The expansion of the universe: a Quranic revelation

Surah Adh-Dhariyat Verse 47 2026-09-01 19:29:22

Quranic verses

وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ

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

Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:47)

In Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:47), the Quran declares:

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

The Arabic term "lamusi'un" (We are expanding it) indicates continuous expansion. This statement remained incomprehensible for centuries, until astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered in 1929 that the universe is constantly expanding.

This discovery, confirmed by observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and measurements of the cosmic microwave background, is today one of the pillars of modern cosmology.

Scientific findings

Discovery of the expansion of the universe by Edwin Hubble (1929)
Cosmic microwave background (1965) confirms the Big Bang model
Measurements from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Planck mission (2013) refine the expansion rate

Scientific references

A relation between distance and radial velocity among extra-galactic nebulae — Edwin Hubble (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1929)
Planck 2013 results: Cosmological parameters — Planck Collaboration (Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2014)