According to science, the universe has been continuously expanding.
Modern Muslim apologists (like Zakir Naik) recently distorted the translation of Quranic Verse 51:47 and claimed that Allah already told the continuous expansion of the universe in the Quran. Their modern distorted translation is as under:
(Quran 51:47) وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ
Translations:(Muhammad Asad) "It is we who have built the universe with [our creative] power; and, verily, it is we who are steadily expanding it." (Harun Yahya used this translation in his book. Link)
(Hilali/Khan) With power did We construct the heaven. Verily, We are Able to extend the vastness of space thereof. (Zakir Naik used this translation in his book. Link)
(Khalifa) "We constructed the sky with our hands, and we will continue to expand it."
This is clearly a heavily distorted translation of the last 2 words of this verse (i.e. وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ)
وَإِنَّا means "and indeed, We (Allah)"
لَمُوسِعُونَ means "are the Expander".
Therefore, the correct translation of this verse is:
(Quran 51:47) And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We (Allah) are [its] expander.
The term “lamūsi‘ūn” in this verse is a "NOUN" and not a "Verb", and it describes "God" and not the "heaven" (i.e. the term “lamūsi‘ūn” means "God is the Expander", and not "the Universe is Expanding".
Word by Word Translation and Grammar provided by Corpus Quran:
Corpus Quran is a Muslim project, where that provided the word-by-word translation and grammar of the Quran. Let us see what they are saying (link):
|
(are) surely (its) Expanders. | ||
| PRON – 1st person plural object pronoun | N – nominative masculine plural (form IV) active participle |
Verse (51:47)
Sahih International: And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander.
This is the "literal" meaning of the word "mūsi‘" . However, in Quran, this word and its derivatives have been used in the meanings of "Encompassing".
Look at the following verses:
(Quran 6.80) My Lord wasi‘a (encompasses) everything in His knowledge.
(Quran 7.89) Our Lord wasi‘a (encompasses) everything in His knowledge.
(Quran 20.98) [He] wasi‘a (encompasses) everything in His knowledge.
Also see verse 65:12, where directly the word of "احاط" (encompass) has been used instead of "wasi'a"
(Quran 65:12) وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا
Translation: and that God encompasses everything in knowledge
So, then verse 51.47 must be understood as follows: "And the heaven We built it with might and We lamūsi‘ūn (encompasses it)."
This verse confirms that heaven is completely within and under God’s control. There is no reference whatsoever to the expansion of heaven. The term “lamūsi‘ūn” describes God, not heaven.
None of the earlier translators ever gave this meaning of "Present perfect continuous" like modern Islam apologists. Let us see some of the earlier translations:
Yusuf Ali: With power and skill did We construct the Firmament: for it is We Who create the vastness of space.
Pickthal: We have built the heaven with might, and We it is Who make the vast extent (thereof).
Shakir: And the heaven, We raised it high with power, and most surely We are the makers of things ample.
H/K/Saheeh: And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander.
Also, see the meaning of wasi‘a in this arabic-english dictionary here.
The wrong Translation of Modern Muslims is exposed in the next verse of 51:48
A lie has no feet. Modern Islam apologists got exposed in the next verse:
(Quran 51:48) وَالْأَرْضَ فَرَشْنَاهَا فَنِعْمَ الْمَاهِدُونَ
Translation: We have spread out the earth; how excellent a spreader/smoother We are!
In this verse, the word الْمَاهِدُونَ (spreader/smoother) has exactly the same grammar (Active Participle Form I) as the word لَمُوسِعُونَ (i.e. expander) in the previous verse.
If we have to follow the Muslim logic of the previous verse, then the translation of the next verse becomes:
(Quran 51:48) We have spread out the earth; and We are still steadily spreading/smoothing it.
Let us see the translation and grammar at Corpus Quran (link):
(51:48:4)
l-māhidūna
(are) the Spreaders!
N – nominative masculine plural active participle اسم مرفوع
Verse (51:48)
The analysis above refers to the 48th verse of chapter 51 (sūrat l-dhāriyāt):
Sahih International: And the earth We have spread out, and excellent is the preparer.
Obviously, even these modern Quran translators also don't believe that Allah is still spreading/smoothing the earth. Therefore, here they didn't translate it as they did in the previous verse. Let us see how they translate this next verse:
(Hilali/Kan 51:48) And We have spread out the earth, how Excellent Spreader (thereof) are We!
(Asad 51:48) And the earth have We spread out wide - and how well have We ordered it!
(Khalifa 51:48) And we made the earth habitable; a perfect design.
So, you can see the wickedness of these Translators and Islam apologists like Zakir Naik and Harun Yahya.
Universe consists of "Space", while Quranic Sky is a solid Dome which could not expand
Actually, Islam is not only wrong, but it is "so much wrong" that one gets confused as to where to start explaining its wrong claims.
According to science, the universe consists of space and galaxies are travelling away from each other in this space thus it is considered an expansion of the universe.
But according to the writer of the Quran:
- There is no mention of the universe, but it talks only about the earth and the 7 skies.
Islam apologists of today dishonestly distort the meaning of the Quranic word "Sama" (i.e. Sky), and claim it to be "universe". - But according to the writer of the Quran, these 7 Skies are "solid" Domes, where prophets are residing along with their people.
- And it is impossible for a solid Dome to expand like the universe is expanding due to the travelling of galaxies in space.
No mention of the continuous expansion of the Universe in 800,000 Ahadith of Islam
Billions of Muslims read the whole Quran during the last 14 centuries, but none of them found continuous expansion of the universe in the Quran.
But in recent times, when scientific advancement was made and people came to know about the expansion of the universe, then the Islam apologists came into action and forcefully extracted the expansion of the universe from the Quran by distortion.
Muslims have more than 800,000 Ahadith, but again for the last 1400 years, nobody found expansion of the universe in them too.
Hassan Radwan