(August 7, 2013 at 5:36 pm)ThatMuslimGuy2 Wrote: Did you even read my previous post?
Common Contention 1
A common contention to the “Expanding Universe” in the Qur’an is to quote three popular translations – Yusuf Ali, Pickthall and Shakir- and say these only translated it as that God made the Heavens Vast. The Translations read:
Yusuf Ali:
[051:047] With power and skill did We construct the Firmament: for it is We Who create the vastness of pace.
Pickthall:
[051:047] We have built the heaven with might, and We it is Who make the vast extent (thereof).
Shakir:
[051:047] And the heaven, We raised it high with power, and most surely We are the makers of things ample.
Although an honest contention – one I held until looking further into the topic- it is misplaced for the following reasons:
The Qur’an can never be translated 100% perfectly. Especially into English due to the vast differences in the Language. Each translation is a translators attempt to put across the meaning of the Quranic words used.
Naturally this can contain errors.
Or translations that do not fully grasp the language.
Also one word may have multiple meanings and it is hard to translate all the possible meanings encompassed in a word so a translator may discard some meanings.
That is a cop out. You cannot be a god and then reserve your book for only one group of people on earth.
Quote:1. To encompass the heavens (Physically, Knowledge, Authority). This means that god encompasses it with his power and that he knows everything through his knowledge and has authority over it.
2. To provide for his creation. One who provides for his creation from the heavens. So physically, like the rain that comes down from the heavens. Or spiritually.
3. To physically expand. Meaning to continuously expand something or to make something vaster.
4. To be rich.
So really, you only landed on "physically expand" AFTER we discovered the universe is expanding.
This kind of "multiple" meaning problems appear in old languages sometimes, especially when people are intentionally unclear about what they're talking about, that's not an excuse. That's an excuse for ancient people time travelling to present time.
Do you realize that you're asking people to believe a group of people who cannot properly express their ideas received revelation from some angel, based on what they wrote down? When we've established that the text cannot properly articulate these ideas to begin with?