Imam ash-Shanqiti rahimahullah wrote:

“The second note is in regards to His statement:

لاَ يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَلاَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ أَصْغَرُ مِن ذَلِكَ وَلاَ أَكْبَرُ إِلاَّ فِى كِتَـبٍ مُّبِينٍ

Not even the weight of an atom (or a small ant) or less than that or greater, escapes from His Knowledge in the heavens or in the earth, but it is in a Clear Book (AlLauh AlMahfuz).

[34:3]

which is a refutation of some of the philosophers in this present time when they say: The Quran considers the atom as the smallest matter and it does not accept that it can be divided. As the logicians say: it [the atom] is the smallest matter and it cannot be divided. Contemporary knowledge has come and the atom was split and made into parts. And the refutation for this new statement [i.e. that the atom is the smallest matter] is that in the Book of Allah is a clear text: Not even the weight of an atom (or a small ant) or less than that or greater. So it is well-known with Allah and confirmed in His Book, that there is what is less than an atom. There is no boundary to this, it can be in any proportion.

So it includes the splitting of the atom into parts irrespective of how small those parts may be. Glory be to You how great is Your affair and how great is Your Book. Allah spoke the truth when he said:

ما فرطنا في الكتاب من شيء

We have neglected nothing in the Book

[6:38]”

[Adwaa ul-Bayyan fi Idaaha al-Quran bil-Quran (9/60)]

Allahu Akbar! May Allah have mercy upon this great Imam and may He allow us to benefit from his great knowledge

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan