By Dr Mohammad Humayoun Khan
“Have not “those who disbelieve” known that heavens and earth were of one piece, We parted them and, We made every living thing of water, will they not then believe?” (Quran 21:30)
The universe came into existence billions of years ago. This event is called the “The big bang. It is clearly mentioned in the Quran 1400 years ago that the discovery of “The Big Bang” and that of “The aquatic origin of life” will be made by the non-Muslims, (“those who disbelieve”). In the beginning all the matter and space (heavens) was at one point (one piece). Then everything was separated in what the physicists describe as “The big bang.” The evidence that the universe began in the “The big bang” is so overwhelming that it is now considered a fact and not just a theory.
THE RECEDING GALAXIES
The galaxies other than our “milky way” are moving away from us at tremendous speeds. This is ascertained by analyzing the light given off by the galaxies by an instrument called the spectroscope. The more distant a galaxy is the greater is its speed of recession. This motion of the galaxies is due to the expansion of the universe. The universe began about fifteen to twenty billion years ago with a tremendous explosion called “The big bang” and has been expanding ever since. The universe is not just a sphere of galaxies rushing away from each other into unending emptiness of space. It can be compared to a balloon with many dots on it, each representing a galaxy. However, the surface of this balloon, which is two dimensional, represents all three dimensions of our space, and is expanding into a higher dimension, that is beyond our imagination. The expansion of the universe is clearly mentioned in the following verses of the Quran: “The heavens, We have built with power, And We are expanding it.” (Qur’an 51:47)
THE ACCELERATING EXPANSION
“The Physics of the Day of Judgement” is based on the concept that the expansion of the universe (space) is the cause of the “phenomenon of time.” If this is true then as the expansion of the universe slows it will paradoxically appear to be expanding faster as we try to measure the expansion rate of the distant space with our local earthly time which is slowing down. This anomaly of faster expansion was discovered by two groups of astronomers in 1998. Another group of scientists from the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, and Spain’s University of Salamanca believe that slowing of our time is causing us to mistakenly interpret these measurements as accelerated expansion of the universe.
It should be noted that we cannot measure or notice slowing of time locally, however if our time is slowing then if we look into the distant space where light is coming to us from billions of years ago we will see evidence for a faster time in the past.
This is what astronomers are observing when they talk of accelerating expansion of space. A faster expansion in distant past means slowing of our time and slowing of expansion of space locally.
The slowing of expansion will eventually cause time to stop and then time will reverse when the universe starts contracting.
The Quran clearly supports this scenario in the following verses in which contraction of the universe is compared to the rolling up of a scroll and also suggests that the process of creation will be repeated.
The day’ when, We shall roll up the heavens as a recorder rolls up a written scroll. As We began the first creation We shall repeat it.” (Quran 21:104)
When earth is shaken with her final earthquake.” (Quran 99:1)
Time and gravity are closely linked. Unlike electricity and magnetism gravity is only an attractive force. There is no repulsive gravity in the expanding universe in which we live now.
Some physicists feel that in the contracting universe time can reverse if gravity also reverses.
Quran appears to be describing both the reversal of time and gravity. The reversal of gravity will cause it to become a repulsive force; this will cause the earth to literally explode. The mountains will fall apart and red-hot lava will be thrown out lighting up the sky like molten copper. The earth with the mountains shall be lifted and crushed with one crash. (Quran 69:14)
“When the sky will be like molten copper and the hills will be like flakes of wool.” (Quran:70:8-9)
The reversal of gravity will cause the earth to throw out all the mass inside it to become completely empty. This will transform earth into a massive hollow structure with sky trans-located to its center. And when the earth is spread out. And hath cast out all that was in her, and is empty” (Quran 84:3-4)
This change in the earth and the sky is again mentioned in the following verses. All these are certainly extraordinary happenings and are a reflection of the extraordinary event of the “The Day of Judgment.”
On the day when the earth will be changed to other than this earth and the heavens also And they will come forth unto God, The One The Almighty. (Quran 14: 48)
THE SMOOTH OUTER SURFACE OF THE EARTH
As the earth explodes and throws out all the liquid lava which is inside it now, its outer surface will become glassy smooth lava plain without any mountains, hills, valleys or any kind of unevenness. They will ask about the mountains, say: My Lord will break them into scattered dust. And leave it (earth) as an empty plane, so you see neither curve nor ruggedness.” (Quran 20:105-107)
THE REVERSAL OF TIME AND RISING FROM THE GRAVES
Time is one of the most elusive mysteries of the universe. Time passes slowly within moving objects; slowing progressively at speeds close to that of light and stops altogether at the speed of light. Time also slows near massive objects like earth, sun, neutron stars where expansion of space is slower, and almost stops inside the super massive stars “the black holes,” where the expansion of space would have almost stopped linking time to the expansion of the universe.
Time has a direction, it always moves towards the future. We see rain falling from the sky, objects breaking up, people getting older, and people dying. We do not see a glass becoming “unbroken” or anyone returning from the dead.
That could happen only if time ran backwards. Some physicists like Michael Berry, Thomas Gold, and Steven Hawking have proposed that time may reverse when the universe begins to contract. Verses in the Quran suggest that one day the universe will start contracting and this will coincide with beginning of the Day of Judgment when all life will be recreated with the reversal of time.
The day when, We shall roll up the heavens as a recorder rolls up a written scroll. As We began the first creation We shall repeat it.” (Quran: 21:104)
In the above verse, “The Day” means The Day of Judgment and the contraction of the universe, is compared to the closing of a scroll. This is when time and gravity will reverse. Earth would then transform into a hollow sphere with sky towards its center. Mankind will rise from the grave inside this transformed earth and come back alive. Every event will be replayed again as everything has been recorded in time.
This book pronounces against you with truth. We have caused (all) you did to be recorded (In time). (Quran 45:29)
And there is nothing hidden in the heavens, or the earth, But it is a clear record (in time). (Quran 27:75)
As the history of earth runs backwards through time, nations will return one after another. All the good and evil deeds of the individuals as well as that of the nations will be completely exposed as time reversal occurs. “And you will see each nation humbled, each nation called to its record. And it will be said to them: This day you are repaid for what you used to do.” (Quran 45:28)
The playing back of time will cause people to anticipate and see what they had done previously. They will have no control over their hands, feet, mouths, and eyes. All the wrong and right things that were done before by them will be repeated again. In this sense, tongues, hands, and feet, will become witnesses against them in front of the angels and God, and they will not be able to deny any of their wrong doings.
On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet. Testify against them as to what they used to do. (Quran 24:24)
“We warn you of doom at hand. A day when a man will look on that his own hand has sent before, and the non-believers will cry: “Wish that we were dust.” (Quran 78:40)
“And, the messengers are brought into their time appointed.” (Quran 77:11) (The prophets will be returned into their time as time runs backwards)
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