The Expansion of the Universe
The heavens described as 'expanding'
The Arabic word 'musi'un' (مُوسِعُونَ) in 51:47 can be read as 'We are expanding it' — a reading that emerged in the 20th century. Classical scholars (Ibn Abbas, al-Khattab, al-Qurtubi, and the broader tradition) more commonly read it as 'We are vast in power' (قادرون) or 'We are able (to do all things)'. The modern cosmological reading, which aligns 51:47 with Hubble's 1929 observation of an expanding universe, is one valid interpretation among several — not a translation consensus.
Hubble's 1929 observation that galaxies recede from us at speeds proportional to their distance (Hubble's Law) led to the conclusion that the universe itself is expanding. This is the foundation of the Big Bang model.
Classical scholars read 51:47 as referring to Allah's power and sovereignty — 'vast in power' was the more common classical reading. Some classical commentators (e.g., al-Qurtubi) noted alternative linguistic readings. The cosmological reading is a modern (20th-century onward) interpretation.
The classical Arabic root s-w-ʿ can mean 'vast', 'able', or 'expanding' depending on context. Translating it specifically as 'expanding the universe' is a 20th-century interpretation, not a classical one. Some modern Muslim scholars (Yaqeen Institute, Zanjabil Institute) have published thoughtful responses both for and against the cosmological reading. The verse's primary meaning in classical scholarship is about Allah's power and sovereignty over creation, not a cosmological claim.
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