The Creation of the Universe and the Seven Skies from Quran and Science
By Furqan Qureshi
Asalam o Alaikum. Today, I want to share a true story the story of all our lives, a journey through the past, present and future of the universe. This story begins when there was nothing and will end when nothing remains between the skies and the earth no stars, planets or time itself.
The Beginning: 14 Billion Years Ago
Our journey starts 14 billion years ago. But why 14 billion? Because the farthest known galaxy, GN-z11, is so distant that its light takes 14 billion years to reach us. This means that the universe is at least this old. However, humans have only existed for a tiny fraction of this cosmic timeline.
But how can we see the birth of this universe? To understand this, we have to free ourselves from the chains of time and explore the knowledge that science and ancient wisdom offers.
But how can we see the birth of this universe? To understand this, we have to free ourselves from the chains of time and explore the knowledge that science and ancient wisdom offers.
The Big Bang and Cosmic Microwave Background
In 1964, scientists Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered a mysterious radiation is spreading throughout the universe which is not coming from any star or planet. This radiation, called the Cosmic Microwave Background is the echo of a great explosion the Big Bang which created the universe and caused it to expand.
However, this discovery also posed the "horizon problem": the radiation appears uniform over regions of space so distant that light could not have traveled between them with the speed of light, suggesting that our understanding of physics might be incomplete.
Ancient Civilizations and the Concept of Creation from Water
Before modern science, ancient civilizations had their own stories about creation and many are surprisingly similar to each other some examples are:
The Enuma Elish tablets from Nineveh (3500 years ago) describe creation from water.
The Sumerians the oldest known civilization, spoke of a supreme being "Nammu" who created the skies and earth from water.
Ancient Egyptians and Greeks also described creation from a big ocean of water.
Far-flung cultures like the Aboriginal Australians, Daoists in China, West African tribes, and even the Cherokee in America have myths involving creation from water and formation of skies and earth.
Despite variations and some mythical elements, the common theme is a mighty, singular force creating everything from water in six or seven days.
Religion and Science: Different Perspectives on Creation
Today, there are over 3000 religions, each with its own creation story some main examples are:
Judaism describes a flat earth floating on water with paradise above and hell below it.
Christianity claims creation occurred about 6,500 years ago, with the sun and stars revolving around this earth.
Greek philosophy and Hinduism suggest the universe is eternal, without beginning or end.
However, these views face challenges from scientific observations such as satellite data disproving flat earth and the age of distant galaxies contradicting a young universe.
The Quran’s Unique Perspective
Islam emerging around 1400 years ago, offers a distinct and consistent narrative. The Quran states that God created the skies and earth in six days with His throne above the waters. Unlike other scriptures the Quran has only one version, making its message clear and unchanged.
The Quran also addresses the nature of time, explaining that a day to Almighty Allah can be equivalent to a thousand or fifty thousand years to humans which aligns with the scientific horizon problem and the relativity of time.
Understanding the Sky: Scientific and Quranic Insights
Scientifically, the blue sky is due to scattering of sunlight in atmosphere, with layers of atmosphere such as:
Troposphere (up to 6.5 miles): The layer where weather occurs.
Stratosphere (31 miles thick): The layer contains the ozone (O3) layer.
Mesosphere (53 miles thick): The layer where meteors burn.
Thermosphere (300 miles thick): The layer where satellites orbit and auroras occur.
Above this lies the Karman line, the boundary to outer space.
The Quran describes the sky as a "safe roof," secured so it does not fall, suggesting a protective layer. It also speaks of the sky’s expansion and its limits, mentioning flames and smoke released at its boundary which could correspond to the edge of the universe.
The Seven Skies
The Quran and Hadith describe seven skies, each with unique characteristics as described below:
- First Sky (Raqiya): The sky Made of water, inhabited by Adam and Hawa (Eve) peace be upon them.
- Second Sky (Aazfiloun): The sky Made of white pearls, where prophets Isa (Jesus) and Yahya (John) peace be upon them live.
- Third Sky (Qaidoum): The sky Made of pure iron, where Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) and the Angel of Death reside.
- Fourth Sky (Maaou'na): The sky Made of brass, home to Prophet Idris and the angel of tears.
- Fifth Sky (Riqqa): The sky Made of silver, home to Prophet Haron and the custodian of hell.
- Sixth Sky (Daqna'a): The sky Made of gold and red stones, home to Prophet Moses peace be upon him.
- Seventh Sky (Areeba/Araboth): The sky Made of light, home to Prophet Abraham peace be upon him.
The Power of "Kun Fayakun"
The Quran emphasizes the power of God's command "Be and it is" (Kun Fayakun), the ultimate force behind the creation, surpassing all scientific theories of universe formation.
Conclusion
The story of the universe’s creation is a profound journey through science, ancient wisdom and divine revelation (wahi). The Quran offers a unique and consistent perspective that aligns with many scientific discoveries and surpasses the limitations of human understanding.
May this journey inspire us to seek knowledge with humility and faith.
I will be publishing blogs related to this content. This content is collected from the youtube channel of Furqan Qureshi Blogs.
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