ٱلنَّجْمُ ٱلثَّاقِبُ

“It is the piercing star.”

[Qur’ān 86:3]

Black Holes

Modern Science

Black holes are regions in space where gravity is so intense that nothing — not even light — can escape. They form when massive stars collapse, warping space-time and pulling in nearby matter. Although invisible, scientists detect them through their effects on stars, light, and the immense bursts of energy they release.

Key Scientific Facts:

Black holes trap even light due to their extreme gravitational pull

They are detected through their effect on nearby stars and the powerful radiation they emit

Qur’ānic Revelation 1400 Years Ago

“By the sky and the night-comer! And what will make you know what the night-comer is? It is the piercing star.”

(Qur’ān 86:1–3)

The Qur’ān described the existence of an unseen piercing star over 1,400 years ago — a reality that aligns with the modern understanding of black holes and their immense, invisible power.

Further Explanation.

Explanation:

  • The Arabic word Ṭāriq means “the night visitor” — something unseen that comes suddenly and leaves its effect. This matches the way black holes remain invisible, yet their presence is known through their impact on surrounding stars and light.
  • The verse then calls it “an-najm ath-thāqib”“the piercing star.” The root th-q-b (ثقب) means to pierce, to penetrate, to bore through. This imagery resembles how black holes “pierce” through space-time, consuming matter and emitting bursts of energy.
  • Modern astronomy has discovered collapsed stars (pulsars, neutron stars, and black holes) that emit extremely focused, penetrating radiation — beams so powerful they cut through the cosmos.

Conclusion:

The Qur’ān’s description of a mysterious “piercing star” perfectly resonates with what we now know about collapsed stars and black holes — celestial objects that are unseen, yet whose presence is marked by their piercing effects on the universe. This is knowledge far beyond human comprehension at the time of revelation.

Words of the Chosen
“When Allāh decrees a matter in the heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to His words, which sound like a chain striking a rock. When fear departs from their hearts, they say: ‘What did your Lord say?’ They say: ‘The Truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.’
— ”Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — Sahih al-Bukhārī 4701
“The heavens groaned, and they had a right to groan, for there is no space of a hand-span in them except that an angel is standing, bowing, or prostrating to Allāh.”
— Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — Musnad Aḥmad 22059

Have they not travelled throughout the land to see what was the end of those who were ˹destroyed˺ before them?

[Qur’an 40:82]

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