Presented by Zia H Shah MD with the help of ChatGPT

Introduction:

Al-Qur’an 31:10–11 (Surat Luqmān) and 13:2–3 (Surat ar-Raʿd) are verses that vividly describe the creation and sustaining of the heavens and the earth. They state that Allah “created the heavens without pillars you [can] see” and “raised the heavens without pillars that you see”, placed firm mountains on Earth, spread out all kinds of creatures, and subjected the sun and moon to appointed courses. These verses conclude by challenging humanity: “This is Allah’s creation; show Me what those besides Him have created”, emphasizing the uniqueness of God as the sole Creator and Sustainer. In what follows, we will explore these verses from three complementary angles. First, a scientific commentary will consider how modern astrophysics and cosmology shed light on phrases like “without pillars you see” and “He holds the heavens from falling,” touching on gravity, orbital mechanics, dark matter, cosmic expansion, and the cohesion of the universe. Second, a philosophical commentary will examine how these verses invite reflection on metaphysical themes — causality, order, design, contingency, and the very intelligibility of nature — and how the observed natural law and cosmic regularity can be seen as pointers to a transcendent cause. Third, a theological commentary will draw on classical Islamic exegesis (tafsir) (e.g. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Rāzī) to understand these verses in their religious context, highlighting themes of tawḥīd (the oneness of God), divine omnipotence, and God’s continuous sustaining of creation. We will also bring in comparative insights from Biblical/Judeo-Christian cosmology (e.g. Genesis, Psalms, Job) to show how these ancient scriptures resonate with or differ from the Qur’anic perspective. Throughout, the tone will remain academic yet accessible, seeking a holistic dialogue between science, philosophy, and theology centered on the Quranic text.

1. Scientific Commentary: Cosmos Without Visible Pillars

Invisible Gravity as the “Pillars” of the Sky:
Both Qur’an 31:10 and 13:2 describe Allah “raising/creating the heavens without pillars that you can see.” In antiquity, many imagined the sky as a solid dome held up by physical supports – whether mythical pillars, an Atlas figure, or a great cosmic mountain thequran.love. The Qur’an pointedly rejects any visible supports, implying that if any pillars exist, they are invisible thequran.love. From a modern astrophysical perspective, this imagery strikingly anticipates our understanding of gravity as the invisible force that “upholds” the heavens. We now know that planets, stars, and galaxies are not propped up by any giant columns; rather, they are held in place by gravitational fields, an unseen interaction described by Isaac Newton’s law of universal gravitation and later by Einstein’s space-time curvature. Newton famously explained that gravity keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun “without any physical rods or ropes,” essentially acting as “pillars you cannot see” that connect celestial bodies across empty space thequran.love. In other words, the heavens (skies/space) remain aloft and stable not through visible pillars, but through the predictable pull that massive objects exert on one another. The Qur’anic phrase “without pillars you see” wonderfully fits this concept: whatever holds up the heavens is invisible to the eye – a fact only scientifically understood over a thousand years after the Qur’an was revealed thequran.love.

Orbital Mechanics – “He Holds the Heavens from Falling”:
Another related Quranic phrase (echoed in 13:2 and elsewhere) is that God “holds” or restrains the heavens, preventing them from falling on the earth. Scientifically, this finds resonance in how orbital mechanics prevent massive bodies from simply crashing into each other. The Earth does not plunge into the Sun, and the Moon does not drop out of the sky onto Earth, because they are in orbit – a delicate balance of gravitational pull and lateral motion. In effect, the Moon is continuously “falling” toward Earth due to gravity but also moving sideways fast enough that it circles around, never hitting the ground. Likewise, Earth’s sideways orbital velocity around the Sun “balances” the Sun’s gravity, resulting in a stable orbit rather than a fatal plungethequran.love. These orbits can be thought of as invisible gravitational pillars or “centripetal forces” that hold heavenly bodies in their pathsthequran.love. As one analysis succinctly puts it, “Gravity… causes orbital motions among the trillions of celestial bodies in the universe,” acting like an unseen infrastructure maintaining cosmic orderthequran.love. Even our atmosphere is held to the planet by gravity: the sky does not “fall” in the sense that Earth’s air stays bound to it, thinning gradually with altitude rather than flying off into spacethequran.love. Clouds appear to float with no supports, but in truth they are sustained by unseen physical processes (air pressure, buoyant uplift, etc.) – further examples of hidden “pillars” in naturethequran.love. To an ancient observer, the fact that the sky does not collapse and that celestial objects move reliably was wondrous; today, we attribute this to gravitational fields and inertia obeying precise laws. In Quranic terms, one could say Allah’s creation is upheld by divinely ordained laws of physics instead of literal columns. The result is the same: “the heavens and earth remain in place by His command,” as another verse says, and if He withdrew that ordained order, “no one could hold them [up] after Him”miracles-of-quran.com. Thus, scientifically, gravity is the agent by which God “holds the heavens” – an insight that beautifully harmonizes with the scripture’s wording when read through a modern lensthequran.love.

Dark Matter – Invisible “Scaffolding” of the Cosmos: Another concept in contemporary cosmology that illuminates the idea of “heavens without visible pillars” is dark matter. Astrophysicists have discovered that the stars and luminous gas in galaxies are only a small fraction of what holds those galaxies together. About 85% of the matter in the universe is dark matter: a form of matter that does not emit light and thus cannot be seen, yet exerts gravity. This invisible mass acts like a cosmic scaffold. For instance, stars in the outer regions of galaxies orbit faster than they would if only visible matter existed; without some extra unseen gravitating mass, those stars would fling off into space. The term “pillar” in its broad sense means a support, something that prevents collapse. In galaxies and galaxy clusters, dark matter’s gravity is that support – an unseen pillar preventing these systems from flying apart. On the largest scales, dark matter is thought to form a “cosmic web” of filaments (as illustrated above) in which ordinary galaxies are embeddedthequran.love. It is striking to note that whatever is holding up the structure of the heavens on grand scales is essentially invisible to us, known only by its effects. The Qur’an’s wording “without pillars you can see” could be read in harmony with this reality: the universe’s large-scale architecture is secured by forces and masses that are hidden from human sight. While classical audiences understood the verse as a rejection of literal, visible supports, modern readers might additionally ponder the remarkable coincidence that an invisible framework (dark matter and gravity) truly undergirds the cosmosthequran.love. In this way, science adds a new dimension of meaning to the scripture without contradicting it – deepening our appreciation of an ayah that describes unseen pillars upholding creation.

Cosmic Expansion and Dark Energy – A Tension “Opposite to Gravity”: When the Qur’an says Allah “raised” the skies and “holds the heavens from falling”, it also invites consideration of why the universe as a whole has not collapsed under its own gravity. Modern cosmology reveals that the universe has been expanding since the Big Bang. Galaxies are rushing apart, and this expansion is accelerating due to a mysterious phenomenon dubbed dark energy – an anti-gravitational force permeating space. Cosmologist Stephen Hawking once noted that if the expansion rate were much smaller, gravity would have caused the universe to recollapse long ago; conversely, if it were much greater, galaxies could never formthequran.love. In other words, the fabric of the cosmos is finely balanced. The Qur’an does not explicitly mention “expansion” in these particular verses (though 51:47 is often interpreted to allude to it), but it does emphasize that the heavens are raised and upheld by God’s command. Intriguingly, one modern commentary draws a parallel: “The function of pillars is to act opposite to gravity. Today we know that dark energy acts opposite to gravity, is invisible, and has kept the universe from imploding.”miracles-of-quran.com Without this repulsive force driving cosmic expansion, gravity might eventually pull the heavens back in on themselves – a scenario of literal “falling” or collapse. Yet the universe persists and expands, suggesting another layer to how the heavens are held up. In Quranic terms, one could say Allah established the initial expansion “raising” of the universe and endowed it with properties (like dark energy) that prevent a gravitational collapse. The Qur’an also reminds us in 35:41 that “Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they cease (or collapse). And if they should fail, no one could hold them [up] after Him.”miracles-of-quran.com. This resonates strongly with our scientific realization that the cosmos’ existence is precariously poised on constants and forces that make cosmic stability possible – all of which, a believer would argue, point back to an intelligent Sustainer. Indeed, physicists speak of “fine-tuned” conditions: if fundamental forces like gravity were even slightly different, stars and galaxies (and thus heavens as we know them) could not exist or would “fall apart”thequran.love. From the scientific perspective, therefore, the Quranic imagery of an upheld sky can encompass everything from the mundane (Earth’s atmosphere held by gravity) to the cosmic (dark matter filaments and dark energy preserving the universe’s structure). Each of these insights underscores an elegant compatibility: the more we discover about how the universe is physically sustained, the more we find ourselves marveling at the invisible “pillars” – forces and fields – that enable the heavens to stand without collapsethequran.lovethequran.love. The Qur’an’s statement that God sustains the cosmos “without pillars” thus rings true on multiple levels in light of modern astrophysics. Far from being a primitive description, it evokes a profound reality: the universe’s grandeur is maintained by non-material fundamentals that ultimately trace back to the decree of an Almighty, according to Islamic belief.

2. Philosophical Commentary: Order, Causality, and Contingency in the Heavens

Cosmic Order and Intelligibility – A Universe Governed by Law:
These Quranic verses call attention to the orderly structure of the cosmos – the heavens raised in stability, the sun and moon moving on appointed paths, the earth made secure with mountains and flourishing with life-giving rain. Such regularity and precision invite philosophical reflection on the intelligibility and lawfulness of nature. The Qur’an often emphasizes that creation is not aimless or chaotic: “Allah has not created this [world] in vain” (3:191) – rather it is full of signs (āyāt) for those who reflectthequran.love. Philosophically, this touches on the idea that the universe operates according to consistent natural laws, which is what makes science possible. Surah 13:2 itself says God “regulates the whole affair” and makes His signs clear so that we may be certain of the truth. This implies that the patterns we observe (day following night, planets in orbit, etc.) are meant to be understood and lead us to deeper truthsthequran.love. Thinkers from antiquity to modern times have been astonished that mathematics and logic so perfectly describe celestial motions – a fact sometimes termed the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics. Albert Einstein once remarked that “the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.” The Qur’an encourages this very insight: it points to the calculability of the sun and moon (e.g. “The sun and moon [move] by precise calculation,” 55:5) as signs of wisdom in the design of nature. In philosophical terms, one can argue that cosmic regularity is a pointer to a transcendent rationality. Why should the universe follow orderly laws at all? This “deeper why”, as one commentary notes, “remains a philosophical question. Many scientists of faith answer that by pointing to the Creator. The Qur’an 55:5 essentially told us 1400 years ago: look, the cosmos is law-governed (calculated), that’s a sign.”thequran.lovethequran.love. The very intelligibility of the heavens – our ability to predict eclipses, understand gravity, and trust the continuity of physical laws – suggests to classical philosophy that mind is behind matter. In Islamic thought, this aligns with the concept of hikmah (wisdom) in creation; in Western philosophy, it parallels the Logos concept or the design argument that sees rational order as evidence of a rational Cause. Thus, the Quranic portrayal of a finely ordered heaven invites us not only to scientific inquiry but to metaphysical wonder: an orderly cosmos makes the human quest for understanding meaningful, and for many, this implies that the cosmos itself comes from an Ultimate Intelligence who authored the laws of nature rather than blind chance.

Causality and Contingency – “Show Me What Others Have Created”:
Both Qur’an 31:11 and 13:2-3 ultimately drive home a question of causality: who or what is responsible for this vast, law-abiding cosmos? In 31:11, after describing the majestic creation, Allah says: “This is Allah’s creation. So show Me what those other than Him have created!”quran.com. This rhetorical challenge forms a philosophical argument: everything in the universe, from the sky above to the rain and life below, requires an adequate cause. The verse implies that no idol, no subordinate being, and certainly nothing within the universe itself can account for the universe’s existence and order – only an ultimate Creator can. Philosophers refer to this line of reasoning as the principle of sufficient reason or the cosmological argument. It echoes the classical questions: “Why is there something rather than nothing?” and “Could the world have caused itself or come from nothing?”. The Quranic phrasing suggests the answer: the cosmos is contingent – it depends on something beyond itself. Islamic theologians (mutakallimūn) developed the kalam cosmological argument along these lines: whatever begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist, so it must have a transcendent cause (a thesis that accords well with modern cosmology’s Big Bang evidence). The Qur’an itself in 52:35-36 asks pointedly, “Were they created from nothing, or are they [their own] creators?”, inviting the listener to conclude that a creation as grand as the heavens and earth cannot spring from nothingness or self-causethequran.lovethequran.love. In philosophy, there is a maxim ex nihilo nihil fit – “from nothing, nothing comes”thequran.love. The existence of a structured universe, therefore, cries out for a cause that is itself uncaused and necessary – in Islamic terms, Allah, the wājib al-wujūd (Necessary Being). Moreover, the contingency is not only in the existence of the universe but also in its specific nature: the laws and constants of physics could conceivably have been otherwise. Why do we have exactly three spatial dimensions, a gravity constant suitable for stable stars, and a quantum realm hospitable to chemistry? These features did not have to be this way – they are contingent properties that permit a coherent, life-supporting cosmos, and thus they demand explanation. Secular thinkers might appeal to a multiverse or anthropic principle, but the philosophical intuition (as embraced by the Qur’an) is that such precise order is best explained by intentional design. Indeed, many have observed the “Goldilocks” fine-tuning in cosmology – conditions “just right” for life – and see it as pointing to a purposeful Planner【1†L153-162】. The Qur’anic author directs us to see the heavens and earth as deliberate signs of wisdom, not random occurrencesthequran.love. In summary, these verses stir up a metaphysical reflection on causality: the heavens, hanging unsupported yet stable, prompt us to ask what holds them up and why they exist at all. The answer offered is theological (God’s power and wisdom), but the question itself is philosophical – driving us beyond a merely material explanation to consider a transcendent ground for the existence and form of the universe.

Natural Law as a Pointer to a Lawgiver (Design and Purpose):
The philosophical significance of Qur’an 13:2’s statement that God “subjected the sun and moon, each running for an appointed term,” lies in the idea of cosmic purpose and teleology. The motions of the heavens are not portrayed as aimless; they follow a “term appointed” – implying a predetermined span or goal, whether it be the end of their natural life cycles or their role in the larger scheme of time (seasons, calendars) and ultimately an end-time (eschaton). Such language resonates with the sense that the universe is directed toward outcomes and operates under governance. In philosophy of science, one might avoid teleological language, yet scientists still marvel at how perfectly things like the Earth’s orbit are suited to sustaining life (the habitable zone around the sun, etc.). The Qur’an invites us to see this fittingness as ayat, signs of intent. For example, the alternation of night and day is repeatedly cited in the Qur’an as a sign of God’s benevolence and wisdom, allowing rest and work in balance. This reflects what philosophers call the intelligible order – an order not only in how things are but in how they benefit a larger purpose (such as human life and moral testing from the Islamic view). Design arguments historically pointed to such beneficial order (the classic example being how the laws of physics allow the beauty of the stars, the usefulness of the sun and moon for calendars, navigation, etc.). While modern science explains the mechanisms (gravity, nuclear fusion, etc.), it does not answer whether there is an underlying purpose or why those mechanisms yield such a life-friendly cosmos. The Qur’anic perspective would assert that the remarkable suitability of the heavens and earth for life and discovery is not an accident but a deliberate facet of God’s creative plan – hence “He makes the signs clear that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord” (end of 13:2)thequran.love. Philosophically, this correlates with the idea that natural laws and constants appear fine-tuned for conscious beings who can observe the universe – suggesting a universe that wanted to be known. Some thinkers argue that the ability of humans to comprehend the cosmos (the very success of astrophysics) hints that our minds are attuned to the universe because both originate from the same rational Source. In Islamic terms, the intellect (‘aql) and the outer world (āfāq) are aligned because Allah made them so, allowing humans to infer the existence of the Creator through the book of nature. To sum up, the philosophical commentary on these verses reveals multiple intertwined themes: the cosmos operates lawfully and rationally (implying a Lawgiver or Mind), it is contingent in existence and finely ordered (implying a necessary being or Designer as its cause), and it exhibits direction and beneficence (implying purposeful creation rather than cosmic indifference). These reflections transform a simple observation – “the sky holds itself up without visible support” – into a profound meditation on why anything exists and whether a transcendent Reason or Will underlies the tapestry of physical causes. The Qur’an’s answer is affirmative, pointing us from the marvel of cosmic order to the acknowledgement of an Orderer. As the philosopher-theologian Al-Ghazali put it, “No single leaf falls except that He wills it” – indicating that behind the coherence of natural events is the continual agency of a wise God, the ultimate pillar who “holds the sky from falling”.

3. Theological Commentary: Tafsīr, Tawḥīd, and Comparative Cosmology

Classical Islamic Exegesis – No Pillars Except God’s Power:
When early Muslim scholars reflected on Qur’an 31:10 and 13:2, they discussed what exactly is meant by “heavens without pillars (bi-ghayri ʿamadin) that you can see.” The classical tafsir literature records two main opinions, arising from a subtle grammatical nuance in Arabic. One group of commentators (including companions like Ibn ʿAbbās and early authorities like Mujāhid, Qatāda, al-Ḥasan) suggested that the phrase implies there are pillars, “but you cannot see them”quranx.com. In other words, they interpreted “without pillars you see” as meaning with unseen pillars. Some took this to mean invisible, perhaps metaphysical supports; others left it ambiguous. This view may have been an attempt to reconcile the verse with the intuition that a structure as vast as the sky must have support – proposing that God’s might provides hidden pillars of a sort (one might anachronistically think of “invisible forces” as these supports, which indeed aligns with gravity in hindsightthequran.love). The majority of scholars, however, favored the second opinion: that the phrase is in the accusative case, meaning there are no pillars at allmedium.com. On this reading, “without pillars – you see [this]” emphasizes that the listener can plainly observe the sky’s lack of any props. It likens the heaven to a great dome over the earth, self-supportedquranx.com. Renowned exegetes like Al-Ṭabarī and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī note that this interpretation best showcases Allah’s omnipotence, since upholding the firmament without any support is more marvelous than if unseen pillars did existquranx.commedium.com. Ibn Kathīr (14th c.) combines these reports, ultimately agreeing that “the heaven is elevated without pillars, as you see – this affirms Allah’s perfect ability and power.”quranx.com He and others bolster this by citing another verse, “He withholds the sky from falling on the earth except by His permission” (22:65)quranx.com. In classical theology, this is understood literally: were it not for God actively holding the cosmos together, it would collapse. Thus, even those few who entertained “invisible pillars” clarified that those would be nothing other than the power of God or unseen angels, etc., not independent supports. No physical entity keeps the heavens aloft – only God does. This became a point of creed: Allah is al-Qayyūm, “the Sustainer of All,” who upholds the universe at every instant. The imagery of the “sky as a canopy” is common in the Qur’an, and the tent-like canopy with no poles was a powerful metaphor to people in the desert: it immediately directed their reliance and awe to the unseen Holder of that canopythequran.love. Al-Rāzī in his commentary even muses that if there were pillars (visible or invisible), it would imply some medium upholding the sky, whereas the verse pushes us to recognize immediate divine agency. In summary, classical tafsīr unanimously takes these verses as an affirmation of tawḥīd al-rubūbiyyah (God’s oneness in Lordship): Allah alone carries out the functions of sustaining the heavens and earth, with no need for assistance or support. The heavens are a sign of His transcendence and power – a “roof” held up effortlessly. This directly polemicized against pre-Islamic Arab notions of sky deities or legendary supports; as one modern reflection notes, “the verse invalidated myths of sky-gods physically propping up the firmament and directed them to the true God whose power is subtle yet supreme.”thequran.love It is Allah who “raised” this sky and who continuously “withholds” it from collapse. The theological message is clear: the created order is utterly dependent at every moment on the will of a single, omnipotent God.

Tawḥīd and Divine Omnipotence in the Creation Narrative:
These verses also serve as a theological argument against shirk (associating partners with God). By highlighting God’s sole mastery over cosmic phenomena, the Qur’an refutes any notion that other beings – be they idols, spirits, celestial objects, or even natural forces – share in His creative power. Surah 13:2 mentions that God “subjected the sun and the moon, each running for a term appointed.” In a culture (and indeed a world) where many worshipped the sun or moon as deities, this statement is theologically potent: it reduces the mightiest visible gods (sun and moon) to obedient servants of the One Godthequran.love. The same verse ends by saying God “explains the signs in detail that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.” Classical commentators like al-Qurṭubī note that the purpose (ḥikmah) of describing these cosmic signs is to instill certainty in tawḥīd (the oneness of the Lord) and in accountability to Him on the Day of Judgment. In fact, the verses subtly connect cosmic order with moral order: if the heavens obey divine laws, mankind too should recognize divine authority and the inevitability of meeting its Lawgiver. Ibn Kathīr, after marveling at the sky without pillars, immediately glosses the next part: “He rose above the Throne”, and “He subjected the sun and moon…” to emphasize that Allah not only created everything but actively governs it from abovequranx.comquranx.com. The throne (ʿArsh) and regulation of affairs are theological motifs indicating God’s supreme command over the universe. No other being shares this throne or this command – a direct rebuke to any polytheistic cosmology. Moreover, 31:11’s challenge (“show Me what others have created”) is a Quranic method to assert monotheism: if those false gods cannot create even a speck, how can they be worshipped? The answer is implied: “Nay, the wrongdoers are in clear error.” In Islamic theology, one of the proofs of Allah’s exclusive divinity (ḥujaj al-tawḥīd) is precisely His role as Creator and Sustainer (tawḥīd al-khalq wa’l-tadbīr). The Qur’an often says, “If there were other gods besides Allah, the heavens and earth would have been ruined” (21:22), indicating that unity of governance is necessary for a coherent cosmos. These verses exemplify that: the seamless harmony of the heavens reflects the will of a single, omnipotent deity. Divine omnipotence (qudrah) is also a prominent theme here. The ease with which Allah “raises” the universe without support, and “holds” it from falling, demonstrates unlimited power. As the tafsir of al-Bayḍāwī notes, such descriptions are meant to inspire awe (taʿẓīm) in the believer’s heart for God’s majesty. And yet, omnipotence is paired with divine mercy and purpose: the continuation of 22:65 (mentioned above) says God holds up the sky “out of mercy for mankind”, showing that this power is benevolently exercised. Theologically, Muslims understand that God’s sustaining of creation at each moment is a mercy and a sign of His raḥmah. Every breath we take is because the “sky hasn’t fallen” – i.e. the ordered environment for life remains intact by God’s grace. In summary, the theological import of 31:10–11 and 13:2–3 in Islam is vast: they affirm tawḥīd by attributing all cosmic phenomena to Allah alone, exhibit His omnipotence by describing an effortless upholding of the world, and underscore divine providence (God’s ongoing governance). They leave no room for nature as an autonomous system; rather, nature is depicted as āyāt, signs pointing back to God’s attributes. The “heavens without pillars” serve as a perpetual sermon about the power, oneness, and wisdom of their Creator – a theme that Muslim worshipers internalize when reciting these verses, often leading them to say “SubḥānAllāh” (Glory be to God).

Comparative Insights: Biblical and Judeo-Christian Cosmology:
The rich cosmological imagery of these Quranic verses finds interesting parallels in Judeo-Christian scriptures, though each tradition has its nuances. Like the Qur’an, the Bible asserts that God alone created and sustains the heavens. In the Book of Genesis, the very first line declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” and later describes God fashioning a firmament (sky) to divide the waters (Gen. 1:1, 1:6–8). This “firmament” was often understood by ancient Hebrews as a solid dome over the earth, and some Biblical passages poetically speak of the “pillars” or “foundations” of heaven and earth. For example, Job 26:11 says, “The pillars of heaven tremble” (likely a figurative image), and Psalm 104:5 says God “set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.” At first glance, such verses use a different metaphorical model than the Qur’an’s “no pillars” imagery. Yet other Biblical verses convey a remarkably similar idea to the Qur’an’s emphasis on invisible support: Job 26:7 in particular states, “He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.”biblehub.com. This is a striking line – the earth is depicted as suspended in the void without any support – which mirrors the awe of the Qur’anic view that the skies and earth persist bi-ghayri ʿamadin, without pillars. The correspondence suggests a common recognition in the monotheistic mindset: that God’s power does not need crude physical props to hold creation together. Similarly, the Bible extols God’s ongoing sustaining power. Hebrews 1:3 (New Testament) says of God, “He upholds the universe by the word of His power.” And in the Old Testament, God speaks in Psalm 75:3: “When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars.”biblehub.com. Here “pillars” is again figurative – God is affirming that He stabilizes the world during turmoil. The NIV translation of that verse reads, “When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm”biblehub.com. We see the same theological principle: the world would fall into chaos if not for God’s constant support. The Quranic “He holds the heavens from falling” carries the same meaning, and indeed Qur’an 22:65, quoted above, could be set alongside Psalm 75:3 as parallel affirmations of Providence. Both traditions envision God as the indispensable pillar of creation, even if their poetic images differ (the Bible uses “pillars” as a metaphor for stability that God provides, while the Qur’an uses the absence of literal pillars to make a similar point – that God directly upholds).

There are also parallels in how these scriptures use cosmic order to glorify God. The Qur’an says the signs in heaven are made clear “that you may believe in the meeting with your Lord” (13:2), drawing an inference from creation to the Creator. Likewise, Psalm 19:1 proclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”biblehub.com. This famous verse from the Psalms could almost serve as a commentary on the Qur’anic passages – both teach that anyone observing the majesty of the skies should be moved to recognize God’s glory rather than attribute it to any other power. Additionally, the Bible shares the theme that celestial bodies are not gods but creations. The Genesis account pointedly calls the sun and moon just the “greater light” and “lesser light” (Gen. 1:16) and notes they were made by God on the fourth day; many scholars see this as a demythologizing of the celestial bodies that surrounding cultures worshipped. The Qur’an 13:2 and 31:29 (a related verse) do the same by saying the sun and moon are “subjected” by God, and “do not prostrate to the sun or moon but to God who created them” (41:37). In the Bible, Jeremiah 10:11 similarly says of the sun, moon, and stars: “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” Thus, a common theological thread is a polemic against astral worship – asserting the sole divinity of the Creator above the creation.

However, the cosmological models of the Bible and Qur’an have subtle differences as understood by later interpreters. Traditional Jewish and Christian cosmology often envisioned a three-tiered universe (heaven above, earth, underworld) with heaven sometimes imagined as having windows, foundations, or support pillars (though often these were seen as poetic devices). The Qur’an’s language tends to avoid the image of God needing to physically construct the sky with support structures; instead it emphasizes His direct command (“Be!” and it is). That said, both traditions ultimately converge on the idea that God alone is the foundation of reality. In a beautiful verse, Isaiah 44:24 God declares, “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by Myself.”biblegateway.com. This could be read alongside Qur’an 13:2’s “raised the heavens without pillars” as affirmations of the singularity of the Creator’s act – He alone, unaided, holds up the universe.

The Book of Job (chapters 38–39) is also worth mentioning: there, God interrogates Job with questions about creation – “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? … Who shut in the sea with doors? … Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades?” – all meant to highlight human insignificance before the power and wisdom manifest in the cosmos. The Qur’an likewise challenges the reader: “This is Allah’s creation – show Me what anyone else has created!” The effect is the same humbling of man’s pretensions and the exaltation of God’s incomparable work. Finally, both the Bible and Qur’an use the reliability of cosmic phenomena as a guarantee of God’s faithfulness. For instance, Jeremiah 33:25-26 says if the fixed patterns of day and night ceased, then God’s covenant would too – implying that as surely as the heavens stay in place, so does God’s promise. Similarly, Qur’an 13:2 ends with the idea that understanding the signs of heaven leads to certainty in meeting the Lord – the stability of creation is almost a promise of the Creator’s stable purpose that history is moving toward (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).

In summary, the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions are united in portraying the heavens as a testimony to the one God’s creative might and sustaining care. The Qur’anic phrasing “heavens without pillars” adds a unique accent that highlights God’s immediacy in creation (needing no support or intermediary), but the core theological message – God is the one keeping the sky above and earth below in their balance – is a song sung in harmony by the Psalms, the Prophets, and the Qur’an. Both traditions beckon humans to gaze upward at the sustained heavens and respond not with idol worship or scientific hubris, but with wonder, gratitude, and faith. As the Qur’an beautifully puts it in a related verse (13:13), “He shows you the lightning, causing fear and hope, and He lays down the thunder that praises His glory.” Everything in the heavens, from the silent fixed stars to the rolling thunderclap, ultimately points beyond itself – to the pillar-less Throne of the Almighty who holds all things in existence by His wisdom and will.

Conclusion:
By bringing scientific, philosophical, and theological perspectives into conversation, we deepen our understanding of Qur’an 31:10–11 and 13:2–3. Scientifically, what pre-modern people described in metaphor – a sky without visible pillars – corresponds to real physical truths: invisible gravitational forces and finely tuned cosmic parameters that maintain the structure of the universethequran.lovethequran.love. This convergence is not to read modern science into the Qur’an simplistically, but to appreciate the multilayered ways such verses can speak to different ages: to the 7th-century Arab, it said “Your sky stands by God’s power, not by mythical supports;” to the 21st-century scientist, it whispers “Even the forces and constants you discern are signs of a Sustainer’s design.” Philosophically, the verses invite us to ask the grand “Why” questions – why order instead of chaos, why something rather than nothing – and to see the contingency and rationality of the cosmos as pointing to a necessary, intelligent Ground of being. The heavens’ obedience to laws becomes a mirror for our own needed obedience to the Cosmic Lawgiver. Theologically, classical Islam reads these verses as a direct lesson in tawḥīd: Allah is One in creating and conserving the world, incomparable in power, and mercifully attentive to His creation at every moment. No other being shares in these capacities. In comparative view, the Biblical tradition reinforces these same truths even if the imagery differs – ultimately portraying a cosmos upheld by the word of God.

Standing beneath a sky filled with stars, with no columns holding it up, the believer can feel the weight of these insights. The Qur’an’s commentary on the sky becomes, in essence, a commentary on trust: just as an invisible Hand maintains the heavens, so can we trust that same Lord to support our lives and destiny. The cosmic order is thus both an intellectual sign and a spiritual solace. As we have seen, these few verses manage to touch on astrophysics and eschatology, on metaphysics and monotheism, on ancient myth and modern theory. They encapsulate a unity of truth: the physical and spiritual are not separate realities but integrated. The heavens above us are both a scientific reality to investigate and a portent of meaning to heed. In the Quranic worldview, when one understands how the sky does not fall, one should also understand why our hearts should fall in prostration to the One holding it upthequran.love. Such is the beautiful synergy of knowledge and faith that these verses encourage – inviting us to marvel, to reason, and ultimately to revere the One who “raises the heavens without pillars” and “holds the heavens and earth, lest they perish.”

Sources Cited:

• The Glorious Qur’an, translations of verses 13:2–3 and 31:10–11, and classical tafsir commentary by Ibn Kathīr and others quranx.com thequran.love.
• Z. H. Shah, Celestial Signs in the Qur’an: A Spiritual and Scientific Reflection, which discusses Qur’an 13:2 in light of gravity and cosmic order thequran.love.
• “Dark Energy” – Miracles-of-Quran analysis drawing parallels between Quranic imagery and dark energy miracles-of-quran.commiracles-of-quran.com.
• Philosophical commentary on natural law and fine-tuning from Edge and other sourcesthequran.lovethequran.love.
• Biblical parallels from Job 26:7 biblehub.com, Psalm 75:3 biblehub.com, Psalm 19:1 biblehub.com, and Isaiah 44:24 biblegateway.com, via BibleHub.