THE UNIVERSE IN GASEOUS STATE

11- Then He turned to the heavens, and it was in a gaseous state. And said to it, and the
earth; “Come into existence, willingly or unwillingly.” They said, “We come willingly.”
41-Elucidated, 11

“Dukhan” is the word used in Arabic for smoke, vapor and gaseous matter. It appears that
the universe was a gaseous mass before it reached the state - by the will of God - from
which the universe and the earth came to be.

We know that our world, the sun and the stars did not come about immediately after the
primeval explosion. For the universe was in a gaseous state before the formation of the
stars. This gaseous state was initially made of hydrogen and helium. Condensation and
compression shaped the planets, the earth, the sun and the stars that were but products of
the gaseous state. The discovery of these phenomena has been rendered possible thanks to
successive findings as a result of observations and theoretical developments. The knowledge
of all contemporary communities during the time of the Prophet would not suffice for the
assertion that the universe had once been in a gaseous state. The Prophet himself did not
claim to be the author of the statements in the Quran as it often reminded, declaring that he
is simply a messenger of God.

49- This is news of the unseen which we reveal to you, which neither you nor your people
knew before. So, be patient. Surely the end is for the dutiful.
11-Hud, 49

VOLATILE GASES TO ONE DAY BE TRANSFORMED INTO

MAGNOLIAS
It is evident that the aim of the scientific miracles expounded in the Quran was not only to
perform miracles, or to teach us some scientific facts. The knowledge provided by the Quran
is of paramount importance. The Book focuses our attention on the ingenuity of the creation
full of marvels. The fact that it miraculously predicted events, the knowledge of which was
unattainable at the time of the revelation of the Quran, is not the only important point. It
also provides consequential knowledge. Take for instance sura 41, verse 11: the fact that the
Quran revealed 1400 years ago that the universe was previously in a gaseous state is a
miracle. But the fact that the universe was not confined to its original state, but expanded in
the wake of the primeval explosion and from this there emerged - within the framework of
laws imposed by God - the stars, the planets, human beings and the magnolias are also part
of His miraculous creation. In witnessing these miracles unfolded in the Quran we must not
lose sight of the level of knowledge of the time and what is concealed behind the
expressions.

We witness perfect operation of the physical laws in creation as the smoke of gas
compressed formed the stars. Gravitational power caused the smoke to contract and the
stars to be born, but the gravitational force does not go to extremes, and prevents the star
from becoming a black hole. What can be the agent behind this process involving
infinitesimal calculations, if not the Creator? Natural laws that encompass the entire universe
also apply to the formation of stars. The objectives were targeted by the Creator on the eve
of creation. Gravitation is not something intelligent and sentient and cannot be the author of
all these formations. What a grotesque sight we would behold had the Creator had recourse
to a chain to hold fast all the celestial bodies instead of the gravitation he devised. The
problem was solved by His ingenious creation of gravity. Isaac Newton (1642-1724), who
considered gravity the natural law imposed by the Creator, was the first scientist to discover
laws of gravity. But neither he nor any other scientist could discover the fact that the
universe was in a gaseous state in the beginning, neither before the revelation of the Quran,
nor 1000 years afterwards. The sun that warms us, the blue oceans, the musical notes, the
taste of our dishes have their origin in that gaseous state.

11- Indeed this is a reminder,

12- For anyone who desires to bear it in mind.
80-He Frowned, 11-12