Q62 :Articles and books have been published
postulating about the “big bang” as the probable origin of the universe
some 10 billion years ago. It will be appreciated if you could share
with us some thoughts about how religion in general, and Islam in
particular, view such a scientific research being pursued in an attempt
to approve this theory.
A62 : I am not particularly familiar with this
theory, or its details. I have watched a television program about it
and read an article, but I am not in a position to speak about it in
any depth. What I would like to say about it, however, is that whether
it is proved to be true or false, it should not affect our view of
religion in any way. Allah could have brought about such a “Big Bang”
to create the universe, if He wanted to do so. He could certainly have
created the universe in some other manner. Whichever way He adopted to
create the universe testifies to His limitless ability and overall
control of the universe and everything in it. Where scientists reach
the limits of their research, they are seen making attempt to make such
a theory a basis to negate or cast suspicion on what Islam says about
creation. If the universe came into being as a result of a Big Bang,
does that mean that the bang happened by itself, without any cause? Or
does it mean that Allah caused it? If the latter, well and good. If
they opt for the first answer, saying that the bang just happened by
itself without a cause, we will ask for a proof. We will say: Was there
anything before the bang took place? Did it happen by a collision of
physical entities, electric charges or other sources of energy? If so,
where did these nete from? Who gave them their existence? Such a line
of questioning will inevitably lead us to decide our starting point.
Are we seeking an explanation for the existence of the universe in
total isolation of the concept of Allah’s existence? In other words,
does scientific research want to prove that life could have nete about
without any need for a creator? If so, then we are simply not
interested in such an endeavor. Let scientists do what they like, they
will never be able to nete up with any logical explanation that can be
proven to be true and at the same time negate Allah’s role altogether.
If Muslim scientists find enough evidence to suggest that the Big Bang
Theory explains how the universe came into existence, they would relate
that to Allah and His power. They would say that Allah has created the
universe by causing a big bang to take place and they would then carry
on with their investigations. Their research may lead them to great
discoveries, but that does not negate Allah’s role. The problem with
scientists’ research in the West is that it seeks to provide a theory
which can be used as an alternative to the fact that the universe is
Allah’s creation. As a result, scientists go far astray. Moreover, they
can produce no theory which can stand the test of time. Take for
example the theory of Charles Darwin on the origin of species. There is
nothing that an Islamic scholar or a man of religion can find wrong
with the observations about the gradation of species and that one
species leads to the next which is slightly higher. They noted that the
gradation is observable in the plant kingdom as well as in the animal
kingdom. They have also mentioned that there seems to be two
un-bridgeable gaps, one between the highest plant species and the
lowest animal type of life and the other between the highest animals
which are closest to man and man himself. Their view is that it is
Allah who has willed the system of creation to be such. Such a
gradation proves His great ability to anyone who reflects on what Allah
has placed in the universe. Muslim scientists have also spoken about
the fine balance which we find in nature and how no species is allowed
to multiply in great numbers so as to swarm the planet or dominate the
universe. They attributed all that to the great hand of the Supreme
Lord. This is the logical explanation which uses natural phenomena as a
proof of the greatest fact of all, namely, Allah’s existence, His
Godhood and Lordship. What the West did with Darwin’s theory was
something different. Scientists tried to show that the great
observations of Darwin indicate that there is a process of natural
selection which is set in motion and continues to operate forever.
Hence, that process provided for them a platform to announce their
atheism and agnosticism and reject Allah’s role altogether. They could
not explain how the process of natural selection operates. Is it
subject to the physical phenomena that exists in the universe? What
made all species acquire the ability to adapt themselves to such
phenomena? As for the two gaps, Western scientists who took over from
Darwin tried to explain them away by saying that these were two missing
links. They have not nete up with any explanation why these links have
been and continue to be missing? If the process of natural selection is
self-supporting and ensures its own continuity, why has it not tried to
bridge these two gaps? Whey does the missing link continue to be
missing at those particular two points? In all this, we find an
arbitrary attempt to replace religion with science, making of it a new
god to which submission is required, even though it involves believing
in some inexplicable phenomena. Such scientists say that their
alternative is more logical and reasonable, but they cannot use it to
explain everything that needs explanation. If scientists want to carry
their research a step further than studying what is available in the
universe so as to explain its existence, they must nete up with a
netplete explanation that can be proved throughout with facts that
cannot be challenged. If science is to replace religion, it should
offer something which is netplete, true, verifiable, unchangeable and
absolute. But we will not be interested if scientists say to us: This
is what we can prove now. Take it for the present as correct, and if we
nete up tomorrow with something that is more reasonable or for which we
can provide better evidence, you take that instead of what we have
offered you now. We do not want a Big Bang Theory to replace Darwin’s
theory, leaving as many un-answered questions as its predecessor. On
the other hand, we welnete the Big Bang Theory and all other scientific
research when offered in the right approach. It then can tell us more
about our planet and the universe in which we live and how Allah
brought it all into existence and continues to control it all.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )