What is the canopy well secured? What are the functions of the atmosphere? How was the universe created in islam?
The meteors, which are the pieces scattered around from the stars that are blown up after completing their lifetime, spread to every corner of the space. Thanks to their magnificent gravity force, Jupiter and Saturn catch many objects that can be dangerous for the earth. When some meteors occasionally pass beyond these planets and come closer to our world, the Moon attracts these meteors to itself. Because the moon has no atmosphere, every meteor reaching at the Moon hits its surface. Even by a simple binocular, we can see the craters caused by those meteors.
If the meteors that pass the barrier of the moon are not too big, they enter the atmosphere and start to burn due to friction. Thanks to this natural scene that we watch and call it “sliding star,” the meteors turn into ashes and scatter around the sky.
The atmosphere protects us from the incredible freezing cold reaching minus 270 degrees, from meteors and harmful rays. Our Lord says, “and [that] We have set up the sky as a canopy well-secured” (al-Anbiya, 21: 32)
In addition, the magnetic field around the earth resulting from its movement and the layers of the atmosphere also protect the world from harmful rays coming from the space and solar explosions.
The atmosphere protects us from the incredible freezing cold reaching minus 270 degrees. For example, the temperature on the Moon that has no atmosphere ranges between minus 150 Celsius and 100 Celsius degrees. Because it has no “a canopy well-secured”, all the heat and light coming from the sun hit the moon surface.
These truths are pointed out in the Qur’an as follows:
“And [that] We have set up the sky as a canopy well-secured. And yet, they stubbornly turn away from [all] the signs of this [creation]” (Al-Anbiya, 21 32)
Another issue has attracted our attention in recent years to the importance of the “canopy well-secured”.
It has been discovered that due to the people’s misuse and the waste of greenhouse gases, the ozone layer has begun to weaken. It is expressed that depletion of ozone layer causes various problems including global warming and climate change, melting of polar ice, skin cancer etc. The Qur’an has also referred to the emerging problems caused by mankind:
“[Since they have become oblivious of Allah,] corruption has appeared on land and in the sea as an outcome of what men’s hands have wrought.
Mankind realized only in the last century that the universe is expanding. However, this fact was expressed by the Qur’an 14 centuries ago:
“And it is We who have built the universe with [Our creative] power; and, verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it.” (al-Dhâriyât, 51: 47)
and so He [Allah] will let them taste [the evil of] some of their doings, so that they might return [to the right path].” (al-Rum, 30: 41)
Source: The Universe, The Qur’an And The Human, Osman Nuri Topbaş, Erkam Publications