (Pickthall n.d.).

  2. The following verse (51:48) says, "And the earth We have laid out." Suras 51:47-48 appear to be a rough translation of Isaiah 42:5: "Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it. . . ." If divine origin is imputed on the basis of these verses, credit should go to the Bible, not the Qur'an.

  3. The expansion interpretation was not noticed until after the expansion of the universe was well known through scientific observations. If Allah meant the Qur'an to indicate an expanding universe, the verse indicates that He was not competent to communicate clearly.

Links:

Pangloss, Abdul-Kalaam, 2003. The Qur'an and the Big Bang. http://www.geocities.com/freethoughtmecca/bigbang.html

References:

  1. Pangloss, 2003. (see above)
  2. Pickthall, Marmaduke, n.d. The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, New York: Dorset Press.

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created 2003-12-1