By: Dr. Md. Wasay Zafar
Abstract
Is this
universe created, or is it eternal or is it evolved? If it is created then who
created it? How it was created and what was the origin of the creation? What is
the purpose of its creation? What is its
present condition? Is it self-sustained or sustained and governed by any
supernatural force? What relationship exists between the Man and the
Universe? These are the some of the
problems of cosmogony which have drawn attention of the philosophers and
religious scholars in all the ages as answers of these questions are very
significant in order to determine the man’s status in this universe as well as
his goal of life. The Holy Qur’an claims itself to be the divine and
comprehensive source of guidance for the humanity. Islamic scholars are of the
view that it offers a complete philosophy of life as well as the philosophy of
education. Therefore, in this paper, the researcher has tried to explore the
answer of the abovementioned question in the light of the Holy Qur’an and to
work out its educational implications.
Key
Words:
The Universe, God, Man, The Holy Quran.
Introduction:
The term ‘universe’ has been defined by The
American Heritage® Science Dictionary as ”The totality of matter, energy, and
space, including the Solar System, the galaxies, and the
contents of the space between the galaxies.”[1] Webster’s-online-dictionary defines the term as “everything that physically exists: the entirety of space and time, all forms of matter, energy and momentum, and the physical laws and constants that govern them.”[2] It is evident from the above definitions that the Universe is commonly defined as the totality of existence, including planets, stars, galaxies, the contents of intergalactic space, and all matter and energy and the physical laws that govern them. Therefore wherever this term has been used in this paper it connotes the same meaning.
Origin of the Universe:
According to The Quran, the life containing
universe is solely originated and created by the Almighty Allah and He is the
Supreme Ruler of the universe. In Qur’anic philosophy it is very explicit that
whatever exists is created by Allah. As Allah revealed in Qur'an:
اللَّهُ خَالِقُ
كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ ﴿39:62﴾
“Allah is the Creator
of all things, and He is the Guardian and Disposer of all affairs.”[3]
There are many other verses in the Qur’an (e.g.
Ar-Ra’d 13:16) which refer to the fact that all that is on
the Earth and in the Heavens is created by Almighty Allah.
The
Qur’anic theory of the origin of the creation of the universe is very much
agreement with the Scientific detections. Astrophysicists have postulated a
theory in order to explain the creation of the universe for a long time now
that about 20,000,000,000 years ago the universe was originally a single
extremely condensed state of matter- one big mass (Primary Nebula) of nearly infinite density that subsequently split into multiple
fragments after a tremendous explosion, called the “Big Bang” which resulted
in the formation of Galaxies. These then divided to form stars, planets, the
sun, the moon, etc. It is supported by observational and experimental data
gathered by astronomers and astrophysicists for decades .The Noble prize for science in 1977 was awarded for this discovery,
whereas this mystery was solved by the Qur’an nearly 1450 years ago. The Qur’an
describes the phenomena in verse 30 of surah Al-Anbiyaa with two special words Rataq
and Fataq. The word Rataq in Arabic language signifies the
process of fusing or binding together of elements into a homogeneous mass and
the word Fataq signifies the process
of breaking and separation of elements. Hence the verse reveals that the
heavens and the earth at the beginning were joined together, and that
subsequently they were separated. Thus “Big Bang Theory” corroborate with this
statement of the Qur’an.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ
شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿21:30﴾
“Do not the Unbelievers
see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of
creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing.
Will they not then believe?”[4]
The striking resemblance between the Qur'anic
verse and the 'Big Bang' is indisputable. It is significant to mention that the
Qur’an is not a book of science but a book of guidance for the humanity. It is
not expected from this book to have minute details of scientific phenomena. But
in order to give insight into the nature of the world and its creator it gives
some reflections on the creation of the universe, celestial bodies and man. It
is astonishing however that how could a book, which first appeared in the
deserts of Arabia 1432 years ago, contain this reflective scientific truth?
This verse makes unambiguous and significant reference to the fact that Allah
created the universe from a single entity, and He is All-Capable over all
things. Allah then commanded this 'single entity' to split, which it did, and
turned into a cloud of smoke. From this cloud of smoke Allah created the
heavens and earth.
Astrophysicists also say that
before the galaxies in the universe were formed, celestial matter was initially
in the form of gaseous mist. In short, huge gaseous mist or clouds were present
before the formation of the galaxies. The astronomers
today have pictures of other Galaxies being formed by condensation of spiraling
celestial cosmic mists (see for example picture 1 and 2 below). What astronomers call “mist” the Qur’an calls “smoke”. The term “smoke”
is most appropriate than “gas” to explain the opaque, highly dense and hot
gaseous composition that existed prior to the universe's expansion. New stars
are in fact still forming, as astronomers explain, from the remnants of that
primary “smoke”.
The following Qur’anic verse refers to this state of the universe by the word “dukhan” (دُخَانٌ ) which means smoke.
ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا
وَلِلْأَرْضِ اِئْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا
طَائِعِينَ ﴿41:11﴾
“Then
He turned to the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the
earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly." They said:
"We do come (together), in willing obedience."[5]
Figure 1: A new
star forming out of a cloud of gas and dust (nebula), which is one of the
remnants of the ‘smoke’ that was the origin of the whole universe. (The Space
Atlas, Heather and Henbest, P. 50.)
Figure 2: The
Lagoon nebula is a cloud of gas and dust, about 60 light years in diameter. It
is excited by the ultraviolet radiation of the hot stars that have recently
formed within its bulk. (Horizons, Exploring the Universe, Seeds, plate
9, from Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.)
Again, this information is an outcome of the
'Big Bang' theory and was not known to the Arabs during the time of Prophet
Muhammad (saw). It is also a testimony to the fact that the Qur’an is a
revealed book and Prophet Muhammad (saw) is not its author. If it is assumed
that he is the author of the Qur’an then it will be very difficult to answer
the recurring question; what could have been the source of his knowledge?
One of the
world’s renowned geologists, Dr. Alfred Kroner who is Professor of
Geology and the Chairman of the Department of Geology at the Institute of
Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany, once said:
“Thinking where Muhammad came from . . . I think it is almost impossible that
he could have known about things like the common origin of the universe,
because scientists have only found out within the last few years, with very
complicated and advanced technological methods, that this is the case.”[6]
He also said:
“Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics fourteen hundred
years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind,
for instance, that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.”[7]
The
Qur'an further asserts that Allah created the sun, the moon, and the planets,
each with their own individual courses or orbits.
وَهُوَ
الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ
يَسْبَحُونَ ﴿21:33﴾
“It is He Who created
the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon; all (the celestial bodies)
swim along, each in its rounded course.”[8]
By the
observation of the galactic spectrum, scientists have recently discovered that
the universe is expanding. This became possible only after the development of
the radio telescope in 1937. Out of these observations astronomers have now
presented the so called “Hubbell Constant” theory, which gives the quantity
currently used to gauge the rate at which the universe is expanding. The idea that
the universe is continuing to expand is available in Qur'an.
وَالسَّمَاءَ
بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ ﴿51:47﴾
“And the heaven We constructed with
strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander.”[9]
The word
“samaa‘a” (السَّمَاءَ) means firmament or heaven in the sense of the
extra-terrestrial world, and the word “musi‘un” (مُوسِعُونَ ) is the present plural
participle of the verb “awsa‘a”, which means “to widen, to extend, to expand.”
Thus Qur’an revealed the expansion of the universe nearly 1450 years ago when
the mankind didn’t have even the faintest idea about these kinds of things. This
fact is confirmed in Stephen Hawking's classic book “A Brief History of Time”[10]
At
another place the Qur’an declares about the time period of the creation of the universe.
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ
يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ
وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ
اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿7:54﴾
“Your Guardian-Lord is
Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then He settled
Himself on the throne: He draweth the night as a veil o'er the day, each
seeking the other in rapid succession: and the sun, the moon, and the stars,
(all) are subservient by His command. Verily, His are the creation and the
command. Blessed be Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds!”[11]
The
verses that mention "six days" use the Arabic word "youm"
has two perspective meanings one as a day of the twenty-four hour unit of time
and other as a period of time such as in the following verses of the Qur'an:
وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَنْ
يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا
تَعُدُّونَ ﴿22:47﴾
“Yet they ask thee to hasten on the Punishment! But
Allah will not fail in His Promise. Verily a Day in the sight of thy Lord is
like a thousand years of your reckoning.”[12]
تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي
يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ ﴿70:4﴾
“The angels and the
spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand
years.”[13]
The word
"youm" (يَوْمٍ) is
thus comprehended, within the Qur'an, to be a long period of time -- an era or
eon. Therefore in Qur'an the description of a "six day" creation may
be interprteted as six distinct periods or eons. The length of these periods is
not exactly defined, nor are the particular developments that took place during
each period.
Now if one compares the Qur’anic concept of
creation of universe and Current Big Bang theory, he/she can see that there are
some features of Big Bang theory that are closely similar to the Qur’anic
concept of Creation of Universe, for example, creation out of nothingness,
initial singularity, concept of formation of galaxies from primordial gases,
and uniformity of universe on large scale. The Qur’an propounds that Allah
created the heavens and the earth in perfect harmony and balance, and that He
continues to reign over His creation. The researcher finds no conflict between
this belief and current scientific theories regarding the creation of earth.
The universe
has been created for a purpose
Second important fact according to the Qur’an
is that this universe- the Earth and the Heavens-has been created for fixed
period and has some specific purposes like other creations. Just playing or
passing the time was not the cause for creation. Allah (S.W.T.) says:
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا
بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ ﴿44:38﴾ مَا خَلَقْنَاهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَكِنَّ
أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿44:39﴾
“We created not the heavens, the earth, and all
between them, merely in (idle) sport: We created them not except for just ends:
but most of them do not know.”[14]
It
has been proclaimed again and again in the Qur'an that Allah has created the
heavens and the earth 'in truth'. This incorporates a wide range of meanings.
One of them is that the heavens and the earth have not been created just for the fun of it. This existence is not a dramatic play. This world is not a kid's toy with which to entertain oneself as long as one wishes before crushing it to bits and throwing it away. Creation is rather an act of great seriousness. A great objective motivates it, and a wise purpose underlies it. Therefore, after the lapse of a certain stage it is necessary for the Creator to take full account of the work that has been done and to use those results as the basis for the next stage. This is stated at various places in the Qur'an like Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:115.
One of them is that the heavens and the earth have not been created just for the fun of it. This existence is not a dramatic play. This world is not a kid's toy with which to entertain oneself as long as one wishes before crushing it to bits and throwing it away. Creation is rather an act of great seriousness. A great objective motivates it, and a wise purpose underlies it. Therefore, after the lapse of a certain stage it is necessary for the Creator to take full account of the work that has been done and to use those results as the basis for the next stage. This is stated at various places in the Qur'an like Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:115.
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ
أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿23:115﴾
"Did ye then think
that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us
(for account)?"[15]
Now the purpose of creation of the universe can
be explained by considering two major point of views, first the purpose of
universe from the Creator’s (Allah) point of view and second the purpose of
creation of universe from creation’s (Universe, Human, Animals etc.) point of
view. As far as the first point of view is concerned, we know that one of the
main attribute of Allah is being KHALIQ (خَالِقُ) means Creator so it is the main ability of God to create. And
one of the complex and enormous creations of Allah is the creation of universe
as Allah Says in Qur'an:
لَخَلْقُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ
خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿40:57﴾
“Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater
(matter) than the creation of men: Yet most men understand not.”[16]
The Arabic word "Khalaq" (خَلَقَ)
which means to create have two aspects one to create something from something
and other is to create something from nothing and that is the only attribute of
Allah. It is mentioned in Qur'an
قَالَ
كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ
وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا ﴿19:9﴾
He said: "So (it will be) thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for
Me: I did indeed create thee before, when thou hadst been nothing!'"[17]
As the researcher has already discussed that
Allah has not created anything without purpose. Earth, Sun, Moon, and Galaxies
all these are the best creation of Allah and they all are fully exploited in
the welfare of the human beings. Human is also the beautiful creation of Allah with
a particular purpose as mentioned in Qur'an:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا
لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿51:56﴾
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind
except to worship Me.”[18]
Explaining the word ‘ibadat’ Syed A.A. Maududi
writes: “The word ‘ibadat’ (service,
worship) in this verse has not been used in the sense of only prayer, fasting
and other kinds of such worship so that one may understand that the jinn and
men have been created only for performing the Prayer, observing the Fast and
for praising and glorifying Allah. Although this sense also is included in it,
this is not its complete sense. Its complete sense is that the jinn and men
have not been created for the worship, obedience and carrying out of the orders
of any other but Allah. They are not there to bow to any other, to carry out
the orders of any other, to live in fear of any other, to follow the religion
enjoined by any other, to look upon any other as the maker and destroyer of
one’s destiny, and to supplicate any other than Allah for help.”[19]
The purpose of human creation is explicitly mentioned
at another place in the Qur’an:
الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ
لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ
الْغَفُورُ ﴿67:2﴾
“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is
best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.”[20]
This
Ayah means that He brought creation into existence from nothing in order to
test the creatures. He examines them to see which of them will be best in
deeds. There are
important implications of this Islamic view toward universe upon tarbiyah (education);
the first being the attachment of the Muslim to the creator of this universe
and to the noblest goal in this life and that is the total submission and
compliance to Allah, and the second that demands to bring the human being up
with seriousness because the whole universe was created upon the truth and was
created for a purpose and to a certain demise known only by Allah.
The universe is subjected to certain absolute
laws
The universe is subjected to certain absolute
laws that have been formulated by Allah according to certain predetermination prescribed
by Him. The Qur’an says:
وَآَيَةٌ لَهُمُ
اللَّيْلُ نَسْلَخُ مِنْهُ النَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُمْ مُظْلِمُونَ ﴿36:37﴾
وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَهَا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
﴿36:38﴾ وَالْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَاهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّى عَادَ كَالْعُرْجُونِ
الْقَدِيمِ ﴿36:39﴾ لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنْبَغِي لَهَا أَنْ تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا
اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ ﴿36:40﴾
“And a Sign for them is the Night: We withdraw
therefrom the Day, and behold they are plunged in darkness; And the sun runs unto
a resting place, for him: that is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might,
the All-Knowing. And the Moon,- We have measured for her stations (to traverse)
till she returns like the old (and withered) lower part of a date-stalk. It is
not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the
Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law).”[21]
The fact that the sun and the moon are each in
a well-defined orbit is all made according to universal laws that Allah
created. Allah says in surah Al-Hijr:
وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ
وَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَوْزُونٍ ﴿15:19﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ
فِيهَا مَعَايِشَ وَمَنْ لَسْتُمْ لَهُ بِرَازِقِينَ ﴿15:20﴾ وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ
إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ
﴿15:21﴾
“And the earth We have
spread out (like a carpet); set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and
produced therein all kinds of things in due balance. And We have provided
therein means of subsistence,- for you and for those for whose sustenance ye
are not responsible. And there is not a thing but its (sources and) treasures
(inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and
ascertainable measures.”[22]
This verse reveals the fact that it was in His
infinite wisdom that Allah caused everything that grows to grow in a determined
measure, not less than that which would have made life difficult, and not too
much which would have also brought difficulties of a different nature. Everything that exists, whether it is air, water, light, heat, cold,
power or energy, minerals, vegetables or animals or in short, each and every
thing exists in the prescribed quantity, number, etc. , which neither decreases
nor increases. It is this "determined course", in each and every
thing, which has produced appropriate balance and proportion in the entire
system of the universe to such a perfection that one is led to the inevitable
conclusion that the whole thing has been designed by its All-Wise Creator.
Moreover everything alive
on earth has their share of sustenance well accounted for by Allah who does not
release it but with a well-defined portion.
At another
place the Qur’an describes the benefits of the universal laws to which the sun
and the moon, and the alternations of the day and the night are subjected. They
help the human beings in the calculation of the days, months and year.
وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ آَيَتَيْنِ فَمَحَوْنَا آَيَةَ
اللَّيْلِ وَجَعَلْنَا آَيَةَ النَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً لِتَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِنْ
رَبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ
فَصَّلْنَاهُ تَفْصِيلًا ﴿17:12﴾
“We
have made the Night and the Day as two (of Our) Signs: the Sign of the Night
have We made dark, while the Sign of the Day We have made bright; that ye may
seek bounty from your Lord, and that ye may know the number and count of the
years: all things have We explained in detail.”[23]
All this has a remarkable and important implication
for tarbiyah (education);
the Qur’an raised the mind of the Muslim upon the fact that
the occurrence of the same events is done according to fixed laws made by Allah
and He is the one who can change it if He wants. Moreover, these laws of this
universe and its events and its beings were released by Allah with a well-known
portion. This way, the Muslim mind is raised to be accurate and to base
everything on a fixed standard.
The universe is
being governed by Allah
Allah, who created the universe and formulated
its laws, is still governing it and watching over it. The Qur’an asserts:
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا
فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالْفُلْكَ تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِ وَيُمْسِكُ
السَّمَاءَ أَنْ تَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ
بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿22:65﴾
“Seest thou not that Allah has made subject to you
(men) all that is on the earth, and the ships that sail through the sea by His
Command? He withholds the sky from falling on the earth except by His leave:
for Allah is Most Kind and Most Merciful to man.”[24]
And in another verse in surah Fatir,
the Qur’an reveals:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ
يُمْسِكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَنْ تَزُولَا وَلَئِنْ زَالَتَا إِنْ
أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا﴿35:41﴾
“It is
Allah Who sustains the heavens and the earth, lest they cease (to function):
and if they should fail, there is none - not one - can sustain them thereafter:
Verily He is Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.”[25]
The
verse distinctly manifests that this limitless universe is being sustained and
supported by Allah alone. No creature other
than Allah can sustain it. Not to tell of sustaining the universe the creatures
do not even have the power to sustain their own existence. Each and every
creature is totally dependent on Allah for his birth and subsistence every
moment. In fact in the Qur’anic view both the creation and the sovereignty are
intimately related, the one who creates can only be the sovereign. It is not
possible that the creator is someone else and the control and governance is of
some others. İn another verse the Qur’an declares:
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ
يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ
وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ
اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿7:54﴾
“Your
Guardian-Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and then
He settled Himself on the throne: He draweth the night as a veil o'er the day,
each seeking the other in rapid succession: And the sun, the moon, and the stars, (all) are
subserviant by His command. Verily, His are the creation and the command.
Blessed be Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds!”[26]
Explaining
the words أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ of
the verse mentioned above Mufti MuhammadShafi’ writes: “The word: خَلْقُ (khalq) means to create and: الْأَمْر (amr),
tocommand. The sense is that being the Creator and the Master is exclusiveto
Him. Other than Him, no one else can create the most insignificantof things,
nor does anyone have the right to subject anyone to hiscommand (except that
Allah Ta'ala Himself delegates a particular areaof activity to someone, in
which case that toowould be, in reality,nothing but the command of Allah). So,
the verse means that creatingallthese things was the work of none but Him, and
putting them intoservice was also not something anyone else could handle, for
that toois an spectacle of the perfect power of Allah Ta'ala.”[27]
The
Qur’an also reveals that human being, a diminutive part of this universe, is
also subjected in his life and death to the well-definedrulings of Allah.
وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ
عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ
رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ ﴿6:61﴾
“And He is the irresistibly, Supreme over His servants,
and He sets guardians over you. At length, when death approaches one of you,
Our angels take his soul, and they never fail in their duty.”[28]
Also, according to the Qur’an Allah has created
social laws for man’s life, and sends messengers to enforce them, and punish some
nations and perish others.
لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ
يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ
حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا
فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَالٍ ﴿13:11﴾
“For
each (such person) there are (angels) in succession, before and behind him:
They guard him by command of Allah. Verily never will Allah change the
condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls).
But when (once) Allah willeth a people's punishment, there can be no turning it
back, nor will they find, besides Him, any to protect.”[29]
The
Quran also suggests its readers to give thought on the history of the nations
and try to understand Allah’s law of dealing with the people of the world so
that they could modify their behaviour in the desired direction to get positive
results in this world and the world hereafter. Following verses provide the best evidence.
أَلَمْ يَرَوْا كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ
مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَا لَمْ نُمَكِّنْ لَكُمْ وَأَرْسَلْنَا السَّمَاءَ
عَلَيْهِمْ مِدْرَارًا وَجَعَلْنَا الْأَنْهَارَ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ
فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَأَنْشَأْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْنًا آَخَرِينَ
﴿6:6﴾
“See they not how many of those before them We did destroy?
Generations We had established on the earth , in strength such as We have not
given to you-for whom We poured out rain from the skies in abundance, and gave
streams flowing beneath their (feet): yet for their sins We destroyed them, and
raised in their wake fresh generations (to succeed them).”[30]
وَلَقَدْ
أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ
بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْقَوْمَ
الْمُجْرِمِينَ ﴿10:13﴾ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ خَلَائِفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ
بَعْدِهِمْ لِنَنْظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿10:14﴾
“Generations before you We destroyed when they did wrong; their
Messengers came to them with clear Signs but they would not believe! Thus do We
requite those who sin. Then We made you heirs in the land after them, to see
how ye would behave.”[31]
Other
verses of similar nature are; Ali Imran
3:137-138, Al-An’am 6:11, Al-A’raf 7: 96, 136-137, Hud 11: 18-20, Yusuf 12:
109, Al-Hajj 22: 40-41, Al-Naml 27: 69, Al-Qasas 28: 4-6, Al-Rum 30: 9, Al-Ahzab
33:60-62, Ghafir 40:21 etc.
The entire universe is surrendered with
obedience to Allah
The Holy Qur’an declares that the entire
universe is surrendered with obedience to the Will of Allah.
وَقَالُوا
اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
كُلٌّ لَهُ قَانِتُونَ ﴿2:116﴾
“They say, "Allah has taken a
son." Exalted is He! Rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and
the earth. All are devoutly obedient to Him.”[32]
The
verses reflects that every creature of this universe is following the Will and
commandments of Allah. This is “Islam” in the genuinesense of the term as it
means complete surrender to Allah’s Will. Thus Islam is the religion of the
universe, according to the Qur’anic philosophy.
Also, in
another verse in surah Al-Isra’, the Qur’an pronounces:
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَوَاتُ السَّبْعُ
وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ
وَلَكِنْ لَا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا ﴿17:44﴾
“The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings
therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; And
yet ye understand not how they declare His glory! Verily He is Oft-Forbear,
Most Forgiving!”[33]
The
verse means that the whole of the universe and everything in it hold witness to
the fact that their Creator and Guardian is free from each and every kind of
drawback, fault, defect and weakness. They are not only singing hymns of the
glory of its Creator but are providing the proof that their Creator and
Administrator is the one Who is perfect in every respect and worthy of all
praise.
It is noticeable that in the Qur’an again and
again it is said that the entire universe is governed by Allah alone. No one is
His partner in His governance. Each and every affair of this universe is
controlled by Him, and no creature has the capacity to transgress His
commandments. After going through all these proclamations, an important
question arises in the mind of a person concerned with philosophical enquiry
that whether there is determinism in the universe? This question has profound
implications for the philosophy of life because if the determinism is depicted
in the very existence of the universe it must have its impact on man as he is
its integral part. As far as the human observation of the cosmic phenomena is
concerned, it appears that there is determinism in the universe. But according
to Qur’anic theory there is free will or freedom of choice in the universe. The
determinism which we observe in the universe is actually the determinism by
choice not by compulsion. The Qur’anic reference to this effect can be found in
the following verse.
ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ
فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ اِئْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا
طَائِعِينَ ﴿41:11﴾ فَقَضَاهُنَّ
سَبْعَ سَمَوَاتٍ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَأَوْحَى فِي كُلِّ سَمَاءٍ أَمْرَهَا
وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ وَحِفْظًا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ
الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ ﴿41:12﴾
“Then He turned to the sky, and it had been (as)
smoke: He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly."
They said: "We do come (together), in willing obedience”. So, He completed
them as seven firmaments in two Days, and He assigned to each heaven its duty
and command. And We adorned the lower heaven with lights, and (provided it)
with guard. Such is the Decree of (Him) the Exalted in Might, Full of
Knowledge.”[34]
Explaining
the meanings of the words قَالَتَا
أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes: “I take this to
mean that Allah's design in creation was not to keep heaven and earth separate,
but together, as we indeed are, being part of the solar system, and travellers
through space, crossing the path of several comets. And all matter created by
Allah willingly obeys the laws laid down for it.”[35]
This concept of submission to the Almighty Allah
has a profound effect on the tarbiyah (education) of man. As the
entire universe and it’s all beings are obedient and submissive to their Lord, the
man should be the first to submit and obey Allah and to become a harmonious
part of the whole universe participating in the glorification of Allah. That is
to say that he has to adopt the religion of the universe i.e. Islam. If a man adopts a religion other than Islam, that religion has to
be different from the religion of the universe and this will create a disharmony
between him and the cosmos.
The entire
universe is in the service of man
The Holy Qur’an proclaims that the entire universe
is actually in the service of man.
أَلَمْ تَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا
فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً
وَبَاطِنَةً وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلَا
هُدًى وَلَا كِتَابٍ مُنِيرٍ ﴿31:20﴾
“Do ye not see that
Allah has subjected to your (use) all things in the heavens and on earth, and
has made his bounties flow to you in exceeding measure, (both) seen and unseen?
Yet there are among men those who dispute about Allah, without knowledge and
without guidance, and without a Book to enlighten them!”[36]
Also, at
another place the Holy Qur’an says:
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَأَنْزَلَ مِنَ
السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَكُمْ وَسَخَّرَ
لَكُمُ الْفُلْكَ لِتَجْرِيَ فِي الْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ
الْأَنْهَارَ ﴿14:32﴾ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَائِبَيْنِ
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ ﴿14:33﴾ وَآَتَاكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا
سَأَلْتُمُوهُ وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ
الْإِنْسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ ﴿14:34﴾
“It is Allah Who hath created the heavens and the
earth and sendeth down rain from the skies, and with it bringeth out fruits
wherewith to feed you; it is He Who hath made the ships subject to you, that
they may sail through the sea by His command; and the rivers (also) hath He
made subject to you. And He hath made subject to you the sun and the moon, both
diligently pursuing their courses; and the night and the day hath he (also)
made subject to you. And He giveth you of all that ye ask for. But if ye count
the favours of Allah, never will ye be able to number them. Verily, man is
given up to injustice and ingratitude.”[37]
According to the Qur’anic conception man
acquires the supreme position in the universe because he has been created for a
bigger purpose that is the service of Allah. He is Allah’s vice-gerent on the
earth. He is considered as the best creature (Ashraf-ul-Makhlooqat) of Allah.
Therefore all the creatures of this vast cosmos have been created to serve the
man. Therefore all the above verses and others in the Qur’an educate
man to be grateful to Allah and to acknowledge his care; his mercy and his
greatness so that he will be propelled to thank Allah, glorify him and submit
to Him.
Conclusion:
At the end the researcher can say that the Qur’anic
view regarding the universe is an intellectual, scientific view that creates
the human emotions and feelings toward the greatness of Allah, the creator. It
also develops the attitude for the realization of the smallness of the human
being and his weakness in front of this universe, and also of his
responsibilities and accountabilities towards Allah which guides to the
necessity to submit to Allah, the Almighty.
Educational Implications:
The concept of
universe as reflected in the Holy Qur’an has manifold implications for
education. The educational philosophers must develop a philosophy of education
which should be in congruence with the worldview reflected by the Holy Qur’an.
The education process must develop a strong sense of emotion and feelings
toward the greatness of Allah, the creator. The child should also be taught the
responsibilities and accountabilities that he/she owes towards Allah. Aims of
life as well as of education should be set according to the Qur’anic
injunctions not according to the personal whims or to the social demand.
Education must make the child realize the closer intimacy between him/her and
the other creations of God existing in this universe. Since God has created the
whole universe and its belongings for the service of man, education must
develop scientific spirit in the child so that he/she could explore the cosmos
in order to bring its belongings in the service of mankind.
Notes & References:
[1] . The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright
© 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. Accessed at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/universe on 31.07.2013
[2] . Extended definition Universe, http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/universe, retrieved
on Wednesday, July 31, 2013.
[3] . The Holy Quran: English
Translation of the Meanings & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, King
Fahad Holy Qur’an Printing Complex, Al-Madinah Al- Munawwarah , 1413 AH.,
Az-Zumar 39:62.
[5] . Ibid, Ha-Mim As-Sajdah 41:11
[6] . The Quran on the Origin of the Universe,http://www.islam-guide.com/ch1-1-c.htm, retrieved on Saturday,
September 08, 2012]
[7] . Ibid
[8] . The Holy Quran: English Translation
of the Meanings & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Op. Cit., Al-Anbiyaa’
21:33.
[9] . The Qur’an: English
Meanings (Saheeh International – Jeddah), Abul-Qasim Publishing House,
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 1997, Al-Muntada Al-Islami, London, USA, Saudi Arabia,
2004., Az-Zariyat 51:47
[11] . The Holy Quran: English
Translation of the Meanings & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Op.
Cit., Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:33, see also Al-A’raf 7:54.
[13] . Ibid, Al-Ma’arij 70:4
[14] . Ibid, Ad-Dukhan 44:38-39, see also Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:16-17.
[16] . Ibid, Surah Ghafir 40:57
[17] . Ibid,Maryam 19:9
[18] . The Qur’an: English
Meanings (Saheeh International – Jeddah), Op. Cit., Az-Zariyat 51:56
[19] . Maududi, Syed Abul A’ala “Towards
Understanding the Quran-Tafheem-ul-Quran” (English Translation by Zafar
Ishaq Ansari), Internet Edition 2012, (available at http://www.tafheem.net/tafheem.html), (Retrieved on January 05, 2012), E.N. 53 of surah Az-Zariyat
[20] . The Holy Quran: English
Translation of the Meanings & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Op.
Cit., Al Mulk 67:02
[21] . Ibid, Ya Sin 36:37-40
[22] . Ibid, Al-Hijr 15:19-21
[23] . Ibid, Al-Isra’ 17:12
[24] . Ibid, Al-Hajj 22:65
[25] . Ibid, Fatir 35:41
[26] . Ibid, Al-A’raf 7:54
[27] . Shafi’, Mufti Muhammad Ma’ariful Quran, (English Translation
by Prof. Muhammad Hasan Askari & Prof Muhammad Shamim, Revised by Mufti
Muhammad Taqi Usmani), Darul Uloom Karachi, Karachi, 1995, Vol. 3., PP.
599-600.
[28] . The Holy Quran: English
Translation of the Meanings & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Op.
Cit., Al-An’am 6:61, See also Ar-Rum 30:25
[29] . Ibid, Ar-Ra’d 13:11
[30] . Ibid, Al-An’am 6:6
[31] . Ibid, Yunus 10:13-14
[32] . The Qur’an: English
Meanings (Saheeh International – Jeddah), Op. Cit., Al-Baqarah 2:116, see
also Ar-Rum 30:26
[33] . The Holy Quran: English
Translation of the Meanings & Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Op.
Cit., Al-Isra’ 17:44
[34] . Ibid, Ha-Mim As-Sajdah or Fussilat 41:11-12
[35] . Ibid, Note
4476.
[36] . Ibid, Luqman 31:20
No comments:
Post a Comment