Surah al-Anbiya' (The Prophets ) 21 : 31

Overview (Verses 30 - 33)

Universal Evidence of God’s Oneness
 
The sūrah has so far given us several types of evidence drawn from the universe, all testifying to God’s oneness, and stated a number of arguments denying any possibility of there being more than one God. It has also provided evidence that addresses people’s hearts directly. Now the sūrah takes the human heart by the hand to contemplate some of the great phenomena in the universe, as it is wisely managed by God. Yet the unbelievers remain heedless of the clear signs revealed all about them. For those who look however, the universe reveals aspects of itself that leave our minds in total amazement when we contemplate them with an open heart and alert senses.
 
Are the unbelievers unaware that the heaven and the earth were once one single entity, which We then parted asunder? We have made out of water every living thing. Will they not, then, believe? (Verse 30)
 
The statement that the heavens and the earth were split apart after having been a single entity is worth careful consideration. The more advanced theories of astronomy seeking to explain universal phenomena always tend to support this truth stated in the Qur’ān over 1,400 years ago. The theory that wins most acceptance today is that which claims that star constellations, such as our solar system which includes the sun, its planets and moons including our planet earth and its moon, were originally nebula. The nebula was then rent asunder and its parts took their circular shapes. The earth was also a piece of the sun that separated from it and cooled down.
 
However, this is merely an astronomical theory which may be fashionable today, but could be proven false tomorrow, only to be replaced by yet another assumption to explain universal phenomena. It thus gives birth to a different theory. We, as believers, do not try to interpret a Qur’ānic statement in terms of a theory which is far from certain. We take Qur’ānic statements as they are. Scientific theories are different from true scientific facts which can be tried and tested, such as the fact that metals stretch when heated, or that water evaporates or freezes in severely cold weather.
 
The Qur’ān is not a book of scientific theories. Its field is not applied science. It is a constitution that regulates man’s whole life. Its method is to set the human mind on the right track, so that it can function and be free within the limits set for it. It also sets society on the right lines so that it allows the mind to work and be free, without labouring on purely scientific detail. This area is left for the human mind to work out after it has been set free.
 
The Qur’ān may refer to some universal facts, like the one stated here: “The heaven and the earth were once one single entity, which We then parted asunder.” (Verse 30) We accept this as an absolute certainty simply because it is stated in the Qur’ān. We certainly do not know how the heavens and the earth were parted, or ripped one from the other. We accept astronomical theories which are not in conflict with this general fact mentioned in the Qur’ān. What we will not do however is take up the Qur’ānic text and try to fit it to any astronomical theory. We do not seek an endorsement of the Qur’ān through human theories, because the Qur’ān states only what is certain. The most we can say is that the astronomical theory accepted today is not in conflict with the general import of this Qur’ānic statement revealed many generations prior to it.
 
The next sentence of the verse states: “We have made out of water every living thing.” (Verse 30) This short sentence states a great and crucial fact. Indeed, scientists shower praise on Darwin for having identified that water was the first environment where life began.
 
It is indeed a fact that should capture all our attentions. That it is mentioned in the Qur’ān neither fills us with wonder nor increases our belief in the truth of the Qur’ān. Our belief in the absolute truth of everything it states is based on our unshakeable belief that it is God’s revelation, not on its being confirmed by scientific discoveries or theories. The most that can be said here is that on this particular point, Darwin’s evolutionary theory is not in conflict with what the Qur’ān states.
 
For fourteen centuries, the Qur’ān has drawn the attention of unbelievers to the great marvels God has placed in the universe, wondering how they could deny what they see everywhere: “Will they not, then, believe?” (Verse 30) How could they persist in their disbelief when everything around them in this universe inevitably leads to faith in God, the Creator, the Wise who conducts all affairs?
 
The sūrah continues to point out awesome scenes of the universe: “We have also set firm mountains on earth, lest it sway with them.” (Verse 31) The Qur’ān, then, states that the mountains, firm as they are, maintain the balance of the earth so that it does not sway or shake. This balance may be maintained in various forms, such as setting a balance between the external pressure on the face of the earth and the one inside it, i.e. internally. Or it may be that the height of a mountain in one place is counterbalanced by a deep valley in another. Whatever the case may be, this statement confirms that the mountains have a direct bearing on the balance and stability of the earth. It is the domain of scientific study to identify and prove how this stability and balance are achieved. But it is the Qur’ānic text that invites us to contemplate such facts.
 
Let us now follow the magnificent aspects of God’s creation in the wide universe: “We have cut out there broad paths, so that they might find their way.” (Verse 31) The pathways made in the mountains in the shape of depressions between its high peaks assist the traveller in finding his way yet there is also another subtle implication here that refers to faith. It may be that travellers will find their way to accepting the faith just as they find their way through the mountains along such paths.
 
“And We have set up the sky as a well-secured canopy.” (Verse 32) In Arabic, the sky refers to everything that is above us. We see above us something like a ceiling. The Qur’ān states that the sky is a well-secured canopy. It is secure from any defect or contamination, since it symbolizes the height from which God’s revelations are bestowed. But “they stubbornly turn away from all its signs.” (Verse 32)
 
Finally a reference is made to time and place phenomena that are very close to man and his life on earth: “It is He who has created the night and the day and the sun and the moon: each moves swiftly in its own orbit.” (Verse 33)
 
The night and day are two universal phenomena, while the sun and the moon are two great celestial bodies that are closely related to human life on earth. When we contemplate the succession of the day and night and the movement of the sun and the moon, we realize that they are so accurate as to admit no defect, and so consistent as to allow no failure. Such contemplation is sufficient to guide our hearts and minds to the fact that the system that applies to them is one, the will governing them is one and their great Maker is one.