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786
ALIENS IN THE QURAN
Introduction
On 7th August 1996,NASA (1) scientists made an announcement that
made
front page headlines throughout the world.Within a Martian
meteorite,they had found evidence of a microscopic
lifeform that may
have existed on Mars more than three billion years ago. (2) Although
other studies were later
published which challenged this conclusion,
(3) numerous recent discoveries,for example,the discovery by the
Galileo
spacecraft, (4) in February 1997,of a possible red-coloured
sea under the ice crust of Jupiter's moon,Europa, (5)
are raising
hopes that we may soon be able to get an answer to one of the oldest
and most interesting questions
asked by humans-"Is anyone out
there,or are we alone in the universe?"
However,it may be that none
of us may live to see the day when
scientists will give us a definitive answer to this question.For
Muslims,that
should not be a problem.We already have the
answer.Although many Muslims are unaware of the fact,the Quran (6)
explicitly
mentions the existence of extraterrestrial life.
The existence of creatures of a spiritual nature,such as angels,in
the universe,is accepted as a fact by all Muslims,as well as people
of other religions, such as Christians.The point
that generates
excitement among the public,and scientists is the question of whether
material lifeforms like ourselves,which
can be found by science,do
actually exist outside the earth. (7) The objective of this article
is to present evidence
from the Quran for the existence in the
universe,of MATERIAL lifeforms ("Life as we know it").
"Dabbatun"
In Sura 42,Verse 29 (42:29) of the Quran,we are told, "Among His
(God's) signs is the creation of the heavens
and the earth,and the
living creatures that He has scattered through them :and He has power
to gather them together
when He wills." (8) Before proceeding
further,a point or two must be noted.The
word "sama",translated
"heavens",is also the Arabic for "sky".One may
object that the verse refers to creatures in the sky
(which would be
birds),not in the heavens.However,birds are mentioned seperately from
creatures of the heavens in
24:41, "Seest thou not that it is God
Whose praise all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate,and
the
birds (of the air) with wings outspread?..." (9) In a note to
42;29,Muhammad Asad states,"In the Quran,the
expression "the heavens
and earth" invariably denotes the universe in its entireity." (10)
The Quran
mentions that inanimate objects also worship God:"Do they
not look at God's creation, (even) among (inanimate)
things- how
their (very) shadows turn round,from right to left,prostrating
themselves to God..."(16:48). (11)
Therefore,may not the creatures
spoken of in 42:29 in the heavens,be inanimate creatures of
God.No.The next verse,16:49
goes, "And to God doth obeisance all that
is in the heavens and earth,whether moving (living) creatures or the
angels...". (12) The word translated "living creatures" here is the
same as that in 42:29- "Dabbatun".Comments
Asad,"The word dabbah
denotes any sentient,corporeal being capable of spontaneous movement
and is contrasted
here with the non-corporeal,spiritual beings
designated as "angels" ". (13) In other words,42:29 is referring
to
precisely the type of lifeforms that science is searching for,not
some metaphysical entities.Yusuf Ali
says,"Dabbatun:beasts,living,crawling
creatures of all kind." (14)
This is the same word used in 2:164,"...in the beasts of all kinds
that He
scatters through the earth...are signs for a people that are
wise," (15) and in 24:45,"And God has created
every animal from
water:of them are some that creep on their bellies;some that walk on
two legs;and some that walk
on four. God creates what he wills..."
(16) Commenting on 42:29,Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani says,"From the
verse it appears that like on the earth,there are some kinds of
animals- living creatures- in the heavens also."
(17) On the same
verse,Yusuf Ali comments, "Life is not confined to our one little
Planet.It is a very old
speculation to imagine some life like human
life on the planet Mars...it is reasonable to suppose that Life in
some
form or other is scattered through some of the millions of
heavenly bodies scattered through space." (18) From such
remarks,the
reader will realize that Muslim scholars are well aware of the fact
that 42:29 clearly mentions the
existence of aliens.
Is there any alien intelligent life ?
Although the discovery of any form of life outside
the earth would be
dramatic,humankind is especially interested in knowing whether there
is any alien intelligent
life in the universe.NASA previously had a
program on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence
(SETI).Although
now scrapped due to budget cuts, private SETI
organizations (19) have now been made which continue the search.The
Planetary Society, (20) a private organization,in which the film
director Steven Speilberg (21) is a member of the
Board of
Directors,has the largest SETI program in the world.So far, no sign
of alien intelligent life has turned
up.Can the Quran provide an
answer?
Sura 27:65 commands,"Say:None in the heavens or on earth, except
God,knows what is hidden:nor can they perceive when they shall be
raised up (for Judgement)." (22) This shows
that,like humans,there
are other creatures in the universe that will also be raised from the
dead.We are told in
19:93-96,"Not one of the beings in the heavens
and the earth but must come to (God) Most Gracious as a servant.He
does take an account of them (all),and hath numbered them (all)
exactly.And everyone of them will come to Him singly
on the Day of
Judgement.On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will
(God) Most Gracious bestow love."
(23) From these verses we learn
that there are alien lifeforms that,like us,will also be judged
according to the
works that they do during their lives.Among them are
the believers.Therefore,naturally,there will also be those aliens
who
are unbelievers.The believers will be rewarded.The lifeforms being
descibed in the above verses can hardly be
expected to be
microorganisms.The Quran is referring to creatures of a level of
development that makes them morally
accountable beings.They must be
organisms possessing qualities which we would ascribe to intelligent
lifeforms.
In Sura 72:14-15,jinn (a type of spiritual lifeform,which the Quran
mention as living on the earth) say,"Amongst
us are some that submit
their wills (to God),and some that swerve from justice.Now those who
submit their wills-
they have sought out (the path) of right
conduct:But those who swerve- they are (but) fuel for Hell-fire."
(24)
The Quran mentions that good jinn will be rewarded with
Paradise.Summing up from all the above verses,it is clear that
Judgement Day is for creatures in the whole universe (Sura 39:68-"The
Trumpet will (just) be sounded when all
that are in the heavens and
on earth will swoon, except such as it will please God (to
exempt).Then will a second
one be sounded,when,behold,they will be
standing and looking on!") (25) and like jinn,aliens will also be
sharing
Paradise and Hell with humans.In fact,the Quran mentions that
Paradise is of a size like that of our present universe-
57:21,"Therefore (vie) with one another for the pardon of your
Lord,and for a Paradise as vast as heaven and earh,
prepared for
those who believe in Allah and His apostles." (26) Therefore, it is
not surprising that when we
are sharing this universe with aliens,we
should share Paradise and Hell with them too.The Quran shows
us,therefore,that
not only do aliens exist,but among them are also
intelligent beings.
Where can aliens be found?
Knowing
that aliens,including intelligent lifeforms exist elsewhere,
our next question would be,"Where do they live?"Scientists
naturally
expect them to live on planets.They look for other planets around
other stars- planets that have the right
conditions to harbour life-
in other words,other earths.In October 1995,scientists announced the
discovery of the
first extrasolar planet around the star 51 Pegasi.
(27) Since then,there have been a string of discoveries of other
planets.At the time of writing of this article,fifteen planets have
been claimed to have been discovered. (28) Although
some of these
objects have been dismissed as brown dwarfs (including the object
around Pegasi 51) by some scientists,
(29) at least some of the
fifteen objects are agreed upon as being planets.Scientists believe
that on potential
moons around planets found to be orbiting two
stars, the right conditions may exist for life to be present. (30)
In Sura 65:12,we are informed,"God is He Who created seven heavens
and of the earth a similar number..."
(31) This verse,although
usually translated properly,is very commonly misinterpreted by
commentators.They give their
interpretation that space is divided
into seven zones,and likewise,as Yusuf Ali puts it,"the crust of the
earth
is built up of geological strata one above another". (32) This
interpretation arises due to a misunderstanding of
what a "heaven" is
as mentioned in the Quran.Before continuing further about the topic
of aliens,it is
necessary to clear up this confusion.The answer can
be deduced from verses in the Quran itself and comparing them with
our current scientific knowledge about the universe.
Sura 21:30 asks,"Do not the unbelievers see that the
heavens and the
earth were joined together (as one unit of creation),before we clove
them asunder?..." (33)
Sura 41:11-12 tell us,"Then turned He to the
heaven when it was smoke,and said unto it and unto the earth:come
both of you,willingly or loth...Then We ordained them seven
heavens...and inspired in each heaven its mandate;and We
decked the
lowest heaven with lamps..." (34) and Sura 71:15-16,"See ye not how
Allah hath created seven
heavens in harmony,and hath made the moon a
light therin,and made the sun a lamp?" (35) Sura 51:47 informs
us,"And
it is We who have built the universe with (Our creative)
power;and,verily,it is We who are steadily expanding it."
(36)
Asad,comments on the above verses as follows:about 21:30,"...the
above unmistakable reference to the unitary
origin of the universe-
metonymically described in the Quran as "the heavens and the earth"-
strikingly
anticipates the view of almost all modern astrophysicists
that this universe has originated as one entity from one single
element,namely,hydrogen,which became subsequently consolidated
through gravity and then seperated into individual
nebulae,galaxies,and solar systems,with individual parts
progressively breaking away to form new entities in the shape
of
stars,planets and the latter's satellites"; (37) about 41:11,he
explains the word "smoke"
as,"a gas- evidently hydrogen gas,which
physicists regard as the primal element from which all material
particles
of the universe have evolved and still evolve..." (38) and
says about the verse,"explaining this passage,Zamakhshari
observes:"The meaning of God's command to the skies (heavens) and the
earth to "come"... is this:He
willed their coming into being..."";for
41:12,he explains "seven heavens" as,"a multiplicity
of cosmic
systems"; (39) about 51:47 he says,"the phrase "inna la-musi'un"
clearly foreshadows
the modern notion of the "expanding universe"-
that is,the fact that the cosmos,though finite in extent,is
continuously expanding in space." (40) Finally,three more verses need
to be referred to- 50:38,"And verily
We created the heavens and the
earth and all that is between them...and naught of weariness touched
us" (41)
,21:104,"The Day when We shall roll up the heavens as a
recorder rolleth up a written scroll.As We began the first
creation,We shall repeat it.(It is a promise binding) upon Us.Lo!We
are to perform it" (42) ,and 14:48, "One
day the Earth will be
changed to a different Earth,and so will be the heavens..." (43)
From the verses
above,we learn this from the Quran:a heaven is a
material entity which arose from the same material as the earth
originated
from.Initially,there was one gaseous mass.A cleavage
process occured resulting in the making of the "seven heavens"
and "all that lies between them".The sun,moon and earth are
constituants of a heaven.Therefore,a heaven must
be larger than a
star (sun).When the end of the universe is at hand,the heavens,which
till then were in an expanding
universe (51:47) will come
together.Then,the way our present universe came into being,in a
similar manner,a new
creation will come into being,containing other
heavens and another earth.Any astronomer reading these verses can
tell
you that there is only one entity that fits the description of a
heaven in the Quran- a "heaven" in the Quran
must be referring to
a "galaxy".According to modern science,the universe arose from a
singularity,at the
Big Bang,and has since,been expanding.From a
primordial gas cloud arose hugh fragments from which the galaxies and
their clusters arose.Today,the galaxies are moving apart from each
other in space.They are seperated by intergalactic
space in which may
lurk invisible dark matter,making upto 90% of the total mass of the
universe.if there is sufficient
dark matter,at some time in the
future,the universe will stop expanding and enter a contraction phase
in which the
galaxies will finally come close together in a Big
Crunch marking an end to the present universe.The universe would have
returned to a singularity state similar to that from which the
present universe arose.Then,once again,scientists predict,a
new
universe may rebound from the singularity of the Big Crunch,as
another Big Bang gives rise to a universe with
its own galaxies and
planets etc.Verses in the Quran agree amazingly with our current
ideas about the universe!
The purpose of our lengthy divergence from the main topic of this
article was to prove that the "seven heavens"
are not zones into
which the universe is divided,but large astronomical entities, the
galaxies.Some people have
interpretted a heaven as being a solar
system.However,while this view may seem appropriate for some
verses,it does
not tally with all the verses.
The Quran mentions the creation of seven heavens.Asad explains
that,"...as
regards the "seven heavens",it is to be borne in mind
that in Arabic usage...the number "seven" is
often synonymous
with "several"." (44) I have shown that the heavens are the galaxies
and we can
see that millions of them exist.Even if we assume that the
heaven are some other astronomical objects that arose from
the
primary gas cloud,they definitely are not literally seven in
number,but in the millions.
The relevance
of this to our discussion on aliens is that the Sura
65:12 tells us that,as God has created "seven Heavens",He
has
created,"of the earth a similar number..." Therefore,as there are
millions of galaxies,God has also
created millions of earths
scattered throughout the universe.Usmani comments on 65:12,"The
earths as well,He
created seven (Usmani thinks literally seven.We
know it actually means "many"),as given in the Tradition of
Tirmizi
etc.It is possible they are not visible, it is possible they are
visible,but people think them to be stars
or planets,as the
scientists of today have predicted the possibility of life on Mars
etc..." (45) An important
thing to point out in 65:12 is that God
does not use the word "worlds",but specifically,"earth".An
'earth'
would be a planet that harbours life.Scientists also often speak of
looking for other earths.They
mean not just any planet,but one
sustaining or capable of sustaining life.In his book,The Bible,The
Quran and Science,
Maurice Bucaille writes,"...it comes as no small
surprise to the reader of the Quran to find that earths such as
our
own may be found in the Universe..." (46)
We have finally arrived at the Quran's answer as to
where aliens can
be found.They inhabit the millions of earths that God has created
among the millions of heavens
(galaxies) in the universe. The Quran
therefore,gives us a magnificent view of the universe- a universe
teeming
with life,a place that the late astronomer Carl Sagan
described as a "cosmic fugue,with themes and counter-
points,dissonances
and harmonies,a billion different voices playing
the life music." (47)
Will we ever discover aliens?
So far,we have learnt from the Quran that extraterrestrial
life,inclucing intelligent life, exists throughout countless
earths
in the universe.But this is not sufficient to satisfy our
curiosity.We want scientists to actually discover
aliens.Only after
we have found incontrovertible scientific evidence that aliens
exist,will our (unbelieving) hearts
see that the Quran was correct
all along.We actually won't be satisfied till we meet an alien face
to face.Is
there any chance that in the future we will actually
discover,through science,the existence of aliens and establish some
kind of contact with them or even meet them?
To get some idea on this matter,we must return to Sura 42:29.We
are
told over there that the scattering of living creatures in the
heavens and the earth is a "sign".What
is a sign?Sura 6:104
says,"Momentous signs have come to you from your Lord.He that sees
them shall himself
have much to gain,but he who is blind to them
shall lose much." (48) Sura 6:109,"They solemly swear by Allah
that
if a sign be given them they would believe in it." (49) Sura 7:73,"A
clear proof has come to you
from your Lord.Here is Allah's she-
camel:a sign for you." (50) Clearly,a sign is something which we can
see,or at least,experience with our senses.Otherwise,it would not be
a sign.Some signs are those that God showed to
humans in the
past.Other signs remain for God to show us in the future-"Soon we
will show them Our Signs in
the (furthest) regions,and in their own
souls,until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth"
(41:53).
(51) THERFORE,SURA 42:29 CONTAINS A PROPHESY THAT A TIME
WILL INDEED COME IN THE FUTURE WHEN HUMANS WILL DISCOVER ALIENS.
In Sura 55:33-34,we are addressed,"O ye assembly of Jinn and men!If
it be you can pass beyond the regions
of the heavens and the
earth,pass ye!Not without authority will ye be able to pass!Then
which of the favours of
your Lord will ye deny?" (52) Why does God
ask us to go into space? There must be some purpose.Maybe it be for
us to fulfil some grand destiny in store for our species- maybe to
become a galactic race,a respectable part of the
galactic community
of civilizations.Maybe,it is our travels in space that may lead to
our encounter with aliens
and fulfil the prophesy in 42:29.Only time
will tell.In anticipation of the time when we become space-
travellers,we
are told in Sura 29:22, "Neither on earth nor in heaven
shall you be beyond reach:nor have you any guardian or helper
besides
Allah." (53)
To reach other civilizations,we must be capable of feasible
interstellar transport.
Might we one day be capable of undertaking
such a voyage?Sura 16:8 says,"And (it is He Who creates) horses and
mules for you to ride...and He will yet create things of which
(today) you have no knowledge." (54) The latter
part of this verse is
often translated in the present tense but as Asad points out,"The use
in this context,of
the aorist "yakhluqu" implies the future tense
("He will create") ...Since this reference to God's
continuing
creation comes immediately after a mention of primitive means of
transport,it obviously relates to other-
as yet unknown- things of
the same category:that is to say,to new means of transport which God
unceasingly creates
through the instrumentality of the inventiveness
with which He has endowed man's mind." (55) Therefore,it is
possible
that we may one day make the spacecraft required for interstellar
travel.After all,God Himself has encouraged
us to,"pass beyond the
regions of the heavens".Sura 42:29 ends with the statement that God
has the power
to gather the creatures of the heavens and earth
together if He wills.This also points to the possibility of our
meeting
aliens in the future.However,this gathering may well refer to
that which will occur on Judgement Day as mentioned in
Sura 19:93-96
(see above).
Man's position among creation
The most revolutionary discoveries in history
have been those which
altered the way humans perceived themselves in the universe.We
discovered that the earth was
not at the centre of the universe.We
discovered that our Sun was a very ordinary star located in an
insignificant
part of an ordinary galaxy,which was only one of
millions of galaxies.These discoveries should have humbled
us.Yet,even
today,many of us triumphantly proclaim ourselves as being
the most supreme creation of God.It is common to ascribe our
cherished position among all living things to our higher intellectual
abilities.If we were to find out that there are
other intelligent
beings in the universe,and that some may be intellectually more
superior to us,where would that
leave us ?Would we finally be
dethroned?
Sura 17:70 informs us,"Verily We have honoured the children
of
Adam...and preferred them above many of those whom We created with a
marked preferment." (56) Many translations
fail to mention
the "marked preferment" in the verse,although the verse contains the
Arabic "tafzelan"
which conveys this.Note that the verse mentions
that there are other creatures besides humans,who have also been
given
a position of distinction,and humans have been preferred above
many,not all,of these creatures.Usmani states in a comment
on this
verse,"Under this verse a debate is opened:Who is superior- Man or
Angel?But logically this verse does
not decide the issue." (57)
Another scholar has written,"From this (verse) it is evident that
whatever
superiority humans have got over other creatures is not
whole.Allah's creatures contain such creatures upon which
humans have
got no superiority."It must be remembered here that while so far we
have been discussing material
alien lifeforms,the debate of man's
position in creation includes both material and spiritual creatures
of God.Some
early authorities,such as Hasan,have not accepted the
word "akser" mentioned in 17:70 as meaning "many".Hasan
maintains
that the word "akser",as used in 17:70, should be understood as
meaning "all",since
the same word is used in 26:233 and 10:36,where
it would be inappropriate to take its meaning as "many" but
rather
as "all".With such a substitution in verse 17:70,the meaning would be
altered to mean that man
is preferred by God over all creatures.
The debate on man's status continues among scholars and also among
the public.Let us make an analogy to the debate of whether man is
superior to woman.Suppose for a moment that we hand
the trophy to man
and let him enjoy his "superior" position.On the Day of Judgement,it
will only be deeds
that count and good women will go to Paradise and
bad men will burn in Hell.Who would have been more superior?As you
can see,in the final analysis,any debate on the status of a race,or
species is useless.From earlier verses mentioned
in this article,the
reader will remember that,according to the Quran, God will judge
humans as well as aliens on
the basis of their deeds and reward them
accordingly.Many humans will be sent to Hell for their wrongdoings.
At
the same time there will be aliens who will be rewarded for their
good deeds.Who would be more superior- the unbelieving
human or the
faithful alien?The answer is obvious.Therefore,what's the use of
debating this point?Status of
a creature is relative to its moral
conduct.Sura 95:4-5 states, "Surely We created man of the best
stature,then
We reduced him to the lowest of the low." (58)
Islam and the geocentric universe
It is the fanciful idea
of religion-bashers that the discovery of
extraterrestrial life will undermine any remaining credibility that
religion
may have.In the case of Islam,as one can see from this
discussion,that can hardly be the case.On the contrary,such a
discovery would verify the truth of the statements contained in the
Quran relating to the subject of alien life,and
strengthen the
position of Muslims.The vision of Islam is that of a truly universal
religion.It is far removed from
the exclusiveness of Judaism ("We are
the Chosen Ones for God's message").It is a pity that the image of
all religions has suffered a setback from the great scandal of the
Church- its treatment of Galileo,for (rightly) challenging
their
views of a geocentric universe,in which Man was The Central Figure in
God's Plan of Creation,living on
a planet around which all the rest
of creation revolved.
The Quran gives us a picture of our place in the
universe that is
quite different.In Sura 40:57,God says, "Assuredly the creation of
the heavens and the earth
is a greater (matter) than the creation of
men:yet most men understand not." (59) Comments Yusuf Ali,"Man is
himself a tiny part of creation.Why should he be so ego-centric?"
(60) No one race of humans was chosen to be
the exclusive custodians
of the truth.Sura 16:36 tells us,"For We assuredly sent amongst every
People an apostle,(with
the command),"Serve God,and eschew Evil":of
the people were some whom God guided,and others on whom Error became
inevitably (established).So travel through the earth,and see what was
the end of those who denied (the Truth)."
(61) According to some
Traditions of The Prophet (pbuh), 124,000 messengers have been sent
into the world by God,throughout
the ages to people all over the
world.No nation was denied access to the Truth.Even on earth,guidance
was provided
not only to humans,but also the Jinn who co-habit this
planet with us- 6:130:"(Then He will say):"Jinn and
men!Did there not
come to you apostles of your own who proclaimed to you my revelations
and warned you of this day?"
(62) .God's bounty,according to Islam,is
not confined to creatures of the earth because He is,"...Lord of the
heavens and Lord of the earth,the Lord of the Worlds" (45:36). (63)
To the people were sent revealed Books also,the
last of which is the
Quran.About the Quran itself,we are told in 43:4,"It is in the Mother
Book with Us,sublime
and full of wisdom." (64) About other
planets,S.Bashir-ud-din Mahmood has this to say,"On the basis of the
interpretation of verse 65:12 by Ibn-e-Abbas (May Allah be pleased
with him),we can say that inhabitants of these worlds
must have their
religion like ours and so the Holy Books.They all come from the
same "Supreme Source"
of revelation from where the Holy Quran
originated for us on the Earth.It is evident from the verse of the
Holy
Quran" (ie.43;4.All Books come from the "Mother Book with Us").
(65) The very first verse of the Quran
begins,"Praise be to
Allah,Lord of the Worlds." (66)
Summing up,while the Quran does point out that
man has a favoured
position on earth, (2:30-"Behold,thy Lord said to the angels:"I will
create a vicegerent
on earth.""; (67) 2:34- "We said to the
angels:"Bow down to Adam..."" (68) 95:4- We have
indeed created man
in the best of moulds." (69) ) there are other creatures of God who
have also been favoured
in the universe (17:70).Humans are just a
small part of God's creation (40:57).When they act wrongly,they are
reduced to the lowest of the low (95:5).Salvation is not only for
some race of humans, but for all humans and creatures
throughout the
universe.There is a grand destiny planned by God for all of them.All
humans as well as aliens who
follow the guidance that God sent to
their respective planets,will be rewarded (19:96)."...it is God Whose
praise
all beings in the heavens and on earth do
celebrate..."(24:41). (70) All will return to Him.How far the picture
of the universe that Islam paints is from that of a geocentric
universe!
Conclusion - a "secret"
waiting to be told
If the Quran is so explicit in stating the existence of living
organisms in the universe (42:29),we
would suppose that the Muslim
population would generally be aware of the fact that the Quran
mentions extraterrestrials.Unfortunately
that is not the case.A
significant proportion of Muslims have no idea that this exciting
piece of information is
provided in their Holy Book.I have quoted a
number of scholars in this article,who have commented on the verses
relating
to extraterrestrials.Among them are those such as Yusuf Ali
and Muhammad Asad,whose works are known to Muslims throughout
the
world.Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani was a prominent figure in the
Freedom Movement of Pakistan.All scholars quoted
are from the
mainstream of Islam. So,at least,Muslim scholars are aware of the
Quran mentioning aliens.Yet,there
are scholars also who have no idea
about this subject.Surprisingly,even Maurice Bucaille,whose brilliant
book, The
Bible,The Quran and Science is extensive in its coverage of
scientific topics in the Quran,completely overlooked the
mention of
aliens.
How aware were the early Muslims,about the existence of
extraterrestrials,or verses
in the Quran on this topic?Bashir-ud-Din
Mahmood writes,"The idea that there is life elsewhere in the universe
also,was derived from the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) when he told
Muslims,"When you sit down in the prayer for the
Attahiyat and
say: "Peace be upon us,and the righteous servants of Allah" you
actually send peace on all
the righteous people living on the Earth
and in the heavens."This clearly implies that all type of people,good
and bad live in the other worlds as they live on our Earth." (71) He
also writes,with reference to the Rasial
Imam Ghazali,"According to
Imam Muhammad Ghazali (11th Century),people in some of these
planetary worlds have
learnt to travel and communicate with each
other." (72)
The case of Ibn-e-Abbas is interesting.He was
one of the Companions
of the Prophet (pbuh).The Prophet (pbuh) had prayed to God specially
to endow Ibn-e-Abbas(73)
with knowledge of the Quran,and he became
one of the great scholars of the Quran.Maulana Maududi writing in his
Tafhim-ul-Quran,tells
us that,"Ibn-e-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with
him)...believed with confidence that there are many more earth-like
bodies in the heavens. ...He not only thought that such earths are
inhabited by intelligent beings but also that their
people are
exactly like the inhabitants on the Earth.He even went so far as to
say that they may have a Prophet
like Muhammad (pbuh),and had a
Adam,like our Adam,a Noah,like our Noah,an Ibrahim like our
Ibrahim,and a Jesus like
our Jesus (pbut)." (74) The knowledge of the
existence of aliens and that they are mentioned in the Quran, has
been present among Muslims from the earliest days of Islam!
There is something else that we know about Ibn-e-Abbas.He
did not
widely publicize his views about aliens. Rather,he was quite
secretive about this matter.The reason is that
he was afraid that his
ideas would confuse people.In fact,he was afraid that people would be
in danger of becoming
unbelievers by not accepting the truth of this
matter,which the Quran itself attested to.Perhaps it was such
considerations
that lead Muslim scholars of later times not to touch
on the topic of aliens much,and so today,also,so many Muslims remain
unaware about this matter.But times have changed.We've come a long
way in our voyage of discovery of the wonders
that surround us.The
recent discoveries of extrasolar planets,of ice on the moon (75) ,of
microbes deep beneath
the earth's surface and around thermal vents in
the oceans (76) ,of water on the sun (77) and many other amazing
findings are setting the stage for a grand finale.The public is
mentally prepared to hear soon about the discovery
of life outside
the earth.
In recent times,Muslims have missed golden opportunities of
propagating their
religion to the peoples of the world.For
example,the Quran mentions the expansion of the universe.This
phenomenon
was discovered by scientists only in 1929.If Muslims had
let the world know beforehand,that the Quran mentioned this
fact,
then upon its discovery,a big impact could have been made on the non-
Muslim world.We would have shown the
world the power,the miracle,of
the Quran.Of course,even today,the miracle remains that the Quran
mentions the expansion
of the universe,but non-Muslims tend to
say,"Now you tell us,after science has already discovered this!You
must
be construeing the meaning of Quranic verses to suit your
wishes."
Today,as we stand at the threshold
of making the most revolutionary
discovery in the history of humankind,we Muslims should ask
ourselves,"Hasn't
the time finally come for the "secret" that Ibn-e-
Abbas held to be made known to the whole world?"Yes,the
time is
ripe.Let the world know,before it discovers for itself,that 1400
years ago in the deserts of Arabia,a prophet
received
revelations,mentioning the existence of extraterrestrial life through
countless heavenly bodies in the
universe,and prophesying that one
day, humans will indeed discover aliens.
The Quran contains many amazing
statements relating to science.There
is no reason to believe that it has finally yielded all of its
scientific secrets
and as we enter the next century,we can be
confidant that the Quran will continue to shed light on some of the
most
enduring and intriguing scientific mysteries of our times.
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THE ASCENSION
The Ascension is one of the greatest miracles of the Prophet
Muhammad, upon him be peace
and blessings. The Prophet realized a
spiritual perfection and full refinement through belief and worship
and, as
a reward, God took him to His holy Presence. Escaping from
the imprisonment of `natural' laws and material causes
and rising
beyond the limits of bodily existence, the Prophet, upon him be peace
and blessings, crossed distances
swiftly and transcended all
dimensions of the material world until he reached the holy Presence
of God.
Multi-dimensional existence
Atomic physics has changed many notions in physics and established
that the
material world is a dimension or an appearance of existence.
Besides this world, there are many other worlds or dimensions
of
existence, each of which has its own particularities. Einstein put
forward the notion that time is only one of
the dimensions of
existence. Science has not yet drawn the final conclusions about
existence and new findings and
developments continually change our
view of it. Therefore, especially in our day, it is completely
illogical to
question the event of Ascension. People have difficulty
in understanding how one can penetrate all time at the same moment
as
a single point. In order to understand this subtle matter, consider
the following analogy.
Imagine
that you are standing with a mirror in your hand, with
everything reflected on the right representing the past, while
everything reflected on the left represents the future. The mirror
can reflect one direction only since it cannot show
both sides at the
same time as you are holding it. If you wish to reflect both
directions at the same time, you
will have to rise high above your
original position so that left and right directions are united into
one and nothing
remains to be called first or last, beginning or end.
In the Ascension, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace
and
blessings, must have moved with the speed of the spirit and he
traveled through all time and space and all dimensions
of existence
in a very short period. During that heavenly journey, he met with the
previous Prophets, saw angels
and beheld the beauties of Paradise and
the terrors of Hell. He also observed the essential realities of all
the
Qur'anic issues and the meanings and wisdom of all the acts of
worship. He went as far as the realms where even the
greatest of
angels, Gabriel, cannot reach and was honored with vision of
God's `Countenance' free from any
qualitative and quantitative
dimensions and restrictions. Then, in order to bring humanity out of
the darkness of
material existence into the illumined realm of belief
and worship, through which they could realize a `spiritual'
ascension
each according to his capacity, he returned to the world where he was
made subject to all kinds of persecution.
(NOTE: Belief in the Prophet's Ascension is the result of belief in
the pillars of faith and draws its light
and strength from those
pillars. For sure, the Ascension cannot be proved independently to
irreligious atheists
who do not accept the pillars of faith, because
it is impossible to discuss the Ascension with those who neither know
God, nor recognize the Prophet, nor accept the angels, and who deny
the existence of the heavens. Firstly, those pillars
must be proved.
Since this is so, in the following we shall address the believer who,
since he deems it unlikely,
has doubts about the Accession. However,
from time to time we shall turn to the atheist who is the third party
in
our discussion and is in the position of listening, and speak to
him.
The Qur'an declares:
Glorified
be He Who carried His servant by night from the Sacred
Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) to Masjid al-Aqsa, the neighborhood of
which
We have blessed, that We might show him of Our signs. Surely He is
the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. (al-Isra',
17.1)
Then he drew nigh and came down, till he was two bows' length or even
nearer, and He revealed unto
His servant what He revealed. The heart
(of His servant) lied not (in seeing) what he saw. (al-Najm, 53.8-11)
In the Name of God, the merciful, the Compassionate.
Glory be to Him Who transported His servant by night from
Masjid al-
Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa', the environs of which We had blessed, so
that We might show him some of
Our signs. Surely He is the One Who is
the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. (al-Isra', 17.1)
It is naught
but a revelation revealed. One with mighty power taught
it, one exalted in wisdom and strength: he rose, while he was
in the
highest horizon. Then he approached and came nearer. He was at a
distance of two bows' length or even
nearer. And He revealed unto His
servant what He revealed. The heart did not falsify what he saw. Will
you then
dispute with him concerning what he saw? Surely he saw him
(another time when) he (Gabriel) descended, near the Lote-tree
of the
farthest limit, beside it is the Garden of Abode. It was when what
enveloped the Lote-tree enveloped it.
The eye did not waver, nor did
it stray. Truly did he see some of the greatest signs of his Lord.
(al-Najm, 53.4-18)
Out of the vast treasury of the first mighty verse above, we shall
only describe two points which the pronoun
He in Surely He is refers
to as a principle of eloquence, since they are included in our
present concern here.
After mentioning the journey of the noble Beloved of God, upon him be
the best of blessings and most perfect
peace, from Masjid al-Haram in
Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa' in Jerusalem, which was the beginning of his
Ascension,
the Wise Qur'an concludes: Surely He is the One Who is the
All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Together with this phrase
itself, the
pronoun in the Surely He is, which alludes to the furthest point of
the Ascension indicated by the verses
from sura al-Najm (sura 53),
refers either to Almighty God or to the Prophet, upon him be peace
and blessings.
If it refers to the Prophet, according to the rules of rhetoric and
the relationship between the pronoun and
its antecedent, the meaning
is this: this journey, which is apparently particular, is in reality
so comprehensive
and signifies such universal ascent that the
Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, heard and saw during it all
the signs of the Lord and the wonders of Divine art which caught his
sight and encountered his ears as the results
of the manifestations
of Divine Names in universal degrees as far as the Lote-tree of the
farthest limit and the
distance of two bows' length. Thus, through
its conclusive phrase, the verse describes that particular journey as
the key to understand a (higher) journey that is universal and full
of extraordinary events.
If the pronoun
in Surely He is, refers to God Almighty, the meaning
is this: in order to call a servant of His on a journey to His
presence and entrust him with a duty, after sending him from Masjid
al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa', which is where
the Prophets gather, and
causing him to meet with them and showing that he is the absolute,
indisputable heir of
the principles of the religions of all the
Prophets, He took him through both the external and inner dimensions
of
His dominion as far as the Lote-tree of the farthest limit and the
distance of two bows' length.
For sure,
he was a servant and that journey was a particular
ascension. However, since he was given a Trust which is connected
to
the whole of the universe, was accorded a light which would change
the colour of the universe, and also had with
him a key with which to
open the door to eternal happiness, Almighty God describes Himself as
the One Who hears
and sees all things so that His world-embracing,
comprehensive and all-encompassing wisdom in the Trust, the light,
and the key, might be observed and understood.
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