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Prof Basil Altaie and Dr Joseph Noor offer different perspectives on the reading of 21:30. DR ABDULHAKIM NSOBYA provides an analysis of the different readings of this seminal Quranic verse on two fundamental scientific truths.
Sura Al Anbiyaa (21:30) Allah says:
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ
كَانَتَا رَتْقًۭا فَفَتَقْنَـٰهُمَا ۖ
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ٣٠
Do the disbelievers not realise that the heavens and the earth were once one mass, then We split them apart? And We created from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
This verse has led to diverse interpretations regarding the Quran’s description of creation. Some scholars see the verse as a reference to the Big Bang, while others suggest it describes the formation of the solar system.
Prof Basil Altaie, a theoretical physicist, and Dr Joseph Noor, a medical professional with an interest in science in the Quran, have explored this topic in some depth, presenting different interpretations. Their debate offers fascinating insights into the relationship between faith and science, blending theological reflection with scientific inquiry.
It is important to note that the disagreement between Prof Altaie and Dr Noor is mainly on this part of the verse: “the heavens and the earth were once one mass, then We split them apart”.
Dr Joseph Noor
Dr Noor asserts that this part of 21:30 references the Big Bang, the commonly accepted scientific explanation for the origin of the universe. His view is rooted in a scientific understanding of the fundamental components of the universe—mass, energy, space and time. According to him, the phrase “heavens and earth” is not limited to celestial bodies, but that it refers to the very fabric of the universe. Dr Noor explains:
The traditional definition of “heavens and earth” is outdated and unscientific. Heavens and earth refers to mass, energy, space, and time—organised into celestial systems, which the Quran defines as stars and solar systems. These are the raw materials of the universe, and their formation aligns with the Big Bang.
Dr Noor argues that the “splitting apart” in the verse aligns with the expansion of the universe following the Big Bang, where the universe transitioned from an initial singularity into the vast cosmos. This interpretation of the Quranic verse reflects the scientific theory of the universe emerging from an incredibly dense and hot state. Additionally, Dr Noor asserts that the reference to water in the verse should not be taken literally. Instead, it refers to elementary components, such as hydrogen, which eventually combine to form life.
He further expands this idea:
The first concept applies to living things as well. Carbon and the other elements were synthesised later in stars, but the material I’m referring to is much more elementary than the chemical elements, which existed in the initial unitary mass (the singularity).
Dr Noor’s interpretation focuses on the singularity of the Big Bang, which he believes is represented by the “one mass” mentioned in Sura 21:30. He insists that this mass held the fundamental building blocks for all that exists today, including Earth and living organisms:
The evidence is overwhelming. This verse refers only to the origin of the universe and cannot apply to the origin of the solar system. The verse describes the singularity before the Big Bang, the absence of space, and the violent temperatures at the beginning.
Dr Noor is the author of Document X: Direct Evidence of God’s Existence, which explores the intersection of Islamic theology and modern science. He believes that Sura 21:30 offers a unique opportunity for Muslims to engage with the Big Bang Theory, providing a bridge between theology and cosmology.
Prof Mohammed Basil Altaie
Prof Altaie takes a different stance, arguing that Sura 21:30 is not about the creation of the universe, but rather that it describes the formation of the solar system. Although he recognises that many interpreters have linked this verse to the Big Bang, he fundamentally disagrees with them. He argues that the Earth is specifically mentioned in the verse, implying that it existed during the described process.
Prof Altaie explains:
The verse is talking about the formation of the heavens and the Earth. So, the Earth must exist in the process by which it was parted from the heavens. According to modern cosmology, the universe originated in a Big Bang about 14 billion years ago, while the Earth formed about 9 billion years later. No way can we say that the Earth was created by the Big Bang.
For Prof Altaie, the Earth’s late formation relative to the Big Bang means that Quran 21:30 is describing a later event—specifically, the creation of the solar system from a cloud of gas and dust. This idea is supported by modern astrophysical models that show how stars and planets, including the Earth, formed from a nebula. Altaie points to the Quran’s description of the “heavens as smoke” (Sura Fussilat, 41:11) as consistent with the gaseous nature of the early solar system.
He also highlights the element composition of the universe:
The gaseous nebula contained all the chemical elements we know, which formed the Earth. The universe created by the Big Bang contained only hydrogen, helium, and lithium. The rest of the elements, including iron, were formed in the cores of massive stars. This means the Earth couldn’t be produced by the Big Bang.
Prof Altaie concludes that Quran 21:30 is best understood as describing the formation of the solar system, and not the Big Bang. He argues that this interpretation aligns more closely with both Quranic language and modern astrophysics.
Prof Altaie is a leading scholar in Islamic cosmology. He is also a professor collaborating with the theory group at the School of Physics and Astronomy at Leeds University. And he is the author of The Divine Word and the Grand Design, which explores the Quranic descriptions of creation and their relationship with contemporary scientific discoveries. His work focuses on the Quranic treatment of complex natural processes, including the formation of the solar system.
The debate between Prof Altaie and Dr Noor highlights the richness of Quranic interpretation and how readily the Quranic text can engage with modern scientific knowledge.
Important resources on the topic:
[1] Book: The Divine Word and The Grand Design: Interpreting the Qur’an in the Light of Modern Science by Mohammed Basil Altaie
[2] Book: Document X: Direct Evidence of God’s Existence by Joseph Noor
[3] Video: An interview with Prof Altaie by Dr Shoaib Malik
[4] Video: Prof Altaie and a short dialogue with Steven Hawking
[5] Video: Can the Universe create itself? Prof Altaie challenges the views of Prof Lawrence Krauss
[6] Video: Prof Altaie challenges the allegations against Imam Al Ghazali made by Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson
[7] Book: Download a FREE PDF copy of The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology with Islamic Additions.
[8] Video: Prof Keith Moore affirms that Quranic descriptions of the development of the embryo could only have been Divinely revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
