在古代，一种名为“原子论”的著名学说曾被广泛接受。这一学说最初由希腊人提出，尤其是一位名叫德谟克利特的学者，他生活在大约二十三个世纪以前。德谟克利特及其后的人们认为，物质的最小单位是原子。古代阿拉伯人也持同样的看法。阿拉伯语中的“zarrah”一词最常用来指原子。近代以来，现代科学发现，即使是原子也可以被分裂。原子还能进一步分裂，这是二十世纪的发展。一千四百年前，即使是阿拉伯人，也会觉得这一概念不同寻常。对他们而言，zarrah是不可逾越的极限。然而，下面这节古兰经经文却不承认这一极限：

In ancient times a well-known theory by the name of ‘Theory of Atomism’ was widely accepted. This theory was originally proposed by the Greeks, in particular by a scholar called Democritus, who lived about 23 centuries ago. Democritus and the people that came after him, assumed that the smallest unit of matter was the atom. The ancient Arabs used to believe the same. The Arabic word zarrah most commonly meant an atom. In recent times modern science has discovered that it is possible to split even an atom. That the atom can be split further is a development of the 20th century. Fourteen centuries ago this concept would have appeared unusual even to an Arab. For him the zarrah was the limit beyond which one could not go. The following Qur’anic verse however, refuses to acknowledge this limit:

“不信道者说：‘复活时刻永远不会降临到我们身上。’”

“The Unbelievers say, ‘Never to us will come The Hour’:

说吧:"不然!以我的主发誓,它必定降临你们——以知晓幽玄者的主发誓——祂不会遗漏天地间哪怕一个微尘。"

say, ‘Nay! but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you – by Him Who knows the unseen – from Whom is not hidden the least little atom in the Heavens or on earth:

“也没有比这更小或更大的，它都记载在明白的经典之中。”[《古兰经》34:3]1

nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the Record Perspicuous.’” [Al-Qur’an 34:3]1

这节经文也指向真主的全知，即祂知晓万物，无论隐秘还是显露的事物。经文进一步说，真主洞悉一切，包括比原子更小或更大的事物。因此，这节经文清楚地表明，比原子更小的东西是可能存在的，而这一事实是现代科学近来才发现的。

This verse also refers to the Omniscience of God, His knowledge of all things, hidden or apparent. It then goes further and says that God is aware of everything, including what is smaller or bigger than the atom. Thus the verse clearly shows that it is possible for something smaller than the atom to exist, a fact discovered only recently by modern science.