The Holy Quran contains many wondrous teachings that show us how to live moral and righteous lives, but it also contains much information about the nature of the universe and various branches of science, including astrophysics.

For example, one verse seems to refer to the Big Bang theory.

In verse 30 of Surah 21 (The Prophets) of the Holy Quran, it is written: “Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, but We have opened them; and We have made of water every living thing, will they not then believe?”

The Encyclopaedia Britannica writes: “According to the big-bang model, the universe expanded rapidly from a highly compressed primordial state, which resulted in a significant decrease in density and temperature.”

Several scientists have cited this verse as proof that the Holy Quran mentions the Big Bang theory, although other experts say it does not provide great detail on the Big Bang theory and reject the interpretation.

The Holy Quran also apparently describes the curvature of the universe.

According to Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, gravity can be described as the curvature of the space-time continuum, which is produced by the mass-energy and momentum of matter.

In verse 40 of Surah 36 (Ya Seen) of the Holy Quran, it is written: “Neither is it allowable to the sun that it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day; and all float on in a sphere.”

In verse 33 of Surah 21 (The Prophets) of the Holy Quran, it is written: “And He it is Who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all (orbs) travel along swiftly in their celestial spheres.”

In Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, gravity can be visualized as a curvature on which objects in orbit ride like marbles circling around in a bowl.

Thus, the Earth is in orbit floating around the curvature in space caused by the Sun’s gravity, and the Moon is in orbit floating around the curvature in space caused by the Earth’s gravity.

If there is a massive black hole in the center of the Milky Way galaxy, as some astrophysicists have surmised, then the Sun is in orbit floating around the curvature in space caused by the black hole’s gravity.

In Einstein’s theory, spherical objects create a spherical curvature of space-time.

“And all float on in a sphere.”

All of this provides more proof that the Holy Quran is in harmony with science.

Islam teaches Muslims to seek out knowledge.

Indeed, scientific inquiry was thriving in the Islamic world when Europe was in its Dark Ages, and the scholarly atmosphere of the Islamic world was actually one of the factors that inspired the European Renaissance.

Yet, there has been a serious decline in intellectual pursuits in the Islamic world for several centuries. Thus, Muslim scholars must work hard to start an Islamic Renaissance.

We Muslims must again ardently seek out knowledge, using the inspiration of the Holy Quran and the Hadith.

The fact that the Big Bang theory and the curvature of the space-time continuum described in Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity are apparently mentioned in the Holy Quran can be part of our inspiration to start this new Islamic Renaissance.

The Quran never ceases to amaze and inspire.