The universe, Big Bang, cosmic expansion and celestial bodies
The scholar Al-Biruni (973-1048) calculated the Earth's radius with remarkable precision by measuring the height of a mountain and the horizon dip angle. His purely geometric method yielded about 6,339 km, very close to the modern value of 6,371 km.
Read articleThe Quran invites us to contemplate the sky and affirms that there is "no fissure" in it. This perfection of the universe, revealed in the 7th century, evokes the harmony of the physical laws governing the cosmos.
Read articleThe Quran describes the sky as a "protected ceiling." Modern science has revealed that the Earth's atmosphere acts as a protective shield against radiation and meteorites.
Read articleThe Quran uses two different Arabic terms for the light of the sun (diya) and the light of the moon (nur), a distinction confirmed by modern science: the sun emits its own light, the moon reflects it.
Read articleThe Quran establishes the moon as a measure of time (10:5, 2:189). The Islamic lunar calendar, based on the actual phases of the moon, rests on remarkable astronomical precision.
Read articleThe Quran invites contemplation of the alternation of day and night. This phenomenon, due to the Earth's rotation on its axis, is now perfectly understood by astronomy.
Read articleThe Quran describes how Allah extends the shadow and makes the Sun its guide. This phenomenon, linked to the Earth's rotation and the course of the Sun, is now perfectly understood by astronomy.
Read articleThe Quran mentions the expansion of the universe 1400 years before Hubble's discovery.
Read articleThe Quran describes the origin of the universe as a separation of what was joined, an image that evokes the Big Bang.
Read articleThe Quran describes the sun's motion in an orbit, a reality confirmed by modern astronomy.
Read articleThe Quran describes the heavens as being in superimposed layers, an image that evokes the structure of the universe.
Read articleThe Quran mentions that stars serve as landmarks for navigation, a science that humanity has perfected over the centuries.
Read articleThe Quran describes the phases of the moon by comparing it to a withered old palm stalk, an astronomical image of remarkable precision.
Read articleThe Quran states that every celestial body "swims" in its own orbit. This reality, revealed in the 7th century, was only confirmed by science in the 17th century with Kepler and Newton.
Read articleThe Quran describes the creation of the heavens and the earth in six "days" (ayyam), a term denoting cosmic periods. Modern cosmology confirms that the universe formed through successive stages.
Read articleThe Quran mentions the relativity of time several times, notably "a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of your count." Einstein's theory of relativity (1905-1915) confirmed that time is not absolute but relative to speed and gravity.
Read article