Islam and the Big Bang Theory

Big Bang Theory, Perspective of Islam, Expansion and Origin of Universe

Big Bang theory:

Big Bang theory states that the whole universe came into existence from a single point that was intensely dense and hot. That single point at first stretched and inflated with an unimaginable high speed. After that, expansion took place at a much slower and measurable rate. Now it is been 13.7 billion years that the universe is expanding. As a matter of fact, Islam is not against the concept of the Big Bang theory. The major reason is that Muslims have got shreds of evidence that support this theory in their holy book ‘The Quran’. In fact, Muslims actually believe that this theory is compatible with the teachings of Islam. According to different Islamic scholars, the notion of the beginning of the universe from a single point and its continual expansion is in line with the description of creation provided in the verses of the Quran. Also, the scholars in their arguments point towards several verses from the Quran in order to support their argument. For instance: ‘The heavens and the earth were joined together as a unit before we clove them asunder’ (21:30).

Science of Big Bang theory:

It is basically a scientific model that helps us to understand the evolution, origin, and expansion of the whole universe. Some major points of the Big Bang theory are given below:

Cosmic Origin and Expansion:

Cosmic origin suggests that all the energy, space, time, and matter were squeezed in a singularity, from which the universe originated after an explosion. This explosion took place almost 13.7 billion years before the present. After this explosion, the expansion of the universe started rapidly. Surprisingly, this expansion has not stopped to this day. There are some other scientific evidences that support this notion of expansion of the universe. For example, from different galaxies, the redshift of light is taking place and this is a clear indication that they are continuously moving far away from all of us.

Emergence of Elements:

After the explosion the universe first expanded and then it cooled as a result it led to the formation of so many elements for example helium and hydrogen, all the elements then clumped and joined together in order to formulate stars, galaxies, and planets.

Cosmic Microwave Background:

CMB was basically discovered in 1964. This strongly supports the idea of the Big Bang theory. Cosmic microwave background radiations actually fill the universe and according to scientists, these radiations are reminders of the initial extreme heat of the explosion (big Bang).

Formation of Galaxy:

As we all know gravity has played a key role in the formulation of clusters of galaxies and galaxies for billions of years. Such galaxies contain planets, stars, and different celestial types of objects.

Observable Universe:

From the planet Earth, we can only observe a limited portion of this universe, and that portion is known as the observable universe. It has some limitations like the age of the universe and also the speed of light. The objects that can be observed by humans are 13.7 billion light-years away, which is considered to be the limit of human access.

Continuous Expansion:

The scientific community is convinced that the speed of expansion of this universe is taking place at an accelerating rate. The cause is a mysterious force and scientists have given this energy a unique name which is known as “dark energy”. This area needs more research as the scientific community considers this an active area for more discoveries in cosmology.

Credibility of Big Bang theory:

There is no doubt that Big Bang theory has actually withstood so many observations and tests and it is widely approved and accepted by the scientific community. It is considered to be the most valid explanation of the origin of this universe, its expansion, and its evolution as well. However, the basic limitation of this theory is that it does not tell us about the origin of that singularity itself as it only highlights the physical processes that took place after the explosion. The theory also does not give us any information regarding the reason and basic cause of this explosion. So all such questions related to the nature of singularity and causes of explosion are the open topics that need more research and scientific attention. In order to make new discoveries in the subjects of cosmology and physics scientists must inquire these questions.

Universe and Islam:

In Islam, the universe is considered a very well-ordered and well-designed system by the creator of all creations, Allah. This natural world is actually considered to be the sign of His power as well as wisdom. Many Islamic scholars have made great contributions to different fields of science including mathematics, cosmology, astronomy, and medicine. According to Muslim scholars, there are no pieces of evidence about the age of this universe in the Quran so, most of them are convinced that the answer to the question of how old the universe actually is. It is not present in the holy book. As a result, they accepted the age of this universe is 4.5 billion years which is proven scientifically.