Scientific Principles Governing the Universe are not Absolute but are Subservient to God
By S.
Arshad, New Age Islam
25 March
2022
God Says
He Can Change Any Scientific Principle If He So Wills
Main
Points:
1. He says that
different stages of foetus in the womb are commanded by Him.
2. The shadow
has been made dependent on the sun.
1. 3۔God
decided the attributes and principles of the Universe
3. Night and
day can be lengthened at His will.
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There has
been a lot of debate and discussion on the relevance of religion in the face of
scientific developments and on the confrontation between religion and science.
From the point of view of the Quran, the universe is the creation of God and
God has not only created the universe, but also created the scientific
principles and the properties of the matter. If honey has healing properties or
poison has killing properties, the properties have been endowed with them by
God. And since the properties of the matter are ordained by God, they can be
altered or suspended by God if He so wills. But at the same time, God says that
He does not interfere with the working of matter or of the universe so that man
on earth does not face inconvenience. He therefore, says "La Tabdeela
Likalimatillah"(There is no change in His word). But He reminds man
from time to time of His power and authority to suspend or alter the principles
governing the universe.
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Read: Islam, Science and
the Muslim Predicament
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There are
two sections of scientists. One section believes that there is an unseen power
in the universe that governs it. The second section does not believe in the
presence of an invisible power governing the universe. This section believes in
the doctrine that all the creations of the universe have their inherent
properties and principles and are governed by their own principles. In other
words, they believe in the Theory of Dependent Origination (Pratityasamutpad)
of Buddhism. But God makes it clear in the Quran that since the universe has
been created by Him, it is also governed by Him and the properties endowed with
the matter are not inherent and absolute. One example of this is the suspension
of the burning property of fire when prophet Abraham a.s. was thrown into it at
the order of the king.
There are
other verses in which God reiterates His position on the working of matter and
of the components of the universe. He says:
"Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created
the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the
Throne. He covers the night with the day, chasing it rapidly; and the sun, the
moon and the stars subjected by His command. Unquestionably, His is the
creation and the command (Amr).Greatness is to Allah, Lord of the worlds.(Al Araf:54)
God has not
created only the Khalq (the physical form of the creations) but als the Amr
(the inner qualities, properties and principles). Since He has created the
universe and its properties. He has full control over it.
"Allah is the One who created seven
heavens in layers, and likewise for the earth. The divine command descends
between them so you may know that Allah is most capable of everything and that
Allah certainly encompasses all things in His knowledge. (Talaq:12)
To
demonstrate His power to create Khalq and Amr, God cites the example of
the evolution of foetus in the womb. God says,
"Then He developed the drop into a
clinging clot of blood, then developed the clot into a lump of flesh, then
developed the lump into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, then We
brought it into being a new creation So greatness is to Allah, the the best of
creators."(Muminun:14)
From the
scientific point of view, the evolution of the fetus in the womb is a natural
process but God says that every stage in the process is ordained by God.
One
important verse in the Quran is about the shade of things. We know that shades
of physical objects are dependent on the motion of the sun. The contraction and
expansion of the shades occurs due to the position of the sun. Therefore, the
existence of the shade seems absolute. But it is not. God says,
"Have you not seen how your Lord spreads
the shade. If We willed, We could have made it stationary. Instead, We have
made the sun its pilot (daleel). So We gradually roll up the shade Unto
us."(Furqan:45-46)
Here, God
says that shade is an independent creation created by Him for the comfort of
human beings. If there was no shade on earth, life would have been miserable
and difficult for creatures on earth. But He made shade subservient to the sun
and the shade seems to be moving with the sun. If He had willed, the shade would
have been stationary. Therefore, the existence of the shade dependent on the
movement of the sun is relative and not absolute.
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Another
verse that demonstrates the relativity of the appearance of night and day is as
follows.
"Say, "Have you considered if Allah
should make for you the night continuous until the day of Resurrection, what
deity other than Allah could bring you light. Then will you not hear? Say,
"Have you considered if Allah should make for you the day continuous until
the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allah could bring you a night in
which you may rest.. Then will you not. See"(Al Qasas:71-72)
One more
verse that demonstrates the relativity of the properties of the matter is as
follows:
"And in the story of Ad was another lesson,
when We sent against them the devastating wind . There was nothing it came upon
that it did not reduce to ashes."(Az Zariat:42)
Generally
strong winds or windstorms are devastating in the sense that it sweeps away or
uproots and destroys everything that comes across it because of its sheer force
and speed. But the verse says that the winds had burning properties or
radioactive properties and so everything that came across it turned into ashes.
Such radioactive waves are produced by atomic explosions and are not present in
natural windstorms. This shows that by God's decree, the natural winds that
swept the nation of Ad had been endowed with radioactive properties.
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Read: Virus, Islam and
Science
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From the
discussion carried out above, it becomes clear that God asserts His complete
authority over the universe. The properties and principles of matter and
creations are relative and not absolute. Perhaps these verses have been
revealed to reject the belief of scientists and a section of thinkers and
philosophers that matter has inherent and absolute qualites and properties that
can never change. God says that properties of matter are endowed by God and He
can change it though He does not do it generally and when He does, the
phenomenon is called a miracle.
----
S.
Arshad is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-science/scientific-principles-universe-god/d/126648
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