Quran and the Expanding Universe

It is now widely accepted amongst cosmologists and theoretical physicists, that the universe was created from a 'Big Bang'.

This theory basically states that there existed a singularity of infinite mass and infinitely small volume (I know this sentence sounds bizarre and is hard to comprehend but think of it as an infinitely dense point). This singularity had a powerful surge of some sort of energy causing it to explode which initiated the creation of the universe as we currently know it.

In the past it was believed that the universe was static neither expanding or contracting. Even Einstein was forced to include into one of his equations what was called the Cosmological Constant to conform to that old held belief.

When Edwin P. Hubble and Robert W. Wilson showed that the universe was expanding in 1931, Einstein had to retract his cosmological constant and admitted that it was the greatest mistake he had ever made.

It was noted by two cosmologists, that galaxies were travelling far away from our own and also travelling away from each other. They concluded that for this to occur the universe must be expanding. Needless to say it has since been proved and is visible from the red shift (light emitted) of stars.

Quran 51:47

With power did we construct the universe. Verily we are able to expand the vastness of space thereof.

This fact was stated in the Quran over 1400 years ago, but at the time its concept was not understood.

Just a quick potshot before I get started: miles hadn't been invented at the time(620AD), neither had ellipses (well, they weren't widely available, as Islam hadn't become an empire yet, and so not absorbed Euclid), nor the notion of 'gas', so stating it in those terms would have been incomprehensible, and also quite 'culture directed'. As it stands the explanation is concise, eloquent, clear, and comprehensive.

As regards to the Quran itself, it's beauty and power to move remain unrivalled, so it's poetic value is definitely without doubt. The notion that anything of superlative poetic value must thus be of little scientific or logical value is a uniquely Western one, and to be honest, not one that stands up to scrutiny.

The Quran makes many pronouncements as well as the one above, it talks about the origin of mankind:

"Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?" - 21: 30

and celestial bodies:

It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its orbit. - 21:33

These are two other quotes from the Quran that are quite intriguing from a scientific point of view if nothing else. They would make no sense at the time, yet now, in the light of modern scientific knowledge, they seem to make more and more sense. I'll leave it to the reader to judge their scientific value, I myself, love them for their beauty, and their ability to capture the wonder of the cosmos in a few simple words.