Al-Anbiyā’ 21:30

The issue

The verse contains two statements regarding the natural world that contradict other verses on the same topic.

Heavens and earth

The verse states that “that the heavens and the earth were both solid,” meaning that they were one bonded unit before Allah broke them apart. Muslim exegetes disagree regarding the bond and the separation. Some state that the heavens were bonded in layers, one over another, and then Allah separated them into seven heavens; he did the same with earth. Others state that the sky was solid and it did not rain, and the earth was solid and did not sprout. So, the breaking apart came to make the sky rain and the earth sprout.

Regardless of the disagreements here, the understanding is that heaven was a cluster, which is in direct contradiction with Q 41.11, where heaven is said to be smoke: “Then He made for heaven and it was but smoke.”

All living things

The verse states that all living things are created out of water, “and we made from water every living thing.” Islamic commentators state that “every living thing is created from water”. In another verse (Q 55.15), however, the Qur’ān states that Allah created the jinn from “from smokeless fire.” The phrase translated “smokeless” by Palmer is mārij min nār, about which al-Ţabarī states, “[I]t is what is mixed together, from red and yellow and green…and that is the flame of fire and its tongue”. This explanation of al-Ţabarī is reflected in other translations of the Qur’ān: “And He created the jinn of a flame of fire” (Shakir trans. Q 55.15).

Therefore, there are things created of other elements than water, which makes verses Q 21.30 and Q 55.15 contradictory to each other.