For centuries, humanity has gazed into the cosmos, wondering not only how it began—but how it might end. Among the many theories proposed by physicists and cosmologists, one concept that has been theorized and researched for decades also stands out for its poetic symmetry and gravitational inevitability: the Big Crunch.

🌌 What Is the Big Crunch?

The Big Crunch is a theoretical scenario in which the expansion of the universe—currently accelerating—eventually halts and reverses. Gravity, the silent architect of cosmic structure, would then begin to dominate, pulling galaxies, stars, and matter back toward a single, dense point. In essence, the universe would collapse into itself, mirroring the singularity from which it was born in the Big Bang.

This concept was first mathematically explored by Russian physicist Alexander Friedmann, whose Friedmann equationsshowed that gravity could eventually overcome expansion. If dark energy—the mysterious force accelerating the universe—were to weaken or become negative, the universe could begin its final descent into singularity, as proposed by theorists like Andrei Linde and Renata Kallosh in alternative models.

While newer theories like the Big Freeze or Heat Death have gained traction, the Big Crunch remains compelling because it offers a closed-loop narrative: creation followed by collapse. It’s a cosmic heartbeat—expansion and contraction—suggesting a universe that breathes and also is masterfully balanced by the creator.

📖 Echoes in the Qur’an

Surah Al-A’raf (7:187) states:

“They ask you [O Prophet] regarding the Hour, ‘When will it be?’ Say, ‘That knowledge is only with my Lord. He alone will reveal it when the time comes. It is too tremendous for the heavens and the earth and will only take you by surprise.’”
— Quran.com translation

This verse emphasizes the weight (using the arabic term ثَقُلَتْ referencing weight/crushing) of the Hour upon the heavens and the earth—a phrase that many scholars interpret as a reference to the gravitational burden of cosmic collapse. The suddenness of the event aligns with the abrupt reversal predicted in the Big Crunch.

Even more striking is Surah Al-Anbiya (21:104):

“The Day when We will fold the heaven like the folding of a scroll for books. As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it.”
— Quran.com translation

Here, the imagery of the heavens folding evokes the idea of a universe contracting—a celestial scroll rolled back to its origin. Perfect characterization of the Big Crunch concept. 

Here is an illustration of the Einstein-Rosen bridge (Wormhole) folding spacetime into a tunnel-like structure. This visual metaphor beautifully captures the concept of a wormhole as a folded bridge between two distant regions of the universe – like the folding of a scroll!

In both realms, gravity emerges as the final arbiter—whether through equations or divine decree. It is the force that binds galaxies and, perhaps, the force that will one day unbind them.

Nearly 1400 years ago – the Quran states phenomenon modern science is now just theorizing. In Surah Fussilat (Quran 41:53) – Allah (swt) says: We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this ˹Quran˺ is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a Witness over all things?