2. The Quran doesn't talk about the Big Bang at all.
Quran 21:30 says:
"Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity (ratq), then We separated (fataq) them, and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?"
The word ratq means; entity, sewn to, joined together, closed up.
These all circle around something mixed that has seperate (and also distinct) existence, thus fitting the Big Bang theory.
The word fataq means; We unstitched, We clove them asunder, We separated, We opened, We expanded.
The growth of a seed from the soil is one example of the verb 'fataq'.
The big bang theory explains that 14 billion years ago, all energy (which is actually the same basic thing as matter), space itself (which is also the same basic thing as time), and every other component of the universe existed as a point of infinite density and infinite temperature.
This point expanded rapidly and cooled, and a few hundred thousand years later, it was then cool enough for the first atoms to form. But these were just very simple atoms like hydrogen.
Because of the law of gravity (which also emerged at the big bang) these simple atoms attract each other, and they group together as clouds of gas over millions of years. These clouds of gas attract more and more simple atoms (because of it's increasing mass), and high density builds up causing the ball of gas to spin and and the dense centre of the ball of gas to heat up. This heat causes fusion of simple atoms, producing helium atoms. This fusion reaction releases energy, and a causes a chain reaction producing lots of heat, igniting the ball of gas and the first stars have now emerged, 100 million years after the big bang.
Stars eventually use up their energy and they die. In this process of dying, the star collapses and becomes very dense, which also increases temperature. The incredibly high temperatures reached at this point, are high enough for heavier atoms to start forming. These new elements also fuse in this high temperature and pressure, causing heavier elements to start forming. This process of star formation and death continues producing more and more elements.
Eventually, after these new elements have dispersed into the universe, some of the heavier atoms group together due to gravity again, forming clouds of dust. Clouds of dust in turn group together forming small rocks. Which again attracts more dust forming larger rocks. These rocks continue to grow in size, until we have something like the planet earth, which formed about 9 billion years after the big bang.
At no point was the earth separated from anything else. It is part of the universe.
On one hand, we have the scientific account above, and on the other hand we have the mythical account that the earth was separated from the sky or heavens, that is found in many creation myths.
on page 346 of the book 'creation myths of the world', we are told that "One of the most widespread motifs in creation myths is that of the separation of Heaven (or Sky) and Earth."
Maori myth for example:
"It is by the strength of Tane that
the sky and Earth were separated, and Light was born."
Sumerian myth:
"After heaven had been moved away from earth,
After earth had been separated from heaven,After the name of man had been fixed;"
So now all you have to do is decide which category the quran's version of events falls under.
"the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, then We separated them"
Does the quranic verse above more closely resemble the scientific account of the big bang? Or does it more closely resemble the mythical account of the heavens and earth being once joined and then separated?
Does the quran capture
any of the essential features of the big bang theory?
Does the quran fundamentally differ from the other mythical accounts of heavens and earth being separated?
I don't understand how this islamic explanation you have found is any way explaining how the quran correlates with the big bang. What does circling around "something mixed that has seperate (and also distinct) existence" even mean? Are you sure whoever wrote this even knows what the big bang theory is? Doesn't look that way to me.
If the quran describes the big bang theory, why does it do it in such a way that has no similarity with the big bang theory at all, and so closely resembles ancient and common myth? Is Allah not very good at explaining himself? How can the creator of the universe be less able to say what he means than me?
Topic: Help Me!