QUR’AN AND THE SCIENCE OF ASTRONOMY

By H .U Danmalam

Natural phenomena such as Astronomy (the science that deals with the study of the sun, moon, stars, planets etc), human reproduction, animal and vegetable kingdoms, the earth and their likes are well reflected in the holy Qur’an.  Considering the time the holy Qur’an was revealed (14 centuries ago) on one hand, and the time modern science was able to discover such phenomena (about a century ago), it will make a great subject for the Muslims in particular and mankind in general, to ponder upon. Furthermore, such a study will also enlighten us more how great and wise the almighty Allah, the creator of heavens and earth is, so that we may strive harder in seeking nearness to Him.

    Modern science defines the universe to include everything we know in the whole of space, which no one knows its size, how it starts or when it will come to an end. It is believed to be formed in the distant past when a single body of matter exploded to form galaxies that spread throughout the space or the universe. Compare this discovery of only yesteryears with the Qur’anic revelation in chapter 21 verse 30:

“Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), then We clove them asunder and We made from water every living thing. Will they not believe?”

It should be noted that in Arabic the word fatq means the action of breaking, diffusing or separating and that ratq means the action of fusing or binding elements together to make a homogenous whole. These words are exactly used in describing the process of separating the single body of matter that explodes to form galaxies. 

A galaxy is huge collection of stars, gas and dust. A star is a self-luminous object that shines by radiation obtained from nuclear fusing reaction within itself. Stars vary in their age, size, temperature, brightness, colour and chemical composition. The sun is a typical star, and is one of the more a hundred million stars that make up our galaxy called the Milky Way (one can see that on any summer night when the whole space is filled with stars). For long, Astronomers thought that the Milky Way made the whole of the Universe; however, it is now known that there are giant agglomerates of stars similar to the Milky Way that lies outside our galaxy. This fact has been known in the Qur’an 14 centuries ago:“Did you see how Allah created seven heavens one above another and the moon a light therein and made the sun a lamp?” (Q71: 15 – 16) (See also 2:29; 23:17; 67:3; 78:12).Commentataors of the Qur’an are in agreement on all these verses: the number “7” means no more than plurality as can also be found with the Greeks and Romans writings to use seven to mean an undefined idea of plurality.

may be appreciated, if one considers the size of our galaxy – the Milky Way. If light can travel at a speed of 186,000 miles per second,, then it would require something like 90,000 years (not seconds, not days or months but years) to go from one extreme to the other of the most compact group of stars that make up our galaxy. Yet Allah (T) has made a very large number of isolated galaxies and masses of galaxies that were only discovered by modern science in the first half of the last century.

The sun is an important star in the study of astronomy. It is believed to be formed from massive clouds of dust and gas (mainly hydrogen) that are attracted to one another by the force of gravity. As the particles come together, the cloud shrinks, its density increases and heat is generated. When the temperature at the core reaches over 1,000,000^oc (boiling point of water is 100^oc) nuclear fusion reactions begin, releasing large amount of energy and a glowing ball of gas appears making the birth of the star.It was born as an average-sized star and will probably have a life span of about 20 billion years. It is now in the class of yellow G (those stars hat have surface temperature of about 6000^oc) in its middle age. It will slowly expand to form a red giant (surface temperature about 3000^oc), which may extend up to our earth. It will become a white dwarf when its shell drifts away. This is believed to be the beginning of the end of its life as it slowly cools and fades into a cold black dwarf.