Does the scientific miraculousness in the Holy Qur’an, such as His — Exalted be He — saying: "Nay, I swear by the Khunnas, Al-Jawar Al-Kunnas," apply in its interpretation to the past, present, and future, to include stars and black holes, or must this understanding be modified?

The summary of the fatwa is that the issue of scientific miraculousness (I'jaz al-Ilmi) in the Holy Quran is a matter of contemporary debate, and the acceptance of scientific miraculousness in the Quran is only permissible under specific conditions. The reality is that much of what is presented as scientific miraculousness does not adhere to these conditions.

An example of this is Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar's interpretation of the verse: (So verily, I swear by the Khunnas, Al-Jawari Al-Kunnas) [Al-Takwir: 15-16] as referring to black holes. This interpretation is based on his personal understanding of "Al-Khunnas" as complete disappearance and "Al-Kunnas" as sweeping away or removing, influenced by what appeared to him from modern astronomy. This is a pre-conceived interpretation driven by a belief, followed by an attempt to find evidence for it in the Quran.

The following points are observed regarding this interpretation: 1. Experimental sciences, especially astronomical ones, are not immutable facts; rather, they are subject to change. 2. Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar himself set a condition for interpreting based on scientific miraculousness, which is to interpret based on irreversible issues. 3. The distinction between scientific miraculousness and scientific interpretation is incorrect, and it is not for the exegete to stipulate the certain truth of a theory. 4. His interpretation of the meaning of "Al-Khunnas" as complete disappearance, and his claim that "Al-Kunnas" is a plural form of "Kaanis," is inconsistent with the Arabic language and its rules. 5. The context of the cosmic verses that follow (And by the night as it closes in, And by the dawn as it breathes) [Al-Takwir: 17-18] points to stars in general, which are consistent with phenomena visible to all people, unlike black holes which are seen by only a very few. 6. The interpretation of the Salaf (early Muslims) for these verses indicated that they refer to stars and planets, or wild cows and gazelles, which were things known to those addressed by the Quran. This difference among them is a difference of diversity, and there is no compulsion in it. 7. There are other contemporary interpretations of the verses, such as linking them to comets. This shows that relying solely on experimental science can lead to multiple interpretations, none of which is more probable than the others. The reference in such matters is the exegete who possesses the tools of interpretation, not the astronomer.