Dear Brother Joseph. Peace to u and hope this finds u well. I had a very interesting discussion with a senior of mine from high school on a facebook post, and the following discussion ensued. I would appreciate your views on the discussion. I hope God-willing, that you make time to honor my request.
Bernards Question
I have a question for my Muslim friends:
The Qur'an says that God will inherit the heavens and the earth. I thought that everything in heaven and earth already belongs to God, so how is he going to inherit what is already his?
Sura 3:180 "It is God who will inherit the heavens and earth: God is well aware of everything you do." Rafiq Iddrisu, any thoughts?
Haleem, M. A. S. Abdel. The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics) (p. 48). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.
My Answer
Peace be upon u Snr. Bernard. Hope u're well. With regards to ur query, going by ur reference to Quran 3:108 from Oxford Press; I do not see the conflict, and my reasons n understanding r as follows; Though God is sovereign and is the source of all things, He has given man free will and dominion within His domain (earth) for a stipulated period, so though He owns all things, He placed man on the earth as a vicegerent (02:30 "Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "Indeed, I am going to place a vicegerent on the earth."...). When that day is come, where God calls His creation (mankind) to account for how they led their lives on the earth in which He placed them to worship Him, the creation will cede that delegated power that God bestowed on them over the earth, thus the earth will be inherited by its creator. The reference to "the heavens" in my opinion re-emphasizes God's encompassing power over all things be they in the heavens or the earth. So to speak to ur question, Yes, everything in the heavens n earth do belong to God, n d above r my thoughts on how He will inherit what is already His.
Bernard’s Answer
Okay, the Qur'an also says that the Torah and the Gospels were given by God. I believe what the Qur'an says. Some of the things in the Qur'an and in the bible are written in such a way that only a truly discerning reader who reads with a believing heart can grasp their true meaning. That said, I think you have only partially answered my question. If something belongs to a person, then it belongs to him, period. The Qur'an and the bible both teach that the heavens and the earth belong to God. They have always belonged to God and will forever remain his possession. You still haven't convincingly answered my question about how God can inherit heaven and earth if they already belong to him. Notice that the verse I quoted said that God will inherit the heavens and earth? You might say that the earth has been given to a vice-regent for a while, but what do you have to say about God inheriting the heavens, which are his eternal possession?