Day: 30 March 2020

GEOIDAL FORM OF THE WORLD

He made the earth egg-shaped
(An Nazi’at, 30)
The Arabic word “dahw” means rotundity like that of the ostrich’s egg. The above verse was also interpreted to refer to the shaping of the earth in the form of an ostrich egg. Prof. Dr. Süleyman Ateş, former head of Religious Affairs in Turkey, gives the following definition of the word, based on the famous Arabic dictionary Lisan u’l Arab: “The word ‘dahw’ means to spread out, giving (something) a round shape.” Derived from the same stem, the word “medahi” referred to round stones. Despite the meaning of rotundity concealed in words derived from the word “dahw” there have been translators for whom a spherical earth was difficult to conceive, who had to translate it as “to spread out.” The actual shape of the earth does have the shape of an ostrich egg. Thus the shape of the earth is spheroid with depressions at the poles. The exact figure of the earth which had posed a problem throughout history was pointed out by the Quran, 1400 years ago.

Even the books written a few centuries after the descent of the Quran likened the shape of the earth to a tray. Beliefs according to which the earth rested on the horns of an ox or was supported by a fish reigned over mentalities in the Arabic peninsula and many believed that earthquakes occurred when the fish down below waved its tail. The Prophet had no ocean-going ship to cross the earth from one extremity to the other, that would have supplied him with evidence proving the spheroid shape of the earth, nor had he a spacecraft from which he could have had an overall view of our world that would have provided him a photographic image of it, as he was not equipped with a camera. Our knowledge of the sphericity of the earth, which seems to us as an established fact, was then beyond the comprehension and imagination of the majority. Therefore, the Quran’s statement to this effect failed to be grasped.

Thus, at a time when most of the people believed in the shape of earth’s figure as a tray supported by an ox or fish, the Quran had beautifully described its actual shape. The fact that ostriches inhabited in the Arabian Peninsula at the time must have permitted those who inquired into this mystery to hold an ostrich egg in their hands and examine it. The geoidal form is a gentle indication of this. The subtlety of the Quran’s expressions provides men with evidence.

174- O people! Verily there has come to you an infallible proof from your Lord. We have sent unto you a manifest light.
(4- An Nisa, 174)

ROLLING THE NIGHT OVER THE DAY

5- He created the heavens and the earth truthfully.
He rolls the night over the day, and rolls the day over the night…
39-Az Zumar, 5

The Arabic word for “roll” is “yukevviru.” The word is used to describe the act of wrapping a turban around someone’s head. This word was also used in the sense of overlapping of the night and day and vice versa. The reason for the day’s turning into night and the night’s turning into day is due to the spheroid form of the earth. In this verse also we observe implied the sphericity of the world.

VIEW OF THE WORLD FROM SPACE ABOVE

During the Prophet’s lifetime it was impossible to scientifically determine the correct view. The scientific demonstration of the statements of the Quran was only possible after the lapse of a millennium. These scientific explanations in the Quran-beyond the comprehension of the Prophet’s contemporaries, their contradicting the hypotheses prevalent at the time and likely to cause harm to their messenger, certainly was of no benefit to him. We see that the Quran’s objective is to tell the truth at all costs. The fact that these phenomena could be explained thanks to the advance of science one thousand years later testifies to the universal address of the Quran and its character; it addresses not only its own time, but also the entirety of humanity until the end of the world.

When the astronomers went to space, they bore witness to this statement of the Quran and took photographs. The face of the world facing the sun was day, while the other side was night. The rotation of the world around its own axis made the night and day alternate, and in some parts the transition from day to night took place simultaneously.

The phenomena related to the roundness of the world and the succession of days and nights are the sine qua non conditions of our life on earth. Had our world not been of a spherical shape, had night and day not succeeded each other thanks to its rotation, life on the face of the earth exposed to heat would be extinct and in the portion left in the shade vegetation would not thrive. God’s omniscience, omnipotence and art, His perfect design of everything, and the miraculous character of the Book are better understood as we contemplate them.

BUMI BERBENTUK BULAT TELUR

Pada zaman dahulu, orang menyakini bahwa bumi itu datar. Sebelum Al-Qur’an diturunkan , anggapan bahwa bumi itu datar menyebar dimana – mana . Selama berabad- adab , sekalipun orang telah bepergian sangat jauh , mereka gagal menemukan tepi bumi . Sir Frasncis Drake adalah orang pertama yang membuktikan bahwa bumi itu bulat, yakni ketika dia berlayar mengelilingi bumi pada tahun 1597. Perhatikanlah ayat Al- Qur’an berikut ini mengenai pergantian siang dan malam .

foto.defwalls.com

“Tidakkah kamu memerhatikan bahwa sesungguhnya Allah memasukkan malam ke dalam siang dan memasukkan siang ke dalam malam?”(QS.Lukman : 29) .

Memasukkan disini artinya bahwa malam lambat laun berubah menjadi siang dan sebaliknya . Peristiwa ini hanya dapat terjadi jika bumi bukan datar tetapi bulat .Jika bumi datar, maka akan terjadi perubahan secara tiba – tiba dari malam menjadi siang , begitu pula dari siang menjadi malam .Ayat berikut ini juga menginsyaratkan bahwa bumi berbentuk bulat :
“Dia menciptakan langit dan bumi dengan tujuan yang benar, Dia menutupkan malam atas siang dan menutupkan siang atas malam”. (QS.Az-Zumar : 5)
Istilah Arab yang digunakan di sini adalah Kawwara yang artinya menutupkan atau melilitkan , sebagaimana sorban dililitkan dikepala. Menutupi atau melilitkan siang dan malam hanya dapat terjadi jika bumi berbentuk bulat. Bumi sesungguhnya tidak benar – benar bulat seperti bola , tetapi Geo-spherical ,bulat bumi . Ayat suci berikut ini menjelaskan tentang bentuk bumi secara gamblang .

“ Dan bumi sesudah itu dijadikan oleh-nya berbentuk bulat telur.” (QS.An – Naazi’aat:30).
Kata Arab untuk telur disini adalah Dahaha artinya telur burung unta( kata arab dahaha oleh para penerjemah , diterjemahkan “ menghamparkan” , terjemahan ini juga betul ).
Bentuk telur burung unta menyerupai bentuk bulatan bumi . Dengan demikian , Al-Quran menjelaskan dengan benar bentuk bumi , meskipun anggapan yang berkembang pada saat Al-Quran diturunkan , adalah bumi berbentuk datar.

Dalam hal ini sangatlah penting untuk diketengahkan bahwa orang-orang kafir menyatakan Al- Quran menjelaskan bumi berbentuk datar dengan merujuk pada surat dalam Al-Quran berikut ini :
“ Dan bumi itu kami hamparkan ,maka kamilah sebaik – baik yang menghamparkan . “ (QS.Adz- Dzaariyaat: 48)
Dalam ayat tersebut, Allah Swt berfirman betapa dia telah menghamparkan bumi untuk tempat kediaman yang baik bagi manusia dan makhluk lain. Ayat ini juga memberikan penjelasan tentang ukuran bumi yang kita diami , sehingga jika kita menggabungkan ayat diatas dengan ayat ini , maka kita akan menyadari bahwa bumi tidak saja berbentuk bulat , tetapi juga besar dan luas.
Untuk memahami fakta ini dengan jelas, marilah kita bayangkan bahwa kita berdiri di bumi pada sebuah dataran dan disana tidak ada penghalang disekitar kita. Dalam keadaan seperti ini , kita dapat melihat (tidaklah sulit untuk memperkirakan jarak cakrawala jika kita melihat bumi dari tempat yang tinggi , semakin tinggi tempat kita melihat, jarak cakrawala ini akan bertambah) hingga 5 kilometer disekeliling kita . Di kejauhan , kita lihat langit dan bumi seakan – akan bersatu . Itulah Cakrawala .
Itu artinya , secara sekilas dapat kita lihat bahwa area maksimal bumikita adalah = 78.5 km persegi . Tetapi permukaan Area seluruh bumi (378)2 = 5.11 X 10 8 km persegi, dimana RE adalah panjang jari – jari bumi .
Dengan demikian , dari permukaan bumi kita hanya dapat melihat sebagaian dari 5.11 X 10 8 / 78.5 = 65,11,922.Sekarang , jika kita membayangkan sebuah bulatan bola yang sempurna ,jika permukaannya dibagi menjadi 6511922 bagian , maka setiap bagian dapat dengan mudah di lihat sebagai permukaan yang datar ( secara matematis , permukaan datar yang sempurna memiliki radius kurva tak terbatas). Dengan demikian , jika mengumpulkan semua ayat suci diatas , kita akan takjub betapa Allah Swt telah menjadikan bumi ini bukan saja berbentuk bulat, tetapi juga sangat luas(sekalipun berbentuk bulat) demi untuk kemanfaatan manusia . Inilah fenomena yang baru diketahui pada zaman modern. Untuk itu , marilah kita renungkan firman Allah swt . dibawah ini:

“Ingatlah sesungguhnya wali-wali Allah itu , tidak ada kekhawatiran terhadap mereka dan tidak (pula) mereka bersedih hati . Orang orang yang beriman dan mereka selalu bertakwa .Bagi mereka berita gembira didalalm kehidupan didunia dan diakhirat .Tidak ada perubahan bagi kalimat-kalimat (janji-janji) Allah., Yang demikian itu adalah kemenangan yang besar . Jangan lah kamu sedih oleh perkataan mereka . Sesungguhnya kekuasaan itu adalah kepunyaan Allah . Dialah yang maha mendengar lagi maha mengetahui .” (QS.Yunus 62-65).
ditulis ulang dari buku Einstein aja baca quran : 43 keajaiban ilmu pengetahuan dalam al quran karya MD Anis Surahman

BLACK HOLES: MIGHTY OATH

So, I swear by the place where the stars fall.(56- al Waqiah, 75)
76- And that is indeed a mighty oath, if you but knew.(56- al Waqiah, 76)
The expression “place where… fall” (mawqi) also mentioned in the sura, “The Cave” (Kehf), verse 53, means the place where the sinners fall, i.e., hell. The root of this word is “waqa’a” and it means the action of falling, a happening and an incidence.
Stars perpetuate their existence with hydrogen bombs exploding in them. During these explosions a portion of matter is transferred into energy, emitting heat of immeasurably high temperature. Conversion of one gram of matter into energy may be obtained by burning two million kilograms of coal. For instance, in our sun-which is but a star of medium size-four billion kilograms of matter are converted into energy every second. A star uses but a small portion of its matter as fuel, and when this fuel is exhausted, it dies off. The lifetime that God designed for the living had also been apportioned for the stars. As new stars are born somewhere in the universe, the old ones bid farewell.

FALLING OF STARS AND MIGHTY OATH

The place where the stars fall is stressed by an oath coupled with the epithet “mighty.” We shall see incommensurately great mathematical figures in connection with the death of stars whose fuel is exhausted.
The great numerical values in the universe come about at the death of stars to which reference is made with the following words in the Quran, “And that is indeed a mighty oath, if you but knew.”

Everybody versed in physics knows that one of the most interesting phenomena in the universe is the black hole that comes about in the wake of the death of massive stars whose magnitudes are greater than three times the size of our sun. Having depleted their fuel, these cosmic bodies die, collapsing inward upon themselves. The giant stars that contract possess a great gravitational force. This force is so immense that even light, with its velocity of approximately 300,000 km/sec, cannot escape it; these black holes absorb even the light that passes by. Later on, a great many planets and stars are attracted by this gravitational force. Black holes also constitute “the place where the stars fall.” The existence of black holes is deduced from the fact that they attract as whirlpools the matter of other nearby stars; swallowing all the lights and stars around..

The black holes formed by the collapse of stars by their gravitational force are in perfect conformity with verses 75-76 of the sura “The Inevitable”. At the time of the descent of the Quran, the end of a star by being transformed into a black hole was something unknown. A star turning into a black hole and the stages it goes through are very interesting phenomena.

Some stars die following different processes. Some of them grow in size at first, as if inflated. Their temperature, around 15 million degrees, rises up to 100 million degrees. They are first transformed into red giants or super giants. The area covered by a super-giant is so vast that it can easily contain more than sixty million suns. The immensity of these numerical values is reminiscent of the magnitudes indicated in 76th verse of the sura.

Some of the supernovas contract and turn into white dwarf stars whose mass equal the size of a human being but weigh billions of kilograms. Still greater stars become neutron stars (pulsars), stars supposed to form in the final stage of the stellar evolution; these consist of a super dense mass mainly of neutrons having a strong attractive force. The matter in the neutron stars is extremely dense. Just to give you an idea, a teaspoonful of this matter would weigh one billion tons…
While all these spectacular events are taking place, we, on our planet, continue to sleep, run and talk, quite unaware of them. So is our life: rendered possible by forces beyond our knowledge.

PULSARS

1- By the heavens and The Knocker.(86- at Tariq, 1)
2- How will you comprehend what the The Knocker is? (86- at Tariq, 2)
3- It is a piercing star.(86- at Tariq, 3)
The word “Tariq” stems from the root “taraqa” meaning “knocking, striking.” In many translations of the Quran this word was taken for a name and left untranslated. But if the word is translated as “to pulsate”, the basic meaning of the word, cosmic physicists would witness an interesting connection.

LITTLE GREEN MEN OF THE UNIVERSE

In 1967 Jocelyn Bell accidentally stumbled on a regular and steadfast radio signal. The object she detected was emitting regular pulses. These pulses were reminiscent of heart-beats. At the time, such a pulsating object was not known to exist in space. At first, it was concluded that these signals might well have been propagated by intelligent beings, inhabitants of other planets. Invitation cards were printed, the media were notified and a seminar was arranged. LGM (Little Green Men) signified that intelligent creatures had been detected and were contacted by radio signals. Not long after, the source of the signals in question was discovered: it was a spinning neutron star, an object whose velocity was incommensurably great: “pulsar.” Bell’s discovery failed to establish contact with the inhabitants of space, but she had found pulsars. The words “pulsar” and “pulsating” seem to accord with the word “Tariq” of the Quran, which means “knocker.”

CAN YOU COMPREHEND WHAT A PULSAR IS?

In the second verse of the sura, “The Knocker”, we read: “How will you comprehend what The Knocker is?” A spoonful of matter taken from a pulsar would weigh one billion tons. Were we to depose a small particle of it on earth, the particle would pierce it and end up in its center. Just think of it, a spoonful of any matter on earth hardly weighing more than a few grams! This shows how difficult it is to conceive of a pulsar. A pulsar is produced by the compression of stars a couple of times bigger than the sun. If we were to compress the earth the same way, we would end up with a sphere with a diameter of several meters. The diameter of a pulsar can be about 15-20 km. It takes the earth 24 hours to rotate around its own axis, whereas the pulsar rotates around its own axis many times per second; all these things show how difficult it is to comprehend this striking, pulsating star.

LET’S SEE IF YOU CAN WORK A MIRACLE

Some have tried to identify the star mentioned in the verse and have claimed it to be a certain celestial body, like Saturn or Venus. Mustafa Mlivo, who claims these assumptions are not correct and that “Tariq” is none other than a pulsar, says the following:
Characteristics of the celestial object mentioned in 86:1-3 are:
1- It pulsates (knocks);
2- It is a star;
3- It penetrates, pierces, drills.
None of the solar system planets meets all those criteria because:
A- None of the planets produces pulsations that give the impression of knocking, beating.
B- None of them is a star. They are cold celestial bodies.
C- None of them produces such an intensive radiation.
As one can see, the Quran had already mentioned a star that was to be discovered. This star was indeed discovered, but in the year 1970. Since the concept of a “pulsating star” could not be imagined at that time, it was rendered in translation as it stood, i.e., “Tariq,” the meaning of it being explained in footnotes, in dictionaries and interpretations.
The Quran whose every sentence, every word is based on the finest of meanings, wherein lie hidden realms still to be discovered. The more we study the Quran, the more we are enlightened, the more we learn.

ALL AFLOAT IN ORBITS

It is He who created the night and the day,
and the sun, and the moon; each of them floating in an orbit.
(21- Al Anbiya, 33)
The word we translated as “each of them” is “kullu” in Arabic. Suffixes called “tasniya” are used in Arabic when the sentence defines two objects. In the verse reference is made to the motion of two celestial bodies, namely the sun and the moon. However, the reason why “tasniya” is not used indicates that there should be more than two objects. If we suppose that the night and the day take place on the earth, the other object should be the earth. The Arabic word “falak” is used in Arabic to denote the orbit traced by stars and planets.

THE MIRACLE IN THE USE OF EVERY SINGLE WORD

As one can see, every single word and suffix has been carefully selected. The Arabic equivalent of the expression “to float” is “sabaha.” Maurice Bucaille says the harmony of the movements of the sun, the moon and the earth can be expressed as follows: “The Arabic verb ‘sabaha’ refers to displacement of an object by its own movement. The meanings of this verb converge on displacement referring to the motion of the object by itself. When displacement takes place in water, the movement refers to the act of floating; when it is on land the displacement takes place by the movement of the object’s own legs. If, on the other hand, this displacement occurs in space, the motion intended can be described only by the etymological sense of the word. Thus, ‘sabaha’ should be conceived as a motion in a self-generating act. The moon rotates around its axis within a space of time equal to its revolution around the earth; that is 29.5 days. So what we see is always the same face of the moon. ‘The sun turns about its axis within 25 days approximately. The word ‘sabaha’ describes the self-generating motions of the sun and the moon conforms to the findings of recent scientific data. This fact could not have been fancied by a human being in the 7th century, regardless of his erudition.”

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

The motions of the sun and the moon and the earth continue without the slightest interference with our life. On the other hand, all the phenomena are brought about to make life on earth and diversity possible. The earth revolves about the sun, at an angle of inclination of 23 degrees and 27 minutes. The seasons evolve upon the earth thanks to this inclination upon which depends also the system of growth of plants.

The velocity of rotation of the earth about its axis attains 1670 km. If the earth did not rotate, its surface facing the sun would be exposed to continuous light while the rear would be in perpetual darkness. In such a world, neither vegetation nor beings could exist.
40- Neither can the sun overtake the moon, nor does the night precede the day.
Each of them is floating in an orbit.
(36-Ya-Seen, 40)
All the motions of the sun, the moon and the earth continue in perfect harmony. Everything is so excellently arranged that even Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, contributes to the life on earth. Astronomer George Wetherill, in his article on Jupiter, says that had there been no planet of a magnitude equal to the size of Jupiter, the earth would have had much more exposure to stray meteors and comets, and that if Jupiter were not at the place where it happened to be, we could not have been here now to probe into the mystery of the origin of the solar system. No matter where we turn, we come across splendors, infinitesimal calculations and works of art provided. Of course, we meditate on God’s creation using our intelligence. Our Creator displays the evidences of His omnipotence and omniscience and His compassion everywhere in the universe.
190- Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth,
and the alternation of night and day, there are signs
for those who possess intelligence.
(3- The Family of Imran, 190)
191- They remember God while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides.
And contemplate on the creation of the heavens and the earth:
“Our Lord, You did not create all this in vain. Be You glorified.
Protect us from the torment of the fire.”
(3- The Family of Imran, 191)

CREATION IN PAIRS

Glory be to the One, who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as themselves, and other things they do not know.
(36- Ya-Seen, 36)
The Arabic word “azvaj” is the plural of “zavj” meaning “pairs,” “matches,” “partners.” There are three sorts of pairs in the creation as described in the verse:
a- Pairs that grow from the earth, i.e., plants that have species of differentiated sex;
b- Human pairs, males and females. Also some included human characteristics like bravery/cowardice; love/hate; generosity/stinginess, etc.
c- Pairs unknown: men did not know anything about the creation in pairs at the time of the descent of the Quran. In this section we shall be dealing with the latter in particular.

THE DISCOVERY THAT WON THE NOBEL PRIZE AWARD

The atom lies at the basis of all matter in the universe. A study of this smallest piece of matter may give an idea about the creation of everything in pairs (partners). As research conducted on the structure of the atom gained momentum, it became clear that the constituents of elementary particles were not limited to protons, neutrons and electrons and that their compositions were of a more complex nature and an unerring precision. Creation in pairs is also valid for elementary particles.

A proton has its anti-proton, an electron is coupled with a positron, and a neutron possesses an anti-neutron. The creation of matter in pairs is one of the discoveries of towering importance of physics. Paul Dirac, a British scientist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1933 for his discovery in this field.

God’s ingenious calculation is also seen in the numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons, and of their respective pairs. Let us take as an example the electron and its counterpart, the positron. When these two get together, energy is generated. If there were 15 units of positron versus 10 units of electrons, 10 units of electrons and 10 units of positrons would be eliminated leaving behind 5 units of positron. If their numbers were equal, there would emerge only energy, leaving behind no electrons or positrons. The survival of protons, electrons and neutrons depends on the quantities higher than their respective pairs, while the numerical balance between protons, neutrons and electrons is also important. For example, if the number of electrons were less than the number of protons, there would be no life in the universe. All the fine calculations in our existence are based on this fact. Had one single formation of thousands of phenomena been left to chance, we would not have been on our planet today. We exist thanks to the omniscience of our Creator Who controls everything through His omnipotence.

CONTRIBUTION TO UNITY OF POLARITY

As we have already pointed out, the fact that the description of scientific phenomena in the Quran could not be accounted for by the knowledge acquired at the time of the Prophet is not the only outstanding point. This fact is certainly very important. However, our wonder becomes even greater when we examine the scientific data provided in the verses of the Quran which reflect God’s omnipotence, art, science and design.

For instance, the statement in sura 21, verse 30 that the universe was created from an integrated mass, as the raw material of the heavens and the earth were closed up before God split them, could not possibly be the word of a mortal at the time of the Prophet. This also proved that God had created the matter, the universe and that He had preset objectives in His mind. Therefore, as we proceed, we shall try to point to the scientific miracles in the verses of the Quran as well as to the fact that these things testified to His existence and the splendor of His art. In brief, as important as the existence of the miracles themselves is the inspiration displayed by the miracles.

This also holds true of course for the verses announcing that the material world was created in pairs. At the time of the descent of the Quran the creation of the universe in pairs and the significant role of this phenomenon could not possibly have been known. Important as this is, all the wonders ranging from the forces to the balance between the protons and anti-protons, between neutrons and antineutrons are also important. The Quran’s concern is not merely to stress the miracle as such, but also to draw attention to the creation in pairs so that we may have a better insight into the wonders of the creation.

The importance of creation in pairs in the universe gained momentum with the discovery of quarks within the protons and neutrons as well. Laboratory research has made it clear that quarks and leptons (another subatomic particle) emerged in pairs. When the quark called “Bottom” was discovered after such quarks as “Up,” “Down,” “Charm” and “Strange,” the consciousness of creation in pairs was so widespread among scientists that the name “Top” was given to a quark before even it was discovered. In the year 1994, the discovery of the quark “Top” was announced. The research carried out in the Fermilab in the USA resulted in the discovery of “Top,” that paired up with the quark called “Bottom.”
All paired creations contribute to the integral order of the universe. The quarks “Up” and “Down,” the protons and antiprotons, the positive and negative electricity charges in the universe have no consciousness. All these well-ordered and predetermined formations are created in a microcosm that, in turn, renders possible the formation of galaxies, stars, planets, plants, the animal kingdom and humankind. Opposite pairs of forces and opposite pairs of particles owe their existence to an Omnipotent Power. The colorful and marvelous universe based on the formation of opposite pairs of force bars the possibility of chaos. Whoever the Author of the creation and the Designer of ultimate ends was, it was also He who generated the pairs of particles and forces and set these opposite particles and forces to operate in a harmonious unity until the targets are reached. For those who take heed the evidence is clear.

49- And We created pairs of everything that you may contemplate.
(51-Al Dhariyat, 49)

RELATIVITY OF TIME ANNOUNCED 1400 YEARS AGO

To Him ascend the angels and the spirit in
a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.
(70- Al Ma’arij, 4)
He regulates all affairs from the heaven to the earth. Then they ascend to Him in a day, the measure of which is a thousand years as you count.
(32- As Sajdah, 5)

Throughout history, “time” was assumed to apply equally in every imaginable spot in the universe and in every medium. If we consider this conception, we can see the radical change that the above verses brought. The Quran said that, according to circumstances, the “day” concept might equal even up to fifty thousand years. These verses which must have encountered objections have been elucidated in the twentieth century and shed light on important truths.

The theory of relativity is Einstein’s best known discovery. However, many people whose interests are not in any way related to physics are at a loss to understand what this theory signifies. The Quran had already touched on these facts 1400 years ago. Einstein’s theory of relativity has two main divisions, namely the special theory of relativity and the general theory of relativity.

According to Einstein, time would pass more slowly for somebody driving a vehicle at a speed close to the velocity of light. When an inhabitant of the earth passes one hundred days, it may take a person fifty days to displace at a speed nearing the propagation speed of light. This finding is the most interesting fact of the relativity theory. Time slows down in direct proportion with speed. Time is therefore a relative conception, as indicated in the Quran. Hours differ and days are conceived differently according to the medium, place and speed involved.
The general theory of relativity deals with gravitational fields and tries to demonstrate that time is slower in the fields of greater gravitation. A man walking on the surface of the sun will see that his clock runs more slowly, as do the biological and anatomical functions and all the motions in terms of his atoms.

Recent experiments have corroborated this fact. One of these experiments was conducted in the British National Institute of Physics. John Laverty, researcher, synchronized two clocks indicating the exact time (two clocks of optimum perfection; error of precision in the course of a space of time of 300,000 years would be not more than 1 second). One of these clocks was kept at a laboratory in London; the other was taken aboard an airplane shuttling between London and China. The high altitude at which the aircraft flies is subject to a lower gravitational force. In other words, time was expected to pass at a faster rate aboard a plane in conformity with the general relativity theory. There is not so great a difference in terms of gravity between someone treading upon the earth and someone flying in the air. This difference could only be established by a precision instrument. It was established that the clock aboard the aircraft had a greater speed, one per fifty five billion seconds. This experiment is one of the proofs of the relativity of time. According to the prevailing prejudice, there should not be any difference between the two clocks. This supports the dispelling of prejudices as foreseen in the Quran. Had it been possible to make this experiment on a planet with greater gravitational force, there would be no need for precision instruments to measure the difference, since normal watches could do the job.

THE USE OF THE WORD “DAY” IN THE QURAN

Verse 5 of the sura “as Sajdah” and verse 4 of the sura “al Maarij” not only point to the relativity of time, but give also a clear meaning of the Arabic word “yawm” that denotes not only the space of time of one day – which comprises 24 hours – but also a certain period of time. This makes it easier to understand the six “yawm”s mentioned in the Quran (See: 7-The Purgatory, 54; 11-Hud, 7; 10- Jonah, 3; 25-The Distinguisher, 59; 32-The Prostration, 4; 57-Iron, 4). The six “yawm”s must be understood as six “periods.”

This gives a clue to the Jews and Christians for the interpretation of the Biblical account according to which the world was created in six days. Findings in the domain of space physics show that the universe and our world passed through many stages, from a gaseous state to galaxies, to the formation of the atmosphere surrounding the Earth, and of waters and metals. The fact that the Quran refers to the stages that the process of creation went through is also better understood by modern cosmology.

If we remember the stories of creation of ancient Egypt, China and India, we encounter wild fancies such as a universe standing on a tortoise or as an eternally existing entity. None of the past civilizations had made any reference to the stages of this evolution. This message of the Quran contributes to a correct interpretation of Biblical exegeses of the concept of day.

The message in the Bible that reads: “And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.” (Genesis 2, 2) was thus corrected, as fatigue was certainly out of the question for God.

38- We created the heavens and the earth, and all that lies between them in six days, and no fatigue touched us.
(50- Qaf, 38)

Comprehension of time’s relativity will contribute to a better understanding of the Quran. For instance, it is said in the Quran that the dead will think when resurrected that their span on the earth had been very brief. Once time’s relativity has been conceived, the puzzling question of the time to elapse from one’s death till the Day of Judgment will be clear. Such questions for the inquisitive mind that sees the time upon the earth as the only valid time regardless of the attending circumstances will find their answer, once time’s relativity is understood. Given the fact that a deceased person is outside the confines of the temporal dimensions of the earth, the time to elapse after his death, regardless of its actual duration, would be of no consequence.

45- On the day when He gathers them, it will appear to them as if they had tarried an hour of a day…
(10- Jonah, 45)
112- He said: “How many years did you stay on earth?”
(23- The Believers, 112)
113- They said: “We stayed a day or part of a day, ask those who account.”(23- The Believers, 113)

ANYONE AMONG US TIRED OF WAITING FOR EONS?

The reason why the fifteen billion years that elapsed from the moment the universe was created until the creation of man was made clear by time’s relativity. In a different context, fifteen billion years may be conceived as one minute or even less. The length of its duration depends on our perception and standpoint.
Scientists, based on the most recent and accurate calculations, assert that approximately fifteen billion years have elapsed since the creation of the universe until this very moment. Is there anyone who feels tired of waiting for eons? The evident answer being in the negative, the time the departed will have to wait as from their decease until resurrection will not cause anxiety in them. Comprehension of time’s relativity renders possible the solution of many problems believed to be beyond the grasp of the intellect.

ARGUMENT FROM NECESSARY VERSUS POSSIBLE BEING

A host of celebrated philosophers like Avicenna, Al-Farabi, Taftazani and Jurjani had recourse to this argument in proving God’s existence. They asserted that all the possible creatures upon the earth could not exist by themselves as they owed their existence to a Creator. “The created” requires a Creator while God, “the Self-Existent” (whose existence is a necessity) does not need a creator. The created is a product of causality; their existence or non-existence are within the confines of possibility. To think of the non-existence of a possible being poses no contradiction. However, this does not hold true for the Self-Existing, God; otherwise, the contradiction would be evident. Philosophers like Leibniz argued in like manner the principle of sufficient reason. According to him, the universe is made of contingent beings. The universe itself is a contingent being. If we try to trace back the chain of causality (which is impossible) until the infinite this would not explain the universe. Yes, the universe is a contingent being but requires a sufficient reason outside its confines.

To allege that the reasons may be traced back to the infinite would mean that we were created after eternity. But since eternity is infinite there would be no question of any lapse of time after infinity; if there has been a chain of causality, it would necessarily follow that it had had an end. If there had been a chain of causality that came to an end, it would prove the existence of a “first cause.” There may be persons who would find the existence of a first cause difficult to grasp. On the other hand, an infinite chain of causes would be a self-contradiction. Absurd and incomprehensible are not the same thing. For instance, the structure of a space-shuttle may be incomprehensible for us, but we cannot deny its existence. The number 5 cannot be higher than the number 10; that is absurd. As the contrary is absurd (that the infinite chain of causes has led to this point), the existence of a first cause is a necessity.
81- And He shows you His signs:
Then which of the signs of God will you deny?
(40- Ghafir, 81)

THE POINT OF DEPARTURE OF OUR ODYSSEY

Do not these disbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were an integrated mass, which We then split, and from water We made all living things? Will they not believe even then? (21- al Anbiya, 30)

We deduce from the contents of this verse that it warns the unbelievers for ignoring the apparent miracles. The atheists’ basic contention is that matter has no beginning and that it is the matter that has generated everything, both living and inanimate things, by fortuitous act. The Big Bang Theory refutes the basic assertion of atheism in positing that the universe and time had a beginning. “Do not these disbelievers see that…?” is significant. And as it is implied by this verse, the fact that the heavens and the earth were in a state of unity before they were splited was something indeed conceivable by the human mind. The 1900s were the years during which scientific discoveries succeeded each other. Those were the years in which some people tried to point out the contradiction between science and religion. It was presumptuous of them as their whims had been indulged by the prosperity generated by the industrial revolution to idolize matter, daring to substitute it for God. The fact that matter was created – that it had had a beginning – as proven by the Big Bang Theory, was a blow for unbelievers. The concluding sentence of the verse “Will they not believe even then?” is significant in that history confirmed the truth of this and the unbelievers remained adamant despite evidence produced.

Nevertheless, the arguments of this verse refute the unbelievers’ thesis of eternal matter and compel them to believe. This truth that was to be taken for a fact 1300 years after the revelation of the Quran was another warning for unbelievers. In history, there has been no one, other than God through the Quran, who claimed that the universe had been expanding and that the heavens and the earth had been split asunder. Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, the Modern Age, Plato, Thales – all those who had attempted to explain natural phenomena in natural terms – Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler and Kant, none of humanity’s great minds, had had an idea of an expanding universe and of the fact that before creation the heavens and the earth had been an indivisible whole. Without the sophisticated equipment of the twentieth century at their disposal, and devoid of all accumulated scientific data, all of these celebrated philosophers and physicists had failed to take cognizance of this fact. The Creator of the universe communicated such important facts about His creation in His book and shed light on the celestial bodies, also proving thereby that the Quran had been His revelation. God unfolded to man the evidences of His creation, the creation that had originated from a single point in which man stood as another point. It is significant to note that while pointing at the comprehensibility of this revelation in the verse, “Do not these disbelievers see…?” He prefigures the stubbornness of unbelievers: “Will they not believe even then?” Einstein himself said that what astounded him was the comprehensibility of his discoveries about the universe, rather than the discoveries themselves. This shows how significant it was to stress the fact that these phenomena were in fact within the reach of man’s mental capacity

COSMIC BACKGROUND RADIATION

The original unity of the universe is expressed by the Arabic word “ratq,” meaning the integrated state and the word “fatq,” signifying disintegration by separation. We have already mentioned that when Lemaître had posited this separation as described in the Quranic verse, his theory was first refuted. One of the contenders of this argument was Fred Hoyle. In the 1940s Fred Hoyle contended that if the Big Bang had effectively taken place there should have been a residue of the explosion, and asked that this fossil be shown. This satirical criticism led to the discovery of much evidence in support of the Big Bang Theory. The expression “fossil” which was mockingly uttered by Hoyle became the scientific proof for real evidence discovered later. While he was trying to debunk the theory of the Big Bang in a humorous way, he had unwittingly contributed to the confirmation of the Big Bang Theory.

In 1948, George Gamow and his student Ralph Adler concluded that if the Big Bang Theory were true, it must have had a fossil left behind as Hoyle had claimed. According to their logic, the low-level background radiation must have existed in every direction since the universe had begun expanding in every direction following the Big Bang. Radiation other than that caused by the Big Bang must have had particular points in space from which it departed. But the radiation generated by such an explosion could not be traced back to a point. With the universe’s dynamic expansion radiation must have scattered in every direction. In the 1960s, the form of radiation imagined by Gamow and Adler was made the subject of research by a group of scientists with precision instruments at their disposal at Princeton University. However, what they had been looking for was to be discovered by others in a very interesting way. Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were researchers at the Bell Telephone Company. One day, quite unexpectedly, they detected a uniform microwave radiation that suggested a residual thermal energy throughout the universe of about 3 Kelvin. At first Penzias and Wilson could not unravel the mystery. Surveys of the cosmic 3 Kelvin radiation indicated that it was perfectly uniform in all directions. The residue that Hoyle believed nonexistent had been found. So the Nobel Prize went to Penzias and Wilson.

SATELLITE IN SUPPORT OF BIG BANG

After Penzias and Wilson shared the Nobel Prize in 1965, the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) was rocketed into the sky in 1989. The data received from COBE confirmed the discovery of Penzias and Wilson. A great number of scientists evaluated the data produced by COBE as conclusive proof. Thus the process initiated by Lemaître in the 1920s was substantiated once again with new discoveries in the 1990s. 1400 years had elapsed since the revelation of the Quran and the satellite’s findings validated its statements. Supposing that we landed on a desert island and stumbled upon ashes: no one would doubt the fact that there had once been a fire on this island. The residue radiation that Penzias and Wilson ran across, and the COBE’s data, indicated the existence of the Big Bang. The contention by dissenters that the radiation scattered all over space had to be perfectly uniform in all directions is another indicator of the soundness of this evidence.

One of the proofs substantiating the Big Bang Theory is related to the hydrogen-helium ratio in the universe. In the 1930s, astronomers, basing their studies on the fact that every celestial object emits a particular light, had recourse to a spectroscope to analyze the composition of the stars and galaxies. Calculations made by means of the spectroscope and mathematical formulas demonstrated that the universe, comprised an average of 73% hydrogen and 25% helium and 2% other gases like carbon and oxygen. Stars did not generate hydrogen and that much helium. Calculations made by scientists made it clear that 20%-30% of the helium must have been produced before the evolution of stars. Only the primordial fireball at the outset of the Big Bang could have generated such a light synthesis; the expectations in the wake of the Big Bang and the quantity of hydrogen and helium in space are just a few of the proofs validating the theory.

Although the available scientific evidence is in itself sufficient to prove the Big Bang Theory, we are witnessing a steady increase of this evidence. A Big Bang medium was created in Switzerland at CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire), the famous center that has the most powerful and versatile facilities of their kind in the world. The findings of the research carried out here lends further support to the theory.

The law of thermodynamics supports the theory according to which the universe must have had a beginning; the second law of thermodynamics states that some processes in nature are irreversible and unidirectional, the direction being dictated by an overall increase in entropy. Thus, the energy grows less and less utilizable until it becomes of no profit. If the universe and matter had existed from eternity, the movement would have come to a standstill in eternal time. On the other hand, eternity does not pass; if it does, then it is no longer an eternity. In brief, the very fact that we happen to be at this point connotes the existence of a beginning. If we think that time was not created, the contradiction is inevitable and ends up with a dilemma. The only solution to the dilemma would be positing that time was created and that the universe must have had a beginning; these, as proved by the Big Bang Theory, are mutually validating evidences.

COULD MUHAMMAD HAVE SENT A SATELLITE TO SPACE?

We have witnessed the verification of data received from the satellites sent into space. How did it happen that the Prophet had an insight into the fact that the earth and the heavens were an integrated mass before they were split? We asked whether the Prophet could have had a telescope concealed under the sand dunes, a telescope as sophisticated as the Hubble telescope? Are the unbelievers going to claim now that Muhammad discovered the primeval unity of the heavens and the earth by having recourse to calculations of the cosmic background radiation, and that he had sent his satellite long before the launch of COBE, 1400 years ago? Penzias and Wilson shared the Nobel Prize for the discovery. Would the unbelievers nominate Muhammad for the Nobel Prize for physics for having announced 1400 years ago that the universe had once been a whole before space began expanding?
It is evident that anyone who contended that the Quran had not been sent by God, but was the work of the Prophet, would necessarily become an object of ridicule. However, those resolved to remain unbelievers would insist on their convictions regardless of all evidence being brought forth. So had it been with Abraham and Moses and Christ and so was it with Muhammad. The psychology of unbelievers has never changed throughout history.
Those who opposed Moses declared that they would adhere to their own conviction, no matter what signs Moses would produce.
132- They said: “No matter what kind of sign you show us,
to bewitch us, we will not believe in you.” (7-The Purgatory, 132)

BIG BANG: SIGN OF GOD’S UNITY

Polytheistic beliefs have exhibited structures that differ according to the communities and times in which they have evolved. The polytheistic beliefs in ancient Egypt differ greatly from the polytheism of India. However, these systems have something in common. Every god has his apportioned domain where he exerts his sovereignty. The sun is a god, so is the moon… Some control the rains, others the winds; some have control over the mountains, some over the rivers… In opposition to belief-systems that parcel out the universe, the monotheistic religions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam, saw the universe as a whole. These religions professed that severance and sundering could not be imagined in a universe created by one God. According to these religions what seems to be divided is but in appearance only, while the essence of the universe is one whole; the universe ruled over by God is one entity, with every one of its points being interrelated with all the other points.

Famous theist philosophers had tried to find a correlation between the occurrences in the universe whose logical conclusion would be the unity of God. In the aftermath of the Big Bang, this unity was once again proven. The origin of the universe was irrefutably one single composition. Considering that everything evolved out of this single entity, all elements should be in correlation with each other. No one could henceforth declare that the sun, the moon, man, the serpent or a plant had its respective creators. Unity lay beneath everything, and the Creator of this unity was also the Creator of the sun, the moon, the beasts and the plants that emerged from this unity. Even before the Big Bang Theory, the irrationality of the idea that attributed different creators to different objects was evident. However, the Big Bang proved with new evidence that God is One.