By S. Arshad, New Age
Islam
30
September 2020
According
to geologists, the planet earth is over 4 billion years old. Science does not
say what will happen to the earth or the universe in near or far future. But
religious scriptures have their own ideas or theories about the creation and
dissolution of the universe. The Hindu scriptures, particularly the Shwetaswar Upanishad
Stotra 5/7 says that the process of creation and dissolution of the universe
has been going on for time immemorial. According to the Hindu scriptures, the
formless Supreme Being (Brahman) first created Its material incarnation
Hiranyagarbha (Brahma) from which the universe came into being. Hiranyagarbha
lives for a certain period. After that it dissolves into the Supreme Being
Brahman.
Swami
Bhaskaranand writes in his book “Essentials of Hinduism":
"As a created being, no matter how
glorified or endowed with power, Hiranyagarbha has limited longevity. One day
of his life, called a Kalpa is equal to 4, 32, 000, 000 human years. And
Hiranyagarbha lives for 100 years according to this time scale........When
Hiranyagarbha goes to sleep after his day's work, there is cosmic dissolution
or Pralay. This is called Naimittika Pralay. When he wakes up, the creation of
the world starts all over again. This process of alternate creation and
dissolution continues until Hiranyagarbha dies at the end of the Maha-Kalpa.
When Hiranyagarbha dies, he merges into God and becomes one with Him"(page
175)
The Quran
also deals with the repetition of the creation but we focus on the fact that
after Qayamat men and women will be destined to either heaven or hell where
they will remain for ever that we do not give much thought on the verses that
say that God will roll up the universe and will repeat the process. In a number
of verses the Quran like the Upanishads says that God will roll up or wind up
the universe and repeat the process of creation.
"We have created
the heavens and the earth and what is between them in real and for a specified
term."(Al Ahqaf: 3)
"Allah has not
created the heavens and the earth and what is between them except for real and
for a specified term."(Rum: 8)
"Allah begins
creation; then He will repeat it."(Rum: 11)
"Say Allah begins
creation and then repeats it."(Yunus: 34)
"Have they not
considered how Allah begins creation and repeats it?"(Al Ankabut: 19)
"As we began the
first creation We shall repeat it."(Al Anbiyaa: 104)
The above quoted
verses corroborate the view of the Upanishads that God has created the universe
for a fixed period of time and repeats the process of creation and dissolution.
The Hindu
belief that Hiranyagarbha's one day is equal to 4, 32,000,000 human years is
corroborated by the findings of the geologists that the earth is around 4.25
billion years old.
The Quran
also says that after a specific period, God will roll up the universe:
"The Day when we
shall roll up the heavens as a recorder rolleth up a written scroll."(Al
Anbiyaa: 104)
The theory
of Big Bang and Cosmic Egg is corroborated by both the Upanishads and the
Quran.
The
Upanishad says:
"In the beginning this world was in a
formless, nameless unmanifest state. Afterwards, as plant grows from its seed,
the world gradually came into the manifest state. Firstly, it assumed the form
of an egg (Cosmic Egg). It remained in that state for one year. After that the
egg was divided into two parts (Big Bang). ----- One part was silvery and the
other was golden. (Chhandogya Upanisjad :( 3.19.1)
The Quran
reiterates the stand of the Upanishad which was corroborated by modern science.
"Have not those
who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece (Cosmic
Egg), then We parted them (caused the Big Bang).
Therefore,
a close comparative study of the Upanishads and the Quran reveals the fact that
Man is only a casual passer-by in this universe. The universe existed billions
of years before man was created and the universe will continue to be created
and dissolved according to the scheme of God for aeons.
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/theory-big-bang-cosmic-egg/d/122999
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