make this more convincing: Astronomical Miracles in Quran

1. The Big Bang: “Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, then We clove them asunder…” (Quran 21:30) The verse suggests that the universe once existed as a single entity before being “clove asunder,” a theory describing the universe’s origin from a singularity. Seventh-century Arabia did not possess knowledge of cosmic beginnings, let alone theories resembling the Big Bang.

2. Expanding Universe: “And the heaven We created with might, and indeed We are (its) expander.” (Quran 51:47) 2. The verse points to an expanding cosmos, which parallels the modern understanding of the universe’s continuous expansion, a concept developed only in the 20th century with Hubble’s observations.

3. Celestial Bodies in Orbit: “It is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all in an orbit are swimming.” (Quran 21:33) Describing celestial bodies as swimming in an orbit touches on the idea of heavenly objects following determined paths—a principle consistent with Newton’s and Kepler’s laws of motion and gravity, which were not formulated until centuries later.

4. The Sun’s Trajectory: “And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.” (Quran 36:38) This refers to the sun’s fixed course or orbit, possibly indicating an understanding of the sun’s motion relative to the galaxy, known as the solar apex, which was not known in ancient times.

5. The Moon’s Reflected Light: “Blessed is He who made constellations in the skies, and placed therein a lamp and a moon giving light.” (Quran 25:61) The verse may differentiate between the light-emitting sun (“a lamp”) and the reflectively illuminated moon (“giving light”), while people in the past typically considered the moon to be a source of light.

6. Darkness in Deep Seas and Oceans: “Or (the state of a disbeliever) is like the darkness in a vast deep sea… covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds. Darkness, one above another…” (Quran 24:40)6. This could be seen as describing the absence of light in deep ocean layers, a condition only confirmed upon the advent of modern oceanography and sophisticated underwater equipment.

7. Layers of the Atmosphere: “Then He completed and finished from their creation (as) seven heavens in two Days and He made in each heaven its affair. And We adorned the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps (stars)…” (Quran 41:12) 7. The “seven heavens” may be interpreted as layers within the Earth’s atmosphere, with each layer having a different function, knowledge that was well beyond the scientific horizon of the Prophet’s time.

8. The Protective Sky: “We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they are turning away from Our signs.” (Quran 21:32) 8. The sky as a “protected ceiling” may suggest the atmosphere’s role in shielding life on Earth from harmful cosmic rays and debris—something not understood until atmospheric and space sciences advanced many centuries later.

9. The Spherical Shape of the Earth: “And after that He spread the earth.” (Quran 79:30), which some interpret as alluding to the roundness of the Earth due to the use of the word “dahaha”.  The word “dahaha” has been interpreted to mean “egg-shaped,” potentially hinting at the Earth’s oblate spheroid shape, against the common flat earth beliefs prevalent in past societies.

10. The Iron Sent from Space: “And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people…” (Quran 57:25), which some interpret as an indication that iron came from meteorites. Interpreted as referencing the extraterrestrial origin of iron, this could be connected to the scientific discovery that much of Earth’s elemental iron came from meteoroids, a concept not understood by people in Muhammad’s era.

11. Gravity: “Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you can see…” (Quran 13:2), interpreted by some as a reference to invisible gravitational forces. Without visible support, the heavens’ suspension might be likened to the invisible force of gravity, a concept that was not formalized until Isaac Newton’s work approximately 1,200 years later.

12. The Lunar Calendar: “They ask you about the new moons. Say: They are but signs to mark fixed periods of time in (the affairs of) men, and for Pilgrimage.” (Quran 2:189) The use of lunar phases to measure time aligns with astronomical observations, yet the complex calculations of lunar cycles required for such a calendar system were unlikely to be made in the 7th century.

13. Pulsars: “So I swear by the retreating stars - Those that run [their courses] and disappear -” (Quran 81:15-16) The “retreating stars” that disappear may allude to pulsars or other transient celestial phenomena that were only identified with modern telescopes and would be out of reach with the naked eye and the astronomy of Muhammad’s time.

14. Seven Layers of the Earth: “He who has made everything which He has created most good: He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay, And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised: But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit…” (Quran 32:7-9) While the interpretation of “seven layers” is debated, some suggest it correlates with modern geological understanding of Earth’s layers, which were unknown at the time of Muhammad.

15. The Conquest of Space: “O assembly of jinn and men, if you have the power to penetrate (all) regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate (them)! You will never penetrate them save with (Our) sanction.” (Quran 55:33) This verse alludes to the vastness and inaccessibility of space, a reality not truly grasped until the age of space exploration began nearly 14 centuries after Muhammad’s lifetime.

16. Solar Apex: “It is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course.” (Quran 21:33) The verse speaking about celestial bodies swimming in their courses could imply knowledge about the sun traveling along a path through the galaxy—a concept only understood with modern astronomy.

17. Differentiation of Planets: “He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Each (just mentioned) floats in an orbit.” (Quran 21:33) Separation between night and day created by the sun and moon describes a celestial order and modeling of planetary bodies that would not have been understood in detail by people of Prophet Muhammad’s era.

18. The Fingerprint: “Does man think that We shall not assemble his bones? Yes, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers.” (Quran 75:3-4) Although not directly astronomical, the detail in fingerprints functions here as a metaphor for God’s power to recreate even the smallest, intricate details—a feature of human identity understood only with the advent of forensic science.

19. Matter and Antimatter: “Praise be to Allah, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels messengers with wings - two, or three, or four (pairs): He adds to Creation as He pleases…” (Quran 35:1) Creation “out of nothing” and reference to pairs (interpreted by some as matter and antimatter) touches upon concepts in particle physics that underlie the fabric of the universe, which is a field that developed in the 20th century.

20. The Formation of Stars and Planets: “And it is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, all in an orbit are swimming.” (Quran 21:33) The verse’s description of celestial bodies in perpetual motion could suggest a dynamic universe where stars and planets form and move according to physical laws, not fully grasped until the advent of modern astrophysics.

21. Origin of Universe from Smoke: The description of gaseous state before the formation of celestial bodies. “Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke…” (Quran 41:11) Reference to “smoke” is interpreted as the hot, gaseous state in the universe’s early formation, similar to a nebular hypothesis of solar and planetary development—a scientific model conceived millennia later.

22. Atmospheric Pressure: High altitude effects on human ability as potentially referenced in the Quran. “Those whom Allah (in His plan) wants to guide - He opens their breast to Islam; those He wants to leave straying - He makes their breast close and constricted, as if they were climbing up to the skies.” (Quran 6:125) The physiological effects described at high altitudes, such as chest constriction, could be interpreted as awareness of atmospheric pressure effects—an understanding not scientifically documented until recent centuries.