What is the exegesis of the verse: (And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander)?

The Salaf (early generations of Muslims) differed in their interpretation of the verse: ﴿وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ﴾ (And indeed, We are [fully] capable of expanding). Among their interpretations were: that it refers to the abundance of provision, or the expansion of the heavens, or the ability to expand more than the heavens have been expanded, or the creation of a heaven similar to it, or that Allah possesses vastness and nothing constrains Him, or the expansion of the heaven and making it spacious. Ibn Kathir mentioned that "بأيد" (with power) means with strength, and "لموسعون" (fully capable of expanding) means We have expanded its boundaries and raised it without pillars.

If the verse is interpreted to mean that Allah expanded the boundaries of the heaven by His power, or that He is capable of expanding His creation, then it can encompass a scientific indication from two perspectives: 1. That the heaven was constructed with a firm structure and is not a void. Modern scientists have realized that the universe is an interconnected fabric and not just empty space, coining the term "structure" for it. 2. That the universe is continuously expanding, as indicated by the discovery of galaxies moving away from each other, supported by Hubble's Law and Einstein's theory of general relativity, after the prevailing belief was that the universe was static.