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There is quite bit of hype among Muslims who's says, it is in the Quran that the Universe is expanding. They quote the verse 51:47. A link that quotes this is here.

Sahih International

And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander.

Sahih International translation says something but other translations say something else:

Pickthall

We have built the heaven with might, and We it is Who make the vast extent (thereof).

Yusuf Ali

With power and skill did We construct the Firmament: for it is We Who create the vastness of pace.

Shakir

And the heaven, We raised it high with power, and most surely We are the makers of things ample.

What is the truth?

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  • and could not it be said "wa inna la musiguna ha " with arabic grammar? so a pronoun would clearly refer to sky? may i or you add this to question?
    – qdinar
    Sep 7, 2015 at 12:53
  • Logically, we can not say that the Quran says it is expanding 100%. But the idea is surely there. The phrase "wa inna lamosi3on" could also mean "And surely We are able/have the power to". And in the same time, the phrase could also mean "And survely We are its expander!". See the word mosi3on has different meanings.
    – Kilise
    Feb 7, 2016 at 12:54
  • more translations of quran 51:47 : islamawakened.com/quran/51/47/default.htm
    – qdinar
    May 1, 2017 at 17:32
  • grammar: corpus.quran.com/wordbyword.jsp?chapter=51&verse=47
    – qdinar
    May 1, 2017 at 17:34

3 Answers 3

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Seeking for Ahadeeth about the issue the following comments may be given:

  1. Both Earth's surface and Skies were created from water and air (الماء و الهوی), and were expanded and structured ..., there are Quranic and Hadeethwise evidences that the skies were created after Earth so that the big bang theory for which the red shift effect is considered a most important sign for its justification cannot be correct.

  2. The earth was not growing any plant and the sky was not raining, so Allah led the skies to rain and the Earth to grow plants:

    أَوَلَمْ يَرَ‌ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضَ كَانَتَا رَ‌تْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ --[Al-Anbiya,30]

    see [تفسير القمي، ج‏2، ص: 69] for interpretation, the translations I saw available were not all very correct

    and this blessing of Allah is called expanding in sustenance (واسع الرزق) and being constantly expanding can imply the sky (السماء comes from وسمة which means a resource for water الماء) being raining and increasing in life span of the creatures living on Earth and their sustenances (also mentionوَ فِي السَّمَاءِ رِ‌زْقُكُمْ وَ مَا تُوعَدُونَ), see [بحار الأنوار (ط - بيروت)، ج‏، ۵۵، باب ۸] and [مجمع البحرين، ج‏4، ص: 403 ] as a reference for this justification.

  3. Some scholars also believe by موسعون Allah also might intend to mention the physical expanding of the skies and interpret this verse together with فتق السماء and then فاطر السموات. Although all of these can also be interpreted else ways. See the research around this issue in e.g. [قاموس قرآن، ج‏3، ص: 53-51].


Conclusion:

This issue is not fully resolved and understood by the scholars. However the stages of creation of the Earth(s) and Skies are explained in Ahadeeth although not all of those explanations are also easy to understand. And Allah is the All-knower

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  • I think we shouldn't deny science because of ones own understanding of the Quran and Hadith. One should be careful in this field.
    – Kilise
    Feb 7, 2016 at 13:00
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Yes. According to Ulamas (the religious authorities), the phrase ((انا لموسعون)) in this Ayah (verse), shows the continuity of expanding the universe. This case was proven by many scientists. I just bring you one example; Dr. George Gamow proved this in his book: the creation of the universe. He says that on the basis of the information from the galaxies, we found out the universe is being expanded continues.

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  • Not eligible to comment on the issue (like other issues indeed) but anyway, can you also explain this verse using such logics? I doubt. I only can bring up some Islamic resources that seemingly cite the dark matter in physics but God Willing I won't, since science is not mature enough and reduction of verses of Quran to fit the physicist's current understanding of the universe can be dangerous. My opinion though.
    – owari
    Feb 2, 2014 at 22:14
  • more translations of quran 13:41 : islamawakened.com/quran/13/41/default.htm
    – qdinar
    May 1, 2017 at 17:30
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Salam alaikom

If I understood your question correctly:
First of all you can't say the haven is a place like earth or anywhere else.
Haven is a level or viewpoint that we can't realize.
Think about an animal; It lives in humans world but can't precept our society.
In meraj (transition of prophet to other world) he won’t really go in very high altitudes.
But instead he go very up in levels of think an understanding. So your viewpoint is not clearly true about worlds.

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  • It does not throw any light on what the question is asking. There is general belief among many Muslim that Quran says Universe is expanding. What is your view point on that?
    – muslim1
    Jan 21, 2014 at 2:58
  • @muslim1 I was thinking about understanding your question too bad.forgive me.thats why I wrote the second line of answer
    – mpower
    Jan 21, 2014 at 9:44
  • you mean me'raj happend without going up and passing the material skies? So you don't agree his ascendant happen with his material body transported all along the journey? Of course فیکم عالم الکبیر inter-relates both concepts but you cannot deny the 7 skies being really skies, can you?
    – owari
    Feb 2, 2014 at 22:20
  • @muslim1, his answer as is actually answer your question like "no it doesn't mean necessarily universe is expanding since by skies there is implied some other concepts."
    – owari
    Feb 2, 2014 at 22:22
  • @owari, to put it in right way "Quran does not says universe is expending. The quoted link and hype among Muslims that Universe is expanding is most likely exaggeration and not correct". If you agree with that. Put that in your answer and I will mark it answered. Do not add 'necessarily'. The question is, does it or it does not. I think the answer is it does not.
    – muslim1
    Feb 3, 2014 at 0:52

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