Through the Qur’an Allah revealed many things which we take for granted today, it was the work of Muslim Scholars over the past 1400 years that allowed us to arrive at the age we are in now.
In each Era as man advanced in understanding, more of the Qur’an opened up to Him, this is not an exception in our time where we are capable of understanding what Allah meant by verses like the Heavens being smoke (a simile) at the beginning of time, when He ordered them to come together or solidify, it is almost a vision of how the fine quantum particles of the Universe became the Solid matter we see in creation today, such as the Planets.
“And He
“And He [it is who] decreed that they become seven heavens (strata) in two aeons, and imparted unto each heaven its function (because the verse begins with matter before it forms solids, this means the Laws of physics and quantum mechanics). And We adorned the skies (space) nearest to the earth with lights (the stars), and made them secure: such is the ordaining of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.” (41:13) this is an amazing verse because it tells mankind beyond the stars that we see in our sky, there is another entire universe we have yet not seen, a reference to things beyond the stars in our milky way that make up our night sky, man 1400 years ago had no idea what space let alone the stars were.
“For He (it is who, after creating the earth,) placed firm mountains on it, (towering) above its surface, and bestowed (so many) blessings on it, and equitably apportioned its means of subsistence to all who would seek it: (and all this He created) in four aeons (periods of time).”(41:11)
Regarding the descriptive verses found in the Quran, Imam al Ghazali wrote;
Those with lesser intellect, because of their lack of understanding, would assume that both the Heaven and the earth possess life intellect, and the ability to understand speech. He would also assume that they were addressed by a speech of actually enunciated words which both could hear and reply to with enunciated words saying, “We come willingly.” But whosoever has insight would realize that this was a figurative (use of language) and that Allah only expressed that the Heaven and earth are subject to His Will.
Of the same kind, too, are the Words of Allah when He said, “There is nothing that does not proclaim His Praise…” (17:46 Qur’an). Those with lesser intellect, because of their lack of understanding, would assume that the inanimate things possess life intellect, and the ability to speak and enunciate words, so that they would have to say, “Praise is to Allah” in order that His Praise might be established. But he who has insight would know that the actual utterance with the tongue was not meant by that but merely that everything, through its own existence, praises Allah, and in its own essence exalts Him and attests to His Oneness (being subject to the laws of physics, chemistry etc… are these inanimate objects praise and worship of Allah, the meaning is then that Allah was teaching man that everything is subject to a Law of “science”). As has been said: “In everything He has a sign which declares that He is One.”
In the same way it is said, “This masterpiece testifies that its Maker possesses the ability and perfect knowledge.” This does not mean that the masterpiece actually utter the words, “I testify …” etc. but merely that, through its form and state, (it testifies to the Ability and Knowledge of its Maker). (Foundations of Islamic Belief, Imam al Ghazali).
According to the Imam the pebbles the Prophet (saws) Heard speak, which was one of the prophets miracles (saws), was an event intended specifically for him, they where literally made to speak the reality of their creation, so that the nature of the pebbles substance could show the Prophet (saws) that every inanimate object in existence attests, exalts and praises Allah through conforming to His command, because the prophet (saws) already understood what Imam al Ghazali explained and through this miracle He was in the process of being taught about the universe, Allah was showing him that His laws govern everything in it including the stones man pays no attention to.
From this the Prophet (saws) could understand what Allah meant in the Qur’an when he said, “Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge” (65:12), something we have witnessed ourselves today by the many fields of science on just about anything we can think of in creation from the nature of dirt and dust to the nature of the sun and the moon.
Today we have science to shows this to us, so then how would Allah make that point to mankind 1400 years ago in terms they could understand.
The simple idea that in every thing there is knowledge to be learned was something foreign to people living in the ancient world, books and science were rare things, so the verse was instructing man to begin the process of studying the nature of every object in creation, from which we reached our point in time.