Manifestations of Allah as the All-Merciful and Most Merciful in the Creation of the Universe

Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and Earth, preventing them from vanishing. And if they vanished no one could then keep hold of them. Certainly He is Most Forbearing, Ever-Forgiving…
(Surah Fatir, 41)

Allah created the world in such a way that it is protected from any potential danger coming from outer space.

Our universe is characterized by a perfect balance, harmony, and order, yet another proof of Allah's endless power and might as Ruler of the universe. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that this is a truth that human beings must ponder:

Are you stronger in structure, or is heaven? He built it. He raised its vault high and made it level. He darkened its night and brought forth its morning light. After that He smoothed out Earth. (Surat an-Nazi'at, 27-30)

People must be aware that our Lord created the universe's system and balance in the best way possible, so as to make them meet the requirements of human life. Being aware of it, humanity must think about it and learn a lesson from it:

He has made night and day subservient to you, and the Sun and Moon and stars, all subject to His command. There are certainly Signs in that for people who use their intellect. (Surat an-Nahl, 12)

In another verse it says:

He makes night merge into day and day merge into night, and He has made the Sun and Moon subservient, each one running until a specified time. That is Allah, your Lord. The Kingdom is His. Those you call upon besides Him have no power over even the smallest speck. (Fatır Suresi, 13)

The Qur'an tells us that Allah has placed night and day, the Sun and the Moon, at humanity's service. This is a wonderful manifestation of His name All-Merciful and Most Merciful. He has placed His flawlessly ordered universe in humanity's care and, in return, wills only that people believe in and serve Him. People are obliged to be aware of this truth, submit to His endless power and might, think about the evidence of mercy that surrounds them, and turn to Allah with sincere hearts.

When we look at what is needed to form living beings, we see that our world has such a special environment and that Allah, in His mercy, brings about these countless conditions at the right time and without interruption. The universe's matchless plan and order proclaim the existence of Allah, Whose infinite knowledge, power, and intelligence created it from nothing and keeps it under control every moment.

These manifestations of mercy in the universe's creation, order, and flawless operation are beyond numbering. Moreover, this order is based on a perfect and delicate balance that meets all living things' needs. Thinking about this helps people understand His generosity and how much they need Him, as their only friend and advocate, in this world. Those who do not think about these subtle things can easily fall into error and be unaware of His manifestation as the All-Merciful. Every detail of universe's formation is filled with clear proofs of His endless mercy toward humanity and all living things. Some of these proofs are as follows:

The universe came into being due to the Big Bang. In the beginning, a single point with no volume and infinite density contained all matter. The universe was formed when this point of zero volume exploded. Actually, zero volume is a theoretical expression devised by scientists, for the concept of nothing is beyond human conception. The universe came out of nothing or, more exactly, it was Created. Since the Big Bang was an explosion, it is thought that matter spread randomly through empty space. However, it somehow gradually took on shape and order. The first stage of this order was the explosion's velocity.

The resulting matter began to expand outward with incredible speed. But during this first stage, there was a gravitational force strong enough to bring the entire universe together at one point. Therefore, during this first moment there were two opposite forces: the power of the explosion and a gravitational force that resisted that force and worked to bring the resulting matter together. It was because of the perfect balance between these two forces that the universe came into being. If this gravitational force had been stronger (or weaker) than the explosion's force, then the universe would have collapsed upon itself (or dispersed) without expanding (or being brought together again).

Stephen Hawking affirms this extraordinary balance: ""Why did the universe start out with so nearly the critical rate of expansion that separates models that recollapse from those that go on expanding forever, so that even now, ten thousand million years later, it is still expanding at nearly the critical rate? If the rate of expansion one second after the big bang had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million, the universe would have recollapsed before it ever reached its present size." (Stephen W. Hawking, A Brief History of Time [London: Bantam Books, 1988], 121.) This delicate adjustment is only one proof that corroborates Allah's incomparable creation, for it is impossible that the universe and all of its contents could come into being after a random explosion. All of the details that we see before our eyes are proofs of Allah's existence and supreme power – and only thinking people can perceive them. The universe's perfect balance, extraordinarily delicate design, and flawless harmony are a manifestation of Allah as the All Merciful and Most Merciful.

If you ask them, 'Who created the heavens and Earth and made the Sun and Moon subservient?'
they will say: 'Allah.'
So how have they been led astray?
(Surat al-Ankabut, 61)

When we look at our Solar System's structure, we find the same extraordinary balance. The force that prevents planets from scattering into the freezing cold of outer space is the balance between the Sun's gravitational pull and the planet's centrifugal force. The Sun's immense gravitational force attracts the planets, and the centrifugal force produced by their rotation gives them a specific degree of resistance to its gravitational pull. If the velocity of a planets' rotation were less, they would be pulled toward the Sun and explode.

The opposite might also be possible. If the planets rotated at a higher velocity, the Sun's gravitational pull would be unable to hold them and they would scatter into outer space. However, this very delicate balance has enabled our solar system to survive. It is important to note that this balance is not the same for each planet, for they are not the same distance from the Sun. In addition, their masses are quite different, which means that each one must have a different velocity of rotation so that they do not collide with the Sun or disperse into outer space.

Such astronomers such as Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) and Galileo (1564-1642), who worked to uncover our Solar System's extraordinarily sensitive balance, stated many times that it indicated a very obvious design and constituted evidence for Allah's sovereignty over the universe, all of which serves humanity. It shows that He created the distance between the Sun and the heavenly bodies on the one hand, and Earth on the other, in a perfect balance. This is certainly a sign of Allah's mercy toward His servants.

Besides this perfect balance, Earth's system and location in space also indicate the existence of a flawless creation and of Allah's endless mercy. The latest astronomical discoveries show that the existence of the other planets in our solar system is of great importance for Earth's stable orbit. Consider Jupiter, the system's largest planet, which actually keeps Earth in balance. Astrophysical calculations show that its orbit provides stability for that of Earth and other planets. In short, the solar system's structure is specially arranged for human beings. Those who have a sincere and intelligent mind understand that the All Merciful and Most Merciful has created everything for a purpose and arranged it for a particular end: "We did not create heaven and Earth and everything between them to no purpose. That is the opinion of the unbelievers" (Surat as-Sad, 27). This profound concept is revealed in another verse of the Qur'an: